Page 23 of Hungry Like A Dragon
Noah glanced at the baby, asleep in the gently rocking swing. “I wish you’d told me about her. I could have helped sooner.”
“Trust me, there are a lot of things in my life I wished I’d done differently. So I tracked down a few more Dahlias and they were all dead ends. And then I stumbled upon one that had no trail.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, she existed and then she didn’t. And not like she died, but like she just…disappeared. It was weird, and really, really curious. So I started digging deeper and found a few vague connections to the Rojo colony.”
“I thought we knew already that she’s Rojo. Isn’t that why Gabe is immune to the curse?”
“Yes, but this person, before she disappeared, seemed to havenoconnection to them. I wasn’t even going to investigate her initially, but then I decided, what the heck, might as well turn every stone. And when she disappeared, it piqued my interest. And then I found the connection to the colony. And then another. But I couldn’t ever findher. It was really frustrating.”
“Hence tonight’s date? Is he somehow connected to her?”
“Actually, first I took the time to have a baby and then to figure out this whole parenthood gig. And I’m working for Pacey, too, so that I can afford to live here and buy diapers and such without letting Gabe know what was going on.”
“What about the charges to Nola Kids?”
“That was a mistake. Pulled the wrong credit card out of my wallet.”
“I can help. I have plenty of money. I don’t have much to spend it on, and being the reeve’s personal chef is actually quite lucrative, so…”
“I’m not going to take your money.”
“You’re raisingmykid.”
“Stop with your logic,” she said, and he laughed.
“So you took a break to have Sadie, and now you’re returning to the assignment?”
“I had just started digging again a couple weeks ago. Started trolling the various bars and restaurants Rojo dragons like to hang out in. As much as I could, anyway, considering my lack of sleep lately. I met Carlos—”
“Your date?”
“Would you stop calling him that? I only went out with him to pump him for information. I never had any intention of doing anything with him.”
“You sure looked friendly.”
Was that jealousy in his voice? “Yeah, that’s how you get info out of guys like Carlos.”
He pursed his lips and fell silent.
“Anyway, I met Carlos at one of the clubs. We flirted a little, I fed him a few too many drinks and got him to talking, and he kept referring to this woman named Delilah.”
“Not much of a leap from Dahlia.”
“Exactly. So when he asked me out to dinner, I accepted so I could find out more info.”
“This explains Gigi, I presume.”
“Seemed smart not to give him my real name. Just in case.”
“You’re pretty good at this. Gabe picked the right person for this assignment.”
She stared at him for long seconds.
“What?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I just realized you’re right. I am pretty good at this.”
