Page 32 of Colton’s Secret Identity

“Stark County is Cal’s problem. And I can’t ever know when a job will wrap up, honestly. But I hope this one is sooner than later.”

“Me, too. It’s been good talking to you, Dylan.”

“Same.”

After they disconnected he dismantled the burner phone, the action so automatic it allowed room for his thoughts—not of the case, but of what both his brothers had said about having a special someone in their lives.

He wasn’t a hermit, and had had plenty of one-nighters, as well as a briefly lived relationship with a woman he’d met in a coffee shop in Los Angeles. He’d ended it when she started asking too many questions about his job, became too demanding of his time. Time was a commodity that relationships required, and his career didn’t afford much of it.

As he destroyed the burner’s SIM card with several quick cuts—thanks to an extra sharp pair of scissors—he was plagued by the realization that he just hadn’t met anyone who’d be worth giving up his status as an undercover agent for, worth trading field ops for more office-related assignments. There was only ever one woman he’d ever connected to so deeply, both professionally and emotionally. At a heart level.

Veronica.

He expelled a sharp breath. He’d tossed any chance with her aside five years ago. Too much time had passed, and they were both entrenched in where their respective careers had taken them. Sure, there were definite sparks of lust arcing between them now, a fact beneficial to their shared objective with this assignment. They were in this op deep, and had to have total trust in each other, which he had no doubt they did.

But was there more than professional trust, more than lust, there?

“No more bringing surprise guests to Frisky, Hank.” Veronica admonished him from her perch on a barstool as he stood next to her, making a show of inspecting the spreadsheets she’d created to track the combined drug shipments from Rex and Hawk.

“Gus and Will are out of my wheelhouse. They report to Rex. And I’m telling you again, boss, I don’t think it’s a great idea to keep a record of things like this.” He motioned at the columns and rows of figures. “If Rex or Slim find out we’ve got these numbers—” He made a slicing motion with his index finger across his throat. He had to lift his chin to stretch out his neck, reminding her of a recalcitrant snapping turtle. It didn’t matter if you had the ability to harm if you kept removing yourself from the action. Another reason she never worried about Hank physically taking her out, even with a weapon. She knew she could outdraw him on her worst day, outmaneuver any fist he aimed her way. And flatten him in the process.

“Stop changing the subject, Hank. I mean it. We’re lucky Hawk didn’t go nuts on Rex’s posse.”

“He wouldn’t—everyone knows not to mess with Rex.”

“We can’t trust Hawk, either. We have to look out for ourselves in this mess.” She didn’t have to repeat that they’d screwed Rex out of thousands of dollars in only two weeks. “Hawk is…unpredictable at best. He has a horrible temper, Hank.” She lied with ease, as Monique. “His explosiveness is great for a roll in the sack but not so much when we’re trying to stay in the game. Do you get what I’m telling you?”

“That you’re controlling his temper with your—”

“Careful there.” She cut him off before he said something they’d both regret. Monique didn’t take anything off Hank, no matter how ignorant she might appear to him or Rex. “But yes, now that you mention it, Hawk is steadier since he and I hooked up, isn’t he?” Her cheeks grew hot and she figured Hank would attribute it to her hormones, thinking about Hawk.

He wouldn’t be totally wrong. Except her blush was her reaction to Dylan’s nearness, the growing realization that she’d never gotten over him. That somewhere in her misguided heart she still held a candle that dimly flickered with hope they’d somehow become more than friends.

She was a fool.

“Speaking of Hawk, boss—” Hank stopped, and she watched him fidget with that ridiculous bolo, his pinky ring reflecting the ceiling lights. “He makes folks nervous, the way he shows up here. Our customers notice who’s around, and the dealers sure do remember a new face.”

“What’s your point, Hank?”

“I think you should go away overnight with him.” He blurted the words so quickly it took her a second to comprehend what he was saying. Did he really think she was that stupid? Or rather, that Monique was? Hank thought she didn’t see that he and Dylan’s henchmen wanted time to dig more deeply into the profits.

Use it to your advantage. Undercover work was best done by rolling with the situation, going along with a target’s actions or plans as long as it didn’t jeopardize the mission, or anyone on the team.

“Why, that’s not something a lady does. I mean, shouldn’t Hawk be the one to ask me to go away with him?”

Hank’s bulbous nose reddened to match his ruddy cheeks as he darted his eyes to and fro.

She’d have to reach out to Dylan after the club closed tonight and let him know that their two-timing punks were getting greedier and wanted them out of town.

She sighed for Hank’s benefit, making certain it was over-the-top dramatic.

“Honestly, doesn’t anyone know what a girl wants these days?”

Chapter 14

“Boss, we think you need to get out of town. Go on the down-low for a few days.” Scar spoke, with Slash at his side.

“Last I checked, I make all decisions around here.” Dylan kept his countenance one of disinterest but his internal antennae were pinging. These losers never approached him because of good motives.