Page 102 of Dreadful

“No.”

The word lands before Gage's even finished. Every head turns toward Bishop.

Gage blinks at him. “No?”

Bishop plants both palms flat against the table and stares down at the map like he didn’t just announce something to the whole room. “I’ll go with Bellamy.”

“Why?” I ask.

Gage says at the same time, “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Bishop lifts his head and pins me with a look over the table. “Because you’re supposed to be doing surveillance, and the two of you have the collective impulse control of a fucking toddler.”

My mouth drops open. “Excuse me?”

“Tell me I’m wrong,” he counters.

“You’re wrong,” I snap, the back of my neck feeling hot. It comes out before I can stop it, and his mouth flattens.

Gage laughs, short and sharp. “Bell and I happen to be excellent at recon together.”

Bishop pushes back from the table and folds his arms. He shifts his weight once, then again, restless, so the pose doesn’t land the way it’s supposed to.

“If you want my help on this job, these are my terms.”

“Your terms?” My voice comes out high, half-laugh.

Bishop tilts his chin up. “I’m not willing to blow a five-million-dollar opportunity because you can’t keep your dick in your pants around your girl.”

Lola chokes out a laugh.

I stare at him. Nothing comes out of my mouth—not one word.

Gage looks back and forth between us, one corner of his mouth tugging up even as he shakes his head.

I turn toward Lola, and she’s already watching me.

She lifts one eyebrow in a deliberate arch. What the fuck?

I roll my eyes. You know Bishop.

Her lips twitch.

“Knock that shit off,” Bishop snaps.

I look back at him. “What?”

“That.” He jabs a finger between Lola and me. “The weird silent shit where you talk to each other.”

Lola and I roll our eyes in perfect unison.

Gage laughs out loud, and Rafe presses his lips together like he’s fighting it. The air in the garage loosens its grip enough that I can take a full breath again.

I wave a hand through it like I’m swatting a fly. “Fine. If you want to come picnic with me so badly, you can.”

Bishop’s brow furrows. “Picnic?”

Now it’s my turn to smile. “Yeah. I’m going to be setting up surveillance next to a fucking military base. You honestly think I’m going to walk up to the fence with binoculars?”