‘We’ve got a DB, same MO as your current case,’ Louise informed evenly, no hint of emotion there. I could all but hear the yawn in her voice, which told me she was towards the arse end of a very long shift.
‘Where?’ I asked. She told me the address, and I wrote it down.
‘Alert Channing,’ I decided, despite the ungodly hour. ‘Who’s on scene?’
‘DS Roberts and DC Atkinson.’
‘All right, thanks. Wake up Frost and get her to take over from Atkinson. Then pull Ed or Sam onto this one.’
‘Already on it,’ Louise promised.
I set the radio down and shook off my tiredness by drinking the remains of the can of Dr Pepper on the kitchen counter. It was warm, a little flat, but still had the caffeine I needed.
I snuck back into my bedroom to dress for the day and was surprised to see Robbie already up, pulling on clothes from his duffel bag.
‘You caught one?’ he asked, the question mostly rhetorical.
‘Yeah.’
‘No problem. I’ll drive you to the scene.’
‘Thanks,’ I said gratefully. Nothing in Chester was ever that far, and I was only a five-minute walk from the station if I needed to requisition a vehicle. Still, Robbie taking me would save me a bunch of time.
I loved that he accepted my work and the pre-6am calls. Not only did henotbitch about it, but he also offered to take me to where I needed to be, saving me from a walk at this ungodly hour. With his help I could be on the scene by 6am.
‘Hey,’ I said, frowning. ‘I don’t feel any different.’
He paused as he pulled on his trousers. ‘Are you complaining you’re not sore enough?’
I laughed. ‘No, not that. I’m definitely walking funny today. I meant the mate bond. I can’t feel you like I can Loki.’
‘Sorry, I should have clarified,’ he smiled. ‘Ogre bonds are different from most others. It’s not sex that cements them. We need a special ceremony, with some blood exchanged on den soil.’
‘Oh.’ I had assumed that once we’d done the horizontal mambo, we’d be bonded, bada bing, bada boom. Instead, we’d bada’d but there was no boom. I mean, I’dboomed– lots – but the lack of bond was surprisingly disappointing.
He finished pulling on his trousers and padded over to me still shirtless and barefoot. He leaned down and kissed me with such intensity that it took my breath away.
‘What was that for?’ I asked as he drew away.
He shot me a brilliant smile. ‘You thought you were going to bond with me if you had sex with me, and you had sex with me anyway.’
I heard the implication he understood but didn’t voice: I loved him.
‘I’m not ready to say the words,’ I blurted.
‘You don’t need to. Actions speak louder than words, Inspector.’ He pulled on a t-shirt that might as well have been painted onto his abs. ‘I’ll feed Loki while you shower.’
I loved that he didn’t pressure me in the slightest. I watched the curve of his jeans against his deliciously tight arse and couldn’t believe I’d got so lucky.
I quickly showered and dressed, but when I entered the living room Robbie pressed a finger to his lips and jerked his head toward the sofa, where Loki was still fast asleep. Robbie had quietly chopped up some ham and left it on the side for Loki todiscover when he awoke, and he’d opened the window for Loki too. Food and freedom. He got it too.
The two of us snuck out together.
‘Best not to wake Loki,’ I said as we jogged down the stairs. ‘He’s still recovering. He says he’s fine, but I worry all the same.’
‘I hear you. He’s been through a lot.’
We opened the door into the street, and I squinted against the dawning light. The tree opposite my flat looked black, and it took me a moment to work out why. It wasfullof crows.
