Page 72 of No Mistakes
Carter looks up. “Do what?”
“Surveillance, questioning… Whatever needs to be done.” Eva says, "Mandy and I. We said we’re going to do it, so we will.”
Ant pauses his typing while Axel’s head tips slightly. His face set in stone as if there is an internal battle going on inside of his mind. His gaze is set on Eva, the odd twitch from his jaw visible. Gunnar looks like he’s waiting for someone to object just so he can be entertained, and Flynn is sitting in his chair looking amused.
Carter frowns. “It’s not just sneaking around. You have to be careful. One wrong move and-”
“And we’re not stupid,” I cut in. “We know what’s at stake. We’ve been doing this sort of work for years. We wouldn’t offer if we couldn’t handle it.”
There’s a beat of silence, like everyone’s recalibrating.
Eva leans forward, resting her elbows on the table. “You need people who can get close without raising alarms. Who can talk their way into a backroom or walk into a shop without setting off panic buttons.”
“People who don’t have the Ashford name branded across their face,” I add.
Carter rubs the back of his neck, but he nods. “Alright. But no hero shit. You run into trouble, you fall back.”
Axel pushes off the doorframe, stepping closer. “Take Gunnar with you for backup. He’ll stay outside, keep a lookout.”
Gunnar perks up at the news. “Am I the muscle?Finally. I was starting to feel under-appreciated.”
“You’re not the muscle,” Flynn says dryly, flicking through some papers. “You’re just tall.”
Eva scoffs under her breath.
Ant clicks something on his laptop, turning the screen towards us before playing a message.“Here’s the layout of the block. Bakery’s here,” He points as the computer speaks,“But the alleyway behind gives a decent sight-line to the back entrance. And there’s a liquor store two doors down you can duck into if you need cover.”
I nod, absorbing every word. The angle, the risks, the layers he’s already mapped out. He’s always three steps ahead, and it should be enough. But it’s not.
Because he didn’t say it out loud, and I hate that it hurt this much. That I miss something as simple as the sound of his voice.
It’s pathetic. How much I crave it. That low, gravelled tone, the way it settles in my chest when it’s meant just for me. The way he makes words feel heavier somehow. Realer. Safer.
But he’s silent now, and I know there’s a reason. There has to be.
I just don’t know what kind of reason keeps a man like Ant quiet. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to wait in the dark forever, hoping he’ll eventually let me in. I can only hope and pray that he does.
Carter drops his papers on the table, causing me to flinch from the sudden sound.
“We leave tomorrow morning,” He says. “Dress casual. We will give you guns only if you wear something that will hide them properly. No wild west, cowboy shit.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” I grin.
Flynn scoffs from behind us, “Fun gets you killed.”
He’s not wrong. But neither of us is walking into this looking for fun. We’re walking into this because we can.
It’s time the boys stopped seeing us as passengers on this ride. We’re not backup singers in their mafia band. We’re here to take the lead when we need to.
The room is quiet except for the sound of fabric slipping across my skin. I shimmy the skirt up my thighs, adjusting the waistband before turning to the mirror, wearing only a skirt and a pair of black panties.
The skirt sits nicely, just above my knees. Not too short, but it will get me the attention needed for today’s mission. We only have four more days left before the meeting, and we need every bit of information that we can.
I reach across the bed for my bra when I hear the door creak. My head snapped towards the sound. I take a few steps forward, hiding behind the edge of the wall that leads to the door.
Ant steps through but freezes halfway through the door, his hand still on the knob. His dark eyes lock on me like I’m a fucking weapon aimed straight for him. He doesn’t say anything, just stands there, jaw clenched as I step around the corner fully. His eyes trail my bare chest down the curve of my waist to the skirt that barely covers me. The door clicks shut behind him as he takes a step closer.
“Are you just gonna stand there and stare?” I ask, my voice soft but laced with heat from the sight of him alone. “Or are you going to come in?”
