One eyebrow arched high on his forehead. "So I'm already at a disadvantage." He eyed her thoughtfully. "I'm not accustomed to being fleeced. Luckily for you, there's no metal in those things." He gestured to the balls on the table with a little smirk. He hoped she understood he was joking.

As she lined up her first shot, Erik couldn't help indulging some curiosity. "When you say 'the Academy', I'm assuming you don't mean the FBI."