Fighting Temptation [Brac Village 11] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) by Lynn Hagen Page A

His head was spinning and his heart was terrified of ending up like his father.
    Glancing into the living room, he spotted Turi fast asleep on the couch. The man was balled up inside the blanket, his face serene. Carmine stood there for a moment, able to take in his mate’s features without Turi knowing he was watching.
    Maybe they could be friends. Carmine didn’t like being evasive and he didn’t like being a prick. That wasn’t him. With the resolve to be nicer toward Turi, Carmine walked down the hall and went to bed.

Chapter Six
     
    Maverick stared at the newspaper. He couldn’t believe what he was reading. It seemed the CEO of Kenyon Corporation had gone missing and a full-scale investigation had been launched.
    “Do you think he left any clues lying around that might lead the cops to Brac village?” Kota asked as he relaxed in the chair in front of Maverick’s desk.
    “The paper says that they have no leads, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.” There was no telling what Kenyon might have at his home or in his office. For all Maverick knew, there could be files that would expose them all.
    They needed a way to search both places without being caught. His first and foremost priority was keeping the existence of nonhumans secret. He wasn’t sure what was going on with Kenyon, but an investigation was something none of them needed.
    “The Demon Warriors are your best bet,” Kota said, as if reading Maverick’s mind. He had been working with the man too many damn years. His beta was starting to know what Maverick was thinking before he said a word.
    “They can go in through a shadow, check the place out, and be gone before anyone is the wiser.”
    Maverick set the paper down and leaned back, kicking his feet up onto his desk. “Why does my gut tell me that Kenyon isn’t missing? He’s up to something, Kota. We know that he sent someone after Abe.” He glanced at Kota. “Why did he just give up his attempt at capturing a fey?”
    Kota smiled. “Maybe he found out it was impossible to catch those shimmering men.”
    Maverick pulled at his soul patch and then shook his head. “A head Vampire Hunter does not give up so easily, Kota. No, there’s something going on here.”
    Maverick was just afraid to find out what that something was. If Kenyon’s agenda was to expose the nonhuman world, why would he fall off the face of the map? Was he gathering intel someplace else?
    “I need to meet with the Ultionem and let them know what’s going on. We need to keep our eyes and ears open.”
    Kenyon was a very smart man. He was the first human that Maverick truly worried about. Kenyon was well funded, determined—and from everything the man had done so far—very well informed.
    He would be a fool to underestimate the man. Kenyon hadn’t disappeared in something as simple as foul play. Maverick would stake his life on that. The man had something up his sleeve and he was determined to find out what that something was.
     
    * * * *
     
    Carmine held the door open as Turi walked past him. It had been years since Carmine had gone bowling. He had tried to think of an innocent enough thing to do with his mate and since the bowling alley had just opened up, it was the perfect place to spend some time. Sitting around the house with Turi wasn’t an option. That would only make Carmine dwell on the things they could do there—more intimate things. He wasn’t going to claim Turi, so he had decided to get out of the house.
    “So you just throw a ball and try to knock some pins over?” Turi asked for the thousandth time. “But that doesn’t make any sense.”
    “Let’s go pay for our game.” Carmine led Turi over to the counter where he paid for a lane and some rental shoes. As he waited for the attendant to get their ugly shoes, Carmine could hear the sounds of crashing pins and blaring music overhead.
    The sights, sounds, and smells brought back nostalgic memories. Carmine’s dad always took him bowling. Not