Bonded by Nicky Charles Page B

again.” Reno looked down and adjusted the
position of the spoon on the table.
    Brandi bit her
lip, the happiness of a moment ago fading. She played with the
handle of her cup, her stomach clenching at the idea of being
separated from him. “I guess not. Unless, once you’re back at
work...?” She cast a brief glance up at him, trying not to sound
too hopeful.
    Reno paused for a
moment, a slight frown on his face, and Brandi wondered if she’d
been too bold. He’d seemed genuinely happy to see her just a few
minutes ago, but now there was ambivalence about him. She took a
nervous sip of coffee, her mouth suddenly dry.
    Finally, he
nodded. “Well, I’m here for another two months, but once I’m back,
I’ll try to look you up.”
    Relief flooded
her; he’d just been thinking of the logistics, that’s all!
    After drinking
some of his own coffee, he gave her an inquiring look. “What
department will you be working in?”
    “Damage Control.”
She couldn’t stop beaming as she made the announcement. It was the
job she’d always wanted.
    “Professional
Liars?” Reno looked at her with raised brows and a faint expression
of distaste.
    “Well... I guess
that’s what some people call it, but it’s a very important job.”
Brandi tried not to frown at his use of the disrespectful slang
term. The fact that he’d say such a thing hurt and made her feel
defensive. She pulled her hand back from where it had rested on the
table near his. “As an Enforcer, you must know how crucial the
department is. After all, think of how many cases you deal with
that need tidying up afterwards.”
    He rubbed his neck
and looked away. “Yeah. I suppose.”
    His tone further
deflated the bubble of happiness inside her and she instinctively
tried to cover the fact with an attitude. “You suppose ? If
DC officers weren’t around, it wouldn’t be long before Lycan
existence would become public knowledge!” She sat up straighter,
lifting her chin slightly.
    Reno made a
non-committal noise and leaned back in his chair. “I’m not saying
DC isn’t a necessary evil, but—”
    “A necessary
evil!” Brandi felt her face flush and her temper begin to flare.
Her hands curled into fists. “Reno, I really don’t think I like
your attitude. This is my chosen profession you’re talking about.
You don’t see me bad-mouthing Enforcers even though some of their
methods cause almost as many problems as—”
    “Enforcers don’t
cause problems,” he protested, cutting her off. He sat up straight,
the front legs of his chair making a distinctive sound as they made
sharp contact with the tile floor.
    “Oh, yes, they
do.” She warmed to the topic, talking faster and louder. “During my
apprenticeship year, I ran into a lot of cases that wouldn’t have
needed DC help, if the attending Enforcer had just used some
discretion and diplomacy.”
    Reno snorted at
her statement and rolled his eyes. “Spoken like a real DC officer.
You people have no idea what we deal with.”
    “And you have no
self-control!” Brandi shoved her chair back and stood up, tossing
her hair over her shoulder. “I think I’d better leave now before I
say something I shouldn’t.” She snatched up her purse and glared
down at him. “Thanks for last night. Too bad you turned out to be
just another jerk.”
    “Yeah? Well, too
bad you aren’t as pleasant standing up as you are on your back in
bed.”
    She gasped and
then stormed out of the cafe, ignoring the painful clenching in her
chest and the tears that stung her eyes. Tabi was right. All men were assholes!

Chapter 6

    Four months
later...
    Reno gave a
satisfied smile as he looked over the group of refugees he and his
men had rescued that afternoon. They had just stopped for a quick
meal at a fast food restaurant and would then travel for another
two hours before reaching their final destination for the day. God,
it felt good to know they were finally making progress against the
damned Purists.
    Lately, the