Black Truth, White Lies (Black Hat Bureau 3)

For Colby, I had sacrificed that power, stepped out of that darkness.

For Asa, I would paint my face in crimson and prowl back into the void.

“I wish you two would mate already.” Clay wrinkled his nose. “This lovey-dovey crap gets old fast.”

“Your ex-lover tried to kill us all last month,” I reminded him. “You’ve got no room to talk.”

“I have bad taste in women.” He shrugged. “That doesn’t mean you don’t also have bad taste in men.”

“We’re getting sidetracked.” I massaged my temples. “You two are leaving, yes?”

“Yeah.” Clay turned serious. “I hate to ditch you with a mess, Dollface.”

“It’s fine.” I wasn’t totally up a creek, well, yes, I was, but anyway. “Aedan can help.”

Clay cocked an eyebrow at Asa. “That cool with you?”

“Rue makes her own choices,” he said wisely then glanced at the cage. “She’ll need help with us gone.”

“Okay.” Clay lifted his hands. “It’s not you I’m worried about, if you catch my drift.”

“It won’t be a problem.” He rubbed a hand across his chest. “I think.”

The daemon had trouble staying away when Asa was nearby, but maybe he would behave this time.

What did it say about me that, deep down, I held my breath in the hopes he would be a brat as usual?

“We’ll burn that bridge when we get there.” I checked, and the truck keys were in the ignition. “When do you expect those lab results?”

“Maybe tomorrow.” Clay scratched his head. “I’ll check in with Lindy and see.”

Lindy.

I filed the name away, but off the top of my head, I didn’t recall having met a Lindy.

Anyone with a private lab was worth remembering.

“See you in a day or two.” Clay dragged me in for a hug. “Make my apologies to Shorty.”

“I will.” I walked into Asa’s arms and rested my cheek above his heart. “No pony rides, okay?”

“I will do my best to resist.” His arms came around me. “I expect to be wined and dined when I return.”

A surprised laugh shot out of me, which must have been his intention, given his grin.

“I see how it is,” I teased. “Spoil me with cupcakes to lure me in then turn the tables.”

“I couldn’t help overhearing.” Clay wiped a smile off his mouth. “Rue doesn’t have a romantic bone in her body. You know that, right? Are you really leaving a date night up to her?”

“I can do romantic.” I honed my glower on him, my competitive nature rising. “I will do romantic.”

The joke was on him. I had read enough romance novels to plan a date night in my sleep. It might not be tailored to Asa and me, the way perfect moments unfurled in books, but I could do generic. No problem. All thanks to the education Clay foisted upon me when he stuck the first romance novel in my hand.

“I trust her.” Asa stroked his hands up and down my back and whispered in my ear, “You’ve got this.”

That he was cheering me on made me feel like a bad bet and more determined than ever to figure out a way to repay his thoughtfulness for the cupcakes he still sent daily whenever we were apart. He hadn’t fixed the quantity either, so I got mountains of baked goods to remind me of him whenever he was away.

The girls thought it was swoony. I did too. Even if I fussed about the expense, I was pleased he felt I was worth it.