Page 61 of Bad Moon Rising
Flynn typed. “I’ll be damned. You’re genius. One of the original scientists published on the development of the amnesia drug Dom mentioned, PKC-zeta also called Blackout, was Peter Kenaz. He’s retired, living in Denmark.”
“There you go. Talk to Peter Kenaz. Forget Spain.” Evie smiled, but it fell. “What else? There’s more?”
Roman swallowed. He didn’t want to do this because Shane’s death hurt his mom more than anyone else. “There’s more.”
No one moved.
“Well? Spit it out.” Evie held up her hands.
“Nova woke up with this in her hand.” Roman put Shane’s lighter on the table.
His mother blanched. “That looks like…” She put a hand to the throat. Then grabbed the piece to inspect the bottom where she’d find theSthat Shane had scratched into the metal with his blade. “You boys swore you saw my baby, my little heart, die. You said he died in an explosion.”
Roman nodded. “Atomized. We found nothing. No lighter. No remnants.”
“Then how the hell did she get Shane’s lighter? You think he’s alive?”
Roman said, “Someone sure wants us to think so.”
Chapter Sixteen
“How could Shane live and not be bound to the curse?” Evie asked. “It’s a magical bond that you have to obey. It’d draw you back to the home base when they called all of you in, even him.”
Roman said, “It’s his lighter, and it’s not fire damaged. Maybe he gave it to someone before he blew himself up.”
Evie wrapped Roman’s hand around it. “Swear to me no matter what the Crown orders you to do, we will find out if Shane is alive.”
“You don’t have to ask. But…” Roman dropped his head. “I promise I’ll find out who gave this to her. If he’s alive, he may have figured out how to get free of the curse.”
The bond these men shared with their mother warmed Nova from the inside. They were quirky and elegant, yet dangerous and devoted to each other. Deep inside, she wanted this kind of family. A kind that if she got into jam, she wouldn’t be alone. She could see how much they were hurting without Shane, but their shared grief hadn’t broken their bond.
“You don’t seem hungry, Nova,” Evie announced. “Want to do something more fun while the boys stay here and eat?”
“What are you planning?” Roman asked, low.
She put her hands on her hips as she stood. “Have I ever gone back on my word to you?”
He shook his head.
“She’s safe with me. I swear. However, I think she could hold her own.” Evie winked at her. “Come, Nova, let’s do some girl stuff.” She waved for Nova to follow her.
Roman stood.
Evie’s eyes narrowed in a silent order. He planted his butt back in the chair. Nova bit her lip to suppress a giggle.
She followed Evie down two levels of narrow windy staircases to a room that was half library and half TV room. She’d immediately liked Evie, who came off both elegant and self-reliant, yet take-no-prisoners.
“This is a beautiful boat. Or is it a yacht? Everything is so in place and perfect here,” Nova said.
“If you were Coast Guard, it’d seem the perfect luxury.” She angled a book from the gigantic shelving unit on the wall, and an entire bookcase moved away to reveal a wall of weapons. “Tell me which you prefer if we were going to shoot something at 700 yards.”
Wow.Her brain peppered her with information on each weapon. Nova scanned the various handguns, knives, and rifles. “The PSR and LRP-07 are nice if you want to hit a raccoon at a thousand yards. But for me…” She removed a black rifle from its rack and rotated it in the light to view the miniature writing on the side. “The TRG 22AI is perfection. And this one shoots 6.5 Creedmoor, which is far more accurate than the 308.” She looked through the scope. “Nice.”
Evie’s approving grin sent tingles down her spine.
Nova muttered, “Can’t remember my own name, but apparently info on guns and bullets still rattles around up there.”
“Keep the rifle out.” Evie picked up a box of ammo. “Let me see what you can do with her.”
