Wild Dirty Secret(79)

I only hoped that carried through to the mission, as the boys were fond of calling it.

There was a basket of snacks and candy on top of the counter, a sort of high-trust minibar. Luke hadn’t eaten since we were at the cottage. He needed to keep up his strength if we were going over tonight. I prepared a tray of sodas and arranged snacks and carried it to the coffee table, as if this were fucking game night and I was the little lady.

Luke and Major had their heads bent together over a laptop, murmuring quietly, but Jeff immediately reached for a cola with a quiet thanks.

“Is there anything noncaffeinated?” Rico asked.

Jeff flipped the top of his can. “Seriously?”

“Unlike some people, I don’t need artificial additives to stay awake. Not when that adrenaline rush hits.”

“I think there’s grapefruit juice,” I offered.

Rico made a face.

“I’ll look for something else.” I returned to the minifridge. “Sorry, but if it doesn’t have caffeine, it’s got alcohol. I’m guessing that counts as an artificial additive.”

Rico trailed me to the counter, poking at the remaining items in the basket. “Ooh, think these are any good? Gourmet Dipping Pretzels.”

Straightening, I shook my head. “They go stale fast, but hotels only replace them if someone eats them. Here, stick with a classic.” I handed him a Snickers bar. “High turnover rates and low cost-to-fullness ratio.”

“Will do.”

He reached for a glass on the counter and turned on the faucet. He must have caught something in my expression, because he paused.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

He looked from his half-full cup of tap water to me. “Now you have to tell me.”

I scrunched my nose. “Don’t cheap out with the water. You don’t want to know about those cups.”

He immediately set it on the counter but peered into it. “It looks clean.”

“I have it on good authority that the rinse-and-wipe is often employed. And you do not want to know what liquids end up in there sometimes.”

“What are you, some sort of hotel connoisseur?” he joked. His face fell as he realized what he’d just said. “I didn’t mean—”

“No, it’s okay,” I said with a small smile. “That’s a new euphemism. I like it.”

He seemed relieved. “I mean, it’s not as if I’m in a position to judge.”

“You wouldn’t be the first.” I handed him a bottle of water from the fridge. “Paying a hooker doesn’t have quite the same stigma as being one.”

“What did Luke tell you about me exactly?”

I laughed, popping the top of my cola. “Not much. Just that you were helping him out with this. He didn’t tell me about your hooker-buying habits, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m just stereotyping.” The gang symbols, the old track marks on his arms, not that I had to spell it out. “Why, you telling me you’ve never been with one?”

He was thoughtful for a minute. “No. I’m afraid I fit the profile in that particular regard.” Then, “You aren’t afraid to speak your mind.”

My lips curved. “Is that an insult or a compliment?”

“I prefer honesty to lies. Though I may not always like what you say.” Glancing back toward the men, his expression turned speculative. “So how long have you and Luke been…you know.”

I blinked. “Working together?”

“Doing the nasty.”

“Oh. Umm…”

It was his turn to laugh. “All right, straight talker. I guess that answers my question.”

When he smiled, I realized how handsome he was. More than that, almost pretty. He had thick black lashes and a sensual mouth most girls would kill for. It was all covered up in the gang wear and a layer of grunge, making his skin oily and darkened. I frowned. Or was it just that black gunk Luke had used as a disguise? And if so, why would Rico dress up as a gang member? Maybe it was some sort of undercover operation, although I couldn’t imagine how it would work. Surely the gang members themselves wouldn’t be fooled by a disguise—they would know who was in and who was out. Still, he suddenly seemed too proper underneath all that mess, his teeth too white and his speech too cultured.

“Are you a cop?” I asked.

He stared at me for a second before laughing so loud the other guys looked over. He whooped for a minute before catching his breath. “She thinks I’m a cop.”

Jeff turned to me, gesturing at Rico. “This clown?”

I shrugged sheepishly. “It was just a thought.”

“Come on, guys,” Luke said. “Back to work.”