Page 28 of Colton’s Secret Identity

“Yes.” He paused. “You also need to know that Hank, Rex and, now no doubt, Slim believe that Veronica and I are in a sexual relationship.” He quickly summarized how their situationship had evolved, and now been cemented, at least in Hank’s and his stooges’ minds.

“That was quick thinking on both of your parts. You have to see why I don’t want to lose Veronica when my task force is depending on her talents, right?”

“I do. And you understand why I’m going to request that she temporarily join my team if needed. Which means she’d be working alongside me, continuing our guise of being smitten, and using the distraction to get the goods on Rex and Slim. We’re so close, Cal.”

Cal sighed. “We are. It’s just that once Veronica’s in the field with you, my folks don’t get the information Stark County needs to hammer down all the lower-ranking dealers. I meant it when I said we’re going for the choke hold here, Dylan. I don’t want one slimy bastard dealer left in my county.”

“What if I promise you that my team will feed you everything they have?” He’d be pissing off his supervisor, but he’d demand that unheeded information flow was essential to the safety of the mission, emphasizing that an LE officer—Veronica—had provided invaluable intelligence and was continuing to further Bureau efforts.

“That’ll make my decision more palatable.”

“We all want the same results.”

“We do.” Cal nodded. “Wait a minute—you two worked together briefly at RGPD before you left, correct?”

“Hold on, bro. Don’t go reading into anything that isn’t there.” Dylan’s cheeks grew hot and he knew Cal would see how close his digging hit.

Close to what? It couldn’t be his heart. Sure, he was attracted to Veronica, even in that wig and layers of makeup. Who wouldn’t be? But—

“It’s an observation, Dylan, nothing more. I appreciate you being up-front about your ‘situationship.’” Callum made air quotes. “I’m sure it’s made it easier for Veronica to explain her time away from Frisky to Hank, given her a break here and there.”

“Thanks. As a federal agent I don’t need your permission, but as your brother I want us to be on the same page.”

“We are. And I’m sure Veronica’s on the same page as you. She’s got a fire in her belly to catch these bastards.” Cal didn’t offer that he knew about Tawny, and Dylan wasn’t going to share Veronica’s personal business with her reporting senior. That was up to her.

“Thanks. I appreciate it. Hopefully it won’t involve more than one or two more meetings with Rex, to nail down where his deliveries are coming from, and hopefully Slim’s headquarters. Then my team will take it, working with RCMP—Royal Canadian Mounted Police—to shut down the entire cartel.” Callum had plenty of experience with Royal Canadian Mounted Police, with North Dakota sharing it’s northern border. Dylan took coordination between the FBI and RCMP for granted, as it was vital to squashing any international trafficking scheme that involved both nations.

“Sounds like we have a plan, then. I know I came in here hotheaded, but when it comes to my task force, I’m a bit protective.”

“A bit?” They both laughed. “How are you and Jules doing since we last spoke, bro? All okay on the home front?” He tried to keep his tone light, casual. As if romantic relationships weren’t on his mind more than they should be when he was under threat from a powerful kingpin.

“You’re kidding, right?” But Cal must have sensed the more serious note under Dylan’s query. “You’re serious. Thanks for asking about Jules. Yeah, we’re doing well. Better than, in fact.” A slow smile appeared over his big brother’s face and Dylan couldn’t help a reciprocal grin. “She’s changed me, Dylan. I know it sounds so sappy, but that’s the truth according to me.”

They both chuckled at that. The latter were the very words their mother repeatedly used when they were kids, trying to impress her children with the concept of respecting another person’s point of view, even if it differed from yours. Especially if it was different.

“I’m happy for you, Cal, honest to Pete. No one deserves to be happy more than you.”

“Never doubt it, bro. I’m happy.”

With Cal’s concern that the murders were related somehow to the narcotrafficking ring, Dylan decided to call the RGPD detective he could trust to know he was back in town.

“RGPD Detective Colton.” His older brother Wyatt’s voice was a replica of Cal’s, but about a half octave lower. He’d missed his brothers more than he wanted to admit to himself.

“Bro. It’s Dylan.”

“I don’t recall a sibling of that moniker.” Humor laced Wyatt’s tone.

“Knock it off, you know it’s me.”

“I may have heard from an elder that you were knocking about the region,” Wyatt admitted he’d spoken to Cal. “How the hell are you, bro?”

“I’m good. You?”

“Same, if you don’t count the narco vermin that have invaded Red Grove. I’m sure Cal filled you in.” Wyatt had the same attitude as Cal had expressed, the view they all shared about the scourge of meth and fentanyl afflicting North Dakota. “And before you say anything more, or worry that you can’t say anything, I’m in on the task force. Meaning, I’m working with my own RGPD team but Cal keeps us informed as needed. I know you’re working with Veronica.”

“Gotcha. And no comment.” They shared a chuckle. All LE officers understood that technically, all cases, all operations were on a need-to-know basis. “Actually, besides wanting to catch up, I called you for some information about what you just mentioned. Do you have anything new on the Jane Doe?”

“Thank God, yes, but it’s not enough. It’s never enough, is it? Hang on.” Dylan heard keyboard clicks and pictured Wyatt at his RGPD desk, calling up the case file. “She’s still alive, thank God, conscious, and no longer a Jane Doe. She self-identified as Hannah Wexler, age thirty. She was in bad shape and detoxing from booze when Aiden found her. Between his quick thinking and the excellent hospital staff, they saved her.” Wyatt’s pride in Red Grove Hospital, where their father was an orthopedic surgeon, was evident. All of the Colton siblings were quick to boast that Red Grove had a Trauma 1 hospital, where patients in critical status due to everything from gunshot wounds to strokes to pediatric accidents received top care. Their father Jonathon was the head of trauma surgery. “Wexler hasn’t been able to provide us with many details, though,” Wyatt continued. “Her memory is cloudy at best, and there’s no guarantee it’ll all come back, according to the neurologist.” Frustration etched Wyatt’s tone.