Chapter 35
Knox was wearing a black T-shirt, dark-wash jeans, and black work boots. On anyone else, it would be considered a simple outfit. Not something that would make waves or stand out too much. But on Knox?
Entrapment. It looked like entrapment and Hadley still felt a little bad about it. “You’re sure there’s no other way to get the virus on this guy’s phone?”
There were four of them in Ren’s surveillance van parked across the street from Verge, the city’s premier, upscale gay bar. Tenley was in the driver’s seat, Ren rode shotgun with a laptop open across his tree-trunk-sized thighs, and Cole sat next to her in the back.
Well, technically, she supposed there were five of them. Because Ren’s ginormous Cane Corso, Damnit George, was currently sitting next to her, leaning his considerable weight against her side.
“Don’t worry. He can handle it,” Tenley said as she watched her husband walk into the bar. “He’s wearing the earpiece so I can tell him what to say if he needs help, and Ren just hacked the bar’s security cameras, so we’ll be able to see everything.”
Hadley sighed. “I’m not worried that Knox can’t handle it. I feel bad for Reuben, OK? He’s going to go home thinking this gorgeous guy is interested in him, when really, it’s all a big scam and he’ll never hear from him again. It’s like the worst dating cliché ever.”
Cole grabbed her hand and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “You really are a soft touch.”
She bit her lip. “Does that bother you?”
“I fucking love it,” he growled, capturing her mouth in a quick, hard kiss that made her forget they had an audience. Until Ren said…
“Don’t do that shit in front of my dog. He’s young and impressionable.”
Hadley glanced over at Damnit George just in time for him to swipe his giant tongue across the length of her face, chin to forehead, then give her a big, drooly, doggy smile and breathe his hot breath in her face.
She didn’t know how Damnit George felt about it, but to her, it was true love.
“Thanks, buddy,” she said, giving the dog’s huge jowls a good squish.
When all this was over, she was definitely getting a dog.
“If it makes you feel better, Reuben’s great at his job, but outside of work, he’s a real asshole,” Cole said.
She thought about it for a second. “Maybe a little, I guess.”
Ren didn’t look at her, but said, “He cheated on his last two partners.”
That did suck. But did it suck enough for him to deserve being conned?
“He also returned a shelter dog after two days because it shit on his Persian rug,” Ren added.
Hadley leaned toward Tenley, hoping Knox could hear her through his earpiece when she said, “Break that asshole’s heart, Knox!”
“Gotcha,” Knox said with a chuckle as he made his way to the bar where Reuben was seated.
This place was maybe the fanciest bar Hadley had ever seen.
The miles-long white marble bar was lit from beneath, so it seemed to float above the dark herringbone floor.
Backlit glass shelves climbed the wall behind the bartenders, rows of bottles glowing in rich, jewel tones—emerald gin, amethyst liqueurs, pale gold tequila—framed by slim brass rails and soft, hidden LEDs.
She’d just bet the cheapest drink here would cost more than a day’s worth of groceries for herself.
It was packed, too. The bar, the dance floor, every candle-lit table and midnight-velvet-upholstered booth—all full. It was a good thing Cole hadn’t been tapped for this particular mission. Something told her the idea of being in a room so people-y would hurt his feral house gremlin soul.
“OK, babe,” Tenley said to Knox through her earpiece while watching him on Ren’s laptop screen. “You definitely have his attention.”
“And everyone else’s,” Cole said, watching over Ren’s shoulder as heads all over the place swiveled in Knox’s direction as he leaned casually against the bar, waiting for his chance to order.
Tenley ignored him. “He ordered a drink called a dirty little secret. Order one for yourself. That’ll give him an easy in to approach you.”
“What’s a dirty little secret?” Hadley asked.
“Top-shelf gin, dry vermouth, and hand-stuffed blue-cheese olives served on a tray with a brine atomizer,” she answered.
“That’s disgusting,” Cole muttered.
Hadley blinked. “Wow. I feel so uncivilized. I usually just order a margarita.”
“Girl, same,” Tenley said.
“He heard the drink order,” Ren said. “He’s now fully locked in.”
“Pretty sure he was fully locked in as soon as he saw Knox’s face,” Hadley said. “Why can’t Knox just approach him first?”
“Men who look like my husband don’t approach anyone first. Reuben would instantly be suspicious if he did.”
Hadley sighed. “No wonder I failed so miserably at dating. I don’t know anything!”
“Showtime,” Ren said.
All eyes flicked to Ren’s laptop screen again just in time to see Reuben sidle up to Knox. “Couldn’t help but notice your exquisite taste in cocktails,” he said, tipping his glass in Knox’s direction.
Knox casually glanced at Reuben’s drink and chuckled. The warm, rumbly sound had a visible impact on Reuben, whose cheeks pinked up considerably. Knox lifted his own glass and clinked it against Reuben’s. “Cheers.”
“I haven’t seen you here before,” Reuben said.
Knox tipped his head to one side. “Maybe I’m here all the time and you just haven’t noticed.”
Reuben barked out a sharp laugh. “Oh, I would’ve noticed. Believe me.”
“Subtlety,” Knox said with an appreciative nod. “I like it.”
His answering smile bordered on smug. “I don’t believe in beating around the bush.
When I see something I want, I don’t hesitate.
Besides, you don’t strike me as a man who enjoys playing games.
You look more like the,” he paused, eyes trailing over Knox’s body and lingering way too long on his chest, “action type.”
“Wow, he’s really going for it,” Hadley murmured.
“Don’t match his level of aggression, babe,” Tenley said. “We’re not working for a quick hookup. We need his phone, and he’d never give that out to a bathroom hookup .”
Knox angled his body in Reuben’s direction. “I didn’t come here looking for action. I heard the view was nice.” He returned the slow once-over Reuben had given him.
Reuben’s sucked in a deep breath and asked, “And do you like what you see so far?”
“I hate men who angle for compliments,” Tenley said. “Don’t give him one.”
“I’m reserving judgement until you at least introduce yourself,” Knox said.
He stuck his hand out. “I’m Reuben.”
“Shake his hand, firm but not crushing, and hold it a second or two longer than you normally would,” Tenley told him. “Brush your thumb over his knuckles.”
Knox did as he was told. “James,” he said, giving the fake name Ren had provided.
“James,” Reuben repeated. “Let me guess…you’re a…contractor?”
Knox gave him a wry half-smile. “Carpenter. Callouses gave me away, huh?”
“Good call making ‘James’ a carpenter,” Ren told Tenley.
Tenley shrugged. “Men who work with their hands are hot. And ‘James’ being blue collar will make Reuben trust him a little easier. The pretentious ones never think the blue-collar guy or gal will outsmart them.”
“Definitely,” Reuben said. “But also the boots. You don’t look like a man who’s afraid to get dirty.”
“Ew,” Hadley whispered. “He’s trying so hard that I have secondhand embarrassment now.”
“Don’t react to that, Knox,” Tenley said sharply. “You are not a ho. You’re laid-back. Unbothered. Mildly amused at best.”
“I suppose I’ll take that as a compliment,” Knox said. “And what about you, Reuben? What do you do?”
“Lawyer,” Reuben lied with practiced ease.
Hadley glanced at Cole. He said, “It’s always easier to lie. Telling a stranger you work for the CIA always takes the conversation to a weird place.”
Made sense. It still made her a little sad. Not for Reuben because fuck that cheating dog-returner. But for Cole. Not being able to even share the tiniest detail about your job with anyone would really suck. Making up lies to keep conversations light sounded…lonely.
Knox nodded, rubbing a hand over his stubbled jaw. “That was going to be my guess. You have a certain…expensive but corrupt look about you.”
Reuben sputtered out a shocked laugh. “Touché.”
Tenley sighed. “I’m getting bored. Let’s move this thing along by creating a sense of urgency. Knox, tell him you have to leave.”
Ever the good soldier, Knox stood up and grabbed a wad of bills from his wallet. “For my drink and his,” he told the bartender before turning back to Reuben. “Well, Reuben, I’ve enjoyed our talk, but I have a very early morning tomorrow. I need to head out.”
Reuben looked flustered in that way mediocre white men all over the world had the monopoly on.
It was a look that said he was shocked anyone he deigned to flirt with didn’t immediately submit to his will.
He sputtered for a few seconds before Knox practically growled, “So, be a good boy and hand over your phone so I can type my number in.”
“Jesus,” Hadley muttered. “Does Knox read romance novels? Because that was very dark romance coded.”
Tenley swallowed hard. “I have no idea. But I have every intention of finding out when I get him out of there.”
“That’s never going to work. No employee of the CIA would ever hand his phone over like that just because—”
Cole’s words trailed off as Reuben pulled his phone out and handed it over to Knox with visibly shaking fingers.
“Well, fuck me sideways,” Cole muttered.
Knox typed in “James’s” phone number, then instructed Reuben to call it.
His tone left no room for disobedience, so Reuben immediately did as he was told.
Then he made a show of pulling out his phone to let Reuben know he had indeed given him a good phone number.
“Good boy,” he said again, his voice even lower than before.
“And that’ll do it,” Ren said, voice flat and focused. “We’re in. Tomorrow when Reuben goes into work, I’ll have access to everything I need within the CIA’s network.”
“Get out of there, Loverboy,” Tenley told him. “I’m starting to get jealous.”
While Reuben stood there, speechless and gaping, Knox gave his hand one last squeeze before he disappeared into the press of bodies and neon.
When Knox climbed back into the surveillance van, Tenley grabbed him by the front of his T-shirt and gave him a deep, open-mouthed kiss. “You were amazing.”
He grinned at her. “I learned from the best. Oh, and I got something for you.”
And with that, he handed her what looked like an expensive watch. She gasped. “Is that…”
“Yep. Reuben’s watch. You’re welcome.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “Oh, baby, that’s so fucking sweet!”
Hadley watched them kiss again and celebrate simultaneously robbing and conning a man, while Damnit George leaned heavily into her side and Ren muttered something about PDA in his van.
She glanced over at Cole. “Is it just me, or does all of this seem way less weird than it would’ve a few days ago? ”
He frowned. “Yeah. That’s…disconcerting.”
This is what I’m saying.