Page 104 of Power of the Mind

My spine stiffened at the mention of Memphis, but I counted backward from ten and stayed quiet.

Our conversation ended abruptly when the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Fine with me since I had no idea what the fuck he was talking about, and if Memphis was at its core, I didn’t want to know. For all Tallus got on my ass about not being able to hold a conversation, he could be annoyingly cryptic at times, and I was not a skilled mind reader.

We were greeted by homicide’s mostly empty bullpen. Tallus exited the elevator bold, beautiful, and confident as always. Like he deserved to take up space in the world. I followed, lumbering behind because I didn’t.

The day got progressively worse when I realized Detective Doyle was not alone. He was joined at a far desk by his husband, MPU detective Quaid Valor, and Tallus’s cousin, Costa Ruiz. Why did we need an audience? Why the fucking hoopla? All we needed to do was view a few autopsy reports. It was a wonder they hadn’t invited the whole goddamn board of directors or the mayor.

“No one told me the circus was in town,” I mumbled before we were upon them.

“Be nice,” Tallus said. “Let me do the talking.”

I grunted and hung back as Tallus stepped up to the plate. He was a spark of life, glowing in the dimly lit room.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” he cooed, hamming it up too much.

Doyle, whose ass had been planted against the desk in a relaxed lean, stood and straightened, offering Tallus a congenial tip of the head and smile.

Valor, who’d been chatting with Ruiz, acknowledged us as well.

It was Ruiz who spoke. “Double trouble has arrived. How’re you doing, Krause?”

I grunted and offered a nod, indicating all was fine.

Doyle eyed me before speaking to Tallus. “You should be glad I’m on friendly terms with Dr. Thornlow. Getting anyone to do anything on a Sunday is usually impossible, but she’s a workaholic, so I was lucky enough to catch her at the office.”

“I appreciate your help. I hope you didn’t go to too much trouble.”

“Meh, I get what I want when I want it. But you owe me.”

And there were the words I was waiting for.Fucking great.

Tallus, unfazed as always, offered Doyle a coy smile,tsking. “Careful. You’ll upset your husband again. In my world, returning favors usually involves a severe lack of clothing.”

Doyle snorted. “Is that so? I’m not worried about Quaid. You about decimated all feelings of jealousy with your little observation about my age. Thank you very much. I have not lived it down.”

Tallus chuckled. I had no clue what they were talking about, but if it meant we weren’t indebted to Doyle, I didn’t care. And what the fuck was Tallus talking about? Lack of clothing? Who did he owe because someone was going to die.

“So where are we doing this?” Tallus asked.

Doyle waved a hand toward a hallway. “I’ve got you set up in Interview Room Three. It’s all yours. You get one hour of my Sunday, and we’re taking off.” Doyle shifted his attention to me. He stood more rigid, his features less friendly, his tone sharper. “I can’t leave you unsupervised.”

My nostrils flared. “Is that why you brought backup?”

Doyle chuckled and glanced at Valor and Ruiz. “Backup? For real? Do you mean the tattooed freak and grumpy bear? Nota chance. If I wanted backup, I’d have brought Torin… or Frawley.”

The pair behind him wore matching scowls. Valor crossed his arms as Ruiz snapped, “Hey. I’m far better backup than your pint-sized partner.”

Undeterred by their mutual animosity, Doyle continued, “You see that bruise?” He gestured to his husband’s left cheek. “He got that sparring with his five-foot-nothing, hundred-and-ten-pound partner. It’s been a year,a year, and he still hasn’t learned to dodge the left hook.”

“It’s the combination that precedes it that messes me up,” Valor snapped, sneering at his husband.

“Which is the same combination every single time.”

“It is not, and how would you know? You aren’t thereevery single time.”

“Frawley tells me.”

“I would appreciate it if you’d stop talking to my partner. She’s a pest and a liar.”

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