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Reath eyed me. “Soon.” Then he reached out and touched my hair. “Stay out of trouble while I’m gone.”

“I’ll try, but no promises.”

Now he smiled, and again, it was a good one. Did he know how unbearably handsome it made him?

There was a thump of heavy footsteps on the stairs and Colt appeared. The bounty hunter had a scowl in place. Lucky the grumpy look worked for him.

Reath took a step back. “I’ll see you later.”

22

REATH

Istared at the guy from the park through the glass. He was cuffed and sitting at an empty table in the interrogation room, and he certainly didn’t look happy.

The man across the table from him stirred.

Detective Simon Broussard was a good friend and a good cop. He was tall, with shaggy, brown hair shot through with gold. His badge was clipped to his belt.

He walked out of the room.

“Fury, you going to tell me what the hell is going on?” His accent was pure Cajun.

I nodded. “This guy came into town with a team. They’re here to steal a top-secret military project that’s being run at Tulane.”

Simon sighed. “It can never be simple with you.”

“The lead scientist is my best friend’s sister. I promised I’d keep an eye on her.”

Simon nodded. “Francesca Parker. She all right?”

I slid my hands into my pockets. “A few bruises.” I glared through the glass. “She risked herself to save the life of one of my guys.”

“Brave.” Simon paused. “Sorry, my friend, I can’t let you kill him. He didn’t say much.”

“My guess is that he’s too scared of his boss.”

Simon cocked his head. “Who is…?”

“Frenchman by the name of Hugh Auclair.”

“I’m guessing that if I run him, I’ll find out more things I don’t like.”

“The guy is ruthless, Simon. Nothing stops him. He likes to play games, and he’ll kill women and kids, if he has to.”

My friend’s face hardened. “A sociopath?”

“Probably. I’ve crossed paths with him before. I stopped an operation of his when I was with the CIA. Bombing of the US Embassy in Germany. Some of his team died.”

Simon scraped a hand through his hair. “You know where he is?”

I shook my head. “I was hoping our friend here would share.”

“I’ll let you question him, but no touching. Reath, you’re planning to stop Auclair?”

“Yes. He won’t quit coming after Frankie. She’s the key to the project.”

Simon nodded. “Don’t do anything I’ll have to arrest you for.”