“We want to stay,” Bishop repeated. “I can’t go back to Covington—to that house—again. Not without Yvette.”
I nodded. I couldn’t be sure yet whether he was avoiding grief or legitimately trying to move forward. But it was his choice, either way. “You can stay at Pine Cove, if you’re happy there and want the community feel. There are a couple more empty units, if you want to spread out. Including the one next to where you are now, if you wanna be neighbors. You’ll have to sign an official lease, though. And pay rent.”
Austin nodded, then he turned to Bishop. “You want the one we’re in, or the one next door?”
Bishop shrugged. “Who fucking cares? I just want a fresh start. Some place I can remember Yvette without feeling like she should be there. Like shewillbe there, when I round the corner.”
“That actually sounds healthy,” I said, as the last of the coffee dripped into the pot.
“It may take us a couple of weeks to break our lease and get moved,” Austin said. “To sort all that out.”
I nodded as I began filling mugs. “Take your time. And when you’re ready, I have an offer for you from Titus. As an enforcer. If you’re interested. Northern zone. Part time. Comes with the shifter version of a security clearance and more responsibility than I can truly say is fair.”
“For both of us?” Bishop asked.
“Just Austin, for now. But your offer will be forthcoming, once you’ve been trained and have demonstrated that you can follow orders. If you’re interested.”
“Yes,” Bishop said.
I set my mug down and held his gaze across the counter. “I want to be clear. This job is about more than busting skulls. This is a community. A family. We solve problems, but not all of those require force. There’s a lot of listening. Patrolling. Bartending,” I added with a smile. “And a fuck-ton of paperwork. But it’s all or nothing. You can’t just walk in here throwing punches.”
He exhaled again. “I’m more than that. Swear to god.”
I nodded. “You’re going to get the chance to prove that.” My gaze slid to Austin. “And you…welcome aboard. I’ll forward you the paperwork, and Titus will be in touch.”
Austin smiled. It was an exhausted smile—more relief than true happiness, which made sense under the circumstances—but I could almost feel it click, deep inside me. He was a good fit, for the job and for the zone. And with any luck, we’d be as good for him as he was for us.
Bishop wasn’t the only one who needed a new start.
I slid a mug across the counter toward each of them, and I was turning toward the fridge, my fingers crossed that my half-gallon of milk was still good, when Vance burst in from my bedroom.
“She’s awake!”
I raced across the apartment, milk forgotten, to find Davey pushing herself slowly upright in my bed. Her cheeks were still scarlet, her eyes still glazed with fever. “Hey!” I practically cooed as I sank onto the mattress next to her. “How do you feel?”
“Like I caught the flu, and it brought some friends.” Davey turned her head slowly, and she smiled weakly when her gaze landed on Vance. “I knew she’d relent,” she whispered. Then she saw Spencer and she frowned. “Who’re you?”
“This is Spencer Cole,” I said. “He’s one of a couple of miracles keeping you alive right now.”
“Are you thirsty?” he asked her.
“Yeah.” She nodded, but the motion seemed to upset her balance.
“Take it easy,” Spencer insisted. “I’ll get you some water. Charley?” He motioned for me to follow him into the other room.
“What does this mean?” I asked as I filled a glass with ice water in the kitchen, while Austin and Bishop listened in. “Is she out of the woods?”
“Not yet,” Spencer said. “But it’s a good sign. I’ve never nursed an infected woman, but for the men, we consider them in the clear when the first shift begins. So, we’ll just keep taking care of her until then—rest, fluids, and antibiotics—watching for those signs.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
“—never even saw him. I just woke up in a strange bed, with this burning in the crook of my elbow.” Davey lifted her arm as I returned to the room, staring at the still-inflamed scratch. “And a wicked pain at the back of my head. Cam was standing over me, and I tried to run, but then I passed out.” She shrugged unevenly. “That’s all I remember.”
“That’s okay.” I held the glass for her, so she could sip steadily. “You may remember more later, but you may not. Doesn’t really matter though. We got him. We got you back. And it’s all over now. All you have to do is rest and get better.”
“Am I…am I going to? Get better?” Fear shined in her eyes as I set the water glass on my nightstand. “This isn’t how it was supposed to happen.”
“You’re going to be fine,” I said, mustering every ounce of confidence I had. Desperately hoping I wasn’t lying. “Faythe paid you a visit, and as it turns out, you are, in fact, the very first subject in our little project. Earlier than expected, and before they could get the clinic set up. But your statistics will officially be the first on record.”
