A/N: I know I keep saying it, but thank you everyone who likes/reads/reviews this! I really am grateful! This is a bit of an odd chapter IMO, and I kind of feel it's gone a little OOC, for which I apologise. But other than that just read, review but most of all, enjoy! :)
"You really shouldn't wear that," Smithy warned Stevie, who was walking a couple of yards in front of him, donning a pair of low slung jeans and a glitzy top, with the tiniest straps and cut out at the back.
"And why's that?" Stevie's reply was heavily tinged with accusations of jealousy on Smithy's behalf, though he could hear the smirk in her voice.
"You'll attract attention that you don't want," Smithy informed Stevie, as if she'd never been undercover before.
"I'm more than capable of handling myself," Stevie assured Smithy with a wink, "And with handling any unwanted attention. So don't you worry your little head about me"
Smithy merely shook his head, a faint smile etched on his face. There really was no telling some people.
When they arrived at the pub, Smithy walked in first, placing an arm around Stevie - now Angel's - shoulders, to which Stevie raised an eyebrow but protested little more than that. Taking a sweeping look around, Stevie came face to face with many of the low-life's they had planned to target back at Sun Hill. Keeping his arm firmly around Stevie's shoulders, Smithy directed them both towards where Max sat, surrounded by a few of his fellow criminals.
"Smithy, glad you could make it. And you brought the bird - how very thoughtful. Going to introduce yourself this time, darling?" Smithy felt motions of distaste as Max spoke and felt Stevie harden slightly as his voice. But, ever the professional, Stevie kept a cool persona and kept her personal feelings exactly that - personal.
"Angel Fox," Stevie smiled far too sweetly, extending her hand for Max to shake.
"What a glorious name - Angel." Max's dirty laugh resounded through out the pub, "An angel on the surface but a sly fox underneath, am I right? Going to keep us on our toes, are we darling?"
Stevie kept the same smile painted on her face and merely raised both her eyebrows. Max laughed again and turned his attention to Smithy. "How'd you managed to score with this one then? She's out of your league, mate"
"And she's way out of yours," Smithy's response was short and flat, but still Max laughed.
"We'll see about that," Max smirked - a facial expression that made both Stevie and Smithy uncomfortable. "Right, now the new boy's here, let's get moving. And remember gentlemen - and ladies - subtlety is the key."
Stevie and Smithy exchanged looks and followed behind the other six men, hanging slightly back with Smithy's arm still remaining around Stevie's arms.
"Max isn't looking now, you can let me go," Stevie laughed softly, looking up at Smithy whose eyesight was wholly concentrated on Max.
"I know," Smithy replied but kept his arm there all the same. Deciding it wasn't worth kicking up a fuss now, Stevie remained tight-lipped and followed with the proceedings, wondering where exactly Max was taking them. It wasn't long before she found out however; Stevie found herself at a unused farm house.
"Keates, this is Smithy. Smithy, Keates." Max introduced someone clearly of higher rank than himself; whilst Max slummed it in jeans and a leather jacket, Keates was of a much smarter appearance, fully operational with a power suit and a long army-like coat. "And this is our very own Angel, Smithy's squeeze."
Keates eyes shone as Stevie came into his eye line. Glinting, Keates made his way to Stevie, taking one of her hands and gently kissing the palm.
"No sweat," Keates commented slowly, his heavy Italian accent thick with the after-effect of smoking cigars for years. "You're not scared?"
"Should I be?" Stevie asked, slowly looking Keates straight in the eye, then closing her eyes and looking away. It was enough to entice him in; Stevie had used such a trick numerous times in the past.
"Course not, bella. You are safe here." Keates placed a second kiss on Stevie's palm, trailing a finger from her fingers up her forearm to her elbow. Smithy, still gripping tightly around Stevie's shoulders, coughed just loud enough to warn Keates off. Letting Stevie go, Keates bowed his head a little and opened his arms in apology. "My apologies, though might I say your little lady did not protest too much."
"That's because she's polite," Smithy cut in, frustrations mounting already. Snaking a hand around his back, Stevie let her hand slip under the bottom of Smithy's shirt and started to gently scrape his back with the tips of her fingernails, in an attempt to calm him down. And that's when it struck Stevie; using the technique she'd just trialled, Stevie attempted to subtly spell out 'calm down', letter by letter, on Smithy's back. When he cottoned on, Smithy gave a slight nod of his head and Stevie let her hand slip out from his shirt.
"Look, enough about the bird," Max interrupted, clearing his throat as he stepped forward. "There's a reason Smithy's here, so why don't we get on with it?"
Keates bowed his head in agreement and opened the floor for Max to speak, taking a seat on a nearby table.
"Tonight is the trial run for next weekend's operation," Max began, pacing up and down the barn, talking to the group of about twelve men scattered around. "Tonight, we're weapons testing and checking the routes for the drug importation. We've got men already at the airports and if we're lucky, we'll get a few lovely ladies smuggled in too. But, and this is a big but, our last heist was known by the boys in blue and we don't want that to happen again now, do we? So what do we do?!"
Keates clicked a gun in the background and fired at a nearby hay bale. "We say nothing," Keates filled in for Max, his accent once again invading the air. "That includes you, my bella, no chat-chat to your little girlfriends, no?"
Stevie nodded and Keates smiled in response. "Perfect," Max grinned, "Let's get to work then. Smithy, you're with me. Angel, you can co-"
"No, no, the lady stays with me." Keates interjected, beckoning to Stevie. "Guns are no place for a woman."
Stevie looked at Smithy, who ever so slightly shook his head, trying to urge her not to go through his eyes. This time it wasn't jealously; Smithy felt genuine concern for Stevie, they didn't know enough about this guy to trust him at face value. But feeling she had little other choice, Stevie grabbed Smithy's collar and pulled him in for a light kiss on the lips and walked over to Keates, who slipped an arm around her waist and walked her out of the barn and out of Smithy's sight. Inhaling sharply, Smithy just hoped Stevie was right when she said she could take care of herself because now, he wasn't there to do it for her.