2. Nico #2
I hesitated. I wasn't about to mention Michael. There was no way I was throwing him under the bus.
“I, uh, read online that Pecan Pines was one of the locations fans were theorising about for the movie,” I said. That part was true. “And then I noticed on your calendar that you had a meeting with Cooper today.”
Tony's eyes narrowed slightly. I did have access to his calendar. That part was also true.
“So I thought I'd try my luck.”
The lie had barely left my mouth before Tony pulled out his phone. I watched as he checked his schedule, then immediately stared at the floor, hoping it would open up and swallow me.
Tony exhaled loudly. Again. He'd been doing that more often lately, especially around me.
He looked at Cooper. “I'm sorry.”
I blinked. That was it?
Cooper shook his head. “It's fine.”
A tiny flicker of guilt stirred in me. A really tiny one. Tony turned back to me. “If you wanted to attend the meeting, you should have come to me first. I could have briefed you properly.”
I lowered my gaze. He wasn't wrong.
“Now,” Tony continued, “they're probably wondering whether we're actually organised enough to handle this. We can't have them thinking they can't trust us with their security. It wouldn’t be a good look for the pack.”
I glanced at Cooper, who seemed perfectly content to let Tony do all the talking, which probably meant he agreed.
I straightened and zipped my hoodie a little higher, hoping it would make me look more serious. Mostly, I was trying to hide the Shadowfall shirt underneath it.
I had suddenly become very aware of how ridiculous I probably looked, barging into an important meeting dressed like an overexcited fan. Still, I'd made it this far, and I wasn't going to give up now.
“I know the games, and I know a lot about the movie production,” I said. “I think I'd be a better fit to take the lead on the IT side of this.”
Tony looked at me, and I noticed that his eyes seemed darker than usual. There were deeper shadows beneath them, too, more pronounced than I'd noticed before.
I swallowed before continuing. “And Tony's been really busy lately.”
His expression changed. I kept going.
“He's been handling the pack's network upgrades, the new access-control system, and the surveillance infrastructure.
He's also been supporting the enforcers and scouts whenever they go out on missions, and—” My voice cracked slightly, but I didn't care.
“There’s barely any time between projects anymore.
Sometimes he comes home late, and sometimes he doesn't sleep at all. He'll stay up working until it's done.”
Tony opened his mouth, but I didn't give him the chance to interrupt.
“After what happened with that anti-shifter group, you've been monitoring them too. Even though Cooper never told you to keep doing it.”
Tony's expression went still. I knew I was right. He'd continued tracking their movements and activity, reviewing information from the scouts and keeping an eye on their systems for anything suspicious.
He'd also helped strengthen the pack's perimeter, working with the scouts to install new sensors, upgrade the cameras, and improve communications between the patrols and the packhouse.
He'd even gone out with them himself to test the equipment and make sure everything worked in the field. And that was on top of everything else.
Whatever Cooper needed. Whatever the enforcers needed.
Whatever problem suddenly came up on a mission and required someone with Tony's particular skill set, Tony was usually the one they called. There were simply too many people asking for him.
I helped where I could. I took care of the systems back at our place, handled troubleshooting and routine maintenance, and tried to take as much off his plate as possible.
But there was only so much I could do from the background when Tony was still the person everyone specifically requested.
“He's been handling too much,” I said quietly.
For a moment, neither Tony nor Cooper said anything. Then Tony finally leaned back against the edge of the table and rubbed a hand over his face.
“I have been feeling a little stretched thin lately.” Tony sighed before glancing at Cooper. “I wouldn't mind letting Nico take this one. I'd actually prefer to keep my focus on reinforcing security around the packlands right now.”
Cooper considered that for a moment before nodding. “All right. But we should talk about your schedule soon.”
Tony gave him a tired nod, then turned to me. “Would it be all right if I spoke to Nico privately first?”
“Of course.” Cooper nodded toward the door. “I'll go check on our guests.”
Once the door closed behind him, I turned to Tony.
I was probably failing spectacularly at looking appropriately serious. I couldn't help it. After all, Tony had just agreed to let me handle the project.
“I won't let you down. I'll make sure everything runs smoothly, and I'll—”
Tony smiled, and the expression softened his tired face. “I believe you.”
I beamed at him.
“Just don't embarrass the pack.”
I shook my head immediately. “I won't.”
His smile lingered for another moment before fading.
“Nico. You need to keep your head this time.”
I frowned. “I always keep my head.”
Tony's expression settled into the patient look he usually wore when he was about to explain something he'd already explained at least twice before.
“This isn't a normal project. We're dealing with an outside production crew, high-profile guests, and people who aren't part of the pack. There are going to be a lot of moving pieces, and you can't let yourself get too emotionally involved.”
I opened my mouth, but Tony raised a hand.
“Let me finish. You remember the Harpers?”
I winced. The Harpers had come to us a few months ago after their son had gotten into trouble with one of the pack's systems. Nothing serious.
They'd simply needed help setting up some secure devices and making sure the pup couldn't accidentally access anything he shouldn't.
Except I'd met the kid. He'd been absolutely terrified of getting into trouble.
So instead of simply fixing the problem and moving on, I'd spent most of the evening talking to him, helping him understand what he'd done wrong and making sure he knew he wasn't actually in trouble.