Page 10 of Dangerous Lies

“Therehave been hits on your identity,” Xavier said. “I came to deliver Grim to help you, and the tagalong was at her house. I met with the owners next door and sent them on an all-expense-paid trip. Grim's moving in, and Casanova will stay with her as a backup as well. Lucas is your computer guy.”

Her business might do well, but three bodyguards weren't in her budget. “Well, Mr. Smith, this is all nice, but I didn't agree, and I can't afford to pay.”

“First of all,it'sXavier, and secondly,thereis no charge. Lucas, my tech, is sending security equipment to have installed in your house.Ittook me three minutes togetin, and that was because Lucas doesn't function without enough caffeine in his body.”

The security system was all shecouldafford at the time when she haditinstalled. Brit's constant worry Carter might attack made her finally put the Ring doorbell and camera out front. She even added an alarm to the doors and windows, which made her pause because she never received an alert on her phone about intruders.

“This seems like you are doing a lot for free. Sorry if I'm a skeptic, but Carter has been a constant thorn in my side for years, and I've never even met the man.”

Grim stood from the table and stepped next to Xavier. “Honestly, Iknowthis all seems like a lot. Bossman isn't cheap. His services go for thousands of dollars. He doesn't work the field much.” Xavier grunted.

“Many don'tknow, but my relationship goes way back with Mr. Grumpy-pants.” Grim nodded toward Ginger. “Back before he turned cold and heartless.”

Ginger had his eyes on Grim like he hadn'theardthe story before.

“Wait, I thought you just worked for him,” Casanova said.

Grim rolled her eyes. “I do work for him, but nobody at Rogue Mercenaryknowseach other's past history, because we've had our identities erased. Xavier and I grew up in the same town. He was the captain of the football team, but he was also the President of the debate team. Nerd and jock all in one.”

“Jesus woman, do you think I want these two toknowmy life story?” Xavier ran a hand through his hair.

Grim shrugged. “Doesitreally matter, anyway? I'm so tired of the lies. You promised when I got out of the CIA, no more double lives, but that’sexactly what you're doing.” She took a deep breath. “X promised me years ago vengeance against Carter for killing my sister.”

Brit had told Rose stories about Carter for years. Part of her wanted this all to end, but she also worried her sister would then decide to take the one thing she cared for most in the world. They never discussed what would happen when she found her husband. Did that mean she would lose—nope, she couldn’t even think about it or the tears would roll down her cheek.

Ginger shifted next to her.

“Your sister's not dead,” he told Grim.

Grim’s face paled, and Casanova pulled her into his arms. Xavier glared daggers at Ginger.

“We don'tknowthat for a fact.” Xavier’s jaw ticked with each word.

Grim looked even more pissed.

“Youknew?” Grim asked Xavier, her voice wavering.

“I'veheardrumors, but nothing is concrete.”

“Mom!” Tyler called from upstairs.

Rose didn't care toseethe drama about to break out between boss and employee. She turned and jogged up the stairs to her son. His problems shecouldsolve. The shit storm happening in the kitchen wasn't something shecoulddeal with or even wanted to listen to any longer.

Tyler was in the center of the bug room with one of the plastic containers they’d adapted for bug cages. Next to him was one of their books with every spider in the United States. They had other books about spiders found in other countries as well.

“Mom, what took you so long?”

“Sorry, bud I was talking with our guests. What's up?”

He pointed to a picture of an endangered spider on the bottom of the page in the book he was holding. “We don't have this one, Mom. Can you read whatitsays about this guy?”

She smiled down at her son and read the two paragraphs about the spider. “I picked up another bug at the scene today.It'sin the bug container of the SUV. Can you go grabitfor me?”

Tyler bolted from the room, and she pondered her next move. He would take him a couple of minutes to get the bug from the car. She could sneak into the secret room she had installed, partially as a panic room. Rose creeped across the room to the closet, opened the door, and pushed the winter jackets to the side. She moved the tiny white decoy that hid the keypad. The door clicked open after she entered the ten-digit code. Tyler didn'tknowabout the room becauseit waswhere she kept extra guns and a wall full of crime scene photos.

She slipped into the room and flicked the light switch. If someone saw the room, they would think she was crazy. One wall mapped out twenty different murders over eighteen months. Each one labeled a suicide, but she knew they weren’t. The first time she noticed something off was when she saw her name written in the blood.

At the time she’d questioned Detective Miller, pointing out what she’d found, and he blew her off. She wondered if he heard a word she said because his eyes had been on her breasts the entire time.

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