Tyler said, “Perfect timing. Kane, Lovelyn, meet Ash and Heretic Atheron.” He gestured between us. “Kane’s part of the team. Lovelyn is our resident unofficial intelligence analyst.”
Kane rumbled a greeting. His hand didn’t budge.
“Nice to meet you.” I formed a smile, a little surprised at the introduction. I’d never done work for anyone in the crew other than Arran and Shade, and the title felt like overkill. But perhaps Tyler had been thinking about me for other reasons.
A short while ago, he’d asked whether I knew anything about Dixie. I’d suggested he come with me to visit her place, but it hadn’t happened. I expected him now to ask for an update, assuming the top tier of skeleton crew management all knew what we’d been doing.
Except Tyler’s focus was on the huge man at my side. “Good to talk?”
At the same moment, Convict hollered, “Lovelyn. Got a minute?”
I slipped out of Kane’s hold and entered the office, Convict closing the door behind me. Behind the black desk, Arran waited, but it was Convict who spoke.
He parked himself against the wall, the bruise my father gave him next to the scar on his hairline lighter, apparently healing. “Why are there no headlines about the bodies found on the Marchant ship?”
Ah, right. The question that haunted the back of my mind. “I asked my father a couple of days ago, and he said it was political. I took that to mean there was a reason to keep it quiet. But I’ve no idea what that could be.”
Arran tapped his desk. “Can you find out?”
“I can try, but he’s already shot me down once. Tell you what, I’ll see if a detective has been assigned. When I last checked, there was no lead name attached to the case.”
Taking the visitor’s seat, I extracted my laptop from my bag and set it up on my knees then logged in to the case management system. I navigated to the case then stared.
“What?” Convict asked.
“It’s a multi-agency approach, as expected with the deaths happening in Scotland but the company ownership in England. For Deadwater’s response, there is a detective allocated. Lyle Francis.”
The two men swapped a look.
Arran gave nothing away. “What can you tell us about him?”
“Lyle is thirty-two and on the up. He transferred to Deadwater last summer but was immediately sent to work on a coordinated case with another force. A huge drugs bust he crowed about. That’s probably why you haven’t heard of him.”
“What kind of man is he? In your father’s image or not?”
He meant was Lyle corrupt. “He’s out to make a name so playing the game carefully. He admires my father, though.Assuming he isn’t blind, that tells me he might be persuadable. If you find the need to influence him in some way, be cautious.”
Arran thanked me, and Convict released me from the room.
There was much to think about with the Marchant family drama, but all my focus went to Kane and the glower now on his face.
He left Tyler and came to me. “I’ll see Lovelyn upstairs then I’ll be back.”
In the waiting lift, Kane hit the button for the seventh floor.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
He didn’t speak, his expression suggesting I shouldn’t bother trying either. Dark energy poured off him, souring the mood. Strangely, I was even more attracted to him like that. It made me want to push his buttons.
I checked my reflection in the glass, my purple rose so pretty. “Thank you again for the bouquet.”
His brow furrowed deeper. “Fucking flowers.”
“Which I really liked.”
“Why? All they are is a dishonest front for wanting sex and not just coming out and saying it.”
My mouth popped open. “Is sex the only reason you gave them to me? You don’t respect me?”
