Shepherd's Moon (20 page)

“Who requested that he transfer into your unit? Maybe that would help us find out more about the Nephilim.”

“I don’t know.” But a quiet rage flashed in his eyes that said he
did
know…and he wasn’t going to tell me.

“We’re good, then?” he asked, drawing me from my thoughts.

“For now,” I replied, standing to leave the office.

“Keep me in the loop as much as possible. And Alex?”

I turned, meeting his eyes.

“Please, be careful.”

I nodded and left the room, closing the door behind me.

“What did he say?” Billy jumped in front of me and began walking backwards, concern glowing in his eyes as he sensed the obvious tension.

“Nothing,” I said, pushing past him. “Just a new lead on Azrael’s Handler.”

He and Brock glanced at each other.

“Then what’s the problem?” Billy’s voice was laden with concern.

“No problem,” I said smoothly. “Why don’t you grab the car so we can get out of here?”

After casting a doubtful look at Brock, he was swept away by one of his fellow detectives and together they moved down the hall.

Brock and I moved silently to the counter to pick up his checked weapon. While I had been given an exception to the department rule against carrying weapons in the building, Brock had to check his weapon at the door. I stood next to him at the counter as he signed the clipboard for his Colt .45.

Prior to our visit to Costa Rica, the wolf had never carried a weapon. But Diego’s army of jungle cats had given all of us pause in thinking we were invulnerable. Since we’d returned with Modnik, he’d gotten in the habit of carrying the Colt.

Shirley greeted us with a grin from behind the weapons counter. Deeply religious and very outspoken, she was in her thirty-fifth year of service at the station. As she was now in her mid-fifties, I doubted she had known any other life.

At one time in her life, she had been a beautiful woman. Her red hair was showing signs of fading to white, but she would never color it. Laugh lines carved out the corners of her blue eyes, and she moved slowly from the arthritis and extra weight.

As one of Richard’s close friends, she considered all of us family. While she wasn’t privy to our true natures, she did recognize we were something different. After Brock collected his weapon, she waved me over to the counter.

Girl talk,
I mouthed to Brock.

He nodded and moved down the hall to wait.

“I have something for you,” she whispered. Slipping a large file over the object, she slid a wide barreled pistol and something the size and shape of an iPod across the counter.

“Handheld laser and a Particle duster,” She whispered excitedly. “Jeffers confiscated them during a smuggling ring bust last week.”

“Geez…What kind of smugglers are you guys dealing with?” I murmured, admiring the weapons.

The twinkle in her eyes told me she was flattered. “You know we always do our best to keep up with the newest toys.”

“You’re not going to get into trouble for this, are you?”

Her eyes gleamed with self-satisfaction. “Oh, they have lots of them. Unless you turn me in, I don’t see how they’ll miss them.” She leaned forward and whispered, “Somehow these two items missed getting logged into evidence.”

“How fortunate for me,” I whispered in mock surprise.

“The good Lord works in mysterious ways,” She winked.

I smiled, grateful for the new high-tech weapons, but secretly worried about her career. If anyone knew she was handing these things out, even for me, the repercussions would be severe.

“Don’t you worry,” she said. “They had plenty of them and we girls need a little extra protection out there. You know I always took care of Joseph too.” Her bright eyes dimmed at his memory. Not knowing what to do, I patted her hand clumsily.

“Well, that’s enough of this nonsense.” She removed her glasses and patted at her eyes. “I promised him I would help you out when I could, and I plan to do just that.”

“You’ve always done right by me, Shirley.” I slipped the objects into my jacket and smiled gratefully. “Do they come with instructions?”

“Oh, you’re going to love these!” She spoke in a hushed tone, despite her excitement. “The wide barreled piece is a Duster — a modified particle gun. That little gem will melt or electrocute anything you aim it at.”

I grinned. Shirley knew me far too well. New technology that could provide a high rate of destruction had always been my thing.

“The smaller one is a laser that can slice through anything within a hundred yards. Now, it’s easy to get your finger caught in the way of something this small, Sweetheart—so you be extra careful.”

“I will,” I said, offering her a smile.

“And you’d best get on out of here with these while you can.” She winked and nodded once, an action that caught me off guard. “And you try to come worship this week. The pastor’s been asking about you.

“I’ll do my best,” I lied, turning away so I didn’t have to meet her eyes. I had no intention of entering a religious building, no matter what the denomination. Shirley thought it was because I didn’t believe in a higher power. Really, it’s because I don’t believe in organized religion.

At any rate, God and I hadn’t been on the best terms lately.

One more stop and I could leave the station. Normally I did my very best to avoid Cassie, but it wasn’t always easy as she handled every part of Richard’s affairs. Right now, I needed answers and she had access to personnel records. With luck, she’d have additional information on Tristan. Information that Richard did not seem willing to divulge. With a heavy sigh, I knocked loudly on the closed door.

“Entré.” Cassie’s voice was a soft purr.

God, even her voice is irritating.
I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. I needed all my wits about me to deal with this woman. The truth is, she scared me more than any Were creature ever could. Wild animals, I could deal with. Cassie is the polar opposite of wild. Every move is practiced, deliberate. She was perfect in every way — organized, beautiful, and confident. And Richard’s closest confidante.

She sat behind a double monitor, a laser printer silently doing its one and only job in the background. There wasn’t a blonde hair out of place and, despite it being close to lunch, she wore lipstick that looked just applied. She wore a white silk blouse tucked into high-waisted, pin-striped slacks that looked as if she had just walked off of a modeling runway. A matching linen blazer was hung in the corner. She looked perfect, just as she always did.

Glancing up from her rapid typing, she rolled her eyes. “The Shepherdess returns to her flock.”

“I see you haven’t lost your pleasant demeanor,” I said dryly, pushing the door closed behind me. “I hear you and Bren are an item.”

“How long
has
it been since I’ve seen you?” She ran a perfectly manicured nail along the calendar on her desk, raising her eyebrows. “Here it is: eighteen days.”

I sat down in the chair facing her desk and crossed my leg. “Well, as much as I‘d like to make that eighteen years, I need some information.”

“What kind of information?”

I shrugged. “Just some background on one of the station’s new hires.”

She leaned back in her chair, chewing the end of her pencil as she studied me. “Is this official business?”

“Not yet…” She would check with Richard. There wasn’t much point in lying to her.

“Then it’s a personal favor.” She frowned. “And what will I receive in exchange for doing this personal favor?”

“The satisfaction of a job well done?” I smiled sweetly.

She pursed her bright red lips and shot me a penetrating glare with her deep blue eyes “I’m going to take a wild guess here and assume you want the scoop on a Mr. Tristan Cormac?”

“Why would you assume that?”

She rolled her eyes again. “Because he’s the only one who’s shown any interest in
your
records and fair’s fair.” A knowing smile played at her lips. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to help him out with much. Despite Richard’s fascination with you, you’re really not very interesting. He, on the other hand…”

I was through playing. Why would he be seeking information about me? And what the hell had she told him?

“What did you tell him?”

“Enough to pique his interest,” she smiled.

I felt the color drained from my face. “Is there any way that he can access my files?”

She shook her head. “You’re information is safe enough. I even have an alert on your file so I can tell if you or your furry friends try to hack our system again.”

A half smile toyed at my lips. Jace had hacked the station’s servers two years ago, and Cassie wasn’t the forgiving type. “I’m not sure whether to be impressed that you care enough to protect me, or insulted that you don’t trust me.”

“Don’t be impressed,” she hinted.

“I need a copy of whatever you gave Tristan. I also need the case files on every violent crime by first time offenders in the Phoenix area for the last thirty days. And I want all of them, not just the ones you find amusing,” I warned.

“Has Richard approved this request?”

“Of course.” I was lying, knowing full well she would check with him before she pressed a single key on that computer.

She stared at me. “You’re a lousy liar. How have you stayed alive this long?”

I shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

“After Richard approves the request, and after I get my scheduled work handled this week, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Tonight,” I said firmly. “This takes priority. And I also need whatever you can dig up on the any animal testing that’s been done by a group named Parallax.”

She shook her head. “That’s weeks of research.”

“I just need the Cliff notes — but I need it tonight. And if you start now, you’ll be that much closer to finishing for the day.” I motioned to the computer and mimicked typing in the air. “If you press the keys, it will go faster.”

“Close the door on your way out,” she said, returning to stare at the computer.

By the time I joined Brock outside of the building, my tolerance was at an all time low.

“You okay?” he asked, eyes filled with concern.

I nodded. “I will be.”

“Good. Jace has been trying to reach you and he doesn’t sound happy…”

Jace was waiting on the patio when we arrived home and judging from the five text messages and three missed calls, I knew he wasn’t waiting to offer a pleasant greeting. Unfortunately, I had completely forgotten our household meeting this afternoon. To further complicate matters, it wasn’t the first time I had forgotten. And in all honesty, it wouldn’t be the last time I forgot.

My head was throbbing and I really needed something stronger than aspirin to control the migraine that threatened.

Straightening a little, I prepared for the inevitable argument, and reluctantly moved forward—Billy and Brock closing ranks behind me.

“You have responsibilities that don’t center around Richard, Alex…” Jace’s voice was thick with disapproval.

Touching Jace’s elbow, I guided him away from the hall giving Billy and Brock a quick glance over my shoulder. They didn’t need to be around for what would surely be an unpleasant discussion.

“You
promised
we would talk today.” He was more hurt than angry, but the anger was quickly jockeying for position. “I understand that dealing with household matters isn’t as exciting and glamorous as being on the nightly news, but you do have responsibilities to the house.”

“I know, Jace — and I’m sorry.” He was right. At the moment, I didn’t feel like I was keeping up with work
or
the household. “I completely forgot.”

I moved aside to let Brock and Billy brush past us, rolling their eyes. They knew one of Jace’s tantrums when they saw one and were anxious to be out of the line of fire when he went off on a tangent.

My words did little to calm Jace. He was a horse shifter by nature, and that meant his quick temper and brute strength often shone through. I’ve only really seen him angry a few times in our years as a family, but I had no interest in seeing it again. The only hope I had of escape was to let him get it out of his system. One thing I had learned after my years with Jace was that the calmer I remained, the quicker it would blow over.