High Voltage (Ramsey Security #3)

“I can show you where I was first felt up,” I say, taking his hand and pressing it against my breasts.

“I like to believe you were a virgin before me. Let’s not allow facts to interfere with my fantasy.”

“Can I imagine you as a virgin too? I might have been wrong about that not being sexy.”

“Apples, you can imagine anything you want, but we’re going to see your mom. I want that done.”

Yanking free of his groping hand, I mutter, “Shouldn’t it be up to me?”

“Back when you were alone, sure, but now you’re my woman, and I make the calls.”

“You want me to smack you.”

“A little bit. You’re sexy when rough.”

Laughing, I sit back while he drives us to the hotel. I know he’s right about facing my fears. Knowing and doing are different things, and I really want to procrastinate.

“I’ll see if Rafael wants us to stick around longer,” I say as we walk into the room.

“He won’t, and we’re leaving tomorrow.”

“You’re so bossy.”

“I’ve been waiting for months to get my hands on you. Now that I have you, I don’t want anything distracting you from me.”

“Do you ever listen to the things you say?”

“No,” he says, flopping on the bed. “Let’s cuddle and talk about cuddling.”

“I’m cuddled out.”

Dino glares at me, so I glare back at him. “What is your problem?”

Dino only frowns harder. I finally laugh at his expression. “Is this because of Hayes?”

“You were too nice to him. I need to stink you up with my scent again.”

“Okay,” I say, crawling into bed, “but I’m tired and likely won’t appreciate your efforts.”

“You say that now. Then in twenty minutes you’ll break the headboard. I’m on to your bullshit.”

Giggling as his lips suck at my throat, I still want to bail on the trip to see my mom. I’ve lived years without facing this fear, and I’m in no hurry to do anything about it now. With Dino at my side, I’ll likely ace the test. I’m just unsure if he’ll find me quite so intoxicating when he realizes the shithole I crawled out of years ago.





29


Dino

Let’s Go Already!

Minka sits across from me at the local Waffle House. She’s edgy about visiting her mother. I want to be sympathetic, but I’m sick of White Horse and these hotels. We need to face the grifter in Salem before we return to Houston.

“I was waitressing at a strip club when I did my first job,” Minka says softly. “The target was the husband of one of the strippers, and he was always beating on her. She constantly came in crying because he’d yell at her or slap her before work. I asked why she didn’t leave, and she said he wouldn’t let her.”

“You are such a do-gooder.”

Minka leans her head back against the wall and smiles at me. “It looked like a suicide. He blew his brains out while drunk. Not so different than our deputy friends.”

“A tried and true method.”

“She cried when he died. I don’t know why I expected her to be happy. I guess because I would have been, but she cried and cried. She ended up getting fired for always crying. I only worked there a few more months before I was recruited by a guy who hung out at the club. I thought he was just a loser like most customers, but he was an operator.”

Minka takes a sip of her hot coffee and looks a little sad remembering. “His name was Corey, and he somehow figured out what I’d done. He liked how I didn’t freak out afterward or look guilty. Corey was recruiting since he claimed to be too old to take assignments. I thought he was full of shit, but he was the real deal. I ended up flying to Miami for my first job. Soon I was traveling all over the world, and I eventually met Troy, and we partnered up. Later, we met Rafael at an airport, and the dots all connected. Now I’m here with you.”

“A happy ending if I ever heard of one.”

Minka smiles at my comment, but the past is still bugging her. “I went back to the club years later. At first, I wasn’t sure why, but I guess I wanted to know what happened to that girl. Before I’d left, she’d gotten her job back. I’m sure there were some favors given, but she returned and promised only to cry during her off hours.”

“When you visited, was she still crying?”

“Yes, but because her new boyfriend beats her.”

“Bad habits die hard.”

“I wondered then if people could ever really change.”

“If they want to, I’m sure they can.”

“What about us?” Minka asks, looking tired. “Do you think we can do the marriage and kid routine after so long of doing other things?”

I lean forward and reach for her hand. “That was my job, not me. When I felt it becoming me, I walked away. You retired because you wanted to fall in love and have a family. We wanted to change, so we changed. We’re not the crying girl.”

“I hope you’re right. I’d hate to build something with you only to destroy it.”