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“Leave?Now?” She barks a laugh. “Believe me, I’d like nothing so much as to go home, Mr. Burton.”
The rage in her tone makes my hard cock throb, and I swallow harshly when her words hit my ears. I push aside my raging horn as I lift my head, ready to retort, only for Joseph to cut me off.
“Vaughn, meet Wren Caputo. She will be staying with you while we search for her mother.”
CHAPTER6
VAUGHN
My temporary ward of sorts blinks those gray eyes of hers, her long black lashes fanning across the expanse of her cheekbones as I race through my spiraling thoughts.
The kid I’ve been expecting is most assuredlynota kid at all.
Wren Caputo isallwoman.
The thought puts a frown on my face, and I feel more than a little deceived, entirely blaming the beauty before me.
Thedaughterof my dead best friend.
Thedaughterof that same friend, whose death hangs around my neck like a lead weight.
Had Renzo lived, I’d most likely be her fuckinguncle.
I will my dick to deflate while I regard her with emotionless eyes, but the fucker has the morals of an alley cat, pressing against my suit pants, reminding me that morals are for the weak.
I waste no time in ramming my carefully crafted invisible shield into place, keeping her and everyone else at an arm's length.
“Welcome to Rogue, Wren.” My cool tone matches my gaze, and her eyes narrow slightly as I continue, forcing my tone to soften ever so minutely. “I was concerned to hear of your mother’s disappearance.”
She inclines her head in acknowledgment as I shift my gaze to Fratelli. “Any update?”
Jo, clearly oblivious to what passed between Wren and me before he joined us, launches into a tirade about the lack of overtime funding in the force. I will myself to at least half listen, my interest piqued when he mentions a missing neighbor.
“In my rounds, I’ve found one of the neighbors didn’t show up for work the night of the break-in. I’m just—”
My eyes land on Wren’s beautifully alarmed face as she blurts out, “It wasn’t Elliott Porter, was it, Detective Fratelli?”
Jo turns his baffled eyes toward her. “How did you guess that?”
Wren shakes her head over and over. “It can’t be a coincidence. Itcan’t.” She slaps the heel of her palm off her forehead several times, making Jo reach for her as she cries out frustratedly, “Why can’t I remember?”
She looks from Jo to me and back again. “It’s not public knowledge, but Dr. Porter has been on several dates with Mom…”
Jo exchanges a glance with me before gripping Wren’s upper arm gently. “This is helpful, Wren. This could lead to something.” She smiles tremulously as he stands back. “You have my card, so contact meany time. I’ll check into this Dr. Porter business and get back to you ASAP.”
He moves to leave, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair he’d been seated in, but before he gets to the door, my words stop him.
“My associate, Ford Holloway, would be more than happy to help you out with the case, Jo. No additional funding required.”
Jo grins back at me. “Give him my details.” He opens the door, nodding one last time at a blatantly shaken Wren. “I’ll keep you in the loop.”
And then he’s gone, leaving me with…her.
Damn it all to hell.
* * *
WREN
