Red Captive (The Dragon Tributes Book 6), page 30
Trudy gasps, covering her mouth. “I can’t believe it. Are they sure it was suicide?”
“I think so…I haven’t spoken to anyone official yet.” I look to the door where the officer is positioned. There are two more standing outside, looking our way.
“I haven’t had a chance.” I look around us, realizing with a sigh that Herms has left. Something else occurs to me at that moment. Lee seemed to recognize him. Not only that, she was afraid of him. So much so that she ran away. Ran. Away. My heart is pounding.
It can’t be. It doesn’t make any kind of sense. Why would Lee know Sly Herms? How would their paths have ever crossed? Sly is rich. He’s well-known in these parts. A celebrity of sorts. By contrast, my brother and Lee barely get by. They’re drug addicts. The only reason they have this apartment is because of a monthly allowance my mother left for him in her will. I’m the executor. I use it to pay the rent and amenities. Otherwise, they’d be living on the street. I find myself thankful that my mother didn’t live to see this. She died young. I’m convinced that worrying herself sick over Bruce is what caused her death. The lies. The cheating. The stealing. The using. More lies.
The last time I talked to Bruce was a few weeks ago. He said they were clean. Like I haven’t heard that one before. I’m not being callous or uncaring but it’s difficult to trust a drug addict. My mother took him back in on more than one occasion. The last time, he didn’t just steal from her purse, he cleaned out her jewelry and electronics as well. So, when he told me they were clean, that he had a real job, I didn’t believe him. From the look of Lee today, I would say I was right. I still can’t fathom why Lee would know Sly Herms. Maybe she was still high today when she saw him. Maybe she saw a picture of him on a billboard or in the paper and she just thinks she knows him. Yeah, that has to be it.
Trudy squeezes my arm, bringing me back to the cold, hard reality. “I think we should go and find out what happened.”
I’m fiddling with my ring, it’s what I do when I’m stressed. I nod once and allow myself to be led.
Chapter 2
Ava
Eight days later
Tony touches me on the side of the arm, his smile is genuine. Lines wrinkle the sides of his eyes, which are filled with warmth. “Are you sure you’re okay to start work today?” He is my direct manager and a great guy. “You can take another day or two – if you want?” Concern is evident in their depths.
I nod. “I’m sure.” I was given three days’ of compassionate leave and ended up taking some unpaid days as well. I literally can’t afford any more time off. The funeral was… It was a tough day, to put it mildly. It was Trudy and me, and the priest. No one else bothered to turn up. Not even his girlfriend. There was no sign of Lee at all. She had gone MIA since Bruce died. Anger bubbles up inside me. Did she care so little for him? They’d been together for six years. It was Lee who had introduced him to hard drugs in the first place. I was sure he would have fallen down that rabbit hole without her, but she certainly helped him along. They were each other’s downfall. Not a good combination, and yet the least she could have done was to turn up to say goodbye.
It turns out that everything Lee told me on that pavement was the truth. Bruce died from an overdose of heroin. He had enough in his system to kill a bull elephant. There was no way a seasoned junkie like him would have made such a grievous error in judgment by accident. More anger wells. Why did he do it? Why?
Then there was the note, in Bruce’s handwriting, that led the authorities to call his death a suicide. The note didn’t say much. A scribbled apology to me for everything. For being a burden. For causing so much trouble. It was a cop-out if I ever saw one. For all of Bruce’s weaknesses, I never saw this coming. I never took him for a coward.
Why didn’t he come to me? I had two hard and fast rules when it came to Bruce. Never lend him money, because that would be feeding the beast, and never let him stay over at my house. Again, that would be feeding the beast. He stole from our mother, but he’d also taken a fair share from me. Having said that, I would have cleared out my measly savings to pay for yet another stint in rehab, or to get him psychological help. I would have done anything to prevent this from happening. Guilt welled. I should have stayed in touch with him. I should have—
Tony squeezes my arm. “We’ll manage without you for a few more days. I have Moira on standby, just in case.”
It’s my turn to smile warmly. Tony is the sweetest boss I have ever had. If you do your job and keep your nose clean, he’ll do anything for you. I nod. “I’m fine. I’ll cope.”
He scrutinizes me for a few moments longer. “Okay, then.” His forehead creases with a frown. “Mr Herms has asked to see you before you start your shift.”
What?
A lump forms in my throat. “Why?”
Get Lord of Fire now
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Charlene Hartnady is a USA Today Bestselling author. She loves to write about all things paranormal, including vampires, elves and shifters of all kinds. She lives on a couple of acres in the country with her husband and three sons. They have an array of pets.
She is lucky enough to be able to write full time, so most days you can find her at her computer writing like mad. Charlene believes that it is the small things that truly matter, like that feeling you get when you start a new book, or when you look at a particularly beautiful sunset.
If you want to be kept updated on new releases please sign up to my Latest Release Newsletter ensure that you don’t miss out. I promise not to spam you or divulge your email address to a third party. I send my mailing list an exclusive sneak peek prior to every release, as well as info on sales and freebies. You can unsubscribe at any time.
I would love to hear from you so please feel free to look me up:
www.charlenehartnady.com
charlene.hartnady@gmail.com
BookBub
ALSO BY CHARLENE HARTNADY
The Chosen Series:
Book 1: Chosen by the Vampire Kings
Book 2: Stolen by the Alpha Wolf
Book 3: Unlikely Mates
Book 4: Awakened by the Vampire Prince
Book 5: Mated to the Vampire Kings (Short Novel)
Book 6: Wolf Whisperer (Novella)
Book 7: Wanted by the Elven King
The Chosen Box Set Books 1-3
The Program Series (Vampire Novels):
Book 1: A Mate for York
Book 2: A Mate for Gideon
Book 3: A Mate for Lazarus
Book 4: A Mate for Griffin
Book 5: A Mate for Lance
Book 6: A Mate for Kai
Book 7: A Mate for Titan
The Bride Hunt Series (Dragon Shifter Novels):
Book 1: Royal Dragon
Book 2: Water Dragon
Book 3: Dragon King
Book 4: Lightning Dragon
Book 5: Forbidden Dragon
Book 6: Dragon Prince
The Bride Hunt Box Set Books 1-3
Water Dragons (Spin-off to The Bride Hunt):
Book 1: Dragon Hunt
Book 2: Captured Dragon
Book 3: Blood Dragon
Book 4: Dragon Betrayal
Earth Dragons :
Book 1: Dragon Guard
Book 2: Savage Dragon
Book 3: Dragon Whelps
Book 4: Slave Dragon
Book 5: Feral Dragon
Book 6: Doctor Dragon
Air Dragons:
Book 1: Dragon Heat
Book 2: Dragon Hunter
Book 3: Dragon Avalanche
Book 4: Dragon Overlord
Book 5: Dragon Cyclone
The Beast King Brides:
Book 1: Thirst
Book 2: Ruin
Book 3: Fire
Book 4: Rage
Book 5: Ice
Book 6: Ashes
Exiled by the Pack
Book 1: Scarred Wolf
Book 2:Wild Wolf
Book 3: Lone Wolf
Book 4: Wolf Rivals
The Shifter Night Series (Shifter Novels):
Book 1 Untethered
Book 2 Unbound
Book 3 Unchained
Complete Box Set Books 1 - 3
The Feral Series (Shifter Novels):
Book 1: Hunger Awakened
Book 2: Power Awakened
Book 3: Hate Awakened
Book 4: Hope Awakened
The Dragon Demigods:
Book 1: Lord of Fire
Book 2: Lord of Hell
Book 3: Little Lords
Book 4: Lord of Life
Book 5: Lord of Rain
Book 6: Lord of Destiny
Book 7: Lord of Chaos
Book 8: Lord of Tears
Book 9: Lord of Death
Becoming the Demon Queen Trilogy:
Book 1: Cursed
Book 2: Condemned
Book 3: Crowned
Becoming the Fae Queen:
Book 1: Guilt
Book 2: Glamor
The Dragon Tributes:
Book 1: Riding Through Fire
Book 2: Taming the Fire
Book 3: Heart of The Fire
Book 4: Consumed by Fire
Demon Chaser Series (No cliffhangers):
Book 1 Omega
Book 2 Alpha
Book 3 Hybrid
Book 4 Skin
Demon Chaser Boxed Set Book 1-3
Charlene Hartnady, Red Captive (The Dragon Tributes Book 6)
