Ghostwalker 03 - Night Game

that Whitney wanted to see what would happen if we were together.”

    “Whitney is dead.”

    “You keep telling yourself that.”

    “Tell me what you were doing at the club tonight.”

    Flame sighed. “You’re like a bear with a sore tooth. I was trying to lure a particular person to me. A girl disappeared a few weeks ago. She was a singer, had a beautiful sultry voice. The cops think she picked up and left the area because it’s convenient for them to think that. But her family and everyone who knew her think something happened to her. And I do too.” Her voice was pitched low, not in the least remorseful or defiant.

    There was a long silence. Too long. It stretched out between them until she could feel the full weight of his disapproval. “You’re telling me, you set yourself up as bait for what could be a killer because a girl you don’t even know disappeared? Have you lost your mind or do you just have a death wish?”

    “I don’t have to justify my actions to you.”

    “You don’t have backup. I don’t go on a mission with out backup. That’s just plain stupidity.” He stepped closer, his fingers settling around her upper arms.

    Flame felt the tremor running through him. “Let go of me before I push your butt into the bayou. Talk about stupidity! You had everything and you threw it away. At least I have a good reason for the things I choose to do.”

    “Like stealing from Saunders, who, by the way, I had investigated and he’s about as mean as they come. He’s suspected of having ties to the underworld—”

    She jerked away from him. “Like I didn’t know that already? I do my homework.” Red hair went in all directions as she shook her head. “I’m not exactly a team player. I make decisions based on percentages and the percentages were in my favor this time. The girl…”

    “Joy Chiasson,” he supplied, his gaze on her throat. When she’d turned her head, the scarf she wore slipped. He moved even closer, crowding her, his body brushing hers.
    “Our two families have known one another for years. I came here to find out what happened to her.” He broke off, his attention diverted. His fingertip brushed the dark marks on her throat. His fingerprints. “Did I do this?”

    She lifted a hand to hide the marks, but he stopped her, this time much more gently. “I’m sorry, Flame. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

    “I had a knife to your throat. I think the situation was a little tense.” Her voice was suddenly husky, a little too intimate. “Did you really come to New Orleans to look for Joy?” Why hadn’t she moved away from him? He was so close she felt his heart beat.
    And why was she whispering?

    “Yes. My grandmother asked me to come. When she told me Joy was missing, I remembered another woman, a singer from another parish who disappeared a couple of years ago. I thought the fact that they both had incredible voices was worth checking into.
    And I don’ like Grand mere to be upset.”

    “Because of her heart.”

    “Because I love her and she rarely asks me for any thing. But I’m not going to lie to you.
    Lily asked me to find you, if possible, and persuade you to join us.”

    Flame stepped away from him, her eyes suddenly hard and sparkling with temper. “And just how would Miss Lily know I was in New Orleans?”

    “She ran the probabilities of you coming here through a computer.”

    “She knew the fire at the sanitarium would draw me out. They made a hit on Dahlia, didn’t they?” She turned completely away from him, but not before he caught the glitter of tears in her eyes. “I didn’t find her in time.”

    “The GhostWalkers found her in time,” Gator said. “Dahlia’s alive and well and very safe. In fact she’s married to a buddy of mine.”

CHAPTER 6
    C:\DOCUME~1\Owner\LOCALS~1\Temp\Feehan, Christine - %5bGhost Walkers 3%5d
    - Night Game (v1.5).html - chapter_5#chapter_5

    Flame sucked in her breath sharply. “I don’t believe you.”

    “I don’t care if you believe me. She’s married to another GhostWalker, Nicolas Trevane.” Gator raked a hand through his hair in agitation until waves spilled across his forehead. “Okay. That was a lie. I do care that you believe me. Why would I lie?”

    “To get me to go back with you. I’m never going back with you, not for any reason.
    You’re a smart man. Do you think the government and Whitney are going to sink millions of dollars into experimental weapons and then just let