But the three men in front of us were trained to handle non-humans. Someone of Max’s size wouldn’t intimidate them, but the fact he was a member of the paranormal police force would. Attacking Max and then claiming after the fact that he started it wouldn’t go down well, no matter what contacts they might have in law enforcement and higher up.
Yates watched as Max put all the evidence we’d collected in a plastic box and taped the lid shut on it. The silver dagger amongst it.
“I’d better get that back,” Yates grumbled. “And I’ll need you to fill in a report saying we took down the fugitive… since I didn’t get the chance to take any photographic evidence.”
“I’ll discuss the matter with my supervisor.” Max’s expression didn’t change, apart from a small tick in his jaw. I’d seen it enough times by now to recognise it as his “I’m very annoyed right now, but I need to be professional” face.
And fuck Yates for wanting to take a picture of Callum when he was bleeding out on the forest floor. Tombs used to live for that moment. Liked nothing more than to capture the last moments of whatever fugitive he’d tracked down.
Human or otherwise.
He felt no remorse and no guilt.
I was ashamed I’d ever been a part of it.
It was no wonder Rys reacted like he had on seeing me. I didn’t blame him. I’d been young and naive, same as him, but that was no excuse for what I’d done.
More like what you didn’t do.
“I think we’re finished here,” Max said, crossing his arms across his impressive chest.
Yates’s gaze landed on me, a look of distaste in his eyes that I’d seen in most of the hunters I’d come across since leaving that life behind. “Tombs never told anyone why he kicked you out.”
I barely held in a snort.
He hadn’t kicked me out. I’d finally found the balls to stand up to him. But I wasn’t about to call Tombs a liar. Word had a way of travelling fast between hunters, and the last thing I needed was something like that getting back to him.
So I shrugged. “That’s up to him.”
Tombs and I were done a long time ago and I had no desire to give him cause to seek me out. And if I knew anything, it was that bad-mouthing Tombs to other hunters would do it. He’d hunt me down like one of his fugitives to teach me a lesson.
Not something I wanted a repeat of.
“I think you gentleman should head back to wherever you’re staying,” Max said, clearly sensing the tension I knew must be coming off me in waves. Tombs had that effect on me.
Still.
And wasn’t that a fucking treat. I thought I’d learnt to deal with all that, but clearly not.
Yates glanced at me again, then back at Max. “I’ll be expecting your call about our payment. And weapons.”
“I’m sure someone will be in touch soon.” Max smiled at him with far too many teeth for it to be interpreted as friendly.
We watched them gather their things and slink back into the trees.
I waited, knowing Max would tell me as soon as they moved out of earshot.
Sure enough, about five minutes later he turned to me, eyebrows raised. “So. We’re going to drive back to the station, and on the way, you’re going to tell me exactly how you know my cousin, what happened between the two of you—because I know you’ve got some serious history, judging from his reaction—and finally, why the fuck you didn’t tell me that you knew him.”
“Yeah. So not looking forward to that.”
He glared at me until I let out a heavy sigh, but nodded. I owed him an explanation and an apology. Why I’d thought keeping that piece of information to myself was a good idea, I don’t know.
Because you like Max. You like working with him, and you didn’t want him to look at you differently when he found out.
Because he would.
Max was my partner, for now, at least, but first and foremost, he was a shifter, a non-human. And Rys’s cousin.
