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with her. Oh yeah, sweet cheeks , we are definitely going to have a nice long chat about transparency and the fact that lying by omission is the same as flat-out deception.
    The reporter’s question had rattled Meri, but Dex had been damned impressed with how quickly she’d recovered. He also wanted to howl with laughter at the icy response the little prick had definitely deserved. If that boy isn’t from the south , he probably doesn’t know he’s just been filleted with a smile. Dex hadn’t been raised in Texas, but he would have recognized that smile a mile away. He'd been gifted with the same expression by his sweet mama back in Georgia on more than one occasion. And even though both of his older sisters had left the South, they hadn’t lost their ability to flash that same smile— seems once a genteel lady learns that particular lesson, they keep it.
    Since Ash hadn’t questioned him, Dex was sure he had also noticed Kelly Mason chatting up the little prick who had just sent a flash of pink into the perfectly tanned cheeks of Ms. Lanham. A quick glance to his side confirmed his suspicions. The lines of strain around his friend’s eyes and mouth told Dex just how close Ash was to grabbing Mr. Nosey-Reporter up by the scruff of his neck and escorting him into a nice secluded alley to chat. They had both worked personal security for Jax and Micah a few times, so it was easy to assume that don’t-fuck-with-me posture when they’d stopped a few feet to Meri’s left. She hadn’t seen them approach—another thing they’d be talking to her about—until she noticed the change in the reporter’s expression.
    “If he so much as flinches I’m snatching him up by his short and curlies…what a pissant.” Dex had to hold back his smile at Ash’s threat, it wasn’t that he considered it empty, because Dex had known Ash Moore since they’d both been pea-green recruits, and knew what his friend was capable of. They’d gone through Basic Training and BUD/S together, discovering they had actually grown up just a few miles apart. The fact they hadn’t met until they were adults was likely a godsend considering what a holy terror Dex had been. They’d bonded quickly and considered themselves brothers in every sense of the word except blood. Dex doubted there would ever be a situation where he couldn’t predict within a microsecond how and when Ash was going to react. No, Ash’s threat was amusing because it was just exactly what he’d been thinking himself. Yes, indeed…b attered and bruised would be a nice look for the little twerp.
    Thankfully the hospital’s CFO managed to pull himself away from Meri’s assistant long enough to step forward and politely thank everyone for coming. His words essentially ended the informal question-answer portion of the gathering. Even though he was grateful, Dex wanted to shake both men for being so distracted they hadn’t managed to look out after the guest of honor. The financial officer seemed to be completely infatuated by Mr. Best Dressed Look-at-me Tony Ballard. Fuck it, both of them were the kind of men that made every woman they passed do a double take. It stood to reason they had to be reasonably intelligent, but Dex was betting both men struggled to keep their personal lives on an even keel. Dex recognized the barely contained hunger in two men’s eyes, still—he vowed to remind Mr. Ballard that a large part of his job as Merilee’s assistant revolved around keeping his lovely boss safe.
    While the pretty-boy CFO encouraged members of the audience to watch for further announcements and updates, Dex wanted nothing more than to lead Ms. Lanham through the crowd and right out to his truck. But he stood quietly beside Ash and watched—everything. His eyes continually scanning the area for possible threats. Old habits weren’t always worth breaking and he couldn’t shake the feeling there was more than one threat milling close. Even though he didn’t get the