Page 55 of Below The Surface
“That would be great. Hayden is heavy as fuck. Grab his legs for me?”
She snorts and helps me get Hayden to the guest room. We get his boots off and leave them by the door. Then we get Dallas situated in my bed. I shoo Kendra away so I can get Dallas’s shoes off. He’s so pretty like this. Eyes closed, long lashes so perfectly curled I have to wonder if he curls them himself or if they’re just natural like that. Probably natural. Bitch.
I press a kiss to his cheek and watch him sleep a few minutes. His chest rises and falls and I want to strip him naked, but Idon’t want him to think I did anything to him. So clothed he stays.
I change into ass kicking gear again to blend in with the shadows. Then tiptoe from my room.
“Be careful,” Kendra says as I head out the door.
“I will. Keep watch over them. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Or by noon. Whichever.”
She’s still laughing when I grab my keys and head out. I’m still working on my plan on the way down to the parking lot. Maybe I start with the flower shop, pay them another visit and see if I can get them to talk. I believe them when they said they didn’t do shady shit and my surveillance backed that up. All they do is bicker about floral arrangements, wait for deliveries, make deliveries, and talk to their neighbors. But maybe they know who sent the roses to Hayden since it wasn’t them.
They might have intel on their competitors.
It doesn’t take me long to get there, and this time I park right out front. I do not want to risk goose shit again. I wait until I’m inside the building before pulling on my balaclava. Don’t wanna freak out the neighbors.
“I’mbaaack,” I announce as I step into Tony’s line of vision. “Oh, and you got rid of the stench.” I knew they had, but I give praise where it’s due.
“What do you want?”
I come around the checkout desk and slide onto the countertop. “Just wanted to talk.” I bat my lashes.
“I’m still not telling you anything about the order on that Dallas guy.”
“Oh, that’s fine.” I kick my legs a bit. “What do you know about your competitors?”
He lifts his head and meets my gaze. There’s a growl in his throat, I just know it. “What about them?”
I pull my phone from my pocket. “Do you know who sent these? Obviously, inferior products compared to yours. The blue doesn’t go through the entire rose. It’s sad really.”
Tony takes my hand and gives the picture a closer examination. “Looks like Lou’s stuff. She’s always half-assing shit. She asked us for advice on how to get the color throughout the entire rose and she just ignored us.” He waves at my phone. “And she gets cheap shit for her vases. No presentation. I don’t know why anyone would use her over us or over literally any other florist in the city.”
I shrug and slide to my feet. “Thanks.”
“That’s it?”
“Well, if you’re not giving me the information I want, I’m going someplace else.” I take a few more steps away.
“Wait.”
“Oh?”
Tony swipes a hand through his hair and looks at all the hallways before waving me back. “Truth is, we don’t know who did the order. It was done third party, and we just got the details and got paid. It’s some fucking weird ass system Steve said we’re gonna try. So whoever this is ordered from Buds For You, who then sent us the order and we fulfilled and deliver. It was anonymous.”
“Interesting. Very interesting. Can I see your Buds For You page?”
“I probably shouldn’t.”
“I’m gonna tell it to you straight. Someone is stalking my boyfriend and his bestie and leaving them these flowers. The delivery guy doesn’t match the description of any of y’all here. So, do you outsource your deliveries?”
Tony’s eyes go wide. “Fucking gonna?—”
I hold up a hand. “So that’s a yes. Who do you use? They said they were my boyfriend’s boyfriend, and that was a lie.”
Tony pulls out his phone. “We got an older brother from another mother.” He shows me the picture. “We’ve been using him the last three weeks.”
“Could be him. But who else do you use?”
