Page 53 of Colton’s Secret Identity

“One question at a time.” He turned his seat heater off, the warmth in his gut from her verbal assault palpable. “First, you’re right. I thought I’d be handling the takedown with my team, and sure, we’d work alongside Cal’s task force, but only as circumstances warranted it. You can’t argue with my reasoning, Veronica. We’re dealing with an international drug trafficking scheme of the highest order. Nations are involved.”

“North Dakota borders Canada,” she fired back, “and working with RCMP is as familiar to any North Dakota LEO as with our domestic colleagues.”

“True. As for working with you, yes, I planned and still plan to finish this together. I was offering an out for you because sometimes it’s easier to streamline and simplify.” Gah. Did she detect the bs in his last?

“Want to try that one again? Because I’m sure there’s no chance in the world that you’d eliminate the only local expert you have on Rex unless you had some other, more personal, reason.”

He fought to grasp one logical explanation no matter how shallow, for why he’d suggested Cal take Veronica off the case. The road grew narrower, and the shoulders disappeared to a mere half foot of gravel on either side. His fingers tightened on the wheel, but not from maneuvering the SUV.

He was fighting against the truth, fighting against saying more words he’d regret.

“Well?” Veronica wasn’t budging, and the right side of his face burned where he knew her gaze was drilling holes.

“Well, what?” He ground the words through his teeth. “What do you want from me, Veronica?”

“How about the truth?” She wasn’t shouting, but her demanding tone made up for the lack of volume. He made the next left a bit too sharply but kept the vehicle on the road.

They both saw the buck at the same time.

“Hang on!” He applied the brakes.

“Watch out!” Her left arm came up to keep him from being jerked too far forward.

The SUV came to a stop inches in front of the four-point buck.

The ginormous animal stared at them through the windshield, frozen in place, in time, in front of the trunk lid.

He looked at Veronica, and her gaze was there to meet his. “You okay?” he asked between pants.

“Yeah. You?” Her gaze moved over him, looking for a place he might have banged his head.

“I’m good.” He looked back out at the mule deer. “So’s he.”

“He’ll move, once he figures out we’re not going to hurt him.” Her breathless response reminded him of the last time he’d heard her breathe like this. Really, man? Now?

Yes, really. For as much as he knew he and Veronica weren’t meant to be more than colleagues, more than two friends who’d missed the opportunity to make it more, he also knew that he’d never forget the one time they had made it happen, had given in to the chemistry that would always be there between them.

Their breathing was heavy, but they were both intact, uninjured. Dylan was relieved the sheer physics of the sudden stop hadn’t triggered the airbags, that the deer hadn’t leaped in fright and shattered the windshield.

They’d avoided a catastrophic accident.

It took a few minutes, but his heart rate came back down to normal at the same time he stopped hearing Veronica’s quick breaths. The buck still hadn’t moved, and he thought about shooing it. He moved to open his door.

Veronica’s hand was on his forearm. “Wait.”

“What?”

“You know what. Answer my question. Why did you recommend I be taken off this op?”

“Because I’d never be able to live with myself again if anything ever happened to you.”

Chapter 23

“Here we are.” Dylan spoke in a monotone, his subdued mood expected after the near miss with the large mule deer. What Veronica hadn’t expected was for him to admit he cared for her.

But not enough. Not enough to admit he’d screwed up, not enough to maybe change his mind about where he’d go next, after they finished this. He hadn’t said he wouldn’t be able to live without her, either. He was only concerned of the future guilt he’d carry if she got hurt. Or worse.

Disappointment tried to surface but she pushed it down to make room for the mental preparation she needed to ensure she was at the top of her game for the takedown.