19
Darren
With a glance overhis shoulder at Aiden—which Rick intercepted if the creases on his forehead were anything to go by—Darren disembarked the Maine and headed to his room. The atmosphere was still a little tense, but everyone knew they didn’t have the luxury of feeling depressed if they hoped to take Marcus down.
They’d been too late this time, but it wasn’t going to happen again.
Bea volunteered to show Rick around the hideout and help him settle in, so Darren let her and Aiden handle that. The fresh addition to his crew made him think of Matt, the man who’d been like a brother to him in prison.
Would Matt have chosen his side if given the choice?Like Rick had chosen Aiden’s?
Darren was sure of it, which was why he hadn’t asked. It was better that way. Matt was going to get out of prison and live his life without getting dragged into this mess. And Darren… He wouldn’t have to fear he’d lose a friend.
Darren reached the lounge and his gaze landed on Nyle. He was sitting cross-legged on one of the couches with a tablet in hand, while Kristen was milling about in the kitchen chopping fruit in a bowl. It was the engineer that noticed Darren first, offering a smile and a tilt of his head in an invitation to join the hacker and snack in front of the entertainment unit.
“Hey. I heard from Bea. Sorry that we weren’t fast enough…” Nyle said a moment later.
“Yeah… There was nothing we could’ve done.” Darren shifted his backpack from one hand to the other as Nyle abandoned his tablet and vaulted over the backrest, beelining straight for Kristen.
Placing his hand at the low of the man’s back, he fished out a couple of apple slices from the bowl just as Darren pulled out the star earring from his pocket. Nyle’s blue eyes zeroed in on it, glittering with excitement. He wasted no time shoving the apples in his mouth and snatched the little ornament from Darren’s outstretched hand.
“I’ll get started on it ASAP.”
“Before that… I want to prioritize retrieving the ring. We’ll hold a briefing and go over what you found out about the vaults,” Darren said.
Nyle nodded. “I think that’s a good plan…” he trailed off, his whole face lighting up.
Darren knew that the others had entered the hideout even before Bea’s rich voice reached his ears.
“… show you to your room,” she was saying, the smile tangible in her voice. “Oh, hey, baby angel.”
“Hi, Bea.” Nyle beamed and sprinted over to her, getting a peck on the cheek. “Kesley. Welcome back. And you must be Rick,” he added, giving Rick a once-over.
“Yeah, hi. Nyle, right?” Rick said, shaking the younger man’s hand.
“Yep, how’d you guess?”
Returning the once-over, he hummed. “You have Nan’s nose. But also, she wouldn’t stop talking about how cute, energetic and smart you are and how proud of you she is. Lovely woman.”
“She’s the best,” Nyle agreed, and Darren caught the sliver of a smile cresting Aiden’s lips.
His side glance didn’t go unnoticed again, though the look Rick gave him was a notch softer than earlier and definitely nothing like the hard glare from when he’d first set foot on the Maine. Whatever he and Aiden had talked about in the conference room seemed to have put his mind at ease, which made Darren feel that bit more confident about having a proper talk with him.
After washing his hands, Kristen walked over and introduced himself as well, receiving a kiss on the cheek from Bea to match the one she’d given Nyle.
“So, what did all of you do before… this?” Rick asked, scanning the interior with a curious gleam in his dark eyes. “I was working in management for a cargo company until I decided I wanted to give the fugitive life a try.”
A chorus of chuckles and snorts welcomed the question. Nyle was the first to answer, but as much as Darren wanted to hear everyone’s replies, he slipped away into the serenity of his bedroom for a much-needed shower. Half an hour later, he’d changed into a simple T-shirt and cargo pants and made his way to the war room where everyone was already seated and waiting.
Raking his hand through his still damp hair, he took the chair between Rick and Aiden. “Since everyone is here already—”
“Thanks to Rick, if I may say,” Kristen cut in. “Otherwise, we’d still be in the middle of Nyle telling us how he blackmailed the GN to exempt him from the mandatory military service.”
Darren hitched an eyebrow first at Nyle—because he didn’t knowthatparticular story—and then at Aiden’s friend.
Rick simply shrugged. “A briefing seemed more important than a couple of stories and a tour of the place. We can do both later.”
Darren smiled. He already liked Rick, even if he didn’t know much about him yet. From what he’d observed so far, the man was friendly and open, but also possessed a serious side that knew when to prioritize fun and when not to. He’d stayed calm during their visit to Gripwich too, despite the horrible discovery they’d made.
