"Sure. Can I be on your team?"
"Absolutely. Lane 17 in half an hour. Bring coffee."
Charlie shoved his hands into the deep pockets of the baggy, hooded shirt he wore over dusty jeans and left Adrian alone in the dim hallway outside the main office.
The leader watched him go, almost certain the child had wanted to scream at him. That Kenn wasn't his dad, maybe? Adrian yawned and stepped into the cool darkness. It was yet another sign something wasn't right with his newest man, and it didn't occur to him until later to replay their conversation and listen to the way the boy seemed to read his mind.
Adrian moved inside the stale darkness of the office, but before he could flip on the light, a voice with a fake, southern drawl mocked him, "Avoidin' people is bad for ya image."
Adrian turned quickly, an annoyed scowl on his face, and Tonya took a step back at his glare of distaste. "Not if they're bad news."
The sexily-dressed redhead gave him a knowing smile. "Wasn't what ya were sayin' when ya were between my legs."
His body was tempted, the office pitch black, but his eyes were emotionless, and he returned her mocking tone. "Musta dreamed it. Never happened."
Tonya gave him a sexy grin, but her green eyes were unsure. "We're alone. Ya can't deny it ta' me."
Adrian gave her a tight smile and sneered confidently, "Yes, I can. Prove it."
He gave the door a gentle shove with his boot and couldn't resist a parting blow, voice full of contempt. "Find someone else to spread those legs for. I'm busy."
"Maybe I will," Tonya muttered, accent dying as she moved back to her sleeping bag near the basement door, "And maybe you'll be surprised by who."
Adrian was more worried about the fiery redhead, than he'd let on and was glad no one had heard their short exchange. He knew she was currently looking for a way to pay him back, 'hell hath no fury' and all that, but even more, her kind had been a bitch before the War, and that hadn't changed much. Adrian tensed at the creak of steps outside the barely open door.
"Can I talk to you?"
Adrian flipped on the lights, waved him in. The small room had only a chair and a messy desk, a single filing cabinet in the corner, and a layer of dust on the floor that they were leaving tracks in. Good thing he hadn't taken Tonya up on her offer. Those heeled black boots she wore left unmistakable prints and his Eagles were getting sharper. "What's on your mind?"