Gabe pulledup outside Bonnie’s Brew, and Woody jumped out of the truck. “Don’t forget I want coconut milk now,” she shouted after her.
Woody waved over her shoulder, and Gabe rolled back into traffic.
“Remind me why you’ve changed milks?” Shay poked Gabe’s bicep. “It’s not like cows haven’t done their fair share to build this body.”
“I’m just trying something different.”
Shay arched her eyebrow and twisted to talk to RB in the back. “Doesn’t Lori like coconut milk?”
RB’s expression indicated she had no idea, but she grinned. “Yeah, I reckon she does. She works quick. Didn’t take her long to get you under control, did it?”
“What’re you talking about? It’s just milk.” Gabe took the right into the alley alongside their garage.
Shay shook her head slowly. “It always starts with the milk, doesn’t it, RB? Then it’s the meals, and ‘Honey, are you sure you want that second helping of pie?’ Before you know it, she’ll be sending you to work with a to-go cup of green tea and no money for coffee.”
“What the hell have you two been binge-watching now? No lesbians have done that ever in the history of the world.”
Shay laughed. “Probably not. But you’ve been drinking a half gallon of milk every day since I’ve known you. So what’s up with the coconut?” She didn’t actually believe that Lori had any designs to change Gabe at all, but it was fun making her squirm.
“Jesus. If you really need to know, I picked up the wrong coffee at Bonnie’s the other day, and I liked it.” Gabe gave Shay a sideways glare. “So no, Lori doesn’t like coconut milk, and she likes my body just fine so I can eat all the pie I?—”
“What’s this joker doing here?” Shay gestured to the huge black SUV with tinted windows parked sideways in front of the gated entrance to their garage lot.
Gabe pulled to a stop twenty yards short of the vehicle but didn’t cut the engine. “Nobody recognizes it?”
RB shuffled to the center console and stuck her head between their shoulders. “Nope. And there’s nothing on the books for a Yukon today or for the rest of the week.”
Shay looked at RB. “You memorize what we’ve got coming in?”
RB shrugged. “It’s a habit.”
“Huh.” Shay turned back to look at the mystery vehicle, but no one had emerged from within it yet. “Maybe it’s been abandoned,” she said and reached for the door handle.
Gabe grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. “Wait. You don’t know who’s in there.”
Shay chuckled. “Who do you think it is? Some covert government operatives who want our old Army skills for some undercover operation? This isn’t an episode of the A-Team, Gabe.”
“What’s the A-Team?” RB asked.
“How can she not?—”
“She’s younger than us; we’ll fix it later,” Shay said and opened her door. “Let’s go see who our clandestine clients are.” By the time she’d gotten out and was at the hood of the truck, Gabe and RB were beside her.
“Should I get a tire iron?” RB asked.
Shay smirked. “We’ve got Gabe. If their intentions are nefarious, the only reason you might need a tire iron will be to unknot them after she’s finished with them.”
Gabe cracked her knuckles and grinned. “It’s been a minute since we had a fight together.”
“You sound hopeful,” Shay said.
Before Gabe could answer, all four doors of the SUV sprang open. Two tall women got out of the front. From the look of their buzzcuts and the almost-matching outfits of dark trousers with shirts and ties, maybe Gabe wasn’t that far from the truth. One of the passengers in the rear of the vehicle emerged, and Shay couldn’t help but twitch a little. The woman wore a battered brown leather jacket and faded jeans stuck inside work boots, but she also had long brown hair that only softened the seriousness of her expression only slightly. The twitch switched gear into something else when Shay got a glimpse of the hardware she was packing. “Gun,” she whispered and felt Gabe and RB’s answering tension like a brick wall pressing against her chest. She couldn’t see the final passenger until she walked around one of the buzzcut women.
“Sergeant Gabe Jackson and Corporals Shanae Washington and Felicity ‘RB’ Thomas. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” She saluted and walked toward them.
Shay recognized the voice before its owner came fully into focus. “Elodie Fontaine?”
Elodie nodded and came around the front of the Yukon. “I’m sorry we didn’t call ahead. I have to be careful who knows my schedule.” She shook hands with Gabe then Shay and RB.
