Page 38 of Beautifully Ruined

“Don’t get your hopes up, Vi. There’s a change she didn’t leave enough of the hair in here. She tried to remove the strands?—”

“We might get something.”

“Even if we do, it’s going to depend on whether she’s in the database or not,” I say gently.

But Vi’s stubborn. “She will be. What parent wouldn’t report her missing? Wht wouldn’t they give up something for DNA? The clip shows she came from money.”

I breathe out. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Good, because I’m not giving up on this girl. Not ever.”

It’s the next night,and Violet’s thrown herself into work.

I’m getting my place reinforced, but the damage is at the door, so it’s pretty much done. Just a couple of upgrades needed.

Normally, I wouldn’t be pleased with her being alone, but Enzo’s place really is a fortress, and he has cameras. Everywhere except my bedroom and the bathrooms. He doesn’t use them, not like I would, because we don’t share that preference, but he does like to check up on the place when we’re not there.

Some might call him paranoid. But I call him careful.

And I think I might wire my place for vision and sound. Because with Violet there, even if she moves back to her home, which if I have my way she won’t be, at least not long term, doing that is going to be filthy fun.

Because I look like I went a few rounds in a ring, we decide on one of the outer neighborhoods of Brooklyn to meet one of our fellow operatives who also works as a detective.

I fill him in on what Harry gave me, and he takes the baggie with the clip.

Enzo narrows his eyes at the bag. “Think you can run DNA on it?”

Zayne turns it over in his hands, examining the small strands of hair. “I’ll arrange it, no question, but…” He slides it into his pocket and sips his drink. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Good.” I toy with my whiskey as Enzo focuses on his phone.

Most people would call it rude, but he’s doing one of two things; checking in on Violet for me or checking information that just came in. Perhaps even both.

Not that I want anyone else spying on my girl, but for all his fuckboy chatter, Enzo is someone I trust with my life. He’s my best friend, my work partner, and I know him.

He’d one hundred percent make sure my Vi’s safe.

Zayne lets out a breath. “We might not get anything, I’m warning you. We don’t have anything to run it against. And it could pick up someone else completely. What about prints?”

“Depends on how good your equipment is and how long you want to mess with it. Apart from the girl, it’d be my prints and Violet’s.”

“Who’s—” He catches a sharp look from Enzo. “Just asking, guys. She belongs to…”

A lightbulb seems to go off, but he just nods. “Okay she’s not important to this. But look, I might need the prints. But even those might not be useful. And the DNA could be contaminated or nothing I find is in the database.”

My hand tightens around my glass. “If we can stop another fucking trafficker…”

“More will come out of the woodwork.” Zayne shakes his head.

Enzo looks from me to him. “And we destroy them, too.”

Zayne lifts his glass. “Cheers to that.”

We talk a while longer, and I know he’s right. But Vi’s right, too. We can’t give up.

And sure, we might not get any clear information from the hairpin, but anything is better than the nothing we have now.

We have another round and then part ways.