island, a pastry bag in front of him.
“You still brought me my donuts.” She grinned and squeezed his arm as she reached his side.
“Of course.”
She reached for the bag and opened it, sniffing the deliciousness that awaited her.
“I figured it might keep you from killing Cole. Your morning sugar fix is as important as the sun to you.”
She smiled, reached inside, grabbed a donut and took a big bite while ignoring the other men watching her.
Cole handed her a cup of coffee, and she moved to the table and sat down, eyeing the other people. “You must be the reinforcements.”
The two other military-looking men watched her. The shortest of the two had a playful smile; the other guy had a face hard as steel.
“And you must be the reason we’re here,” Smiley said.
She lifted her donut in the air. “I think you have me confused with the knife-wielding pyro.”
Smiley turned to Cole. “I like her.”
Stone Face didn’t say a word, and it was at that moment that she made it her mission to get the man to lighten up.
Cole moved to stand behind her and placed his palm on her shoulder. Was this the military way of marking your territory? “Alexis, this is Peters.” Cole pointed to Smiley. “And this is Stone.” He pointed to Stone Face.
“Smiley and Stone Face.” She pointed between the two. “I bet those were your nicknames growing up. Right?” she asked with a conspiratorial wink.
Smiley let out a full belly laugh, and Stone just stared at her as if she was talking gibberish.
“Well, at least someone thinks I’m funny.” She got up from the table, walked to Stone, and held out her donut bag. “I think you need this more than I do.”
“I don’t eat sugar.” Stone uttered his first words since she’d walked in.
Alexis plastered the bag to his chest and released it, making him either catch it or let it drop to the floor. He caught it. “Maybe it’s time you do.”
She moved back to her seat and took a sip of her coffee. “Sugar makes me happy. I bet it will work for you too.”
Smiley took the bag from Stone, pulled out the other donut, and took a bite. “Oh my God.”
“I know, right?” She lifted her brows in quick succession. “I swear the baker puts something in these,” she said, glancing at the remaining part of her donut. “It’s like sex for your mouth.”
“And on that note, I think it’s time for me to go.” Gabe slid off the chair.
Alexis rose from her seat. “I need you to do me a favor.”
“Name it.” Gabe smiled at her.
“I need you to take the disc of Crompton and give it to Reed. Tell him I need him to do his thing and give me a location on this pryo.”
Cole’s brows dipped as he listened to the exchange. “Peters and Stone will find him.”
Alexis patted his chest. “Not as quickly as Reed.” She lifted on her toes and kissed his cheek before walking out of the room to get the disc.
She returned moments later and handed the disc to her brother. “I need all the intel. Ping his phone’s GPS. I want locations in real time. Check his bank accounts and credit cards. I want to know every person he’s ever slept with. I want to know every sordid detail about his life, including his family dynamic and where he’s been for the last five years. Everything he can dig up. I need his whole life history. Capiche ? I want it all, and I need it no later than tomorrow, because I have a baby shower to go to, and if this guy is the reason I can’t see my family, then I’ll kill him myself…twice.”
Stone’s mouth parted, and Smiley laughed again.
“Honey, I know your family is great and all, but most of that information is classified.”
“Baby.” She patted Cole’s chest. “You underestimate how scary I can be.”
“What are you going to do, burn him with your curling iron?” Stone Face asked.
She glanced over her shoulder and grinned. “I was thinking that I’d offer him a donut.” She rolled her eyes and turned back to Cole. “He
“You still brought me my donuts.” She grinned and squeezed his arm as she reached his side.
“Of course.”
She reached for the bag and opened it, sniffing the deliciousness that awaited her.
“I figured it might keep you from killing Cole. Your morning sugar fix is as important as the sun to you.”
She smiled, reached inside, grabbed a donut and took a big bite while ignoring the other men watching her.
Cole handed her a cup of coffee, and she moved to the table and sat down, eyeing the other people. “You must be the reinforcements.”
The two other military-looking men watched her. The shortest of the two had a playful smile; the other guy had a face hard as steel.
“And you must be the reason we’re here,” Smiley said.
She lifted her donut in the air. “I think you have me confused with the knife-wielding pyro.”
Smiley turned to Cole. “I like her.”
Stone Face didn’t say a word, and it was at that moment that she made it her mission to get the man to lighten up.
Cole moved to stand behind her and placed his palm on her shoulder. Was this the military way of marking your territory? “Alexis, this is Peters.” Cole pointed to Smiley. “And this is Stone.” He pointed to Stone Face.
“Smiley and Stone Face.” She pointed between the two. “I bet those were your nicknames growing up. Right?” she asked with a conspiratorial wink.
Smiley let out a full belly laugh, and Stone just stared at her as if she was talking gibberish.
“Well, at least someone thinks I’m funny.” She got up from the table, walked to Stone, and held out her donut bag. “I think you need this more than I do.”
“I don’t eat sugar.” Stone uttered his first words since she’d walked in.
Alexis plastered the bag to his chest and released it, making him either catch it or let it drop to the floor. He caught it. “Maybe it’s time you do.”
She moved back to her seat and took a sip of her coffee. “Sugar makes me happy. I bet it will work for you too.”
Smiley took the bag from Stone, pulled out the other donut, and took a bite. “Oh my God.”
“I know, right?” She lifted her brows in quick succession. “I swear the baker puts something in these,” she said, glancing at the remaining part of her donut. “It’s like sex for your mouth.”
“And on that note, I think it’s time for me to go.” Gabe slid off the chair.
Alexis rose from her seat. “I need you to do me a favor.”
“Name it.” Gabe smiled at her.
“I need you to take the disc of Crompton and give it to Reed. Tell him I need him to do his thing and give me a location on this pryo.”
Cole’s brows dipped as he listened to the exchange. “Peters and Stone will find him.”
Alexis patted his chest. “Not as quickly as Reed.” She lifted on her toes and kissed his cheek before walking out of the room to get the disc.
She returned moments later and handed the disc to her brother. “I need all the intel. Ping his phone’s GPS. I want locations in real time. Check his bank accounts and credit cards. I want to know every person he’s ever slept with. I want to know every sordid detail about his life, including his family dynamic and where he’s been for the last five years. Everything he can dig up. I need his whole life history. Capiche ? I want it all, and I need it no later than tomorrow, because I have a baby shower to go to, and if this guy is the reason I can’t see my family, then I’ll kill him myself…twice.”
Stone’s mouth parted, and Smiley laughed again.
“Honey, I know your family is great and all, but most of that information is classified.”
“Baby.” She patted Cole’s chest. “You underestimate how scary I can be.”
“What are you going to do, burn him with your curling iron?” Stone Face asked.
She glanced over her shoulder and grinned. “I was thinking that I’d offer him a donut.” She rolled her eyes and turned back to Cole. “He
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