“I guess so. I’ve got nothing to lose if there’s nothing to gain.”
Angie scratched her head. “I think that made sense.”
Brandee thumped her feet onto the coffee table and crossed them at the ankles. “Okay, I’ll confront him.”
“Good. Do it where I can watch.”
“Pervert.”
“Nick, I know this is your first case, but we’re desperate. The mayor’s stepdaughter has been kidnapped.”
“Desperate?”
“There are paranormal circumstances, and we don’t have time for lengthy explanations.”
“I see. What are these ‘circumstances’?”
“She’s a fire mage.”
Nick’s eyebrows shot up. “Shit.” He stopped at a bench and glanced around. No one was within earshot, so he and Hunter sat down. “Do you think the kidnappers know this?”
“Don’t know. No ransom demands have been made. There’s been no contact at all.”
“Any witnesses?”
“A neighbor thought she heard something like a muffled yelp of surprise, but when she looked out her window she didn’t see anything.”
“Where were her parents?”
“The mayor was at City Hall and her mother was in the house. She didn’t think she needed to supervise a twelve-year-old in her own backyard. Now she’s sick with guilt.”
Nick felt for the poor woman. The best way to help her was to find her daughter. “So they may have kidnapped her for her power.” Nick rubbed his chin. “The criminal who’s not looking for money is usually looking for some kind of power.”
“It gets worse. The girl doesn’t know what she can do yet. A female fire mage won’t realize her power until the first solar eclipse after she hits puberty. Her mother kept putting off telling her.”
“Shit. She’s untrained and unprepared. Her parents must be frantic.”
“To put it mildly.” The captain rested his hand on Nick’s shoulder. “This case could make or break your career. I wouldn’t blame you if you decline, but I hope you won’t. I think you’re our only hope.”
How could he refuse? Not only would he feel responsible if anything happened to the girl, but she could burn the city to the ground if the kidnappers couldn’t teach her how to control the power she didn’t even know she had—the power to set fires with no more than a thought.
“I’ll do my best.”
The captain let out a long breath, as if he’d been holding it for a while. “You’d better do better than your best. The next solar eclipse is in nine days.”
About the Author
Ashlyn Chase describes herself as an Almond Joy bar. A little nutty, a little flaky, but basically sweet, wanting only to give her readers a satisfying reading experience.
She holds a degree in behavioral sciences, worked as a psychiatric RN for several years, and spent a few more years working for the American Red Cross. She credits her sense of humor to her former careers since comedy helped preserve whatever was left of her sanity. She is a multipublished, award-winning author of humorous erotic and paranormal romances, represented by the Seymour Agency.
She lives in beautiful New Hampshire with her true-life hot, hero husband (who looks like Hugh Jackman if you squint), and they’re owned by a spoiled brat cat.
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