Double The Risk Read Online Free

information, Diego reminded himself they were working a case, not a bar, and that his focus needed to be on the victim, not his sudden desire to pound his new partner’s face into the ground.

Chapter Two
    Ronan cranked the A.C. in the car as he loosened his tie. After spending a couple of hours going over the crime scene and interviewing the jogger who’d spotted the body, he was as hot, sticky, and sweaty as he’d been earlier after his jog. His new partner, on the other hand, still had his suit jacket on and looked fresh as a daisy. Ronan eyed him with distrust. He wasn’t sure the guy was human, and it was just one more point against him. Being from New York and undoubtedly a Yankee’s fan had been the first strike. Eyeing the new M.E. with obvious male interest was another.
    Cassidy Barnes was an unexpected treat and a far cry from the other pathologists he’d worked with. He’d spotted her before he even reached the cadaver and had wrangled her deets from one of the other crime scene investigators before he introduced himself. Word was that she was not only new but had serious medical credentials and could practice anywhere she wanted. She was also really nice to everyone, patient with subordinates, and funny in an unexpected way. She was also, of course, gorgeous. He’d seen that fact for himself. And, drumroll please, not married, engaged, or even dating as far as anyone knew.
    Maybe she was gay, but he didn’t think so. He knew when a woman was into him, and the vibe from Dr. Barnes was a sexy “hi there” one. He was sure of it. Unfortunately, he was equally as sure she felt the same way about his partner. The look in her eye when she stared up at Diego held the same gleam she’d aimed at Ronan, and that sucked. Either she was playing games or she liked them both. Neither possibility appealed to him. Plus, when he looked at Diego, it was like looking into a mirror. The guy held the same “I want to go there” expression as Ronan knew he did himself.
    He pulled out into the heavy traffic of Storrow Drive with a hard yank of the wheel and grinned inwardly in satisfaction as his partner grabbed onto his “oh shit” handle. Ronan decided it was a good idea to put thoughts of Cassidy aside and concentrate on the case for a while. “So what do you think?”
    “I think our victim either fell on hard times within the last forty-eight hours or so and turned into an instant homeless man or there’s something more going on here.”
    Damn, although Ronan was inclined to find fault with the transplanted New Yorker and potential dating rival, he had to admit the man had excellent police skills. The observation about the fingernails had been dead, so to speak, on.
    “Yeah, I agree. On the surface, he looked like every other dead vagrant I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen quite a few. It’s too easy for them to die of exposure or get hit by a train or to end up in a deadly fight over booze or even shoes. I hate how we do such a lousy job taking care of our own, especially the vets. This guy could have easily been one if you looked at only the clothes and the layer of dirt. You were right, though, about the grooming underneath the grime. And it wasn’t just the nails and the teeth. Did you look at his hair?”
    Diego nodded. “It was unkempt, but not matted and not very long. It had been trimmed recently.”
    “Yeah.”
    He cut over to exit off Storrow and head to the precinct. He was hoping to have a chance to change his shirt and clean up a little before the lovely Cassidy was ready to see them. He always kept spare clothing in his locker, and he wanted to look his best when he went to the morgue. He was hoping to have a chance to ask her out. That is, if his partner didn’t get his shot in first.
    Stealing a glance at his passenger, Ronan could see why a woman would be interested. Diego was handsome in an exotic way, with short dark hair, olive-toned skin, and brown eyes. Ronan’s hair was equally dark,