The Sunset Job (The Rainbow's Seven 1)

A part of this whole ordeal felt familiar, an unruly and unpredictable kind of chaos that Roman had always brought into Wyatt’s life. Trouble always seemed to follow the green-eyed daredevil, and for a while, Wyatt had found it entertaining. It was a way to escape the doldrums of his life, kind of like how his free ride to Yale and guaranteed gig at Google would have done. He had the ticket to a better life but had to give it all up because of the very man that was standing in front of him. And what had Roman given up?

Nothing. Roman wasn’t the kind of guy to give anything up, not his time or his money or his heart.

“And what about my sister? I need to make sure she’s okay.” Wyatt felt a fresh wave of panic wash over him.

“Julie’s going to be fine. The Pride is after you; they aren’t the type to go for the family connections. But just to make sure, I’ll have someone keep an eye on her. And you can call her on the way to our hideout.”

Wyatt took a deep breath, feeling as if the world was spinning at double the regular speed. He expected to be launched off the ground and into the sky at any moment. Nothing felt real, and yet he had no doubt that it was.

“This is insane,” Wyatt said, shoulders beginning to tremble.

“I know. It’s crazy and insane and fucking batshit, but you have to trust me, Wyatt. Come with me. I’ll keep you safe. The Pride is after you, and they aren’t going to stop hunting you until they’ve got you.”

“But why? What the hell do they want with me?”

Police sirens sounded in the distance, no doubt drawn by the huge column of dark smoke that billowed into the air. They were in the industrial part of town, a row of empty warehouses locked up for the weekend, graffiti creating a colorful mosaic backdrop against the burning car. “I’ll explain everything later, but we have to go. Now.”

Wyatt was once again paralyzed, though not by fear this time but by indecision. He could say “fuck this” and walk away, wait for the police to arrive so he could give his account, and get the hell home. He didn’t need to get dragged into Roman Ashford’s bullshit, not again.

Except… it sounded to Wyatt as if he was already involved. These men had clearly wanted him for something, and if Roman was right, then going home would only be putting his sister in danger again. He couldn’t have that. Even if that meant getting into the car with a man who had ruined his life once before and saved it twice after.

Wyatt shook his head, pulling his arms back from Roman’s grip. “Alright. Let’s go.”

Deep down, somewhere past the roiling panic and increasing dread that nestled in his gut, down past the marrow in his bones and the cells in his blood, Wyatt knew that he would regret this decision, knew it without the shadow of a doubt.

He got in the car anyway.

Chapter 6

Roman Ashford

No one inside the car spoke a word as Mustang wove through some light traffic, driving over a long bridge that looked out to the bay, the setting sun reflected back in a shifting canvas of oranges and blues and purples. Roman stole the occasional glance at the rearview mirror, looking at Wyatt and trying to read the thoughts that swirled behind those honey-brown eyes. He used to be an expert at reading Wyatt, able to easily tell the difference between his hangry glares and his exhausted looks.

Time changed that, just like it had changed Wyatt. He was more filled in, the skinny little computer nerd Roman had come to know turned into a bulkier twunk of a man, a five-o’clock shadow growing on his normally shaved face. He no longer wore his hair long and instead had it buzzed down, and his glasses had been traded in for a pair of contacts. Roman wanted to tell him that he looked good, that he missed him, that he was sorry for ever fucking up his life, that every single night he dreamed of a different outcome between them.

Roman didn’t say shit. The silence in the car grew heavier, broken only by Phantom clearing his throat and Mustang humming a song.

The sun had set completely by the time they reached their hideout. Wyatt looked out the window and spoke for the first time since getting in the car. “Uh, why the hell are we at the aquarium?”

Mustang reached a locked gate, a curving blue sign above it reading Miami Aquarium. She pressed a button on the dash, and the gate started to swing open.

“Because we’re feeding you to the sharks, buddy.” Phantom reached over and gave Wyatt a friendly squeeze, which Wyatt didn’t seem to appreciate, judging by the twist in his brows.