Page 99 of Love & Heart Braking

“Because I only have so much restraint, and this is your apartment so I’d feel bad about breaking it. And because I’ve come from a crime scene. A smokey one.”

I schooled my expression. “Oh? What happened?”

“You didn’t see it in the paper? The Cinereses’ tree tunnel was burned down last night. Well, it's still burning, I should say, but the fire was lit last night.”

My insides quailed. Nothing super bad, she’d said. It’ll be fun, she’d said.

I cleared my throat.

Devereaux watched me. “Changed your bedding, huh.”

Picking at the top blanket, I mumbled, “Yep.”

“Your hair smells nice. Washed that?”

I flipped it. “You like?”

“I love,” he purred. “Your scent is like a calling card to me. I can always smell it, even weeks after the fact, anywhere you’ve been.”

“Dev, I burned down the Cinereses’ tree tunnel.”

“I know, sweetheart.”

I winced. “How?”

“Your scent was everywhere. You’re lucky I took the case to try to dig up more on the twelve. I erased yours and Soleil’s signatures.”

“Sol was meant to light the fire. I was just watching. But then she was too drunk to spark the shitty flint we’d bought, so I just took it to help her get the leaf litter going. Next thing, a spark flew and hit a tree. Whoosh. Those things really burn fast.” My eyes rounded at the memory. Pretty sure I fell on my ass when they erupted and singed a few eyelashes.

Soleil had carried us away, and we’d watched from high in the sky as the Cinereses raced to extinguish their death trap.

“I didn’t mean to do it,” I said in chagrin.

Devereaux’s shoulders shook, and then laughter boomed out of him. He rested his head against the back of the couch, shaking with his deep mirth.

When he paused for breath, I folded my arms. “Something funny?”

He chuckled. “Only because I wiped away the evidence of you both being there.”

“Sorry to put you in that position.”

Devereaux lifted a shoulder. “You know I’m only in this career for one reason. I have no problem helping out the little guy. Or two drunk women in this instance. But,” he stressed, “the Cinereses are out for blood. That tunnel has been in their family for centuries.”

Honestly? I felt bad about burning old trees while being glad they were gone too. Because they’d been intended to serve one vicious purpose. “I’ll be careful. Soleil needed an outlet.”

He snorted. “No kidding. Tell her to put food coloring in the kraken’s moats next time, would ya?”

My lips twitched. “I’ll pass on the suggestion.”

“Good. Hey, do you mind if I shower? I don’t want to stink up the place. Especially when you were so careful to remove traces of any evidence.”

Laughing again, Devereaux walked into the bathroom, and it was my turn to deal with my molten libido as I listened to him turn on the shower and undress. He got in, and I imagined him washing that firm body of his. The shower turned off.

Female kind would thank me for taking a quick peek, right? Just a little one?

Yeah?

Okay. I’d do it for all of us.

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