Page 573 of Love Bites

“I know these girls,” I whispered.

“Knew. You knew them. They all were taking classes at the modeling agency.”

“What modeling agency? There’s no modeling agency on Hung Island.” I sifted through the rest of the folder with a knot the size of a cantaloupe in my stomach. More names and faces I recognized. Sandy Moongie?Wait a minute.

“Um, not to speak ill of the dead, but Sandy Moongie was the size of a barn…she was modeling?”

“Worked the reception desk.” Angela shook her head and dropped down on the couch.

“This doesn’t seem that complicated. It’s fairly black and white. Whoever is running the modeling agency is the perp.”

“The modeling agency is Council sponsored.”

I digested that nugget in silence for a moment.

“And the Council is running a modeling agency, why?”

“Word is that we’re heading toward revealing ourselves to the humans and they’re trying to find the most attractive representatives to do so.”

“That’s a joke, right?”What kind of dumb ass plan was that?

“I wish it was.” Angela picked up my drink and downed it. “I’m getting too old for this shit,” she muttered as she refilled the shot glass, thought better of it and just swigged from the bottle.

“Is the Council aware that I’m going in?”

“What do you think?”

“I think they’re old and stupid and that they send in dispensable agents like me to clean up their shitshows,” I grumbled.

“Smart girl.”

“Who else knows about this? Clark? Jones?”

“They know,” she said wearily. “They’re checking out agencies in New York and Miami.”

“Isn’t it conflict of interest to send me where I know everyone?”

“It is, but you’ll be able to infiltrate and get in faster that way. Besides, no one has disappeared from the other agencies yet.”

There was one piece I still didn’t understand. “How are humans involved?”

She sighed and her head dropped back onto her broad shoulders. “Humans are running the agency.”

It took a lot to render me silent, like learning my grandma had been a stripper in her youth, and that all male Werewolves were hung like horses… but this was horrific.

“Who in the hell thought that was a good idea? My god, half the female Weres I know sprout tails when flash bulbs go off. We won’t have to come out, they can just run billboards of hot girls with hairy appendages coming out of their asses.”

“It’s all part of theGrand Plan. If the humans see how wonderful and attractive we are, the issue of knowingly living alongside of us will be moot.”

Again. Speechless.

“When are Council elections?” It was time to vote some of those turd knockers out.

“Essie.” Angela rolled her eyes and took another swig. “There are no elections. They’re appointed and serve for life.”

“I knew that,” I mumbled. Skipping Were History class was coming back to bite me in the butt.

“I’ll go.” There was no way I couldn’t. Even though my knowledge of the hierarchy of my race was fuzzy, my skills were top notch and trouble seemed to find me. In any other job that would suck, but in mine, it was an asset.

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