Page 60 of Scout’s Honor

He’d said they’d be married, but he hadn’t said he loved her. He looked at her like he loved her though, and he treated her better than she’d been treated by any man in her life. It looked like love to her.

Dallas snored once and twisted in his seat. His hand brushed hers. She took it and entwined their fingers, whispering, “Love you.”

She settled into her seat and thought about what life with Dallas would be like.

She had no ideas, other than fantastic sex and a whole lot of adventure.

Landing and deplaning went smoothly. Bonhi had the trinket in one pocket and the cuff in the other. She carried her purse, laptop bag, and their water while Dallas carried their luggage. They headed out the door and spotted Dakota right away, leaning against her muscle car, holding up a hand-lettered sign saying, ‘I BELIEVE.’ Nearby a golden eagle surveyed Dakota from a lamppost, while a crowd under the lamppost gathered and jostled for pictures of the eagle.

Dallas laughed and so did Bonhi. “I believe, too,” Dallas whispered, switching both bags to one hand so he could hug Bonhi while they walked. Bonhi wanted to believe too, she really did, but she believed in facts and solid evidence, and all she had right now was circumstantial at best.

They reached Dakota. She tossed the sign in the open window of her car and held her hand up to high-five Bonhi. Bonhi smacked it. Dallas tried to hug her, but Dakota only gave him a quick squeeze, then fake body-punched him several times, saying. “Glad you made it back in one piece, bro. You too, Bonhi.”

“Who’s watching the doctor?” Dallas asked.

“Maze and Riot.”

“What’s been going on?”

“Nothing at all. No big Vs showed up while you were gone, and the doctor still twitches.”

Dallas grunted. He thunked his fist on the trunk. “Open it.”

Dakota thunked her fist on his shoulder. “Don’t manhandle Luxe like that!”

“My bad.”

Dakota opened the trunk, and Dallas put the bags in and closed it, then they all piled in the car, with Bonhi and Dallas both sitting in the back seat.

Bonhi rolled down her window to watch the eagle and said, “Aven looks pretty majestic.”

Dakota snorted laughter. “He does. Everybody loves him.” She pulled away from the curb, merging into traffic and speeding up. The golden eagle pushed into flight and the crowd called out and pointed, turning as a unit, following the bird with their phone cameras.

Bonhi pulled out her laptop. “I need to check something,” she told Dallas.

She hadn’t sent the private investigator out for more pictures, and now that they were home, the case loomed large in her mind. Should she ask for another continuance? If she went out herself, would the cabin appear for her so she could get pictures?

She connected the laptop to her phone’s hotspot, then logged into the courthouse website to check the docket and found something shocking instead.

United States of America v. Vernon Bunn: Judgement Rendered / Writ of Assistance Issued (Ex Parte)

“Oh no,” Bonhi muttered, her heart in her throat, diving into the legalese to figure out what’d happened.

Dallas reached over and squeezed her hand. “Everything okay?”

“No, they aren’t. I have a case involving the government and they filed an emergency motion this morning that stole my client’s property. I don’t understand. Where would Vernon even get nuclear waste?”

“Vernon Bunn?” Dakota asked, looking at her sharply.

Bonhi winced. “Shit, sorry. I can’t talk about the case. I shouldn’t have.”

Dakota caught Dallas’ eye in the rearview mirror. “Vernon Bunn is being protected by ‘Cause’ shifters round the clock because vampires went after him a while back.”

“Is he human?” Dallas asked.

“Yeah.”

Bonhi shook her head, wanting to tell them about the cabin, but unable to do it. Her ethics and her duty of confidentiality toward her client wouldn’t let her. She hoped she wasn’t making a big mistake that would harm Vernon and ‘The Cause.’ If only she knew for sure that vampires were involved, it would make deciding what to do easier.