“To a teensydayof crime,” Emma corrected. “To save Timbers.”
“To save Timbers,” they all repeated.
When they broke apart, Opal felt a single word, sung deep within.
Something she knew washerthought,herwant.
Yes.
27
NICO
Nico slammed back against the chain-link fence.
Two Dobermans were charging straight for him, razor-sharp teeth exposed.
So this is how I go out. Chewed to pieces by Nantes Company guard dogs.
Logan dropped onto the gravel next to him and whistled. “Cecil! Peanut!Heel.”
The animals slid to a stop, heads tilting in confusion. The lead dog whined and pawed the ground. “Good boys,” Logan cooed, and their ears went up. They trotted forward and licked his hand, tails wagging happily.
Nico started breathing again. “A little warning next time,” he grumbled.
Logan shot Nico a wink. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. Plus, Peanut’s all talk, aren’t you, boy?” He ruffled the dog’s black fur. The animal preened under his attention.
Three more sets of sneakers hit the ground. Tyler. Emma. Opal. The dogs paid no more attention, satisfied by Logan’s presence. He sent them off with final head pats. “Let’s go. We’re lucky the motion sensors are turned off during the day. Those aren’t as easy to win over.”
Logan led them across the crowded timber yard toward a massive gray warehouse. They crept from piles of felled trees to stacks of treated lumber, zipping around giant bladed machines that could slice Nico in half without a hitch. Reaching the last bit of cover—a large drill lashed to a flatbed truck—they hunkered down and peered at an oversized steel door.
“This is the back entrance,” Logan said quietly. “There’s usually not much activity in the afternoon, especially around lunch, but if we run into anyone let me do the talking.”
Nico held his tongue. Though it sucked having Logan Freaking Nantes running the show, everything he said made sense. Nico had to be a team player. Too much was at stake.
To be fair, he hasn’t been as awful lately.
Nico straightened, surprised by the admission. Logan was a sworn enemy. He’d gone out of his way to make Nico’s life miserable for almost a year. Nico’s whole future in Timbers was in jeopardy because of the Nantes family, yet here the two of them were, huddled shoulder to shoulder, plotting to break into a warehouse together.Lunacy.
“You have a map or something?” Tyler shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t wanna get lost in there.”
Logan gave him a level look. “My family’s run this company for four generations. I don’t need a map of our own warehouse. Besides, it’s not as full as it used to be. Not since …” His gaze flicked to Nico, then shot away.
Nico felt his cheeks burn.
“We should hurry,” Opal said, changing the subject. “And there’s no reason for everyone to go inside.” She turned to Tyler and Emma. “Will you two keep watch? I’d hate to get nabbed sneaking back out.”
“What if those dogs come back?” Tyler said.
“They won’t bother you now,” Logan assured him. “They’ve seen you with me. Plus, I wasn’t kidding about them being all talk. Let Peanut sniff your hand and you’re fine.”
“Easy for you to say,” Tyler muttered. “Stick my hand in its mouth? Ilikemy fingers.”
“We’ll climb that.” Emma pointed to a gigantic yellow machine tipped by steel claws. “There’s an open window, so we can hide inside. Plus, we’ll see more if we’re higher up.”
“Just don’tbeseen,” Logan warned. “And don’t touch the controls. We’ll meet back here in”—Logan glanced skyward as if estimating—“fifteen minutes. If there’s trouble, whistle when you see us at the door.”
“I can’t whistle,” Tyler hissed.
