Page 58 of Thorned Vengeance

A day and a half later, we coast into Seattle. We’re exhausted, but we have a murder to stop, and that fuels us to keep going.

Mark’s phone pings. “Jez booked us a hotel,” he says as he plugs the location into the GPS.

A half-hour later, we’re checked into our hotel, and it feels like déjà vu.

Thorn wraps his arms around my waist. “Are you tired?” he mumbles into my hair.

“No, but it’s early.” I turn to face him. “One of my clients owns a bookstore with his wife. Can we go see him? Maybe he can tell us where some hot spots are to check out.”

“Do you know where it is?”

I wave my cell. “Already pulled it up. Good news, it’s within walking distance. We don’t have to get back in the car.”

Mark knocks on the open adjoining door, and he’s covering his eyes. “You guys aren’t fucking are you?”

Thorn releases his hold on me, marches over to Mark, and smacks him in the back of his head. “Would the fucking door be unlocked if we were, dumbass?”

Mark drops his hand and rubs the back of his head. “I didn’t know.”

“How about waiting for an answer next time before barging in then?” My mouth curves up. “Unless you were hoping for a show.”

Thorn balls his fists, and Mark’s face pales. “Oh shit, no, no…that’s not…no way… are you trying to get me killed?”

I fling myself in front of Mark before Thorn can make a move. “I was teasing. Calm down.”

Thorn’s chest heaves. “Not funny.”

“It was kinda funny,” Mark adds.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Mark, you’re not helping.”

Mark dodges out of Thorn’s reach. “What’s the plan?”

I tell Mark that we’re going to the bookstore to see what information we can get before hitting the Seattle nightlife. I don’t express how excited I am to meet Mr. and Mrs. Barker, because at the end of the day, we’re here to catch a killer.

Twenty minutes later, we round the corner to walk down the block to the store. A huge crowd is gathered on the sidewalk, the sign to the bookstore is visible, but there are so many people that we can’t push through.

I stand on my toes. “What’s going on?”

Thorn frowns and pushes forward, holding my hand to drag me through the throng of spectators. “I don’t know.”

“Fuck,” Mark grumbles when he finally gets through and stops next to Thorn.

The entrance is blocked off by yellow police tape, but the glass storefront allows us to see inside. One body is already covered, and another is currently being tarped a few feet away. Blood is splattered everywhere, covering books, shelves, and the floor. I stumble backward, and Thorn spins me around quickly, pressing my head into his chest.

“I got you.”

Sobs wrack my body. Tears streak my face, but I make no attempt to wipe them away. I never want to show weakness, but at this moment, all I feel is sorrow. Thorn rubs my back in soothing circular motions as he holds me close.

It takes a few minutes for me to gather my bearings, but eventually, I hiccup and wipe my tear-streaked face with the back of my hands.

Mark flags down an officer who’s trying to keep the public behind the police line.

“What happened?” he asks the officer.

“Robbery.”

“Anything taken?” Thorn inquires.

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