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I bite my tongue to keep from screaming in frustration. This feels a lot like payback for the other night.
“Get some rest,” he tells me, gesturing to one of the two queen-sized beds. “You look like you’ve been through the ringer.”
I rub the back of my neck, my muscles incredibly sore from my impromptu hike. “No time to rest,” I say around a wide yawn. “I need to learn everything there is to know about Van Straus.”
“You’re dead on your feet.”
“Look, you said it yourself. I’m the brains of the operation.Iam the one in charge, which means you officially have to do as I say.”
“Is that so?” he asks. I’m so tired I can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic or not, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to tell him that.
“We need to establish a couple of ground rules now that we’re forming a crew.”
“Can it really be a crew if we’re only two people?”
“First rule,” I say, trying to keep my momentum going. “We’ll need code names.”
“Oh, dear God. I thought you wanted to take this seriously.”
“Iamtaking this seriously. It’s imperative that our identities remain a secret. If the police or whoever sent those dickheads after me finds out about you, it could lead them straight back to your daughter.”
Gabriel takes a deep breath. “You have a point.”
“So, what will it be?”
“You expect me to choose?”
“Either that, or I’ll pick for you.” I sit on the edge of the bed and lie down only to immediately regret my decision. The sheets are so soft, and the mattress is so comfy there’s a good chance I’ll pass out right here, right now. “How about Grumpy?” I suggest playfully, though I’m struggling to keep my eyes open.
Gabriel crosses his arms with a huff. “Absolutely not.”
“The Frenchman?” I try again.
“A little on the nose, don’t you think?”
“You’re not exactly putting up any suggestions.”
With a heavy sigh, Gabriel walks over to the second bed and sits down on the edge. I crane my neck a little to look at him. He seems… grim. Beat up and worn down. I feel like something is off, but it’s probably my sleep-deprived imagination.
“Foxtrot,” he says after a moment.
“What?”
“Foxtrot. That was my codename way back when.”
I prop myself up on my elbows, unable to fight my smile. “Really? That’s so—”
“Debonair?”
“—boring.”
Gabriel snorts. “It’s a classic.”
“Exactly. Classic isboring.”
“That’s my codename. Take it or leave it.”
I laugh, lying back down on the bed. “You’re no fun. Are you going to be a stick in the mud the entire time?”
