however, that made her breath catch in her throat. “Kir.” She sent him a startled glance. “This is your definition of a little fundraiser?”
He sent her a wicked smile. “What did you expect?”
“Bake sales. Car washes.” She turned back to study the mingling crowd stuffed into the room. There had to be at least two hundred people who were all dressed in their finest clothes. And while she’d never rubbed elbows with the most powerful citizens of Wisconsin, she recognized faces that she’d seen on television. “Not senators and corporate CEOs.”
Kir shrugged. “Bake sales aren’t really my style.”
“I don’t know.” She sent him a small smile. “You make a mean cheesecake.”
“True,” he readily agreed. “But senators and CEOs bring in more money than cheesecake.”
She returned her attention to the crowd. Was that woman in the corner an anchor for a major network? Lynne was certain she’d seen her on the late-night news. More importantly, Monica and Grady were there, all healed up from being knocked unconscious by Parker, along with a beaming Bernadine, who was now a full-time receptionist at the clinic.
“How did you convince so many people to come?” she asked.
“You are a very popular person in Pike.”
She snorted. “Not this popular.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself, my dear.”
“I’m a realist. I doubt the senator who is currently eating a shrimp cocktail has ever heard my name.”
“I have a wide web of connections from my business,” Kir said in a casual tone. As if everyone could pick up the phone and gather prominent citizens from the upper Midwest. “And the fact that we recently survived the local serial killer didn’t hurt. Everyone wants to meet us.” He paused, touching the scar that was starting to fade from his cheek. A visible reminder of his encounter with Parker Bowen. “And of course, to catch sight of this beauty.”
Lynne instinctively pressed against Kir’s side. He was the rock she had grown accustomed to leaning on. It was a wondrous feeling.
“So they’re here because we’re notorious?”
“A few of them.”
Lynne shuddered. “I’d be offended if this wasn’t for the sanctuary.”
Since Parker’s arrest she’d done her best to throw herself into work. She didn’t want to think about how many hours she’d spent with the smooth, charming journalist when he’d been plotting her death. Or the pain and terror he’d caused to the people of Pike. She didn’t even want to consider Rudolf Jansen’s brutal end.
It would take time to process the destruction that had started with Delbert Frey and the torture of his son. The evil man had created a monster who had nearly destroyed them all. For now it was enough that they were alive.
Kir wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. “We can leave if you want. I’m sure we’ll make enough from the door tickets alone to be able to hire extra help and expand the kennels.”
Lynne wondered how much Kir was charging for the tickets even as she tilted her chin to a defiant angle. “No, I need to face this.”
Kir frowned down at her. “If you’re trying to prove your courage to me, let me assure you it’s not necessary,” he told her. “Not only did you face down a serial killer, but when you could have fled to safety, you instead returned to shoot the bastard.”
Lynne blushed at the warm pride in his voice. It was ridiculous. She hadn’t done anything special. When Kir had yelled out that her truck was in the lot, she’d known exactly what she had to do. In fact, she couldn’t believe how stupid Parker had been to drive her truck instead of his van, although she supposed he was worried someone might catch sight of the vehicle and realize he was at the air base.
Still, it’d taken less than five minutes to run up to the parking lot and grab her long-range gun. She used it on cattle or horses that were in the pasture and too skittish to get close to. Or occasionally deer that the local conservation department wanted to test for disease. After grabbing her rifle, she’d syringed enough sedatives into the dart to put down an elephant and headed back down to the bunker. The dosage was potentially lethal to humans, but Lynne didn’t care. She wanted Parker knocked out as quickly as possible.
“It isn’t about courage,” she insisted. “It’s about accepting the past so we can move on to the future.”
“I’m good with that.” He lowered his head to brush his lips across her forehead. Then straightening, he swept a searching gaze over her upturned face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She started to nod, then sent him a rueful smile. Kir had a sixth sense. He always knew when she was lying, which wasn’t the most comfortable talent to have in a partner.
“I’ll be better when Parker, or rather Carl Frey, is locked in the penitentiary and the key thrown away,” she admitted. The nightmares had started to fade, but the knowledge that she was going to have to endure the trial kept her up at night.
“Yeah.” Kir shrugged. “I called the prosecutor again today, but she said they’re still investigating. It’s going to be months or even years before he goes to trial.”
“Did they ever discover Ernie?” she asked, referring to Merrill Frey’s second husband.
“No. Either he realized his stepson was a psychotic killer who murdered his own mother and decided to disappear before he could become the next victim, or Carl decided to get rid of him.” Kir heaved a resigned sigh. “That’s part of the ongoing investigation.”
Lynne leaned her head against Kir’s shoulder. “So much death.”
“Yes.” He dropped a kiss on top of her head. “But not tonight.”
He was right. Lynne straightened, pulling away from Kir to allow the happy chatter of the guests to wash over her. It felt good to be surrounded by her friends and even those people she’d never met. It reminded her that there were still good things in the world worth celebrating.
“No, not tonight,” she agreed with a smile.
Kir’s eyes darkened as he studied the curve of her lips before allowing his gaze to drift down to the plunging neckline of her gown. “First we’re going to convince these very fine guests to hand over obscene amounts of money,” he said, his voice roughened with desire. “And then we’ll return to your house and I’ll continue my efforts to convince you to marry me.”
An answering desire swirled through Lynne, warming her in delicious places.
She sent him a teasing glance. “You do know that I might have already agreed to the proposal if you weren’t so good at trying to convince me.”
A low growl rumbled in his throat. “I sense we’re going to have a very long, very interesting future together, Dr. Gale.”
“Would you have it any other way, Mr. Jansen?”
Sliding his hand down the curve of her spine, he led her into the crowd. “Not in a million years,” he whispered in her ear.
DARKNESS BETRAYED
New York Times Bestselling Author
Alexandra Ivy
When a conspiracy threatens what’s most precious to The Guardians of Eternity, they must depend upon their one-time enemy to protect them in the latest from New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Ivy . . .
Once, Brigette was the conduit through which the ultimate evil reached Earth. Now she’s just a lonely Were isolated in an Irish cottage, cut off from her animal and humanity alike. When a band of rebels approach her to take down the king of the vampires, she knows denying them means certain death—but even if she warns the king, he may not listen to the likes of her.
From the moment Xi slips into Brigette’s bedroom to escort her to his king, he sees the heartbreak that hides behind her guilt. The elusive vampire has fought for centuries to master his own regrets, and his word will convince the king to value hers. Neither can escape the attraction between them, even as partners on an undercover mission. But there’s no room for pleasure when their work might redeem her to the Guardians completely—or send them to the death they’ve evaded for so long . . .
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