“That look usually means you’re either about to do something stupid or already did,” Levi said.
I huffed a humorless breath. “Good to know I’m consistent,” I mumbled.
He slid onto the stool beside me without asking and motioned for the bartender. “Whiskey. Neat.”
I lifted my glass, then hesitated before gesturing. “Another beer,” I said.
Levi’s brows drew together as the bartender set it down. His eyes flicked to the half a dozen empty bottles on the table, then back to me with a concerned look.
“I know our kind doesn’t get drunk easily,” he said quietly, leaning in just enough to keep the words between us, “but shouldn’t you slow down?”
“I deserve to unwind,” I shot back. The defensiveness flared hot and fast, a spark in dry grass. “I’m having a bad day.”
That earned me a long look. The kind Levi perfected years ago. It wasn’t judgmental; Levi was being patient. It was as if Levi was waiting for the truth to catch up to my mouth.
“I take it the mission’s not going too well,” he said.
I took another pull from the beer, longer this time. The alcohol barely dulled the edge, but it gave my hands something to do.
“It’s going fine,” I muttered.
He didn’t react or push. Levi simply took a sip of his whiskey and waited. The silence stretched and pressed. Then it all spilled out of me, messy and unfiltered.
I told him about the clinic. About overhearing Jaime’s words and how they’d lodged themselves somewhere ugly and tender inside my chest.
“He called me a wannabe,” I said, my voice low, my jaw tight. “Said I’menthusiastic. Like I’m some overeager kid playing at being useful.”
Levi’s brow furrowed, but he stayed quiet, listening.
“We were supposed to be partners,” I went on, bitterness creeping in. “Not…that. I thought I was helping. I thought I was earning my place. But maybe he just sees me as someone he has to manage.”
I laughed, sharp and humorless. “Like a project,” I added.
Levi set his glass down carefully. “Chris?—”
“It’s like he doesn’t trust me,” I said, the words tumbling over each other now. “And I get it, okay? He’s been doing this longer. He’s better at it, but damn it, I’m not useless.”
My voice had dropped, a low growl vibrating under the words before I could stop it. Levi’s eyes snapped to mine, sharp as a blade.
“Careful,” my brother warned, his voice low.
I froze. Heat flushed through me as I realized how close I’d come to slipping. The bar was crowded, noisy, full of local humans and tourists who had come to see the dog show.
I swallowed hard and forced the sound back down where it belonged. I willed my shoulders to relax. Maybe there was some truth to what Jaime had said. I’d nearly let my emotions blow my cover.
“Sorry,” I muttered.
Levi’s gaze softened just a fraction, but the warning lingered. He leaned back, studying me anew.
“I think you’re blowing this out of proportion,” he said finally.
The words landed wrong, and I glared at him. A quiet snarl curled in my chest, but I kept it there this time.
“You’re supposed to be on my side,” I said. The words sounded a little childish, even for me.
“I am,” he said calmly. “Which is why I’m saying this.”
I scoffed. “He basically said what he thinks of me in one sentence.”
