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Iris
Adam abandoned me in my darkest hour.Dramatic, yes, but I wanted him to feel as guilty as possible for going to the gym with Roddy during my consultation with LSS.
I wondered what it stood for.
Large Smelly Sacs
Looming Sentient Sofas
Love Swallowing Semen
My guests arrived before I could settle on a guess. I opened the door to two very tall, mournfully attractive men in suits so starched I wondered if the edges were sharp enough to cut skin. It wasn’t my style in any way, but I could appreciate the fineness of their attire and the way the custom tailoring highlighted their broad chests and shoulders. If Ronan had been dressed this way the first time we met, I never would have flirted.
But now...now I knew just how spicy he could look in jeans and a T-shirt.
“Good morning, gentleman.” I backed away from the doorway, allowing them entrance into Adam’s apartment. From the far side of the living room, Daisy raised her head to see if our visitors were interesting. When she saw they had not come bearing treats, she lay back down and closed her eyes. Some guard dog she was.
The one I hadn’t met, with auburn hair and deep brown eyes, stretched his hand out to me. “Morning. I’m Finn McMaster. Thank you for meeting with us.” His accent was as Irish as his name, and even thicker than Ronan’s.
I shook his hand, giving him a cursory smile. “I didn’t have a lot of choice in the matter, but you’re welcome anyway. Is this a meeting I’ll need a large cup of coffee for, or do I need to go straight to a screwdriver?” He probably thought I meant the mixed drink, while I was thinking of giving my skull a hard poke with a sharp tool—anything to get out of this.
Finn released a low laugh. “We’ll try to be as gentle as possible, but I wouldn’t say no to coffee if you’re already making a pot.”
Ronan stiffened beside him. He’d barely looked at me since entering, too busy subtly doing a visual sweep of Adam’s apartment.
“You don’t need to make him coffee.” He aimed a death glare at me, as if I’d corrupted his partner within minutes of his arrival.
“Thank you. I already have some brewed. If you have a seat at the table, I’ll be right back.” I hurried into the kitchen, away from tall men whose accents reminded me of rolling fields of clover. To keep myself busy earlier, while coming up with possible meanings for LSS, I’d set out a tray of mugs, sugar cubes, and a tiny pitcher of cream. Adam and I would be discussing where the pitcher had come from. It was mad adorbs, but I couldn’t picture him walking into a store and purchasing it.
Both men stood from the dining table when I approached with my tray. Ronan moved as if to help me, but I gave him a sharp shake of my head and set it down on the table, scooting it to the middle.
I sat cross-legged on the chair at the head of the table and poured myself a mug. Finn followed suit, but Ronan remained still, his eyes continuing to sweep every nook and cranny of the space.
Little Spooky Spiders
Ronan cleared his throat. “I spoke with my contact at the police department who handled your break-in. All he could tell me was their only suspect had been cleared through an airtight alibi. Would you be able to tell us more about the break-in and who you think might have done it?”
I blinked and lowered my mug to the table. “You just...called the police and they told you about my case? Isn’t that a crime? If it’s not, it should be.” I shivered, goose bumps riding on my arms. “I feel like you were poking around in my underwear drawer.”
Finn chuckled, but Ronan remained stony-faced. If I hadn’t seen him in a different light, easygoing and flirty, I might’ve thought this expression suited him, but I knew better.
“My contact did not give me specifics, which is why I’m asking you to fill in the blanks. I assure you, Ms. Adler, any information you give us or we find out will be confidential and only used to keep you safe.”
With both hands wrapped around my mug, I leaned forward. “Please don’t call me Ms. Adler. It sounds like you’re talking to my mother, and to be frank, it feels condescending. If you want me to trust you, you’ll take this request as seriously as you say you’re taking my safety.”
Ronan bowed his head after a pause. “All right, Iris. Would you please fill in the blanks about your break-in so we can better understand the situation?”
Glancing back and forth between the two men, my stomach knotted. I wasn’t ashamed of who I was or how I led my life, but I also wasn’t used to having to explain it to perfect strangers.
I let go of my mug to twist my fingers in my lap. “About a month ago, I ended an arrangement.”
“Arrangement?” Finn looked up from his tablet where he’d been tapping out notes.
“Yes.” I blew out a puff of breath. “It wasn’t a relationship, but a regular sexual arrangement. It wasn’t working for me, so I ended it…on amicable terms, I thought.”
“Can you give us a name?” Finn asked.
“Yes. Their names are Logan Bryant and Megan Mills.”
