Bones grunted. “That’s not unique.”
“No,” I agreed. “But the way he carries himself? He isn’t used to being powerless. Or ignored. Or dismissed.” I replayed the way he strode across that deck and then down to the platform to get me to come aboard. He had no doubt at all that I wouldobey.
“Starve him of attention,” AB said slowly.
“Reverse interrogation?” Voodoo glanced from me to AB. “Think that would work?”
“If he’s as arrogant a prick as he was acting, Gracie is right. We starve him of attention. We don’t threaten him, talk to him, or even look at him. Just leave him in that room in the dark.”
“Until he’s desperate for the interaction, for something…” Legend rubbed a hand along his jaw. “Could take us too long to action anything, especially if he digs in.”
“Maybe,” Bones said. “But we can afford a few hours to test the theory.”
“I don’t think it will take that long,” I admitted and when Bones raised his brows, I shrugged. “He’s not a guy you say no to. I’ve dealt with lots of those over the years. They don’t hear no, they don’t see it, they don’t want it. You have to praise and pamper their egos to get them to think they said no. Ignoring him is going to make him angry.”
The slow, dangerous smile that curved Bones’ lips sent a flutter through my system. He was so damn handsome when he looked like that.
“I like it. Cold isolation. No sensory input. No timeline. No context. Let him sit in that room and realize we don’t actually need anything from him.”
“But we do,” Voodoo said.
“We do,” I agreed. “But he won’t know that if we aren’t asking him.”
Legend let out a low whistle. “Look at you. Scary brilliant.”
Warmth hit my cheeks. Embarrassing.
“Told you, weapons grade badass,” AB said and his blue eyes practically sparkled. “Wanna take Goblin for a walk with me? It’ll hopefully be a little cooler now.”
“I do,” I said, closing the box on my food. “Let me grab shorts and a tank top.” I was still in the bikini. As nice as the a/c was in here, I was only just now starting to get pebbling on my skin.
“Damn,” Voodoo said with a grin. “I am really enjoying that bikini.”
“Remind me to burn it later,” Bones said, but there was absolutely no heat in his growl. He caught my arm and tugged me back for a kiss. “Take a weapon with you.”
“I will,” I promised, though he swallowed the words when he deepened that quick kiss to something a lot deeper, wetter, and groan worthy.
“Hands off, Cap, she said she was going to take a walk with me,” AB said, though there was laughter in his voice.
“Fine,” Bones said, right before he actually nipped my lower lip. There was no mistaking the stiffness in his jeans or the fact his eyes were scorching.
He finally let me go with one last murmured, “Weapon. Pocket.” Then he smacked my ass—slow, claiming, absolutely unhelpful—and turned back to the table.
AB snickered. “Subtle.”
Bones didn’t even glance over. “Wasn’t trying to be.”
I rolled my eyes, grabbed my shorts, tank top, and a cross-body bag that would still hide my taser, and got changed. The tank was soft and loose, the shorts comfortable, and the night air would feel good after the day’s humidity.
Goblin perked up the second we walked toward the door, tail thumping as he trotted ahead in his harness.
The moment we stepped outside, Miami felt like a different city. The heat hadn’t vanished, but the sticky heaviness from earlier had faded. A breeze swept in from the ocean, cool enough to raise goosebumps along my arms. The sky was going dusky—peach melting into lavender—and streetlights flickered to life one by one.
AB walked beside me, one hand in his pocket, the other holding Goblin’s leash loosely as he inspected the land around us.
“God,” I said on an exhale, “this is so much nicer than earlier.”
“No arguments here.” He stretched a little, rolling his shoulders. “My brain was melting. Bones looked five minutes from homicide. Lunchbox looked two.”
