Black Wings, Gray Skies (Black Hat Bureau 4)

“It was nice meeting you.” She edged past me into the bathroom. “Enjoy your tour.”

Once the door shut behind her, I joined Clay. “That was Andreas Farmer’s teacher.”

She hadn’t used his name, but that tracked if it hadn’t been released to the public yet.

“Really?” He raked today’s wavy blond hair out of his eyes. “That’s interesting.”

Together we climbed the stairs to the upper deck and found Asa holding us seats.

For the safety of our fellow passengers, his hair was braided tight to prevent any hand-chopper-offing.

When he saw me, he smiled, and the thick bar piercing his septum caught the light. Bone-white ceramic with gold veins mirrored in his hoop earrings. They looked good on him. But then again, as the man fanning his cheeks across the aisle would attest, everything was improved by Asa wearing it.

Plunking down beside him, I filled him in on my brush with Tracy Amerson.

“Killers often return to the scene of the crime,” Asa mused. “Do you think she’s involved?”

“Hard to say.” I replayed our conversation. “She approached me and waited to see if I would identify her before she brought up the boy. I can’t tell if she was that desperate for connection, or if she was that freaked out no one seemed to notice or care if Andreas was missing. It also makes me wonder if she’s para. She’s kept her head, and so have we, but everyone else on board is la-de-da.”

“We’ll keep an eye on her.” Asa put his arm around my shoulders to pull me close. “See what she does.”

“The island is small.” Clay, still standing, watched the boat’s wake. “It shouldn’t be hard to track her.”

“Are those…” Colby gasped, “…dolphins?”

Eyes bright in the shadow of his jacket, Colby peered around his lapel out at the water.

“Sure are, Shorty.” He moved to the rail to give her a better, and safer, view. “How many do you count?”

With the two of them occupied during our trip, I turned my attention to Asa. “Hi.”

“Hello.” The edges of his mouth twitched. “Come here often?”

A snort burst out of me. “I can’t believe you went there.”

“I’ve gone many new places since I met you.”

“Yes, well, I did steal your first kiss.”

“I didn’t mean it in the literal sense.”

Flames erupted in my cheeks, and I cleared my throat. “I knew that.”

Soft chuckles shook his shoulders while he watched me burn.

Grumbling under my breath, I fussed, “How did I end up the pervert in this relationship?”

“I like it.” Asa leaned over and captured my ear between his teeth. “You have such interesting ideas.”

A groan clawed up my throat, part pleasure and part embarrassment, and his answering growl made me shiver.

“Keep your teeth to yourself, mister.” I shoved him back. “There are kids present.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Depends.” I squinted at him. “Is it pervy?”

“No.”