Smoke and Fire: Part 3 by Donna Grant Read Free Book Online

room. A form moved from the darkness and walked into the hallway. Constantine.
    “I did,” she replied. So she had been watched.
    Con walked slowly toward Ryder’s office, motioning her to follow him. “I’m glad to hear it,” he said with a bit of an edge to the words.
    “Why don’t I believe that? You say the right words, but your tone says something completely different.”
    He cut his black eyes to her. “I appreciate your frankness, Kinsey.”
    “Because you don’t get it from humans often?”
    “Nay, I doona. They’re intimidated by me.”
    She snorted. “Just the way you like it.”
    A small smile lifted one corner of his lips. “Perhaps.”
    That’s when it hit her that Con knew about her night with Ryder. “You don’t approve of me and Ryder, do you?”
    He halted and turned to face her. “If I say yes?”
    “I’d tell you that you don’t need to worry. Whatever was between us is gone. I enjoy being with him. He’s an amazing lover.”
    “You wouldna continue the relationship?”
    “No.” She was really getting good at lying. Soon she’d be able to convince herself.
    Con’s look was doubtful. “What of Ryder?”
    “What about him? He’s a Dragon King and immortal. Not to mention he left me.”
    “I believe he regrets that.”
    Kinsey shot him a dubious look. “Why tell me that? You don’t approve of us, but imparting that kind of information could change things if I was of a mind to try.”
    “Are you? Of a mind to try?”
    There was no emotion on his face or in his gaze. Kinsey wasn’t sure if he was teasing her or testing her. “No.”
    “You said that a wee bit fast.”
    “Truth comes quickly.”
    Con gave a nod before he pivoted and walked away. She shook her head, wondering why every encounter with Con left her more confused than before.
    Despite her wanting to ignore Con’s words, she couldn’t. Did Ryder really regret what he’d done? He’d said as much when he thought her asleep, but she hadn’t believed him. She wasn’t even sure she believed Con.
    They could be attempting to get her to fall for Ryder again so they could use her as a mole in Kyvor.
    She started toward the computer room when she heard her mobile phone ringing. Kinsey walked faster, but it stopped long before she reached her chair.
    When she checked the phone she saw that Cecil had called her three times last night and twice that morning. She set her coffee down with a groan.
    “Bad news?” Ryder asked without looking in her direction.
    Kinsey turned her head to answer him when she saw he was now working on fourteen of the monitors. “It’s Cecil. I forgot to turn in a work order yesterday to give me a reason to remain on Dreagan.”
    “They didna put a tracking device on your phone, but they could hack in and locate your GPS. However, on Dreagan, they wouldna be able to find you.”
    That was a small comfort. “If that’s true and my tracking isn’t showing up, then they know I’m still here.”
    “Aye,” he said, typing.
    She leaned back in her chair. “Will you sign whatever work order I draw up?”
    “Of course. We need you here.”
    She almost asked if they would allow her to leave, but then she realized it didn’t matter. If she wanted to prove her innocence, she needed Ryder. The only way to do that was to stay on Dreagan for however long it took.
    Kinsey pulled out her tablet and typed up three different work orders. They weren’t anything that would look suspicious. In fact, they were add-ons to what she originally was sent to Dreagan for.
    When she finished, she handed the tablet to Ryder who signed without looking at what she wrote.
    “Aren’t you even curious about what they say?”
    “Nay,” he replied before returning to his monitors and scrolling through picture after picture of men.
    Kinsey sent the orders to Cecil. Then she picked up her phone to return his calls when she hesitated. “I thought you’d still be in bed when I woke.”
    Ryder gradually turned his