Read Online Blood on the Bayou: A Cafferty & Quinn Novella by Heather Graham - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heather Graham
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arms around her, covered her with the length of his body, and eased himself slowly down. She quickly rose against him, seeking the same, kissing his flesh, teasing him, light brushes, far more serious touches that escalated him to a place where the world existed in the physical sense of the two of them, and nothing else.
Later, lying beside her, Quinn thought that life could be strange indeed. He thought about the wasted years gone before. He hadn’t deserved a second chance, but had gotten one anyway. Danni was a part of that second chance. They might not ever really understand their role in the world as it had fallen to them. Maybe Angus had never really understood himself. But Danni was his lifeline now.
Whatever happened, they had one another.
He smiled.
Trite and a bad pickup line. But true.
As long as he had her, the world could send him anything.
Wolf began to bark, then the dog slammed himself against the bedroom door.
Quinn jumped from the bed, drew on his jeans, and reached to the bedside table for the SIG Sauer P226 that Jake Larue had given him last Christmas.
Danni was leaping out of bed, scrambling for clothing too.
“Stay here,” he told her. “My old Glock is in the top drawer. Get it.”
He hurried out of the room.
Wolf waited in the hall. Bo Ray and Billie were running down the stairs.
“Hold off,” Quinn said.
“Following you,” Billie said. “Bo Ray, get in with Danni.”
The look he tossed Quinn was to remind him that Billie had worked with Angus for years before a young upstart like Quinn had come along.
Wolf led the way to the ground floor and the courtyard entrance. Quinn opened the door and Wolf rushed out, barking furiously. Quinn stood perfectly still. Whoever had been there was gone. And whoever had been there had been blessed with the capability of jumping high fences, as the gate that led out to Royal Street was still latched tightly.
“Quinn,” Billie said. “Over here.”
He walked to the courtyard entry for the kitchen. There, by the door, were what appeared to be footprints of some large bipedal creature.
Billie hunkered down and touched the substance creating the prints, then looked up at Quinn.
They both knew what it was.
Blood.
* * * *
Danni poured coffee as she listened to Quinn.
It had been just a few minutes after 6:00 a.m. when Wolf, Billie, and Quinn came back into the house, too late to bother trying to get back to sleep.
Quinn called Larue.
No, he didn’t want a major investigation. No, he didn’t believe that the Royal Street house had been besieged by a league of rougarous . He didn’t want a big deal made out of it. No sirens blazing.
“But I want to know what that blood substance is, so send a tech over,” he told Larue. “Whatever is going on, they think they’re going to scare Danni and me away. That’s what that was all about. Rougarou or not—whatever, whoever, they didn’t want to mess with Wolf. We’re in good shape here, and whoever came by didn’t actually try to get in. Just get me a tech to look at the substance.”
He listened, thanked Larue, hung up, and came for the coffee pot.
“They’ll have somebody here in a few minutes.”
“They have anything yet on Byron Grayson?” Danni asked.
Quinn shook his head. “Go figure. A major office building in the Central Business District and no one saw a thing. I’m heading out to the swamp today. I want you—”
“Quinn, you can’t worry about me all the time. That’s not the way this works.” She stood on her toes to plant a quick kiss on his lips. “However, today, you don’t have to worry about me. Natasha and I are heading to the library. We’re going to find out what’s happened over the years.” She was quiet a minute and then said, “There are dozens of theories but in Salem, Massachusetts, during the witch hysteria, a strong theory was that people let their hatred take hold, and a lot of that hatred had to do with people wanting prime land.
Later, lying beside her, Quinn thought that life could be strange indeed. He thought about the wasted years gone before. He hadn’t deserved a second chance, but had gotten one anyway. Danni was a part of that second chance. They might not ever really understand their role in the world as it had fallen to them. Maybe Angus had never really understood himself. But Danni was his lifeline now.
Whatever happened, they had one another.
He smiled.
Trite and a bad pickup line. But true.
As long as he had her, the world could send him anything.
Wolf began to bark, then the dog slammed himself against the bedroom door.
Quinn jumped from the bed, drew on his jeans, and reached to the bedside table for the SIG Sauer P226 that Jake Larue had given him last Christmas.
Danni was leaping out of bed, scrambling for clothing too.
“Stay here,” he told her. “My old Glock is in the top drawer. Get it.”
He hurried out of the room.
Wolf waited in the hall. Bo Ray and Billie were running down the stairs.
“Hold off,” Quinn said.
“Following you,” Billie said. “Bo Ray, get in with Danni.”
The look he tossed Quinn was to remind him that Billie had worked with Angus for years before a young upstart like Quinn had come along.
Wolf led the way to the ground floor and the courtyard entrance. Quinn opened the door and Wolf rushed out, barking furiously. Quinn stood perfectly still. Whoever had been there was gone. And whoever had been there had been blessed with the capability of jumping high fences, as the gate that led out to Royal Street was still latched tightly.
“Quinn,” Billie said. “Over here.”
He walked to the courtyard entry for the kitchen. There, by the door, were what appeared to be footprints of some large bipedal creature.
Billie hunkered down and touched the substance creating the prints, then looked up at Quinn.
They both knew what it was.
Blood.
* * * *
Danni poured coffee as she listened to Quinn.
It had been just a few minutes after 6:00 a.m. when Wolf, Billie, and Quinn came back into the house, too late to bother trying to get back to sleep.
Quinn called Larue.
No, he didn’t want a major investigation. No, he didn’t believe that the Royal Street house had been besieged by a league of rougarous . He didn’t want a big deal made out of it. No sirens blazing.
“But I want to know what that blood substance is, so send a tech over,” he told Larue. “Whatever is going on, they think they’re going to scare Danni and me away. That’s what that was all about. Rougarou or not—whatever, whoever, they didn’t want to mess with Wolf. We’re in good shape here, and whoever came by didn’t actually try to get in. Just get me a tech to look at the substance.”
He listened, thanked Larue, hung up, and came for the coffee pot.
“They’ll have somebody here in a few minutes.”
“They have anything yet on Byron Grayson?” Danni asked.
Quinn shook his head. “Go figure. A major office building in the Central Business District and no one saw a thing. I’m heading out to the swamp today. I want you—”
“Quinn, you can’t worry about me all the time. That’s not the way this works.” She stood on her toes to plant a quick kiss on his lips. “However, today, you don’t have to worry about me. Natasha and I are heading to the library. We’re going to find out what’s happened over the years.” She was quiet a minute and then said, “There are dozens of theories but in Salem, Massachusetts, during the witch hysteria, a strong theory was that people let their hatred take hold, and a lot of that hatred had to do with people wanting prime land.