by K. C. Wells
“If you’re correct, there’ll be evidence in the labs, won’t there?” Hashtag asked. “I mean, if that’s where they made this stuff. Someone had to make it, right? And there might be more files in here that relate to it. I’ll do a search for that code.”
“Any clues in those files as to who our friend is?” Horvan badly wanted a name for that guy.
“I don’t think I’m gonna find a photo labeled Bad Guy,” Hashtag remarked with a wry chuckle. “But you never know. Anson doesn’t appear to have been some great criminal mastermind.” He pointed at the screen. “There are several images in here. Let’s see if one of them is of our friend.” Hashtag snorted. “Friend. Yeah, right.” He clicked the first one, then rotated through to the end. “Nope. It’s not him. They all seem to be of one guy, though. Anyone have any idea who he is?”
Horvan was instantly aware of the change in Dellan. You’re so cold. It was as if he could feel the ice that crawled over Dellan’s skin. Rael shivered violently.
Dellan didn’t say a word but stared numbly at the screen.
“Dellan?”
Slowly, Dellan turned to look at him. “I… I don’t understand.”
Rael knelt at his side, his hand on Dellan’s knee. “I’m only reading profound shock. What’s wrong?”
Dellan swallowed and pointed to one of the images. Horvan leaned in to take a closer look. It was a photo of a man who appeared to be in his sixties, but he wasn’t posing for the picture. It was like someone had taken a quick snap of him. Behind him was a fence with barbed wire along the top. There were several people in the background, of differing ages, and Horvan was struck immediately by the similarity of their expressions. They all seemed tired or ill. One thing stood out, however.
No one was smiling.
“Do you know him?” Horvan asked softly. Stupid question, because Dellan’s reaction screamed recognition.
Dellan nodded. “That’s my dad.” His voice was flat.
A stunned silence fell over them before Rael broke it. “But… isn’t he…?”
Dellan nodded. “Declared dead when I was fourteen. Hasn’t been seen since I was seven.” He drew in a shaky breath. “His… his hair is grayer than the last time I saw him, and his face is more lined, but that was more than thirty years ago.” Dellan’s brow furrowed. “It can’t be him.” He grabbed hold of the mouse and hovered over the image. “No. This isn’t possible. This file was created last year.”
“Hashtag.” Horvan spoke quietly. “Look at the photo. Tell me what you see.”
Hashtag said nothing for a moment but enlarged the picture, looking at every part of it. Finally, he expelled a long breath. “Okay. Wanna know what it reminds me of? Those old photos of concentration camps. I half expected to see a tower with an armed guard. But most of all, it’s their expressions. Like there’s no hope.”
Hashtag’s words mirrored Horvan’s thoughts.
“Hey, what does a guy have to do around here to get fed?” Crank called out, his voice nearing. “’Cause my stomach thinks my throat’s been—” He fell silent as he stepped into the room, Roadkill and Brick behind him. Crank straightened, all traces of humor vanishing. “Okay, what’s up?”
Horvan sighed heavily. “Nothing much. Just a photo of Dellan’s dad, who is looking very much alive.”
Rael met Horvan’s gaze. What the fuck have we gotten into here? He put his arm around Dellan’s shoulders. Dellan’s mind was a mess, a convoluted jumble of shock and distress.
Horvan reached into his pocket for his phone and speed-dialed a number.
“What’s up?” The voice on the other end was calm as always.
Horvan cleared his throat. “This business just got way more complicated.”
“What do you need?”
“Possibly the whole team. I wanted to put you on alert.”
“Gotcha. I’ll have them on standby. Keep me informed.” The call disconnected.
Horvan pocketed his phone and turned to face the others.
Roadkill stared at him. “All of us?”
He nodded. “This isn’t over. In fact, it could be barely the start.”
“Of what?” Hashtag demanded.
And there was the problem. Horvan had no clue. He just knew his gut was telling him this wasn’t good.
I have to find him. Dellan gazed at him with anguished eyes. Rael tightened his arm around Dellan.
Horvan nodded. We will find him. I promise.
Whatever it took.
THE END
Well… for the moment.
More from K.C. Wells
Can they find their HEA in Romancelandia?
Chris Tyler loves his job. He photographs some of the hottest guys on the planet, but none stir him like Jase Mitchell. He’ll never let Jase know – he values their friendship too much to spoil it.
Jase is looking forward to the Under The Covers Romance convention. It’s a great opportunity to connect with readers who want to meet their favorite cover model, but more importantly, with agents who could advance his career. Too bad the only person he yearns to connect with is Chris.
What Chris wants is Jase in his life, but he’s afraid that’s sheer fantasy. What Jase desires is a Hollywood dream, but that will mean leaving Chris behind. What both crave is a real-life romance and their own Happily Ever After.
A spur of the moment invitation changes two lives.
Jordan Wolf’s company runs like a well-oiled machine. At least until his PA, Brady Donovan, comes down with the flu and takes sick leave. Then Jordan discovers what a treasure Brady is and who really keeps his business—and Jordan in particular—moving like clockwork. So when Jordan needs a plus-one, Brady seems the obvious choice to accompany him. After a major shopping trip to get Brady looking the part, however…. Wow.
Brady has a whole new wardrobe, and now his boss is whisking him away for a weekend party. Something is going on, something Brady never expected: Jordan is looking at him like he’s never seen him before, electrifying Brady’s long-hidden desires.
But can the romantic magic last when the weekend is over and it’s back to reality?
A Merrychurch Mysteries Case
Jonathon de Mountford’s visit to Merrychurch village to stay with his uncle Dominic gets off to a bad start when Dominic fails to appear at the railway station. But when Jonathon finds him dead in his study, apparently as the result of a fall, everything changes. For one thing, Jonathon is the next in line to inherit the manor house. For another, he’s not so sure it was an accident, and with the help of Mike Tattersall, the owner of the village pub, Jonathon sets out to prove his theory—if he can concentrate long enough without getting distracted by the handsome Mike.
They discover an increasingly long list of people who had reason to want Dominic dead. And when events take an unexpected turn, the amateur sleuths are left bewildered. It doesn’t help that the police inspector brought in to solve the case is the last person Mike wants to see, especially when they are told to keep their noses out of police business.
In Jonathon’s case, that’s like a red rag to a bull….
I’m about to do something huge, and it could change… everything.
I met Matt in second grade, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. We went to the same schools, studied at the same college. When we both got jobs in the same town, we shared an apartment. And when my life took an unexpected turn, Matt was there for me. Every milestone in my life, he was there to share it. And what’s really amazing? After all these years, we’re still the best of friends.
Which brings me to this fragile, heart-stopping moment: I want to tell him I love him, really love him, but I’m scared to death of what he’ll say. If I’ve got this all wrong, I’ll lose him—forever.
A friends-to-lovers novella that came from Out of the Shadows, because Nate and Dylan needed a story….
Nate and Dylan have been pals for a long time. So what if their friends think they’ve got a little bromance going? Doesn’t mean ther
e’s anything more to it than that, right? And even if there is, Nate and Dylan are totally oblivious….
Until the night they share a drunken kiss—and everything changes.
Readers love K.C. Wells
Under the Covers
“It is pure romance and intimacy. Just so sweet.”
—Love Bytes
On the Same Page
“On the Same Page is yet another example of their strength in writing plots and characters that draw the reader in and are entertaining throughout.”
—Jessie G Books
“I highly recommend this to lovers of MM romance, especially those who like a little kink in their stories.”
—Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Roots of Evil
“It’s a good mystery, but with fun, snark and sassiness that only K.C. can provide in her way.”
—Love Bytes
“A good mystery, a murder, a list of potential killers, and Mike’s and Jonathon’s minds. It was captivating and funny.”
—OptimuMM
K.C. WELLS lives on an island off the south coast of the UK, surrounded by natural beauty. She writes about men who love men, and can’t even contemplate a life that doesn’t include writing.
The rainbow rose tattoo on her back with the words ‘Love is Love’ and ‘Love Wins’ is her way of hoisting a flag. She plans to be writing about men in love—be it sweet and slow, hot or kinky—for a long while to come.
If you want to follow her exploits, you can sign up for her monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cNKHlT
You can stalk—er, find—her in the following places:
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld
KC’s Men In Love (my readers group): http://bit.ly/2hXL6wJ
Twitter: @K_C_Wells
Website: www.kcwellswrites.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/k.c.wells
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/k-c-wells
By K.C. Wells
BFF
Bromantically Yours
First
Love Lessons Learned
Step by Step
Waiting For You
DREAMSPUN DESIRES
The Senator’s Secret
Out of the Shadows
My Fair Brady
Under the Covers
LEARNING TO LOVE
Michael & Sean
Evan & Daniel
Josh & Chris
Final Exam
LIONS & TIGERS & BEARS
A Growl, a Roar, and a Purr
LOVE, UNEXPECTED
Debt
Burden
MERRYCHURCH MYSTERIES
Truth Will Out
Roots of Evil
A Novel Murder
SENSUAL BONDS
A Bond of Three
A Bond of Truth
With Parker Williams
COLLARS & CUFFS
An Unlocked Heart
Trusting Thomas
Someone to Keep Me
A Dance with Domination
Damian’s Discipline
Make Me Soar
Dom of Ages
Endings and Beginnings
SECRETS
Before You Break
An Unlocked Mind
Threepeat
On the Same Page
Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
A Growl, a Roar, and a Purr
© 2020 K.C. Wells
Cover Art
© 2020 Paul Richmond
http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com
Cover Photo
© 2020 Wander Aguiar
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64405-865-7
Digital ISBN: 978-1-64405-864-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020940945
Digital eBook published October 2020
v. 1.0
Printed in the United States of America
