Page 41 of Forever Relentless

Dante grinned. When Diana came back in, she looked pleased to see I was still here.

“Okay, you know the drill,” she instructed, and I watched as he got into position and then she stabbed him with a very large needle. I had my fair share of tattoos, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate a big, scary-looking needle.

“Thank you,” Dante told her, his voice still quiet. “For helping Mike.”

Diana smiled. “It’s my job.”

“You prefer to have numbers in the room.” I tilted my head as I watched her. “Why is that?”

She hesitated slightly as she put the needle down. “I like to talk.”

Right.

I watched her as she worked on my friend. She kept her head down, her face averted as she worked, and it was for that very reason I saw what she didn’t want me to see.

When she was finished with Dante, I opened the door and stuck my head out, checking we were alone. I closed the door behind me. “So . . .” I leaned against the door. “You knew Tiffany.”

Dante froze for just a second before he finished getting dressed and hopped off the bed.

Diana looked at me, her eyes wide. “Who?”

“You have the same shady as fuck look as my friend Hadley does when she thinks she’s being sneaky. And you hide your head and face the same way as Briar does. Hiding behind your hair.” I spoke over the protest she was about to make. “There it is again,” I nodded at her hand. “You’ve done it three times since I said her name. Every time something rattles you, your thumb goes to the side of your finger, and you rub it, like you’re worrying a ring that isn’t there.” I pushed off the door. “You did it when Sutherland walked in. And you just did it again when I said Tiffany’s name.” I looked at her hand. “And you just did it again while listening to me. So . . . what’s the connection?”

Diana’s hand went still.

Got her.

“There’s no connection.”

I smiled, but it wasn’t meant to be friendly. “You’re lying,” I said calmly. “Try again.”

Diana swallowed, her eyes flicking between Dante and me. “I . . .”

“He’s very observant,” Dante told her quietly. “As you’ve just seen. He sees a lot and picks up on even more. I didn’t even see it,” he murmured, and there was something almost grudging in it. He looked over at me. “How the hell did you notice it?”

“I notice what matters.” I kept my eyes on Diana.

Diana looked like she was going to protest, and then her shoulders slumped. “I thought I was careful,” she said with a sigh.

“You knew her? Or Mason?”

Diana peeled off her gloves, her eyebrows raised as she looked at me. “Why can’t it be both?”

Fuck, wasn’t expecting that.

“I think you need to tell us more.”

Diana looked between both of us and gave a light huff of laughter. “I really don’t need to tell you anything,” she said with an arch of her brow. “In fact, I can tell you both to leave and mind your own business.”

“You can tell us nothing,” I agreed. “But then we all walk back into that building with guesses. And guesses get people hurt.”

“I am exactly who they think I am,” she corrected coolly. “I haven’t lied about my name, my age, or my credentials.” She gave me a smile as cold as Dante’s. “I was hired on the merit of my training and my work, nothing you say to them will change that.”

“If that’s the case, then why are you hiding?” Dante asked softly as he slipped his feet into his sneakers.

She gave him a flat stare. “I haven’t lied to them, but that doesn’t mean I want them to know more. It’s called a private life for a reason.”

“He finds out you’re associated with one of them, or both of them, you’re done here,” I reminded her just as flatly. “You’re here for a reason, and I don’t think it’s for the benefit of your résumé.”