“Yeah, heard you went on a date with a hottie.”
Vex barks out a laugh, clearly enjoying the dig.
I let out a sigh and sit at the table.“Her name is Hannah, and it wasn’t a date.”
Vex, never one to pass up an opportunity to tease, looks surprised.“It wasn’t?”
I shake my head, my fingers tapping the edge of the table as I try to keep the conversation from going any further.“She wanted to buy me dinner for towing her home.”
Vex grins wider, clearly thinking he’s got the upper hand.“I thought that’s what the cookies were for,” he says, his tone dripping with sarcasm.“Andyoupaid for dinner.”
I roll my eyes, but Scout is already leaning in, grinning from ear to ear.“So, itwasa date,” he teases.
I groan, rubbing my face.“Let me put it this way.I don’t want to talk about it.”Vex opens his mouth to continue, but I hold up a finger, giving him a pointed warning look.“And because you two don’t appear to be doing anything, you can look after the shipment coming in tonight.”
Scout raises an eyebrow.“Weapons?”
“Yeah,” I confirm, my gaze hardening.“My shoulder isn’t completely healed, and with the way things are going lately, I need someone at one hundred percent.”
Vex sits across from me and leans back in his chair, his grin turning into something more devilish.“Maybe you should take this time to go visit Hannah?Just to make sure she knows itwasn’ta date.You know, in caseshe’sconfused.”His grin stretches wider, and I can almost hear the unspoken challenge in his voice.
Ignoring him, I look at Scout.“Did your people have any weed?”
“Yeah.They switched to Blue Dream.”
“Any good?”
Scout nods, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.“It’s the perfect balance of euphoria and relaxation.Makes it a good all-round strain for both recreational and medicinal users.”His tone is calm, as if he’s talking about something he’s had a chance to really appreciate.
Marijuana is legal here in Alaska, but there’s still a market for it.Scout’s people, tucked away in the remote wilderness, have greenhouses scattered across their land.They grow all kinds of crops—mostly for food—but, like the rest of us, they need money to survive.They trade, sell what they can, and make do with what they have.It’s a tough life up there, but it’s theirs, and no one ever visits them.They’ve been on that land for generations, a quiet existence far from the eyes of the world.
“When are you bringing it in?”I ask, my tone low and focused.
Scout leans back against the wall.“I’m going back at the end of the week to collect Mira and the crop.”
I look at Vex, my gaze steady.“You’ve got a week to get Kyler up to speed.”
Vex sighs, his frustration clear.“Come on, Blade.I don’t have that kind of time.”
“We’ll have Scout and Mira here.You think Kyler’s gonna be good with that?”I ask, making it clear that it’s a concern.We need him on the same page if we’re going to get through winter without issues.
Vex taps the tabletop, his brow furrowed as he thinks it over.The tension is thick as he considers the weight of my words.
Finally, he looks up at me, sitting taller in his chair as if the thought of it has sharpened his focus.“I’ll get it done.”
I give him a nod, satisfied with the answer.“Good.”
Standing, I make my way toward the exit, heading for my bike parked outside.The cooler air hits me—winter isn’t far away.
Scout follows me out, his footsteps light as always.“Is there anything we should know about tonight?”
“Nah, usual folks, but with the way things are going lately, be on your toes.If you sense anything, if anything feels off, you get Vex and get the hell out.No hesitation.”
“You getting paranoid?”Scout asks, a playful glint in his eyes.
“It comes in threes,” I reply, my tone matter-of-fact as I check the bike one last time.
Scout raises an eyebrow, clearly amused.“I didn’t know you were so superstitious.”
