Free Winter's Knight by H.J. Raine, Kelly Wyre

had acquired off the runway during Fashion Week. Lucian adjusted the knobs on the space heater next to his desk that kept him warm enough that he could shed the dark outer sweater lying over his spare woolcoat ona nearbychair.
“Good morning,” Clark said, and Lucian sat up to smile at Clark in the man’s usual jeans and royalcolored layers. One blue and one brown eye gave Lucian the once-over, and Clark flopped into a seat across fromLucian. “You’re lookingbetter.”
“Thank you,” Lucian replied. “Please extend my thanks againto Danielfor grantingme convalescence.”
Clark grinned and handed Lucian a flash drive. “Oh, I’m happy to tell him you enjoyed being his prisoner.”
“I’m sure you are,” Lucian said, putting the drive into the USB port on his laptop. “Do mention that next time it might be more believable an illusion were there chains involved.”
“You left before he got the chance to work up to them.”
“Silly me,” Lucian said, eyes on the screen while he keyed in various passwords and sifted through folders. There were two new ones. “Is there something happening with Phoenix Investments of which I should be aware?”
“Only that Jon sent me some names of candidates to be your next whippingboy.”
Lucian chuckled. “Of course he sent themto you. I do love how that manworks. Subtle.”
“It’s a gift,”Clark said, seriously.
“Joseph Smith?” Lucian asked. “Why do I know that one?”
“He was in the papers recently. Brought down the embezzling African art importer with a history of subordinate abuse.”
“Interesting.”
Clark rested his ankle on the opposite knee, hands up behind his head and a smug smirk tilting his lips. “Thought you’d like that. I took the liberty of doing a full background check. It’s all there.” Clark smiled at Lucian’s dark look. “Don’t worry, sir. Your little fascinationwithintegrityis safe withme.”
“How deeply reassuring,” Lucian deadpanned, closingfiles. “Next itemonthe agenda.”
“Not much to report on the current puzzle,” Clark said with a sigh. “I put together the sketchy conjecture about Miss Higgins.”
“So I see,”Luciansaid, shuttingdownthe drive.
“And I’ve got a guy in forensics at the university analyzing the chemical compound. Probably not going to tell us much more than we already know.” Clark hesitated, and Lucian paid attention. “I’ve got one more lead I could follow, but it’d be a risk, and--”
“Don’t bother.” Lucian closed the laptop with a decisive click. “This is a puzzle that will be ongoing until something else falls into our laps that makes the pieces fit. If it takes months or years, I will have my way, and I’m willing to allocate patience to such goals.” He forced his mouth to morph into a chilly smile. “I’msure youanticipated that we’re changingfocus.”
Clark hummed, and he ran a hand through his gray hair. “Before and after lacing your food with antianxiety meds, I spent all weekend going through my entire study on Project Recently Turned Not So Unrequited.”
“And?” Lucian prompted, not letting Clark stall or deflect withthe humor.
“At first glance, nothing. I reviewed the family like I didn’t know them. Went over known boyfriends, liaisons, credit card statements, bank accounts, you name it. The entire folder down to parking tickets, and nothingthat was there was amiss.”
Luciandrummed fingers onthe desk. “But?”
Clark’s expression turned proud and devious. “I started adding in the changes we talked about in between your naps in our guest room. Your boy’s new body, the attitude, the gun. I factored that in with the change of job, the rift between your boy and his family, friends, evenpossessions.”
Lucian appreciated how Clark referred to Shea as Lucian’s despite the current circumstances. It was the kind of subtle respect that Lucian craved from Clark, but could never, obviously, acknowledge. “I assume there’s a point cominginthis