Ramsey Security (Ramsey Security #1-3)(135)

Speaking in a quiet yet authoritative voice, Dino leads the women out of the room. “You will walk into the woods and keep walking until you reach the other side. When you speak to the police, you will tell them Dick Richey saved you. Do you understand?”

The women follow Dino out of the already burning trailer. I hurry outside after dumping as much accelerant as possible. I want only ashes left for Black.

We watch the women shivering in the autumn morning. None of them are wearing shoes. One is only in a tee and panties. They look like survivors of a natural disaster, and I wonder what’ll happen to them next.

“Go and don’t look back,” Dino says. “If you do, we’ll put you down too.”

The women walk into the dark woods, and I wish they had shoes at least. With less than an hour before the sun rises, it's too late to do anything for them.

Dino and I run in the opposite direction as the women. We ditch the trailer park long before a single siren rings out in the quiet morning.





12


Minka

Handing Out Chill Pills

My cell rings just after eleven, and I’m barely able to understand what an angry Hayes is yelling. I tell him he woke me up and to call back later. He hollers into the phone that I better get my scrawny ass over to his office. If I were more awake, I’d be offended about him dismissing my fine butt. Instead, I tell him we’ll be right over. Once I hang up, I turn off my phone, roll over against Dino’s warm body, and return to sleep.

Many hours later, we show up at Hayes’s office where we find Donna gone along with her knickknacks and family photos. A new woman sits at the desk. She’s wearing the same panicky look as the former receptionist. I smile at her, but she can barely return it. I do notice she gives Dino a quick and approving once over.

“Can I help you?” she nearly whispers.

“What happened to Donna?”

“She quit. I’m from the temp agency.”

“Why’d she quit?” I ask.

“They didn’t tell me.” The new woman glances back at Hayes’s door as if to answer me. “I’m only here until they find someone permanent.”

“Margie!” Hayes bellows from the next room.

The woman flinches at the sound of his voice and continues to shake while walking to the door. He yells something about a missing stapler. After Margie mumbles about looking for it, she returns to the front desk.

“I don’t know where the stapler is,” she tells me.

“Neither do I.”

Margie sighs unsteadily. Dino slides closer to me while keeping his gaze on the secretary.

“You look like you need a hug. I can’t give you one, though. These arms only hug my mom and woman. Sorry, Margie.”

I give him a quick glance. “You’re so whipped that I almost feel guilty.”

“Almost.”

Hayes yells from his office and tells us to stop distracting Margie and get into his office. Dino heads for the door, but I glance around the messy front area. Spotting the stapler, I take it with me into the office and set it on the angry man’s desk.

“Did you scare off Donna?” I ask, sitting in a chair.

“That f*cking woman wasn’t ever going to work out. She watched too much f*cking Oprah, who convinced her that f*cking feelings matter in the real f*cking world.”

“I forgot how much you like that word.”

Hayes gives me a dark frown, but I think he finds me amusing. Dino seems to think something similar since his foot makes contact with the desk. The men’s gazes lock.

“Eyes over here, Jolly Green Giant.”

Hayes looks ready to tear off Dino’s perfect head. I only smile because there’s something irresistible about my lover when he turns possessive. I’ve never had a man claim me so strongly. The closest was Troy, who once punched a guy for being disrespectful to me. He hadn’t minded when the guy flirted with me for an hour, though. Troy just never fully shifted from friend to lover. Dino doesn’t have that problem.

“You wanted to see us,” I remind Hayes.

“Don’t look at him,” Dino says to me.

“I’m looking just over his head. Now can we get to the reason we’re here?”

Hayes leans back in his chair, and I again wait for it to buckle under his size. The chair must pump iron because it survives.

“I was wondering if you two had fun at the Shithole Trailer Park this morning.”

“Oh, yeah, thanks for asking.”

“Well, you got Black riled up. He visited the park himself and arrested the women you let go.”

“For what?” I balk.

“For whatever he wants because he’s an * with a badge.”

“That’s bullshit.”

Dino nods while patting my hand. His attempt at soothing me only makes me angrier.

“Don’t do that.”

“I can’t help it. You bring out the teddy bear in me.”

Hayes lights a cigar and clears his throat. “You two need to keep your romance bullshit to your own time. I have no f*cking interest in watching it play out.”

“Sorry, Dad,” I mutter. “So, was there a reason we had to drive over here? I hope you didn’t just want to yell at someone besides your poor assistant.”