Page 3 of The Reluctant Siren
“I don’t have to have super investigative skills to knowthat is a bomb waiting to go off.” Ruby kept her voice down since they weren’texactly alone.
In the distance she could hear her sister greeting Chloe.Greer Dawson was pretty much the perfect big sister. Gorgeous and friendly andloving and unbelievably talented. She inherited their mom’s artistic skills andhad already had two well-attended showings of her works here in Dallas andanother in Austin.
Greer Dawson made her parents so proud. They didn’t worryabout her at all.
“Chloe doesn’t explode,” Harlow replied as she pulled herT-shirt over her head. “That’s the problem. She stays as far as she can frombig emotion. Honestly, her sniping at Seth is one of the healthiest things shedoes.”
Ruby went quiet for a moment, and Harlow had the worstsuspicion her BFF/business partner had been making the same connections shehad. But then the other woman sighed. “So are you watching or participatingtonight?”
She always came in ready to participate and then somethingwould happen and she would think about Jensen’s big, strong, lying hands on herbody and she would offer to work a shift in the bar or help out the Doms withtheir scenes. Today had been a lot. They took a new case that connected to theone Daisy had started. While they had shut down the cartel that had come afterDaisy, they apparently weren’t the only ones using the system put in place tomove drugs through the city.
“I don’t know,” she replied honestly.
“Is it about the Falls case? It’s reminiscent of the caseyou were working when…” Ruby let the words trail off.
Harlow’s first instinct was to ask what she was talkingabout. The case that led her straight into Jensen Wiley’s arms and then to ajail cell had nothing to do with the case they were working for Miranda Falls’smom.
Except they were both missing persons cases where a daughtergot caught up in a dangerous world.
“I suppose it brings back memories,” she admitted becauseshe needed at least one person who knew what she was thinking. Her parents knewwhat had happened, though she hadn’t given them the name of the man who hadsold her out. Jensen Wiley. After she fell in love with him and gave himeverything and planned a whole life with him. “It’s another young woman who isin 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 downbeside 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 upin jail from the raid. Two weeks later Sarah was on a plane home. You know shesays 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 akid.”
“It was two years ago, and you were twenty-four. Look, Idon’t know everything that went on with the case in LA, but I do know this newcase is similar and might be too much of a reminder of what happened there. Ifyou 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’regoing somewhere dangerous. This case has the potential to get dangerous, andit’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 senseto send you in. You need to be on the outside watching me. Besides, I have waymore lifestyle practice than you do, and it’s an underground club. I agreeabout talking to Big Tag.” She took a deep breath because she’d also beenthinking about this all day. “I’m going to need a partner.”
Ruby grinned. “You mean a top. Wanna go the girl route? I’vebeen watching Kala and I think I can totally whip your ass.”
The thought made her laugh. “No. We’re not going the lesbianroute. I meant what I said. You’re going to play tech on this one. I need a bigbad Dom the other tops will open up to because they think he’s one of them. Iknow Big Tag could assign one, but that guy will inevitably report back to mydads. It’s why Big Tag is so very willing to not charge the competition. Itkeeps psycho dad off his case.”
To say Chase Dawson had been against his daughter openingher 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 whenthey were way younger than she was. So she’d asked the owner of Sanctum toallow 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 allfor the training since he’d thought she would quit. Ian Taggart had offered herwhat she liked to call the Kill the Girl class.
It had been a rough six months, but the man knew how toensure his people could survive.
Ruby winced. “You’re probably right. And he’ll freak if heknows we’re following up on a case that got our admin put on a hit list. So whodo we ask? If the twins are around for a while we might be able to get Cooperor that Zach guy to do it. Although he’s a little scary.”
“He’s a CIA operative and I would say Cooper McKay could beour guy but if we get him scratched up, we have to deal with Kala and I justcan’t. No. I was thinking of someone else. Someone who’s ex-military and ownshis own business. Someone who knows the lifestyle but didn’t grow up witheveryone, so none of the dads can guilt him into talking.” It was a terribleidea. An awful idea. The first idea she’d had that made her excited. He was thebest choice. It only made sense. Her rational, professional self was going tohave her emotional scaredy cat in a choke hold.
And then her horny, curious self could finally play.
Ruby’s eyes widened. “Niall Griffen? The dude you have theworst crush on but you’re too scared to even play with? You want to goundercover with Niall Griffen?”
It sounded…not so bad. This could work. “I don’t know. He’sa solid guy. He passed all the background checks, and Gabe thinks he’s great. Imean we’ve only known him for a couple of months, but I can say the same foranyone Big Tag would assign to us, and he won’t feel the need to tell my fathereverything. Also, Big Tag would probably assign someone who wouldn’t end uptrying to sleep with me, and that means a married dude, and it would beawkward.”
“I agree. If you’re going in, you need to look like you’rereally a Dom and his sub. That would be hard if the guy can’t touch you in anintimate way. You would have to get super comfortable with him. Physically.”Ruby nodded. “I like this plan. It feels like a backdoor route to getting whatyou want. You don’t have to admit you like him. You need him and you’re goingundercover as a Dom and sub, and oops, there’s probably only one bed.”
Her friend read way too many romance novels. But then so didshe. “Fine. Maybe I want to push myself, and I know if I don’t have an excuse Iwon’t do it.” She glanced down the aisle and caught a glimpse of Chloe, who wasstill talking to her sister, but they had been joined by the infamousaforementioned Daisy O’Donnell, who was showing them her engagement ring.
Daisy was happy. A complete wreck, but happy.
