I quickly turned off my phone screen and stuck it in my pocket. “Sorry. I finished up in the bathroom. Didn’t actually need a tampon. False alarm. I was heading back to that sitting room we were in, and I guess I got lost.”
Natasha didn’t look like she believed me for a second.
Then there were heavy steps behind me, and the man wearing the ring was suddenly there, scowling at me. “What the hell is this?”
“She’s no one,” Natasha said quickly. “We were just heading back to Mr. Phelan.” She hustled me as quickly as possible down the hall.
When I looked over my shoulder, the sharp-nosed guy was staring at me.
“I don’t know what you think you’re up to,” Natasha murmured quietly, her voice tight with warning, “but you need to stop. Mind your own business.”
Yeah, people kept telling me that. I wasn’t very good at it.
“Does that man work for Mr. Phelan? What kind of shipment was he talking about?”
Natasha stopped. But her expression wasn’t blank anymore.
The woman lookedfrightened.
“Mr. Phelan will be wanting to get back to work,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I think it’s about time that you leave.”
As we neared the sitting room where we’d been talking before, Dean was already waiting outside in the hallway. There was no sign of Donny Phelan anywhere.
Dean’s face was flushed. “We’re finished,” he said evenly, his jaw set. “Let’s go.”
“But—”
“No arguments, Keira.”
Natasha didn’t say another word, just walked us to the front door and closed it firmly behind us as we left.
When we were sitting in Dean’s old truck, I turned myglare on him. “I didn’t get to say my piece to Phelan. I was going to tell him exactly what I thought about him.”
Dean started up the engine. “I already did it for you. Trust me, he got the message.”
“What does that mean?”
“Means he knows what will happen if he doesn’t leave you alone.”
“What? What did you do?”
“I failed to remain calm.”
My jaw dropped.
Then I started to giggle.
“You think that’s funny?” Dean asked.
“Maybe I’m delirious.” Which only made me laugh more. So much that my chest and shoulder ached, but that still didn’t stop me. I was just relieved.
And more than a little pleased that Phelan had experienced some payback after all.
“What exactly did you do to him?” I asked.
“Nothing that would leave much of a mark. I’m sure it hurt like hell, but I think we reached an understanding. He nearly peed his pants.” Dean was smiling, glancing over at me as he drove us down the long driveway away from the house. “What were you doing when you claimed to be going to the bathroom?”
“Me?” I asked innocently. “I just needed to tinkle. And check my mascara in the mirror.”
