I couldn’t help that when I got bored, I went to the morgue and touched people to figure out how to solve the case. Unsolved cases drove me crazy, and Marty, the medical examiner, made the best peanut and jelly sandwiches. He was also a raccoon shifter. One night, when I snuck down to take another look at a man who had been shot, I caught Marty shifting. He could smell better in shifted form and would shift to see if he could get any extra information.
I glanced around the room. A few people were staring at us, probably waiting to see if a fight would go down or how I would act toward Mike.
“I don’t know if I’m going to take it. We need to solve the case first. Tomorrow morning, the FBI is coming in to help.”
Mike's lips twitched. “You’re going to have to partner with the FBI?” He worked with me long enough to know how this would go. What Mike didn’t know was that the man coming to help was another supernatural. I hadn’t had time to find any information on the man. Chief seemed somewhat scared, and Lucifer thought he would be a help.
“Yes. I want to find who did this. I have a feeling more people are going to die or already have. We need to work as a team and see if there were any other killings in the past month that fit the same description.”
“Can I ask you something?” Mike asked. When I nodded, he continued. “Who was the man who came to the crime scene with you? I’ve never seen you allow someone else to watch you analyze a crime scene.”
His question made me remember the plastic bag in my purse. “He says he’s my father. Now I need a favor from you.” I pulled out the bag and handed it to him. “Can you have this run against my DNA sample in the system?”
“You don’t think he’s your dad?”
“I’m seventy-five percent sure he’s my father. I’m going to need to see a therapist to help me deal with finding out my dad is the devil.”
Mike grabbed the bag from my hand. “I’ll have it done right away.” He tossed a card on my desk. It read “Congrats!” “I know you think we don’t like you. It’s not that. We just don’t understand how you solve cases so quickly. Since you are going to be in charge, you might want to teach us some of your stuff.”
The card lay partially open. Inside were congratulations from most of my coworkers. News traveled fast. Chief had offered me the job only three hours ago. One of the missing names on the card was Jared’s. He sat against the far wall, with arms crossed, his eyes throwing daggers my way. He was in his mid-sixties and was as old school as they came. One of his biggest gripes was that he didn’t think a woman had what it took to be a police officer.
Mike had already taken the bag and headed toward the room with the squints. They were a group of experts in the field of DNA and other materials we needed tested. We called them squints because they always squinted when they looked through the scopes. Needing more information about Lieutenant Curly and his life, I got up from my desk and headed toward his office.
The room became quiet as the officers watched me take each step. Instead of murmuring things about me, they waited to see what I planned to do. I swung open the office door and stepped in. This would be my new office one day but not today.
Lieutenant Curly was a shifter. I wasn’t sure what kind. I made a mental note to ask Marty the raccoon if he knew about Curly’s other self. Shifters could normally smell other shifters.
I put on a pair of blue plastic gloves and walked toward the desk. The first drawer wouldn’t open. Fuck. I looked under the desk’s frame and his computer keyboard, hoping he was dumb enough to keep the key in his office.
“You shouldn’t be in here.”
The man's voice ground on my nerves. I looked up to see Jared standing in the doorway with a scowl on his face. “You really want to have a fight now? I’m trying to find out who killed Lieutenant Curly.”
“I’m not telling you this so you won't find the killer. His office is cursed. If you aren’t careful, you’ll be next.”
My lip twitched. The old grouch didn’t believe in woman police officers, but he believed in a curse. “What makes you think this place is cursed?”
“I don’t think. I know. If you want more information, talk to Georgina.”
Georgina was a psychic who worked the tourists. She made a killing off reading their futures. “Are you friends with Georgina?” This was the most the old detective had talked to me in years.
He shook his head. “Lieutenant complained yesterday that she kept calling him and telling him to watch his back. Something dark was after him. I don’t believe in all that dark shit. But after what happened this morning, I have to wonder if it wasn’t her. His house felt off.”
I raised my eyebrow at his last comment. Interesting, a human could tell the air was thick. “Thanks for the warning.” He watched me for a couple more minutes before he turned and walked away. Curly’s desk was clean, not a piece of paper on it. The two filing cabinets in the office were also locked. I couldn’t get into anything. I walked back out to find the lieutenant’s assistant. Mike was at her desk, and they were talking.
Mike looked in my direction. “Hey, boss. I dropped off that stuff. The squints promised to call you as soon as they get the results. I told them to put a rush on it.”
“Thanks. I’m not the boss yet. I haven’t officially said yes. The card was nice, but a lot of people don’t like me around here, and I want to solve Lieutenant Curly’s case first.” I turned toward Curly’s assistant. “Do you know where any of the keys are for his office?”
She nodded her pretty blonde head and handed me a set of keys. Jackpot. I turned to leave.
My phone vibrated in my pocket as I headed back to Curly’s office. I pulled out my phone and smiled at my best friend's name as it flashed across the screen. “Hey, girl,” I said as I sank down into the lieutenant’s chair.
“I got promoted today!” Sasha screamed into the phone.
The lock clicked as I opened the first drawer. “That’s amazing.” It was. She had been trying to get the head nursing job at the Children’s Hospital New Orleans for two years. She had busted her ass, and Sasha was a great nurse and would be an even better boss. I didn’t want to tell her about my promotion yet. I wanted to enjoy hers. “Do you want to go out for dinner to celebrate?”
“You, Becca, and I are going to the Cat’s Meow.” Becca was another one of our friends. I had met her through Sasha.
“Sure, what time?” The Cat’s Meow was a nightclub near Bourbon Street.
“I’ll meet you down there around eight.” We talked a little longer. She told me more about her job, but my mind was focused on trying to figure out who killed my boss. We hung up, and I dug through the top drawer.
When I opened the second drawer, I saw a folder labeled “Supernatural.” The first picture was mine. My heart stopped. He knew about me and never said anything. On the back side, it identified my ability to see a person’s last few moments. Where it would have listed my mother and father, it had question marks. Mike startled me as he sat down. I hadn’t heard him walk in. I was too busy looking at the photo. I quickly flipped it over to find another photo. This one wasn’t of me. It was of Mike. He was a shifter.
I looked from the photo to Mike and back to the photo. I cleared my throat and leaned back in my chair. “Mike, are you a shifter?”
His hands clenched the arms of the chair, and his eyes flashed yellow for a second. My abilities never let me know who was human and who was a shifter. I should’ve noticed it by his frame and his speed.
“What do you know about shifters?”
“I know a lot more than you would think. Now are you, or aren’t you?” I would rather he told me than read it in the file.
He eyed me for a second, but he didn’t have time to answer. A powerful, sexy man walked into the office. Mike’s eyes widened at the newcomer. I was irritated that he just walked in, no matter how hot he was.
“He’s a tiger,” the newcomer said.
Mike rose and went to take a knee.
“D
on’t even think about it, Mike,” I said.
The newcomer looked me in the eyes. His blue eyes held my attention for a second. I wasn’t about to let him come in and push me or my people around. This was my place, and if he wanted to play some shifter hierarchy thing, he could do it outside my office.
“Pandora, I have to kneel to Atieno Brone.”
“Well if that is his name, he’s here on business for the FBI, which has nothing to do with shifters.”
Mike glanced between us, not sure what to do.
“It’s okay, Mike. This is Pandora’s office,” Atieno said before turning to me. “You are even more like your sister than your dad said.”
“Alleged dad.”
Damn, he got even hotter when he smiled. “Alleged dad?”
“The DNA test hasn’t come back.”
He barked out a laugh. “You're running Lucifer’s DNA through the system?”
I shrugged, and Mike’s mouth opened and closed a few times. “You can sit down, Mike. I planned to use you on the case anyway, and since I know you know about the supernatural world, it will be easier. As for you.” I turned toward the newcomer. “Lucifer said you would be coming tomorrow.”
Atieno folded his tall body into the leather chair next to Mike. His black suit looked more expensive than the standard FBI suits. Black sunglasses rested on the top of his head. His blue eyes kept my attention. “Lucifer didn’t think it was safe to leave you alone. You know, since you broke the no-no rule, he’s worried you’ll do it again.”
I glared at the man. “There is no rule that says I can’t use my power to bring someone back to life.” When he leveled a look at me, Mike gasped. “Furthermore, shouldn’t he be worried about the demons running around? They tried to kill Grandma and me this morning. Why isn’t he sending someone to protect her?”
“Paxdon is with your grandmother.”
Mike stood up and started to pace. “Stop for a second. My head is trying to keep up. Your dad is the devil?”
“Alleged dad,” I spoke up.
Mike shook his head. “You brought someone back to life today. You were attacked by demons, and you still came to work?”
“Yes.” My stomach turned at the thought that someone was still going to die. “Can I have Paxdon guard me and you guard my grandmother?”
Atieno pointed at me. “You are like your sister. She loves Paxdon as well. Although her mate growls every time he comes around.”
I turned toward Mike. “Are there other shifters here?”
He looked toward Atieno, and when Atieno nodded, Mike said, “You are the only one in our department who is not a shifter. I think that’s why most people have issues with you.”
My anger rose. Lieutenant Curly could have squashed the issue in our department years ago. My fingers tingled, and purple magic sprouted from the tips, catching the file in my hands on fire.
Atieno reached across the table and patted the flame out. He groaned. “You can’t control your magic either?”
More purple came from my hands. “This shit just started today.”
Atieno nodded. “It’s your birthday.”
“No, it's not. My birthday is in a few days.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s today, along with your twin sister’s.”
I closed my eyes and took a couple deep breaths. “You guys need to get out. I have to work. I can’t deal with family stuff. Mike, show Atieno what we have on the case.” They both got up and left. I rested my head on the desk and let out a sigh. Twin sister, new dad, my mother lied to me, and to put a cherry on top, someone was going to die today.
I hadn’t realized how much time had passed until the door to the office opened and Mike walked in. “Hey, I’m heading home for the day. Do you need anything?”
The clock on the wall read eight. I was late. “No, go ahead and head out”
Mike looked out the door and back in. “Yes, but he wanted you to call him before you left. Do you know who he is?”
“Some FBI guy and, I assume, a shapeshifter?”
Mike shook his head. “He’s the king of the shifters and one of the supernatural council members.”
“Wait, you have a king?”
“Yes, he is extremely powerful.”
He didn’t seem that powerful to me. Hot, yes. Did I want to see the man naked? Yes. Wow, where did that thought come from? “Thanks for the info. We will work this case like all the others. If he wants to tag along, so be it.”
Once Mike left the office, I grabbed my things and headed for the door. I was thirty-six years old. I wasn’t going to check in with anyone.
* * *
Even though my day had been one for the books, a smile spread across my face as I sat with my friends. We had taken over a booth in the back corner. This wasn’t our first time to the Cat’s Meow. We frequented the place once a week, but we had missed last week when Sasha had to work late.
“Cheers.” We clinked our shot glasses together, and I downed another one. Sasha and Becca had already downed a few drinks by the time I made it to the bar. I had run my car home and taken an Uber downtown so I could get drunk. I needed something to help me forget about the day and the shit going on in my life.
I had met Sasha my senior year of high school, and we had hit it off. We both chose to stay local for college. When we graduated, I got a job with the New Orleans Police Department, and Sasha Jacobs got a job with the Children’s Hospital New Orleans in the NICU. Becca Brown also worked at the hospital and, a year back, had started to join Sasha and me for our weekly meet-ups.
Over the past year, we really got to know Becca, and I considered her a close friend.
“I’m so excited you’re the new boss. I wish I worked in your department.” Becca worked in the emergency room. The stories she told us over beers were hilarious. She also had a crush on the head doctor in the ER.
Sasha nodded. “I’m going to be hiring. I would love to have you come work with us.”
Becca patted her hand. “I would also love to work with you, but I can't do that to Dr. Hessleerworth.”
Sasha rolled her eyes. “Well, think about it. If you weren’t in his department, you could ask him out.”
“He wouldn’t go for someone like me.” Becca was beautiful. She had long blond hair and green eyes. Her boobs were outstanding. If I were a guy, I would date her in a second.
“You never know,” Sasha said with a smile. There was no point in telling Becca how pretty she was. “Maybe he has the same feelings.”
At the mention of feelings, an image of Atieno flashed across my mind. I kept thinking about his blue eyes and his lips, what it would feel like to have them pressed against my skin.
“Anything exciting happen at work today?” Sasha asked me.
“My boss was murdered.” I let out a sigh. “And an FBI agent came to help with the case.” Neither of them knew about my powers or the supernatural world. So I left out the part where my dad might be the devil and how I was attacked by demons.
Sasha studied me for a second. “What does this FBI agent look like?”
The sexiest man on earth. “He’s good-looking. Extremely arrogant.”
Both Sasha and Becca stared for a second too long instead of calling me out.
“How about a toast to friends?” I asked.
“To us!” Sasha said.
“To Pandora finally getting laid,” Becca said.
I choked on my lemon drop shot as it went down. Becca and Sasha were both laughing. I looked down at my beer glass. It was empty. “I’m going to grab another. Do you need anything?”
They both shook their heads. I got up and walked to the bar. I leaned my elbows on the counter, waiting for the bartender to finish the order he was working on. When he looked over, I held up my hand for another, and he nodded. I didn’t need to look behind me to know who stood there. I had the same feeling I felt earlier when he was in the office.
He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “You were supposed to
call me before leaving, Pandora.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t need a bodyguard. You are here to help with a case. Now go work on the case. I’m drinking with some friends.” When I glanced back at the table, I noticed Sasha and Becca weren’t there anymore.
“Your friends look like they’re having fun.”
Both were tearing up the dance floor. Sasha had her arms wrapped around Mike, and I didn’t recognize the man Becca was with.
The bartender walked over with my drink, and when I went to pay, Atieno handed over a ten and told the guy to keep the change. I took a sip of my beer and set it down on the bar. I hoped it would cool off my body.
He grabbed my hand, and my skin tingled under his touch. When he pulled me into his rock-hard chest, I rested my hand against him.
“This is unprofessional,” I told him.
Atieno had changed from his black suit into a pair of jeans and a tight black shirt. He was even sexier, which I didn’t think was possible. His hair was black and short. “I’m guessing you had a hard day. Let’s dance and forget about the world.”
With each sway to the song, our bodies touched, and I became even more aware of the man dancing with me. He pressed his hips against me, and I swore I felt his hard dick. Instead of pulling back, I leaned further into him. I didn’t know how this was possible, but I had an immediate need to be with this man.
When a little of the fog in my head cleared, I tried to pull back. “Why is this happening to me?”
Atieno leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Do you know anything about shifters?”
“Enough.”
His lips twitched against my ear. “So you know about mates?”
I pulled back further and looked into his eyes. He was serious. Nope. Not happening. I turned and walked out of the bar, not looking back. I didn’t need to, because I knew he was there. I stepped onto the sidewalk outside the bar.
“You can’t run from it.” He was behind me once again. He wrapped his arms around my waist.
It was hard to think when I could smell his woodsy scent. “I can ignore it.”
Fated Mates of the Underworld, Books 1-3 Page 17
