Her voice was back to its unpleasant best. Jack had obviously left.
"Did the forensic team checking the rooftop come back with anything?"
"The bullet casings indicated a high-powered rifle. There were no prints on either the casings or at the site. They suspect a professional hit."
"Which doesn't make any sense, because I haven't pissed anyone off lately."
"As I said before, I find that very hard to believe."
I ignored the jibe, but mainly because I couldn't think of a good retort. "Did you manage to do the background check on Mirror Image?"
"Yes, There's nothing untoward. It was legitimately set up, and has been running without problems for six months. There have been no complaints at all."
Which in itself was more than a little unusual. Hell, most clubs got complaints, whether they deserved them or not. "No rumors or reports that suggest something less than savory happening there?"
"Nothing at all Why?"
"Because I suspect there's a blackmail scam being run out of the club. Who's the registered owner?"
"Owners," she corrected. "Jorn and Yohan Duerr. They're twin brothers who apparently settled here from England two years ago."
They are what the club is, Dia had said. Meaning they were not only twins, but also mirror images of each other.
"Were they English born?"
"No. German. They went to England when they were twenty."
"Any chance of doing a history check in both countries?"
"If there were any convictions, they wouldn't have been allowed into the country."
"Yeah, but a lack of convictions doesn't mean they weren't involved in anything nefarious."
"Is there any particular reason we're digging this deep?"
"I've just got a feeling about them."
"You and your damn feelings cause us more work than anyone else." She sniffed. "I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks." I hit the brake as the light ahead changed to red. "What about bank accounts—any unusual activity in any of those?"
"I didn't go that deep."
"Could you?"
"Possibly."
"Can you send the info as soon as you get it?"
"I'll try."
"You're such a sweetheart."
"Swivel on it, wolf girl."
"Oh, I intend to."
She made a growling noise and hung up. I grinned and tossed the phone on the seat beside me. The light flashed back to green and I zoomed off.
I parked in a side street not far down from Eddie's, and walked back. Despite the late hour, Lygon Street was alive with people, music, and the delicious, multi-layered scents of cooking and food. I breathed deep, allowing the scents to roll through me, savoring every tasty moment even as my stomach grumbled to hurry up.
"Hey, gorgeous," a familiar voice said.
I turned around and saw Kellen approaching. He was dressed in jeans and a somewhat crinkled black shirt that fitted his lean body to perfection and showed off his arms and shoulders.
My hormones did a happy dance. I stepped forward and kissed him long and hard. It was a good kiss, a hungry kiss, a kiss filled with all the desire that had been pent up inside me.
When we finally parted, he said, "Are you sure you want to get a burger first?"
His green eyes were shining with amusement and caring, and something inside sighed with happiness. I slipped my arm through his and tugged him toward Eddie's. Thankfully, it was only half-full, and there were plenty of tables. "I haven't eaten in hours. I need the sustenance."
"A wolf can survive days without food, you know."
"Not this wolf. Besides, I need coffee."
"Ah well, that's different. I've seen your coffee-deprived state, and it isn't pleasant."
I lightly punched his arm. "You're supposed to be charming until you get your wicked way with me."
He guided me across to a table in the back corner, and held the chair out for me. "But I'm going to get my wicked way with you regardless of whether I'm charming, so why not be honest?"
"I might change my mind."
"After the heat in that kiss?" He gave me a sexy grin and shook his head. "I doubt it."
"Have you always been so arrogantly confident?"
"When it comes to my woman? Yes."
My woman, just hearing those words made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Still, I couldn't help saying, "I'm not your woman yet."
"But you will be."
"There's that arrogance again."
"It's confidence, my dear, not arrogance." He reached across the table and took my hand. His ringers were warm against mine, his skin slightly roughed. "We are good together."
"I've never denied that."
A waiter approached the table at that point, and we ordered. Kellen stuck with coffee, but I ordered a burger, fries, and the biggest mug of coffee they had.
Once the waiter had gone, I said, "I want this, Kellen. I just need a little more time to finish these cases."
"And next week it'll be another case, then another."
"I made a promise, and I intend to keep it." I squeezed his fingers lightly. "In the scheme of things, a week isn't all that long."
And I wasn't entirely sure who I was trying to convince with that statement—myself or him.
He studied me for a moment, then said, "So, how is the kidnap case going?"
I shrugged. "Pretty damn slowly. I think the club is running a blackmail scheme, and I'm pretty sure Adrienne guessed her life was in danger."
He untwined his fingers from mine, and leaned back. "So her disappearance has to do with the blackmailing scheme, not the disappearances of the women?"
"I really can't say for sure, yet." I just wished I could get hold of that letter. There had to be more in it than Patrin was saying, because he sure as hell wouldn't have left the safety of pack lands otherwise.
"So where does that leave the investigation?"
"Right now? At goddamn nowhere."
The waiter arrived with our coffees and my food. I took all the lettuce off the burger, then grabbed it two-handed and bit into it. Meat juices flooded my mouth and I couldn't help the rumble of pleasure that rolled up my throat.
Kellen shook his head, a smile touching his lips. "I can see the chance of any sort of sensible talk has gone out the window."
"Too right," I said, around the mouthful of burger. "This is good."
"They usually are." He picked up his coffee and sipped it while I continued to chow down, alternating between die burger and fries, and splashing them both down with coffee.
"Feeling better?" he asked when I finally finished, his voice dry and his eyes twinkling merrily.
"Totally." I wiped my mouth with the napkin then tossed it back onto the table. "However, now there are deeper hungers that need to be fed. You feel like heading to the Blue Moon?"
"It's closer than home or my car."
It wasn't closer than my car, but getting lusty in a government vehicle would probably attract more attention than either of us would want.
I stood up and dug out my credit card. "My turn," I said. "You paid for the last coffee."
"I do have a little more money than you."
"Like I care. And fair is fair."
He leant forward and kissed my forehead. "I do love the fact that my money isn't a factor to you."
"Hey, don't get me wrong, it's nice that you have money." I hesitated, then gave him a cheeky grin. "It means you can get me bigger and better presents come Christmas and birthdays."
"Ah, so there is a mercenary soul deep down inside."
"There's lots of things deep down inside." I paid the waiter, adding a generous tip, then slipped my arm through Kellen's again. "And maybe one day I'll allow you to plum those depths and uncover all my little secrets."