“What are you thinking?” I whispered.
“Hm?” His face pivoted to me, but his eyes remained blank.
“Are you . . . scared?” I asked.
That cleared his eyes. “Of the mission? No. I’m glad to do it.”
Back to wall staring. He cracked his thumb knuckles, and I took his warm hand.
“Are you upset about my dad putting Kope in charge? Because I don’t think it’s anything personal. Kope knows Arabic—”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?” I squeezed his hand, worried that I was being too pushy.
“It’s nothing.” He finally turned to me and met my eyes, reaching up to stroke my cheek with his thumb. “Everything will be fine,” he promised.
I wrapped my arms around him, and he pulled me onto his lap, where we embraced, breathing each other in until a car door shut outside. Kaidan patted my bottom, making a little mmm sound, and I stood.
I opened the door, expecting to see Kope, but instead there was a tiny lady all gothed out with a spiky black pixie cut at her car, struggling to carry hangers of clothes over one shoulder and a ginormous coffee in the other hand. The nub of a cigarette burned between her lips. I rushed out and down the stairs to help, but she shook her head and nodded to the car.
“Get my kit from the front seat.” She spoke around the cigarette, her voice scratchy.
I found a plastic box with drawers in the passenger seat, and brought it up. Kaidan raised an eyebrow at me when I entered, looking uncertain about it all. He stood watching with his hands in the pockets of his low-slung camo shorts. The makeup artist stopped for a brief coughing fit and a chug of coffee.
Another car door closed outside and Kaidan stiffened as I moved toward the door. If it weren’t for Zania, I’d have done everything in my power to avoid this meeting of the three of us, which was bound to be uncomfortable at best. As I pulled open the door, guilt rushed forward at the sight of Kopano’s smooth face. I wanted to warn him that Kai knew what had happened, but I couldn’t. I gave him a small smile, and he nodded in return. Neither of us tried to hug when he came in, and I closed the door behind him as he set down his small duffel bag.
Kope and Kai stood there in a stare down and I froze. Kai was hardened, lips pursed. Kope appeared calm, but I could sense the wheels turning in his mind.
“I suspected you were not being forthcoming when I called you from Australia,” Kopano gently accused.
“Well, that certainly didn’t stop you,” Kai replied.
Kope’s calm expression turned to a frown. “Do not play victim when you are partly to blame.”
Kai’s hands were in fists. He stepped closer, and so did I. This was worse than I’d expected.
“Brother,” Kope began, a mild warning in his voice, but Kai cut him off.
“What, your life wasn’t perfect enough? College? Not having to work? You needed just a little something more?”
Kope’s badge expanded. He closed his eyes and shook his head. His fists balled for a second, as if he were trying to maintain control when confronted with another man’s wrath.
Kaidan’s feelings of betrayal ran deep, and the situation scared me. These two needed to get along for this mission to be successful.
The makeup artist finished her coffee and let out a sigh, breaking the silence with her jagged voice. “Save your lines for the set, boys. I don’t usually work this early on the weekends and I’m not in the mood.”
When they didn’t move or break their stare down I spoke up. “Seriously. That’s enough. We don’t have time for this. Come on.” I was shaking when I grabbed Kaidan’s arm and pointed to the chair. With one last slanted glare at Kope, he obeyed. I sat on the couch and crossed my arms and legs, tense. Kope stood against the wall. I didn’t look at him, but I knew he was trying to calm himself.
Crap, this was bad.
The makeup artist got straight to work, pointing Kope toward the bedroom. She was efficient, having one guy dress while she worked on the other. I sat on the couch and watched in amazement. When she’d applied a full beard to Kaidan, he caught my eye and sent me a half grin. I shook my head in wonder. He already looked like a stranger. The transformation was sort of freaky.
Both guys were given traditional loose outfits of long white cotton shirts and drawstring pants. They each wore white scarves over their hair and foreheads with black bands around the crown of their heads. To top off their disguises, both of them had to wear brown contact lenses. Their light-colored eyes would stand out too much. By the end, only their hands, faces, and feet showed.
“Wow,” I breathed as they stood before me. I turned to the woman. “You did an amazing job.”
She shrugged. “This was an easy one. Here’s the extra outfits your producer requested. Break a leg, boys.”
Making quick work of the cleanup, she left us. The moment the door closed behind her, palpable waves of discomfort tainted the air.
When Kaidan went in his room to get his packed bag, I gave Kope a small smile over my shoulder, hoping he wasn’t too hurt or upset. His responding expression was one of resigned understanding. I handed him his pile of extra clothes and he put them in his bag. I turned quickly when I heard Kaidan coming back in. Kai glared back and forth between the two of us for a second. I had to swallow, because he looked so unlike himself. Both of them did. Jealous. Paranoid. Bearded. It was unnerving.
Kaidan took his pile of clothing and shoved it into his duffel bag. I checked the clock: 8:30.