coursed through me like a wave of jittering electric ants.
Why were they talking to him? What could they want? Were they harassing him?
Instead of standing there, guessing and worrying, I walked over.
Tyson pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek. “Hello, Beautiful.”
“Everything alright?” I asked without looking at Hurricane or Vortex.
“Yes. Are you ready to go?” he asked and opened the passenger door for me.
I nodded, climbed in, and buckled my belt.
Hurricane took a step forward, but Tyson shut my door. “Have a good day, gentlemen. Consider what I told you.”
After a few minutes of driving in silence, I broke.
“What were you talking about with them? Were they harassing you?”
He reached over, took my hand, and smiled. “Take a breath, Lucky. They were trying to understand where I stood, morally, and in regards to the Association.”
“Why do you keep calling me that?”
“You survived a toxic goo bath, a huge monster, and hundreds of cyber canines. I would say that’s lucky. Plus, I feel really lucky to not only know you, but to be able to date you.”
My cheeks burned, but instead of hiding my face, I turned and kissed his cheek. “You’re too sweet. Especially for a villain.”
His smile widened. “Thank you.”
We pulled up to a mansion’s huge wrought-iron gates and my mouth dropped when they automatically opened.
“This is your civilian house?”
Tyson chuckled. “Yes.”
“It’s...so big.”
“That’s not the first time a woman has told me that. I enjoy hearing you say it, though.”
A bark of laughter came out, and I shook my head.
He laughed until he parked in a huge circular driveway, right at the steps of the huge mansion.
Gawking was probably rude, but I couldn’t stop myself.
He opened the car door for me and held his hand out, helping me out of the car.
“How many sub floors do you have?” The mansion was four floors, but knowing Tyson he likely had a laboratory underground that his civilian guests wouldn’t know about.
He intertwined our fingers and said, “Why don’t I just show you?”
Holding his hand felt so right.
“I would love a tour.” I leaned into him so our arms touched fully, and rested my head against his shoulder.
An older man in a butler’s suit waited by the front door.
Tyson set the car keys in the butler’s hand. “Lunch in the garden today, please.”
The butler dipped his head. “Understood.” He pulled open the door and smiled at me. “Good afternoon, Lucy. Please feel free to ask me for anything.”
He knew who I was?
“Um, thank you... What’s your name?”
“Marvin.”
“Marvin has been working for me since I was a toddler. Feel free to harass him as much as you want. He enjoys it.”
Marvin rolled his eyes. “I spoiled him too much as a boy. My apologies in advance for his behavior.”
“I am always on my best behavior. You are just grumpy in your old age,” Tyson countered.
“If you need an escape, just let me know. I’ll help you flee before his enormous ego suffocates us all,” Marvin said.
Marvin held the door, and Tyson led me inside what looked like a museum.
Before I could take much in, he pulled me off to the right, stopping in front of a coatrack.
I looked intently at it and noticed one of the hooks was not like the others. Before he could, I pushed it and smiled victoriously as a portion of the wall slid open to reveal a metal door.
“I keep telling Marvin we need to make it less obvious,” Tyson mumbled. He stepped up to the door and rested his palm against the center of it. A green light blinked, the door opened, and we entered a small elevator.
“This is a bit cramped,” I whispered and took half a step closer to him.
He slid his arm around my waist and whispered back, “Don’t worry, I won’t let it eat you.”
As I rolled my eyes, the door opened to a medical room. The walls had fake rocks drawn on them, a water fountain on one side, and a ceiling to floor cabinet full of supplies on the opposite side.
“Medical bay,” he said, hit a button, and the door closed again.
The door opened, this time to a laboratory.
“Fully OSHA compliant,” he said.
“I highly doubt that,” I muttered.
We went down two more floors before he stepped out, pulling me with him.
This floor had a wall of tv screens that showed the various floors of the house, his secret lair, and several sections of the city. The screen in the center was focused on the Association’s Headquarters. There was also