Jackpot.
Tommy folds his arms, showing off those pink pouty lips. “Yeah, okay, fine. You do the talking while I do the glaring.”
A huff of laughter bubbles out of me when I imagine Tommy trying to maintain an intimidating scowl.
“What?”
“Nothing.” I shake my head, square my shoulders, and drive over to the guard by the gate.
“You don’t think I can glare effectively,” Tommy mumbles, rolling his eyes. “I’ll have you know that I am exceptionally good at intimidating people despite my humble size.”
“I hope so.” I bring the vehicle to a stop and hover my fingers over the window handle. “Now game face on, partner.”
6
Tommy
Nikolas’concernsare,technically,well-placed. I can glare, that isn’t the issue, but I’m not exactly good at faking it. Trying to remain serious under pressure makes me feel awkward and jittery, which in turn often manifests in me laughing at very inappropriate times.
But today, it will be different. I can’t screw up here or it will blow our already flimsy cover.
Twiddling my thumbs, I observe Nikolas roll down the driver’s side window. A uniformed man with a goatee and a rifle in his hands comes up to our truck, nodding in greeting.
“Hi, buddy,” Nikolas says, offering a tight smile. “I’m here with another batch of cargo.”
“Morning…” The guard squints at Nikolas’ name badge, which reads Scott. “Scott. South hangar. They are waiting for you. You are late. We had to hold the plane and they aren’t happy.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.” Nikolas points toward the back of the truck over his shoulder. “We got a flat and had to change it.”
This is a load of bullshit, but the guy seems to buy it as he just bobs his head and opens the gate. Or maybe he doesn’t care. Nikolas maneuvers the truck to the indicatedhangar, where a group of five armed men are waiting. They look pissed off.
“Um, Nikolas… They’ll know we aren’t Scott and”—I check my name badge—“Tyvan right away.”
He purses his lips. “Niko is fine. You don’t have to be so formal with me. And don’t worry. Just keep your mouth shut and follow my lead. And don’t look anybody in the eyes, got it?”
My heart skips a beat.Niko, not Nikolas. I call this progress! And that hug from earlier…Swoon. It felt so goddamn nice, so right. I’m still dealing with a lingering boner.
“Tommy?”
Aah, my name leaving those lips. It’s like honey, sweet and smooth and delightful. I steal a glance, biting the inside of my cheek.Fuck, why are they so kissable?
“Tommy!”
“Huh, yes?” Niko’s eyes narrow suspiciously. “Yes, of course. I can do that.” I don’t see how that will be of any help when neither of us looks like the two who were supposed to bring the cargo, but I can stay out of trouble.
Nodding, Niko parks the truck to the side of the hangar. He takes off his badge, runs his hand through his dark hair and rolls his shoulders. Then, just as the five men approach, he gets out.
“Good morning. Sorry for the delay, we had a bit of trouble en-route.”
The man with the most intimidating scowl among them halts the rest, a storm brewing on his wrinkled face. “Who are you? Where are Scott and Tyvan?”
Niko shrugs, leaning his ass against the truck’s side, and motions for me to get out. I comply once I’ve removed my name badge, too. “Oh, there was a last-minute change.Those two were called in for some kind of briefing, so the boss sent us instead.”
The guy doesn’t look like he believes Niko. Any moment now, I expect him to aim his gun and shoot us. But for now, he just knits his eyebrows together even harder. “Where is your badge? Identify yourselves.”
Niko flails his arms. “We don’t have them. You see, we were brought in from another hub. Very last-minute, kind of hush-hush. I think there was some trouble at your compound—a trespasser maybe?—so your boss mobilized everyone and sent us instead.” He offers the men a smug smile and his hand. “Ridley and Aston, at your service. We can go make a call if you want, but should we be wasting more time when you are already running so late? I bet the guys down south won’t be happy.”
Nobody goes for a handshake, but at least the tension in the men’s shoulders lessens a notch.
