“I’ll ask again,” I say, voice pointedly even. “What’s the price?”
The two of them share another quick glance. Gideon gives an abrupt nod, and Leif turns back to me, shoulders squared like he’s ready for pushback.
We’re all bracing for a fight, then.
Good to know.
“We’re part of a wider network,” Leif explains. “Been hitting military operations for years. It’s mostly small stuff, but we’ve pulled off a few bigger scores. There’s a convoy route just outside the city we’ve gotten good at disrupting. Supplies, intel… whatever’s on those trucks, we want it.”
A knot of unease twists in my stomach. “And the drivers?”
Leif lifts one shoulder in a slow, deliberate shrug. His eyes never leave mine, searching for a reaction.
“We avoid killing when we can,” he finally answers.
I let the cryptic response hang in the air. “What does any of this have to do with me?”
“We need someone with your kind of access,” Gideon cuts in, stepping forward and straightening his posture like he’s trying to take up more space.
A faint smirk tugs at the corner of my mouth. If he thinks puffing his chest out like some territorial animal is going to intimidate me, he’s in for a rude awakening.
Pointed boredom seeps into my expression, and I tilt my head just enough to make him feel small, even though he’s looming.
“Access?” I repeat.
A muscle in his jaw clenches as he grinds his teeth, but he keeps his voice as flat as mine. “There’s talk of a high-value shipment coming in soon. Regular supply runs aren’t heavily guarded, and we handle those fine if we time it right. But this one’s different. It’s carrying something… valuable.”
“Why do I have a feeling it isn’t coffee beans?” I mutter.
He mirrors my smirk, shaking his head. “It’s safer if you don’t know the details. It won’t be easy, but if we pull it off…”
I chew the inside of my cheek as I consider it. “Alright, I’ll bite. Where do I fit into this plan?”
“You’ve got a uniform, don’t you?”
“No,” I snap, the word sharp enough to cut. “Absolutely not.”
“I get it’s a lot to ask—”
“You don’t,” I interrupt. “You really don’t have any fucking idea what you’re asking. If they find out I’m alive—”
“What makes you so special?” Gideon taunts, his eyes raking over me with clear judgment, like he’s cataloging every weakness he thinks he sees.
“Trust me,friend…” I drawl, and our gazes lock as I throw his words back at him. “It’s safer if you don’t know the details. I’m doing you a favor keeping it to myself.”
He runs his tongue along his teeth in a slow, annoyed swipe, chest rising with a measured breath that does nothing tohide the tension coiling in his shoulders. After a strained few seconds, he retreats half a step. The movement is stilted, like he’s physically fighting every inch of ground he gives up.
His voice is more level as he says, “Can we put the dick-measuring contest aside for two minutes and actually talk?”
My brow arches high, and I let my gaze flick deliberately to his crotch for a pointed beat before dragging it back up to his face, slow enough to make sure he feels it. A mocking huff of laughter escapes me, and it hits its mark. His fists clench at his sides, knuckles whitening as his jaw ticks.
“Sure…” I stretch the word until it drips with sarcasm, hanging it between us like bait.
The corner of his mouth twitches in a tiny, involuntary spasm, while irritation floods his cheeks in an angry crimson that clashes with his red hair. His fuse is burning shorter by the second, and I savor the explosion brewing behind his eyes as he tries to calm himself.
After what feels like forever, he takes a deep breath, though his words barely contain his temper. “The shipment details are stored in an office on the edge of the central district. It’s quiet. During the day there are a couple of guards and a handful of bored staff. The guy in charge is only a three row, and the higher-ups rarely show. It seems like a dead-end place where the workers don’t give a damn. The place empties at dinner and stays that way till morning.”
“So break in at night,” I counter, glancing between them. “You keep bragging about youramazingnetwork, so use it.”
