Heathens & Hand Grenades (Book 1 of the Heathens Duet)

Chapter 3 - Callie

Three men stand behind him in identical clothes, but individual masks. To be honest, I just noticed them myself. Brown eyes bore into me from deep within God's mask and I can't help but be caught in his gaze. Dark and warm like good whiskey, his eyes burn and warm me in equal measure. Darting between me and Blake, he tilts his head to the side as he takes in the situation with a calculating expression.

"Stop!" Blake shouts, pulling his gun from his holster. "Callie," he says, looking to me, before remembering where his focus needs to be. "Back up to me. I've got the police on the way. There's still time for you to leave before this goes any further."

A quick jerk of God's head is all it takes for one of the other masked men to step forward. Terror has me locked in place as the man slides over and grabs my arm, pulling me easily into his side.

"Let's hope you don't bite Callie Cat," he purrs into my ear, his voice light but clings to me like honey. Pressed against him, all I can feel are muscles, not the gym rat kind but more the outdoorsy type. This is the kind of man who runs for fun. Ugh. If I'm running, it's because there is something chasing me. Although given the situation I currently find myself in, even that's not guaranteed. Guess I'm more of the deer in the headlight type than I thought I'd be. That's fine. Blake is here, Nicole is due back from her lunch run and can call for help, not to mention the other employees that are probably hanging out in the breakroom.

Why they chose this bank is anyone's guess. A small branch of the larger, regional Hamilton banks, we don't do too much business and as such there are only seven of us working at any one time. With the Vice President off taking a business lunch downtown and Nicole grabbing food, there's only five of us and my precarious position doesn't exactly inspire hope. I'm going to get out of this as long as I keep my cool and don't do anything stupid.

"I detest liars," God says matter-of-factly.

My captor smiles down at me, at least I think he does. It's hard to tell anything through the jagged mouth of his mask and his eyes are partially hidden behind the fleshy x's over his eyes. 'Kiss Me' is written over his forehead and I shiver at the thought of how terribly this could go for me.

Kiss presses his mask against the side of his face as though sniffing me and I watch Blake's eyes narrow as he watches, gun still trained on God. "She smells like sunshine and cherries. Can we keep her?" he groans and Blake tenses as I beg my knees to remain strong. Goosebumps erupt all over my slightly trembling body. I will that familiar numbness to coat me, but it's elusive, slipping through my fingers just like sand and hope. I can't let them take me from the bank. I know the statistics if I'm taken to another location.

"Put down that gun, slide it over here slowly and show my friends to the tills. Pass Pretty Boy over there your key Callie," God says without ever taking his eyes off Blake.

Christ on a cracker, he should not sound like liquid sin. Each word God spoke sounded as if he had drug it kicking and screaming from his throat until he uttered it without breaking a single sweat. Rough and gravely as if from disuse, but it was clear he was the leader. The authority and confidence in his orders being followed was too easy to be faked.

With only two other bank robbers to choose from I hazard a guess at who Pretty Boy is. The man holding me tilts his head at the man in the standard Purge mask next to him and not the hulking one in the glowing mask behind us. Pretty Boy waves his fingers at me as if we're ordinary strangers making introductions, not a hostage in the middle of a bank robbery.

"Kind of hard since creeper here is holding my arms pretty tight. Want me to attempt telekinesis?" I bite out in frustration. Probably not the best idea to piss off the guys holding my life in their hands but I'm stressed. Pressed between a rock and a hard place it's easy to see Blake doesn't really have choice in the matter and Hulk behind us here would snatch me in a second if I ever made it out of the psycho holding me grasps.

"My Callie Cat does bite; I like it," said psycho coos as he rests his head on my shoulder.

"Cupid," God warns.

"The keys are in my front pocket. Left side." I hate that I took my lanyard off for lunch. This would be less awkward that way.

Pretty Boy walks over and quickly removes them from my pocket while Cupid, not psycho at least in name, tightens his hold. He's efficient and doesn't take the moment to cop a feel, just taking the keys and heading over to Blake with Hulk behind him. I thank whatever higher power that's taking calls for that small mercy. The empty twin duffle bags on either of Hulk's shoulders and the one Pretty Boy carries are going to take a minute to fill.

Blake hesitantly places his gun on the ground and gently kicks it over with a grimace at God and a silent apology in his eyes.

"Baring anyone attempting to play hero, we should be out and Callie will be released safely. No telekinesis required." It's hard to tell with his authoritative no-nonsense voice, but I think I detect a hint of amusement in God's voice.

I nod. "Yes, sir," I respond automatically. Despite my predicament, my southern manners kick in.

He grunts and calls out, "Ninety seconds. Move it."

Nicole either has the best or worst timing when I hear her jiggling the door behind us, unaware of what she's about to walk in on. Her phone must be in her purse since her hands are full with two brown bags of food. I will her to look up, but she's got her headphones in and doesn't see my frantic eyes begging her to turn around and call for help.

The sudden tension in my body causes Cupid to look around. "Problem."