“Very good, Detective. I didn’t even have to beat the admission out of you. This might work, after all. I see delightful things in our future.”
I could practically hear him roll his eyes. “Why me? Out of everyone else on the force, why did you choose me to be…whatever this is to you?”
“Are you truly so upset to have met me?”
He didn’t miss a beat. “No.”
I smiled when he swore again under his breath. He clearly hadn’t wanted me to know that. But I wasn’t surprised. If not for me, Harris would’ve been a total mess—or, more likely, dead. Either way.
“I needed a connection inside the local police department. Someone who could help me find my next meal—and many meals after that. My dietary preferences are quite particular.”
“And don’t I fucking know it.”
My smile deepened. His annoyance—but complete lack of pearl-clutching horror—at my feeding practices was always entertaining. “I do need to eat on a fairly regular basis.”
“Look, anyone on the force could’ve given you information about open cases on the roster. Why me, specifically?”
“You’re a complicated man. I thought perhaps you might not be afraid of me. It’s always easier to interact with someone if they’re not quaking in fear every time you call.”
“Would I be able to be afraid of you, even if I wanted to be?”
I caught his meaning at once. I lost my smile.
“Harris, I’ve only ever compelled your silence and your honesty. Any emotions you feel are entirely your own.” I paused, curious. “Are you afraid of me?”
“No,” Harris replied without hesitation. No swearing this time. “But there’s more than that.”
“I mean, your body is probably a good place to start,” I offered. “You’re not at all unpleasant to look at, Detective. Delectable, truly.”
“Cole, come on. Be real with me.”
“Oh, you’re no fun. Has anyone ever told you that?”
He sighed. “Often.”
“I chose you because you needed someone to shake your life up.”
Though we’d never talked about it, I knew his longtime partner, Paul McKenzie, had been killed in the line of duty.Harris had been close with him. Not bumping uglies close, but perhaps just shy of it. And afterward, the entire precinct blamed him for Paul’s death, even if they hadn’t come right out and said so. But when I had been…interviewing… potential partners, they’d all shared how they really felt.
Naturally, I didn’t care about any of that. But it made our partnership more of an even trade. Harris was helping me, and—roundabout though it was—my presence in his life helped him, too. He’d been quite depressed when we first met. Dangerously so. And now he wasn’t.
I paused, frowning, considering my next words carefully. It was important to be exact in my honesty with him. “You were… unwell. You needed me.”
“Huh. You could say that, I guess.” He let his breath out sharply. “Though I’m not sure the fix I needed was for a vampire serial killer to decide we’re best buddies.”
“You said it yourself: we’re not friends,” I reminded him. “But wearepartners. In a sense.”
“I’m not party to your crimes. I don’t condone what you’re doing.”
“Laws are human constructs, Detective. And that isn’t what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
“You’re my conscience. I don’t have one, so I need you. I need you to help ensure the guilt of my victims.”
“If you really don’t have a conscience, then why the fuck would you even care?”
My silence was thunderous. It would’ve been easier for him to believe I was some sort of vigilante—an antihero taking out bad guys with all the dark means at my disposal. But I wasn’t a hero—anti or otherwise.
