Page 249 of Dark Love

If they operate like normal, when Plant dies, they’ll disavow and move on to another supplier. Shock will be waiting and watching.

Payne walked into my office with Imogene in tow. “Did you get to punch someone yet?” He’s grinning, but his eyebrows are wrinkled.

“It’s been close. Hello, Imogene.”

She steps closer to Payne. “Hey, Vex.”

He wraps an arm around her waist.

“I heard you’ve been having a hard day. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Disappear. That would help the most, because I could really use Payne’s help right about now. But that isn’t an option. “No, but thank you.”

See, I can pretend to have manners.

“Where is everyone?” Payne asks as Imogene moves to the couch.

That’s safe enough to answer. “Barb is finishing her inventory, and Shock is up in his loft working on a project with my irritating friend. She just randomly stopped by this afternoon.”

Payne chuckles. “She really hates you.”

My sentiment exactly. “She’s not endearing herself to me, either. Especially when she loses things that aren’t supposed to be lost.”

“You two are so cute trying to talk in code in front of me.” Imogene winks at us before going back to stare at her tablet.

“It’s for your own safety, Immie.” Payne gets all googly-eyed staring at her.

Gross. Do I look at Dahlia like that? Probably worse. I’m a besotted fool over her.

And I don’t care in the least.

“I know.” She nods. “You two are heroes, masquerading as vigilantes. And you want to protect me from the evil surrounding you.”

That woman pays too much attention to us.

“But eventually you’re going to realize that you can trust me with your secrets. You both risked your lives to save mine. There’s nothing in the world that could make me betray your trust. But until then, I’ll match up tiles and pretend you aren’t talking about mischief and mayhem. Whoever it is you’re trying to save today, I hope you’re successful.” She takes a container of earbuds out of her purse and pops them in.

Impressive speech. But the fact that I believe her is even more impressive. She knows what it’s like to be imprisoned with no hope of escape and to be tortured. It didn’t break her. Imogene could keep our secrets. “Your woman is kind of all right.”

“I know.” Payne grins.

My phonerings.

That’s Dahlia. Everyone else with that number is in this building. A grin spreads across my face as I lift the phone to my ear. “Hey, Dahl.”

“Mr. um…Vex?”

That is not Dahlia. I check the number that called. It’s Dahlia’s phone number. “Who is this? Where is Dahlia?” The voice sounds familiar but I can’t quite place it.

“My name is Mindy.” Her voice wavers. “I work with Dahlia.”

Mindy? Dahlia’s almost work friend. She just stopped talking. I want to shake some answers out of her, but I can’t do that on the phone. “Did something happen to Dahlia? Was she hurt?”

“Yes. No. Sort of. Adonis is taking care of her.”

And now I want to murder someone, but that will have to wait. “Is he taking her to the hospital?”

“No. No. It’s nothing like that. She’s in the break room crying. She keeps asking for you.”

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