Dark Flame (Flame 3)

Why did you leave the force tonight? she asked.

Not sure, exactly. Easton has had me working real shit jobs for the past week. I was being punished for surviving Roche’s attack on you and Mary.

Wait a minute. Do you honestly believe he knew what was going on?

There’s not a doubt in my mind. He took a sip of scotch. When I arrived at the station just now, I had three drunk vampire prostitutes in the back of my SUV. The most I could charge any of them with was for creating a public disturbance. They weren’t engaged in committing a crime and Easton knew it.

Juliet spun the straw in her mai-tai. That still doesn’t explain why you quit, because I’m sure this isn’t the first time Easton has made your service feel like a waste of time.

His brow grew tight in that way of his. He swirled what remained of his whisky. I’ve been restless. Okay, more than restless.

She smiled. You want to do this with me, don’t you?

He lifted his gaze to her. Despite how careful she was being in holding her emotions in check, his eyes always got to her. They seemed to reach into her soul and grab on tight.

She forced herself to take a breath then another.

When he didn’t answer, she laid out her thoughts carefully. This will be a working relationship only. You have my word on that.

He lifted a brow. Your word? And what is that worth?

She’d thought about this issue a lot. Does one breach invalidate an entire life?

In this case, I think it might.

Are you saying no to working with me, then, because you believe you wouldn’t be able to trust me in the field?

~ ~ ~

Brannick wanted to refuse the arrangement for more than one reason. He wanted to stay in the right and lord it over her. That way, he wouldn’t have to deal with how his gaze kept falling to her freckles. Jesus, he’d kissed them a lot during their shared time in the dreamglide. She’d make this soft cooing sound when he did it. Maybe it was the sound he wanted to hear more than anything else.

He looked away from her and drank once more, finishing his scotch.

Dammit, he was going to say yes. All right, I’m in. And I do trust you in the field. You were amazing the whole time we worked to recover Mary. Just keep your dreamglide away from me.

Don’t worry, I will.

So, what do you have in mind?

He watched her chest rise and fall. He expected a swoosh of air to follow, but she held it in. She seemed so different, yet the same. I think we should start with Roche, find a way to take him down. I’m even wondering if we might be able to do it in the dreamglide.

Wouldn’t he have to be asleep for that? Or unconscious?

She shook her head, her expression somber. Not a fae of Roche’s power. Think of it as similar to telepathy. You have enough telepathic ability to pierce anyone’s mind, at any time, right?

But I’d never do it.

I know that, she said. My point is that you could. Remember how Roche once tried to hijack me in a waking dreamglide? That’s when Agnes taught me to build a dreamglide block.

Okay. I get where you’re going. But are you suggesting we just enter his dreamglide and take him on?

Some of her grimness left her features. Okay, here’s what I thought we could do. What if you and I use my dreamglide to stalk him? We could learn all about his operation then choose when and where to attack.

Brannick nodded. I get it now and that’s exactly what we should do. What do you suggest?

I’m still living in the cottage in Agnes’s compound. I’ve decided to stay there for my own safety. We could be in the cottage physically while we dreamglided back to the Fae Cathedral. How does that sound?

Like a solid plan.