Page 26 of Saving Bonnie

“She sent him hoooome.” Her lips twitch. “And I didn’t have to read her lips to figure it out,” she adds in a mock whisper.

Dante glares through the screen, lip curled. “I need privacy so I can touch base with a client in California.”

“Of course,” Montoya concedes, though he sounds more like he’s offering an escape.

Kassy sits forward and the cat jumps off, her tail all bushy in annoyance.

“What’s wrong?” Dante and I ask.

“Something’s up, but I’m not sure what,” Kassie says, leaning in to focus on a screen.

“Explain.” I pick up my phone, logging into the system.

“There’s a guy downstairs,” Kassy explains. “And Bonnie’s acting weird.”

The camera feed shows Bunny holding the clipboard to her chest, taking a step back from him. Is it for safety’s sake?

“At first I thought, you know, maybe there was a thing between them.” She hitches a shoulder. “But it doesn’t look that way. This isn’t like the other guys drooling over her. She usually laughs it off and goes about her business.”

I study the bastard. Both hands are visible, one on the wall, the other at his waist. He’s wearing a button shirt, tucked into his jeans. No sign of weapons at the belt or even a decent pocketknife.

Who is he? Frowning, I take in the view from a wider perspective. While Bonnie is putting some space between them, he seems to think he’s some kind of ladies’ man.

“He’s a delivery guy. When he came in, he had a quick word with the cook then went into the storage room and dropped off a couple of boxes.”

Well, there aren’t any alarms going off about him. Though, there’s still something I don’t like. Could be the man. Could be the situation.

“He checked the door to the dining area then waited for her to come back to the kitchen,” Kassy recounts. “Then he tried to act all smooth when she came close to the storage area.”

Bunny glances to the camera, a quick and possibly unconscious action. Yet, her hold on the clipboard tightens. What’s going through her head? I focus on her expression, the tense set of her shoulders, and the way she’s leaning away.

“I can check the video feed in front of the building and see if I can read the name off the side of the truck.”

It’s not aversion. Is this something she doesn’t want to pursue?

“Check against the guy who emptied her account.” I push off the bed, slipping into my boots as I run my hands through my hair, smoothing it in place.

“Gotcha.” Kassie taps away at the keyboard. “No, her ex is a Border Patrol agent.” She brings a picture up on the screen. “Saul Mares was stationed in El Paso after training.”

“I’m not impressed,” Dante says drily.

No, he’s easy enough to dismiss. So, who is this guy, a former fuck friend?

“Come on,” Kassy breaks in. “This guy’s…he’s…” She grins. “Well, I’d grab a screen shot of him.”

Just as I thought. My fingers curl into my palm. It’s all I can do to keep from tightening into a fist.

“She doesn’t seem agreeable to the attention,” Montoya offers.

“No, she doesn’t,” I agree. I’m heading out of her room when Noah, her delivery guy, comes in the door. The relief on her face is unmistakable.

“Excuse me,” she says, handing back the clipboard. “I have to prep delivery orders.” Then she turns, and I can’t see her lips any more. She busies herself at the counter and throws a goodbye over her shoulder as the guy leaves. Her body relaxes as soon as the door closes.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Bonnie

I’m rinsing off the facial scrub when the air around me changes. The pressure in the room dissipates, letting the area inside the stall cool down. It’s what happens when the door’s opened during a long, hot shower. Which can only mean one thing, Tino’s here.

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