Robin and Her Merry Men (4 page)

Two weeks had passed, and tonight was the night. Like her normal amp up routine,
Robin blared AC
/
DC on her
stereo, which
was an ironic contradiction to the slinky classy little black dress she was sporting with black platinum
stilettos
. Unlike any others, these had removable heels and velvet bottoms to silence footsteps and for a quick getaway. Her large
handbag
shimmered with rhine
stones but housed an array of non
lethal weapons and tools that would put James Bond to shame. Having connections finally worked to her advantage.

Robin was one of the few rare women who needed little to stand out. Her long
auburn
hair had a natural beauty that took little to look
phenomenal
. Her large blue—
green eyes sparkled with just the minimal amount of makeup, hypnotic to anyone who stared into their depths. She had always seen herself as plain, but others saw the raw
magnificence
she held.
As she leaned over the bathroom counter with
a
mascara wand in one hand and
a
curling iron in the other, there was a knock at the door. She glanced at the clock, noting the thirty minutes she had before
it was
time to go
,
and huffed. The knock was a little harder the second time, rattling the picture she had taken in Tuscany on her last visit she took with the family. She ran to the door, sliding in her stockings on the wood. After she unlocked the four dead bolts and swung it open, the scowling Mary stood, tapping her
Gucci clad toe.
“Please tell me you aren’t still getting ready
. If we want to get in and set
up before the crowd
is
too thick, we need to go
,
Robin!”

“Stuff a sock in it. I’m almost done.” She ran back to the bathroom, picking up where she left off. Five minutes later, she waltzed out with her shoes in hand, grinning. “See? All done.”

“Only because you can get away with minimal makeup and a brush r
u
n through your hair
.
It took me over an hour on hair alone! Bitch.” She giggled, hurrying to the door.

“I just don’t care like you do
,
Mary. See these shoes? I bet I could have bought fifty pair with the same amount as you spent on the ones you are wearing.
And, no one will know the difference.”

“I found these on sale
,
” Mary pouted. She had always been the fashion diva of the pair, using her wealth to splurge at any given chance
and had restocked Robin’s wardrobe whenever she could get access. It had always drove Mary nuts at the knock
-
off or ‘
no
n
-
designer’ clothes she wore.

Robin laughed, knowing that their ideas of ‘on sale’ were worlds apart. “After you…
”
She held open the door, extending her arm in a mocking bow. Mary grunted and walked out, stopping to wait while she locked up. Mary’s heels clanked on the pavement to the car, echoing against the buildings.
She stopped mid
-
step, staring at Robin.

“Why are your shoes not loud? Do they not have soles?”

“Of course they do, and are going to heaven for being so cheap.”

“Smart ass, you know what I mean.”

“Velvet. The heels pop off for a fast escape too.” She popped up her foot, and pushed the sides, slipping off the heel.

“Wow. Who knew they had a line of
Charlie’s Angels
apparel.” She glanced down at hers, wrinkling her nose. “I paid over fifteen hundred for these and all they do is ruin if I step in a puddle.”

“See? Maybe you should take shopping advice from me once in awhile.” She giggled, getting into the driver
’
s seat. Mary shook her head and slid in, shutting the door just as Robin took off.

The drive was short, given Robin had a lead foot that broke the sound barrier
for
the enti
re trip. By the time she stopped
for
the
valet to
park
, Mary’s
fingers had to be pried off the door handle. “Come on. Don’t be such a drama queen.”

Mary rolled her eyes, clenching her teeth together to keep from making a scene. “Note to self
—
always take my car,” she mumbled under her breath. Once they entered the grand entrance at the Vancover mansion
,
Robin winked.

“You know what to do. Showtime.”

“Be careful.”

“Always.” Robin grinned goofily and snuck off, leaving Mary to dazzle Mr. Vancover and the other aristocrats in the crowd. Mary was great at turning on the charm, and could play people, especially men, like a fiddle. While she chatted and giggled flirtatiously,
Robin found her way to the trophy room of sorts that housed all of the Vancover fortunes put on display to show off. The light was off, leaving only the showcase lights to give her sight to navigate the large room. She stayed to the shadows and out of view from the few cameras setup for security, weaving her way around until she found it. The Hope Diamond.
Its
position under the thick glass did i
t no justice. She gasped at it
s beauty, pausing a moment to show respect. It was magnificent and a true one
-
of
-a—
kind treasure.
Once she shook the mesmerized feeling, it didn’t take long to cut the glass and remove it. Carefully she wrapped
it
in a satin sash and tucked it in her bag with a grin.

Robin made her way to the window, smiling smugly. “Now that was almost insulting. Time to put this to good use.” She tossed the large gem up into the air and caught it, gasping when a hand wrapped a
round her wrist and a brick wall
pushed her back against the cold wooden door
.

“Cocky little thing, aren’t you?”

“Who are you? What, you think saving the riches for the fat rich bastard will get you a raise? I have bad news…they spit on people like you. All Vancover
s
cares about
are
getting fatter, and richer. Parade me out and save the day. I guarantee you will be in the same miserable place you are right now.”

“Who says I’m the hired help? Maybe I am the one sitting fat on a fortune. I’m more curious as to who you are.” He leaned in close, sniffing close to her neck. Slowly, he raked his eyes up and down her body
, drawing up to meet her gaze
. With his free hand
,
he tugged her hood off, setting her unruly red locks free. “Mmm. Now I see where the temper comes from. I have a secret, little minx. I have a thing for redheads. So tell me, what has you hiding this gorgeous body and sulking around in the night?”

Robin’s breath caught in her throat as his knee pressed against her sex. “So what now? I agree to drop on my knees and give sexual favors in exchange for my freedom? Maybe I can bend over the desk over there for a quickie. Tell me, is this your way of picking up chicks?”

The mystery man laughed, stepping back into the light for her to get a good look f
or the first time. That laugh…those eyes… I
t was him! The same man who had nearly caught her that night at
the
Naylor
’s. “You…”

“Ah. And you. Let me make one thing perfectly clear. When I make love to you, it will be because you asked
,
and not on a desk. You will get on your
knees, but only after you beg
to. And for prancing you around, now
that
is only something I want to see in private.
Naked
.” He cocked a smirk, brushing his lips along
her neck ever so gently. Robin’s head spun.
Before she could
assess
the situation, Mr. Mysterious dipped d
own and took her mouth, consuming
her. It didn’t take mountains to move for her lips to part, but only a few soft brushes of his tongue along the crease of her mouth.
He took over after
he gained access. Deep and hard he worked her tongue, testing and challenging with each lick and nip. For a first kiss, this was like a home
run. He took her from zero to sixty in
a matter of seconds. As fast as it started, it ended when
he pulled away
abruptly, leaving her panting
. He was taunting her, and she had half a mind to
beg for
her own form
of punishment
.
Moments before she gave in to temptation, visions of Will and the others floated through her mind. No. T
his wasn’t about her
. Not now. Drawing up every ounce of strength she had left, Robin shoved him away and rolled, effortlessly skirting to the other side of the room next to the window. Before she jumped out, she turned and smiled. “Might I have your name, so if we ever pass paths again we can skip the formalities?”

His chest trembled, releasing that same deep laughter that brought dreams in the night that woke her with a desire so strong she often had to relieve herself to go ba
ck to sleep. “John. John
Naylor
.”

“Fuck.”
His last name spoke volumes.

He chuckled. “Tsk tsk. Now that’s no way for a lady to talk.”

“Well, you are in luck. I’m not a lady.”

“Ah, but that’s where you are wrong, Miss Robin Hoode. It’s good to see that you haven’t lost your spunk over the years. I feared you would turn into another mindless little rich bitch whose biggest concern was whether your pumps match your three thousand dollar Prada purse.”

Robin cocked her head, humoring him. “Yo
u speak as if we have met before
…”

“What? You don’t remember? I’m hurt. Truly. Your sixteenth birthday party. Five hundred people, and you bolted before the candles were blown out. I found you out be
hind the house, hiding with Mary and a bottle of
champagne
.”

“Little Johnny
? Wow. You’ve changed. No glasses? I see the braces did their job well.” She couldn’t help but chide the smug ass no matter how sexy he was.

“Mmm. You do remember. I was surprised you shared the champagne and didn’t dump it on me like any of the others would have. You always were different. So answer me this
—
why the shadow bandit routine? Your parents are still
doing well…
in fa
c
t your father just bought out Mi
crosoft
if I
do recall.” His eyebrow quirked up, but the sincerity in his eyes stabbed her in the heart. She lowered her defenses against all
her
better
judgment
,
and sighed.

“The others should have been tarred, feathered, and hung for the way they treated you. I do this for the same reason in a way
—
so many people are cast aside and thrown into the gutter by the rich. My family refuses to give me my inheritance because I won’t follow their shallow superficial ways. So, I do the next best thing. I take from the same fuckers who took from them, and return it. This little baby right here will feed a hundred people for months or more. People who have lost everythin
g
—
their homes, jobs, and life, all because
Mayor Nottingham sits by, taxing them until they are cast out to the streets. Our economy and government have
gone to shit
,
”
h
er voice shook with emotion. It infuriated her so much that tears stung her eyes.
This was
America;
land of the free,
but
had
turned into a third world country in so many ways.

He thought for a moment, remaining silent. Robin didn’t know whether to run or reach out to him. His expression was blank,
but emotion stormed in his deep crisp blue pools. As the silence lingered, she turned to leave
, only to have him stalk toward her
. He grabbed her arm and swung her around, planting his
mouth back on hers in a heated claiming. This time, she didn’t pull away. Her empty hand snaked around his neck, pulling him down harder. When John wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her long locks, tilting her head up more for better access, she moaned. He swallowed her sounds, keeping her safe from anyone who might be in
earshot
. They kissed passionately,
showing
what words couldn’t say. This time he eased her back to earth, only pulling away after he had dropped sweet kisses on her lips and the tip of her nose. Robin let out a deep breath, unsure what to say or do.

“I want to help
,
”
h
e said at last.