Jesus Christ, it was like pulling the fangs out of a viper to get anything from this guy. “Elaborate on that.”
Cole sighed and closed his eyes for a second. He seemed tired. “I was running a test. I told you we were going to a safehouse in Buffalo, I told Lilith we were going somewhere else, and then I drove us to a third location.”
“Uh…huh.” Will couldn’t pretend it didn’t sting a little that Cole hadn’t trusted him with the truth earlier, but that was the game.Never forget you’re playing a game. Can’t let yourself be turned into a pawn.“And we found the trackers in ourpassports, so that explains how we were found there. What about the other safehouses?”
“Both of them were compromised.”
Both… wait.“How is that possible?”
“I’m not sure,” Cole replied. “Unless both you and Lilith are selling me out.”
Flickers of heat rose up Will’s spine, flaring over his neck and out his cheeks. It was a good thing it was dark in here, because he was probably bright red right now. Not his best look, but then—“What the hell?” he snapped. “Have I ever sold out anyone I worked a job with?Ever?”
“Not that I know of,” Cole muttered. “But there’s always a first time.”
“Sure, right! That makes sense!” He was hitting his stride now. “Yeah, I’ll just abandon you to a psychopath ex of oursandan emotionally unstable billionaire with a grudge and hope that you take the fall for both of us without implicating the fuck out of me! Or what, what, was I supposed to be leading you to your death? Did you think I was going to try and kill you? Have youseenmy self-preservation instincts? Or do I need to remind you I almost got dragged out of a fucking window to save someone I don’t evenlike, you stupid done of a bitch?”
There was a moment of silence, and then—“You like me?”
Oh, for the love of emotional repression. Will ripped off his own headset and threw it into the hold of the plane. “You,” he said through gritted teeth as he unbuckled himself, then climbed from his chair into Cole’s lap, “are a goddamn fucking fool.” He grabbed Cole by the hair, mussing it just the way he’d been thinking about, then pulled him into a fierce kiss.
Do I like you?
Idiot.
CHAPTER 14
Wait. What?
What the hell?
It took a few seconds longer than Cole would’ve liked, but he came to his senses and shoved Will back. Not that he got far—this cockpit wastiny—but at least now he could breathe. Sort of. Because he was staring into Will’s eyes from just a few inches away, his lips still tingling from that kiss he had absolutelynotbeen hungrily returning.
Seriously—what the hell?
One minute, Will was acting all affronted about Cole thinking he might’ve sold him out. The next…
Without thinking, Cole ran his tongue along his lower lip, and oh God, Will watched. Fucking locked in and watched andstaredat Cole’s mouth. And when Will shifted a little, Cole couldn’t help a frustrated groan in the same moment Will grinned triumphantly. Cole’s traitorous body—the same one that had surrendered to that kiss and, yeah, returned it—was giving him away.
“You like me?”His own words echoed in his head… along with all the reasons they’d been discussing that in the first place.
Pressing back against the seat, Cole exhaled. “I liked Marcus too.” He swallowed audibly. “Look where that got me.”
Will’s eyebrows shot up. At first it seemed like he hadn’t understood what Cole had said. Then he clearly did, because he rolled his eyes and practically launched himself back into the other seat. “Dick.”
Cole had never been so simultaneously frustrated and relieved. He wanted to drag Will back over here and finish what he’d unexpectedly started, and he was also thankful Will was over there and not touching him anymore. Then he could think. And breathe. And… And figure out what to do next, because while he was pretty sure he’d had a plan before, it had gone up in smoke the moment Will had kissed him.
“So what the fuck happens next?” Will growled.
Cole closed his eyes and pushed out a breath. Then he unbuckled his seat belt. “We start by getting the hell out of here.”
At least he didn’t have to deal with a hard-on as he got out of the plane. Not that the absence of an erection made this situation particularly comfortable. Not when he was walking out of the tiny hangar with a very silent, fuming Will.
Fuck. That wasn’t good. Cole had known the moment the words left his mouth that it was the wrong thing to say. Factually correct, sure—but comparing Will to Marcus was a low blow under the best of circumstances. As much as he’d been hoping for a way to shut Will up ever since the clown had arrived at his apartment, this wasn’t the outcome he’d been after.
The silence was taut and miserable the whole time they were heading out of the hangar and out to the tiny parking lot. The unspoken snark from Will rang in Cole’s ears.
“Did you have a car dropped off, or are we stealing one?”
