Page 84 of Swerve (Boosted Hearts 1)

“Spill what?”

She wiggled her eyebrows. “How’s it all going with you and Neco? All these years the two of you have been eye-fucking each other, circling like horny sharks, desperate to take a bite . . . I have to know, does the fantasy live up to reality?”

I snorted, sucking Coke down the wrong pipe. “Horny sharks? Seriously? That has to be the least sexy thing I have ever heard in my life.”

Lulu giggled. “Okay, so maybe the metaphor sucks, but you get what I’m asking.”

I couldn’t stop the smile from curling my lips. “It most definitely lives up to my fantasies. Surpasses them.”

Lulu tilted her head to the side. “Glad to hear it. So why the look?”

I took another sip of my soda in an attempt to stall the conversation.

“Something’s bothering you, Ruby.” Her eyes softened and she squeezed my hand. “You’ve been through a lot and I know we haven’t been friends all that long, but it kinda feels like we have. I just want you to know I’m here if you ever need to talk.”

The feeling was mutual. She’d become extremely important to me in the short time we’d known each other. Neither of us had many female friends, but we’d just clicked, almost from the moment we met. Which was kind of a miracle, considering we all thought she was a bitch from hell who’d set up and betrayed Hunter. The truth was very different, though, and if anyone knew what I was going through, it was her.

I slumped back in my seat. “Neco, he can be . . .”

“Pig headed, closed off, controlling?” she said, then took a bite of sushi.

“Um . . . well, yeah.”

She shook her head. “If he’s anything like Hunter, he’ll calm down once the danger to you is over . . . but you know what these guys are like . . .”

I did. I knew exactly how they could be. “Yeah, and I get it.” They’d nearly all seen an important woman in their lives get hurt, or worse. Which made them protective, to say the least.

Lulu nodded. “Their instant reaction is to wrap us up in cotton wool and never let us out of their sight. But I promise, it will get better.”

Now I just felt guiltier. Was I being selfish, doing what I was, working on my case with Harry behind Neco’s back? I shoved it aside, refusing to think about it. I needed to do this, for me, and for Neco. There was no room for second-guessing, not in this, it was too important.

I changed the subject and we ate and chatted for a while, until Hunter walked in, and Josh squealed, scrambling off the floor, and ran to his father.

Hunter scooped him up, giving him a hug, then walked over to Lulu, kissing her on her lips.

He glanced at me and smiled. “We miss you at the agency.”

“So I hear.” Unfortunately, my only place at the King Agency was behind the desk in reception. I didn’t belong there anymore.

I glanced down and realized we’d devoured pretty much everything while we’d been gabbing. “I need to get back to work. Thanks for lunch.”

We stood and Lulu gave me a quick squeeze, then I left her and her little family and headed out the door.

I got a text from Neco later that afternoon that he’d be back a little later tonight. So after I finished up for the day, I headed over to the King Agency. I wanted to work out, but instead found Zeke there lifting weights.

I dropped my bag on one of the benches. “You feel like kicking my ass?” I said over the music he had pumping through the speakers.

He twisted to look at me, then gave me a chin lift.

“Excellent. I’ll go get changed.”

* * *

Neco

I checked my phone again as I strode across the parking lot under the agency and cursed, fear spiking through me when I got nothing back from Ruby. Something had to be seriously wrong. Harry said she left work two hours ago and was headed home as far as he knew. I was pretty sure she hadn’t even made it to the apartment tonight, which meant something must have happened to her en route. I’d tried Lulu as well, and she hadn’t heard from her, either. Fucking no one had. I should never have let her work for Harry; I should never have let her out of my damn sight. I strode into the lift, struggling to keep it tight with unbearable fear and rage riding me so hard I wasn’t sure how I was still fucking standing.

The door slid open and I jogged down to my office. I had GPS tracking on all staff at the agency and that included Ruby. I could check it from my computer. I couldn’t get hold of Zeke, but Hunter, Van, and Jude were already on their way. As soon as I had her location pinpointed, we’d move out. This was a rescue mission. I felt it in my gut . . .