Free Demon's Web by Laura Hawks

love with. When he did speak, it was nothing what she thought he would say.
    “How dare you?” he growled low, trying to maintain a calm he did not feel.
    Clarissa peered at him, totally perplexed. “How dare I what? Search for my daughter?”
    “I expect you to search, but not to abuse innocent creatures in your questioning.”
    Now she understood. He was upset because she used some heavy handed tactics with her questioning in order to get the truth of who had taken Trinity. Anger flared inside of her, her emerald eyes darkening.
    “I did what I had to do in order to try and find answers. In order to find Trinity.”
    “I agree with doing everything possible to find her, but not beating up the Rougarou. Not all of them are guilty or know anything, and breaking their arms and legs, sending fireballs as warning shots and stabbing them in the shoulders or thighs, is not the way to get the answers you are seeking. Worse, you are creating an atmosphere which is becoming rapidly volatile. I’ve never had issues with this race before, but I am not going to be able to keep the peace with them if you keep up your severe oppressive approaches to your investigation.”
    “So what? Am I supposed to pour them tea and serve them crumpets in hopes they will just fork the information over? Do you think there is time for that? Every minute they don’t answer is one more minute Trinity is not where she belongs. Here! It’s one more minute she is gods knows where and in danger. One more minute for whomever took her to do horrible things to her.”
    Clarissa gripped the lapels of the black suit jacket he was wearing. Azamel looked fresh and clean. He must have been home for a while, but she couldn’t think about how sexy he looked or how good he smelled. His accusations infuriated her. On top of her concern for Trinity, she was furious with him.
    “I will do whatever it takes to get the information needed to find her. I’m sorry if that goes against your diplomatic plans with the swamp creatures, but I am not sorry about my methods of trying to find her. She is my daughter. I will do whatever it takes to get her back.”
    She released her hold on him, pushing him back and away from her. Spinning, she turned her back to him, trying to catch her breath, trying to calm down. She didn’t have much of a chance before he grabbed her upper arm and spun her around to face him. He pressed his face close to hers. Had he not been so angry, she would almost think he was about to kiss her. His warm breath blew against her face as he struggled to keep some semblance of calm in order to talk to her without yelling.
    “I have to be diplomatic. They have not done anything as a race to incur my wrath. I will not blame a whole ethnicity for the actions of a few.” Mel let Clarissa go, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
    “I will do everything I can to find her. I am not blaming all of them for taking her, but I refuse to leave any stone unturned in my search. Don’t you care? Aren’t you willing to do anything to find our daughter?”
    “Of course. Fuck! Do you think I am pussy-footing around in my attempt to find her? But I am not going to start a war to locate her either. Wasn’t it you who taught me years ago that I could catch more flies with honey and not vinegar? Maybe you should take your own advice.”
    “My own advice? Thanks for throwing those words back at me. My own advice was getting me nowhere. My own advice had them ignoring me like I was invisible or non-existent. My own advice wasn’t getting me any results.”
    “And is treating them all like enemies obtaining any results in finding her? No! All it is doing is banding them against us instead of making them willing to help us.”
    Mel started pacing about the room, his hands flinging wildly as he talked. “You think I am not doing everything possible to find her? She is my daughter, too. I won’t abandon her or the search to find her, but I can’t afford a