Free Kissed by Smoke by Shéa MacLeod

hoping we’d pick up on
something. Something that would lead us to the people who’d hurt
Trevor, and hopefully, whoever had hired them to do the job. I had
no idea if the hit on Trevor was related to the hit on me, but it
was just one too many coincidences for my liking.
    I was staring glumly at the road in front of
us, the trees dark shapes against the pre-dawn sky. Suddenly The
Cure blasted from the stereo.
    You need thinking time . Inigo’s mind touched mine. Music always helps
you think. I’m here when you need me. Then he withdrew from
my head, a smile hovering as he drove my car deeper into the
mountains.
    I was a little overwhelmed at his
thoughtfulness. Sometimes I thought he was way too good for me. How
could I ever possibly deserve him?
    I reached across and took his hand, tangling
my fingers through his before letting my thoughts drift away. I’m
telling you, every girl should have a mind-reading clairvoyant
half-dragon for a boyfriend.
    ***
    Trevor had been staying at the nicest of the
three hotels in town, which wasn’t saying much. It was pretty
basic, but it was clean and tidy and the manager was no-nonsense.
There was no way he was letting us in Trevor’s room.
    When I told him I was Trevor’s sister, he
gave me a look that plainly said he didn’t believe me. He was very
clear on one point: He didn’t care if I was the frigging Queen of
England, I wasn’t getting in that room.
    A little bit of outrageous flirtation with
the maid and we were in. I should probably point out the flirtation
was done by yours truly. Apparently Inigo wasn’t quite the maid’s
type.
    Although it was obvious there’d been a fight
in the room, it didn’t look as if anything had been taken or rifled
through. They’d definitely been after Trevor, not robbery. Dammit.
This was not looking good for either of us.
    “They were human.”
    I glanced over at Inigo who was prowling
around the room. “You can sense them?”
    “Hell, no,” he laughed. “I can smell them.
They all seriously need to bathe. And I think they’re on
something.”
    “Tweakers?”
    He shrugged. “Can’t tell. You get
anything?”
    I frowned. “No, but I think there’s a lot
more to this than a bunch of druggies who need a bath.”
    “I agree. Next step?”
    “We find them.” Yeah. So easy.
    Needle. Meet haystack.

Chapter Ten
    Thanks to Inigo’s sense of smell, tracking
Trevor’s attackers wasn’t all that hard. We found them, or rather
one of them, in a rundown apartment block on the outskirts of town.
The place made the motel Vega had stayed in look like a palace.
    I rapped on the door. There was a shuffling
inside, then a sleepy voice, “Who is it?”
    “Pizza.”
    “I didn’t order any … oh.” The young man
that opened the door was scrawny, bleary-eyed and wearing nothing
but a pair of saggy tighty whities. So not attractive.
    “Yeah, oh. What’s your name, kid?” I kept my
voice firm, professional, but with just an edge of good humor. No
use freaking him out. He was obviously half strung-out already.
    “Uh, uh, Mikey.” He peered at me through
long strands of dirty blond hair.
    “Mikey, huh. Listen, Mikey, I’ve got some
questions for you. Mind if we come in?” I slid one booted foot
across the door frame so he would be unable to slam the door on
us.
    “Why? What questions? I don’t know
anything.” He was starting to panic, sweat popping out across his
forehead, skinny body trembling.
    “Listen, we just want to come in and talk to
you for a minute, no biggie.” I kept my voice light and cajoling. I
was afraid it wasn’t going to work. I was right.
    Mikey slammed the door, which bounced right
off my boot, then he took off running with his drawers sagging
halfway down his butt. I so did not need to see his pasty white
cheeks. I’d have nightmares for a month.
    “I’ll get him.” Inigo flashed a grin and
took off after the kid. Two bounds and the junkie was laid out flat
on the floor.
    I stared down at the kid