Page 12 of Taming Tesla

The question snaps my head up, has me narrowing my glare on his face. “No, she’s not.” I have to force myself to stay seated in my chair when what I really want to do is pick it up and hit Conner in the face with it. “And if I ever hear you say something like that about her again, you and I are gonna have a real problem. Got it?”

“What?” he says with a chuckle. “No pony for me unless I behave?”

When I don’t answer him, Conner stops doing whatever it is he’s doing on the computer and sits back in his chair. Smiling at me, he holds up his hands. “Got it,” he says, looking at me for a second before shifting his gaze over my shoulder. Turning around, I see Cari standing behind me. I don’t know how long she’s been there or how much she heard, but if the grin on Conner’s face is any indication, it’s been long enough. Fucker couldn’t mind his own goddamn business to save his life.

Before I can say anything, she steps into the room. “I can’t find it,” she says, shooting me a nervous side-eye before re-focusing on Con. “My phone. It was in my bag but—it must’ve fallen out when I grabbed it off Janine’s desk.”

“Well, that complicates things.” Con swipes a hand over his face before he stands.

Cari looks like she’s going to pass out. “What’s going to happen now?”

“Complications are my specialty, Legs.” Con offers her a crooked grin. “I eat this shit for breakfast—just keep your head down. Both of you.” He looks at me. “That means staying the fuck away from Templeton.”

I don’t say anything because I don’t want to end up making promises I might not be able to keep.

“I have to tell Chase,” she says, careful not to look at me. “I’m meeting him at Benny’s in an hour.”

“No,” Con shakes his head. “You’re not leaving this building until I have a handle on things.”

“I’m not asking you, Conner.” Cari lifts her chin, and even though he’s a half a foot taller than she is, I get the distinct impression that she’s looking down at him. “I’m going. He deserves the chance to get ahead of this thing if he can.”

Something flashes in Con’s eyes. It looks a lot like respect. “Benny’s and back. That’s it—nowhere else.” He looks down for a second before reconnecting his gaze with hers. “You don’t tell him anything else—not about what went down in Templeton’s office. Not about my involvement. You tell him about the video, and that’s it. Got it?”

Cari smiles, the movement separating the corner of her mouth and it starts to bleed again, bright red spots against the pale pink of her lips. “Got it.”

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