Tossing my bag against the wall, I make my way toward Hannah and the other girls. Cheerleading is my favorite thing in the entire world, I’ve been doing it since I was in kindergarten. I fell in love with the team atmosphere, the athleticism, and the fact that it pushed me to my limits even on the best days.

I like to be pushed, it makes me feel uncomfortable and often like I want to be sick, but it gives me the most satisfaction. Success is not success unless you’ve earned it by giving everything you have, and that’s what cheerleading is for me.

It’s pushing my body to its limits and then going that little bit further.

It’s also what Luca has drawn out of me. He doesn’t let me get away with giving him average effort or bowing out when I feel like I can’t breathe. He keeps pushing, and afterward, I feel damn amazing.

“Hey girl,” Hannah says excitedly as I sit down on the mat beside her, groaning when my muscles protest against the small movement. Hannah stops her stretch and looks at me in surprise. “Girl, are you getting old or something? It’s only been a couple days since we were here. You can’t be that out of shape.”

I shake my head as I bend forward, pressing my forehead to my knee and chewing on my bottom lip as my quad muscles scream at me to stop. I can’t stop, though. I might be sore, but our coach is only going to ride me harder if she catches me slacking, so I just need to push through the pain. “I have this new…” I pause for a moment, trying to find the right words, “… personal trainer. And he’s a bit of a hardass,” I grumble, rolling my eyes to myself as I hear Luca’s voice in the back of my head, teasing and taunting me for thinking about his ass.

“Ooo…” Hannah says, perking up and sitting taller. “He you say? What does he look like? Is he cute?”

I snort, it’s super unladylike, but I don’t even care at this point. “Something like that…”

Luca’s more than cute. He’s handsome, he’s sexy and those freaking muscles—I was pretty sure men like that only appeared on book covers and spent eight hours a day in the gym. Luca’s built, even more so than the guys on our cheerleading team, and they have to throw people in the air every other day. If I saw him walking down the street, there’s no doubt in my mind I’d look twice, probably even three times. Okay, who am I kidding, I’d be batting my eyelashes in hopes that he would come my way and ask me out.

But with Luca, it isn’t quite like that, even though I’m sure he wishes it was.

It’s his sarcasm and joking around that throws me off—it makes me bite back. I can’t stand it when people don’t take me seriously, whether it’s because I’m a girl, or because I don’t look like a ‘normal nerd,’ people are consistently judging me and making jokes about my abilities.

That’s what I expected from Luca. But today I got to see more of who he really is, a different side of him. He’s passionate and strong, and he managed to push me harder in one lesson than any coach has managed to before.

And I fucking loved it.

“Um… earth to Everly.” Hannah laughs, pushing my shoulder and throwing me off balance. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” I quickly answer but she raises her brows at me, apparently knowing better. I try to avoid eye contact but unfortunately for me, Hannah and I have been friends since pre-K, and she knows all my tells.

“Don’t think you can fool me, sister,” she teases, looking obnoxiously delighted at this latest information. “You like him, don’t you.”

I roll my body forward, ignoring the blatant accusation. “The personal trainer?” I scoff. “No. He’s an asshole.”

“Sure. Maybe I should enroll with him,” she says casually blowing on her nails with a smirk. “I could use a good workout.”

My body freezes, she’s got me, and she knows it. Even though I know there’s no way for her to actually get in touch with Luca, let alone get a training session with him, I can’t help but feel that little green monster creep up on me. “I will cut you.”

Hannah laughs loud, knowing she’s caught me out.

“Less chatting, more stretching,” our assistant coach, Peter, sings as he passes by, and we both instantly focus. The last thing I need is to be here late, running laps, because I haven’t hit a single tumble. And that’s precisely what will happen if I don’t focus.

Some might say we were too old for cheerleading, or that it’s just one of those things you do in high school as some kind of extra-curricular sport, but there’s so much more to it than people realize. There’s competitions, huge competitions all over the world, where there’s no cut off in age.

To me, cheerleading has always been more than just standing on the sideline of a sports game, yelling and screaming for the home team, or pumping up the crowd. Cheerleading is about being a member of a team, one single cog in a more substantial machine. Every single one of you has your part to play, and we all have to move in perfect sync with each other, or the machine breaks down.

I have to rely on others, and others depend on me. We work together.

That’s also one of the reasons I made the decision to join The Agency. It’s intense, it’s scary, and there are going to be times when I may have to stare danger in the face and smile, but I’ll have people beside me, people who’ll support me and believe in what I have to offer. And just like in cheerleading, they will be there to catch me when I fall.

I’m a flyer. That means I’m the one they toss in the air. I’m the one who’s the most likely to get injured and trust me, I’ve seen some horrendous accidents.

I’ve seen girls being carried off stage, not knowing if they will ever walk again.

I love to fly. Being tossed in the air for fun isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, though. It’s dangerous, and you have to have absolute trust in your teammates. The people on my team, are people that I’ve cheered with since freshman year at high school. They have my back, and they will not let it hit the floor.

My phone begins to ring and I rush over to my bag, digging through to the bottom and pulling it out, aware that it could be The Agency calling me in. Jack let me know that they could need me at any time or any day if something came up that requires my expertise. And with the search for Kenzi still underway, I’m prepared to walk out of this practice if the need arises. I know it will upset my team, but I hope, in the long run, they will understand.

Looking down at my cell I try to catch my breath and see Anderson’s grinning face flashing across the screen. I can’t help but smile and feel a little relieved.

“Five minutes and then everyone needs to get their asses on the mat,” my coach calls, her booming voice filling the room.

I quickly hit answer and head for the hallway to get away from the noise of my boisterous teammates. “Hey, you,” I beam excitedly, eager to hear Andy’s voice.

“Hey beautiful, how are you?” I warm to the soft silkiness of his tone, and even as he speaks, I can see him in my mind with a wide sparkling smile, the cheeky kind that I fell in love with.

Andy and I had been high school sweethearts since we were fifteen, but we’d been friends since middle school. He was the popular jock who everybody loved and adored, and I was the cheerleading captain. It was so cliché that it made me laugh, but there was no denying how our personalities complemented each other.

“I’m good, bit sore, just waiting for practice to start. But I’ve been working out outside of the gym, and it’s really pushing me,” I tell him rolling my shoulders as I fight the tension. Disappointed that I can’t explain to him all the details of what I’m getting into. I hate keeping it from him, I’ve never kept anything from Andy since we were kids. He knows me, everything about me, and what makes me tick. And the same goes for him. We’ve always been connected.

“Damn girl, you’re gonna have more muscles than half the guys on my varsity team at this rate. You’ll be able to beat the crap out of them,” he jests with a deep chuckle. I giggle and shake my head. If only he knew how close to the truth he was. If I keep training with Luca, I’m really going to be able to take on anything. That’s if I can handle spending that much time around Luca. The guy drives me insane on the best of days, but now I’ve really had a look into who he is, strangely, I want more.

“When are you coming home?” I ask Andy, trying to change the direction of the conversation as I attempt to calculate in my head just how long it’s been since I last saw him.

“Well, that’s kinda why I’m calling. I was going to surprise you for your birthday, but you know how crap I am at surprises, so here it is. Surprise, I’m coming home for your birthday.”

I laugh, bouncing on my feet in excitement. He really is sucky at keeping secrets or surprises from me. Andy’s one of those guys that loves to make others happy and do things for people, so he can never keep anything to himself, and I love that about him.

Actually, I love pretty much everything about him. I still find it hard to fathom that we broke up because of the distance between us. Well that, and the fact that Andy’s outlook on life was… well, a little different than mine. He wants different things, and while it hurt at the time, it didn’t really change our relationship all that much.

He’s still my best friend, and absolutely there when I need him. We care for each other, but things change. People change. And I’m in a place now where I feel okay with that.

“Everybody on the mats,” the coach calls and I curse under my breath.

“I’m so excited to see you,” I tell him as I head back toward the group. “Let me know when you get in. I’ve gotta go, or coach is gonna make me do doubles to catch up.”

“No problem, Sunshine.” My body warms at the nickname Andy has called me since we were kids.

I hang up the phone with a smile and head for the mat where everyone’s already running tumbling drills. Coach narrows her eyes at me as I rush to tuck my phone away and head for the mat.

“Coal, four laps, then you can join the team.” She turns away, dismissing me.

I fight the urge to curse and object, instead choosing to roll my eyes silently and jog outside to do four laps of the building. My muscles are still tight and sore, the ache in them becoming more prominent with every step. Luca pushed me really hard this morning. He forced more from me than any other cheer coach has ever managed to do.

At first, I couldn’t understand how or why I’d pushed so hard and refused to give up. But by the end, I realized it was him. I wanted to do it for him. He made me want it. He made me push further. He demanded it. And everything inside me wanted to deliver.

Even if it means right now, I’m paying for it.

I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts as I run another lap around the building.

Jesus, what is it about this guy?

Luca’s obnoxious, sarcastic, and for the most part just damn fucking annoying.

At least, that’s what I thought until yesterday, until he opened the door to another part of himself. It was only open a crack, but there was enough room for me to see inside. Just a small peek was enough to pull me back, wanting to know more about what else he hides inside that perfectly crafted shell.

My foot is in the door now, and he’s going to have a hard time pushing me out.

 

THE NEXT DAY

 

The Agency elevator dings and I hike my backpack up further onto my shoulder as I prepare to step out. But instead, I look up and stumble backward when I see a grinning Noah standing at the open door like he’s appeared out of nowhere.

“Um, hi?” I say with a frown, my hand over my heart trying and calm its beating. I raise an eyebrow as he moves back and I cautiously step out. “Did you see me coming?”

“Your tracker told me you were on your way,” he replies, his grin growing so wide I swear it might just break his face. His eyes flick down to my laptop in my hands. I take it everywhere with me, not even exaggerating, everywhere.

Noah knows that.

I narrow my eyes at him as I take a step into his space. “Oh, that’s it, you’ve started a war now.”

His eyes light up with excitement, and he claps his hands together, making me jump again. “Fucking awesome. I’ve been waiting for someone like you to join The Agency.” He folds his arms across his chest proudly, and I’m drawn to the way his muscles bulge slightly. It doesn’t exactly make me drool, but I’m sufficiently impressed. “I like to be tested, but it’s hard to find someone who can really push my boundaries.”

I tilt my head to the side. “Huh… me too.” I know exactly what he means, it’s been a long time since I found someone who made me push myself mentally. It’s almost become too easy and not challenging enough to show off what I can really do.

In order to learn, we need something to strive for, and maybe Noah is just the guy to help me grow. I know that his skills are definitely more advanced than mine. My dad taught me a lot of what I know, but even so, I don’t think he ever really expected me to use it in this way. And after he got sick, I had to teach myself everything else.

I know a lot more than your average IT guy, but the idea of learning and growing, even more, is like a shot of adrenaline through my veins.

“Do you want to come and help me with some stuff I’m—”

“Yes,” I burst out eagerly before he can finish his sentence.

“… developing? To help with the picture of Kenzi,” he adds with a chuckle. He sweeps his hand out to the side. “Come on, we can head to my den.”

I throw my head back and laugh. “Your den?” I snort as I fall into step beside him. My eyes catch movement on one of the higher levels, and I look up to see Luca standing at the edge of the railing looking down on us. I can’t tell if his eyes are on us exactly or not, but the deep frown on his brow makes me shudder. I swallow the uncomfortable lump in my throat and lift my hand in a wave as we slip into a corridor and out of sight.

Noah continues to talk about his den, and how Kace set it up for him when he was trying to convince him to join The Agency. “It was the selling point, but I was already on board anyway.” He laughs.

I force a lighthearted chuckle and nod, but my mind’s distracted and everything inside me is being drawn back out to where Luca was standing, the curiosity to know exactly what was running through his mind at that moment and whether it was aimed at me is really strong.

Noah pushes open the double doors at the end of the hall dramatically, and instantly my eyes light up, and I’m overwhelmed with a chorus of emotions. My mouth hangs open. “When you said den...” I mutter and trail off as I place my laptop on the floor and move in for a closer look.

Noah huffs out an amused breath. “Yeah, that’s what most people say.”

I’d been expecting a small room with maybe a desk and some computer screens. This is next level—next, next, level. There are multiple workstations with not just computer screens on the desks, but on the walls. I almost feel like I’m in a room that NASA would have when they launch rockets into space.

“This is…” I mumble and trail off again, words defy me as I move slowly around the room. The soft buzz of equipment and flashes of light illuminating the room really set my senses on fire. I can see on some of the screens the picture of Kenzi running with different markers and pointers scanning over it as if searching for something. On another, the image is zoomed right in on her face, and beside it a screen flicking faster than the eye can see with pictures of people, measurements of their faces and skin tones.

My laptop is my everything, but it can sometimes be very limiting to what I can do. This, on the other hand, gives room to grow, to develop, and to use multiple programs at once.

Noah ushers me toward two chairs, pulling out one for me. I take a seat and roll close to the desk as Noah settles in beside me. “I’ve been looking at this picture for so long that I can list every damn thing in it. Which isn’t saying much,” he groans as he brings up an enlarged photo of Kenzi. While we can see her face clearly, the rest of the photo is dark, like it’s been taken inside a cave or something. “Facial recognition is growing by leaps and bounds, for us. We can run her picture through thousands and thousands of databases, from cell phones to CCTV cameras, almost anything that takes an image is now saved to a network.”

“But you haven’t had any luck?” I conclude, sitting a little closer to the screen.

He sighs. “No, none at all. It’s like she’s been hidden away and isn’t allowed to leave. So, therefore, she’s not in any other database.”

I narrow my eyes on the picture. Ares and Ezra managed to obtain a couple of photos, but they weren’t taken with a proper camera. Instead, they’re more like screen snapshots taken from a security camera. It was all they could do, and while we are grateful, they really haven’t been helpful.

The main picture on the screen is the clearest photo, one where she’s looking up and almost straight into the camera. That’s why Noah’s using it for facial recognition, and why it’s become the main focus, the others are much too out of focus. My eyes flick to the three other pictures down the side of the screen, the light in the computer room catching the monitor at just the right angle to make me sit a little straighter.

“Bring up that picture,” I tell Noah, jabbing my finger at the screen, surprised when the pictures instantly grow to the screen size. Of course, he would have touchscreens. “Look,” I say, trying to curb my excitement. I point again, and Noah sits forward, tilting his head in confusion.

“What are you pointing at?”

I turn the screen toward him, trying to catch the light just as it had been while facing me. I’m still fiddling with it when he finally gasps. “Is that another face?”

“Yes. I think so,” I exclaim, my body buzzing with electricity.

Noah pushes his chair across to another of the computer stations and brings the photo up on the screen. I scoot after him, eager to watch every move he makes and every skill he uses.

“Photoshop?” I ask, reasonably confused when he brings up the photo editing software.

He chuckles. “Sometimes it’s the simplest things that do the best job. Just watch.”

He moves dials, cuts, edits the light. It only takes a few seconds, but it feels like forever, and suddenly, he’s discovered a whole new picture, one that we hadn’t seen before because it had been too dark, like a murky shadow in the background that was now almost as clear as day.

“It’s a man,” I note, as Noah and I take a moment to examine the new image.

Noah nods. “He has tattoos on his face that darken his skin. Probably why we couldn’t see him properly in the background of the photo. You must have just caught the right angle and the right light to reflect off the little bit of his face that was showing.” Noah looks over at me and grins approvingly which boosts my ego a touch. He moves the photo of Kenzi out of the photo recognition software and places the new picture in. “We’re going to have to start from the beginning, but this might be the break we needed.”

The program starts to run again, and we both sit back in our chairs, unable to stop from grinning in satisfaction.

“Tell me…” I start after a few minutes of silence, “… who exactly is this Syndicate?” No one has really told me exactly who they are, or what they do. I’ve read the notes, the folders, but sometimes, it’s better to hear it from the mouth of someone who knows. All I know for sure is, they aren’t the good guys and that they are holding Kenzi captive—or at least Axel seems to think so.

Noah links his fingers behind his head and looks up at the ceiling. “The Sinclair Syndicate are all kinds of bad news,” he explains with a shake of his head. “They make weapons, really fucking bad weapons, and they make them here, and then sell them to overseas buyers to use against us. They specialize in chemical warfare, and I have a feeling they’re about to start branching out into biochemical.” Noah’s voice turns rough and gravelly with anger and frustration.

Even so, I go ahead and ask the question anyway because I can’t not know. “Why do you say that?”

“Because that’s what Kenzi was studying at college before she mysteriously disappeared,” he replies with a sharp tone, one that makes me think that Noah—like myself—isn’t exactly convinced about what happened. “I looked up her grades, the papers she’d written and handed in. She knew what she was talking about and she was damn good at it.”

“You think she went willingly?” I ask, my eyes flicking to the doorway, not wanting to offend anyone or have anyone think that I shouldn’t be on this case.

Noah looks me directly in the eye as he jabs his finger down on Kenzi’s file, which seems to be getting thicker by the day. “There was no sign of a fight. No kicking or screaming. And from what I’ve heard from Axel, Kenzi wasn’t afraid to speak her mind or fight back,” he explains, his face a mask of complete seriousness. The tension’s so thick I can feel it in my chest. “I think she either went willingly, or they used the people she cared about against her. But I don’t think they realized just who that was.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Usually, the Syndicate pick up people who are nobodies. This means no one will look for them when they go missing,” he contemplates, tapping his fingers. “I don’t think they realized where Kenzi might have been from, but she has one of the most dangerous and notorious motorcycle clubs at her back.”

My eyes widen.

“And if we find her, I can tell you now, it shouldn’t be The Agency that these people need to be afraid of. We have rules and laws we still have to follow,” Noah says, his eyes meeting mine with a smirk. “Malice MC, on the other hand, live only by their own laws.”

 

 

I thought cardio wasn’t your thing?” I comment casually as I lift my leg up onto one of the park benches and stretch out my calves. The sun has barely come up, and people are already filling up the paths that weave through what I would call the most patriotic part of our country.

From tourists getting early starts, to just people like Luca and I who are looking to get in our daily exercise before the sun grows too hot and the city becomes too crowded.

I stifle a yawn, trying to hide the fact that when Luca called this morning at 5:00 a.m. asking if I wanted to run, that I’d barely even gone to bed after spending a long night with Noah pulling information on this new face that we found.

Luca stops his stretch and frowns. “I never said cardio wasn’t my thing.”

I grin and look away, moving to stretch my other leg. “I know. But I just got that impression.”

“I’m really fit, thank you very much,” he argues, the tone of his voice going a little higher as he protests my accusations. “Anyway, we aren’t going to run the whole way. We are going to take time to admire our country’s history.”

I snort. “By that you mean you couldn’t run the whole way if you tried so you’ll need to take a lot of breaks,” I mutter, jogging on the spot.

He points at me, and for a second I think he’s going to argue with me again, but his face finally cracks and he grins. “Correct.”

We start off slow, and I enjoy the way my muscles gradually begin to warm up, heat moving through my body, my blood pumping at a steady pace and keeping me moving. Not that I’d ever tell Luca, but running isn’t exactly my strongest point either, but I still really enjoy it, especially running outdoors in amazing places like this.

The Washington Monument passes by first, standing tall and proud. I follow Luca’s lead until we get to the World War Two Memorial where we both seem to stop for a moment and appreciate just how beautiful it is.

I’ve been here a million times, and I swear it never gets old. Every single time is just as mesmerizing as the last, stealing my breath. Pride in your country is a strange thing to try and explain, I’m sure most people understand it, but it’s a feeling that you aren’t really able to put into words.

It's one of the reasons I chose to follow in my father’s footsteps, and it’s one of the reasons that despite how Luca’s smart mouth annoys me and drives me a little crazy, that I respect the hell out of him for what he does.

The SO7 risk their lives, sometimes on a daily basis. Yet, they’re never thanked, not publicly at least.

“Do you ever wish that you guys were more acknowledged?” I ask as we wander aimlessly, the water of the fountains and birds chirping filling the still morning air. The names of the states pass by, and I notice that Luca doesn’t respond until he’s read every single one.

He shakes his head. “I was in the army before someone from The Agency came and offered me a position within the SO7. Sure, it’s nice to have people tell you that they appreciate you, that you’re a hero, but I don’t believe that’s the reason anyone joins the armed forces,” he explains as we start back on the track, happy for a moment to just walk and enjoy our surroundings. “We do it because it’s important to us because we love our country and we believe in being a voice for those who can’t speak.”

His words instantly make me smile. His honesty and the way he speaks with such pride in what he’s doing, tell me a lot about the Luca that he keeps hidden, or at least close to his heart.

“That’s so very true,” I agree, bumping against him playfully. “My dad risked his life every single day for our country, willing to give it all up to protect people he didn’t even know, and in the end, it was cancer that caused his downfall.”

Luca nods. “That’s exactly it. We could die tomorrow, be hit by a bus, attacked by killer bees. I saw this one thing where someone got caught in a gorge and run down by a stampede of wilder beast. If that’s the case, I’m determined to spend my time on earth making an impact.”

Luca picks up his pace, falling into a jog ahead of me. I can’t hold my laughter. “I’m pretty sure that was Mufasa,” I call after him, pumping my legs to catch up.

He manages to keep ahead of me until we reach the Lincoln Memorial, but while he’s used all his energy trying to show off and battle to stay in front, I’ve managed to keep a pretty steady speed and while he’s struggling to climb the stairs, I easily bound past him.

When I reach the top, I turn, grinning down at him as he battles with each step.

When he’s just a few away, I start to bounce back and forth on my toes, imitating Rocky and throwing short, sharp jabs into the air in front of me before holding up my hands in victory.

“Calm down Balboa,” Luca wheezes as he throws himself onto the ground at the top.

I sit down beside him, looking up and taking in the view as the sun sparkles across the Reflecting Pool below. “It looks like diamonds,” I whisper, taken back by the glassy surface, not one ripple or imperfection.

“It’s pretty awesome right?” Luca agrees, finally pulling his body into a sitting position, his cheeks red and flushed.

We sit in silence for a long time, but it’s not awkward, it’s actually kind of nice to just stop and take in the beauty of what’s around us for a few minutes, and I find I’m actually kind of glad that it’s Luca sitting here appreciating it with me.

Every day that we spend together, I’m learning something new about him and sharing something new about myself. He continues to surprise me and never fails to make me laugh.

Luca pushes to his feet, tugging off his shirt and using it to wipe his brow before tucking it into the back of his running shorts. I can’t help but lick my lips and admire the way his body glistens in the light, the both of us with sweat coating our skin.

His body is perfect, and it will never get old seeing him without a shirt, the ridges and cut of his muscles are screaming to have my fingers run across them.

“You can stop drooling now,” he teases, pulling me away from my daydream. I stand quickly, looking away and starting down the steps. He laughs loudly and calls after me as he tries to catch up. “It’s okay really. A body like mine is meant to be appreciated.”

Just like that, the Luca that I want to kick in the balls is back.

And I can’t help but smile to myself because I kinda love it.