Free Blind Hearts and Silenced Passion by Anya Byrne Page B

as
far as Baqir could tell from his cursory examination, top quality. Of course,
all silencers knew that there was no point in adding a good lock to a bad door,
so the walls and the rest of the structure had been rebuilt from the inside,
while still keeping the appearance of run-down and abandoned.
    Baqir wasn't exactly sure where Dread had brought him, but he
did not hesitate. He would not be caught off guard. Under different
circumstances, he might have actually stopped here—he could spot a potential
trap when he saw one—but if Dread did have baleful intentions toward him, he'd
definitely used the right bait. Without a doubt, Remy was here.
    The thing about mates—even ones like Baqir and Remy who
hadn't actually completed their bond—was that they could sense one another. As
such, Baqir was not the only person who had this feeling, this knowledge. It
went both ways, so it wasn't wholly surprising when Remy greeted him at the
door of the warehouse.
    Remy's scowl didn't bode well for their impending
conversation. "Dread… I see you brought guests."
    "Indeed. I believe you already know one another so
there's no reason to make the introductions."
    "You're quite right." Remy's voice softened as he
turned toward Baqir. "What are you doing here, Baqir?"
    There were many potential replies on Baqir's lips. I
missed you. I wanted to see you. I can't breathe when I'm not with you. I'm
sorry for how we parted ways. I'm so very sorry for what I said. I didn't mean
it. In the end, he went with none of those options and chose the most
practical one. "I was worried about you. I dropped by your place and when
I couldn't find you there, I enlisted Dread's help."
    Of course, there was a little more to it than that, but Baqir
was not comfortable talking about his regrets and frustration with Dread there.
In fact, he didn't even know if he could expose them at all. It had been clear
from the beginning that Remy deserved better, and while Baqir had dared to
dream they might have a chance, the illusion had shattered under the weight of
reality.
    Perhaps Remy had realized it as well, because he narrowed his
eyes at Baqir. "I don't need your concern," he said.
    "Oh, dear," Dread muttered under his breath.
"Lovers' spat? I think that's my cue to step out of the scene."
    With a dramatic swish of his long coat, Dread slid into the
warehouse. Remy rolled his eyes. "He hasn't changed."
    "Quite. How do you even know him?"
    It wasn't something he'd been particularly planning to
discuss, but he couldn't help the question, not after having seen the
familiarity between the two and the strange emotion Dread displayed where Remy
was concerned. He was proven correct when Remy didn't immediately answer.
    Vicious fury rose inside Baqir. "You are lovers, aren't
you?"
    "Not right now, but we did have a liaison for a
time," Remy admitted. "It's... complicated. I haven't spoken to him
in a while."
    Baqir suppressed the snarl that bubbled in his throat. He had
no right to question Remy's past. He barely had that right when it came to
Remy's present, and even that was pushing it. "In any case," Remy
said, "you didn't have to worry. I'm fine and I can handle myself. I've
been doing so for quite a while."
    Baqir suddenly had a very bad feeling about this entire
situation. "What exactly are you doing here, Remy? Is this related to the
investigation?"
    "That's a useless question, and you know it." Remy
snorted. "Everyone seems to think I can't help, but that is obviously not
the case. I suppose it's not a bad thing that you've come. We need more
information on the killings."
    A shiver went down Baqir's spine. The idea that Remy wanted
to look into the killings made Baqir flash back to images of the bodies as they
had looked when they'd been found. "You can't be serious. You can't
possibly—"
    Remy cut him off before he could finish the phrase. "I
can and I will. I told you once before. We're in this together. Also, this
isn't just about us. People are dying, and if