Free Heels and Heroes by Tiffany Allee Page B

our agenda today,” she asked, wondering how on earth he could eat so fast.
    “I’m going to check in with the League, see what progress they’ve made since yesterday. We need to find this guy soon, before he moves on.”
    She nodded. If they didn’t get Howler, she would need to follow him wherever he moved on to. She was the only one with her particular power that she knew of, and she wouldn’t feel right leaving some other group of superheroes to deal with what she was now thinking of as her mess. That would be tough to do; getting out of work now and then was okay, but she’d feel like an irresponsible jerk if she had to just take off for weeks to find the guy. “I’ll go with you.”
    “No, you should stay here.”
    “Excuse me?” She bristled at his tone. She didn’t care how good the man was in bed, he couldn’t give her orders. Well, technically being a League council member to her normal membership he could, but she wasn’t about to let him get by on a technicality.
    “Look, Bren, I know you want to get this guy, but he wants to get you, too. I think it’s best if you stay here where it’s safe. I’ll let you know if we need you.”
    “If? Don’t you mean when?”
    “Of course.” He got up from the table and grabbed her plate along with his own, stopping to plant a kiss on the top of her head, and then headed for the kitchen.
    A few minutes later he reappeared from the bedroom, wearing his uniform, with a long coat over it, probably to hide his appearance from his neighbors. He carried his mask in one hand, and his keys in the other. “I’ll be in touch. Stay out of sight, and call me if you see any sign of him, okay?”
    She gave him a short nod and stiffened when he pulled her close for a kiss good-bye. As his Porsche roared out of the driveway, she muttered a curse under her breath. Who did he think she was? She wouldn’t sit on the sidelines while other people got hurt hunting her villain. But he said he would call, and she trusted him, didn’t she? He’d call her if they found Howler, and she just have to keep from going crazy until then.
    After washing the dishes, which Justice had conveniently left piled in the sink, Brenda took a shower and donned her practical superhero outfit, minus the mask, and then wandered around the house. She didn’t mean to pry, but couldn’t help herself from straightening up his room. She made the bed, and then glanced through the collection of books that lined his wall, most of which revolved around police procedures and evidence collection, with a few mystery novels thrown in, as well.
    A quick peek into his nightstand drawers turned into a full-fledged search. The one on the side of the bed she’d woken up on was nearly empty, save for some loose change and a long-forgotten travel-size bottle of aspirin. But the drawer on his side of the bed had a far more interesting stash.
    Her face burned when she picked up the box of condoms and set them on top of the nightstand. He’d torn them open with such haste that the top and half of one side was ripped away and was sitting in the drawer next to the box. Under that, she found a small container of mints and a half-empty wrapper of antacids.
    Beneath those and still more change and an extra set of Porsche keys on a ring with other keys she couldn’t so easily identify, was a small stack of photographs.
    The pictures, nine in all, showed the smiling faces of an obviously happy family. The man in the picture sported the same hair, skin, and facial features as Justice, though his clothes placed him in an era before Justice was a man. The little boy in the photos had to be Justice. He wore the smile she’d glimpsed only a few times since meeting him, wide and open, like he didn’t have a care in the world.
    The other two in the pictures could only be his mother and younger sister. The woman was blonde like Brenda, but her hair was a few shades darker. The little girl’s long, blonde pigtails were much