Accessory: The Scarab Beetle Series: #4 (The Academy) by C. L. Stone Page A

you, tonight was our last shot. At least before the ship went out to sea for a few days.”
    “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover,” Blake said. “I need to catch you up.”
    That was probably true, but I also needed to clear this with the guys. It was generous of me, since they hadn’t given me the luxury of knowing what was going on until now. I was still pretty ticked about that.
    Avery stepped toward the open hallway that lead to the rest of the third floor and the wide marble staircase. The silky shirt shifted on his shoulders, revealing a small glimpse of the tattoo across his chest. In the finer clothes, he looked good. Real good. I was surprised at how well being dressed up could change him. He looked all grown up. He motioned to Blake. “You should talk to her now. I’ll go meet up with the guys.” He looked at Ethan. “Could you go...anywhere else for right now? Maybe it’s best when I bring them up that she talks to them first.”
    “I’ll hide out until you give me the okay,” Ethan said, heading toward the hallway and following Avery.
    “Shouldn’t take long,” Avery said to us. He did a short wave and then walked with Ethan toward the wide staircase, heading down.
    I blew out a slow breath. I stepped away from the settee and over to the bar, looking at all the glasses and dark liquids in bottles and the bowl of ice, dazzled by how it sparkled under the light. I wasn’t really sure how I would convince the boys to agree to this. The money? Would that be enough to bribe them? Corey had tried to tell me they didn’t get much money from the Academy for their jobs, and this...this was much better.
    I turned slowly toward Blake. I needed more details if I was going to convince the guys to stay. “So what’s the plan?”
    Blake flashed a smile. He walked slowly toward me, his bare feet padding along the carpet. How at home did he feel on the ship? And why was he always barefoot? He and Avery seemed to be at very comfortable here. “Maybe you and I can talk about it over a late dinner?”
    “I don’t think we’ve got that much time,” I said.
    “It’s a big ship,” he said. “Avery could drag them around for hours.”
    “And tick them off before we even get started?”
    Blake pressed his lips together. He turned toward the bar, and walked around it. He plucked two short glasses from the neat rows of barware and placed them in front of him. He dropped ice into both and then searched the bottles along the far wall. The display was backlit with white lights through frosted glass, giving everything a glow. “Are you a gin or a rum girl?” he asked.
    “Neither,” I said.
    “Whiskey?”
    “Nope.”
    He turned his attention back to me, the gold flecks sparkling with amusement. “Strawberry daiquiri?”
    “I don’t really drink.”
    “You could do with a little liquid courage right now.” He selected an Irish whiskey and poured a bit into one of the glasses. He selected something else, a label I couldn’t read, and poured it into the second. “Try this.”
    “I’m not interested.”
    He held the glass out to me, the liquid inside swirling, a delicate pink color. “Entertain me.”
    “That’s not what I’m here for,” I said, but took the glass from him. Maybe if I held it, he’d shut up about it. “Just tell me what I need to know.”
    He motioned to the deeper part of the lounge, to another small sofa that faced a fireplace that, at the moment, was lit to a few glowing embers. No smoke. Was it fake? “Sit. Please.”
    I sat on the sofa, at the far edge corner. “Start talking, please ,” I said.
    Blake sat beside me, close enough that he placed a gentle hand on my knee, warming me through the jeans. I pressed my lips together, and stared at the arm of the seat. I didn’t want him to guess at that I actually did like him.
    When he spoke, I looked up at him. “We’ve got five days on board ahead of us where there will be businessmen and women as well as these crooks