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Tawny Taylor Carpe Nocturne 2: Kiss Me, Kill Me - 34 <br />
bars. Outside of that, he couldn’t find anything tying the victims together.” She<br />
hesitated. Should she tell him more? Would it put Burke at risk? Or help Miko see<br />
Burke didn’t know the victims? She had to take the chance. “That’s why he’d been<br />
spending nights in bars. He was hoping to be at the right place at the right time.”<br />
Again, Miko’s eyebrows dropped. His tongue slipped between his lips and left a<br />
dab of moisture on them before disappearing back inside his mouth again. He caught<br />
his lower lip with his teeth. “He hasn’t told you everything. He hasn’t told you that all<br />
the victims share a connection to him, a vague one, perhaps. But a connection.”<br />
Whatever she was about to say flew from her head like a caged bird let loose. No,<br />
Burke wouldn’t have kept something that important from her. “Uh… what kind of<br />
connection?”<br />
Miko gently lifted her off his lap and stood. He turned, gripped her shoulders in<br />
his fists and stared down into her eyes for what felt like an eternity. The silence was<br />
heavy. She dropped her gaze but he caught her chin in his hand and lifted it until she<br />
looked at his face again.<br />
“I commend your loyalty. It’s unfortunate that your Master has put you in this<br />
position. This isn’t the way it should be.” His eyes softened as they swept over her face.<br />
Despite the fact that his warm expression was doing all kinds of pleasant things<br />
to her insides, she sharpened her gaze. “I believe Burke,” she said crisply. “I believe in<br />
his innocence.” She needed to convince Miko. She needed him on their team.<br />
“The first victim was the nephew of a gentleman Langton was in negotiations<br />
with,” he barked. When she stumbled backward out of reflex, he caught her wrists and<br />
held them until she steadied herself. In a lower voice he said, “I apologize.” He shook<br />
his head. “Dammit, I want him to be innocent as much as you do. But it’s hard to ignore<br />
the evidence.”<br />
“What evidence? So, the first victim was related to some guy Burke was doing<br />
business with? What does that prove?”<br />
“The deal fell through and a few nights later, the man’s nephew was found<br />
slaughtered. What would you think if you were investigating the case?”
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