Hate Score: A Dark New Adult Romance (Kings of Cade Book 3) by P Mulholland

Author:P Mulholland [Mulholland, P]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-12-15T18:30:00+00:00

27

It’s my first meeting of the legend, Ri Bracken, and in my mind I expected someone impressive. Although it’s obvious she holds a lot of power and authority, I was disappointed when we step into her office to find a scruffy plain woman with panda eyes who seems utterly worn down. This is not the woman I’d imagined for so many years when the boys spoke about her. She’s an ex-contract killer, apparently, and I suppose I was picturing someone more like Atomic Blond.

Immediately my heart goes out to her, she lost her partner of several years and adopted son, yet, no one has stopped to ask her if she’s okay.

“We finally get to meet,” Ri Bracken says, gesturing to the two chairs behind her desk.

“How are you?” I ask and she answers briskly with a “Box of fluffies.”

I chuckle inwardly, as Adze has used that meme a few times when he’s being sarcastic. “I’m sorry about Sydney,” I tell her and she flicks her eyes up to read my face. “And I’m also sorry you lost a son.”

Her jaw clenches as she glances out the window at golden leaves falling from the trees due to a cool breeze rustling the branches. Fall is definitely here and the silver hue of winter is on its tail.

“Yes, well,” is all she manages to say about that subject before turning it around to make it about me. “I hear you’ve been through a tough time yourself.”

“Yes, I have, but I survived.”

A large grey shaggy dog wanders in, rests his chin on her lap, and she places her palm on his head as if he’s only thing keeping her upright. “So, I asked you to come in to discuss Baxter’s funeral. “Would you like to speak, perhaps recite a poem or something?” she asks me.

“Yes,” I answer. I decided on the way over that I’d like to say a few words, even though public speaking terrifies me. “How many people will be attending?”

“Just the family,” she answers, “probably some of the police force and federal agents will turn up out of duty.”She smiles briefly. “He was known to the Cade Police Department for a variety of reasons.”

Coen chuckles softly. “I’m certain he’s on the books for being a public nuisance on more than one occasion.”

“Got a mouth on him has our Bax,” Ri states warmly.

“Yet he was terrified of ghosts and graveyards and not fond of small crawly creatures.”

I laugh, lacing my hand in Coen’s and he winks fondly at me. “Maybe I could say that at his funeral.”

“Anyway on a darker note,” Ri begins, “I’ve had to organize security for the funeral just as a precaution if Mercer were to take the opportunity of having us all in one place to…”

“Attack?” I finish off for her since she’s being deliberately cautious with her wording that I assume is for my benefit, so I wouldn’t get upset. “Don’t worry, Ms. Bracken-”

“Call me Ri.”

“I was there when they attacked us at Adze cabin, so I’m hardly shocked anymore.

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