I tried to look embarrassed. Not that hard, actually. I had enough practice with discomfort in awkward situations. “Actually, do you have any tampons? I think my period just started.” I paused, then couldn’t help adding, “If Mr. Phelan even allows things like feminine products in his Real Man mansion.”
I smiled sweetly.
She looked unamused, but dipped her chin with a nod. “I have some in my purse, but it’s in my office.”
“Great.” I pointed a thumb at the bathroom door. “I’ll get started. Might take me a while. You know how it is.” My face scrunched up.
She gave me a pinched look, but turned on her heels and strode back the way we’d come, her footsteps quick and purposeful.
Well. That hadn’t been so hard.
I went into the bathroom and closed the door, just in case she was going to look back and check. Then I stood perfectly still and listened.
After about ten seconds, long enough for her to turn the corner, I opened the door and peeked out again. No sign of her.
I hurried down the hall, this time taking the turn that Natasha had pulled me away from. I wanted to know whatelse Mr. Phelan was up to here, because it didn’t seem like we were going to get anything useful out of him through polite conversation.
It had been almost impossible to sit there and not start ranting about the obnoxious things the man was saying.It’s a risky job. A lot for a young woman like you to handle.
Trust me, buddy, I was a lot to handle too. Just try me.
My mom had been scared to death when I became a cop. But not because she doubted me. She’d always supported me. Mom had stayed home when I was growing up, and she was the heart and soul of our family. For years, she’d struggled to have another child, which was why Stephie was so much younger than me. Then Dad had passed away, and it was just the three of us. Mom went back to work while always teaching us we could do anything we set our minds to. We could have any life we wanted.
Mom rarely raised her voice, and she probably couldn’t bench press a bag of groceries. Much less a heavy bar at the gym. But I was sure my mom had more strength of character than a fool like Donny Phelan could ever comprehend.
Whatever. Dean could stay there and play nice with the man and hope to pick up a few measly crumbs of information.
Meanwhile, I was going to look around and actually try to find something we could use. And if Dean didn’t like that? Well, he just had to deal with it.
One domineering woman here, folks, present and accounted for.
I passed an open doorway and saw a person moving cardboard boxes around. The guy glanced up, but I kept moving, not giving him time to ask questions.
It had been a few minutes now, and Natasha would be heading back any moment.
I picked up my pace, hoping to find something,anything, before my window of time closed.
Maybe the men in the demonic masks had worked for Phelan. Maybe they were hereright now. That thought sent a shudder of fear through me. But I kept going.
Then I heard voices again, like I’d noticed earlier when I was with Natasha. My footsteps slowed as I neared the next doorway. The door was partly open, and I could see a man sitting in a chair inside, his large hand resting on a table. He wasn’t looking my way.
“Ryan is pissed that the shipment’s delayed,” the man said.
The guy had a sharp nose and a heavy, muscular build. I’d never seen him before.
“Yeah, but what else is new,” someone replied from deeper in the room. “Not like it’s our fault. He’s the one who?—”
“Keep your mouth shut,” snapped the man I could see. “It’s our job to make sure things get back on track. No excuses.”
I noticed the large ring he was wearing as he tapped his thick fingers against the desktop. Like a class ring, with a large, flat blue stone in the middle. Something about it nagged at me.
I’d seen a ring like that before somewhere.
Taking my phone out, I carefully took a few pictures, zooming in on the guy’s hand and the distinctive ring.
“What are you doing over here?”
I jumped and spun around. Natasha was standing right behind me.
