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Authors: Naughty Novels Publishing
Pleasured By The Dark & Damaged
Paranormal Romance
By Naughty Novels Publishing
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Found at the end of the book.
“Good morning Ula, glad you could make it,” Mickey Morris said, as I stepped into his office. The diminutive bail bondsman was seated behind his desk with the blinds drawn behind him. An electric space heater stood nearby, casting off rays of heat. I flopped into the wooden chair in front of him and crossed my legs.
“Morning, Mickey. How’s Irma doing today?”
“Nagging me to move the operation to Hawaii, as usual. You know how she hates the snow.”
I smiled. “Count your blessings, Mickey. If she knew what kind of people you were providing bonds for, she might insist that you quit all together.”
The bail bondsman grimaced. “There’s no doubt about that. Especially today. I assume you heard who the newest skip is. It was all over the news.”
My life tended to revolve around people called “skips,” people who skipped bail instead of appearing in court. As a bounty hunter, I tracked them and brought them back.
I nodded in response to Mickey’s question. “I heard that Lobo skipped. What happened?”
“New evidence was uncovered in his case. It looked bad for him and he ran.”
“I can’t believe Lobo would actually murder someone, let alone a non-shifter.”
“I can’t either. But, I’m not the judge.”
I studied the toe of my snakeskin boot. “Is this the job you’ve called me in for? You want me to hunt Lobo down?”
“Ula, you are the best werewolf bounty hunter I’ve got. But, given your history with Lobo, I’m afraid I’ll have to insist that you partner up on this one.”
“Mickey, I work best alone.”
“Not this time,” he said firmly. “You’re getting a partner, and I picked him. He should be here any minute.”
“He had better not be a wererat, Mickey. You know how I hate them.”
“He’s not a wererat, though Jimmy the Jinx is a really nice guy when you get to know him.”
“Jimmy the Jinx sucks feet,” I grumbled.
“That’s not a very nice thing to say about your colleague.”
“It’s the truth!” I replied, wrinkling my nose in disgust. “He sucks feet. It’s a fetish or something. A disgusting fetish. He’s an embarrassment to all of us.”
“You know what your trouble is, Ula?” Mickey asked. You take the job too seriously. What Jimmy does in his off time is none of our business. Anyway, you’ve taken me off subject. The guy I chose is great at his job. In fact, he’s one of the best.”
“Do I know him?”
Mickey winced. “Yes, you do.”
A strong, strange odor suddenly filled the air. I sniffed at it and pricked up my ears. As I identified the smell, a soft growl escaped my lips.
“Oh, Mickey,” I groaned. “Not him. Anyone but him.”
“My mind is made up, Ula. So crank it down a notch. I don’t want any trouble in here.”
A knock came upon the door of Mickey’s office, and he walked in.
The man stood six-feet-five-inches tall and weighed at least two-hundred-fifty pounds. His body was pure muscle, and many a woman had expressed admiration over it.
Too many women.
They loved his shaggy black hair, and the way his grin made them wet their panties. They swooned over his rugged good looks and his prowess in the bedroom. Unlike these pathetic women, I was immune to his charm, and had made my feelings clear. It was like painting a target on my forehead. The man wouldn’t give up.
Sharp green eyes fell upon me, and I saw a hint of unrequited desire flare up. He grinned.
“Hey, Ula.”
My tone and reply were icy. “It’s Ulrica Thorne to you, Barret MacMahon.”
“It was Ula the last time we met.”
The low growl rumbled in my breast. “It’s never been Ula.”
Mickey clapped his hands. “Time out you two. We’ve got work to do.”
Barret took the seat next to me and set his feet up on Mickey’s desk. He tipped back in the chair and crossed his hands behind his head.
“I’m all ears, Boss.”
Mickey leaned forward. “You’ve heard about Lobo?”
Barret nodded. The movement was slow, deliberate and way too cool. I scowled at him.
“Yeah, I heard. I suppose you want me to go after him.”
Mickey stood. “I’ve decided to pair my best werebear and werewolf together for this one, so you two will be working together. Here is Lobo’s file.”
Barret leaned forward to take the file and I grabbed hold of it at the same time. We locked eyes.
When I became angry or aroused, my eyes changed color. They shifted from brown to golden amber and, depending on how I felt, the color change would be accompanied by some sort of vocalization. If was angry, it would be a growl. If I was aroused, it was a whine.
My eyes widened when Barret’s eyes also made a change. They went from green to scarlet, and he coughed at me.
I growled.
With a grin, he released the thick file.
I opened the manila folder and began to peruse the contents. Some things were no secret to me. Others were a surprise.
Barret pointed to a large photograph taken with a telephoto lens. “Hey, that’s you.”
The picture depicted two people engaged in sexual relations. The woman was on all fours while the man took her from behind. A tingling burn crept out of my collar and over my face.
Barret snatched the picture away. “Wow, werewolves sure are conventional. Is that the only way you guys do it?”
I reached for the picture. “Give me that.”
He glanced up at me. “Are you blushing?”
I got out of the chair and ripped the picture out of his hand.
“I don’t think we should partner up, Mickey. She’s been sleeping with the enemy.”
“That’s exactly why you need her, Barret. She knows Lobo better than anyone else. Why, Ula was almost mated to the guy. Things might have been different now, if he hadn’t left her at the altar.”
I hid my face in my hands. “Thanks a lot, Mickey. Would you like me to open the door now? Might as well tell the entire office about my mistakes.”
Barret leaned over to speak in my ear. “If it makes you feel better,” he whispered, “I’d like you to know that your breasts are the most beautiful I have ever seen.”
I snapped my teeth at him.
“Knock it off,” Mickey said. “Let’s focus on Lobo.” He turned to the wall directly behind him and pointed at the map pinned to it.
“Lobo has a few hangouts all over the state, but he lived with a girlfriend in Helena until he was arrested. She broke it off while he was in jail. I suggest you start with her.”
“What’s the name of our Judas?” I asked.
Barret looked up. “Judas?”
“Don’t tell me you don’t know what a Judas is, Barret.”
“Ok. I won’t tell you.” He turned to Mickey. “What’s a Judas?”
I rolled my eyes. “A Judas is the person who will betray the whereabouts of our Skip to us. It could be the person who put up the bail, or an ex-spouse. In this case, it’s the ex-girlfriend.”
Mickey leaned forward. “Her name is Kyra McCann. She lives in the Shade Tree apartments on Washington Street, apartment 2G. I think you should drop in on her. They may have reconciled, and he might be hiding out there.”
I nodded. “Did she hire you to put up bail?”
“No, Lobo did. I took it because he was such a good customer. I never thought he’d skip out on me.”
Barret stood up and leaned across the desk. “Ok, Mickey, time for the nitty gritty. What does the job pay?”
“It might be a dangerous one, so the percentage will be larger than usual. I’m giving twenty-percent of the bond.”
“And how much was the bond?”
“Three-quarters of a million dollars.”
Barret whistled. “Seventy-five thousand a piece. That’s a pretty penny.”
“That’s for bringing him back alive, of course.” Mickey turned to me and stared into my eyes. “If you kill him, it’ll be five thousand a piece.”
Barret smiled. “I guess we won’t kill him then.”
“Everything you’ll need is in that file.” Mickey continued. “It’s got phone numbers, addresses, his social security number—the works. One of my finest private investigators compiled it when I took the first bond on Lobo twelve years ago. The guy has investigated him every time I put bail up. Five bonds later and here we are.”
Barret glanced at the fat file in my hand. “Why didn’t you give him the case?”
“He wasn’t up to the hunt. Wereroaches are good for spying, but not much else.”
I rose out of the chair and tucked the file under my arm.
“Is that all, Mickey?”
“That’s it. Good hunting you two. Bring him back alive.”
Barret saluted Mickey and led me out of the room. When the door had closed behind us, I plucked the sleeve of his leather jacket.
“I need to talk to you, Barret.”
“What about, Sweet thing?” he asked, grinning.
“Don’t call me that.”
“Oh, that’s right. I’m supposed to call you Erica.”
“It’s Ulrica,” I replied with a sigh. “Is everything a joke to you?”
“Yup.”
“I’m glad you’ve admitted it. It makes things so much easier. We can’t have a joker running this show.”
“Who’s going to run it then?” he asked. “You?”
“That’s right. And since I’m in charge, we’ll be taking my SUV.”
“Sorry to pop your bubble, Sweet Cheeks. We’re taking my truck. It’s specially designed for someone of my proportions. I can’t ride in just any vehicle.”
I held out my hand. “Fine. I’ll drive then.”
He reached a hand into the pocket of his jeans. They were so tight, his hand barely fit.
“Uh-oh.”
“What?”
“I can’t get my hand out.” He tugged at the bulge that was his keys.
“What the heck?” I asked, brows furrowed. “Does this always happen?”
“When I forget and put my keys in my pocket it does.”
“Why don’t you switch to a larger size in jeans?” I scowled.
“They don’t make a larger size.”
“What about wearing khakis?”
“Yeah. They’d do wonders for my image.” He jerked on the keys.
“What do you usually do when this happens?” I asked, knowing I’d probably regret my curiosity.
“I tear my pants off.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Let go of them.”
Barret released the keys and pulled his hand out. I reached in.
I rummaged around searching for the keys. At one point, my fingers came in contact with something hard. It was covered by denim and it seemed to stretch on forever.
“Um…that isn’t the key to my truck.”
“Yes, I know,” I snapped.
The set of keys were the next thing I touched. I pulled them out and shoved them in the pocket of my jacket. “Let’s get going. It’s a five hour drive to Helena, and I’d like to get there before dark.”
I walked past him and down the hall. Mickey’s secretary, Coral, ignored me as I entered the outer office. When Barret entered, she blew him a kiss.
A little red flame burned in my mind as we walked out the door into the parking lot.