King of Superheroes 3, page 8
“Yeah, I guess it has.” She shrugged. “But I dunno… this just feels… different, like a turning point.”
“Are you nervous?” I asked as she fiddled with her necklace.
“About what we’ll find out?” She looked up at me, and I nodded in response. “I guess… but mostly because I don’t like the idea that you could be in danger.”
“I’ll be fine.” I smiled down at her and stroked a strand of hair out of her face. “King of the Superheroes, remember?”
“Yeah.” She grinned up at me. “You’re right.”
“It’s cute that you care,” I chuckled before I leaned down and kissed her Spider-Man-style.
“Of course I care, you big idiot.” She lazily smacked my leg and rolled back onto her front, and then she shot me an exaggerated wink. “I mean, if I was an Anti, I’d probably want you, too.”
“You think this is all an elaborate ruse because they have a crush on me?” I snickered and shook my head at her suggestion.
“I wouldn’t blame them,” she laughed.
Jokes aside, Hannah was right. Things had started to get a lot more tense. From the incident at the airport, and the bust at the warehouse right through to the hacker, it was glaringly obvious these people meant business.
Unfortunately for them, so did I.
There was no way I was going to let them get in the way of my destiny, nor would I allow them to cause my friends and I any harm. I’d make sure of it, no matter what it entailed. These people were my family now, and I’d do anything to protect them.
And the fact that the Antis opposed me actually meant I was doing something right. They saw I was a man of strength and integrity, and I was glad it challenged them, because it meant I was on the right track.
As I finished throwing the last of my essentials into the bag, I noticed Rhiannon and the boys had gathered at the doorway.
“Let’s go,” I announced and slung my backpack over my shoulder.
Hannah followed behind me, and we headed outside where Dahlia was waiting in her van. Our mentor waved at us through the window, and we piled into the back.
Dahlia caught my eye through the rearview mirror and smiled shyly, which sent a stab of desire through my stomach as I recalled our kiss the night before. She radiated a new glow since I’d seen her last, and it made her look even prettier than she already was.
Our mentor turned the ignition over, and a minute later, she began driving across the bridge that connected the Academy to the mainland.
I still had so much of Miami to see, but in between missions, training, and getting distracted with my girlfriends, we didn’t really get the chance to explore. So it was nice we were going to have an opportunity to enjoy the Emerald Coast, even if it was in a different city.
Florida already felt like I was on a constant vacation, even in the midst of the chaos I couldn’t seem to catch a break from. But it was going to be nice to shut off even if it was just for a little bit, and I was looking forward to seeing my girlfriends in skimpy bikinis.
“Are we not going to the International Airport?” Danny asked our mentor as she seemed to miss a turn.
“Mori figured it was too risky after what happened on your first mission,” Dahlia said. “The Academy has access to a private jet, so we’re headed to a private airport. Better to be safe than sorry.”
“I’m not complaining,” Frank scoffed, and he shot me a smirk.
“Yeah, I feel like royalty, this is great,” Danny added.
“The perks of knowing you are endless.” Rhiannon turned and kissed me on the cheek.
“I could definitely start getting used to this.” Hannah let out a satisfied sigh, and she relaxed further into her seat.
After ten minutes, we pulled into the parking lot of the private airport, and Dahlia slowed the van as she prepared to drop us off at the terminal.
“I wish you were joining us, Dahlia,” Hannah said and leaned forward against the passenger seat at an angle that accentuated her curves.
“Me, too.” Dahlia fake pouted. “But I still have business to take care of here while you guys are attending to the exciting stuff.”
“You’ll be missed,” I said, and I flashed her a smile.
“Well, have fun, guys,” she said as she put the van into park. “Be good. And stay safe.”
She leveled a pointed look at me, and I lifted my hands in an innocent gesture. Her lips twitched with amusement, but then we all bade goodbye to our mentor and filed out of the van.
I expected the private airport to be small and characterless, and although it was nowhere near as big as the international airport, this place was equally as impressive. The building was stark white against the granite gray of the surrounding tarmac, and the sun bounced off its reflective surface, which gave it a glowing effect and added to its grandeur. A huge concrete shelter jutted out of the back of the building before the runways, and a sleek, glossy jet was parked underneath it.
I exchanged impressed looks with my team as a man in a crisp, short-sleeved shirt and tie approached us.
“Mr. Maddock?” he asked no one in particular.
“Yeah.” I stepped forward and waved slightly. “That’s me.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said, and then he glanced at my group. “And this is your party?”
“That’s right,” I said.
“Very well.” He smiled. “My name is Wren, I’ll be the pilot for today’s flight. Please follow me, I’ll introduce you to the hostesses.”
Wren ushered us toward the jet that was waiting on the tarmac, and two absolutely gorgeous women waited on either side of the ascending stairs. They were dressed identically, in a soft white blouse and a burgundy bodycon pencil skirt paired with black kitten heels. Their hair was pulled back in sleek, low buns, and they both wore the same shade of bright red lipstick.
As we approached, they both grinned in unison, which was both creepy and actually kind of hot.
“Can we take your bags?” The blonde hostess approached Hannah and I while the brunette tended to the others, so we handed over our hand luggage and boarded the jet.
The interior was even more impressive, it looked more like it was straight out of Mori’s penthouse than an aircraft. It was kitted out with cream, leather couches on either side that were separated by round, marble coffee tables, and on the tables was a row of champagne flutes filled with the pale, bubbly alcohol, alongside a tray of strawberries coated in dark chocolate.
Hannah and Rhiannon squealed as they headed straight for the treats.
“This… is… insane...” my redheaded conduit friend muttered as he looked around the aircraft and took it all in. “I feel like a rapper.”
I laughed at his remark and flopped down on one of the luxurious couches.
“Fit for a king,” I said, and I shot him a toothy grin as he fist-bumped me.
“You know, I’ve always wanted to become a member of the mile high club…” Hannah said as she casually checked her nails and shot me a lingering look.
My pants immediately grew a tad tighter, but I was acutely aware that Danny and Frank were sitting mere feet away, so I cleared my throat and tore my gaze from Hannah’s sultry blue eyes.
I did see her smirk in my peripheral vision, though.
It was only about a two-hour flight to the Emerald Coast, but we made the most of the journey and the private jet’s amenities. We were all feeling a slight buzz when we made it to our accommodation, and the Academy, thanks to Mori, spared no expenses when it came to the choice of hotel.
It was located a stone’s throw away from the beach, with the most spectacular panoramic views of the coast. The hotel itself was just as impressive. It was ten stories high and was lavishly decorated throughout with high ceilings, low-hanging crystal chandeliers, and authentic marble floors.
I checked us in under Mori’s name, since he figured it was too risky to have mine in the system in case the Antis were able to track it down and realize I was in town.
And, as if this trip couldn’t have gotten any better, the receptionist let us know we had the penthouse that took up the entire top floor.
The place was fucking huge and extremely over excessive considering we were only staying the night, but we weren’t complaining. The suite had its own living room and a full-fledged kitchen stocked with everything we could’ve wanted, even its own bar.
Not to mention the ridiculous bedrooms that overlooked the ocean.
After we’d finished gushing over how cool the place was and chucked our stuff into the bedrooms we’d shotgunned, we gathered in the living room to discuss how we were going to spend our first day. Part of me just wanted to tackle the Anti base tonight, but we needed to be sure Pyro was good and busy in Tallahassee, and he wasn’t on the shooting schedule until tomorrow. So, we’d get some rest in the meantime, and I’d get to treat my girlfriends to a minivacation. I’d call that a win-win.
“What shall we do first?” Hannah excitedly rubbed her hands together.
“We should probably think up a plan for tomorrow before we get too carried away,” I said.
“We’ve got to make the most of the beach,” Rhiannon said with just as much excitement as Hannah. “We can plan there, easy! What do you guys think?”
“Have you seen my hair?” Frank asked as he gestured to his red locks. “You think a guy like me can lay out all day in the sun?”
“We’ll slather you in sunscreen, bud,” I said and playfully slapped him on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine.”
“You’re not gonna be able to do that tomorrow,” he retorted and rubbed his shoulder.
“I’ll act as your personal umbrella,” Danny added, and he nudged Frank in the ribs. “I won’t let a single ray even think about touching you, my friend.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Frank said as he raised an eyebrow.
“Well, if you get burned, then I can just heal you.” Danny shrugged. “No harm, no foul.”
“Fine, fine, fine.” Frank waved at us dismissively. “I’m in.”
So, we got our stuff together, and then we headed to the beach. I’d briefly worried about being spotted or recognized, but with dark sunglasses and a cap, I felt like I looked like a regular Joe Schmoe. My suspicions were only confirmed when we hit the sand and no one gave me a second look, and I smirked to myself in satisfaction.
Once we’d set out towels on the quietest part we could find, which was no easy task considering we were in a prime location that attracted a lot of tourists, the girls stripped down to their swimsuits.
Hannah wore a black two piece, with a stringy triangular top and an even smaller pair of bottoms that barely covered her ass cheeks. Rhiannon also opted for a two piece, but hers was a shade of pastel blue dotted with a dainty floral print. Their swimsuits flattered their figures incredibly well, and they both looked like models, even people passing by couldn’t help but steal glances at them.
It felt amazing to know they were all mine.
“Hey, Mark!” Hannah called out as she laid on her front. “Do you think you could put sunscreen on our backs? We can’t reach.”
I obviously didn’t point out the fact they could have assisted each other, and I just jumped at the chance of rubbing lotion over their beautiful bodies.
“Who wants to go first?” I asked.
“Me, please.” Hannah wiggled her ass in response, and then she lifted her hair from her back, pulled it over her shoulder, and shot me a sultry look.
“Aaand that’s our cue,” Frank said as he stood up.
“We’ll go get us some drinks from the cabana,” Danny added and followed after him.
I waved absentmindedly to my friends before I poured a generous amount of sunscreen into my palms and began running my hands down the blonde’s toned back.
And with the way she was laying, I couldn’t resist rubbing some on her ass cheeks, too.
“Mmmm…” she moaned, and she turned into putty beneath my fingertips. “I could get used to this.”
“I definitely see more beach vacations in our future.” I smirked and subtly pinched her ass, which caused her to giggle and arch like a cat.
Once I’d finished applying Hannah’s sunscreen and copping a feel, I turned to Rhiannon.
“Would you like any, pretty girl?” I asked my Tempest girlfriend.
“I’d love some.” She smiled and assumed the position beside Hannah, so I began the same process, but then Rhiannon turned on her front. “You’re supposed to rotate every fifteen minutes.”
“Sure,” I laughed.
“You are!” she insisted, but I was sure her pink cheeks weren’t caused by the sun. “I read it somewhere, I promise.”
“Hey, I’m not complaining,” I said as I spread the sunscreen over her toned stomach and then rubbed over the exposed part of her breasts. “I don’t need an excuse to want to rub you down.”
“It tickles,” she giggled when I made my way back down her stomach.
“Okay, you’re all good.” I stopped and kissed just above the top of her bikini bottoms before retreating to my towel.
Danny and Frank returned a few minutes later with drinks, and we spent the next hour or so just soaking up the sun and sipping on fruity cocktails from the beach’s bar before Frank insisted we play a game of volleyball.
He could not be dissuaded, and there were already a couple of people playing in the sand like twenty yards down the beach, so we gingerly approached them.
“Mind if we join in?” I asked.
“Aren’t you that famous Omega?” the tanned, short guy asked with a frown.
“You think this guy’s the Omega?” Frank scoffed in faux disbelief and jerked a thumb at me. “This guy can barely tie his own shoelaces. You’ll see once he’s on the court, he’s absolutely useless.”
“Thanks, Frank.” I laughed and tried to help him sell it by stumbling in the sand.
“Hey, you know what I always tell you,” he said.
“What do you always tell me, Frank?” I asked.
“That it’s a damn good thing you’re pretty.” My redheaded buddy winked at me.
Surprisingly, the guy bought it without any further questions and dropped his suspicion immediately. Clearly, Frank was extremely convincing when he needed to be.
There were four others on the court, and they’d already set up the game with the two girls on one side and the guys on the other, so we followed their lead and split off.
Then we started up a game, and I was pleasantly surprised by Rhiannon’s athleticism. She didn’t just look overly fit like a gym obsessed Instagram model, but she had the skill. She also had the reaction time of a cat and the quickness of one.
Hannah was just as impressive and navigated the court as though she played the sport professionally, but when I saw the amused smirk on her face, I had to wonder if she was using her mind reading ability on her opponents.
As I appreciated their showmanship, I was struck again with just how lucky I’d gotten to be with them.
Not to mention that when they were teamed up, they were a force to be reckoned with. It was to the point that they put up such a good game, I didn’t even have the chance to marvel at their breasts recoiling as they jumped.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same for my fellow teammates. Although they blamed it on the fruity cocktails, Danny and Frank were painfully uncoordinated and spent most of the game bashing heads, literally. They always laughed it off, and Danny even healed the bump growing out of Frank’s forehead.
After a solid match, the girls took the win, and we knew we’d be hearing about it nonstop for the longest time.
We thanked the kind strangers for the game and then headed back to our towels, but once we’d caught our breath, we soon realized we couldn’t keep avoiding the upcoming stakeout. Although the beach served as a good temporary distraction, we needed to get into the gritty details.
“How far away are we from the base?” Danny asked eventually.
The people closest to us were over ten yards away, and with the wind blowing, no one would be able to hear our quiet conversation.
“Dahlia seemed to think we were only twenty minutes out,” I said. “I say we just rent a car, park a mile away, and walk the rest if necessary.”
“Might be worth driving past it, first,” Frank pointed out. “That way we can see if it’s even safe to approach by foot.”
“Good point.” I nodded. “I think me and Rhiannon should be the first ones to scope it out. My invisibility is still temperamental, but I’m pretty sure I can keep it under control. Rhiannon could do a fly-by and get a general idea of what we’re up against, then we’ll be able to know the best point of entry and exit routes.”
“If I can get close enough and still be unseen, I’ll be able to use my telepathy and see how many people are in there,” Hannah said. “And I’ll probably get some intel that way, too.”
“I can check for any guns,” Frank added. “That way we’ll know how vigilant we need to be when we’re approaching.”
“I say we get there as early as we can, too,” I said. “Like before dawn. They’ll probably be less alert first thing in the morning, and the darkness will help hide us.”
My team nodded in agreement at my suggestion.
“Okay, I think I’ve got a solid plan,” I continued. “Hannah and Frank will do the first sweep for any immediate threats we need to be aware of. How many people there are, any weapons, that kind of thing. Then Rhiannon and I will go and scope out the general vicinity and see our best route in and out. Then Danny…”
“And I’m the walking first aid kit.” Danny laughed. “It’s okay, my role comes in afterwards, but hopefully you won’t need me. And I’m an extra pair of eyes, you can never have too many of those in a situation like this.”
“Exactly,” I agreed. “Don’t worry, I know you’re an invaluable member to the team. Your place isn’t overlooked.”
“Thank you, my friend.” Danny smiled.
“What do you think, guys?” I asked the rest of my team. “Do we all agree?”
“Sounds good to me.” Frank nodded before he reached over, grabbed the sunscreen, and started slathering more on his pink-tinged arms and shoulders.
