by AE Jones
“I’m not saying you did. But I bet you can direct me to someone who does. Come on, Doyle. Help me out, here.”
“You’ve fallen into some serious sh—stuff this time, McKinley. Crossovers are dangerous.”
“But there are border patrols.”
Doyle grimaced. “Oh, yeah. The demon border patrol makes the US Border Patrol look like the Mickey Mouse Club.”
“If they’re that tough, how are the demons getting through?” Dalton asked.
“When you tell someone, human or demon, they can’t do something, they try all the harder to prove it can be done. For enough money, there are ways to open temporary portals to earth. By the time the patrol senses the break, the portal is closed, and the demon is through.”
“Who do we need to talk to, then?” I asked.
Doyle hesitated. “If I tell you, promise me you won’t go in there half-cocked by yourself.”
“She’s not going anywhere without me.”
“No offense, human. But she’s going to need more protection than you.”
“I promise. Misha and Jean Luc will be in on the meeting,” I said.
“You’re going to need to involve that new vamp you have working with you, too. The more supe power the better.”
I didn’t bother asking how he knew about Talia. He was gifted that way. “Spill, Doyle.”
“Talk to Eli Miller. He’s a Traman. He owns a bar in Shaker Heights.”
“And what’s his connection to all of this?” Dalton asked.
“He’s the go-between on the earth side. He schedules the meetings with the demons and the Abstatholm.”
“Abstatholm?”
“They’re the supes who can open the portals back to the demon realm. Eli is going to demand to know how you found out about him. Give him the name Charles Jenkins. Jenkins has his fingers in all kinds of supe dealings.”
“I owe you one, Doyle.”
“Nah. Just don’t keep coming here and getting me in trouble with the boss. She’s a real taskmaster.”
“She can’t cut you any slack?” I asked. “She’s your mother-in-law, for crying out loud.”
Doyle snorted. “Which makes it worse. I’ve been married to her daughter for eighty-five years, and she still doesn’t have any grandbabies.”
I laughed, and he smiled briefly before his expression turned serious. “Be careful, Kyle. These supes are not the kind you want to mess with.”
* * *
I pulled out of the Emporium’s parking lot and drove toward the office. Dalton sat quietly for a few minutes. I looked over at him and could almost see the wheels spinning. He finally turned his attention to me, and I was glad I had to watch the road and not look into his eyes.
“How do you know Doyle?”
“He used to be a con-demon. Petty stuff, mostly. His real talent is intel. He finds out pretty much everything that’s going on in Northeast Ohio.”
“You two seem pretty close.”
I nodded. “If you’d said that to me a year ago, I would have laughed. But now? You’re right. He’s helped me, multiple times.”
“And he was concerned about you going to see Miller alone. I would think you would be able to take care of yourself. With your powers, I mean. What are you?”
I stopped at a light. “I thought we covered this before. It’s rude to ask that.”
When he didn’t answer, I made the mistake of glancing toward him again. This time, his eyes locked onto mine. His beautiful turquoise eyes. Damn.
“I’m not anything.”
He frowned and opened his mouth, more than likely to argue with me, but I spoke first.
“I’m human.”
His eyebrows rose. “How did you end up on the team, then?”
“It’s a long story.”
A horn sounded, and I looked up. The light was green. I kept driving while the silence stretched between us. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to use some sort of cop technique—maybe sweat it out of me—before he swooped in with his questions, but I needed to think fast and come up with something to tell him.
Why would a human work on the team? I didn’t dare tell him too much for fear it might trigger his memories. If anything could trigger his memories, that is. Hell, this was all-new territory, and I didn’t have a clue how to find my way.
“How long have you been working on the team?”
Okay, he had just been figuring out how to go at this from another angle. “Ten years.”
“Ten years. How old were you when you started?”
“Twenty. I saw my first vampire when I was twenty and got pulled into a case with Jean Luc and Misha. After it was solved, they asked me to stick around.” Which was sort of the truth.
“And so you help them hide the truth from us?”
“Us?” I asked, although it was obvious where he was going, and I didn’t like it.
“Humans.”
I turned into a Chipotle parking lot and put the car in park. “Are we really going to have an us versus them conversation?”
His eyes narrowed. “No. I just want to understand why you work for supernaturals.”
“I work with supes because I don’t want the kind of pandemonium that is sure to break out if the truth is revealed. And it would break out. Humans are close-minded as a whole and scared of anything different. They would persecute supernaturals.”
“You have a pretty cynical view of the world.”
“One that’s been reinforced over the years. I’ve seen it again and again while we’re working cases.”
“So you help them forget?”
“What?” My throat tightened.
“Jean Luc uses his thrall to make them forget.”
“Right. If we have someone we think is going to cause trouble, we help them forget.” I turned off the car. “I’m going to run in and get some food to go. Are you hungry?”
“You don’t even know if I like Mexican food.”
He loved Mexican food, and I knew it, but it wasn’t something I could tell him. “Come on. You’re a cop. It’s in your DNA. I’ve never been in a Chipotle that doesn’t have at least one cop eating there.”
Ten minutes later, we piled into the car with our takeout bags. I laughed as a state trooper parked and went into the restaurant. “Told you.”
Dalton shook his head, and just for a second, time fell away. I fumbled with the key and turned on the car.
“Why did you only get three burritos?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, a bit thrown by the question.
“There are four of you at the office, right? Talia, Jean Luc, Misha and you.”
“Actually there are five of us. You probably haven’t met Dolly yet. Jean Luc and Talia don’t eat, and Dolly brings her own food to work. Two of these burritos and the order of chips and guacamole are for Misha.”
Dalton’s eyes widened. “How can he eat all that?”
I shrugged. “It’s his demon metabolism.”
“And I understand there are different kinds of demons here on earth?”
“Yeah. Twelve clans are allowed on earth. Misha is a Shamat. They’re pretty powerful.”
“And who decides who gets to stay on earth and who has to go?”
I pulled out of the parking lot. “Good question. I would say the demon council has the final say, but Misha can tell us for sure.”
“So what’s the deal with you two? Are you and Misha a couple?”
I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Dalton had thought Misha and I were a couple the first time we met. “No. Why would you think that?”
He shrugged. “He’s very protective of you.”
I looked away. “He’s my teammate, and one of my best friends.” I frowned. “Do you think it would be the only reason they would keep a human around?”
“No.”
“Here’s the deal. Sometimes it’s helpful to have a human on the team. I serve as a liaison between supes and norms when it’s needed. The fact that I don’t have po
wers doesn’t mean I’m useless.”
“I never said you were useless. I’m done with that line of questioning.”
He didn’t say the words “for now” but they hung in the air between us.
Chapter 10
“Kyle McKinley, you are the love of my life.”
I rolled my eyes at Misha from across the table. “I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration.”
His ice blue eyes twinkled at me. “I think not.” He picked up his second burrito and took a bite.
Jean Luc chuckled next to me while keeping his eyes on the laptop. He was running a background check on Eli Miller while Misha inhaled his dinner.
“Elijah Miller runs The Dante Club. He has no police record, and the supernatural database shows some minor incidents, but nothing in the past fifty years.”
Dalton interrupted him. “You have access to the police database?”
Misha grinned. “We have access to a lot of things.”
“So we go in there and, what, confront him?” I asked.
“He’ll run scared if we do that.” Talia walked out of the kitchenette. “We should go in as prospective clients. We can be the go-between for a demon who wants to cross over.”
“A sting.” I announced. “I like it. Who’s going in?”
Jean Luc answered. “Misha and I can start the conversation with Eli.”
The door leading to the reception area opened, and Dolly sauntered in with her coffee mug. She’d changed her clothes from earlier and now wore black spike boots and a polka-dot mini dress, her hair hanging in loose curls now. Hot date, maybe? She dumped the liquid from her mug into the sink and then faced the room. “Your plan isn’t going to work.”
“How do you even know what we’re talking about?” I asked.
Dolly shrugged. “I could say it was my shifter hearing, but I’ve been listening in on the intercom.”
I looked at the phone. The green intercom light blinked back at me. I narrowed my eyes at her.
“Hey, it gets boring up front. A girl’s got to do something to keep herself occupied.”
“Why isn’t the plan going to work?” Dalton asked.
“Because Dante’s isn’t a bar. It’s an exclusive club. Invitation-only for males. But females are free to come and go.”
I smirked at Talia. “Looks like we’re in for some undercover work, partner.”
Dolly snorted. “Not in those skater-boy outfits you wear, McKinley. You need to find a pair of heels and a dress, the shorter the better, before you set foot in the place. Otherwise, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb.”
Dalton frowned. “We’re going to send them in alone?”
“We know how to work under cover.” Talia assured him. “We’ll be wearing ear pieces and trackers, too.”
“So we go in later tonight?” I asked.
Dolly replied. “Nope. It’s Monday, and the club is closed.”
Misha crumpled his food wrappers. “You sure do know an awful lot about the place, Dolly.”
She gave him a sly grin. “I used to spend time there a while back.”
“Have you met Eli Miller?” Jean Luc asked.
“Not personally. Eli is quite picky about who he spends time with. But he’s partial to humans.”
Maybe I was useful after all. I peeked at Dalton out of the corner of my eye, and his scowl told me he wasn’t happy with the situation. At all. At least some things hadn’t changed. His alpha male was still front and center.
The team spent an hour plotting our next steps. Afterward, since our plan to meet Eli had been waylaid for the moment, I decided to call it a night. I drove home and parked in a spot mercifully close to my apartment building and trudged up the stairs. I stopped at the top of the landing. Griffin was leaning against my door reading something on his phone. Crap. I’d forgotten he was coming over tonight. His face lit up, but in a matter of seconds, his expression morphed into a frown.
“What’s wrong, Kyle?”
“I’m okay.”
He shook his head and took a step toward me. “You’re not okay.”
“Sometimes I wish you could turn that nose off and stop sniffing my emotions.” I unlocked my door, and he followed me inside.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
“It’s Dalton.”
“Has he been hurt?”
“No.” I took a deep breath. “He’s back.”
Griffin’s eyes widened for a second, but then he quickly schooled his face into a neutral mask. “Does he remember you?”
“No.” I sank down onto the couch, since my body had decided it was done standing.
Griffin sat next to me. “Tell me.”
“The Feds handle art thefts, so Captain Morrison pulled some strings and asked for Dalton to work the case. He thought it was a great solution for us, since Dalton knows about the supernatural and would help keep it quiet. Of course, the Captain doesn’t remember Dalton worked a case with us last year since I made them both forget.”
Griffin’s eyebrows knitted together. “I’m confused. I thought you changed Dalton’s memory. How does he remember about the supernatural?”
“I changed his memory of the case he worked with us. But Dalton knew supernaturals existed before he met me. I couldn’t erase all of his long-term memory. There was no way to be sure what Morrison had told him over the years. What cases Dalton covered up while he worked media relations for the police department.”
He ducked down so he could get a good look at my face. “How are you holding up with all this?”
I touched my finger to his nose. “You already have the answer, right?”
He gripped my hand, and I let the warmth of his touch soothe me.
“I’m sorry this is hurting you, Kyle.”
“You’re sorry? This has got to be more than awkward for you. I’m sorry.”
He pulled me against his side, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “Never apologize for your feelings, Kyle.”
“I just…I never got to say goodbye to him, and now he’s back but he’s a different person.”
“I know, my sweet.”
I took a deep breath. “But as soon as we solve this case, he’ll leave again, and things will go back to normal.”
Griffin didn’t answer. Instead he kissed my temple and rested his chin on top of my head.
* * *
“I didn’t sign up for a girls’ day,” I grumbled from the back seat of Talia’s Mustang.
Doc laughed from the front passenger seat. “Humor us, Kyle. You need to get out more.”
“I get out plenty.”
“Right,” Talia answered.
“I don’t need you two ganging up on me.”
Doc swiveled in the seat and pinned me with a glare. “You need some time away or you’re going to drown in self-pity.”
“Has anyone ever told you your bedside manner sucks?”
“Yes. But normally it’s a patient who’s being a baby.”
“Touché.”
Doc smiled and turned to face the windshield again. “In any case, we need to find you a dress. Do you still have the silver heels I got you?”
“No.”
Doc huffed. “Kyle!”
“I lost them when I was being firebombed by demon assassins. So sue me.”
Talia turned into a parking lot, and I glanced around. “This isn’t the mall.”
“Nope,” Talia answered. “The mall isn’t going to have what we need.”
“How do you even know about this place? You’ve only been living here for a few weeks.”
Talia shrugged and opened her door. “A vampire knows how to Google.”
I stopped myself from groaning. Could I make a break for it when I got out of the car? Nah. Talia could flash, and she’d be on me in a second. Stupid vampire super speed.
I climbed out of the car and walked behind Doc and Talia into the exclusive-looking shop. A clerk met us at the door with a gracious smile. “How may I help you?”
Doc smiled right back and gestured toward me and Talia. “Need some party dresses for my friends here. The sexier the better.”
The clerk looked at Talia first, and then me. “Let’s see what we can do. Follow me.”
Talia and Doc high-fived each other, and my stomach sank. I was not looking forward to this at all. First, we were herded into an area with chairs and a three-way mirror. The clerk suggested we relax, and then she hustled through the store, pulling dresses and placing them on a small rolling rack.
When she returned, she crooked her finger at Talia. “You first.”
Talia followed her to the dressing rooms, and I let out a sigh.
Doc growled. “We’re not torturing you.”
I shrugged. “Depends on your definition of torture.”
Talia tried on three dresses, and every one was amazing on her. But a burlap sack would look good on Talia. With each new dress, Doc circled her like she was prey. Both women were stunningly beautiful. As in ridiculous, supermodel beautiful. Doc was blond and fair, like a Nordic goddess. And Talia’s mocha skin was flawless, as were her gold-flecked eyes. I am not feeling insecure…I am not feeling insecure…
“What do you think, Kyle?” Doc asked, interrupting my fit of self-doubt.
“Any of them work. It’s quite sickening.” But I said it with a sincere smile.
Talia laughed. “I think I’ll hold my decision until we see your dresses.”
The clerk motioned for me next, and I followed her like I was being led to the gallows.
Doc sighed. “If you’re a good girl, I’ll buy you dessert.”
I grinned. “Promise?”
I entered the small dressing room. Three dresses hung on hooks. I swallowed hard once I got a good look at them, but then squared my shoulders. If I could face rogue shifters, I could try on some skimpy dresses. I flipped over the price tag on the first dress, a deep purple, and swallowed hard again. Holy crap! What were these dresses made out of? Silk? Sewn by fairies?
I stepped into it and checked myself in the mirror before I moved aside the curtain and walked a few paces to the three-way mirror.
Doc’s eyes narrowed on me. “Not too bad. What do you think?”
I shrugged. “Okay.”
“I was talking to Talia.”