The Ex File (Behind the Blue Line Series Book 1) by Alexis D. Craig Page A

gestured toward Dane with her chicken laden fork.
    He shrugged. “Just that you need some help with a pesky ex. And not even yours.”
    Well, that much was accurate. Didn’t lend itself to them forming a plan, though. She stabbed a piece of asparagus. “Okay? And he told you about the dinner?”
    Dane accepted a wineglass from Josh as he sat across from him. This was beginning to feel like a meeting of the Families, and not a friendly get together. “Yes, on Thursday. Did you change your mind about going?”
    Ellie shook her head and picked at her risotto. “Hell no.” This was one instance where she was damn sure she wasn’t changing her mind. She finished her chicken breast and caught a look that passed between Dane and Josh that had her completely on edge. “Boys? You got something you wanna share?”
    “What if…” Josh started airily, running a manicured finger around the lip of his wineglass, “what if we had a way for you to be there and know what was said, without actually being there at the table with them?”
    She looked from Josh to Dane and back, finding both sets of eyes firmly on her reaction. “Like what are we talking about? A crystal ball?” She didn’t believe in such things, but since this conversation had taken a turn for the surreal, it didn’t hurt to ask.
    Dane nodded. “Of sorts.” He reached into the cardboard box and pulled out a tiny plastic piece that looked like it might go to a hearing aid, setting it on the table between them.
    “Is that…?” Ellie couldn’t remember what to call it, but she’d seen it enough on Leverage to know what it was.
    “It’s an earwig.” Dane was pulling things out of the box, small black metal boxes with switches, numerous cords and cables, tiny tubes and things, more little earwig things, a pair of night vision goggles, and finally, a parabolic mic.
    “Sweet baby Jesus on toast with bacon!” She looked between the two ridiculously pretty men, finally settling on grilling Dane. “Do you moonlight for the CIA or something?”
    “No,” he replied looking as innocent as she’d ever seen, “I just have a hobby.”
    Josh got up from the table and took her plate. “You done?”
    She nodded at Josh. “Yes, thank you.” She then turned to Dane, picking up one piece and then another. “I didn’t realize stalking constituted a hobby.”
    “Never know when you want multiple angles on the sex tapes, you know?” he replied, nonchalantly sipping his wine.
    Josh laughed and came over to throw and arm around his shoulders. “Nice. So, here’s the deal. We can set this up and then you can see what it is the vile, evil, poisonous Pia has to say. Just so everyone in the triangle is on the same page.”
    The visuals whirled in her head thanks to the vodka. “First of all, eww. I have no desire to hear about your kinky cinematic endeavors. Second, warrantless wiretaps get you federal time . You’re both crazy.”
    Josh took that moment to get up and refill her glass with his evil concoction. “Think of it as covert surveillance, like we’re your hired PIs.”
    Ellie took a big drink. “And what is it, exactly, that you propose to do? I figure it’s such a farcical idea, I should know it in its entirety before I call for the men in the white coats.”
    Dane slid the earwig across the table until it almost touched the fingers that were wrapped protectively around her spiked tea. “I figured we would go, bribe a waiter, set up at their table, and then sit in the restaurant and listen.”
    She hoped the amount of aghast she felt showed on her face. “What’s this ‘we’ business? You got a mouse in your pocket? Now we’re bribing folks in addition to secretly listening to them? You two clearly shouldn’t be unsupervised for any length of time.”
    Josh looked affronted on Dane’s behalf. “Now, now. We’re trying to help you here. If you don’t think we should be unsupervised, you need to come with us.”
    Ellie took in the seriousness