Page 52 of Her Silver Fox Mountain Men

Oliver gives me a knowing glance and a subtle nod of approval.

He understands her angle. He, too, can sense the undertone, the ulterior motive. I reckon Tori has become aware of it as well. This entire case requires our full attention, and we have to be at the top of our game. Kara’s protective detail could turn out to be quite the challenge for our company, but I welcome a good challenge. Whatever she’s doing in Colorado, Kara will be safe in our hands.

I just need to make sure that we’re safe, too.

An hour later, Oliver and I are sitting with Tori in her office, going over the papers that Kara filled out and signed. There’s a sense of uneasiness in the air as we steal glances at one another.

“Clearly you didn’t like her asking questions,” Tori says after a long period of silence, her gaze fixed on me. “What’s up with that?”

“A mobster’s daughter wanting to know where we live? Of course, I didn’t like her asking me questions,” I reply with a cool grin.

Oliver nods in agreement. “Certain clients can pose greater risks than others; we were well aware of that possibility from the moment we started this business. That just means we have to be even more vigilant, especially with this case.”

“She could just be curious. You two forget how easy on the eyes you both are,” Tori shoots back, chuckling as she puts the papers away. “I’ll send these through the system before the day’s end and have a list of available agents ready for you within the hour.”

“Thank you, Tori,” I say.

Oliver laughs lightly. “I suppose she wouldn’t be the first mobster’s daughter who would want to get to know us better. Remember that Irish don’s great-niece?”

“How could I forget? I was prepared to legally change my name in case she wouldn’t take no for an answer,” I mumble, remembering that particular situation all too well.

“The point is, we’ve come across all types of people in this line of work, Tori,” Oliver says. “We’ve seen pretty much anything and everything. But caution still reigns supreme.”

“I get that part,” she replies. “But here’s what I don’t get. What is a Chicago Bratva princess doing all the way out here in the Rockies? I’m not buying the whole business opportunity shtick. I looked into her daddy’s businesses; they’ve got nothing established in Colorado, absolutely nothing. It doesn’t make sense.”

I nod in agreement. “I’m right with you there, Tori. And I am equally intrigued.”

“It’s worth keeping an eye on her movements,” Oliver suggests. “We’re compelled by our NDAs to not divulge information unless it pertains to crimes that they’re about to perpetrate. I reckon Kara knows that all too well.”

“We just need to be careful,” I say. “We’ll keep our eyes open for sure. The last thing we need is to get dragged into something on the other side of the law. It’s bad enough we’re putting our agents at risk by supplying her with a security detail.”

Tori takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “They know what they signed up for. It’s part of the job, Roman. Now, tell me, howare things in Rustic? How are y’all liking your mountain man lifestyle?”

Oliver and I exchange amused glances.

“It’s going great actually,” I say. “Better than I expected.”

“Don’t you get bored? There is such a thing astoo muchpeace and quiet.”

“Funny you should ask. It’s not as peaceful and quiet as it used to be,” Oliver quips. “We found ourselves a gal.”

“Please tell me she’s not a Shauna 2.0. I remember what the three of you went through with her, what it was like after that particular hot mess ended,” Tori groans.

“No, no. Nothing like her. In fact, I think you’ll like Elise,” I reply.

Tori is one of the few people in the world who knows about our lifestyle, about our ability to love and share a woman. I trust Tori with my life, and so do the guys. She was, in fact, the first to signal some issues about Shauna right after they met during a weekend here in Boulder. James thought Tori was overreacting, but in the end, she turned out to have spotted the rot while we were still drunkenly infatuated with the woman.

“Elise?” Tori asks. “Where is she from? Is she a Rustic native?”

“Nah, Chicago,” Oliver says.

“No kidding. What do you know about her?” she asks.

“Enough to understand that she’s a good woman,” I reply. “Go easy, Tori. If everything works out, we’ll bring her over, and you can grill her then.”

Tori laughs. “Forgive me, fellas. Hazard of the job. Interrogating is in my DNA.”

“Yeah, we know,” Oliver says, then gets up. “We’re going to go back to Rustic tonight. Once we get that list of agents from you, the boys and I will handpick Kara Konstantinova’s security detail.”

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