The Professional Alibi

Chapter 27: Introductions

Cosmo grabs my hand, presses his lips to my knuckles, then pulls me off the sawdust dancefloor. Butterflies erupt in my stomach at the gesture. Is this guy for real? Does he treat his real girlfriends like this? Or is this all for the sake of whoever might be watching us?

We stop in front of a table where the two guys I saw at the coffee shop sit facing the dance floor. Smoke billows from the mouth of the guy who looks like he's channeling Jason Momoa. I try not to cough and gag at the scent that reminds me of rotten skunks. He's holding a massive joint and sharing it with a blonde chick sitting next to him. She's wearing a super short red dress and matching nails filed to the shape of claws. The other guy, the one with the brown dreads pulled into a ponytail at his neck, seems to be nursing a red cup and watching the festivities around him with a bored expression. This guy appears wiry, with sharp, assessing eyes that continually scan the people in front of him.

Cosmo sits in an empty metal chair facing the guy with the cup and offers me the empty seat next to him. I smile at the group, trying to act relaxed, but my stomach is clenched so tight I'm waiting for a Charlie horse to materialize. What have these guys done to warrant Cosmo going undercover? Are these his targets? Is he trying to get in with someone else?

Cosmo leans back and drapes his arm over my shoulder. "Guys, this is Evie. Evie, these are Drake and Eddie." He nods to his friends.

Drake, the smaller guy with dreads, nods. "So you're Cosmo's new girlfriend, huh?"

"Well we haven't made it official or anything," Cosmo says, crossing his ankle over his knee. Cosmo glances at me and flashes another easy smile. "But yeah. You could we've connected."

"Do you want something to drink?" Drake motions to the other guy, Eddie. "Go get 'em some drinks."

Cosmo shakes his head. "Don't worry about it. I just came to get the bag and leave."

"You sure?" Drake smirks as he gives me a slow perusal that makes me feel like a piece of meat. I'd be happy to get some drinks and stuff. We can make a night of it." He leans over the table and offers me his joint. "You want a drag?"

I smile and shake my head. "No thanks."

Drake's brows shoot up. "You sure? I rolled it myself. It's good stuff."

"Nah. I'm good," I say again. My stomach roils at the scent and the way everything around him seems to be shrouded in smoke.

"Don't you smoke?" Drake presses. His dark brows dip into a frown.

I shake my head. "My brother was an addict. It nearly killed my mother. I promised her I'd never start."

Cosmo's brows shoot up. Eddie frowns. Drake tilts his head as if he's studying an alien object. Did I say the wrong thing? My gaze darts to Cosmo, who is silently assessing his buddies.

The girl next to Drake breaks out into laughter, drawing everyone's attention. "Looks like she's the designated driver from now on, right Drake?"

A slow smile spreads over Drake's sun-kissed face. He takes another long drag of his weed, and holds his breath. Smoke billows out of his mouth as he says with a grin, "Absolutely."

Cosmo sighs, as if put out. "Maybe I should take Evie home. I don't want her crimping your night." He glances at Eddie. "Do you have that bag?"

Eddie grabs a backpack off the ground and tosses it to Cosmo. "Here you go. You know where to take it."

Cosmo nods, grabs the bag, and stands, hefting it over his shoulder before turning to me. "You ready?"

"Sure." I nod to the three in front of me and stand. "Nice meeting you."

Drake and his girl already have their foreheads together, ignoring the rest of the world. Eddie lifts his chin and meets my gaze. "See you around, Evie."

Something in the way Eddie says my name slides over me like an oil slick. I fight the urge to shudder and force a smile before allowing Cosmo to pull me away from the group and back into the crowd.

He tugs me closer until he has his arm wrapped around my waist, and our sides are fused together. He kisses my cheek and murmurs in my ear. "You okay?"

I glance up at him, startled. "Was it that obvious?"

"No." He tilts his head and gazes down at me as if considering. "I think they were too buzzed to notice much. And the first few times someone goes undercover are usually stressful. I'd be worried if you weren't anxious."

He nods to the guy at the front of the building when we exit. As soon as we're through the doors, the sound level from the party drops drastically, as does the temperature. Our footsteps crunch with each step into the flattened meadow parking lot. I take the first deep breath since I entered the barn, filling my lungs with crisp, clean air.

"Better?" Cosmo asks, glancing down at me.

"Much. I didn't realize I'd be that geared up over something so simple."

"You'll get used to it." He smiles down at me and reaches over, nudging a lock of my hair out of my eyes and behind my ear. "You're still wet behind those pretty little ears of yours."

"Gee thanks," I say, rolling my eyes.

When we get to the car, he opens the back door and drops the backpack on the floor. I eye the bag, wondering what's inside. Drugs? Money? A severed head?

When he shuts the back door, I snap my head up and notice he's watching me. My cheeks burn from being caught, and I look away. "Sorry."

"It's best you don't fixate on what I'm doing," he says, opening my door for me, and depositing me into the passenger seat. "The less you know, the better."

When he closes his door, I watch him circle the front of the car. Unlike Eddie's wiry build and cagey personality, Cosmo exudes strength and easy confidence like he doesn't have a care in the world.

My stomach churns and I bite my lip. What do I look like from the outside looking in?

When he starts the car and turns on the lights, he shifts the car into gear and grins. "We have the whole rest of the night to ourselves. What do you want to do?"