BlackWind: Viraiden and Bronwyn Read Online Free Page B

Bronwyn hurried forward and picked up Brownie. She tapped the dog’s nose with her index finger. “Bad dog!”
    Brownie huffed and wiggled in Bronwyn’s arms.
    “No, you aren’t getting down. Not until we’re in the elevator.”
    Deirdre was standing at the cage, her hand against the panels. “She doesn’t mind very well, does she?”
    “Normally, she does. I think she made a new friend and didn’t want to say goodbye.”
    Deirdre frowned. “Who?”
    “Tall man, goatee, long black hair, dressed entirely in black.” Bronwyn saw a strange look pass over her mother’s face. “Do you know who I mean?”
    “Yes, I do.” Deirdre smiled, but the smile did not quite reach her eyes. “Let’s get you into a hot bath while I call up for some room service. What would you like?”
    * * * * *
    He reached into the pocket of his black leather jacket and pulled out Bronwyn McGregor’s driver’s license. He stared at it for a long time before easing the thumb of his right hand over the lower portion of the photograph, stroking the plastic as he had stroked the little dog’s muzzle a few minutes before. He brought the card to his face and inhaled the scent of its owner that still clung to the plastic, closing his eyes to the intoxicating scent.
    The phone rang but he ignored it. Instead, he walked through the darkness of his office and sat at his desk. He stared at the license as the phone continued to ring, but when the answering machine clicked on, he leaned back in his chair and turned to stare at the offending appliance.
    “If you must, leave a message,” he heard himself snarl.
    “I know you’re there,” his caller said. “Please pick up.”
    With a sigh of annoyance, he leaned forward and jerked up the handset. “What?”
    “Did you have a good ride?”
    He did not reply as he flexed the license between his thumb and middle fingers.
    “Have you seen her?” the caller asked.
    “What do you think?”
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    Charlotte Boyett-Compo
    “Is there going to be a problem?”
    “You tell me.”
    “I don’t want there to be.”
    “Then there won’t be,” he declared, and hung up.
    Slumping back in his chair, he swiveled his head to one side and brought the license closer to his face. He stared into the smiling eyes of Bronwyn McGregor for a long time, then pulled open a desk drawer and flicked the license inside.
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    BlackWind: Viraiden and Bronwyn

Chapter Three
    The next day, the sun was shining as though the rain had never visited the plains state. Everything looked fresh and new, and a slight scent of newly mown grass wafted on the air.
    “I’ve spent more of your money today than I spent in eight years of college,”
    Bronwyn complained, shifting the weight of the shopping bags.
    “But it was fun, wasn’t it?” her mother queried.
    “I’ll let you know how much fun it was when I pay you back.”
    “W.I. will reimburse me, dear. You won’t have to.”
    The loud roar of an engine startled them. They turned to see the same motorcycle Bronwyn had encountered the day before, now racing down the access road in front of the condos.
    “Who is that man, Mama? He almost ran me off the road yesterday. He came barreling around the corner and almost hit me head-on.”
    “I bet I know exactly where you were. That road can be very dangerous in the wintertime.”
    “He could have been hurt if we’d collided. Don’t you have a helmet law out here?”
    Deirdre shook her head. “Iowa doesn’t require one and I doubt he’d wear one even if they did. Sometimes I believe he thinks he’s indestructible. He’s in charge of the S.S.”
    Bronwyn turned to her mother and arched a brow. “The S.S.?”
    “Security Services. You’ll recognize his men by their black uniforms.” She patted her left shoulder. “They have a red triangle on the sleeve here.”
    “I met a couple of them at the gates yesterday,” Bronwyn said with a shiver.
    “Strange men, both of them. Is he as weird as they are?”
    Her mother