Page 54 of Stuart Woods' Smolder

Monica soon reappeared in the dining room, walking toward the front. She was almost abreast of the hostess when the waiting diner looked up.

She stopped short when she saw him, both of them staring at each other in surprise.

“What the hell are you doing here?” the man said.

Monica quickly regained her composure and started to walk past him without answering. But he grabbed her arm and stopped her.

“I asked you a question.”

One step, and Stone was standing beside him, his hand clamping down on the man’s shoulder.

“Hey!” the man said.

“Let her go.”

“Stay out of this, buddy. It isn’t any of your concern.”

As he said this, Monica twisted her arm out of the man’s grasp and took a step back.

“I’m not finished with you!” he yelled.

“You damn well are,” she said. “I don’t work for you anymore, Dalton. Remember?”

His eyes narrowed. “Wait. You’re not still trying to prove that ridiculous hunch of yours, are you?”

“We havenothingto talk about. Come on, Stone.”

She headed out the door with Stone.

Dalton followed after them. “This is so typical of you. You were always going off rogue and never listened to me.That’swhy you lost your job, you know. If you’d shown even a little respect, I might have kept you around.”

She kept walking without looking back.

“See! I’m right. Still not listening.”

Stone had had enough. He turned and stepped in front of the man. “Dalton, is it?”

“I said this is none of your business.”

He tried to go around Stone, but Stone shifted so he was still in the man’s path.

“Actually, it is.” He pulled out a business card and held it out. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Miss Reyes’s attorney. If you continue harassing her, I’ll have a restraining order slapped on you before the day’s out, and I will inform your employer about your behavior.”

Dalton looked at the card. “This has a New York address. I doubt you’re even licensed to practice in New Mexico.”

“You don’t think that I have contacts here who would be more than happy to do it for me?”

Dalton grimaced in frustration, then balled up Stone’s card and tossed it on the ground. Glaring past Stone at Monica, he shouted, “I don’t ever want to see you again!”

“I can assure you the feeling’s mutual,” Stone said.

Dalton’s eyes settled on Stone for a second before he headed back into the restaurant.

Chapter 19

Dalton contemplated ordering a third martini but forced himself to refrain. He needed to stay sharp.

That damn Monica Reyes.

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