AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Way…
That dead guy found on the bank of a river couldnotbe Rain’s boyfriend Dom.
Could it?
She let the footage roll forward to the end, but the victim’s name wasn’t shared.
Dove bolted up in bed, fingers digging into her temples. Oh god. If he was dead, packed away in the back of a van…
Ithadto be the drug dealer. Nobody else would have that name on their boot.
He’s dead.
Her breaths were coming sharp and fast. Did that mean it was all over? Were they safe?
Could she return to her old life…to Quaide?
ChapterThree
The facial recognition program pulled a name. Rain.
The same name found on the bottom of the dead guy’s cowboy boot.
And a last name too—Priester. The same as Dove’s.
“Why would anybody write their girlfriend’s name on their boot?” Quaide scrubbed a hand over his tired face. He hadn’t been sleeping—Clay was right about that. It had been weeks since he easily drifted off with little weighing on his conscience.
Lark turned her head to answer his question. “I’d write Clay’s name on the bottom of my boot.”
Clay’s stare landed on her. When the pair looked at each other, electricity snapped and made everyone who was in the room with them feel like voyeurs peeking through a keyhole at something very private.
Had he and Dove behaved the same way?
He didn’t think so—they purposely avoided talking about their personal lives for that very reason.
After a moment, Clay said, “I’d do the same.”
Lark plucked a black permanent marker from the pen holder on the desk and brandished it at Clay, sticking out her yellow high-top sneaker.
“Don’t you guys start getting sappy. We have work to do. A case to solve. Now it appears that we don’t just have a local outdoorsman killed and dumped on the riverbank. He’s got ties to a woman who has a hit out on her.”
Just then, the phone rang. Quaide saw the caller, inwardly groaned and put her on speaker.
“Hey, Barker-Moore.” He pictured the very young medical examiner. He couldn’t believe he was working with people young enough to be his own kids, if he’d ever had any and if he’d started young enough.
“The autopsy’s about to begin. I’m sending you the link to stream it.”
His brows shot up. He and Clay exchanged looks. “Did you say we were watching the autopsy?” he asked Clay.
“I’m not watching the autopsy.” Clay darted a look at his significant other. “Lark?”
“I’m good!” She popped out of her seat and was halfway across the office before anyone could stop her.
A deep voice came from the doorway. “Did somebody say autopsy?” Julius Abel, also new to Sentry, rubbed his tattooed knuckle across his jaw. One hand sported tattoos on each knuckle that spelledwild,and the other saidfree. The guy looked rough, from his leather shit-kicker boots to the tattoos up and down his arms that probably extended to all parts of his body. Julius was perfect for this team—he could easily infiltrate extremist groups and outlaw biker gangs and fit in without raising eyebrows.
“Join the video now. I’m about to begin,” came Raven Barker-Moore’s response.
“I’ll make popcorn.” Julius started to turn away.
