Page 12 of The Ranger (Black Hawke Security #5)

SCARLETT

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“Y ou look happy,” Cassy says, standing next to me at the reception desk as we scroll through the calendar on the computer screen.

One of the hardest parts of the job, which might surprise people, is scheduling. People book. People cancel. And repeat. Working out the length for each appointment, allocating a stylist to do a toner, blowout and other services is an ongoing challenge.

Every salon works differently.

Ink & Mane Studio is a very popular upmarket salon, so we’re usually run off our feet with wealthy clients.

Speaking of feet, being on mine all day is becoming a challenge.

“I just had some chocolate. Want some?” I reply, refusing to admit what Cole did to me last night.

But lord, that man and his tongue.

“That’s not a chocolate glow. Did you and—”

“No. No.” I move away from the desk.

Cassy doesn’t miss a beat and follows me out to the color station, where I start tidying. Unnecessarily.

She crosses her arms and watches me.

“Did you screw him again?”

“Who are you? Tyler Henry?” I shoot her a glare.

Cassy frowns. “Who?”

“The psychic dude. Young guy. Blond hair...on TV? Nevermind.”

“So that’s a yes.” She ignores my distraction attempt.

“Technically, I was asleep, so no—”

“You were asleep!” Cassy cries.

“Keep your voice down.” I cringe, holding my hand up. “Jesus, Cass.”

She crosses her arms. “That’s rape.”

I burst out laughing, putting my hand on the baby. “Trust me, it wasn’t. I was...okay, fine, I wasn’t asleep -asleep.”

“That’s not a thing.” She frowns at me, and honestly, I do not care one little bit.

“Don’t judge, Mrs. McJudgy Face. It’s...it wasn’t rape. Cole wouldn’t do that. Listen, I had an incredible orgasm, and we both got it out of our system. It’s just pregnancy hormones. Apparently, it can affect the father, too. I read it on a blog.”

She isn’t buying this at all.

“And we aren’t talking about it again. It never happened, and you are not telling anyone.”

“Who am I going to tell?” she exclaims.

“Josh. You tell him everything.” I slot the boxes into the wrong place because I can’t reach. Cassy grabs them and plonks them back on the counter, shooting me a dirty look.

I let out a sigh and step back.

“Please don’t say anything. I don’t want anyone to think there’s anything between us. We are co-parenting, and that’s that.”

She leans her hip against the cabinets and studies me. “Come on. That’s not true. I’ve been waiting for you guys to work it out. Clearly, Cole likes you.”

I point to the baby. “You think, Sherlock?”

“I mean like, likes you.”

“No, he likes fucking me, and he’s good at it. But we have a baby on the way. We need to focus on what’s important.”

She draws in a breath and nods.

“Except one thing.”

I roll my eyes and wait.

“You like him, too.”

The door to the salon comes flying open, and we both turn around, startled. The man himself comes striding towards us, looking mad.

Oh.

I think I know what this is about.

“You’ve been catching the fucking bus?” Cole grunts, his jaw muscles flexing.

Cassy turns to me in question.

Oh, shit.

“Ah,” I reply, and despite the awkward moment my gaze runs the length of him and my core clenches. Holy hell, the man could start a fire with how hot he is in his suit.

I mean, I could climb that body and slide down his gorgeous cock quite easily.

“Scarlett,” Cassy crosses her arms, snapping me back to reality.

Cole glances between us, and because he’s hot and smart, his eyes widen.

Throwing his arms in the air, he exclaims. “You have got to be kidding me. Cassy picks you up?”

“You called me a bus?” Cassy growls.

“I need to pee.” I bite my lip and disappear down the hall as fast as my feet will take me.

“We will speak about this on Sunday,” Cole calls out, and I stop dead in my tracks.

“I have my baby shower on Sunday.”

“And afterward you’ll eat crackers for dinner if I don’t come over and cook for you.” He shoves his hands on his hips, looking stubborn, while Cassy, the traitor, stands next to him smirking.

Whatever.

I know everyone thinks we will end up like Marshall and Trina, but they are wrong. Cole has strong principles and is loyal to a fault. He’s simply dedicated to this child, not me. The fact that he likes my lady-bits is irrelevant.

The fact my lady-bits wishes he’d follow me out back and plant his face between my legs again is also not relevant.

I could have stopped him last night, but we both had to get it out of our systems. Twice...well, technically three times now.

That’s it. We have to stop.

In a matter of weeks, this kid is showing up and we have to be responsible.

Four months I’ve waited and hoped for Cole to feel something for me. Now I’m in Mamma Bear mode.

“Fine. Do whatever. Cheese is a protein, by the way. I put cheese on the crackers.” I turn but yell out, “And I have caught the bus. Once.”

“Is she serious?” Cole asks Cassy.

“Why do you think I pick her up?”

“You should have told me!”

“My life was threatened,” Cassy replies as the bathroom door bangs closed behind me.

When I come out, Cole is chatting to a few of the clients who, let me tell you, are not interested in his charming conversation. His shirt is way too tight, and it doesn’t need removing for anyone to know there is one hell of a set of abs underneath.

Plus, he has these ridiculous dimples that allow him to get away with everything.

Ask my vagina.

When he spots me, he excuses himself with an excuse me ladies and heads my way.

“I’ll drop you home, seeing as I’m here,” Cole says as I pack up my kit, sliding the scissors into the leather pouch.

It’s not worth fighting with him.

I let him take the rest and put it in my locker while I feel the day pull me under.

We say goodbye and walk to his car. Once on the road, I close my eyes and start to drift off.

“You really going to risk that again?” Cole asks, and when my eyes snap open he’s grinning and watching the road.

Funny guy.

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COLE

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I STOPPED BY the BHS offices this afternoon to check in with the team, and afterward, couldn’t help myself. I had to see Scarlett and find out if she was, in fact, catching the damn bus.

I didn’t believe her.

And it was probably an excuse, but I did it anyway, and now I’m not sorry. She’s dead on her feet.

Now I have her in my car, I can relax and focus back on the meeting without distraction.

“Thomas hasn’t been able to trace the attempted leak with a workstation, so while they keep trying, your role inside the organization remains critical.” Aidan had said, threading his fingers together on top of the table.

“It may help convict the spy if we find out who it is and need extra evidence. So, make sure they keep on it.” Josh said.

Aidan nodded, then asked me. “What’s the suspect list looking like?”

Short.

Todd was an open book and complete douchebag, which could be a cover.

I wasn’t ruling him out. Sally, Margaret, Kenneth and Kim-Lee, all members of Project Helix, hadn’t given me any cause for suspicion at this point.

Honestly, they were all so boring I could snore, but taking my eyes off any of them could be a big mistake.

Chen was still at the top of my list.

He was competitive, narcissistic and either incompetent or hiding something. The information I’d asked for still hadn’t been supplied, and given it directly impacted the timeline of creating the prototype, that negligence was a major red flag.

I’d put some checks in place, and we had BHS security on site, so his every movement was being monitored.

“Chen is top of my list still.”

“His emails are currently being analyzed by our AI system for potential coding,” Adian advised.

“If he’s a North Korean spy, he won’t be using his QuantumCore devices,” I’d replied. “But worth checking.”

“Yeah, well, there are laws in place stopping us from stripping the guy every morning, so we work with what we have.” Josh tossed back the last of his energy drink. “I am not letting this chip leave the country and get into enemy hands.”

None of us would.

“All we can do is wait, keep security tight and get our eyes on that prototype,” I said. “If there is a spy inside QuantumCore, they’ll make a move, and we will catch them.”

I didn’t want to put all my focus on Chen because he might be just a difficult personality. During the Project Helix meeting yesterday, we put him on the spot in regard to the delivery of the Erbium component. The dark look he sent my way told me he considered me an enemy.

But that didn’t make him a spy.

Or guilty of espionage.

“Need that date, Chen. When is the prototype run happening?” I’d pushed, calling him out in front of the entire team.

He flopped his head side to side, flicking through some papers. “Hard to know, you know. I think next week, maybe the following.”

“Chen, we need a solid date,” Nathan instructed, losing his cool. Afterward, I told him to try to stay calm, seeing the stress get to him, but I could hardly blame the guy.

A few of the team shuffled uncomfortably in their seats and looked like they’d rather be anywhere else.

“I will come back to you tomorrow,” Chen promised.

He hadn’t.

“Send me the supplier details. I’ll call them.” I shook my head as if I were incredibly disappointed in his incompetence.

Chen had given me a deathly stare that had the hairs on the back of my neck standing.

“I just said it was chill, Cole.”

Ignoring him, I addressed the team. “Delivery is set to go to Arlington, Virginia, next month. Let’s make sure packaging is on track, and I will speak to the supplier.”

“Thanks Cole, good to have you on the team.”

Chen’s look darkened.

I’d embarrassed him in front of his boss and peers. Was that upsetting him? Or was the fact that I was in his face messing with his plans to steal the prototype?

Or was he simply an enormous control freak?

“We need more security around the production facilities,” I told Josh while Marshall and Liam had joined us.

“Thing is,” Josh rubbed the back of his neck, “We don’t want to scare the mole too much. We need to give them space to do what they need to do, so we catch them in the act. Unless we find some other proof.”

I rubbed my forehead. “If he takes off during the night, that is bad.”

“Then we don’t fuck up.” Liam said, crossing his arms. “You want me inside with you?”

Four eyes are better than two. I wasn’t opposed to it.

“No.” Josh shook his head. “You’ve shaken up the nest, now let’s see who falls out. Our team in there knows what they’re doing, so you can rely on them.”

He was right.

The stakes were making me unusually nervous, and with our due date hanging over my shoulder, I didn’t want to mess this up because I was the one distracted.

“Update Nathan tomorrow, so he knows our plan,” Josh added.

“Okay, but can I shoot Chen, anyway?”

“Then, problem solved.” Liam laughed.

I grinned.

“Unfortunately, if he’s a North Korean spy, killing him will create an international drama.” Josh nudged his laptop to the side. “And paperwork I could do without right now. No bodies on this one, boys, please.”

Everyone groaned jokingly but agreed.

“Those North Koreans are pretty resilient and sneaky,” Liam said. “I spent a few years up at the DMZ and wouldn’t send my worst enemy across the border.”

Penny walked in with a tray of cookies at that point, the delicious aroma filling the room. All thoughts of bad guys vanished momentarily.

“I left them in my car this morning.” She shook her head. “Old age getting to me. Dig in, boys.”

“Goddamn, Penny.” Aidan launched at them.

As we all chowed down, we talked about Marshall’s upcoming nuptials. It was taking place in just over a week.

I know Scarlett was eager to go, but we both were taking things day by day.

“Thomas is working through the weekend. I want the rest of the team on standby should we need to move.” Josh had stood and walked to the door.

Aidan followed, but not before grabbing another cookie. “I’ll brief the teams.”

There was one cookie left, so I wrapped it in a napkin and stashed it in my glove box of my car.

Reaching over now, I pull the compartment open and handed the treat to Scarlett.

“What’s this?”

“Penny baked cookies.” I turn onto her road and parked, then rested my arm on the steering wheel, just barely resisting the urge to brush her shiny dark locks over her ear.

I do it anyway.

Big green eyes turn to me.

“Cole,” she says, her voice softer than I am used to.

“I know.” I nod.

But I don’t know.

I don’t fucking know anything and wish she would tell me how she feels. I wish I could get clarity about my damn feelings.

“I, um,” Scarlett begins. “I read that this happens. Whatever this is. We’re having a kid together, so it’s bonding us. That’s all, Cole.”

“Right.”

“You don’t love me.”

“Never said I did.” I hate that she won’t look at me, and I hate that she fucking said that. Because it also indicates that she doesn’t love me. And for some goddamn reason I am irritated as hell by that.

“Just making sure.”

“Fine. But I care.”

“Because I’m pregnant with your baby!” Scarlett announces, as if it’s a crime.

“Yes.” I nod while she glares. “What is wrong with that? We’re going to be in each other’s lives forever.”

She huffs.

“There’s nothing wrong with it. Just don’t mistake it for anything else.” When she opens the door, her head snaps around. “For once, Cole Zimbardo, let me get out of the damn car and walk to my damn front door by myself.”

I grind my teeth.

“You’re not my partner, boyfriend, or husband. It’s time we respect those boundaries,” Scarlett says firmly.

I turn and stare out the windshield. “Fine. Have a great baby shower.”

“Fine. Thanks.”

Scarlett climbs out of the car while I clench my hand, and my jaw muscles get a good workout.

Just before she closes the door, I duck and call out. “But I’m not sorry for last night. I don’t care what you say.”

She hesitates a split second, then says, “Neither am I.”

Slam.

A smile that shouldn’t exist sneaks onto my lips, and I peal the Maserati away from the curb with a squeal. Because Scarlett didn’t say that she doesn’t love me.

Details matter.