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No shifters.
But a shifterhadbeen here. He’d killed.
And she knew there was a shifter close by, one who didn’t mind a little blood and who sure had a hard-on for Bobby.
Jude.
Her steps were very precise as she turned and left the holding area. Once she was clear, her fingers knotted into fists, and she stormed down the hallway, racing back to face the hunter.
* * *
Jude stretched his legs out, letting the heels of his boots press into the old floor. He didn’t glance at his watch, but he figured Erin had been with the body about eight minutes or so now and?—
Click. Click. Click.
The sound of fast-approaching high heels.
He glanced up and saw Erin bearing down on him, her face tight with fury and her eyes blazing.
Hold up. Her eyes weren’t just blazing. Were they…glowing?
She stalked right up to him, put her hands on the hips he’d like to touch, and demanded, “What did you do?”
Whoa.Jude stood up, slowly, aware that he towered over her slender figure and using that to his advantage. “I think you’ve got the wrong idea here, sweetheart.”
“I amnotyour sweetheart.” She jabbed a finger into his chest. “You think I don’t know what got a hold of that bastard?” Her voice was fierce, but pitched low enough that only he would be able to hear her. “I recognize the work of claws when I see them, Donovan.”
“Notmyclaws.” The words came out more growl than anything else. He cleared his throat and tried again. It was hard to speak normally, with her so close, with that sweet scent filling his nose, and with his beast roaring. “I told you, if I wanted him dead, he wouldn’t have made it out of that swamp.”
“You knew what I’d find in that cell.” A pause, just for a beat of time. “How’d you know, hunter? Because you’d been the one to send Bobby to hell? Just had to put a smile on his face, didn’t you? A grin for him to greet the devil with?”
He grabbed her hand, tired of her fingernail digging into his chest. “I didn’t do it.I’ve got an alibi. I was at Night Watch and at least four other agents can attest to that fact.” Good thing, too. He rotated his shoulders. No more pain. Not even a twinge.
“How did you know?” Gritted from between her teeth. Teeth that were starting to look a bit sharper than before.
He almost smiled. Would have, if they weren’t talking about a dead body and if they hadn’t been surrounded by cops. “I’ve got a friend in the department. He called me.”Because he owed me and because the sly bastard knew he’d need my help. Just like she would.
Erin just didn’t want to admit it yet.
“What. Friend?”
“Aw, now, you can’t expect me to?—”
“What. Friend!”Her voice wasn’t soft anymore, and a couple of cops glanced their way. “Tell me, because I’m sure as hell thinking you’re?—”
“It was me, ma’am.” A slow-drawling southern voice said.
Erin’s head whipped to the left and her mouth dropped open as she stared at Antonio. “Bullshit.”
He smiled at her, flashing his perfectly capped, too-white teeth. The teeth looked even whiter next to his rich, bronzed skin—coloring Jude knew the guy had gotten courtesy of his very lovely Mexican mother. “Afraid so, Ms. Jerome. Afraid so.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not quite as clueless as you seem to think I am.” His voice was low but fierce. “And one look at that body told me the cops in that room weren’t suspects.” He jerked his thumb toward Jude. “But one of his kind sure as hell was.”
She froze. Then, it was as if a veil fell over her face. Erin’s expression cleared, until only a false mask remained. “His kind? What’s that supposed to mean?”
Jude blinked. The lady was good. If she hadn’t just been snarling at him about claw marks, he might have bought her confused act.
