Page 46 of Hunted

“Put some in your coffee. You need protein.”

“Bully.”

He just grinned.

They grabbed a table in the corner, beating a couple of briefcase business-casual guys to it by way of Gunn giving them his wolfy ‘I might snap any minute and kill you’ look. The guys decided to take their breakfast to go after all.

“You have to stop doing that,” Michelangela murmured as they settled into their seats. “Try to be civilized.”

“My wolf thinks you need protecting.”

She didn’t, but hearing it still made her feel all squishy inside. “That’s adorable.”

Gunn snorted.

They ate in a silence that was oddly comfortable. Michelangela idly watched the cars coming and going in the small parking lot, people running in for their orders, waiting impatiently in line, running out again on their way to work.

Perennially late, perennially grumpy. On the other hand, statistically unlikely to get killed by their coworkers on any given day, unlike her and Gunn. So there was that.

Gunn said, “We need new wheels pretty fast. Now that it’s daylight, they can pick up my truck on traffic cams.”

Michelangela said, “No time like the present.”

“You want to do it here?”

“Why not? All these people coming and going, different cars appearing and disappearing, and you can’t see the parking lot when you’re standing in line.”

Gunn got a half-grin on his face. “You’re crazy.” But he was looking at her the way he had when they worked together before. Waiting to see what the hell she was going to do, and loving it.

“So they’ve always told me.”

A fancy Lexus pulled into the parking lot and a perfectly tailored guy got out. He hurried into the coffee shop to the spot where the mobile orders were lined up, and looked through everything impatiently.

“There should be an order for Trey.”

The barista looked through the tickets lined up behind the counter. “On its way.”

Trey consulted his ostentatious gold watch and snapped, “Your mobile app says ‘no waiting’. I need my order now.”

Gunn wasn’t paying attention; he was still focused on the parking lot. “Do you have anything special picked out?” he asked.

“I believe I do.”

Michelangela put the last sandwich back in the bag and stuffed it into her pocket, then stood up, picking up her coffee cup. Gunn grabbed his and followed. She stopped near the mobile order pickup to pour herself a coffee refill from the pot on the counter.

Trey with the Lexus was yelling, “I want that order now. I’m late for an important meeting.”

The barista gave him a flat look and said, “Then maybe you shouldn’t have stopped for coffee.”

Michelangela bit back a grin and murmured to Gunn, “Tip that guy. Big. He has balls.”

Gunn fished a ten out of his pocket and handed it to the barista. Lexus Trey turned on him and snarled, “What are you tipping this loser for?”

Gunn said, “For calling you out, asshole.”

There was a smattering of applause, and Lexus Trey turned on Gunn. He bumped into Michelangela, who had artfully placed herself in his way, and some of her coffee spilled down his suit.

“Oh, no!” She began brushing it off.