Ashes - Book 2 (New Adult Romantic Suspense) by Leslie Johnson Page B

ended up laughing. When I calmed down, I could see his side of things. But, anyway, I needed to take a piss like no other and he laughed and told me to write quick because I wasn’t leaving until it was done.”
    Ken laughs and throws a towel. “Don’t you know you should always carry an empty bottle in the car for that? I guess walking to the front of the car and letting it fly wouldn’t have been cool. He would have tas’d your dick.”
    I grab my crotch, the very thought sending me into protective mode. “Well, the cop was laughing and doing little things that kept me from being able to leave. At one point, I was basically crossing my legs like a chick and bouncing up and down in bladder agony.”
    Ken’s bent over, his hands on his knees. “Please don’t tell me you pissed your pants.”
    I grin at him. “Well, I—“
    “Gage!”
    I whip around and see Captain Frank waving me over. I lift a hand and he turns around, heading back to his office.
    I look back at Ken and the fucker has grabbed his crotch and is bouncing up and down. I flip him off and take off after Cap.
    “I just got a call from Agent Grimes,” he says before my ass even hits the chair. “They’re on their way now.” Captain Frank grabs his coffee cup and tosses me a bottle of water when I decline caffeine.
    “You look worried.”
    Cap takes a long drink of his coffee, then sits back and looks me dead in the eye. “I am. From what I’m hearing, everyone is concerned. This might be bigger than a serial killer.”
    Shit.
    “How so?”
    “This is just a theory at this point, but Captain Vander told me about a cult, Santa something or other they call themselves. They’re squatting in the desert. They’ve heard rumors and have been keeping an eye on them, but haven’t caught them red handed yet.”
    “Santa, you said? You’ve got to be kidding.” Christmas will never be the same.
    “Seems they have something to do with the drug cartels from Mexico or Central America. They haven’t been able to pin anything on them, but this may be the link they need.”
    I stare at the wall behind the captain’s head, trying to make all this make sense. It doesn’t. “Mexican cartels don’t do stuff like that, do they? They just put the bodies in acid or cut their heads off and leave them in the street.”
    “Who the hell knows what cults do,” the captain says and takes another sip of coffee. “All I know for sure is two things. One: the feds think it might possibly be related. Two: they’re on their way to talk to you. So sit tight and we’ll find out what they have to say.”

    Not even a minute has passed until there’s a knock on the door. The captain waves them in and I stand as two familiar faces walk into the room.
    “Larson, it seems you can’t keep out of trouble.” Special Agent Ellen Grimes sticks out her hand, giving me the flash of a grin. These are the two agents who worked Stephanie’s case last year. It was fascinating to watch how their minds worked, how they tried so hard to catch Jerome and the fuckers who’d been selling women like cattle.
    “You remember my partner, Bill Ramsen?” she continues and I shake both of their hands again.
    “Yes ma’am. Nice to see you again Agent Ramsen.” I motion for him to enter.
    Grimes looks at Captain Frank and then at me. “Mr. Larson, I’m not sure you know what you found.”
    “Gage. Please call me Gage.”
    Captain Frank walks around his desk. “Do you need me to leave?”
    Ramsen pushes the door shut and motions Frank to sit. “No, captain. You should probably be aware of what’s going on.”
    “This may be bigger than the news knows about,” Grimes takes over. “We’ve been following this group called Santa Rio for about a year now. In fact, we thought that guy you shot last year was part of it.”
    Memories swirl of that day when I’d been forced to kill a man to save mine and Ken’s lives. My teeth grind together. I have no regrets. I would do it