Searching (PAVAD- FBI Romantic Suspense Book 18) by Calle Brookes (guided reading books txt) 📗

had done, after all, was deliver an envelope as a favor to someone from his own field office. Wasn’t anything wrong with that.

Jaclyn was at the end of the bullpen where team two tended to congregate when he finished his little meeting with Lytel and made it back up to the team.

The computer analyst—Danielle something or other—was at her side. He wondered at that. Jaclyn was more than capable of doing that particular job herself.

At first, he had been certain Jaclyn was one of those socially awkward screwup computer nerds. But she was actually pretty decent in the field.

Miranda Talley was hovering at Jaclyn’s side.

The digital screens behind the three women flashed, changed. Bloody crime scene photos spread out on the screen. Todd tried not to flinch.

He’d admit it: he’d always hated the sight of blood. Of victims.

Those dead women hadn’t deserved to be treated like that. To be left like that. Whoever had done that needed to be found and stopped soon.

Even if it had been Sturvin.

Someone bumped him from behind. Todd turned.

He sneered. He recognized the tall, dark-haired man who’d stopped in the bullpen. No doubt looking for that fluff-brained blond bitch of a wife of his. She ran team five now, he thought.

Probably because of who her older brothers were. They’d certainly greased the wheels for her.

He’d always thought Seth Lorcan was a stupid prick. He should have been tossed out of the bureau long ago. Todd had thought he would have been after that screwup with Riaz two or three years back. But no…he’d ended up getting rewarded and assigned to PAVAD. And a hot bitch in Lorcan’s bed whenever he wanted her.

Of course.

She’d fallen right into Lorcan’s lap. Now, she walked around with her stomach jutting out in front of her, getting attention wherever she went. Todd wanted her team. Her going on maternity leave soon would be his ticket. After this case. Once it was over, he’d confront Dennis about what he was due. But first, he wanted that asshole Sturvin to pay for what he did last night. “What do you want, Lorcan?”

“How long are you sticking around, Barnesy?”

“As long as it takes. I’m joining the CCU soon.”

Lorcan snorted. “Like hell you are. I predict you’ll be gone within a week.”

“Don’t you have some blond piece of ass around here to screw or something?” Of course, he did. Lorcan’s wife was none other than the precious little sister of two important players in PAVAD. Lorcan’s own two identical brothers were just as important around the place.

No other division in the bureau had ever had as many biological connections as PAVAD.

It was almost unbelievable.

Until one took into account nepotism. The Nepotism Game at its finest.

Starting with Ed Dennis and his wife and daughter.

That shit shouldn’t be allowed.

The scar at his temple twitched. If PAVAD had been as good as it was, Todd wouldn’t have gotten knocked in the head with a damned lead pipe. Hard to forget that.

Ed Dennis owed him something for that.

“Watch it, Barnesy. Or I’ll feed you to the giant in IA. You know how he feels about you—and I’m his favorite brother-in-law now, don’t you know? Better yet, I heard Cam Lake’s team just made it back. Bet Cam is going to be thrilled to find you hanging around this place. Maybe he and Mick will draw straws to see who gets to deal with you first?” Lorcan shot him a grin, and then the middle finger. Low enough no one could see. “Don’t get too comfortable around here. We all know it’s just a temporary gig. No one wants you here.”

“Yet here I am.” Todd smirked, though he didn’t feel confident at all. He wasn’t stupid. He hadn’t exactly made a whole lot of friends around the place. Nothing he could do would change that.

If they hadn’t treated him like shit, then what happened next—each time—wouldn’t have happened. It was their own damned faults.

But they were part of the popular clique around this place. He hadn’t had a chance of getting back into PAVAD, thanks to them.

Todd had had no choice but to make a deal.

Maybe he’d sold his soul to the devil, but it was well worth it. Washington would be his someday.

And he was going to uphold his part of that deal. It wasn’t too hard of a gig. A bit of information here and there, a few deliveries.

He was good enough at what he did to keep it in check.

Todd was keeping notes of every contact they made with him, anyway. He could always say he was investigating—going cowboy because he didn’t know who he could trust.

Hell, he could say he had taken his cue from Seth Lorcan. Wouldn’t that be the shit?

First thing he had to do was get Eugene Lytel the information he needed to proceed.

Todd didn’t know what would happen with that information after that. And he didn’t give a damn. As long as his interests were met, he didn’t give a damn about anybody in PAVAD at all.

To meet those interests, he had to keep himself from pissing off the ones who had put him there in the first place.

Knocking that cocky smirk of Seth Lorcan’s face would piss them off now.

They had plans for PAVAD.

Plans Todd aimed to see happen.

First, he had to deal with Max Jones.

Easier said than done, though.

Max was a mean son-of-a-bitch beneath that jock-nerd exterior. Todd didn’t know exactly how he was going to get around the guy.

He’d seen the man in a fistfight during a case four years ago when Jones had been sent to Texas. The man had decimated four stoned-out meth heads. Without breaking a sweat.

Jones hadn’t even been pissed when he’d done it. He’d just used those oversized fists of his to do it. While Jaclyn stood back and watched quietly. Holding her boyfriend’s coat.

No. Todd hadn’t been stupid enough to hit on Max’s lady after that.

But Jaclyn wasn’t Max’s lady now. There were perks to being in St. Louis. Todd was going to enjoy them.

39

The ME was