Authors: Crissy Smith

Tags: #Erotic Romance Fiction

Bite (Bloodlines Book 1) (21 page)

BOOK: Bite (Bloodlines Book 1)

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Picking up his cell again, he noted that all three members of his crew had replied affirmatively, just as he had expected.

He strolled out of the bedroom and down the hall of his two-bedroom, one-bath apartment. He didn’t bother turning on any lights until he reached the kitchen.

There, he flipped on the switch above the sink to light up the room then pulled his travel cup from the cabinet above his single-serve coffeemaker.

He put in the strongest blend and started up the machine. Sixty seconds later, the aroma of the strong brew almost caused him to weep in relief.

Once his coffee was finished, he placed the lid on tightly and headed out. He grabbed his badge, wallet and keys from the side table by the front entrance just before he unlocked and opened the door.

Outside, it was already reaching the high eighties and he knew it would only get hotter as the day wore on. It wasn’t even light yet, and the dry air was already stifling.

Didn’t matter, he mused. Something had happened and he suspected that it wouldn’t be just a long day, but a long
few
days.

He climbed into his old Jeep and started it up. The air conditioner blasted on, sending warm air into his face. He cursed and wrenched the knob to low.

Before he backed out of his parking place, he typed the address into his phone’s GPS and waited. Once the GPS announced the route he should take, he shifted into reverse and drove to work.

It took him twenty minutes to reach Lake Shore Drive. The street was located in the classy part of town. Old money. Big money. No wonder Commander Green had called him in personally.

This was going to be high profile.

Damn, that meant media and gawkers.

He hated that.

And since it was his unit that had been assigned, a bird shifter would be involved in some way.

He turned onto the quiet street, admiring the large houses. This neighborhood was made up of two and three-story structures that spread onto perfectly manicured plots. Even though he’d grown up in Lake Worth, he had never spent a lot of time in this area of the city.

Two blocks down the street, he finally saw the lights from police cars. His GPS announced that he was coming up on his destination. He reached over and turned the program off.

Roadblocks had already been placed limiting access, so Cody had to pull off to the side. He exited his vehicle and made sure that his badge hung in view from around his neck.

City cops roamed about or stood in small groups as Cody stepped around the barricades. He narrowed his gaze as he took in the scene.

Tall, wide iron gates stood open with a ruined vehicle still smoking just inside.

Plainclothes detectives were speaking with his boss. He headed over there first.

Yellow crime tape roped off the smoldering SUV, preventing anyone from gaining access.

“Here he is now.” Commander Green waved him forward.

Cody joined the three men.

“Detectives Lawrence and Sanchez, this is Agent Johnson,” Commander Green introduced.

Cody shook each of the detectives’ hands. Their grips were firm but not aggressive.

“Agent Johnson, it seems this scene will be turned over to you,” Detective Sanchez said. He was obviously unhappy with that decision, if his scowl was anything to go by.

Cody didn’t say anything. He’d let the man speak his peace.

“While I respect what the Coalition has accomplished in the short time it’s been operational, I don’t like just handing off a case in my jurisdiction,” Sanchez continued.

“I understand,” Cody assured him. “And I promise to keep you in the loop. We don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but we
are
more equipped to deal with shifters.”

Sanchez’s jaw clenched. “Maybe.” He paused a few seconds. “And I would appreciate it if you would indeed stay in contact.”

“I will,” he vowed. He had once been a local police officer and still remembered the feelings he’d had when he’d had to hand off cases. It wasn’t good. Had never sat well with him either. And they didn’t need to make enemies with the local police.

With a sharp nod, Sanchez turned on his heel and stalked away. His partner followed behind him. Cody blew out a breath and faced his superior.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

Commander Green motioned toward the ruined vehicle. “Gregory Stevens has been killed.”

“The Cast leader?”

Shifters tended to band together for protection and secrecy. Gregory Stevens was the leader of the local falcon shifters group, called a Cast. Even now that the world knew about the shifter communities, it was still necessary.

He, himself, was a member of the city Flock and had only met Gregory once since Cody’s family had always been in a different shifter faction.

The Flock, made up of several different species of bird shifters, was bigger than the local Cast. The Cast consisted only of falcon shifters.

However, the Cast was made up of several high-powered men and women. This was going to be huge.

Cody would have to contact his Flock leader, if Anton hadn’t heard yet. Gregory’s death would throw the entire Cast into disarray. Which could lead to chaos for all bird shifters in the town, maybe even farther.

His boss grasped Cody’s shoulder, hard. “This is a goddamn mess. As soon as this gets out…”

“I know.” Cody balled his hands.

“I have to head in and start making calls. Contact the mayor and chief,” Commander Green stated. “Get started. We need to move fast on this. I’ve already called in our own people. The crime lab arrived just before you.”

Cody nodded.

“Gregory’s people are over there.” Commander Green motioned with his head.

Two dozen men and women stood just outside the scene. Some clutched at others and the wave of despair and anger that echoed from the group touched Cody.

“I’ll take care of them,” he spoke quietly. “My team should be here any minute.”

Commander Green patted his shoulder. “Send all reports straight to me. Until we know who might be involved, I’m coding this confidential for now.”

“Got it.”

Cody didn’t watch his boss walk away. Instead, he gave his full attention to the burned- out SUV. He stepped as close as he could without getting in the way of the agents gathering evidence.

His nose twitched with the horrid smell of seared metal and melted plastic. Scorched flesh mixed with the other scents. He ran his sharp gaze around, hoping to pick up anything that may help give him answers.

Scuffled footsteps sounded behind him, but he didn’t turn. Using his enhanced shifter senses, he tracked Ryder and Byron’s progress to him until they stood waiting for him to acknowledge them.

“Chloe is trying to get the Cast inside and settled. She said to tell you they’d be ready to interview by the time we get there,” Byron informed him.

“Good,” Cody responded. It would be easier and give the group time to calm. Chloe was good with people. She’d make sure that procedure was followed and that they didn’t discuss anything with one another.

“What kind of bomb?” Cody asked out loud.

“C4,” Ryder confirmed.

He inclined his head in acknowledgment. Ryder would know. After years of service with the Marine Corps, he was an expert with explosives.

“Get with the tech, see what you can find out,” Cody ordered Ryder.

“On it.”

Cody turned to Byron. “I see security cameras.” He pointed. “Get those tapes and round up everyone who works in security. Someone had to get inside to set that bomb. Once Ryder’s done, pull him in to help you.”

“Yes, sir,” Byron said and strode away.

Cody crouched where he was. He just needed a minute to put everything together.

Gregory had been an attorney in a law firm he owned. If he remembered correctly, the firm had recently come under fire for taking a case on shifter rights.

That might have something to do with Gregory’s death.

If there were any threats made against the man, his security team should know more.

A car bomb spoke in a big way. Made a statement. It wouldn’t have been easy to get into the Cast’s property. Either the bomber had been talented in breaking and entering, or someone on the inside was involved.

He stood and rubbed his jaw. He hadn’t had time to shave and the bristles of his beard sounded rough against his palm.

He had to start interviewing witnesses. And he
needed
more coffee.

The crowd inside the gate had disappeared when he made his way through. There were more techs taking pictures and gathering evidence as he hiked up the long walkway to the front of the house.

The door stood open and he could hear voices coming from inside. He followed the sounds until he came to a large dining area. He stopped in the doorway and watched.

Chloe had three people sitting at a table, all with cups in front of them. Tears fell from their eyes. Gregory’s family. Chloe was trying to offer them comfort, but he knew that nothing would ease the family’s grief.

Cody sighed quietly. Damn, this part of the job sucked.

He stiffened his shoulders and stepped into the room.

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About the Author

Crissy Smith lives in Texas with her husband, daughter, and three Labrador retrievers. The three dogs love to curl up under her computer desk and nap while she writes. It doesn’t leave a lot of room for her but what’s a woman to do?

When not writing or reading, she enjoys hunting, camping and shooting. But she has a girly side too and is addicted to pedicures and coffee.

She has been writing since she was a teenager and still loves everything to do with the paranormal. Her stories and characters all have a place in her heart. She loves the Alpha male, the dominant werewolf, and the Master vampire, which find their way in most of her books.

Learn more about the characters she has created at her website where they have their very own page. It will be updated from time to time to let you know what's going on with them. Also you can find out who will be in the next book.

Email:
[email protected]

Crissy loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at
http://www.totallybound.com
.

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