High Voltage (Ramsey Security #3)

“The blond guy?”


“Yeah, the one you’ve spoken to a hundred times,” Rafael mutters. “That guy.”

“I didn’t realize she’d stooped that low in her life. He’s very bland. Minka really could do better.”

“I assume she thought the same thing since they’re not together anymore.”

“Men and women can’t be friends.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“You should fire him.”

Rafael laughs loudly as he turns his attention to his phone and fires off a text. I don’t know who he’s mocking me to, but the person’s response makes him laugh again.

“Have your fun,” I mumble.

“Minka is a professional. I need you to behave the same on this job.”

“I’m always professional.”

Rafael looks at me like I’m full of shit. Shrugging, I figure he and I have a different definition of professional. I don’t give a crap about appearances. I only care about getting the job completed.

We arrive at an office in the middle of the little college town of Ellsberg. On the street, I see lots of khakis and sloppy jeans. I feel overdressed in tight black jeans, a black buttoned up shirt, and shiny black shoes. Rafael doesn’t fit in much better. He’s a big, dark-skinned man in a lily-white town.

“You used to live here?” I ask when we leave the SUV

“Just for a little while. Harlow’s from here.”

“They have any good spaghetti around here?”

“I don’t know. I’ll ask her.”

Restless, I glance up and down the street. “Are we doing this thing without Minka?”

Brooding biker Judd steps onto the curb and stares at Rafael like I’m invisible.

“I’ll drop your shit off at your place and his shit over at the apartments.”

Once Rafael nods, Judd returns to the SUV. I frown at the disappearing car.

“What apartments?”

“The Reapers use a local place to put up guests. More secure than a hotel.”

“Fancy for a shithole.”

Rafael sighs. “Don’t call it that in front of Cooper.”

“Sensitive type, huh?” I ask, nudging him. “I’ll keep the hankies handy.”

Grinning, Rafael shakes his head. “These people love their little patch of nowhere.”

“I’ll be nice, boss. Treat this place like it’s Naples, and I’m in fucking awe.”

Rafael walks into the front office of Johansson Management Inc. where an older woman waits behind a big white desk covered in tiny angel figurines.

“You ready to go in?” she asks Rafael.

“We’re waiting for someone, Bette. This is Dino, by the way.”

“Charmed, doll,” I say, flashing her one of my best smiles.

Bette’s pale skin flushes beet red, and I know I’ve made a fan. If only Minka were so easy to impress.





3


Minka

Getting My Head Together

Vaughn drops me off after leaving Harlow at her house. He tells me to watch out for Cooper’s receptionist, claiming she doesn’t like hussies around the boss. I only smile at his insult since I want to save my hostility for Dino.

The Reapers MC office doesn’t look like much from the street. I’d guess an accountant worked here, but apparently even vicious bikers want to play the respectable businessman role.

Opening the door, I find the hussy-hating receptionist along with Rafael and Dino.

“What took you so long?” Dino asks, acting like he needs to check me for injuries. “We thought maybe you were abducted.”

“I never once thought that,” Rafael says, smirking.

The receptionist glares at me, and I’m ready to inform her that I’m no hussy. Never once in my life had I minded lying. This time should be no sweat either. Before I give her a piece of my mind, she smiles for Rafael.

“Mister Johansson is ready for you.”

Following Rafael down a short hallway, I quickly glance back at Dino and find him looking at my ass. His lack of subtly returns me to high school where boys were still learning to be smooth.

“Knock it off,” I growl at him.

“No, ma’am.”

I want so badly to smack the shit out of him. Before I can go slap-happy on the bastard, we enter the back office. Grudgingly, I remind myself we’re working.

Cooper Johansson is the prettiest vicious biker I’ve ever seen. He gives us a dark frown, and I imagine him killing a man with his bare hands. I even find myself fantasizing about Dino receiving a beat down from this handsome young buck.

No deal, I immediately decide. When Dino’s ass is royally whooped, my boot will be the one having the pleasure.

Rafael does a quick introduction. He says the dark-haired chick in the corner is Cooper’s assistant. Tawny looks young and impressionable. I worry about Dino humping her leg, but he takes one look and shrugs.

“Wedding ring,” he says to me.

“If not, you’d be all over that, right?”

“No, I’m committed to you, Miss Apples.”

Glaring hard at him, I nearly miss the part where we’re sitting down and talking business.

“These two will stick out like sore thumbs in Common Bend,” Cooper says to Rafael.