Scorched Heart (The Firebrand Series Book 4), Helen Harper [free ereaders .txt] 📗

‘I’ll be in touch,’ Boateng said. ‘Safe journey home. From what I’ve heard, there was a wild storm in London last night. You should be careful on the roads.’

‘We will be. Thank you.’ I straightened my shoulders. Lukas’s hand slipped into mine once more and squeezed. ‘Although we won’t be heading home just yet. There’s another stop to make first.’

It was a small ward with only one occupant. Samuel Beswick was lying flat on his back with his eyes closed. His chest was rising and falling, and I couldn’t see any scary-looking tubes other than an IV line.

I approached him gingerly, my footsteps light. Even so, when I was less than two metres away, his eyes flew open in alarm. He didn’t exactly relax when he noticed me, but he did appear less likely to leap out of his bed and run away. Not that he would have got far in his current state. ‘DC Bellamy,’ he croaked. ‘I didn’t expect to see you here.’

‘If you’d rather I go, just say the word.’

He waved a thin hand. ‘No, please. Stay.’

I pulled up a chair and sat down. ‘You’ve had a haircut.’

He smiled faintly. ‘Ready for the catwalk?’

I smiled back. ‘Maybe not yet.’

He looked me over. ‘You don’t look very well yourself, detective.’

‘Let’s say I’ve had a busy few days.’ I paused. I didn’t want to draw this out but he needed to know the truth. He deserved to know. ‘We found him,’ I said quietly.

Samuel Beswick’s gaze flew to mine. The hope reflected there was painful to see. ‘You mean…?’

‘Last night I killed the man who murdered my parents twenty-five years ago. Your conviction is being overturned as we speak. When you walk out of this hospital, you will walk out as a free man.’ I reached for his hand. ‘On behalf of the Metropolitan Police, I want to apologise for the terrible wrongs you suffered. Words won’t make up for what happened but they are heartfelt.’ I looked him in the eye. ‘I am so very, very sorry.’

He choked, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. ‘I don’t…’ he gasped. ‘I can’t…’

I gripped his hand more tightly. ‘You’re innocent,’ I told him. ‘And free.’

I stayed with Samuel longer than I’d intended. When I finally walked out of the small hospital on the outskirts of the city and saw Lukas waiting for me, I headed straight for him.

He wrapped his arms tightly round me. ‘How did it go?’

‘It went okay. I thought he’d be angry – he has a right to be angry.’ I hesitated. ‘Not angry, fucking furious. But he wasn’t. I could learn a lesson or two from Samuel Beswick.’ I burrowed deeper against Lukas’s chest. ‘Did you manage to find a phone and tell the other vamps that you’re on your way back?’

‘Mmm. I did.’ There was something in his voice.

I pulled back so I could look him in the face. ‘What is it?’

‘It appears,’ Lukas said darkly, ‘that there’s been trouble in our absence. Something to do with trafficking. And supes.’ His jaw tightened. ‘Apparently Devereau Webb is involved somehow.’

I stiffened. That was all I needed. ‘We’d better get back to the city quickly then.’

He brushed his lips against mine. ‘Indeed.’

I ran a hand through my hair and lifted my chin. No rest for the wicked.

Acknowledgments

There are numerous people who I need to thank - first of all, Karen Holmes for her superlative editing and constant support and cheerleading, as well as Clarissa Yeo of Yocla Designs for her fabulous work on the book cover. Thanks are also due to Barbara Hall and a whole host of advance readers for their input, as well as Ruth Urquhart and the team at Tantor for their stellar work on the audiobook. I must also particularly thank Detective Constable Lynne Thompson-Hogg for reaching out and for reading through everything to help make sure I kept on the straight and narrow with British police procedures. Any errors are, of course, my own.

Thank you so much for reading Scorched Heart. I truly hope you’ve enjoyed Emma’s latest escapades while discovering her past. It would mean a huge amount if you could write a review!

There will be more from DC Emma Bellamy later in the year, and Devereau Webb will make his own return in License to Howl which is scheduled for release in September 2021. You can read more about what he was up to while Emma was in Barchapel in The Noose Of A New Moon, which is available now. Read on for a sneak peek of the first chapter.

Helen xxx”

A sneaky peek at The Noose of A New Moon

BOOK ONE OF THE WOLFBRAND SERIES

CHAPTER ONE

When it comes to werewolves, the one thing nobody talks about is how itchy their balls become when they’re covered in a layer of soft, fuzzy fur. Devereau Webb reflected on this small matter as he padded through the small copse of trees planted artfully around the children’s play park.

He wasn’t far from the entrance of the building he called home. He could, of course, hunker down and perform lupine yoga to use his tongue to deal with the offending itch. He knew it was possible because he’d already tried it, but this was the mouth with which he kissed his niece on the cheek. Once he’d satisfied his curiosity that the feat was physically possible, the niggling part of his brain that remained human wouldn’t allow him to do it again. More’s the pity.

He did his best to put the mild discomfort out of his mind and paused underneath a small oak tree. Dawn wasn’t far off, and he fancied he could already see the sun rising over the top of the buildings to the east of the city. Dew covered the ground causing an earthy smell to rise and permeate the air, masking the usual city scents of petrol, rubbish and people.

A flicker of movement to the far right caught