Axel looked at himself in the mirror, adjusting the angle of his black baseball cap. He tugged the rim lower, then checked the fit of his oversized sunglasses. Finally, he pulled his black mask securely over the bottom half of his face. Only when he was sure that no one—absolutely no one—could recognize him did he take a deep breath and step out of his car.
The bright neon sign above the shop flickered slightly in the summer evening air: ADULT STORE – FOR THE OPEN-MINDED.
Axel hesitated in front of the door. He'd faced gang shootouts, done illegal arms deals, and stood on the world's biggest stages—but somehow, this felt far more nerve-racking than anything he'd ever done before.
"This is for Jayvaughn," he muttered under his breath. "You're doing this for him. For... us."
With a final glance over his shoulder, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
