Page 20 of Colton’s Secret Identity

Frisky.

Veronica.

He quickly messed up his hair, made a show of opening the door quickly, shoving his head out.

“I told you cretins I needed some shut-eye.” He proceeded to cuss them out for a bit, to demonstrate he hadn’t overheard their exact words. “Can you take this conversation elsewhere?”

“Sorry, boss, our bad.” Scar glared at Brick. “We’re going to go get dinner started, aren’t we? You said you were looking forward to those burgers, boss.”

“I was looking forward to a power nap,” he grumbled.

“Hank says Rex is on scene.” Brick rushed out the words and actually winced as if he expected Scar to slap him silly.

Dylan froze. Why hadn’t his team given him a heads-up? Fear iced his thoughts—

No. You’re Hawk. Veronica’s Monique. Play your part.

“So?” He moved in closer to Brick, shoved his face to his. “What does that have to do with us?”

“Our product is there, boss. If Rex grabs it, we could lose our profits for an entire week.” A bead of perspiration rolled down Brick’s temple and his face reddened.

“Hanks’s an expert, I thought. Plus I know Monique better now, on an intimate level.” He grinned for effect. “She’s not stupid. She and Hank took care of hiding our stash, no worries.” He figured his forced bravado was fooling these two stooges, but Brick’s pronouncement weighed on him and fanned his deep-hidden panic. Veronica was in the company of Rex, and Rex didn’t bother with his trafficking and laundering assets unless there was a problem. Other than initially introducing himself to Veronica during an interview, and only after Hank had vetted her, it wasn’t usual for Rex to just show up at the establishment. If Rex was at Frisky, chances were that he’d found out about Monique and Hawk’s gentlemen’s agreement.

He’s going to kill her.

This was the part where he had to remain professionally detached, to trust in Veronica’s capabilities as well as the plan they’d decided on together, no matter how much his pulse pounded from the stark fear of something happening to her.

“Sorry, boss, Brick just thought you should know. So sorry we bugged you. C’mon, man, help me get dinner on the table.” Scar spoke the last to Brick as he turned on his heel.

But Brick shot Dylan a glance that belied Scar’s sure words. Whatever Hank had said to him had spooked him.

Dylan remained in his room alone long enough to check one of his burner phones. Sure enough, a text from his team revealed what he already knew. He had to get to Frisky.

It might already be too late.

“What do you think, Rex? Is it up to your standard?” Veronica purred the query in full Monique mode, seated at her small desk as Rex sat across from her, sipping freshly ground and brewed espresso from a ridiculously tiny cup. Hank had pointed the high-priced grinder, Italian stainless steel espresso machine and top-end porcelain set out to her when she’d been hired. The coffee stand worth thousands of dollars in her worn office was incongruous, and she’d commented on it. “Boss only drinks the best coffee in the world,” Hank had boasted.

Whatever Rex wanted, Rex got.

“Not bad.” Rex’s thin lips remained flat, his expression blank as he held the cup in one perfectly manicured hand, the matching saucer in the other. “A little acidic.” If it were up to her, Rex would be drinking battery acid.

“We can adjust that, right, Hank?”

“It could be the beans—” Hank began.

“I didn’t come in for pleasantries.” Rex’s monotone revealed nothing as he placed the cup onto his saucer with a perfectly manicured hand. The tame clink of the porcelain belied the ominous glint in the criminal’s snakelike eyes in the quick glance he gave her. As though she were the reptile.

Veronica’s nape tingled and she shot a quick glance at Hank. From the way his face flushed, he’d been caught off guard by Rex’s unannounced appearance, too.

She remained silent, kept her gaze on Rex while her peripheral vision noted that Bulldog remained next to the door, his ever-present bulk a silent warning. Don’t mess with Rex.

The silence stretched but no none rushed to break it, not even the loquacious Hank. There was no question that Rex was the only voice allowed in the room.

When he again lifted his gaze to hers, pure malevolence shone from his obsidian eyes. She made sure she swallowed, hard, knowing he’d believe Monique was uncertain of his concerns. In truth, Veronica was mentally timing how quickly she could duck under the desk, retrieve the .45 she’d taped to it on her first day at Frisky, and shoot her way out of this. Her muscles tightened as her brain shifted into fight-or-flight mode.

Not yet. Steady.

“You’ve made friends with a most unsavory fellow, Monique. When we hired you it was made clear that everything you do relates to my business, period. Which means that you don’t meet with anyone, talk to anyone, bed anyone, without letting Hank know first.” Spoken with the usual flatness, but his eyes kept flashing lethal warning signs.