High Voltage (Ramsey Security #3)

“What?”


Harlow shrugs. “Rafael said you and Dino hooked up, and I thought the others needed to know. You know, for educational purposes.”

“Uh-huh. Your man is a gossip.”

“Tell us about your man.”

“He likes spaghetti,” Troy announces from somewhere off-screen.

“He’s sweeter than I expected.”

“Sweet how?” Darla asks and the three women lean into the cameras.

“He can be tender is all,” I mutter, self-conscious with them all staring at me.

“Do you think he could work out, or are you just having fun?” Harlow asks.

“He talked me into visiting my mom after this job. He says he’ll come with me. That seems pretty serious. I mean, I’m bound to be a drama queen during the visit. Am I reading too much into that?”

Troy slides a chair next to Darla, who gives him a grumpy side-eye.

“Visiting your mom? Are you nuts?” he asks, horrified. “You’re going to cry so fucking much. That isn’t a sexy trip he’s signing on for.”

“Yeah, I know, assface. I already admitted that before you vomited your opinion at me.”

“Yes, but I didn’t like the way you said it and felt I could do better. As usual, I was right.”

“Since you’re so damn wise, tell me what you think about Dino. Is he too much of a player for me to get wrapped up with?”

“Men change,” Troy says, wrapping an arm around Darla to make his point. “He could be sick of fresh pussy and want your tired one.”

“I’m going to climb through this fucking laptop and cut off one of your balls.”

“Bring it.”

Troy and I smile, but Darla isn’t happy. “This is why I didn’t want you listening in. We can’t talk like girls when you’re around.”

“Minka’s not a girl. She looks like one, and she might have the right parts, but she’s a dude. Trust me.”

“He’s not totally wrong.”

“You’re very feminine,” Darla says, irritated with us both now.

Bowing to Darla’s will, Troy finally leaves the room, but I suspect he’ll be back.

“Dino talks about having kids.”

“Why?” Saskia asks.

“Exactly!” I cry. “What’s that about? Do I have baby-making hips or something?”

Harlow nods. “You’d carry a baby well. I was just saying that the other day on another conference call.”

“You like him,” Darla says, cutting through the bullshit as usual.

“He suits you,” Saskia adds. “The two times I spoke with him, Dino was loud and obnoxious.”

Saskia isn’t teasing me. She thinks I’m loud and obnoxious too, but I won her over much like Dino did with me.

“The thing is, I’m getting attached to him. It’s freaking me out.”

Darla and Harlow do a nearly identical “sympathetic head tilt and sigh” combo. Saskia only stares at the camera as if she’s hoping to hypnotize me through the screen.

“It’s not as if I love him,” I add, and they give me another head nod.

“He’ll likely dump you at the end of the assignment,” Saskia says.

“Why would he?”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“I’m awesome. That’s why.”

“Would you really care if it ended?” Saskia asks, refusing to back down.

“Are you PMSing?” I mutter.

“This isn’t about me. It’s about you falling for a man who will use you and then discard you.”

“Dino isn’t like that.”

Saskia frowns. “I think he is.”

“What are you basing that assessment on?”

“Everything you told me about Dino.”

“Well I didn’t know him when I told you those things.”

“And you know him now?” Saskia asks.

“Yes. I mean I know him better. Before he was just a dumb goomba. Now he’s a real person.”

“So, will he or won’t he dump you as soon as he gets bored of fucking you?”

“I don’t think he would.”

“And would you really care if he did.”

“Fucking duh.”

“So, if both of you have real feelings, what’s the problem?”

Rolling my eyes, I hate when Saskia pulls off the Band-Aid without even warning me.

“I guess there isn’t a problem.”

Harlow sighs loudly, signaling her impatience with Saskia’s help. Darla leans away from the screen as if to protect herself from the oncoming fight. Saskia smiles at their reactions. I shouldn’t laugh and encourage her bitchiness, but I can’t stop myself when she riles up the other girls.

“I care about Dino,” I admit after laughing myself out.

Harlow nods. “Then give him a chance.”

“I am.”

“No, you’re looking for a way out,” Saskia says.

“Shut up.”

“I know you, and you don’t trust men.”

“I trusted Troy when we were together.”

“Unlikely. You said you didn’t think he could really fall for Darla.”

“Hey!” Darla cries.

“It wasn’t personal. I just didn’t think he had it in him.”

From the next room, Troy calls out, “I heard that!”

“Shut up. The girls are talking.”