“How about not committing a felony?”
“I’m not doing this because I want to. You need a place warm to sleep and to do that, we need money.”
“You’re going to rob an ATM because of me?” The expression Luca wore made him look even more like his brother, and he could have already passed for the other man’s twin. But it wasn’t just appearance making him so similar, it was the air he radiated. The overall warmth. The soothing calm capable of rocking the darkness into a deep slumber.
Sensing that from Koda made sense: he’d gifted Nox with his death. But there were no such connections to Luca.
Nox blamed it on his muddled-up memories and the ache in his chest for the Alpha he’d lost.
“Your brother told me to take care of you.” Nox rubbed his temple.
Protect him like you would me.
“He sent me here because without me you’ll never survive.”
Luca’s frown deepened. “Is this the part where you tell me the future of humanity needs me to lead them to victory over the giant robot army?”
Nox stared at Luca for a moment. “Giant robot army?”
“Never mind.” Luca flopped back against the bench seat, and the vinyl squeaked. “How are you going to even get it open?”
Nox flexed his hands. “I’m not sure. I just know I can.” Because he could use what was inside him.
Luca glared. “Yeah and then what about the cameras?”
People milled close to the storefronts. Human eyes were more of a concern than electronic ones. And why was that? The memory tried to surface only to fall apart into dust.
But it had been close enough for Nox to know it had something to do with what he was. Why he had the ability to see in the dark. Why when he breathed the air scents separated coating his tongue in distinctive flavors. Why when he concentrated the heartbeats of people hundreds of feet away thumped right next to his ear.
That those abilities were because of what dwelled inside him. And it had created those creatures back at the farmhouse.
Nox shook his head. “They won’t matter.”
“They’ll matter when your face is all over the news and the cops are—”
He gripped Luca’s shoulder. “Do you trust me?”
“What?”
“Do you trust me?”
Luca wet his lips with his tongue, and Nox found himself staring at the glistening trail left behind.
“I… I shouldn’t.”
“But you do?”
Confusion crumpled Luca’s features. “Yeah.”
“Then trust me when I tell you I won’t get caught.” He started to turn.
Luca grabbed Nox’s arm. “Promise me you won’t hurt anyone. That if someone shows up, you’ll just come back to the truck and we’ll leave.”
“I promise. Now can I trust you to stay in the truck?”
“Yeah.”
Nox inhaled. There was no flavor of deception in Luca’s scent.