He laughed and rose gracefully. “I never seem to catch you in the right mood.”
Thank God for that.
As he was moving into the kitchen, a firm rap sounded at the door. He paused and looked back at me, his expression blank.
“I’ll get it,” I said, getting up. “Since, you know, I live here.”
A raw edge came to his voice. “Are you expecting someone?”
“Would I be traipsing around in a robe if I was expecting someone?”
He didn’t comment.
I wrapped my fingers around the handle and pulledthe door open a crack.
The younger detective—J.M.!—stood on my porch facing sideways and with his hands in his pockets. He’d lost the confidence and ego from earlier. In fact, he looked a little hunched over, as if bowed by uncertainty.
“The denial stage is over, huh?” I asked as I opened the door wider. I crossed my arms over my chest. “That was fast.”
Shock smacked into his expression the moment he turned my way. His gaze dipped to my robe and his jaw went slack.
I did a quick check to make sure nothing had popped out. Nope, all was right. Granted, the robe was a silky number that Marie had bought me, along with a bunch of other uncomfortable-looking clothes I had no desire to wear, but I was thoroughly dry when I put it on, and the garment left nothing exposed from my neck down to past my knee. Since I also currently lacked eyebrows and my hair, unbrushed, was pulled up into a bun, there was nothing hot about the situation other than the beholder’s imagination.
Annnnnd that just solved the riddle.
“Sean explained what my department really does?” I asked him, pushing the door a little further closed and half hiding behind it. There was no reason to give him any ideas.
“Yes. I didn’t believe you guys. It sounded crazy.”He scrubbed his fingers through his hair and tore his gaze away. He turned sideways again, staring vaguely into the distance. “Crazy.”
“If you weren’t born into it, how would you know?”
“You were born into it?” His gaze was imploring.
“Yes.”
He nodded and looked away again. “I saw all three bodies. I saw the pile of ash in the French Quarter. I saw a man change from a wolf into a human—”
“You did?” I shifted, bracing a hand on my hip. “How’d that come about?”
“Awolfinto ahuman,Reagan,” he said, his eyes haunted. “What the hell?”
“Yes. It can take a second to get used to it.”
He exhaled noisily and shook his head. “The wolf-turned-human said he followed thataswangas best he could, but he wasn’t able to get his crew there in time to help. Plus, you guys were already on scene. But he wanted to extend his offer to help in the future should we need anything.”
“No, he did not!” My nails dug into the wood. “Those sneaky little bastards. Trying to move in onoursetup. Well, my old job’s setup, anyway. They’re trying to get more legit as magical police in the Brink. Oh man, the captain won’t be pleased. If the shifters offer you their muscle, that’ll cut jobs from MLE. Oh no, the captain will not be pleased at all.”
“Magical police, Reagan?” J.M.’s eyes were tight.
“My bad. Look, you’ll come to grips with it eventually. I mean, you’ve gotten this far in a couple hours. That’s huge.”
“How could I not? I saw that guy change.”
“Most people would think an animal did it.”
“The rest of my department, yeah. Sean spun that tale and they ate it up.” He shook his head. “Look, Reagan, would you go to dinner with me? I’d love some insider perspective on this.”
Nowas on the tip of my tongue, but his gaze was imploring me to help him. To give him a hand up out of the pit he’d fallen into. I felt bad for the guy, since I was basically the reason he’d landed in this mess. If not for my impatience, Sean would’ve let him keep his sanity for a while longer.
