Addie (Pack of Misfits #1) - Raven Kennedy Page 0,5

when he sees that I’m serious, he tries to cough to cover it up.

“I wasn’t joking,” I insist. “I am a badass.”

“Right. Of course,” he quickly answers, but I can see that his hazel eyes are lit up with amusement.

“Do you want to fight?” I blurt.

His brows pull together. “What?”

“You don’t think I could take you. I can see it in your eyes.”

“Umm…” He rubs the back of his neck like he has no idea how to respond. He starts looking around the room, as if he’s hoping another gunman will come along that he can take down as a distraction so he doesn’t have to answer me.

“I am badass,” I tell him again, because for some reason, I always like to have the last word.

The gunman at our feet sneezes, getting blood all over my shoes. I sigh. “These were my favorite pair,” I tell him with a glower.

He mumbles something into the ski mask stuck in his mouth, as Penn looks down at my blood speckled feet. “Those don’t seem like bank policy footwear,” he teases.

I glance at my black Converse and shrug. “Customers can’t see my feet when I’m behind my window.”

“Let me buy you some new shoes,” Penn says.

“I got these online.”

He sighs and runs a thumb across his jaw with a chuckle. “Damn. You’re a hard one to convince.”

I’m not, really. I appreciate attractiveness as much as the next girl, but as a rule, I try to steer clear of predators like him. Luckily, I don’t have to say anything else, because I’m saved by the flashing lights outside as the police come rushing in. They take one look at the overpowered robbers before quickly cuffing them and hauling them away, while the other cops start to organize everyone for questioning.

I sigh. There goes my early half-day. I’m gonna be stuck answering questions for a long time.

When the employees and customers are separated for questioning, I lose sight of Penn, which is for the best. He’s excellent eye candy, but definitely not someone I want to mess with. Which is what I keep telling myself over and over again while my libido pouts in a corner.

All of the employees have to give written and verbal accounts for the police, which takes forever. By the time the cops’ questions are satisfied, it’s after five o’clock. All of the customers are long gone when the employees finally get permission to leave. Before I can make my escape, my manager pulls me aside.

He’s an okay guy. Balding and nasally, Tom sports a hefty belly over his dress pants. “Ms. Locke, if you could come into my office please?”

Beth shoots me a sympathetic look and waves goodbye to me as I inwardly groan. “Sure thing, boss.”

I follow Tom into his office and he shuts the door behind us. When he sits down behind his desk, he sighs. “Aderyn, I have to let you go.”

I blanche at him, completely taken aback. “What? Why?”

He gives me a look. “You know protocol. You broke just about every single rule we have when it comes to dealing with a robbery. Your actions put yourself and everyone in the bank in danger.”

I scoff and lean back in the chair. “I wasn’t going to let them shoot anyone, including me. Besides, I handed him the money like I was supposed to.”

“You were belligerent. You talked back and you provoked him.”

“He was making Beth cry!”

“And then you attacked him,” he reminds me, unimpressed.

“Well, yeah. He pointed a gun at my face. How was I supposed to respond?”

Tom shakes his head in frustration. “I’ll tell you how you shouldn’t have responded! You shouldn’t have attacked him and made the gun go off! You’re supposed to put your hands up and surrender like a normal human being.”

I am neither normal nor a human. But of course, I don’t say that. “I’m sorry, alright?”

He shakes his head. “This is out of my hands, Aderyn. Your actions are all over surveillance. The bank won’t keep you on. You’re too much of a liability.”

My stomach turns in knots. Dammit, I really need this job. My alpha is gonna be so pissed.

I grit my teeth. “Fine. Thank you for the opportunity,” I say levelly.

Getting up, I toss him my keys before opening the door to leave.

“You’ll get your final check in the mail,” he says to my back.

“Thanks,” I mumble under my breath.

Today is just not my fucking day.

3

Addie

I stare up at the cloudy night sky as I float on my back.