Bridges Burned (Going Down in Flames #2)(42)

“Yes.”

“Duly noted. Now, can we go figure out what happened to Analise?”

Bryn showed him the page with Analise’s name crossed out. “According to the date their petition was denied, both she and Alec would’ve been twenty-four. If she finished her bachelor’s degree, she could’ve died any time in the last three years.”

Jaxon shook his head. “The girl who took her place graduated two years ago. Therefore, Analise must’ve died two years ago.”

“What is the average dragon’s life span?”

Jaxon glanced at her over the top of his book. “How can you not know that…oh wait…I forgot…you were raised by wolves.”

She flipped him off.

He snorted and turned his attention back to medical records book. “Most dragons live to be eighty or ninety. It’s rare for someone to die earlier unless they live a dangerous lifestyle.”

“Does mistress fall under that heading?”

“No, though there are occasional accidents.” He turned a few more pages. “I think I found something. Analise was admitted to the hospital shortly after graduation.” He continued reading. “All mistresses are admitted to the hospital around the same time.” His brow crinkled. “What type of medic is an OBG?”

An uneasy feeling crawled up Bryn’s spine. “That’s a gynecologist.”

Jaxon grimaced and dropped the book.

“Very mature.” Bryn grabbed the book and tried to decipher the medical notes. “All of the girls saw the same medic for the same procedure, something called Ovex.” She raised a brow at him. “Since you weren’t raised by wolves, do you know what that is?”

“Easy enough to find out. You keep digging for information, and I’ll go use a computer.”

“One of us should’ve brought a laptop.” Bryn flipped more pages as she scanned for Analise’s name. All she found was a notation that she had canceled her three-month post-procedure checkup, but would call to reschedule. The second appointment was never mentioned.

She continued to scan the medical records hoping to find another mention of Analise.

Jaxon returned, tight-lipped and narrow-eyed. He threw himself into the chair opposite Bryn and rammed his hands through his hair.

Rather than prod him for information, she waited. He took a deep breath and blew it out. “Ovex is a procedure where a doctor inserts material into a woman’s fallopian tubes. Within three months, scarring occurs, which blocks the tubes.”

“Why would they…oh my God. Those bastards sterilize their mistresses.” Heat flared in her gut. “Did you know about—”

“No,” Jaxon cut her off. “I had no idea. I mean…I knew mistresses didn’t have children, but I thought it was something they had agreed to.”

Smoke shot from her nostrils. “Damn Directorate. What gives them the right?”

He shook his head. “I always believed… I never thought…”

Analise missing her three-month checkup took on a whole new meaning. “What if Analise had gotten pregnant?”

Jaxon’s head whipped up. “Impossible. She had the procedure.”

“She never went back for the checkup. What if someone helped her reverse the operation?”

His golden complexion paled. “If she had deceived her benefactor and conceived a child… I’d like to say the Directorate would never take a woman’s life. But if a woman showed up at my father’s door with a bastard child, the shame alone would be enough for him to take extreme measures.”

All the air left her lungs. “And you’re okay with that?”

“No.” He looked down at his fists, clenched on the table. “But there are some acts of betrayal which are unforgivable.”

“Are you listening to yourself? The poor woman probably wanted a child. They shouldn’t have killed her for that.”

Jaxon met her gaze. “They’re the Directorate. They can do what they want. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”

This was insane. “They can’t be all powerful. There has to be some system of checks and balances.”

“Do you think your grandfather allows someone to tell him what to do? Do you think it’s a coincidence that your father’s entire family died in a car crash weeks after he ran off with your mother?”





Chapter Seventeen


The room spun. Her father’s family was dead? She hadn’t found any record of a McKenna at school, but her dad had been an only child, as were his parents. It made sense that there weren’t any cousins wandering around campus. But dead?

Jaxon leaned toward her. “You didn’t know?”

She shook her head and tried to think. Was it possible? Could her grandfather do such a thing? She remembered the man’s ice-cold stare and shivered.

Jaxon leaned back in his chair. “Which means your father doesn’t know.”

Son of a bitch. Bryn slumped in her chair as the weight of this new knowledge settled on her chest like a hungry vulture. “What am I supposed to say, ‘Merry Christmas, Dad. By the way, did you know your whole family is dead? Oh, and Mom’s dad probably killed them. Pass the eggnog.’”

“Perhaps you should wait to make this announcement until after you open your presents.”