Page 54 of Stilettos and Outlaws
I disarmed him while Julie injected the thug with a sedative.
Lucas shoved him behind a bush. “Let’s get inside before we attract more attention.”
“Relax.” I dumped the weapons in the trash can. “Hank disabled the cameras again.”
A little girl in a red sundress cried, “Are you Batman?”
“I am.” Lucas dropped down on one knee. “Where is your momma?”
She scowled. “Inside. Was that a bad man you stuffed behind the bushes?”
“He is.” Lucas put a gloved finger to his lips. “Sssh, it’s a secret.”
The little girl giggled.
I held out my hand. “It’s awfully hot out here and I’m sure your mom is really worried.”
“No wanna go in there.” The little girl wrapped her arms around Lucas’s legs. “Don’t make me go! They stick me with needles. Please, I don’t wanna go.”
Lucas picked her up. “Hey, it’s okay. What’s your name?”
“Lizzie.” Tears ran down her face.
Lucas carried her inside the lobby. “Let’s go find your momma and I’ll buy you some ice cream. Okay?”
“Okay.” She laid her head on Lucas’s chest.
“Lizzie!” A frantic woman ran over to us. “Where have you been?”
Julie took the mother’s hand. “It’s okay. She’s fine. Batman is going to get Lizzie some ice cream and I’m sure he’ll buy you some too.”
The mother stared at Lucas in disbelief. “You’re so big and muscly.”
Julie whispered in her ear. “He’s not really Batman.”
“I don’t really care,” the woman whispered back.
Lucas held out his left arm. “Join us?”
The woman took it happily and off they went.
“He’s going to be a great father,” Julie said.
“Yes, he is.” I walked over to the check-in desk where Hank waited. The awestruck expression on his face was funny as hell. He had never seen us dolled up before.
Hank swallowed hard. “You two clean up real nice.”
“Why thank you,” Julie simpered.
“Your menfolk are on their way down,” Hank advised.
I nodded as one of the CIA thugs stared at us. “Are we set up in the cafeteria again?”
“You are.”
Julie blew out a breath of relief as Zorro and the Mandalorian joined us. “You two make awesome superheroes.”
Dante bowed elegantly. “Thank you, my lady.”
