Page 30 of No Mercy
He moves left, so I shift right, mirroring his steps. Just as Flynn lunges forward, the front door crashes open.
Ant pauses in the doorway, taking in the stand-off before holding up a bag of food. I glance at Flynn and raise an eyebrow, signalling a truce. He nods, striding over to Ant and grabbing the bag.
Ant walks toward me, holding out his phone. “Coming in with gifts, I see,” I tease, taking the phone from him. It’s the tracking software for Eva, showing her on the move. I zoom in on the map, trying to pinpoint her location.
“Do we know where Rach?—”
Before I can finish, Ant shoves a crumpled piece of paper into my hand. Rachel’s itinerary. I glance at the address, seeing it match Eva’s current location. Grinning, I clap Ant on the shoulder as I guide him to the sofa. “I’ll say it again, you know you’re my favourite brother, right?”
He winks just as Flynn lobs a piece of bread at my head. “Standing right here, you know!” he shouts, mouth half-full of food. I drop onto the sofa beside Ant, throwing my head back against the pillows. “You were meant to hear that,” I tell Flynn, grinning as he mutters something about favouritism.
While Ant and Flynn dig into their food, I head back to my room to get ready. We don’t have long before Rachel’s Pilates class ends, which gives us the perfect chance to get Flynn close to Mandy. Nudging Flynn’s scattered clothes to the side with my foot, I pull open a drawer, grabbing a clean pair of black joggers and a white top to change into before we leave.
As I turn to leave, my gaze falls on my mask by the door. I pause, picking it up slowly, a new plan forming in my mind. “Flynn, grab your mask and meet me by the bike. I’ve got a new idea,” I call out, making sure my voice carries into the living room.
Stepping back out, I catch sight of Flynn heading into his room, likely to do as requested. Ant waves a casual goodbye from the couch before he pulls on his headphones and immerses himself in his gaming console.
I toss the mask into the air, catching it with a grin as I step out of the apartment and head toward the bike.
We sit further down the road, Eva’s car in sight as we wait for the right moment to approach. “You really brought the masks?” Flynn asks, his voice crackling through the comms in our helmets. “Ant brought them, and honestly, I’m glad he did,” I reply, keeping my eyes fixed on Eva’s car, watching for any hint of movement.
Flynn chuckles, glancing down at his blue mask. “Haven’t worn this in years. Man, the fun we had with these bad boys.”
Before I can respond, the passenger door of Eva’s car swings open, and Mandy steps out. I slap Flynn’s leg, nodding in her direction.
“Where’s she going? This wasn’t part of the plan,” he whispers, his tone laced with panic.
“Well, it is now, and we’re about to find out,” I say, twisting the key to bring the bike roaring to life. I pull my helmet off and replace it with the mask, waiting for Flynn to do the same before we pull off. Within seconds, we’re speeding down the road toward her car, catching glances from people who stare and point as we pass. I try to look through Eva’s window as we near, but the tint hides any reaction. I’ll have to try a different way.
Ignoring the disappointment, we turn the corner, scanning for Mandy. I point towards a coffee shop, showing Flynn as Mandy stands in a line to enter. I brake hard just past the shop, causing Flynn to bump into the back of me.
“Fucking hell, careful, man,” he says, hopping off the bike and pulling his mask off. He runs his fingers through his hair, glancing back at me. “How do I look?”
I give him a once-over, catching the nerves in his expression. Normally, I’d give him hell for it, but right now, I need this to work.
“Like a million bucks. Now, go get that date,” I say, giving him a push towards the shop that Mandy is in.
Once Flynn disappears, I kick my bike into gear and roll slowly to the end of the road. As I near the corner, Eva’s car comes back into view, but still I can’t see any movement inside.
Stupid tints.
I rev the throttle, the engine red-lining as the exhaust screams. People turn their heads, some even yelling for me to cut it out, but I tune them out, focusing solely on Eva’s car. I may not see her, but she’ll definitely see me, I’ll make sure of it.
A movement in my mirror catches my attention, and I glance back to see Flynn sprinting toward me, his grin wide enough to split his face. With one last look at Eva’s car, I turn the bike to meet him.
“I did it!” he yells, leaping onto the back of the bike. “I fucking did it, Ax—I got the date!”
I hand him his helmet, giving him an approving nod. “I knew you could do it, no doubt in my mind. Proud of you, brother.” He claps a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Thanks, man. Dance party to celebrate?”
Nodding, I hit ‘play’ on my phone. Music blasts through our helmets, and Flynn immediately starts singing along to “Sexy Can I” by Ray J.
His voice is loud and off-key, but infectious enough that soon I’m laughing and joining in.
After a few songs, I feel high on life, the nerves from earlier melting away as I lose myself in the moment with my brother. We approach a red light and roll to a stop just as a car pulls up beside us. In the back seat, a little boy stares, wide-eyed, pointing at us while we dance. I catch Flynn in my mirror, both hands in the air, completely unbothered.
“Shawty had them apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur!” he belts out, his voice echoing down the street.
Another car pulls up on the other side, and a group of girls in the front seat wind down their windows, phones already out, recording us. Flynn doesn’t miss a beat. He flips his visor up and points right at them, his expression exaggerated like he’s on stage. “The whole club was looking at her!” he sings, giving the girls a dramatic wink.
