Page 5 of The Safest Place She Knows

Iris froze ashe carefully lifted her again and headed to the grand staircase,walking up calmly.

The dogs ranahead with eager postures. Iris paused. “Where are you puttingme?”

“The blue room.Oren is in the purple, and we will take turns checking on you.”

Iris paled.“He’s staying over?”

“He is now. Myfirst aid is restricted to small cuts and scrapes.”

“And settingbroken bones. I remember when Denel fell out of that tree.” Talkingkept the throb of her head from taking over.

“How have youbeen doing?”

“Pretty well.Not working where I had hoped, but you can’t have everything.”

The boss walkedinto the blue room. “You can try.”

He left heralone, and she went to try and clean herself up. It took awhile.

Chapter Two

Brexel looked at thebaby monitor in his hand and smiled. She was on the bed, dressed inone of his shirts. The bloody clothing was soaking in the sink.

She was lyingon her side with the wound facing up. Brexel checked the timer hehad set and ignored Oren when he peered over Brexel’s shoulder.

“So, do youthink she is really in research?”

Brexel sighedand reached for her tiny purse. “Nope.” He got her phone out andused the passcode she had used on all her tech. He snorted when thescreen flared awake.

Thumbingthrough her chats and messages should have felt like an imposition,but this is what Brexel did for a living. Iris’s phone told him alot. She wasn’t dating, had plenty of friends, and her map alwaystook her to a strip club. The Shattered Diamond.

He paused. “Idon’t think she’s a stripper. Coat check or maybe a server?” Heshrugged. “I suppose I can just call.”

He lifted hisphone and called a familiar number. It was three in the morning,but accountants for strip clubs rarely slept.

“Ymer, how areyou this balmy evening?”

“What thehell? Why are you calling me, Brexel?”

“I need anemployment status on one of your employees.”

“What do youwant? I am not going to give anything but confirmations.”

“IrisKillington.”

“Oh, Pet.Sure. What do you want to know?”

Brexel filedthe name away for later. “She’s a waitress?”

“Server.Yeah. Her costume is a lot of leather. Why?”

“She used to bemy nanny and turned up with a nasty head injury. I am wondering ifher injury had anything to do with her work there. Apparently, shehas been sold by someone without her knowledge. They tried tocollect her.”

Ymer wassilent. “They tried?”

“She’s safe. Ineed to know what kind of clientele she serves.”

Ymer’s voicewas soft. “I will look into it. How long do you think she willbe off work?”

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