Page 81 of Caught in the Crossfire

“He was more interested in my bank account than me.” She glared at the image of Ivan on the screen. “Ivan became angry during an argument about money and hit me.”

Dawn gasped. “What did you do?”

“Gave him a black eye and dumped him.”

Her friend grinned. “You’re my hero.”

“I just corrected a dumb move on my part.”

“You stood up for yourself. I admire that.”

“I’m lucky Ivan doesn’t have a spine. Otherwise, he would have mopped the floor with me. I’m going to correct that, though.”

“How?”

“The wives of Durango and Bravo train with the teams on self-defense skills. If they practice at a time when I’m free, I’d like to join them.”

Dawn’s mouth gaped. “You’re serious?”

“Oh, yeah. I don’t want to be caught unprepared again. Besides that, Mason is Rio’s cousin. Durango’s job isn’t safe at the best of times. If trouble follows them home, Mason and I could become targets, too.”

The other woman stared at her a few seconds, then sighed. “Sign me up.”

“Because you’re with me during the workday?”

“That’s one reason.”

A slow smile spread across Nicole’s face. “I knew it. You and Linc?”

“Maybe.”

She laughed, delighted at the blush spreading across her friend’s cheeks. “Definitely. You’re perfect for each other.”

“We’re still in the getting-to-know-you phase, Nic. This relationship might not work out.”

“And it might be exactly like I said. Perfect.”

Dawn shook her head. “You’re a hopeless romantic.”

“Only since I met Mason.” That brought her gaze back to the computer screen. What were the men talking about so intently? “He’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a mate. I can’t believe I’m marrying him in two months and two days.”

“I can’t wait to see Mason’s face when he sees your dress.”

“I hope he’ll be blown away.” The dress had been super expensive. But, hey, a girl only married the love of her life once.

When Josh broke away from Linc and Mason to climb behind the wheel of the cruiser, Nicole pushed back from the table and headed for the living room with Dawn close on her heels.

“Is Ivan under arrest?” Nicole eyed each man in turn.

“Not at the moment.” Mason captured her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Ethan and Rod will determine if Ivan has anything to do with Riva’s murder or the attempts on our lives. If he’s clear, he’ll be encouraged to leave town for his own safety.”

Dawn’s eyes widened. “You threatened him?”

“I explained the facts to him. The truth is being around me or Nicole isn’t safe.” His eyes twinkled. “I might have encouraged Josh to share that point with his brothers-in-law.”

He squeezed Nicole’s hand. “Go to bed. If anything happens overnight, I’ll let you know.”

“Same goes for you,” Linc said to Dawn. “You ladies have an early start to your workday.”

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