Page 13 of Override

“We recovered a kidnapped child,” Matt says.

“And stole a van,” Bullet adds.

“Temporarily borrowed,” Wheels corrects.

I don’t look up from the laptop beside my plate. “You also hit a parking meter.”

“It survived.” Wheels huffs.

“That feels like a low standard.” Bullet murmurs.

Sloane snorts softly into her wine. “I leave town for two weeks and somehow you people are still exactly the same.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Wheels says.

“I say it like I’m shocked none of you have accidentally ended up on a government watchlist.”

There’s a brief pause around the table. Then Matt slowly looks at me. I look back at him. Nobody says anything.

Sloane narrows her eyes. “Why did everyone just go quiet?”

Rachel reaches for her wine. “Don’t worry about it.”

I hide my smile behind my beer bottle.

Across the table, Wheels leans back in his chair, studying me for a second too long. “You know what’s weird though?”

“That you’re still talking?” Bullet offers.

“Shut up. I’m serious.” Wheels points toward me. “This is the first week in months he hasn’t slept at Grayline every night. Only last night.”

The room quiets just enough to annoy me.

I keep my attention on the laptop screen. “The office couch understands me.”

“The office couch smells like beef jerky and depression,” Sloane says.

“It’s accurate,” Bullet mutters.

Rachel’s eyes flick toward me then. Quick. Observant.

A few months ago she would’ve immediately started in on me for overworking, sleeping at the office, isolating myself again. Instead she just watches me for a beat, something thoughtful moving behind her expression before she calmly points her fork toward Wheels.

“Leave him alone.” She says.

Wheels blinks. “I wasn’t attacking him.”

“You were about thirty seconds away from a lecture.” Rachel tells him.

“That feels dramatic.” Wheels clutches his chest.

“You’re dramatic.” Matt hides a grin behind his beer.

I glance at Rachel again, narrowing my eyes slightly. And for one strange second it feels like she knows something I don’t.

Then she just shrugs lightly and goes back to eating.

Weird.