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Micah shot Dash a sullen look and shut the door to the suite behind him. I slid my questioning gaze over to Dash, but it was the same brown-eyed studmuffin who’d spoken before who indulged my curiosity.
“Granite’s not afraid of anything.” The man lifted his muscular shoulders and let them fall. “Except for the dentist.”
“Shut up, Guzman,” Dash grumbled. “Bozeman’s hangups are none of your business.”
“Oh, come on, boss.” Guzman flashed a smile that would’ve made most ladies swoon. “Everyone knows the scoop around here.”
Formidable Micah was afraid of the dentist? Something to ponder.
I returned my attention to Guzman. Micah had said he’d been my brother’s second in command but had not been able to save Nix. Micah considered this shameful. Compassion for Guzman swelled my chest. I’d tried to save my family and failed, too. I wondered if Guzman felt the same way, if his constant attempts at levity concealed shame or guilt. I wanted to give him a hug and free him of his regrets, but I knew firsthand he had to do that for himself.
“So, you’re the infamous Goofman,” I said, flashing a playful smirk instead. “Kai said you were the call sign name giver around here.”
“K-man mispronounced my last name as usual. It’s not Goofman, it’s Guzman.” The good-looking clown made a show of narrowing his eyes at Kai, who totally ignored him. “First nameJavier. It’s pronounced as if you were laughing, ha-vier.”
“Or Goof, clown in chief,” Kai tossed from his corner, where he sat watching a surfing competition on his cell. “No one loves to goof around more than Goofman.”
“Hey!” Javier protested. “More respect, KK.”
“Respect is earned,” Kai mumbled, keeping his gaze on his screen.
Did I detect a subtle rivalry between these two?
Before I could answer my question, the attendant returned, pushing a food and beverage cart. The aroma of warm food filled the cabin and made my mouth salivate. While Matt worked on my feet, the steward began to distribute utensils rolled up in linen napkins.
“I’ll take a whiskey,” Javier signaled the steward. “Double. Neat.”
“I don’t think so.” Dash’s stern stare fixed on Javier.
He huffed. “How about one of these then?” He opened a drawer in the food cart, pulled out a beer bottle, and wiggled his eyebrows.
“Onebeer for you.” Dash lifted his index finger in the air. “You and I have a talk pending. I’m not gonna skip.”
Javier grimaced. “You’re gonna Alpha Charlie me.”
“Alpha Charlie?” I asked.
“Slang for ass chewing,” Javier clarified. “The boss never skips on that.”
Javier was right about that. Dash did not forget or forgive easily. I wondered why Guzman wasn’t allowed his whiskey. He’d probably had it in excess at times, but hell, after everything that we’d gone through, I was craving some of that as well.
While the cabin attendant plated the food, I pulled out a tray table from the side of my seat, unrolled my setup, and set the napkin on my lap. Sitting in their respective spots, the others did the same, except for Javier. He took it upon himselfto hand out beers to the rest of the team, including Dash. Javier then selected a water bottle for me, and sauntering over, cracked the top open, and made a spectacle of bowing at the waist as he handed it to me. “Goddess.”
“Thanks.” I wanted to get to know these men sooner rather than later, so I decided that now was good. “Is it true you’re a party boy?”
“Is the sun bright?” He shrugged and returned to the sofa where he plopped down between the two other men I hadn’t officially met yet. “Yeah, I like to party.”
“Or perhaps you like to hide the real you behind your partying,” I suggested in my sweeter than syrup tone.
Javier tossed Dash a questioning stare. “Did you have to get us one of them seers?”
“Smart of you to notice.” Dash’s lips curved up. “Nothing gets by Thena. Better get used to that. You, underestimating this woman?” He swung his hand between Javier and me. “It will be highly entertaining… for the rest of us.”
Everyone laughed.
Javier eyed me, his gaze dancing with mischief. “I can handle Goddess.”
“Sure.” I winked at the cocky lout. “And I can handle Goofy, no problem.”
