(Blood and Bone, #2) Sin and Swoon (30 page)

“What face?” She beams.

“That one, right there. The huge grin.”

“What grin? Ya sassy little minx, I always knew being your friend meant I would go places. Like to see the queen.”

I roll my eyes as we walk down the corridor of the building dedicated to finding out the truth behind the whole affair. “You hate the queen.”

“Och, I don’t hate the queen. I hate the monarchy. I love the queen. She’s mighty feisty and acts like a lady, but ya know she’d kick ass when no one is looking.” She opens the door for me with her scanner card. Mine isn’t working yet.

Antoine grins at me from the booth where we have been sorting data. My phone vibrates. I flip it over, knowing damned well it’s Dash and he’s being cheeky. It’s a selfie with an adorable black puppy, and it looks like it’s sitting at my desk. “You have got to be kidding me,” I mutter, not able to take my eyes off the picture.

I get up fast, hurrying to where I see the crowd surrounding my desk. I stop, scared, as Dash lifts a large pup into the air and gives me a sly grin.

“I got Binx a friend.”

I cock an eyebrow. “Binx doesn’t need friends. He has me. A cat’s best friend is his mother.”

“I got you a friend.”

“A girl’s best friend is her cat. You got
you
a friend.”

Dash kisses the dog’s little face. “I got me a friend. His name is Sirius, and he’s a wolfhound. I think he’ll look just like Sirius Black in dog form.”

Antoine agrees, nodding excitedly. “It’s true. I showed Dash the photo from Harry Potter, and we both think he’s going to be identical.” He stops talking when he sees my face.

I slap my hand over my eyes. “You got a dog? I don’t even think I am allowed to have
Binx
in my building.”

Dash hands the dog over to Angie, who starts squealing and hugging, and hurries to me. “I love these dogs. It’s tradition for a man of importance to have one.”

I roll my eyes. “You aren’t even important, and we both know it. You’re a biological analyst for an elite task force designated to root out the corruption in a sex-slave ring. Hardly noble.”

His eyes are so green I can hardly take it. He’s clearly happy. “But my dad is handing me everything, title and houses and inheritance. My brother, who has made the Internet list, by the way, is cut off. He’s ruined.”

“He’s an idiot.” A thought entered my head with the statement. “Does this mean eventually or now? Your father handing you everything?”

“Eventually. My father is still in excellent health, despite what my brother has done to our family.“ Dash winces. “I still feel like Henry got a raw deal. I actually remember him going to that senator’s house. He should have just stayed home that weekend like Mother asked him to. I’m sure Henry was pressured.”

I twirl the ring on my finger and fight the urge to tell him he always thinks the best of people. Instead I walk to the room where we have Rory on ice, our version of ice. “I still can’t believe he turned himself in.” I glance in at Rory lying on the bed, perfectly tranquil from the drug-induced coma he has been put into. One problem with being military is that we have no rights when it comes to justice.

“I can. What else was he going to do? He can try to plead out on some of the charges, but not the rape and murder of eleven women. Especially not after being seen at the lodge.”

“Do you think he knew who made the footage?”

Dash folds his arms. “There is no way to know what he knew.”

I sigh. “There’s one way, but I don’t think we have a trained person with enough experience to do it.”

A man’s voice behind me startles me with his gruff words. “There is one person I think who could do it.”

I turn, saluting immediately. “Mr. Vice—Mr. President. To what do we owe the honor?”

He stares at Rory, narrowing his steely-blue gaze. “Just wanted to come down and personally ask you to solve this for me, Spears. I need to know it all. The data you have found is great. I feel confident we are headed in the right direction, but I need all the answers. The entire world is watching me on this one.” His eyes dart to mine. “You know what you need to do.”

I nod. “Yes, sir. I do.”

He nods back. “Good to see you’re still a soldier first, Master Sergeant. I will schedule it all. Dr. Dash, I know you will be eager to be a part of it all. And I know you’ll take good care of our girl here.”

Dash grits his teeth and nods once. “Yes, sir.”

The president, the former vice president, turns and walks from the area.

I look at Dash and shake my head. “I didn’t know, I swear.”

He sighs. “I did. I knew he’d ask. I knew it. I was so hoping you’d be fired for being insubordinate.”

“Mean! I’d lose my military pension if I got fired.”

He cocks an eyebrow, not taking that skull-eating look from his eyes. “You don’t need a pension now, Jane.”

I ignore him as Angie comes strolling over with Sirius in her arms. “He wants you to go in?” Her face is pale, and her eyes are haunted, even with a puppy in her arms.

I nod, not sure how she can work here every day with him right there.

She smiles a little. “Well, you know what you have to do.”

I turn back and look at Rory, my former partner, and sigh. I know exactly what I have to do.

DON’T MISS SOUL AND BLADE, THE THIRD AND FINAL BOOK IN THE BLOOD AND BONE SERIES BY TARA BROWN.

WINTER 2015

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tara Brown writes in a variety of genres. In addition to her futuristic Born Trilogy stories and her nine-part Devil’s Roses fantasy series, she has also published a number of popular contemporary and paranormal romances, science fiction novels, thrillers, and romantic comedies. She enjoys writing dark and moody tales involving strong, often female, lead characters who are more prone to vanquishing evil than perpetrating it. She shares her home with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and a wolfhound.