Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 132657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 663(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 442(@300wpm)
“I don’t know,” she replied honestly.
“Is it about the Falls case? It’s reminiscent of the case you were working when…” Ruby let the words trail off.
Harlow’s first instinct was to ask what she was talking about. The case that led her straight into Jensen Wiley’s arms and then to a jail cell had nothing to do with the case they were working for Miranda Falls’s mom.
Except they were both missing persons cases where a daughter got caught up in a dangerous world.
“I suppose it brings back memories,” she admitted because she needed at least one person who knew what she was thinking. Her parents knew what had happened, though she hadn’t given them the name of the man who had sold her out. Jensen Wiley. After she fell in love with him and gave him everything and planned a whole life with him. “It’s another young woman who is in trouble because she followed a guy into a bad situation.”
“Are you talking about Miranda or yourself?” Ruby asked.
“Both, I suppose, and Sarah Gains. She was…”
“The woman you went to California to find.” Ruby sat down beside her. “I know it was before you took me on, but I do my research, bestie. I’ve always thought it was interesting that she got out even after you ended up in jail from the raid. Two weeks later Sarah was on a plane home. You know she says a guy helped her.”
A guy who she described as looking an awful lot like Jensen.
“If he did save her, it was out of guilt for giving me up. He had his own agenda,” Harlow said with a sigh. “And it was years ago. I was a kid.”
“It was two years ago, and you were twenty-four. Look, I don’t know everything that went on with the case in LA, but I do know this new case is similar and might be too much of a reminder of what happened there. If you don’t want to pursue this we can talk to Big Tag,” Ruby offered. “Honestly, we should anyway. He told us if we ever need muscle, he’ll give us a good deal. I actually think the big bastard meant that. Like free bodyguards if we’re going somewhere dangerous. This case has the potential to get dangerous, and it’s going to be you on the line since I’m glorified tech support.”
Sure she was. “You’re a brilliant hacker. It makes no sense to send you in. You need to be on the outside watching me. Besides, I have way more lifestyle practice than you do, and it’s an underground club. I agree about talking to Big Tag.” She took a deep breath because she’d also been thinking about this all day. “I’m going to need a partner.”
Ruby grinned. “You mean a top. Wanna go the girl route? I’ve been watching Kala and I think I can totally whip your ass.”
The thought made her laugh. “No. We’re not going the lesbian route. I meant what I said. You’re going to play tech on this one. I need a big bad Dom the other tops will open up to because they think he’s one of them. I know Big Tag could assign one, but that guy will inevitably report back to my dads. It’s why Big Tag is so very willing to not charge the competition. It keeps psycho dad off his case.”
To say Chase Dawson had been against his daughter opening her own private detective agency would be another one of those understatements. He’d forbidden her to work outside the agency he and her other dad formed when they were way younger than she was. So she’d asked the owner of Sanctum to allow her to not only join the BDSM training class—her dad objected to that, too—but also to allow her to train with his bodyguards. Her father had been all for the training since he’d thought she would quit. Ian Taggart had offered her what she liked to call the Kill the Girl class.
It had been a rough six months, but the man knew how to ensure his people could survive.
Ruby winced. “You’re probably right. And he’ll freak if he knows we’re following up on a case that got our admin put on a hit list. So who do we ask? If the twins are around for a while we might be able to get Cooper or that Zach guy to do it. Although he’s a little scary.”
“He’s a CIA operative and I would say Cooper McKay could be our guy but if we get him scratched up, we have to deal with Kala and I just can’t. No. I was thinking of someone else. Someone who’s ex-military and owns his own business. Someone who knows the lifestyle but didn’t grow up with everyone, so none of the dads can guilt him into talking.” It was a terrible idea. An awful idea. The first idea she’d had that made her excited. He was the best choice. It only made sense. Her rational, professional self was going to have her emotional scaredy cat in a choke hold.