“Officer Brighton, would you give us a minute,” Manahan said to the uniformed officer they’d disturbed. The young man rolled his eyes and sent Silas a sharp look before leaving the office and closing the door behind him.
“Explain.” Silas leaned across the desk, his wide shoulders throwing a shadow over the captain’s bulky form.
“Sit down. Both of you.”
Meredith slid into one of the molded plastic chairs, but Silas stayed right where he was.
“I said,sit!” Captain Manahan’s voice reverberated in the tiny room, his fae side coming to the surface. As an aerial fae, the captain’s voice was a literal weapon. The sound rumbled deep within Meredith, sending a flare of heartburn into her throat.
Silas coughed into his hand and promptly sat.
“Better. Now we can have a civilized conversation.” The big man spread his hands, eyes darting between the two of them. Meredith stared at the side of Silas’s head. A vein in his temple throbbed, and his cheeks had taken on a ruddy hue. Shit, the guy had a temper.
The captain locked eyes with Silas, folding his hands on his desk. “You need a partner.”
“I don’t.”
“You do. This Alex thing… I understand why you’re obsessed.”
“Oh, you do? You understand what it’s like to have your parents murdered and the werewolf responsible free and living somewhere in the city?” Silas darted a glance in Meredith’s direction, probably wondering how much she knew about Alex. She knew. Everyone knew.
The captain leaned back in his chair, bouncing against the backrest, and threaded his fingers over the mound of his belly. “Okay, let me rephrase that. I understand the pursuit of Alex needs to be your top priority. But there are other cases.”
“Which I haven’t neglected. Name one time I ever fell short on expectations.”
The captain ran his tongue along his teeth, making a sucking noise like he was dislodging something caught behind his eyetooth. “Sleep. A personal life.”
Silas snorted. “I haven’t enjoyed either in years.”
“Exactly.”
There was a long silence. Meredith straightened in her chair. Should she say something? Her lips parted. The captain gave her a curt shake of the head. She crossed her legs and bobbed her foot.
“You’re burning the candle at both ends,” the big man continued. “The stress is getting to you. It’s my responsibility to keep you safe, and that means, until Alex is brought to justice, you need backup.”
Silas began to protest, but the captain cut him off.
“Last week, you busted down a door on Fifth Street. Significant property damage.”
“There was a healer there I thought might know something.”
“Yeah? Well, you’re lucky she didn’t know a spell strong enough to kill you.”
“I had a rash for a week.”
“I had a hell of a time calming her down. She threatened to sue us in human court. That’s the last thing we need.”
“It was a false lead. I should have handled it differently, I admit. But I’m close. I can feel it.”
The captain nodded. “No doubt. But until you hit the bull’s-eye, Meredith will keep you from self-destructing. She’s not emotionally involved.”
Hmm.Where did he get that idea?Meredith took special interest in her fingers and squirmed in her chair.
“You need an objective brain on this,” he continued. “Listen to her. Let her help you. I have it on good authority that she’s one of the best.”
Silas gave an exaggerated sigh, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “I don’t suppose I can talk you out of this?”
The captain shook his head. “She’s already on the payroll.” His meaty fingers landed on a manila folder on the corner of his desk. He held it out toward Meredith. “Also, both of you need to check this out.”
