Every moment was perfect.
My feelings are amorphous, floating through me. Confusion. And the start of some warm fuzzies. I squash them.
I need to focus.
I grab my phone. It’s almost noon here, so it’s earlier in California. Mina probably won’t be awake. Then again, I’m not sure she lives in California. We’ve only communicated by phone or online. She’s like me, transient, floating outside the confines of society.
I text her anyway.
Call me.
My phone buzzes right away, and I answer. “Mina?”
“I’m here.” Her voice is raspier than usual against a backdrop of thrumming trance music.
“Are you up early, or did you never go to bed?
“What do you think?”
“Never mind, I don’t need to know. I need info on someone. And I want to know everything. I need you to dig.”
“Got it.” Her fingers clatter on the keyboard. “Who’s the subject?”
“Rex Roy.” Just his name makes me set my teeth. Smug, sadistic asshole.
The clatter stops. “The billionaire? Tech genius?” There’s an admiring note in her voice, and not many people impress Mina.
“Roy Enterprises. He owns the company.”
“He owns a lot more than that. Well, his parents did, and when they died, he inherited it. He took their fortune and expanded it ten times over. He’s closer to trillionaire than billionaire now.”
I sort through the information. “His parents died?”
“Dude, yes. It was the story of the decade for a while. He’s famously an orphan.”
I wince. The image of a boy comes to mind—dark hair, mouth set like it will never again know a smile. It’s a fleeting vision, gone before I can grasp it.
I know what it’s like to be a famous orphan.
“Why do you need to know about him? Is he a suspect?”
“Not officially. I just. . .” What can I say?I’ve scened with him—three times now. And he’s the dom of my dreams and my nightmares. He’s toying with me. Stalking me.
He’s killed for me.If I’m right, he’s killed before that and will kill again.
“I met him. And I got a feeling.”
Mina knows about my feelings. I never explained, but after a few cases where my feelings led to clues that closed cases, she caught on.
“Done. I’ll have a prelim dossier to you in five hours.”
I sit for a moment, dreading the walk to the bathroom. I can feel the whip marks he gave me. So precise, so controlled.
A surge of desire takes my breath away. I close my eyes and slide my hand between my legs.
What do you want, Inara? Tell me, and I’ll do everything in my power to give it to you.
I saw you. I wanted you.
