"It's open."
It was Peggy. Dear God. Dressed in a perfectly fitted knee-length red dress, and red heels. Looking just like…a woman.
Francis whistled. "Where you going sis?"
"Looking for Tyler." She stopped before the couch where Tyler sat gawking up at her. She smiled at him with her hands on her hips, looking like a model that stepped off the cover of a magazine. "I had this…crazy dream and wanted to make sure he was…okay."
Tyler's cheeks erupted in flames and he stole a glance at Francis to see an ohhhhhh her quirk in his brow. Shit. Was that bad? Now he knew his erection was for his sister.
Francis patted his leg. "It's all good little brother. Very good."
Relief flooded Tyler.
"What's all good?"
Tyler panicked. "I was just thinking it'd be nice to go with you guys tonight. Just to learn the ropes."
"No, we can't." Francis stood. "My dad, remember."
"I'll take him then. You don't really need us." Peggy sat next to Tyler and put her hand on his leg. The innocent gesture exploded his pulse like the birth of a galaxy. And not showing how it rocked him was so very hard. Harder than remaining absolutely still when that snake had found its way into his sleeping bag that one time.
Francis sighed. "You're right. I can handle this, really. I'll take Max and Robert just to play it safe."
"Yes. And I'll be a thought away from you if you need." She looked at Tyler. "I think this guy can handle being alone for a few minutes. If it should be necessary. Otherwise, we can think of it like a date." She giggled.
Francis dug through the fridge. "Where will you be?"
She grinned with excitement, holding pearly long nails toward Francis. "I saw the perfect little ice-cream parlor when scouting the neighborhood. Not too close but not too far." She hit Tyler with a direct gaze and he felt it melting the common sense right from him.
He gave this weird swirl of his head, trying to say yes while not appear too eager.
"Are you okay?" She tilted her head at him with a half-smile.
"He's ecstatic. I think he'd love nothing more than to go on…" Francis looked at Tyler's wide eyes. "A mission. And this can be considered his first." He raised his brows looking for approval.
"Absolutely. I'm ecstatic. To go on even a kind of mission."
"With me." Peggy tacked that on like he'd left it out.
"Yes." He couldn't meet her gaze. "With you. And the guys." Why couldn't he just leave it at her?
"Good, then let's get this show on the road. You two can go now if you like. Keep your telephones on you though. I don't want to have to use any powers, remember."
"Yes, yes." Peggy sighed. "I remember. And it's called a cell sweetie."
Francis rolled his eyes. "I keep forgetting. It's just difficult to reconcile such a simple contraption to the vast complexity of a cell."
Tyler laughed a little. "I never thought of it that way."
Peggy stood and pulled Tyler up with her. "Are you ready?"
Ready or not, here he went. "Ready."
Chapter Thirty-Three
Francis knocked on Abigail's apartment door like a normal human would. He was early. But he'd called ahead. She'd sounded glad. "Good. That'll give us a chance to talk."
Those words had done horrific things to Francis. What did she want to talk about?
The sound of locks disengaging began. He liked that she had a lot of them. Smart and beautiful. And dangerous. If he weren't what he was, he'd definitely have to be more on guard.
As he stood, he contemplated ten things at once. What was she wearing? How did she feel about him today? What did she want to talk about? Was her hair down? The door opened without hesitation and Francis' train of thought had a virtual wreck. Dear God. She wore a fitted thin white shirt with no bra and white lacey panties. Francis couldn't take his eyes from her chest. His brain insisted he take notes and confirm they were indeed as perfect as he'd recalled. Realizing how horrible his reactions was, he clenched his eyes shut. "I'm…sorry, I didn't mean to stare."
She gave a sultry low laugh that made his manhood triple in size. "You were supposed to stare, silly. That's why I wore it."
Francis was fully aware of what a slut was. And she was behaving a lot like one. He had to remember he couldn't be foolish and let his guard down no matter what his body said. He couldn't give himself to a woman who wasn't prepared to give herself entirely to him. Utterly and without repent.
"It still isn't right to stare." He walked in and turned to watch her lock the many locks on the door and went back to doing what was wrong. He stared. Ruby gaze riveted to her perfect ass with the many tattoos covering her skin. More earth moving perfection. She looked over her shoulder and he jerked his head down, feeling like such a pathetic failure.