CHAPTER SEVENTEEN PLAY STUPID GAMES LUNA
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
PLAY STUPID GAMES
LUNA
My business was pissing me off.
And it was all my own fault.
I thought I would be able to sink in and enjoy a little downtime, but I’d used most of it to study the man behind the desk.
Rhys hadn’t seemed jumpy about having me in his space. No nervous fidgeting. No unintentional eye darts toward something he wanted to stay hidden. No tension in his frame at all.
Well, not no tension. There was definitely the occasional flare of irritation where he would mutter a curse and run his hand through his hair.
But that was only ever aimed at his work.
Even when I stood to do my laps under the guise of a bathroom or drink break, he’d simply glanced my way before returning his focus to the screen in front of him.
He’d gotten up a few times himself—once to check the stock room for whatever and once to see how many bottles of the unusual flavored vodka he had behind the bar.
I knew the specifics on that one because I’d been at the bar refilling my water while I talked to Texas for a minute.
That minute hadn’t garnered any helpful information.
His focus had mostly been on installing a camera discreetly on the shelf.
Not that I’d expected him to use the milliseconds to hurriedly whisper secrets, but even his demeanor had given me nothing.
Like Rhys, there was no caginess or awkwardness or anything other than a guy trying to do his job.
I’d left him to it before returning to sit silently in the office while also being far too distracted by the man ten feet from me.
God, he’s good looking.
It was a stupid thing to even think.
A light rapping on the open door made me jolt—something that didn’t happen often. The only solace in that was I wasn’t the only one to be taken off guard. Rhys’s head shot up as he looked toward the knocker.
I sat up to do the same.
And rage filled me.
“We’re taking off—” Glitch started before I interrupted.
“Hey,” I called in my cop-voice.
He held his hands in the surrender position. “Whoa, what’d I do?”
But my beef wasn’t with him.
I hustled to my feet and across the room, shoving past the tattooed biker to get into the hall. “Stop where you are.”
The man obeyed, but he didn’t turn. Not right away. When he finally did, it was slow. Hesitant.
He tried to hide it.
He tried to look innocent and failed spectacularly.
He tried to act confused by my anger—and failed at that, too.
He might as well have stamped guilty on his own forehead.
“Okay, what the fuck is happening?” Glitch asked, his voice getting closer until he was right beside me.
I held up my hand but otherwise ignored him and Rhys’s similar question.
Something between a growl and a grumble came from Rhys. I knew it had to be him because the noise was behind me, not next to me.
I worked to keep my voice even. Flat. Scarily calm. “Please tell me that you visited Sweets You Rock today.”
“Uh, no?” the unnamed prospect answered before giving a look to the man at my side like I was crazy.
I kept the same tone. “A different bakery that just happened to copy Piper?”
“No—”
“Then would you care to explain why I just saw you eating my cupcake?”
“Oh shit,” Glitch muttered, though he made no move to protect his friend.
And he should’ve.
I busted out my scariest scowl and stared at the man. He might’ve had six inches or so on me, but there was no mistaking the fact I was looking down on him despite that height disadvantage.
“I wasn’t,” he tried, lighting the gas like the gaslighter he was.
I didn’t respond to lies. And it didn’t take my honed detective skills to know that was exactly what he was spewing.
The evidence of his treachery was on his face.
Figuratively and literally. There were pink crumbs in his patchy mustache.
He squirmed under my silence before trying to save face. “Whatever, I have work to do.”
“You just said you were leaving,” Glitch contradicted, and I almost felt bad. Not to mention, stupidly dramatic for making a small thing into something way bigger than it needed to be.
But I was too angry and too hungry to feel guilty, dammit.
“Answer her question,” he prodded when the silence stretched.
“What question?” the guy mumbled with a doofy expression that said he was trying to act innocent and unbothered at the same time. Like he couldn’t be caught since he hadn’t done anything, but he also wasn’t scared that he’d been caught.
Or maybe he was holding in a fart.
God, he looks so dumb while playing dumb, I almost believe it.
“Why’d you eat her cupcake?” Glitch asked.
The guy let out a sigh, and I could almost see him mentally rolling his eyes. Like his thievery was a joke. “I was hungry. And it was there. I thought…”
My anger reached new heights at his dismissive attitude. “You thought what?”
“That it was up for grabs like the rest,” he finished feebly, adding a forced smile and lazy shoulder lift to his trifecta of weakness.
I took a second—both to deep breathe for some calm and to think about earlier. I didn’t want to fly off the handle like a total psycho if I was mistaken. If I wasn’t mistaken, though?
It would be game on.
Jury had been there when I’d set the box down.
Shirtless Jury.
And Haze.
Texas had been there later, as had the cupcake. I knew because I’d split my focus between the busy biker and thoughts of the absolutely unspeakable things I had planned for that pastry.
But it was definitely the prospect in front of me who’d been there when I’d made it clear that my separated snacks were off-limits. I remembered his awful mustache that he was not pulling off.
“I wasn’t stingy,” I said, my voice still blank.
Miraculously absent of the bitter grief of sweets untasted that soaked my tongue.
“I could’ve left the box in the car. Or kept it by my side.
Or simply said it was mine, with the expectation they would be left alone because we’re all adults.
But I didn’t. I shared. I took out the two things I wanted.
Just two out of that whole big container. And you ate one of them.”
It was small.
Tiny.
A subtle brush of the bottom of his tee.
But like my father had always taught, those small, often involuntary reactions said plenty.
His hands covered his crotch, and I realized I’d inadvertently been glaring vengeful daggers at the spot. My true focus was actually on the light dusting of powdered sugar that clung to his shirt.
“Both of them?” I hissed out between clenched teeth.
“Like I said—” His flippant words cut off abruptly when I started moving toward him.
“Easy, hellcat,” a gruff voice muttered. A muscular arm wrapped around my waist and caught me just before I reached the monster, but I didn’t let it deter me.
Blank and calm, I pressed against the hold as I leaned forward and raised my finger to point up at a man who was quickly climbing my enemy list. “I don’t care how you do it, but you will have a replacement cookie and cupcake for me.
Tomorrow. And I’m not going to accept some random thing from some random grocery store.
I won’t even accept another big assortment from Sweets You Rock.
I want the jam one and the strawberry one. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” he rushed out quickly.
I held his eye contact for a long moment before sinking back.
And finding my ass pressed against Rhys’s thigh. Well, the side of his thigh since he was angled behind me, but still.
The prospect rushed away without another word.
“That’s disappointing,” Glitch said, moving back to stand beside me.
I tilted my head to look up at him. “What?”
“Kid’s not gonna make it with Mayhem.”
My brows shot up to my hairline. “No. No way. It’s not that big of a deal. I’ll be over it once I get some food and sleep.”
And the replacement treats.
I kept that last part to myself because I didn’t want to make it worse.
All my dramatics had done enough, and as my temper fizzled out, I felt ridiculous.
I could’ve just texted Piper to ask if she would have the flavors again soon.
Or just accepted they were gone as I did my best to move on.
The scene I’d caused was unnecessary, and embarrassment rose through me to clench my stomach and heat my cheeks.
“It’s not just this,” Glitch reassured me, making me feel a modicum better. “O told Judge this morning that she got weird vibes from him. We wouldn’t have brought him if she’d said something earlier.”
I had no clue who O was, but she was smart.
“Uh, I know this is a big ask,” I started.
But I didn’t need to voice it. “No moves will be made till this shit is all wrapped up.”
“Thanks.”
The last thing I needed was to blow the whole operation because of a food temper tantrum and a disgruntled biker who felt petty enough to spill all the secrets.
A door opened and closed seconds before a no-longer-shirtless Jury came out of the employee break room. He stopped short, his gaze darting between us. His eyes noticeably dropped to the arm that was still wrapped around me and remained there. “What’d I miss?”
I twisted quickly to dislodge myself from Rhys’s hold as I shook my head. “Nothing.”
“Right,” he drawled, not believing me for a second. “How ’bout you tell me on the ride home?”
“What?” I was confused, sure, but also distrustful by nature and training.
He tilted his head toward the doorway he came through. “Figured you two rode in together, and you might not feel like waiting around all night for him to drag himself away. I’m taking off if you want a ride.”
I was about to decline the offer, but Rhys beat me to it. “We’re leaving soon.”
I didn’t like when people stole from me and then lied to my face like I was dumb. But I really didn’t like people talking for me, even if they weren’t wrong.
“If you have work to do here, I can just—” My words and the step I took were both cut off when a finger hooked in my belt loop and tugged me back.
Again.
I hadn’t thought much of it at the bakery, but that time, it added to my cranky annoyance.
I turned to glare at Rhys, but I didn’t get far because his finger remained in place to prevent a full range of motion.
“Kind of hard for you to do your job if you’re not here,” he pointed out—and it was valid. If all the guys were leaving, I should be there as a precaution.
“We’re still slow playing it,” I shot back anyway. I wasn’t even sure why I was arguing since we were technically on the same page.
It was his turn to stare me down.
And unlike the prospect, I didn’t squirm under the intensity of the silence.
I rolled my eyes.
“Think you must have a twitch,” he muttered, his mouth doing its own twitch as he fought a smile. Fortunately, his dimples didn’t get the message, and they deepened even without his lips fully joining.
“Sure, let’s go with that.” I sighed and looked at Jury. “I appreciate the offer.”
He lifted his chin before they started discussing what time they would be back in the morning. I stayed long enough to get the important details before finally unhooking myself from Rhys and retreating to the main room.
If I’m going to be stuck here all night, I need another hit of sugar.
My hopes lifted when I saw the shimmery promised land waiting. Beckoning me forward.
And then they were dashed just as quickly when I opened the lid to find it empty.
Nary a crumb.
“No, that’s okay!” I called out. “It’s not bad enough that you all ate everything, but I’ll clean up after you, too.”
Haze stuck his head out from near the front entrance. “Sorry, Lo.”
I gathered the trash and rounded the bar as I spoke. “I expect a big tip for this.”
“I’ve got—oof!” Jury called. Laughter carried through, growing louder as the men moved into the mouth of the hallway.
Jury and Glitch stopped there, but Rhys was walking toward me.
“I was just gonna say I’ve got the garbage,” Jury said to him, his amusement still clear in his tone as he rubbed his chest.
Rhys ignored him.
“I already got it,” I rushed out, trying to save him the trip as I gestured to the empty space. “I was just being dramatic.”
“A theme,” he said.
“Like my twitch.”
I thought he would smile at that, but he didn’t. “We leave in five. Decide what you want for dinner.”
And then he stormed away like I’d done something wrong.