Page 20 of New Nebraska Heat

The front door’s security buzzer went off in the main living space, echoing faintly into this back bedroom. Visitors? At this time in the morning? It rasped again. And again. Incessantly, signaling whoever was downstairs had no intention of stopping. An angry scenario flashed through my mind. If that fuckface Conrad had somehow managed to find my address, I was about to go downstairs and punch every last ounce of blood from his body.

Serenity began stirring, her fingers slipping from my mine. “Is everything okay?” she mumbled.

I couldn’t stop myself from brushing the crown of her head with my lips, her delicate, womanly scent filling my nose as I lingered there. “Of course.” I whispered softly. “Probably one of the dancers with an issue. Gigi, I bet. That girl has zero patience. Relax, try to sleep more. I’ll go handle it.”

She didn’t reply but snuggled deeper into my arms.

Bryce had woken too. Rubbing his face, he slipped his jacket on and buttoned up his shirt to the top. “Could be a problem at Midas. My secretary knows I came over last night.”

“Oh, what if it’s—” Serenity suddenly shook her head, pulled herself away from me and scrambled out of bed. There was a look of worry in her eyes. “You don’t think that Conrad could’ve…”

“No, don’t worry. I’m sure it’s nothing.” I tried to give her a reassuring smile. “There’s a monitor to check who’s at the security door anyway. Nobody’s getting in unless we want them to.”

Serenity smoothed out her crinkled sleep shorts and tank, grabbed a hoodie and stuck close to me as we left her room.

We all walked into the living room, me scooping up the meowing Carrot as we went. Serenity and Bryce followed me to the security intercom by the elevator doors as Carrot rubbed her whiskery cheeks against mine, purring as I petted her.

Looking at the monitor and feeling myself scowl, I growled out our visitor’s identity to Bryce. “For fuck’s sake. It’s Dagger.”

What the fuck did he want? And at the ass crack of dawn too.

I pressed the intercom button and cursed him silently for disturbing what had been a peaceful and relaxing morning with Serenity. I growled out my questions. “What do you want? Do you know what time it is?”

The tone in his answer was just as salty. “Police business. Let me in, Hunt. I have to come up and ask a few questions.”

I paused, my finger hovering over the button to buzz him in.

“Hunt, let me in. This isn’t a request.”

Bryce chimed in from behind me, sighing. “You’d better let him in. He’ll just keep ringing the damn buzzer until you do.”

With gritted teeth, I pressed the button and watched him step into the elevator.

Serenity looked confused. “What’s going on? You know that policeman?”

Exhaling hard, I replied. “I should. He’s my goddamn brother.”

Dagger

Well, this wasn’t what I’d been expecting. Hunter’s miserable glower, of course. Bryce’s awkward stare, sure.

But not the human suspect I’d been searching for to be so captivating. Her shining eyes bulging, she ran them across my body, lingering on the tats swathed around my arms, fixing on and staring at the black jaguar that started mid-bicep and stretched all the way down to my right hand, coating my fingernails in its inky claws.

I didn’t dress like a conventional detective, in a stuffy shirt and tie. Wearing a T-shirt was not only more comfortable, but it also revealed my sleeved arm tats, sending suspects an unspoken message about my style of policing. And the strength of the creature lurking within me.

The girl’s voice was delicate, but there was strength and determination in her gaze, her words stumbling out in confusion as she brought her focus to my face, peeringup at me. “Hunter… this police officer…” Then she looked at Hunter, and back at me again, saying from the side of her mouth, “Is your twin?”

Hunter scowled and it fueled my smirk. I answered for him. “Allegedly.”

Taking in his fancy loft apartment—peddling over-priced champagne and naked dancers to the city’s elites seemed to pay well—I looked at Hunter, asking, “You not gonna offer yourbrothera cup of coffee?”

The air was filled with palpable tension as my twin stared at me, exhaling hard but saying nothing. Then he shook his head, his tone frosty as he replied, “We’re fresh out.”

“Pity, I could have done with a cup.” I stepped further into the apartment, noticing the girl’s eyes following me as I discreetly scanned for anything suspicious. Not that I thought Hunter was into anything worthy of investigation. It was just second nature, after so many years as a detective on the streets of New Omaha.

And he was hanging out with the girl I’d come to question. Imagine my surprise when I’d asked the shelter for the address of the human woman they’d said was a witness. I hardly met any humans when I was on the job. They tended to behave themselves. Usually.

Flesh-peddling Hunt was mixing company with an exotic lady, for round these parts. But was she to be trusted?