Bite Marks & Broken Hearts (The Killigrew Street Case Files, #1)

by T.J. Rose

“Congratulations on not dying horribly! Also, I’ve got some absolutely spectacular footage of everything. The bit where Seb went full vampire batman? Pure cinema.” “Felix,” Seb growled, then muttered to me, “That kid has certainly come out of his shell. I blame you.” “Just saying, boss. This is definitely going in my highlights reel.” Priya’s voice cut in. “Felix, go warm up the milk. I’m making everyone hot chocolate when we get back.” “With marshmallows?” I asked hopefully. “Obviously. What am I, a monster?” “So,” Rory chimed in. “Am I allowed to give Flynn his codename now? Because I’ve brainstormed several options. First up…” I caught Seb’s eye, and we shared a smile. His hand found mine across the console, our fingers intertwining like they’d always been meant to fit together.

Beside me, Seb cut an absurd figure against the peaceful maritime scene. While I’d opted for shorts and a light jumper, he stood rigid in his black coat and waistcoat, clutching an umbrella like some Victorian gentleman on a pleasure cruise. The sight nearly broke my concentration. “You look ridiculous,” I said. “I’m a vampire next to the world’s most reflective light source.” “It’s sunset.” “UV rays are surprisingly persistent.” He twirled the umbrella.

The harbour came into view, its ancient stone walls dark with centuries of spray, fishing boats bobbing gently in their moorings like they always had. Except there, gleaming among the working vessels like a swan among ducks, floated a brand new yacht. I’d almost had fucking a heart attack. The Selkie’s Heart. A Hallberg-Rassy 40C—my absolute dream boat. It was a battle not to wet myself in excitement.

Katie kept shooting me suspicious looks, no doubt wondering how my boyfriend could casually drop half a million pounds on a yacht for me. I caught her mouthing “gangster?” at me behind his back more than once. Then Seb offered to invest in her florist business, and her whole demeanour changed. Funny that. One mention of expanding into wedding planning and high-end events, and suddenly Seb wasn’t a potential crime lord anymore—he was a “savvy businessman” with “excellent taste.”

I beamed at Seb, then gestured dramatically at the vast ocean surrounding us. “Now for my next trick—” “Flynn.” “I shall part the English Channel—” “Flynn.” “Moses style.” Seb’s laugh was wonderful. “Perhaps you’ll be able to use your superpower to help with our task?” Right. Of course. The real reason we’d sailed out here, far from prying eyes.

The tension in his shoulders eased slightly. “You’ve been thinking about this.” “Course I have. Ever since that night with Magdalena.” I traced the lapel of his coat. “Life’s too short. Or well, potentially very long in my case, if you’d…” I trailed off, letting the words hang in the air between us. His hands tightened on my waist. “Flynn…” The way he said my name, like a prayer and a warning all at once. “You’ll never be alone again,” I whispered.

“You don’t want an eternity doomed as a monster.” “An eternity with you?” I smiled. “What could be better? We won’t need to worry about being lonely ever again.” I could see it in his eyes—how much he wanted that, even if he’d never admit it. “It doesn’t have to be right now,” I continued, watching his face carefully. “Not this year, even. I’d like to look a bit older first, actually. My baby face is bad enough without being frozen in time forever.” His lips quirked. “I quite like your baby face.” “I got ID’d buying paracetamol last week.” “Ah.”

Seb’s eyes met mine, a familiar spark of determination replacing the tender look from moments ago. “Looks like our eternity retirement plan might have to wait a while.” “That’s okay.” I grinned, already feeling the thrill of a brand new case humming through my veins. Perhaps Killigrew Street had become as much a part of me as the sea salt in my blood. “Immortality would probably get boring without a few murders to solve anyway.”