by C. D. Hersh
Eli stared at Rhys, his astonishment clearly visible. “The power o’ persuasion, but only on women? I dinna feel anything like Delaney described when ye were pulling my life force.” He went to the window, staring out. After a minute or two, he turned toward them, worry creasing his forehead.
What was he worried about? Was he wondering, as she was, if he’d made a mistake with Rhys?
“We canna tell anyone aboot this.”
“What?” Rhys asked. “That I mind screwed someone?”
Delaney flushed hot at his open declaration.
“Sorry,” Rhys said, when he saw her reaction. “I didn’t mean to do it, really.”
“Nay. That ye have more power than I ever imagined, and that’s saying a wee bit since I’ve seen enough potential Promised Ones tae fill the English Channel. The power tae make someone willing tae die for ye will be sorely coveted by the rogues. We need tae get ye trained afore that knowledge becomes known. For when it does, there’ll be nae stopping them from trying tae get ye.”
Rhys stared at her. “Is that true? You were willing to die for me?”
As ashamed as she’d been of what happened, the effects of his power still lingered. Not as strong, but enough she had to steel herself against it. Eli was right. They had to get him indoctrinated properly and past the danger stages of the dark lure of his animal alter ego. Delaney nodded mutely. “Have you ever done this with anyone else?”
“Which one?” Rhys asked.
“Either,” Delaney said.
“I did the life force thing with Alexi and Eli.”
“And something similar with Sylvia. Remember, laddie, Alexi said ye made the air shimmer with her and Sylvia, at the office.”
“Alexi didn’t say anything sexual happened.”
“But mayhaps it did with Sylvia. She’s a rogue council member with more highly developed skills than Alexi. Mayhap she felt some o’ the same things as Delaney.”
“That’s taking the Temple charm way too far.” He removed his Turning Stone ring and held it out to Eli. “Sylvia’s at the office. I don’t want to take the chance I’ll do that to her or anyone else.”
“Put the ring back on, laddie. Whether ye’re wearing it or not dinna matter. Ye’ve said the incantation and, with the kind o’ power ye’ve displayed, ’twill probably make nae difference. We’ll havetae work harder tae get it under control.”
“If Sylvia’s still at your office, and she did experience anything, we probably need to keep a close eye on her.” Delaney faced Rhys. “What’s her excuse for being there?”
“Some bull about terrorist cells linked to the surge in criminal activity in the area.”
“I’ll use my sources to check that out.”
“Alexi thinks she might be causing the problem herself in order to worm her way into the office and get near me.”
“Because you’re a Promised One?”
“It’s more personal. I had a little thing happen with her when she was mimic shifted as Alexi.”
“Thing?” Delaney asked.
“He mind shifted with her during sex,” Eli explained.
Rhys scowled at him. “Do you have to blurt out everything you know, old man?”
“I dinna see why yer sae tetchy aboot it. It’s not like she dinna know what ye can do.”
If it had been anything like what she’d just experienced, she could see why Sylvia might be after him. “If I’m going to help, I need to know what you know,” Delaney said.
Arms crossed tightly over his chest, doubt crinkling the corners of his eyes, Rhys stared at her.
She felt herself falling into the depths of his gaze. Heart racing with the knowledge of what he could do to her, she frantically looked away. The sensation eased.
How could someone with no Turning Stone background display the kind of power Rhys was showing? Someone with that kind of power, and no vetting, shouldn’t be trusted. Couldn’t be trusted.
Hazarding another look at him, she saw secrets hooded behind in his eyes. She understood his not wanting to bare his soul. Everyone had secrets, didn’t they? No one liked exposing them.
Dragging her gaze from his again, she felt his power wane. Perhaps, if she could keep Eli concentrating on Rhys’ skeletons, maybe he wouldn’t peek into her own closet.
Sylvia’s story checked out. Homeland Security knew she was investigating something in the area, but what, they wouldn’t say. Since she was on extended personal leave, Delaney created fake papers of her own so she could keep an eye on the enemy. Pushing open the precinct door, she headed for Captain Williams’ office. At her light rap, the captain waved her in.
“Remember me?” Delaney asked. “We met in ER visiting Alexi?”
Wearing a broad smile, he rose and reached across the desk to shake her hand. “Yeah. Delaney, right? Delaney Ramsey.” He motioned to the chair opposite his. “How is Alexi?”
“Fine. Itching to get back to work, though. But that’s not why I’m here.”
He relaxed in his chair. “Didn’t think so. What can I do for you, Ms. Ramsey?”
She opened her notebook and pushed a file folder across his desk. “I understand Homeland Security thinks you’ve got some terrorist activity brewing in your area.”
“So I’ve been told by Ms. Riley.” When he said Sylvia’s name a scowl lined his forehead like jail bars.
Obviously, he had some issues with her. He’d probably hate having another fed in his office.
“I’m willing to cooperate with them,” Harry said, “but I don’t think a few unsolved homicides and burglaries points to terrorist activity.”
“Well, my boss does, and I’m here to make sure Ms. Riley gets her job done. My papers are in the file. I think you’ll find everything in order.”
He opened the file and reviewed her transfer papers. Under tense fingers, he crumpled the corner of each page, jutting his jaw out defiantly. She’d read him right.
“I understand how hard it is to relinquish jurisdiction,” she said, searching for something to soften his anger. “But we all want the same thing here. Find the bad guys and return things to normal. I promise you, I’ll try to wrap this up as quickly as possible and get out of your office.”
“I’m getting close to retirement, Ms. Ramsey, and I don’t want anything to go wrong to jeopardize my long, illustrious career. I’ll cooperate with you. Won’t like it, but I’ll do it.” He slapped the file folder closed and shoved it toward her. “What do you need?”
“A private office.”
“I’ve got the only one here.”
“I need something with a door. I’ll be discussing classified issues.” And secret society things.
“I’ll move out.”
“I wouldn’t dream of asking you.” That would put him off for sure.
“Then I’ll move in another desk and vacate whenever you need privacy. Will that work?”
“Are you sure that’s okay with you?”
“I’m absolutely freaking sure.”
She couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not. She scanned his aura. A soft blue with tints of muddy red and bright lemon yellow. He was sincere, irritated, but struggling to maintain control. “All right. We can work that out. I also need access to everything you’ve given Ms. Riley, copies of all the unsolved crimes the precinct has had in the past sixty days, and detectives Temple, and Jordan, when she returns.”
In a flash, his aura colors shifted to angry shades of red, and his lip curled into a sneer. “You want a latte with skim milk every morning, too?”
His impudence hit her like a slap, and she lost her temper. “That was uncalled for, Captain Williams. I’m here to help, and I don’t have to take your insulting behavior. If you want a gold pin at retirement, I suggest you cooperate to the f
ullest with me, which includes keeping a cap on your cheeky insolence.” She scolded him as if he were a schoolboy who’d been caught yanking pigtails.
He had the good grace to appear shamed. “I’m sorry, Ms. Ramsey. I have a bit of a temper. That and my dedication to my job seem to get me in trouble with women, especially the good-looking ones.”
Did he think her good-looking? Her cheeks heated at the idea then she discarded it. She’d pushed all his hot buttons. Invaded his territory. Rising from her chair, she tried to compose herself. “I’m sorry also, but it may get quite fiery in here at times because I’ve got a temper, too.”
He chuckled.
“Did you find something I said funny?”
“Refreshing, Ms. Ramsey. Not funny.”
Staring at him, she remembered what Alexi told her in the hospital. He found her attractive. She hazarded a quick glance at the front of his pants. The small mound below his belt started growing. Good grief! Was he one of those men who got off on pissy little arguments with women? She didn’t have the time. But her body said differently. She grabbed the file folder and clutched it to her chest, exiting the room before he could see her reaction.
Crap. She was in trouble.
Harry moved Delaney’s desk into his office within the hour then searched for her to let her know she could move in. He found her perched on the edge of Temple’s desk, deep in conversation. A streak of jealousy shot through him when she leaned in closer to see something Temple held out.
The woman was old enough to be his mother, and she was fawning over him like the rest of the women in the office. What did the man have and how could he get some of it? He’d wondered that ever since he met Temple. The problem was, no matter how many women he charmed, some of them right out of the arms of other fellows, it was downright impossible not to like the man.
“Ms. Ramsey,” Harry called.
She snapped upright, as if she’d been caught in some private tryst. The normal reaction he’d seen when most of the women were caught ogling Temple.
“I’ve got your desk ready.”
She removed her reading glasses. “So quickly? I’m impressed.”
“Don’t want to forfeit my gold retirement pin.” She blushed at his barb over losing her temper. “I wasn’t sure what supplies you’d need, but if you’ll fill out the requisition order I left, I’ll see you get them right away.”
She slid off Temple’s desk, her skirt hiking to mid thigh. Harry tried not to stare, but couldn’t tear his gaze away. She had great legs.
“Ahem,” she said, tugging her skirt back down to a respectable length. “I’m up here, Williams.”
He drew his gaze over her body. The rest of her wasn’t bad either.
“Anything else you need to tell me?” she asked.
“Nah. I’ll give you some privacy to get settled in.”
She clutched the file folder to her chest like she had when she’d exited his office-their office-earlier. She hadn’t done it quickly enough. He saw what she tried to hide, and he liked it. She walked away from Temple’s desk, and Harry watched her. Nice butt. “How old do you think she is, Temple?”
“Why?”
“I think she’s old enough to be your mother. You shouldn’t mess with anyone, not when you’ve got Alexi on a string.” A choking sound made Harry look at Temple.
“Damn, Captain. What do you think I am?”
“An office Romeo.”
Temple studied him for a minute then broke out in a grin. “You’ve got the hots for her.”
“Nah.” He tried to keep his voice as even as possible. “I think an older woman fawning on young pups is weird. Besides, you’ll only break her heart.”
“You won’t?”
“We’re ice and fire. It would never work.”
“Don’t be so sure. Fire melts ice.”
“And ice becomes water, which puts out fire,” Harry said. “I’ve had enough of those relationships already.” He had to admit, trying to melt her would be a lot of fun.
The measured click of high heels on the floor captured their attention. “It’s Riley.” Rhys sprung to his feet. “Gotta go to the head.” He scurried off before she neared the desk.
“Traitor,” Harry called after him. He hurried off to his office, eager to avoid her, too. Delaney raised her head as he entered. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Harry said.
“No. Just arranging things on the desk. When will I get a telephone?”
“I’ve got the requisition in. Should be sometime this afternoon, if we’re lucky.” He glanced at the glass office window. “Riley’s headed this way.”
Delaney followed his motion. “She’s not happy either.”
The door burst open. “If I’d have known you would share your office, I’d have asked when I first arrived.” She nodded at Delaney then glared at Harry.
“Ms. Riley, this is Delaney Ramsey from the FBI.” He waited for her reaction.
“Anything I should know about?” Sylvia asked, arching her eyebrow quizzically.
He hooked his thumb at Delaney. “Not unless she wants to tell you.”
“No. I think we’re good,” Delaney said.
Irritation rolled from Sylvia as she eyed Delaney. Cat fight, for sure. He made a quick exit. Bad enough he was caught between two feds. He sure didn’t want to get in the middle of a clawing match, too.
Martin stopped him outside the office door. “We got another one of those weird homicides again. Report came in on a DOA. His fingerprints match a known perp in our criminal database, but the guy doesn’t match the picture on file. Same eye color, height, and DNA of our perp, but there’s no sign of plastic surgery. Coroner can’t figure out what’s going on.”
“I’ll get Temple from the head and we’ll go investigate.” Harry took the file Martin held out.
As Harry entered, Rhys straightened from his slouched position in the corner. “What the hell are you doing in here, Temple? Holding up the wall?”
“Hiding,” Rhys said. “Riley hasn’t breached here yet.”
Harry shoved the file at him and moved to the urinal. “Got another weird corpse in the morgue.”
Shuffling the papers, he whistled. “This sounds more like X-Files than homicide.”
“If you ask me, it’s a bit like Baron Jordan’s file.” Harry zipped his fly and moved to the sink.
Rhys flipped through the pages again. “Nothing here about cross dressing.”
“Not that part. The part where he kept committing crimes after he was dead. Page three in the notes. This guy resembles someone they brought into the morgue last week.”
“Riley know about this?”
“No. She’s with Ramsey cat-fighting over my office. I thought we’d go down and handle it.”
“The feds aren’t going to like that.”
“It’s my damned office, Temple. I’ll check it out if I want to.”
Rhys handed the file to him as he stormed past. “Whatever you say, Captain.”
The coroner pulled out two slabs, the new DOA and the one who came in last week. “This one matches our database. DNA, facial-recognition, prints and all,” the coroner said, indicating the second corpse. “This one, however, is the puzzle.”
“Could they be twins?” Rhys asked.
“They aren’t exactly alike,” Harry said. “Maybe brothers?
“No to both questions,” the coroner replied. “These guys do not have the same DNA. Siblings would have some similarities in DNA, twins even more. These guys have nothing in common but their physical appearance.”
“A case of look-a-likes?” Rhys asked.
“If it had only happened once, I might agree,” Harry said. “But this has been too much of a recurring pattern to let it go.”
The morgue door flew open, and the two female feds rushed in, high heels clicking angrily on the tile floor.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Riley demanded. “I’m supposed to be informed when we get a new case.”
“Especially strange ones,” Delaney added.
“Busted,” Rhys whispered.
