Birds of Prey Read Online Free Page B

successor. However, she didn’t believe for a minute that Adrian was involved.
    He pressed more about Mike too.
    She managed to keep her temper reined in, but knew that he could tell she wouldn’t be any help there.
    He finally laid his book down and sighed. “That’s all for now.”
    Her throat had gone dry and she had a headache. Regardless, she still scowled at him. “Fine.”
    She rose and headed towards the door.
    “Aubrey?”
    She turned towards him at the threshold.
    “I am sorry about Gregory. I don’t have to tell you not to do anything stupid, do I?”
    She snorted. “Is this where you tell me not to leave town?” she responded sarcastically.
    He stood and faced her. “No.” He lowered his voice. “This is where I tell you to let us do our job and warn you to stay out of the investigation. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
    Aubrey lifted a brow. “As far as I remember, you didn’t want to see me at all.”
    She stomped from the room, letting the irritation and annoyance ride over the confusion and hurt she was still trying to push down.
    As she passed, she banged on the conference door to let Mike know that she was finished but didn’t go in.
    No way could she stand another minute in anyone else’s company. She needed to be alone.
    She clomped down the stairs, through the study, out onto the deck. She took a huge gulp of fresh air and felt better.
    Jeez, how long had she been inside? She glanced at her watch. It was already after eleven in the morning.
    Adrian should be returning soon. He’d take complete control over the Cast before everything fell apart. Security needed beefing up. Mike had already instructed the others to do so. Some of the junior guards would have to take up the extra patrols.
    And she wasn’t going to leave the investigation to the Coalition—or Cody.
    It was her leader, her uncle who had been killed. She would find the person or persons responsible and take them down. She had no doubt that Mike would feel the same.
    A sound behind her had her spinning and dropping into a crouch.
    “Baby.” Her mom joined her on the deck.
    “Mom.” She opened her arms. Her mother rushed to her and Aubrey embraced her, holding her tight. “I’m sorry.”
    Tears soaked her shirt and Aubrey swayed back and forth rocking her mother. Her own eyes burned, but she needed to take care of her mom. Aubrey held her for almost ten minutes before she stopped crying.
    “Why would anyone do this?” she sobbed into Aubrey’s shoulder.
    “I don’t know,” she answered. “I don’t know.”
    Her mother pulled back. “You find out who did this!”
    “I will,” Aubrey promised. “I’ll find them.”
    Her mom nodded before scrubbing her hands over her cheeks. Tears still gathered in her eyes. “Adrian just arrived. The agents from the Coalition are speaking with him.”
    Aubrey nodded. She wasn’t really surprised. The agents jumping on Adrian just as he arrived made sense. She didn’t have to like it, though. He would need time to grieve. She wished that she could give him that time, but she wasn’t sure it was possible. The Coalition would demand answers. Aubrey wasn’t sure who would have them.
    “How are you?”
    “I’m okay.” She offered a smile to go with her lie.
    “So that was your young man.”
    It wasn’t a question and Aubrey couldn’t help going tense.
    “What?”
    Still beautiful and full of life, her mom giggled. “You never could lie to me. Did you think I wouldn’t recognise his name?”
    No, she really hadn’t thought that her mother would have remembered. She’d never met Cody, but Aubrey had spoken about him. When he had left, her mom had held her as Aubrey had cried.
    “I should have known,” she admitted.
    “He is very attractive.”
    Aubrey groaned. “Mom.”
    Before her mother could say anything else, Mike called from inside the study, “Aubrey, we need to have a meeting.”
    She hugged her mom. “Go home, Mama,” she told her. “I’ll call