said about him that he did get it…and thought it was funny. Maybe that he’d played way too many video games as a kid.
Regardless…both his bosses shot him tandem glowers and he attempted to wipe the grin from his face. Trying for a businesslike tone, he said, “She got the assignment from Marcus Morrow, publisher of the Snoop, via text message. It’s the first one there. Scroll up.”
His bosses read the message and Steele grunted. “Is that it?” He shot a look at Roni. “That’s all the info you had?”
She nodded.
“How did you piece it together? How did you find us?”
Her lips turned downward. “I don’t reveal my sources.”
“So you had sources?” Chrome clipped.
“Of course I had sources.” She batted her lashes. “Mostly men. They’re happy to share information with the right…incentive.”
Fuck. Sterling didn’t like the way that sounded. Not in the least. How many guys had she fucked in pursuit of this story? Clearly, he was just the last in a long line of hard dicks panting after her. He glared at her. She ignored him, keeping her attention on Chrome.
Yeah, she had no idea who was most dangerous in this room at the moment.
“You might as well tell us,” Steele said silkily. “Because we’re going to find out.”
“What are you going to do? Torture it out of me?”
When Chrome and Steele exchanged a glance, she paled. She glanced at Sterling for confirmation that torture was, indeed, on the table, but he felt no desire to reassure her. Not after her last comment. Not with some weird thing that felt like jealousy and betrayal swirling in his belly. He set his teeth and stared her down.
Her obstinate expression faltered. Her gaze skirted the room, flicking from one face to another, and then she gulped as she realized…they would not back down.
He didn’t know why relief gushed through him as she let out a breath and dropped her adamant stance. “Oh, all right. It’s not like I cared about this story anyway.”
“Then why were you doing it?” Steele asked.
The mulish expression returned. She crossed her arms—again, a pointless gesture, but telling. “It’s my job.” Not a lie, but not the truth. Sterling resolved to explore her true reasons for taking this on…later.
“So how did you find the team?”
“It was pretty easy.”
Sterling made a strangled sound.
Her lips quirked. “It was. I had a lead that a couple high-level ex-military operatives were spotted in a bar in Dallas. They both left on motorcycles.”
“Seems pretty vague,” Steele said.
Roni sighed. “Right. But bikers love their bikes. Treat them like their babies.”
Nods around the room.
“They always have their favorite garages. So I dolled up and started visiting bike shops. Cozied up to the mechanics and told them I was looking for my ex.” She pouted. “He owed me child support.” That explained the picture in her wallet. What man with warm blood in his veins could deny a kid in a wheelchair? “It took a while to get a ping. And there were a couple false leads. But then I visited a parts supplier in Deep Ellum. Unlike all the other shops, no one at this one would even talk to me once I mentioned I was looking for a military guy.” She skated a look around the room. “Dead giveaway. So I kind of snuck in after hours and went through their billing records.”
“Breaking and entering?” Steele drummed his fingers on the table. “What is that? Five to ten?”
Roni make a sound that sounded like pffft. “I found way too many references to a single address in Deep Ellum. That, and the fact they didn’t want to talk about our military heroes?” She fluttered her lashes. “Too coincidental not to explore.” She shrugged. “So I decided to investigate. Got a job at Bone Daddy’s and started asking around.” She shot a look at Steele. “A lot of people in town wonder about your crew, you know. You might need a better cover.”
Steele and Chrome exchanged another glance.
And damn, she was right. If they were this easy to find…
“How much of this have you reported back?” Chrome asked.
Roni sat back in her chair and fiddled with the sleeve of her sweater. “I don’t think I should answer that question.”
To a man, they gaped at her.
“Not until I get some kind of assurance that I’m going to walk away from this in one piece.”
Steele frowned. “Honey, we can’t make an assurance like that.”
The veiled threat did nothing but make her features harden. Sterling had the sense