so it’s got to be connected to the Coltons or a Colton, and...”
He waited.
“You have a love bite on the right side of your neck.”
Inwardly, West cursed, and slapped a hand over the telltale mark. Knew he should have worn a collared shirt, but he’d been in a rush.
“And you shaved off your beard. You never shave your beard. So it has to be a woman.”
West rubbed a knuckle against his cheek. “My personal life is none of your damn business.”
Mike’s gaze narrowed. “It is if your personal life interferes with the job, West. You’re a good operator. I asked for you on my team because that’s how good you are. You’re focused and private and that’s fine. But don’t let a woman get in the way of finding Demi Colton. I’d hate to see you trash your career over good sex.”
“Great sex.” He locked gazes with her, and flattened his palms on the table.
Her mouth curled into a smile, and then she gave a short, grudging laugh. “I’m glad someone’s getting something. Fine. Do whatever you must do. But do your job, as well. And don’t hold anything back from me.”
Mike was not his father confessor. “You’re on a need-to-know basis. That’s how we set up this op. So when you need to know, I’ll tell you. For now, know this. Whoever blew up that hardware store probably is the same person who stole the fifty-five-gallon drum of peroxide from the chemical warehouse in Sioux Falls. This could have been a test for something bigger, with massive human casualties.”
Now he’d succeeded in diverting her attention away from his face and neck. Mike glanced at the bag in her tote. “Another TATP bomb? Demi Colton trying to create a distraction, or blow up a whole damn wedding, groom and bride this time?”
“I don’t know. My gut says whoever did this, the hardware store was a test run, to see how volatile the explosives were and how much was needed for the real thing. If it was Demi Colton, she’s gone beyond shooting grooms.” He took his notepad out of his back pocket where he’d scribbled details about Quinn’s sister and what he had learned about her.
Quinn hadn’t been close to her half sister. She’d told him as much. But that had been growing up. Giving Demi the gift of the mirrored compact told him Quinn reached out, tried to forge a bond with her sibling.
“Have you gotten anything out of the Colton brothers?”
“Not yet. They’re closemouthed and haven’t said much to me.”
“What about Quinn Colton? Has she said anything at all about her sister?”
He hadn’t been a smooth operator all these years to give away answers with his facial expression. West thumbed through the notebook. “She’s worried sick about her sister and the baby. She also thinks it’s possible that Demi could be the Groom Killer. If Quinn was in touch with her sister, she would coax her into surrendering to authorities.”
I hope.
Had Quinn helped Demi hide in the abandoned building, giving her food and water, and then they’d blown up the building to hide evidence? Too far-fetched, but why the hell was his fiancée’s compact in the rubble? He had no answers, only questions.
West shoved his notebook back into his pocket and glanced at his watch. He had enough time to grab lunch, and a few necessities, before arriving for the afternoon shift. The chief had granted him a half day after he’d worked the crime scene a full fourteen hours yesterday.
“Got to go. Call me as soon as you get a hit on that evidence.” West slid out of the booth.
Mike nodded. “And you check in every other day now instead of once a week. I don’t like this development, West. Or being left in the dark. You know what I do when I’m in the dark.”
“No worries. Will do.”
As he headed out of the diner, he knew the intent behind his boss’s words. Mike wouldn’t be satisfied with the meager information he’d given her. If she felt he was holding out, she would yank him off the case and replace his sorry ass. Or worse, go undercover herself to team up with him. In working close with him, she’d be certain to find out about his relationship with Quinn.
He could only hope he had answers to give her soon, before that happened.
* * *
Vegan meals were easy for Quinn to make. The hard part was the delivery, and the finicky client—Tia Linwicki.
Tia, who owned her own real estate agency on the edge of downtown, was very fussy about her meals. She had sent Quinn a specific list of foods to prepare. If the food was too hot, she complained. If it was too cold, she complained.
But she paid cash each day and didn’t mind the surcharge Quinn put on there for the special delivery fee.
Or, as Quinn privately put it, “The Bitch Fee.”
This morning she’d made Tia a special vegan garlic pasta with roasted tomatoes. The smells had been so enticing, they even made Quinn’s mouth water.
Then she slid the pasta into a special heated dish, covered it with the insulated food carrier and left her store.
Tia worked a good distance from her, but it was such a nice day, Quinn decided to walk. The insulated container would keep the pasta at the proper temperature and cool it slightly by the time she reached Tia’s office. If she drove, her client would complain the food was too hot to eat right away.
Humming, she walked past the stores, her practiced eye noting the lack of customers out on such a pretty, sunny day. Normally downtown was bustling with tourists. Not now.
Her business wasn’t the only one suffering.
The heels of her flat-soled shoes clicked on the pavement as she walked. At the corner drugstore, she saw West coming out, a paper bag in hand. Her heart beat faster.
Quinn nodded at him. “Afternoon, Agent Brand.”
“Miss Colton, a pleasure to see you,” he murmured, tapping his index finger to his lips. His eyes sparkled as he held up the bag.
Oh yeah, she knew why he had been in there. Condoms.
She continued walking, unable to keep the silly smile from her face. The finger-to-the-lips gesture was their secret code for he planned to spend the night with her. Oh yeah, great sex on the horizon always chased away gloomy thoughts.
Her smile fled. Condoms for tonight, but they’d been reckless recently. She might even be pregnant now. If so, West’s choice about kids would be removed. Well, that was a worry for later.
The early-pregnancy test kit she’d bought still sat in the bathroom. Soon as she returned home, she’d screw up the nerve to take it.
Later, she’d also worry about all the questions West had peppered her with over Demi. She was happy he’d finally opened up about his family, and sensed it was a deeply sore subject, but she wanted him to share with her about his childhood. Surely there were good memories, as he’d indicated last night. Quinn couldn’t imagine losing
