9. Caramel Coffee Side Quest
Caramel Coffee Side Quest
I hit delete, and instantly my heart feels like it has been thrown into the trash alongside the hottest accidental sex tape I have ever starred in. After I watched it several more times, taking notes on anything that could be identifiable. And masturbated.
It still hurts my heart to erase it.
But I am not in the mood to justify my sexual tastes, should anyone else see it.
There would be questions. Nothing in the video gave away the fact that Ghost is my soulmate.
The problem lies within the content. Even if I told an outsider it was an act with my soulmate, I would still face judgment for the context.
I like what I like. I don’t need to explain it, and I certainly don’t have the patience to sit and listen to a stranger tell me how I need to feel about my preferences.
My mood is shit and I really hope this is the last day of this miserable rain, like the forecast promises.
I’m not sure if I can handle being stuck inside the station much longer.
At least I have a mission today. This morning, I dug through my closet until I found the underwear featured in the video.
The dried stains were a mixture of our combined releases, meaning his DNA should be present along with mine.
The underwear is in a plastic bag, shoved toward the bottom of my purse, but it feels like it is going to spring out the top and land on the floor as soon as I step through the door. All I have to do is pay my favorite techie, Vicky, to run the DNA check for me on the side.
I arrive fifteen minutes earlier than usual and find the station empty. It gives me enough time to stash my purse inside my desk, where it will remain until lunch. Then it’s a quick and simple trip down the street for a salted caramel coffee bribe for Vicky as I offload the package.
Shouldn’t be a problem.
As a boon, I head over to the coffeepot and get to work brewing the first of many for the day.
James walks in, Killian hot on his heels, both of them lost in some rapidly forming bromance. I tuck myself into the small alcove beside the table and they breeze past like I am a newly installed statue.
“Kira?” James whips his head back and Killian narrowly avoids colliding with him before turning with a look of confusion in my direction.
“Just hit start. Lots of cream, no sugar.” Without allowing them the chance to reply, I head back to my desk, leaving them standing like statues.
It takes James a moment, long enough for me to get settled into my chair, before the gears in his mind stop spinning and land on a thought. He reanimates like a puppet come to life and a wide grin stretches across his face while he makes his way toward me.
“Someone got laid last night.”
I look up at James through my lashes before arching an eyebrow.
“You getting bored with your life again, James? Need to live vicariously through me? Why don’t you wait for everyone else to get here so I can provide you all with free tickets to the shit show?”
Silence stretches between us until it’s broken when James bursts into laughter. I join in, feeling the sweet release of some of the internal frustrations flowing out of me. There is something liberating about being able to be a bitch for a minute just to depressurize the backflow.
The mateless get it.
Even wearing glasses, Killian sticks out with a look of confusion, but I notice the slight tip of his lips. He’ll get there.
James leans down. “He must be good if you’re not sharing. I’m happy for you, Kira.”
Before a reply can come to me, a beep sounds from the coffeepot. James backs off, grinning like we share a secret before turning and walking past Killian to grab two cups.
“No sugar?” James asks, looking back.
“And a fuck-load of cream,” Killian replies for me.
James’ gaze shifts from me to Killian and then back. The smile on his face is wide enough to make me fear for the muscles of his cheeks. “Yeah, she does.”
I roll my eyes, laughing to myself before glancing down at Rex.
He is looking at me with one intelligent eye.
It rolls before he lets out a huff and settles in for another day of naps.
A cup of coffee lands on my desk and I look up to see Killian rather than James.
His hand is still wrapped around my cup.
“Are you holding it hostage until I give up details?” I ask, looking pointedly toward his tight grip.
“Sorry.” He shakes his head before releasing his hold and walking back to his desk without another word.
I take a sip while contemplating the mood of the room.
The exchange with Killian leaves me feeling strange, and I can’t figure out why.
It could have something to do with the loss of his soulmate.
Maybe he assumed that the mateless do not have sex since they don’t have soulmates.
An absurd idea that unfortunately is an all-too-common type of thinking the mated fall victim to.
We might as well be different species. It’s something he will figure out when he’s ready.
One day, he might want to fuck someone that isn’t his dead wife.
I can’t help him with that. That feels more like a bromance type of subject.
“James,” I say, looking around until our gazes meet. “Good job on the coffee.” I give a thumbs up, then signal with my eyes toward Killian. James’ eyes follow, flicking toward Killian and then at my gesture and back once more for confirmation before giving me a look of confusion.
“Good,” James says with hesitation, like he plans to say more. “I think.”
I give him a look and I hope he understands the message.
Go check on your friend.
James nods like he understands, but he doesn’t get up or start a conversation with Killian. I shake my head and turn forward to enjoy my cup of coffee and get through the first half of the day. The boys can figure their shit out on their own.
Captain arrives and does a double take as he passes by my desk. “Someone is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning.” He stops and smiles at me.
It isn’t a comforting smile. It’s the kind that suggests I will not like something, but if it’s served with a smile, I might not hit him in response.
“Please don’t tell me I have to write reports for the day,” I whine.
“Not reports,” Captain says, his tone less than reassuring. I can’t think of anything worse than reports. “There’s an overhaul of evidence gathered from the raid, and I need all hands on deck.”
“Computers?” I laugh, while Captain looks even more worried that I am about to punch him. “You know they hate me as much as I hate them.”
“Work with Killian, he isn’t half bad,” Captain says, shifting his gaze toward Killian’s desk.
“Sure,” I shrug, not understanding why Captain is so concerned. I chalk it up to the new kid gloves he has donned when handling me since the deaths.
Captain goes back to his office, and Killian looks over at me. “What do you mean, computers hate you?”
“You’ll see. There’s a reason I still work with paper reports rather than the digital ones everyone else uses.” I smirk.
“Only let her have copies. She will delete originals,” James adds, with complete seriousness. “We are just as amazed as she is at how she accidentally destroys things.”
“It’s a gift,” I say with a smile and a shrug, but this time the well-worn joke lands a hit. My heart takes the blow, and I run through a blast of morality that calls my existence into question. No wonder my soulmate is a psychopath. It’s not like I am any better.
All I do is destroy things.
“I’ll take care of things, princess,” Killian says, getting up and heading to my desk. “First off, where’s your tablet?”
I look at my desk, pausing for a moment while I try to remember the last time I even used the damn thing.
While I couldn’t recall, it didn’t matter, since the device is neatly tucked into the small ledge on my desk.
I press the power button, unsure if it’s even charged, before handing it to Killian.
His fingers sail across the screen, faster than I’ve even seen from Tommy. He is the tech wizard of the group, just above Cathy. Killian is better than us all as he hands the tablet back to me with a group of folder icons against the simple background.
“Can you open these folders? Or do you need me to do that too?” He smirks and I see myself in his glasses, mirroring the expression.
“I can open them. Just don’t blame me when the folders disappear along with everything inside them. We will both be just as confused how I managed it.”
Killian looks skeptical before glancing down to the tablet again. “Let me know when you’re through those.” He lands on confidence, giving a slight nod before returning to his desk.
I groan, but take the tablet in my hand and take a better look at the folder options available. The first folder is titled Hive Bust Overview, and I don’t look at the others before pressing my finger to that section of the screen.
Files, documents, and photos open up for me to choose from.
I notice a blueprint and click on it, finding an interactive map of the warehouse from the raid.
My fingers move the image as I virtually travel through the lines to locate the second-floor stairwell.
Part of me wants to continue the simulated path to the bathroom where Ghost waited for me, but it is too early in the morning to start that line of thinking.
A quick swipe takes me back to the previous screen, and this time I click on the image of the formal raid report written by Killian.
It isn’t anything other than the typed words fed by Tommy when we all got back to the station and collaborated on the events between us.
Despite knowing what happened, I start here.
I’m just trying to get to lunch.
As soon as lunch hits, I grab my purse, tuck it securely under my arm, and make it to the door before Captain comes through the threshold of his office. Rex is hot on my heels, panting, as he keeps up with me while I practically sprint toward the parking lot exit.