by Kelly Goode
Carter waited for Agent Myles to take the lead, but he remained silent with his arms folded across his chest.
‘What about Colleen’s dress?’ Carter asked.
‘Colleen Chambers’ dress was made from cotton. The style and design was mass-produced for a popular department store last year.’
‘I can’t see a demon shopping on the high street...’
‘Some of us have to,’ Harvey interrupted. ‘We don’t all get given our clothing for free.’
‘So are you saying that Colleen’s murder doesn’t fit with the others?’ Carter continued, deliberately ignoring Harvey’s dig at him. ‘Why wasn’t this picked up sooner? Alvis, I thought you had super-sight or something?’
‘I do,’ Alvis replied calmly. ‘The first two dresses matched on sight. When I conducted the primary analysis of the third victim, I was checking that the murder weapon and method were the same, not her clothing.’
‘It’s not John’s fault,’ Doctor Porter said, throwing a glare at Agent Myles. ‘I’m sure he would’ve spotted it if he wasn’t pulled from the case at such a crucial moment.’
A sense of camaraderie seemed to be building between the two doctors, which seemed to confirm Carter’s earlier suspicions about the two of them. Carter ran his hands across the top of his head, trying to rein in the thoughts that were jumbling around in his mind.
‘So it was impulsive with Colleen,’ he said. ‘Maybe he killed her without meaning to. That’s why he needed a wedding dress in a hurry, and decided any one would do.’
Alvis shook his head.
‘Demons aren’t impulsive. This killer is controlled, accurate and precise. You said it yourself, Colleen doesn’t fit.’
‘What if it’s not the same demon?’ Ember asked, her voice almost a whisper. ‘What if Colleen’s killer was a copy-cat?’
‘A female copy-cat, judging by the DNA under her fingernails.’
‘Agent Carter, it’s time to take control of your team again,’ Myles said as he stepped forward. ‘Finish what you started and you’ll be reinstated to your original post and the internal review will be concluded with a satisfactory outcome.’
The words should have been music to Carter’s ears. He’d been waiting to reclaim the unit for days, but he found the desperate need to control things wasn’t there as it used to be.
‘I’m not sure I want to be chief of this unit anymore.’
56
Hearing Carter say that he wasn’t sure he wanted to be chief of the unit anymore brought a flush to my cheeks. He’d certainly been the chief of me last night. I had bruises on my hips and finger marks around my wrists to prove it.
Carter caught my gaze, and the intensity in his light blue eyes made my stomach tighten.
Shit – was he was doing this for me?
Or because he felt guilty about last night?
Carter raised his eyebrows, causing the uniform scars that cut through them to stretch. Scars I’d kissed before slipping out of his bed only hours earlier. I wouldn’t let him throw away his career because of me - I wasn’t worth it. Carter deserved to run the unit, but Agent Myles pulled him to one side before I could say anything.
‘Carter, a word.’
The two men exited the laboratory, leaving the rest of us to deal with the awkward silence Carter’s revelation created.
Harvey moved closer to me and knocked me with his elbow when he yawned.
‘Sorry,’ he mumbled.
I wasn’t in the mood to squabble with him, so didn’t react. The rest of the team dispersed into small groups. I could see Myles shaking his head and gesturing wildly, and I wished I could hear what Carter was saying in reply. I looked across at Alvis, who was avidly watching the conversation through the window and hearing every word thanks to his vampire-enhanced hearing.
‘You’re quiet this morning,’ Harvey continued, oblivious to my attempt at avoiding a conversation with him. ‘Tired?’
‘A little.’
‘Carter looked tired this morning too.’
‘Did he?’ I said, feigning indifference. ‘I didn’t notice.’
‘Oh, I think you noticed,’ Harvey replied. ‘I said the first time we met that you needed to work on your poker face.’
‘Screw you,’ I said.
‘Whilst I might’ve taken you up on that offer, I suspect your bed is warm enough. Nothing like being predictable, Red.’
The inference in the demon’s dark eyes sent a flare of anger through my body and my hands heated up in response. I clenched them into fists, trying to curb the overwhelming urge to burn another matching handprint onto Harvey’s chest.
‘Did the “wounded soldier” tactic finally work on you, or was it just a pity fuck?’
‘Shut up, Harvey’
‘No, I won’t shut up. Carter should have been there last night. If he’d been doing his job, and not you, the demon might not have escaped.’
I opened my mouth to respond, but couldn’t think of a suitable comeback.
‘I thought you understood the way things worked around here,’ Harvey continued. ‘Or do you really think he’s going to give all this up for you? Do you think you’re special? That you’re going to be the one to change him. To complete him.’
Harvey put a hand on his heart and pulled a face of disgust.
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ I hissed.
‘I know men like Carter. He couldn’t live without this unit, so ask yourself this - why now? He had weeks to make his move on you and didn’t. Instead he waited until I showed up again.’
‘For fuck’s sake, not everything is about you, Harvey.’
‘You’re right; it’s about getting the hell out of this place again. We should’ve closed the case last night-’
‘But you didn’t. Somehow the demon escaped,’ I cut in, my anger causing me to shake. I knew I was making a scene, but couldn’t hold my tongue. ‘Someone is to blame, but it’s not Carter. There were three other people on that assignment with you. Unless you’re telling me you needed him to hold your hand?’
‘I don’t need Carter to do fuck all for me. He’s a moron.’
‘Sounds to me like you’re jealous.’
I noticed a blush creep onto his cheeks, as he clenched his jaw.
‘Don’t be stupid, why would I be jealous of him?’
‘Let me see - he’s dependable, loyal, and trustworthy,’ I replied, ticking the points off on my fingers.
‘If you want those qualities, buy a puppy,’ Harvey growled, advancing towards me and gripping my arm. ‘Carter is so straight, he’s boring. You told me yourself that you’re tainted and messed up. Do you really think he’s going to be able to satisfy those dark urges you get? The ones you try so hard to hide, even from yourself. You need something more than he’ll ever be able to give you, Red. Admit it.’
I stared into Harvey’s eyes, hating that some of what he said was true. His demon recognised the darkness in me, which was probably what had drawn us together in the first place, and yet he refused to give any semblance of a relationship a chance. It wasn’t Carter that I wanted to change, but a commitment-phobic demon.
‘I don’t need to admit anything to you. Carter is fit, he’s sexy, and he’s fucking good in bed,’ I replied. ‘Everything that you’re not.’
My words hit Harvey harder than I ever could have physically and he flinched. I waited for the moment when I’d feel better from dealing such a cutting comment, but it never came.
57
‘What’s going on?’ Carter asked, as he strode over to us, obviously confused by the rare show of emotion on Harvey’s face. ‘I could hear you two shouting at each other from outside.’
‘Everything is fine,’ I said, pulling away from Harvey. My face felt as if it was on fire as I realised JC, Ghent and Perry had heard every word of our argument.
Harvey pushed his hands through his short, dark hair as if trying to regain his composure. His irises were completely black and after
a few short breaths, a slow smirk spread over his face, which scared me much more than his anger did.
‘I was just saying to Ember, that you’re looking a little dishevelled today, boss.’
Carter automatically rubbed his hand across his short, blond hair, and then across his bristly chin. He was wearing black combat trousers and T-shirt, but he still looked every bit as authoritative as when he’d been in a tailored suit.
‘You need to find that demon again,’ Carter said to Harvey, thankfully ignoring the gibe about his appearance. ‘The time for fucking around is over.’
‘And yet it seems the time for fucking around has only just begun for you,’ Harvey replied with a sneer. ‘I’ll do my job. I’ll find the demon. I’ll kill it and then I’m out of here. You won’t have to see me ever again.’
That last bit was probably for my benefit, and I sighed as he strode away.
‘I’m sorry,’ Carter said, once Harvey was far enough away that he couldn’t hear us.
‘Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault he’s an arsehole.’
‘I wasn’t talking about Harvey.’
Carter reached out and lightly rubbed his thumb over my wrist. I winced as he skimmed over the bruises, and he dropped his hand back to his side.
‘I’m sorry I hurt you.’
‘You didn’t hurt me,’ I replied. ‘Not in the way you’re thinking. I just don’t want you to act all weird around me.’
Carter sighed. ‘I don’t know any other way to act around you now.’
‘You’re still you, and I’m still me. Nothing has changed.’
This did cause Carter to smile.
‘Everything has changed, Ember. It’s taking every ounce of strength I have not to kiss you right now.’
His declaration surprised me, and I bit my lip as I contemplated his words.
‘And you have to stop biting your damn lip,’ he said, his voice sounding strangled. ‘I can’t walk around all day with a hard-on.’
I laughed, and some of the tension between us dissolved.
‘Look, I admit our timing isn’t great,’ I said. ‘But I don’t regret last night. Do you?’
Carter’s blue eyes flashed with guilt.
‘No,’ he said. ‘But I shouldn’t have put my own personal needs before the good of the team.’
‘Jeez, Carter. You’re not a saint, and you’re not my handler anymore. It’s not your fault that the mission tanked. It was those four stooges over there.’
‘I’m pretty sure there were only three stooges in the films,’ he said, lightly gliding his fingers across my shoulder.
‘It’s nobody’s business what happens between us.’
Carter sighed. ‘I wish it was that simple, but I’m still under internal investigation. If Harvey says anything to Agent Myles, it could make things difficult.’
‘Harvey won’t say anything,’ I said, my gaze flicking to the other end of the room where Harvey and JC were deep in discussion. ‘The only thing he cares about is himself.’
Carter followed my gaze.
‘I don’t think that’s entirely true,’ he said. ‘Not anymore.’
There were a few seconds of silence while I watched Harvey. As if feeling my stare, he suddenly broke off his conversation. As our eyes met, I saw the barely contained fury simmering within the pools of black.
I turned back to Carter. ‘Are you really going to give up the opportunity to run the unit again?’
Carter rubbed his whiskered chin as he contemplated my question.
‘I think so, yes. Wait – no - maybe. Hell, I don’t know. What do you think?’
Carter looked so vulnerable standing there before me. I didn’t see this side of him very often and it made me want to kiss him so badly that my gaze drifted down to his lips.
‘I think you love working here and you should do whatever makes you happiest.’
Carter seemed to weigh up my response before nodding.
‘You’re right. I don’t have to make a decision yet. Let’s close this damn case first, which reminds me that Agent Myles said Mrs Chambers requested to meet with you this afternoon – alone.’
58
Harvey felt as if he was going to explode. Every time Carter touched Ember, his inner-demon came closer to the surface. He couldn’t control him or drive him back down.
‘So she’s fucking Carter now.’
It was a statement, not a question from JC, which made Harvey wanted to punch his friend in the mouth.
‘It was bound to happen sooner or later,’ JC continued. ‘Maybe you should ask Ghent to voodoo you a copy of her. That was some freaky shit. I really thought she was there, so did that demon.’
Harvey gritted his teeth. JC’s banter was bordering on crass. He was still riled that Ghent’s trick had fooled him so easily. He’d been more concerned with keeping Ember safe, than the mission and it had all been fake.
‘I bet the dirty bastard conjures her up whenever he’s lonely and wants to-
‘Don’t say it,’ Harvey cut in.
His friend gave an innocent shrug of his shoulders. ‘Come on, mate. It’s a good thing. You’ve not been yourself since we arrived at this damn unit. Ember is moving on so you can move on too. At least we don’t have to feel guilty anymore about giving her up to Darrick. Carter can take over protecting her, and we can get the fuck out of here.’
Harvey grabbed JC by the collar and slammed him up against the wall.
‘Shut your fucking mouth.’
‘What the hell are you doing?’
‘I’m fed up with your shit, JC.’
‘Calm down. Are you trying to get yourself shot?’
Harvey looked over at Carter. He’d moved to stand in front of Ember and his hand hovered over his gun. Harvey briefly contemplated giving the prick a reason to draw it, to end his fucking misery, but he slowly released his hold on JC instead.
Harvey’s gaze locked with Ember’s. He’d expected to see anger or fear within her clear green eyes, but instead he saw concern, which was worse.
‘Fuck this,’ he said. ‘I’m outta here.’
Harvey strode from the laboratory, towards the main exit. He was fucking losing it. Losing it over a woman. His demon was laughing at him, and he wanted to smash something.
‘Harvey, wait.’
The patter of light footsteps followed him down the corridor.
‘Slow down, please,’ Ember called, but he did the opposite, lengthening his strides. He didn’t want to see her. Or talk to her. Or think about her.
His decayed heart gave a twinge of movement, and he clutched his chest. Not this again. His life had been simple before he’d met Ember. Before he got on that damn prison bus.
‘Please, Harvey. I’m sorry about what I said earlier.’
He didn’t want her apology. He didn’t want anything to do with her. She was his biggest weakness. A chink in his emotional armour. She was like a disease eating through his sanity, and like any disease, he needed to cut her out.
Harvey heard Ember break into a run behind him, and so he teleported inside his smoke cloud. He reappeared outside the first place that had popped into his mind – Darrick’s nightclub – but it wasn’t open during the day so the street was empty and the shutters were down.
‘Stupid, stupid, stupid,’ he cursed kicking out at a loose stone on the pavement.
There was a sharp stab in his lower back and at first, he thought he’d pulled a muscle from moving too quickly, but then the pain intensified through to his abdomen.
‘Yes, you’re very stupid. Leaving yourself exposed like this. Anyone could creep up behind you and stab you in the back.’
Harvey recognised that voice. He tried to look over his shoulder but he was pushed to the floor. Blood seeped from Harvey’s stomach, staining his T-shirt. He pressed his hand against the wound, and then rolled over to face his assailant.
59
‘What am I doing here, Mrs Chambers?’
The woman sitting beside
me put down her cup of tea and smiled.
‘I would have thought that was obvious, you’re having a pedicure. My treat. You shouldn’t neglect your feet.’
I took a sip of the frothy latte and watched an Asian beautician apply a frosty white colour to the tips of my toenails. My attempts to stay still were proving difficult. The beautician barked several commands at me in her native language, which I didn’t understand, so continued to squirm.
‘She wants you to sit still,’ Mrs Chambers said, ‘or else you’ll have a crooked French polish.’
‘I didn’t realise I had sensitive feet,’ I replied, setting aside my coffee before I splashed it all over the floor. ‘What am I really doing here? Your husband made it clear that any future conversations should go through a lawyer.’
There was no trace of the woman, who had banished me from her home yesterday in a fit of rage, so where had all that emotion and grief disappeared too today?
‘Do you have any children, Ember?’ Mrs Chambers asked.
The question was unexpected and I frowned.
‘No, I don’t,’ I admitted.
‘Do you want any?’
‘Any what?’
‘Children. Do you want to start a family?’
‘I’ve never thought about it.’
Mrs Chambers smiled, which seemed odd under the circumstances. Her skin was still unnaturally pale, but there was something in her eyes - something that had not been there yesterday.
Anger? Hope? Guilt?
Rather than look at her unsettling smile, I concentrated on my feet. Agent Myles would be furious if the only thing I came back with was pretty toenails, but there was no escape. The beautician held a large file as she examined my feet. I tried to pull away, but she held tight, shouting at me to stay still. The file connected with my heel and I curled my toes.
After a few excruciating minutes of buffing, she released her grip and then smothered some cold, green, gunk over my feet. She barked a few final sentences in what could have been Mandarin, before she left the room.