The car slid into the parking lot with a quiet, almost eerie smoothness, its engine barely a whisper as it ca to a halt in front of the phone store.
The place scread expensive—minimalist design, lights so bright they probably had a NASA scientist on hand, and employees who looked like they thought they were selling rare artifacts, not overpriced slabs of glass and tal.
Tessa, who'd been half-leaning on Parker's shoulder and practically drooling on him, stirred awake, blinking groggily as she tried to adjust to the blinding light.
"Damn, it's like walking into a spaceship in here. Who the hell thought this was a good idea?" She squinted around, her head tilting as she muttered, "This place looks like it was designed by an alien who's never seen a human before."
Naomi cracked a sly smile, flicking her eyes toward Tessa. "Oh, you know. Just so you can feel like poor shit when you walk in."
Elena chuckled, cracking her knuckles in that intimidating way she always did before stepping out of the car like she owned the lot. "Yeah, if they try to upsell us, I'll just stare at them until they question their entire existence."
Parker snorted, already picturing the poor soul behind the counter, sweating under Elena's silent, no-nonsense stare. She might bring that Battle Maid vibe harder than a boss fight.
They walked inside, and a gust of cold air hit them in the face.
The vibe was already… well, what you'd expect from one of these fancy stores—shiny glass walls, expensive gadgets on display like they were sacred relics, and that one sales rep already too eager to pretend he cared about anything but a commission.
The guy straightened up like he'd just been zapped with a jolt of caffeine. "Welco! How can I help you today?"
Parker didn't even bother with the pleasantries. "I need a phone."
The guy, way too excited now, nodded like he'd won the lottery. "Of course! We've got the latest models. Are you interested in—"
"Whatever's the best," Parker cut in, voice flat. "I don't care about the price or model shit."
Tessa snorted under her breath, elbowing Naomi. "Must be nice to be disgustingly rich, huh?" she knew the feeling being the daughter of a billionaire but no one here could recognize her without ntioning her second na.
Naomi gave her a side-eye, "You literally live in his house. You're disgustingly rich too." ntion Tessa's being rich in the presence of her man would be stupid for Naomi when the girl always preferred to be tied to her na's na than her family's.
Tessa shrugged and leaned back against the counter like she couldn't care less. "Yeah, but it's way more fun when he's the one burning through cash."
Parker ignored them both, already scanning the phone displays like he wasn't even looking for just a phone. It wasn't like he needed sothing secure, encrypted, impossible for anyone to track him through. If needed the kind of phone that would make a hacker cry he could make it possible for himself. So right now the kind of phone he held didn't matter.
The sales guy went into his pitch mode, showing off features Parker wasn't even listening to. Tessa held Parker's hand and pointed pointed without hesitation. "He'll take that one. And get him the best Samsung you've got." She knew her man's taste and recalled why he needed two phones
Another sales personel— a woman—raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "You want a case or sothing?"
"No."
"Screen protector?"
"No."
"Insurance?"
Parker shot her a look that could've frozen water. He didn't need insurance. Insurance didn't stop people from going missing.
She smirked, clearly getting the vibe. "Alright, big man. Live dangerously, then."
Naomi shook her head, mumbling under her breath, "He'll breaks phones like they're disposable anyway if sothing pissed him off what's the use of all that."
Tessa leaned against the counter, her lips curving into a grin. "Nah, he doesn't break 'em. They just… what's the word? Mysteriously disappear when people piss him off."
The sales rep's face paled, probably realizing she'd stepped into sothing way above his pay grade.
Parker sighed, already over this. "Can we just buy the damn phone?" he really needed to make a call right now.
Tessa's grin grew. "Sure thing, honey. But you gotta admit—custor service skills? Top-notch."
A quick glance from the sales guy told Parker everything.
No one had seed to notice him at all—his overly handso face. Ere had done her thing—covered his face in shadows, making sure he blended into the background like he wasn't even there. The attention shifted onto the trio of badass won flanking him, all of them impossible to miss. Naomi's sharp smirk, Elena's intimidating stance, and Tessa's casual air of 'don't fuck with ' made them a perfect storm.
The guy was too busy sweating over them to realize just who he was dealing with.
Parker slid the new phone into his hand like it was a damn magic wand. He didn't care about the fancy new features the sales rep rambled about—he just needed a secure line and a fresh start. The guy handed him the phone with a smile that said, I just sold you a small piece of heaven.
"Thanks," Parker muttered, not even looking up. He tapped the device a few tis, transferring all the data from his old iPhone. The process took only a few minutes, but he still had ti to sit back in one of the sleek chairs scattered around the store.
He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit more… alive, I guess. Maybe it was the phone, or maybe it was just him needing a damn break from the circus he'd just stepped out of.
His new Samsung buzzed, the transfer done. Contacts, ssages, files—everything was copied over. The new phone humd to life, like it had always been his. He didn't even need to look at it anymore.
anwhile, the girls were still inside, probably arguing about which phone case was "cuter" or if they should get screen protectors that made their phones look like an alien artifact or so shit.
Parker had absolutely zero interest in that. He was here to get business done, not play with plastic junk.
He scrolled through his contacts until he hit one na that made him pause—Cassidy.
He sighed, the weight of her na hanging in the air like smoke. Without thinking, he walked over to one of the comfy chairs, plopped down, and rubbed his temples, trying to ignore how his whole body was already bracing for whatever bullshit conversation was coming. He hit call.
The phone rang once. Twice.
Then, her voice hit him like an unexpected breeze—smooth, knowing, with just enough humor to make him question his life choices. "Well, well. If it isn't my favorite little troublemaker."
He couldn't help but roll his eyes, even though he knew she couldn't see him. Always with the nicknas, he thought.
"Cassidy," he muttered, settling back in the chair and kicking his feet up onto a table. "What's up?"
She laughed, a sound that could either be described as pure mischief or trouble—probably both. "What, no 'hello' this ti? You're getting cold, boss. Should I be worried?"
Parker smirked to himself, but he wasn't about to admit how much of a pain in the ass she could be. "Nah, just busy. Just got phone. Thought I'd check in with you."
Cassidy chuckled, low and knowing. "Sure, sure. So, what's up with you, huh? You've been keeping on the edge of my seat with your little gas. You're not about to start talking about 'busy week' or so crap, are you?"
Parker snorted, a small laugh escaping him despite his best efforts. "Nah. Just trying to keep my shit together, you know?"
Her voice went quieter, but there was a glint of amusent in it. "Oh, I'm sure. But you've been up to sothing, haven't you? Just don't go making any more enemies who can't be killed off with money, yeah?"
Parker didn't respond right away. Just don't think about her. She's the last person you need to get tangled up with right now.
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