Hot Trick (A Detective Shelley Caldwell Novel) Read Free Page B

muttered, winding up as if she meant to help.
    What did Silke think she could accomplish? Sebastian held back from stopping the little bastards himself. Then the security guards took over and Silke relaxed.
    And Sebastian burned his gaze into Shelley Caldwell’s being.
    Turn and face me…
    Her back twitched but she didn’t turn.
    You want to look at me…
    She seemed to be fighting herself, and in the end, she stepped forward to speak to the uniformed officer who’d arrived on the scene.
    Look back, just for a second…
    She stopped and twitched but kept herself under control, her full attention on the thieves and their captors.
    Not only was Detective Shelley Caldwell fearless, she was formidable. Not only had she risked life and limb to stop the thieves, but she’d been able to resist his suggestions.
    Which made her more of a challenge than he’d expected.
    And, hopefully, more of a pleasure.

Chapter Four
    The weirdest feeling itched at me, like someone was trying to crawl into my skin.
    The closest thing I could compare it to was Silke climbing into my head. Only this wasn’t Silke. I knew when she was knocking at my headwaves. I trembled from the effort it took to ignore her.
    Silke and I have always had a special connection…one I hadn’t always appreciated. A twin thing, I guess, not that I’d ever met any other twins who had quite the same experience. Or any who would admit as much. Not only could Silke and I second guess each other, we could communicate without words.
    Literally.
    It had started when we were toddlers, before we could talk. Maybe earlier. Sometimes I wondered if we’d been able to communicate in the womb. We’d been able to send images and impressions and feelings to each other. And eventually unspoken words. It had been a fun kid thing for a while, but by the time we’d reached puberty, I’d had enough of other kids making fun of us, playing tricks on us and treating us like dirt that belonged under their little shoes. I hadn’t wanted to be different anymore, while Silke had reveled in it.
    Nearly two decades later, nothing had changed.
    Thankfully, the weird feeling eased and a couple more uniforms arrived on the scene to help the first officer cuff the bastards. I gave my statement and then they dragged off all four gang members to a waiting paddy wagon.
    I headed for the stage. Fans oohed and aahed me nearly as openly as they had Sebastian. The back of my neck grew hot. Unlike my theatrical sister, I’d never craved that kind of attention.
    “Shell, thank God you’re all right,” Silke said, throwing her arms around me. “What did you think you were doing?”
    “My job?”
    “Catching petty thieves?”
    “Criminals are criminals.” After giving her a quick hug, I pulled back. “And there’s nothing petty about what was in those donation buckets.”
    “Money that will help a young woman in her quest for justice.”
    My pulse started ticking the moment I heard Sebastian’s voice. Turning to face him, I found my personal space a little too crowded for my comfort. A giant step back eased the knot in my middle.
    “How is she going to get justice?” I asked.
    “Nothing to raise your suspicions. Ms. Rivera wants to hire someone to find new evidence of Hernandez’s guilt, and if she can’t get him to a new criminal trial, she’ll go for a civil trial. Very expensive undertakings.”
    “But you’re willing to bankroll her.”
    “Not me. The good people of this city.”
    “By the way,” Silke butted in, “you probably don’t need introductions, but Shell, this is Sebastian Cole. Sebastian, my sister, Detective Shelley Caldwell.”
    When Sebastian took my hand and raised it to his lips, I wanted to pull it free, but a wave of indecision stopped me. I don’t know if it was the way he was staring or what, but I felt powerless to do anything but play along. What the hell? I couldn’t stop looking at him. Up close and personal, he seemed familiar