Free Roman's Gold (Underground Heat, Book 1) by Ann Gimpel Page A

his fingers. “So there is a drug which could make us stronger. And make more of us from those with weak mixed blood.”
    Kate nodded. “That’s what it looks like. I’m not certain how old Devon is since I wiped his data off my computer, but he has to be somewhere between his mid-thirties and forty. A first shift at that age is unheard of.”
    “I agree.” He eyed her. “So long as you called me, how is everything else? Food supplies holding up?”
    Kate snaked her tongue out of her mouth and licked her lips. She hadn’t told the underground that Tara, Joe, and Mike were gone. Apparently the three had done a good job of hiding if Max still assumed they were with her. “There have been a few, er, changes.”
    A corner of his mouth turned down. “Spill it, Roman. I don’t have all day.”
    “…so, I left them in the woods with most of the food. It wasn’t like I had much of a choice. They would have left anyway.”
    Max nodded. “I understand. Don’t blame yourself. They haven’t hit my radar screen, so they must be all right, at least for now. I have to run. Your intel about the drug may prove to be our salvation.”
    “How so?”
    “Not sure just yet, but you might have struck gold, Miss Roman. I need to run it past a couple of our biological scientists.”
    The screen flickered and grayed out. Kate sat and stared at it for a while before she got to her feet. She did her usual cursory check that her office was ready for her next client before letting herself out the door. It was dark outside. She glanced at her wrist computer. Sheesh. How’d it get to be eight o’clock? There were several unopened messages, but she’d tend to them later. If she tarried, she’d miss the last bus. Taxis were ridiculously expensive. Kate dropped her wrist computer into a pocket and lengthened her stride.
    As she jogged toward the bus stop, she thought about Devon. He’d been even dishier in the flesh than in her dreams. His shifter status was like icing on an already toothsome cake. She felt torn. The attraction between them was strong. On his side as well or he wouldn’t have bent his standards to buy time with her.
    She sighed. I’ve got to stop living in Never-Never Land. He doesn’t want me anymore. Couldn’t wait to get away… And even if he did, it would be foolish for me to link my star to a cop.
    “I tell you,” the cat growled, “he is our mated one. Stop fighting it.”
    “Be quiet. You’ll get us killed. He’s a cop. His job is to capture us.”
    Kate waited for some pushback, but the cat was apparently done talking. Her thoughts returned to Devon. His professional life was all about following orders. As law enforcement, it would almost have to be. Despite his assurance he’d never turn her in, she wasn’t certain his ingrained sense of duty wouldn’t trip him up—and snare her right along with him.
    She waved her arms at the bus and ran hard. The doors swooshed open. The attendant gave her a dirty look. The buses didn’t need drivers. The city had run them without any human assistance until homeless had taken up residence in the public transportation system. Between crapping in the busses and heckling people who simply wanted a ride from Point A to Point B, bums had practically disabled the bus system. It took a while, but the powers that be decided it was cheaper to assign a person to each bus.
    She flashed her wrist computer app at the attendant and ran her screen over the glass. It beeped and debited ten credits from her account. Kate glanced up the aisle. Not so many people tonight. She worked her way to a window seat, fell into it, and tried to empty her mind of Devon. Just when she thought she’d succeeded, her cat piped up, “He’s only a cop because he didn’t understand he was one of us.”

Chapter 7
    Devon felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach. He tried to ignore the pain, but it had done nothing but get worse since he’d left Kate. His mouth flooded with saliva.
    He