[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
the news.
I was also there to see that Burns didn t like it when Lee called
him Ricky.
Wind nodded. Ricky and Lee came to Seattle together right after
college.
Together together?
Yep.
No wonder Burns didn t like the guy. He doesn t seem to
approve of many, so having the ex hanging around would definitely
be reason to not like him.
Wind lost his expression as he narrowed his gaze. Burns had
nothing to do with this.
Interesting. Even at the slightest hint of Burns, Wind took defense.
It made Chris wonder if those two had shared something before Lee
had come along.
I have to consider every possibility.
But Burns said you were sure it was an air caller.
I said I had a hunch, Chris corrected and narrowed his gaze in
return, and he leaned forward and folded his hands in front of him on
his desk. What time did you say you returned to Seattle yesterday?
Wind shot to his feet. Oh, hell no. You are not going there. I had
nothing to do with this and you know it.
Lust in the Wind 69
It sucks being accused of something without any basis, doesn t
it?
Shaking his head, Wind then ran his fingers through his black hair
and shrugged his large shoulders. Yeah, it sure as shit does.
I like you, Wind. You re a great agent and usually the first one I
want working with me on a case.
But this time you want Gust, don t you?
Chris gave him a nod. He started the case with me. He saw the
crime scene before CSU even processed it. He has that raw
knowledge of what happened before the cops came in. I really need
him to remain on this case.
Is there anything I can do?
Gust took a picture of that birdman thing with his phone. See if
you or any of the other agents can make heads or tails of it.
I saw Gust with a feather this morning. Is that from the
birdman?
Chris nodded again. Why hadn t Nick given the feather to Burns
like they d both agreed to do? What happened from when Nick left
Chris s apartment to this morning when Wind came to pay him a
visit?
Are you willing to pay for my time?
Why, is Dark Horse hurting for money? You guys used to be the
most powerful agency in the Pacific Northwest.
After Dixon died and left Dark Horse to Burns, things changed.
Burns only takes jobs that fit his criteria of fighting for the underdog.
So he s turning jobs down?
Wind opened the door before turning to him. With Burns, it s a
sense of proving to the world that the rich and powerful have finally
met their match. His idea of those that need our help can sometimes
be pretty skewed. I don t take as many jobs anymore since Gabe and I
have the restaurant, but from what others tell me, the jobs they do go
on are pretty basic.
Chris thought about that. As he walked through his reasoning, he
70 Jayden Knight
said it aloud. If Burns is only taking jobs from those fighting the rich
and powerful, how are they paying?
That s the problem. Half the time, they can t because of the
trouble they re in. It s a catch-22.
Sounds to me like Burns needs to open his mind as well as the
talent within his agency.
Wind grinned. I always figured you for a smart guy.
Just then his phone rang, and Chris looked at the number. City
Morgue. He brought the phone to his ear. Captain Taylor speaking.
You d better get down here.
Why? Even as he asked, he stood and grabbed his suit jacket.
You need to see this for yourself.
Lust in the Wind 71
Chapter 8
Nick really didn t want to be anywhere near an entire building full
of dead bodies, but if he planned to prove to both his agency as well
as the authorities that he had the balls to do this, he had to man up.
Following Wind s directions, he took the elevator to the basement
and walked down the long, empty hall. The heels of his riding boots
echoed throughout and gave Nick an even more ominous feeling. He
stopped at the double doors and pulled in a breath before stepping
inside.
So then I told the guy to shove his drink up his tailpipe. There
was no way I was going to do that on a first date. At least get to the
pivotal third date first.
You sound like Nick. Nick recognized Chris s warm laughter in
his tenor voice.
Another reference to the great Nick. That s four times in less
than an hour. A pretty redhead with shining blue eyes laughed as she
talked to Chris. Dressed in indigo blue scrubs that matched her eyes,
she smiled and turned to Nick as he walked in. Can I help you?
Nick. Chris stood up from the stainless steel gurney he d been
leaning on, his stunning blue eyes shining. Hi.
Well, well, well. You must be Nick Vermont.
Nick shot a look at Chris, who gave him a nod as if that answered
all the questions Nick had. She pulled off her gloves with a snap and
held out a slender hand.
I m Dr. Melissa Graves. Insert joke here.
He took her hand and looked to Chris again.
It s okay, Nick. Chris told me.
72 Jayden Knight
Told you what?
She glanced over at Chris and flashed a wicked grin. Should I
start with what happened in the bedroom or maybe what you did to
him in the living room that had him screaming out your name?
Nick dropped his jaw as heated embarrassment burned into his
cheeks. He glared at Chris. How much did you tell her?
Nick
Why in the hell are you running around telling people things that
are going to get both our asses in trouble?
She s
I got my ass handed to me last night by Burns and here you are
oversharing with the ME.
My
This is bullshit, Chris.
Sister.
That shut him up.
She smiled and nodded. Don t worry, Nick. Chris tells me
everything. He doesn t have anyone else to talk to even though I
really wish he d leave the details out sometimes. What you two did in
the kitchen is worthy of pictures.
Nick didn t know whether he liked anyone else knowing what
they did, sister or not. He clenched his teeth together to stop from
saying anything.
Shall we get started? She walked over to the table and slapped
on a new pair of gloves. At once her smile disappeared as she
concentrated on the ripped-open body of what used to be a human.
She poked around inside the opening, and the gooey, slushy noises
turned Nick s stomach. As if the smell didn t already have him close
to losing breakfast.
Okay, you see what s missing right here? She pointed at
something in the mushy mess.
Chris leaned over and got a real close look. Nick didn t.
What s missing? Chris asked.
Lust in the Wind 73
His heart. Lungs. Liver. Kidneys. Basically every organ a person
needs to survive. They re all gone.
That caught Nick s attention. He took a step toward them. What
do you mean, gone?
She rested that intense blue gaze on him, and Nick saw the
resemblance. Those beautiful blue eyes were definitely a family trait.
I m not sure what part I can make any clearer for you, cutie-pie. He
really is a looker, Chris, just like you said. Maybe not too bright,
though.
What a minute, Nick protested, not sure whether to hate her for
her comment or not.
She s kidding, Nick. Lighten up, Mel. This is his first time.
Spiking a red brow, she gave him a crooked grin. Well, good for
you.
Why did everyone keep saying that? First crime scene, Nick
clarified.
Not quite as much fun, if you ask me. She brought her attention
back to the shell of a body. How old are you, Nick?
Twenty-nine.
Aren t we all. She repeated her brother s words in a teasing
tone. Okay, take a look here. You see where I would expect signs of
separation here?
How would I know what you would expect to see? Chris fired
back.
She rolled those pretty eyes. Quit being such a cop, Chris. I m
looking for signs of how the killer took all the internal organs.
And?
And there aren t any. They just aren t there. She stepped back
from the body and popped off her gloves before resting her gaze on
Nick. How about you, air caller? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
the news.
I was also there to see that Burns didn t like it when Lee called
him Ricky.
Wind nodded. Ricky and Lee came to Seattle together right after
college.
Together together?
Yep.
No wonder Burns didn t like the guy. He doesn t seem to
approve of many, so having the ex hanging around would definitely
be reason to not like him.
Wind lost his expression as he narrowed his gaze. Burns had
nothing to do with this.
Interesting. Even at the slightest hint of Burns, Wind took defense.
It made Chris wonder if those two had shared something before Lee
had come along.
I have to consider every possibility.
But Burns said you were sure it was an air caller.
I said I had a hunch, Chris corrected and narrowed his gaze in
return, and he leaned forward and folded his hands in front of him on
his desk. What time did you say you returned to Seattle yesterday?
Wind shot to his feet. Oh, hell no. You are not going there. I had
nothing to do with this and you know it.
Lust in the Wind 69
It sucks being accused of something without any basis, doesn t
it?
Shaking his head, Wind then ran his fingers through his black hair
and shrugged his large shoulders. Yeah, it sure as shit does.
I like you, Wind. You re a great agent and usually the first one I
want working with me on a case.
But this time you want Gust, don t you?
Chris gave him a nod. He started the case with me. He saw the
crime scene before CSU even processed it. He has that raw
knowledge of what happened before the cops came in. I really need
him to remain on this case.
Is there anything I can do?
Gust took a picture of that birdman thing with his phone. See if
you or any of the other agents can make heads or tails of it.
I saw Gust with a feather this morning. Is that from the
birdman?
Chris nodded again. Why hadn t Nick given the feather to Burns
like they d both agreed to do? What happened from when Nick left
Chris s apartment to this morning when Wind came to pay him a
visit?
Are you willing to pay for my time?
Why, is Dark Horse hurting for money? You guys used to be the
most powerful agency in the Pacific Northwest.
After Dixon died and left Dark Horse to Burns, things changed.
Burns only takes jobs that fit his criteria of fighting for the underdog.
So he s turning jobs down?
Wind opened the door before turning to him. With Burns, it s a
sense of proving to the world that the rich and powerful have finally
met their match. His idea of those that need our help can sometimes
be pretty skewed. I don t take as many jobs anymore since Gabe and I
have the restaurant, but from what others tell me, the jobs they do go
on are pretty basic.
Chris thought about that. As he walked through his reasoning, he
70 Jayden Knight
said it aloud. If Burns is only taking jobs from those fighting the rich
and powerful, how are they paying?
That s the problem. Half the time, they can t because of the
trouble they re in. It s a catch-22.
Sounds to me like Burns needs to open his mind as well as the
talent within his agency.
Wind grinned. I always figured you for a smart guy.
Just then his phone rang, and Chris looked at the number. City
Morgue. He brought the phone to his ear. Captain Taylor speaking.
You d better get down here.
Why? Even as he asked, he stood and grabbed his suit jacket.
You need to see this for yourself.
Lust in the Wind 71
Chapter 8
Nick really didn t want to be anywhere near an entire building full
of dead bodies, but if he planned to prove to both his agency as well
as the authorities that he had the balls to do this, he had to man up.
Following Wind s directions, he took the elevator to the basement
and walked down the long, empty hall. The heels of his riding boots
echoed throughout and gave Nick an even more ominous feeling. He
stopped at the double doors and pulled in a breath before stepping
inside.
So then I told the guy to shove his drink up his tailpipe. There
was no way I was going to do that on a first date. At least get to the
pivotal third date first.
You sound like Nick. Nick recognized Chris s warm laughter in
his tenor voice.
Another reference to the great Nick. That s four times in less
than an hour. A pretty redhead with shining blue eyes laughed as she
talked to Chris. Dressed in indigo blue scrubs that matched her eyes,
she smiled and turned to Nick as he walked in. Can I help you?
Nick. Chris stood up from the stainless steel gurney he d been
leaning on, his stunning blue eyes shining. Hi.
Well, well, well. You must be Nick Vermont.
Nick shot a look at Chris, who gave him a nod as if that answered
all the questions Nick had. She pulled off her gloves with a snap and
held out a slender hand.
I m Dr. Melissa Graves. Insert joke here.
He took her hand and looked to Chris again.
It s okay, Nick. Chris told me.
72 Jayden Knight
Told you what?
She glanced over at Chris and flashed a wicked grin. Should I
start with what happened in the bedroom or maybe what you did to
him in the living room that had him screaming out your name?
Nick dropped his jaw as heated embarrassment burned into his
cheeks. He glared at Chris. How much did you tell her?
Nick
Why in the hell are you running around telling people things that
are going to get both our asses in trouble?
She s
I got my ass handed to me last night by Burns and here you are
oversharing with the ME.
My
This is bullshit, Chris.
Sister.
That shut him up.
She smiled and nodded. Don t worry, Nick. Chris tells me
everything. He doesn t have anyone else to talk to even though I
really wish he d leave the details out sometimes. What you two did in
the kitchen is worthy of pictures.
Nick didn t know whether he liked anyone else knowing what
they did, sister or not. He clenched his teeth together to stop from
saying anything.
Shall we get started? She walked over to the table and slapped
on a new pair of gloves. At once her smile disappeared as she
concentrated on the ripped-open body of what used to be a human.
She poked around inside the opening, and the gooey, slushy noises
turned Nick s stomach. As if the smell didn t already have him close
to losing breakfast.
Okay, you see what s missing right here? She pointed at
something in the mushy mess.
Chris leaned over and got a real close look. Nick didn t.
What s missing? Chris asked.
Lust in the Wind 73
His heart. Lungs. Liver. Kidneys. Basically every organ a person
needs to survive. They re all gone.
That caught Nick s attention. He took a step toward them. What
do you mean, gone?
She rested that intense blue gaze on him, and Nick saw the
resemblance. Those beautiful blue eyes were definitely a family trait.
I m not sure what part I can make any clearer for you, cutie-pie. He
really is a looker, Chris, just like you said. Maybe not too bright,
though.
What a minute, Nick protested, not sure whether to hate her for
her comment or not.
She s kidding, Nick. Lighten up, Mel. This is his first time.
Spiking a red brow, she gave him a crooked grin. Well, good for
you.
Why did everyone keep saying that? First crime scene, Nick
clarified.
Not quite as much fun, if you ask me. She brought her attention
back to the shell of a body. How old are you, Nick?
Twenty-nine.
Aren t we all. She repeated her brother s words in a teasing
tone. Okay, take a look here. You see where I would expect signs of
separation here?
How would I know what you would expect to see? Chris fired
back.
She rolled those pretty eyes. Quit being such a cop, Chris. I m
looking for signs of how the killer took all the internal organs.
And?
And there aren t any. They just aren t there. She stepped back
from the body and popped off her gloves before resting her gaze on
Nick. How about you, air caller? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]