Free Blood and Roses (Holly Jennings Thriller) by A.K. Alexander Page A

year when the horse was pulled out of hislast race with rumors of drugs in his system, and then a suspensory branch issue. But they figured he could stand stud, so they’d made Tieg an offer he couldn’t refuse, especially considering he really wanted the bad press behind him.
    Dan shook his head. “Man, whatever they were shooting that animal with caused this. I know it.”
    “I need to call Elena.”
    “No, babe. Not yet. We’ll figure it out. I promise.” He took her hands and then kissed her. “I promise you. I know this is your dream, and we won’t let it fail. Okay?”
    She nodded.
    Dan reached to scratch Rascal between his ears. “I will say, though, that it’s a good thing Tieg is dead, or I’d probably go kill him myself for this.”
    “Dan!”
    “You reap what you sow, and I don’t think Tieg was too great a guy.”
    “That doesn’t mean he deserved to be murdered.”
    “I suppose not, but life has a funny way of getting even sometimes.”
    “I guess it does.”
    “Let’s not worry about it anymore tonight. It will all work out. I know it will,” he assured her. She tried to be comforted by his words, his strong arms around her, the familiar scent of the spicy cologne he wore.
    Leann wished she could be as sure as Dan that it would all work out, because at the moment, she wasn’t certain about how they were going to save the farm.

CHAPTER
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    12
    Brendan leaned across the table where he and Holly sat outside on his upstairs balcony drinking a glass of wine, and he gave her one helluva kiss. He leaned back with a mischievous look in his eyes. She was happy that she had made it in time for their eight o’clock “date,” which they’d decided to have at home.
    The downtown skyline spread out before them to the right, bright city lights blinking, and they watched airplanes land at Lindbergh Field, the brakes of the planes screaming across the tarmac as the flights touched down and slowed to a stop. Orange blossoms on the large tree in Brendan’s backyard scented the air.
    She smiled. “What was that for?”
    “Because I love you.” He sipped the cabernet.
    “I love you, too.” She reached across the table and took his hand. His warmth and familiarity eased the ugliness of the day. As corny as it sounded, she referred to Brendan as her soft place to fall. He’d come into her life at the right time, when she had finally been willing to let go of the ghost she had been hanging onto for over eight years—her husband Jack who, like her, had been a cop. He’d died in a huge warehouse explosion during a drug bust. Holly had clung to the fact that his body had not been recovered. The fire had been too hot, and two other officers had died that day as well. There had been no remains. For so long she held out hope that Jack would come walking through the door and tell her that he was alive.
    Her mind played tricks on her, allowing her to convince herself that Jack was on a work trip. But that fantasy only lasted so long. On top of everything, she had been pregnant with Chloe at the time. Depression had set in, but the birth of their daughter helped, as did years of therapy. And then the fateful day when she’d met Brendan at their daughters’ school. It had taken some time, but she’d finally given over her heart, and although the demands of her job were grueling, her personal life finally seemed in order. She’d met a man she could love, one who wholeheartedly loved her back.
    “How was your day?” Brendan asked. “You were late. Something happen?”
    “I’m a cop. Something always happens. But yes, today was one of those days. Hard case. Very difficult, and with some ugly aspects.” She tried to keep her mind focused on him, but there were notes that she wanted to go over from Tommy and Katarina’s murders. She knew she needed to see what she could do about speaking with Edwin Hodges, and there were so many other details of the case that needed picking apart.
    “Ah, well, why