Broken Wings (21 page)

“
I’m fine, Gabe. Thanks.”
She tried to remain cordial while waiting for his bomb.

“
Hey, listen, I’m over at
The Grill—” He said of the local agent hangout. “—why don’t you
meet me over here?”

Really? He wanted to hang out with her
and have a beer? He was definitely up to something. “What’s
up?”

“
I’d like to discuss your
returning to work.”

“
You’re not going to fire
me, are you?”

Gabe shifted his cell phone from one
ear to the other. “Are you crazy?” He was sitting at the bar with a
beer in front of him and he was fiddling with a bowl of pretzels.
“Why in the hell would I want to do that?”

“
I’ll be right
there.”

Gabe snapped his phone shut and turned
to his companion.

Eddie LaCall wasn’t exactly what the
department had deemed suitable ‘agent material’ with his long hair
pulled back into a ponytail. He looked more like a renegade Native
American. And in a lot of ways, Gabe guessed he was. But he was
honest, straightforward and reliable—at least that’s the
recommendation that had come with him from the Phoenix
office.

“
Rio…” Gabe shuddered at the
thought of having to explain Rio Laraquette to anyone. “She’s a
complicated person. She’s never had a partner. Never wanted one.
And she won’t want one now,” he said. “So, if you’ll bear with her,
until she gets over the initial surprise…because she is without a
doubt, the best agent I’ve ever seen.” He gave his opinion, one
he’d never openly admitted to her. “And I know you guys are going
to work beautifully together.”

Eddie had a feeling this was going to
bite him in the butt. New partners was always tough. But there was
nothing tougher than a partner that didn’t want to be paired up. Oh
well, at least it was a girl. Hopefully she wouldn’t be immune to
his charms.

The front entrance of
The Grill
opened up and a hot redhead walked in. Alice
Cooper was blaring over the sound system.

Could it be? God, he hoped
so.

She scanned the bar until her eyes lit
on Eddie’s new boss, Gabe. She smiled and headed toward
him.

Well, all right
. Opportunities
like this didn’t come along every day. He sized her up with a
smile. “Hum…”

She stopped between Eddie and Gabe.
When her gaze landed on Eddie, a smile brightened her already
gorgeous face.

Eddie’s heart fluttered with feelings
he never knew he had. Suddenly, a profound infatuation awakened
from somewhere deep within his soul.

He stood to greet her, offering a hand
and a smile. She slipped her palm against his and the shook hands.
Neither of them attempted to let go of the connection.

“
You’re the partner…” she
said, remembering Tajan’s prophesy in her vision quest. It hadn’t
made since when she’d heard him say it, but...was it possible? Rio
hadn’t missed the notion that this guy looked as much like Tajan as
she did Maggie.

“
Yes, I’m your new partner.”
He gave her a nod and searched her eyes, as if looking for
approval. “You okay with that?”

“
Are you kidding?” Her
delightful laughter filled the space around her. “This is great.”
She jabbed her elbow into Gabe’s side, and whispered, “Get out of
the way.”

Gabe got up and Rio sat down in his
seat. She turned back to Eddie, who still had his hand wrapped
around hers.

Gabe moved back and stood between them.
After a moment’s pause, he gave a half-smile that suggested he was
congratulating himself on this successful endeavor. “Rio
Laraquette…Eddie LaCall.” He gestured between them. “You guys are
now officially partners. Have dinner on me and get to know one
another.” He turned and walked away.

Neither of them paid attention to Gabe
as he disappeared outside the restaurant.

Eddie was happily engaged with Rio. He
latched onto her other hand—the one he wasn’t already holding—and
examined it. It was her left hand. He let his gaze travel slowly
back up to meet hers. “No rings?”

She gave a one-sided shrug. “No
husband, either.”

Eddie LaCall knew in an instant that
his sole purpose for coming to Vegas had been derailed. But, as far
as derailings go, Rio Laraquette was going to be an interesting
one.

###

Thank you for taking the time to read
BROKEN WINGS, book one in the Soul Searchers series. If you’re so
inclined, I’d like to offer a couple of excerpts from my other
books. One is from VEGAS, BABY (Soul Searchers: Book Two). The
other is STAKED, the opening book of a brand new series called the
Time Brokers.

~~~~

VEGAS, BABY

Soul Searchers: Book
2

By

Sandra Edwards

~~~~

PROLOGUE

The Council of
Souls

Present Day

The Council’s gavel echoed through the
infinite courtroom. The defendants: Souls A6-21684 and L3-38742
were “old” by Time’s standard and had been attached to many humans.
But on this day only two of the souls’ assignments were important.
Soul A6-21684 and its human counterparts Maggie Fuller and Rio
Laraquette. And, L3-38742’s assigned beings known as the warrior
Tajan and Eddie LaCall.

Both had been accused of
“enlightening” Rio Laraquette of her existence in another lifetime
in the form of Maggie Fuller. If found guilty, the penalty would
not be pleasant.

The Supreme Being laid the gavel on
the podium. “Before rendering the preapproved verdict, new evidence
has been reported by the Commission of Destiny.” The Deity’s gaze
landed on one defendant and journeyed across the open expanse to
land on the other, A6-21684—who had tried to take full
responsibility for the infraction, thereby sparing its
counterpart—soul mate—any liability. A sentimental, yet
predictable, act that would undoubtedly go uncelebrated by everyone
except perhaps L3-38742. “According to the Commission’s findings,
neither soul is responsible for the breach in timelines perpetrated
on Rio Laraquette.”

“Then who is?” a small voice at the
far side of the jury asked.

“No one,” said the Supreme Being.
“Before either soul revealed the truth, a kiss of fate had been
bestowed upon the young woman when she happened upon the place
where her soul had lived in a previous life.”

“So what do we do?” someone else on
the panel asked.

“Leave her be,” another judge
suggested. “It matters little.”

“Unless the souls are scheduled to
reunite.” The Supreme Being’s words caused a hush to fall over the
courtroom.

The accused souls’ eyes met, locked,
and their faces lit with smiles.

“I have reviewed the subject’s
future,” said the Supreme Being. “It is the court’s opinion that if
she remains in an enlightened state it will impede her chances of
living a productive life. Therefore, it is the ruling of this court
that when Rio Laraquette falls asleep on this night all traces that
she was once Maggie Fuller in a former life will be erased
permanently from her psyche.”

“What about her cousin, Billy Tajan?”
a jury member asked.

“He is not an issue.” The Supreme
Being’s voice echoed across the panel. “Once it becomes clear to
him that Maggie Fuller is nothing more to Rio than their common
ancestor with whom she bears a strong resemblance, he will stop
believing the truths that have been shown to him.”

~~~~

Chapter 1

Las Vegas, Nevada

One Week Later

An eerie wind swept across the desert,
whispering an omen that Eddie LaCall chose to ignore. He’d taken
the Vegas gig for a change of pace, not to get spooked by
superstition buried deep in his Navajo roots. Eddie disregarded the
ghostly voices in favor of something more tangible. Catching the
bad guys.

That’s why he’d been camped out all
evening at Lou’s Café, a dump on the outskirts of town off the 15.
The only thing this place was good for was setting up a sting.
Nobody came for the food.

An overbearing aroma of burnt toast
and strong coffee emanated from the back, the main reason Eddie had
claimed a table near the door. The stench devoured his
appetite.

He checked his watch. His perp had
been in the john a long time. Eddie had run across his share of
fast-talking criminals but Johnny Bellmore possessed a special kind
of BS, one requiring practice and forethought.

Eddie scanned the diner. Two men
seated at the counter, scarfing down burgers and fries, laughed
between themselves. Another dined alone in a booth, and Eddie took
him for a truck driver who’d been out on the road too long. Nobody
but a homesick fool gobbled up Lonnie’s Meatloaf Special with such
eager delight. Eddie had tried it two days ago and his stomach was
still paying the price.

Lesson learned.

The waitress, Mary Beth, was on first
name terms with Bellmore. That meant Eddie’s perp frequented this
dump on a regular basis. Figures. He’d never understood the thought
processes of the criminal mind. If he were a crook, he’d never do
the deal in his own backyard. But Bellmore, like most reprobates,
didn’t hold logic in high regard.

Mary Beth had been making eyes at
Eddie for the last ten minutes. She maneuvered closer and squeezed
past him, brushing her hips against his arm. Cheap perfume mingled
with the smell of burgers and smothered the space around him with a
thick nauseating vapor. The repulsive scent weighted his gut like
lead.

Eddie’s perp exited the john and made
his way across the diner. Bellmore hurried to the other side of the
table and displayed that smug grin Eddie had come to loathe. He was
going to enjoy ruining this guy’s life.

“All I’m saying, Tonto, is…” Bellmore
picked up the conversation right where he’d left off before heading
to the john. “You’re out of your league.”

Eddie bit back the urge to bitch-slap
the guy.

For now.

Bellmore shook his head and waved his
hands. His short, stubby fingers, weathered with time and neglect,
landed against his face and stroked his dark straggly mustache.
Wisps of grimy black hair peeked from under a San Francisco Giants
baseball cap that was positioned perfectly to hide the upper
portion of Bellmore’s face.

They needed a clear picture and Eddie
needed a leg up on his smart-mouthed perp. He inched his hand
across the table and laid claim to Bellmore’s steak knife with the
tip of his forefinger. His attention remained fixed on his target
as he dragged the eating utensil toward him in a deliberate, slow
crawl. Without blinking, he snatched the knife and flung it at
Bellmore, snagging his cap and pinning it to the wall.

Bellmore grabbed his bare head and
whipped around, looking for his hat. “Freaking-A, Kemo Sabe.” He
bounced back, gawking at Eddie with eyes ballooned by agitated
surprise.

“You’re the one sweating, not
me.”

“Huh?”

“You called me a soggy
bush.”

“What?”

“A soggy bush. Kemo Sabe. It means
soggy bush.”

Bellmore’s cool, aloof manner
returned. “Are you sure?”

Not really, no. Eddie had no idea what
Kemo Sabe meant. He’d bet Bellmore didn’t either. “I’m
sure.”

The perp propped his hands on his
thighs, tilted his head and looked at Eddie. He smirked, arrogance
pouring out of his creepy grin.

Eddie flexed his hands and bunched
them into fists at his sides. No, not yet. He couldn’t take him
down, not until he got what he’d come for. Then he’d turn his new
partner loose on Bellmore. That’s what this ill-mannered punk
deserved, a little one-on-one time with Ms. Rio Laraquette—the most
uptight, albeit beautiful, woman Eddie had ever met.

“Did you come here to do business or
run your mouth?” Eddie raked his palm over his hair and loosened
his ponytail. His head was starting to hurt.

“Okay, chief, show me the
money.”

“I’ll show you the money when you show
me the goods.” Eddie rocked the chair onto its back legs and folded
his arms over his chest.

Bellmore shook his head and his bottom
lip jutted out like he had chewing tobacco stuffed in his mouth.
“Dude, you’re just a local player.” His gaze journeyed toward the
door. “I don’t think you can come up with the cash…” His voice
trailed off and his jaw dropped, Bellmore’s interest fixated on the
diner’s entrance.

Eddie’s new partner waltzed into
the diner. Her black skirt could’ve been a tube top once upon a
time, until some hooker got hold of one and decided it was better
served showing off her southern assets. A little red tank top clung
to her curves like a thin layer of paint slathered over her
breasts.