Tastes Like Candy

Thirty-Three

Thirty-Three

Michelle

There was a lot of panic coming through her earpiece.

"Chelle?"

"Michelle? Is that you?"

"How are you on this channel?"

"You little shit." That was Fox.

And then there was Candy, sounding panicked and enough like her father she wasn't sure she could bear to sleep with him for the next week: "What the hell do you think you're doing? When I get hold of you–"

"Just meet me and your waitress out back," she said, and pushed through one of the emergency exit doors into the rear parking lot.

Another clear night awaited them outside, studded with stars, stark and crisp, the dry desert air relentless and cold. Michelle slipped her hand inside her jacket, hand finding the butt of the sleek little Browning she'd nicked from Fox, and turned around to face the agent as the door closed behind them with a loud metallic clang. She pushed her streaming hair out of her eyes. Sized up the woman standing opposite her.

Without her extensive makeup, she looked pale, tired, and wary.

But she was a head taller than Michelle, fit, and packing.

"They'll be out here in a minute," Michelle said, and the agent's hand curled, like she wanted to reach for her gun. "Don't try it."

She swallowed, but stilled.

"Nothing's going to happen to you. Candy's going to offer you a deal, and I suggest you take it."

"A deal?" she sneered, but her voice shook. "I'm not–"

"Not accepting an outlaw's terms?" Michelle guessed. "You wouldn't want to, would you? But it's the smart thing in the long run, for your career, for the ATF. Trust me. Just keep your mouth shut, listen to what they have to say, and do yourself a favor."

Before she could respond, the back door burst open as if thrown and out spilled Candy, Tommy, Fox, Talis, and Jinx.

The agent whirled, hand hitting the butt of her sidearm.

Fox drew with maddening speed, barrel trained on the woman's heart. "Nice try, love."

Candy marched straight up to Michelle. "What–"

"Before you lose your mind," she said, staving him off with a hand. "Take a moment, and think about the opportunity here."

He scowled at her, and it was so fierce, she almost laughed. "You fucking brat. You've been listening the whole time, haven't you?"

She shrugged.

He extended his hand. "Lemme have it."

"Ugh. Fine." She popped out her earpiece and laid it in his palm. "But just so you know, you sound like my father, and I can promise you, that isn't sexy in the least."

His scowl became pained, which was even more hilarious, but he shooed her toward the building. "Go find Jen and freaking stay in there, alright?"

"An order?" she asked.

"A request. From the old man you almost gave a heart attack."

She could live with that.

~*~

Colin

Oh hell. Why had he said that? But there was no taking it back, now, as Jenny's blue eyes flipped wide, and her mouth parted on a gasp.