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“Chicken coop,” Hook said helpfully.
“Full tactical tumble,” Vice said. “Into a wooden crate of demon poultry. Gun up, feathers everywhere, trying to radio through a goddamnsquawk-pocalypse.”
Hook choked on his coffee. “He got pecked.”
“I got pecked,” Vice confirmed, deadpan.
Trigger added, “You screamed.”
“Ishouted strategically.”
Grace was breathless, holding back laughter with her hand. “You were tactically compromised bypoultry?”
“I lost a full mag. The rooster never gave it back.”
Hook, completely straight-faced. “Cluck and cover.”
Gracelost it.Full-body laugh. She doubled over in her chair, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.
She barely noticed Nash watching her, until he reached over and touched her knee under the table. Steady. Present.
God, it feltso goodto laugh like this. To belong.
She wiped her eyes. “Okay. Nash. Youhaveto have one.”
He didn’t answer right away. Just gave her a look that saidcareful, firecracker,before leaning in.
“All right,” he said. “So we’re running a training op. Burner’s on overwatch. Everything’s smooth. Someone…” He looked at Hook. “…accidentallybrought a Bluetooth speaker in their kit.”
Grace covered her mouth. “No.”
“Oh yes,” he said. “Somewhere between flashbang and flash-clear, the speaker pairs and starts blasting…” He paused, just long enough. “…‘Call Me Maybe.’ Full volume.”
She wheezed.
“Echoed off the walls like it was part of the mission briefing.”
“Great distraction tactic,” Hook added. “They never saw us coming.”
“Burner didn’t talk to us for a week,” Hitch said without looking up.
Grace’s stomach hurt from laughing. “Please tell me there’s footage.”
“There is,” Nash said. “It’s classified.”
Vice winked. “We might be willing to trade for muffin rights.”
As the server dropped off their drinks, Grace blinked at the four wildly different mugs.
She looked at Vice. “What coffee did you get this time?”
He didn’t miss a beat.
“I could tell you,mi reina...but then I’d have to kill you.”
Nash muttered, “Ya Allah.”
Hook leaned in and stage-whispered, “It’s got cinnamon, cayenne, and oat milk foam shaped like a skull.”