Bonus Scene: High On Her, an additional PoV for High Note
The following is an additional PoV for a scene from High Note. This particular conversation took place off page but happens prior to the guys setting out from the house after they let Cash out.
Kill Song is Book 1 in the Cardinal Sins series. To read more, First Chorus is Book 2.
Note: This scene is brought to you because of a Review Challenge. What is that? And also, please be aware that spoilers may lie ahead.
“High On Her”
Rick
I took one last look out the front window just in case Vienna happened to appear. I knew that she wouldn’t. Fletcher was right, something was wrong.
Behind me, Cash bounded down the stairs with too much pep in his step with Fletcher right on his heels with a wipe, removing his fingerprints from the rail.
My eye twitched at his blatant disregard for leaving traceable DNA. As an FBI man, he should know better, or he was purposely leaving a trail.
At least when he approached me, his lack of stench made being in his presence more bearable.
“We need to start with checking out Sandra Jane’s house. I can look for signs of a struggle and rule the place out. It may possibly tell us where Dark Saint went And I’d like to get my hands on those journals,” he said more under his breath as he searched the room. I wasn’t sure what he was looking for. He’d already had his dirty hands all over everything.
My eye twitched again at the level of deep clean our house was going to require to be back at Vienna’s standards. I appreciated Fletcher’s efforts but it just wasn’t the same.
I flattened my expression as I squared my shoulders. We weren’t leaving the house. What if we missed her and she did come home? I also didn’t trust Cash enough to take him off the property.
Cash’s brows dipped over his eyes when we didn’t answer. “You’re not going to find her here. You let me out of the cage for a reason—”
“Hey, hey, hey.” Fletcher stepped between us when Cash took a step toward me. He chewed on his lip as he glanced between us. “Big guy,” he started off softly, “I don’t like this anymore than you do, but we have to do something. We need to follow his lead.”
“We don’t trust him. Not that much.” I shook my head and crossed my arms. We could do other things to find Vienna.
The corners of Fletcher’s mouth quirked up. “I have an idea…” He shot a quick look at Cash, then faced me so Cash couldn’t see the blooming smile. It wasn’t genuine, not really. The shadows surrounding him were too strong, but he was trying. For me.
*
“Fuck no,” Cash grimaced then sneered at Fletcher.
I held the black cloth draped over my hands as I waited for him to accept the blindfold. Fletcher’s idea was a good one. If he was blindfolded and in the trunk, he couldn’t cause any unnecessary trouble for us and it would give us a chance to see if we could trust him.
We weren’t leaving the house otherwise.
“Do you see the look on Rick’s face?” Fletcher pointed at me. “You have to pick your battles. Blindfolded and in the trunk or back in the cell. Your choice.” He stood tall and looked down his nose at Cash even though he was shorter.
Cash pressed his lips in a thin line as he moved his gaze from Fletcher to me, then to the trunk. The battery light in the garage cast a pale orange glow over his face, giving him a sinister air that wasn’t present in the house.
It didn’t matter, between Fletcher and me and the lessons from Vienna, we could get him back to his cell if need be. But if he could help get Vienna home…
I inhaled a deep shuddering breath. Whatever my feelings for him, if he could help, I had to try. Vienna was most important and she needed us right now.
“Fine. Give me the damned blindfold.” He held out his hand but I ignored it.
Stepping around him, I placed the folded cloth over his eyes, checking to make sure it covered a wide swath so there would be no peeking. Then I knotted it carefully so it didn’t catch in his hair. Vienna wouldn’t want me to be unduly cruel.
Once it was secure, Fletcher had the trunk open and waved a hand like the trunk was something other than…a trunk. “Go ahead, Fed. Your seat awaits you.”
Cash snorted but reached out a hand and patted along the edge of the opening before climbing in. He was a large man and had to be creative with how he fit in the trunk. If he were anyone else, under any other circumstance, I might feel bad.
Fletcher slammed it shut, then stepped back to be in line with me. We both studied the trunk, waiting to see if Cash was going to give us any problems.
“Well, if we decide he’s a liability we don’t need, we can always go off roading and kill him one rough bump at a time. I’m sure his hard head has a limit before his brain gets scrambled.”
“I can hear you,” Cash stated drily.
We exchanged a smile. It was time to find Vienna and bring her home.
©Heather Long and Blake Blessing
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