Hey there,

I hope you’re enjoying Renee and Frei’s outing. Because, in essence, you’re reading as I write, I thought it might be interesting to talk about how I approach writing this weekly offshoot.

When I’m writing any of Aeron’s books, they are meticulously detailed but I tend to follow Aeron’s lead if she wants to explore. With this weekly story, it’s less formalized and I have to be careful not to give away too much detail but I’m still having fun dropping in hints. However, the story gives me space to show you extra bits that will make reading Full Circle all that more fun and explain some detail that I had to leave out of Full Circle. I hope it feels that way that you’re getting extra snippets and an even more rounded Team Aeron experience because of it.

Please excuse my typos as always,

Big Smiles,

Jody

ACT 2

Scene 1

Frei glanced over at Susan who was conversing with the seatbelt and tried to hide her smile.

“You are meant to be focused on Bison’s office not on how nice my seats are.” Frei reached over and patted her on the hand. “You are more disconnected than usual.”

Susan paused from her conversation and looked at Frei. “I tried talking to your gears but they look a bit shifty.”

Frei chuckled. “Renee needs you to focus on the office, please.”

“I am but Bison makes me unsettled,” Susan whispered then hugged herself. “He was there at the institution when my father was. He could have been part of the experiments.”

“Yes, but he stole money from the institution and ran. He may be trying to continue the experiments.” Frei took her hand and squeezed it. “It is important that we halt him if he is doing so.”

“I know that. But he’s disgusting.” Susan shuddered. “And I don’t understand how Alanna Lavelle is anything to do with Owens who helped out Renee.”

“Because this is what we are investigating,” Frei squeezed her hand again.

“Urs, while you’re enjoying hanging out with Susan, could you switch off your speaker,” Renee muttered into her ear. “It’s weird hearing you talk in that tone.”

Frei narrowed her eyes. “I put up with you and Lorelei.”

“But we weren’t on speaker,” Renee muttered again then sighed. “And she’d kick my butt for how low this top is.”

“Yes.” Frei winked at Susan who studied her.

“Bison doesn’t like low tops,” Susan said as her eyes flickered. “He used to go for the inmates who covered up.”

“Right…” Renee rustled around, the sound filling Frei’s earpiece.

“Although he did like Yasmin and she wore her jumpsuit very low,” Susan said and chewed on her lip.

“Okay…” Renee rustled around again.

“But he preferred Nora because she covered up,” Susan mumbled then her eyes flickered again.

“Fine…” Renee rustled around again.

“Or did he prefer Yasmin?” Susan tapped her finger to her lip.

“Ugh… this is like going anywhere with Abby again,” Renee grunted then rustled. “Next she’ll be asking how many calories are in the food.”

Frei smirked. “Unlike Aeron who just asks when you’re going to cook it.”

“I don’t need Aeron in my head when I’m dealing with this chump.” Renee knocked hard and like a police officer. “That’s not going to help me create a friendly response is it?”

Susan smiled. “I think he really liked Aeron more than the others. He pretended he didn’t.”

“Hello?” Bison’s voice sounded on edge.

Crack.

Bison groaned.

Frei rolled her eyes. “Did you just floor him?”

“Yup.” Renee’s voice was smug about it too. “Bison, you were sniffing around someone I want to get my claws in so we can do this two ways: you talk and give me what I want or you don’t and I take out my frustration on you.”

Frei reached for the doorhandle. “I think I need to go and get Renee.”

Susan locked the car doors and held up the key. “I would rather her use her frustration.” She winked. “He hated Aeron but you said Renee has a temper.”

Frei pursed her lips. “I’ll remind you of that when you need to perform surgery to reattach parts of him.”

Susan smiled in her delightfully unhinged way. “I have a lot of frustration too.”

“Why are you sniffing around Alanna?” Renee’s voice was hard but English like Roberta. It sounded… perfect for Serenity… a very angry very posh person with a Baltimore lilt.

“I was asked to help her by her husband,” Bison mumbled and with a lisp as if he’s lost a few teeth.

“Her husband asked you to medicate her?” Renee’s tone was calmer ish.

“Yes.” Bison groaned again. “He found her sneaking around his property and decided he’d keep her.”

Renee thwacked something which pinged. “Did he get information out of her?”

“You don’t need to use your gun.” Bison’s voice went squeaky and Susan nodded as if she was happy about it. “She was some… well… slave who was looking for an FBI agent he’d had trouble with.” He wheezed as if Renee was still pointing her dart gun at him. “I was just charged to remove her memory… I owe Lavelle money… I couldn’t argue.”

“How did you remove her memory?” Renee sounded fiery and something clanged.

“Experimental medication. I used it on patients before. Works in part but… she got confused thinking that she was married to the FBI agent…” Bison grunted. “She is happy, she’s well… she seems happy.”

Clunk.

“Why do you owe Lavelle money?” Renee was getting more moody and Frei reached for the doorhandle again.

Susan held up the key again. “I had Jessie reroute it so you can’t override it.”

Frei narrowed her eyes.

Susan winked. “I explained how unethical it is that you allow Renee to use vials.”

“You haven’t seen Renee mad.” Frei winced as something clunked in her earpiece again. “Vials are better for Bison.”

Susan shrugged.

“Why do you owe Lavelle money, Bison?” Renee sounded like she was thinking of forgetting her dart gun and just football tackling the guy.

“I needed to get him off my tail. I stole money from some friends of his and he was supposed to retrieve it…” Bison was lisping as though he’d lost more teeth. “The agent Alanna was looking for had dirt on him… I don’t know what happened to the agent though… I don’t know any more about Lavelle… please.”

“How does he link to Gem?” Renee asked clicking something on her gun.

“Gem is one of the people I owed money to. Lavelle works for him. I agreed to use my therapy skills when they needed to so I didn’t have to explain to their boss why I have his money.” Bison wheezed out a breath.

“Who is their boss?” Renee clicked her gun again.

“You’ll have to ask the agent Alanna was looking for.” Bison grunted again.   

Zip. Zip. Zip.

“Black, he does not need three darts.” Frei grabbed Susan, kissed her until she let go of the keys then sprinted across the street.

Renee was slumping Bison onto his sofa as she headed into his office.

“You were meant to get information not knock him out.” She tried to sound angry but it was hard to when she wanted to dart the guy herself.

“I just checked his false teeth had been cemented in properly.” Renee shrugged. “And I took his bloods for Susan.”

“He will tell Gem.” Frei helped her put Bison’s feet on the cushions.

“He won’t because he won’t remember.” Renee held up an empty vial. “I didn’t use it, your mother did.”

Frei pursed her lips.

Renee shrugged as they headed out onto the street. “I didn’t think she’d lock you in.” She smirked. “I’m impressed she managed it.”

“She only managed it because Jessie helped.” Frei shook her head and took the bloods for Susan. “Alanna was searching for Owens?”

Renee nodded. “Who was protecting Aeron and I from Williams… and Williams, Hewitt, Owens and Lavelle were all FBI.” She holstered her gun and peeked around the shrubbery blocking to view to Frei’s car. “Abby will need to be in on this but… Hewitt is her father-in-law…”

“And you met Fleming when you were investigating Williams who liked framing Feds.” Frei folded her arms. “And we know Owens left the FBI but the file isn’t clear.”

“But Alanna was a slave looking for Owens around Lavelle’s property.” Renee peeked around the shrubbery again. “I guess your girl will need to get Alanna’s memory working again.”

Frei nodded. “That’s if I can get her to function.”

Renee cocked her head. “You dart her?”

“No, I kissed her…” Frei shrugged. “I needed my keys.”

“Uh huh.” Renee peered up at her then smirked then strolled off toward her car.

“I needed my keys,” Frei yelled after Renee then sighed and headed back to her car and Susan who was staring at her. “It was quicker than darting you.”

Susan blinked a few times.

Frei roared her engine into life and ignored the dumb smile on Susan’s face. She had just needed her keys. She tried to hide her smile. And kissing was way better than darts.