Free Smoke and Fire: Part 1 by Donna Grant Page A

never said anything.
    “Kinsey is here now. For good or bad, she’s at Dreagan learning everything MI5 is searching for,” Con said.
    Ryder leaned forward in his chair and clasped his hands together as he rested his forearms on his knees. “I know her, Con.”
    “You knew her. Three years is a long time in a human’s life. Anything could’ve happened.”
    “I watched her.”
    Just as Con suspected. “Every moment of every day?”
    “No.”
    “Did you see who she spent time with?”
    Ryder swallowed. “Sometimes.”
    “What about the men she dates? She’s a beautiful woman who is smart and gifted in her field. Women like her doona stay single long.”
    Ryder grew very still, his anger obvious. “You know I saw the men she dated.”
    “I’d wager no’ all of them. Did you see what she did on the dates?”
    “No,” Ryder stated in a hard voice.
    “Which means you can no’ attest to her character now. You knew her better than anyone at one time, but that doesna translate to the here and now.”
    Ryder blew out a breath and leaned back in the chair. “I could use her help searching for Ulrik and anyone else involved.”
    “She’s that good?”
    “Aye,” Ryder affirmed.
    Con had been considering this since he’d learned of her arrival. If he separated Ryder and Kinsey, Ryder would get little work done because he’d be checking on Kinsey.
    At least with them together, Ryder would watch over her. Hopefully his emotions wouldn’t get in the way if he discovered her doing something she shouldn’t.
    “Nothing she brought in has been tampered with,” Ryder said. “It’s all clean.”
    “I find it interesting you didna say she was clean.”
    Ryder’s face fell. “I can no’ be sure that she’s no’. She’s no’ even sure if she is. I willna know until I spend more time with her.”
    Con could see this taking a very bad turn. He leaned forward to rest his arms on his desk. “Do you know what you’re agreeing to?”
    “I do. I’ll be the one held solely responsible if Kinsey does anything while under my watch.”
    Con shook his head. “I’d no’ have that on your shoulders. What if there is magic used, and the only way to stop her is death?”
    “Then I’ll do it.”
    Con wasn’t so sure Ryder could. However, he knew Ryder would do everything in his control to stop Kinsey. That alone was enough for him.
    “Then I’ll leave her in your care,” Con relented.
    Ryder’s faced eased into relief. “You willna regret it.”
    Con prayed he didn’t. It was bad enough that Kinsey had run from Ryder after seeing him shift. Ryder was a tough individual—all the Kings were. But they had their breaking points as well.
    “Do you think you can earn her trust again?” Con asked.
    Ryder gave a brief nod. “I believe so.”
    “Does she still care for you?”
    “That I can no’ say.”
    “Find out,” Con ordered. “If she’s afraid of you—us—then she may be using you to get close and attempt something.”
    Ryder lifted his chin. “No’ Kinsey.”
    “Give me proof. I want to accept your word for it, Ryder, but with MI5 here, and Ulrik out doing God-knows-what, I have to be sure.”
    “Then you’ll have your proof.”
    As Ryder walked out, Con prayed he didn’t have to kill another mortal. The first one nearly did him in and lost him a best friend.
    This one would lose him everything.

Chapter Ten
    It usually took a lot for Kinsey to get as frustrated as she was at the moment. It had nothing to do with the equipment—because it was state of the art and gorgeous—and everything to do with not being about to find jack squat on Ulrik or his people.
    “Ryder warned you.”
    “I beg your pardon?” Dmitri asked.
    Kinsey threw him a quick smile. “Sorry. I tend to talk to myself sometimes.”
    “You’re looking up Ulrik. Ryder does that daily and rarely finds anything.”
    Daily? Holy shit. And here Kinsey thought she had some new moves that would show her more and impress Ryder. She