I turned to her. Something was different about her—or affecting me different—compared to most good-looking women I met. I felt a strong pull of attraction toward her that wasn’t just physical. God dammit, this was an inconvenient time for whatever was going on. With her being a suspect.
I felt my jaguar growling and grumbling inside, telling me he didn’t care. He wanted closer to hernow. He rarely took notice of most women, occasionally perking up if we crossed paths with an attractive big cat shifter. But he wanted to learn every little thing about this human one and try to please her, though how he wanted to please her I had no idea. I told him to shut up, we had work to do.
She smiled kindly at me and that had my animal howling at me, ignoring my command.
I hated pushing him around, but I gave him a mental shove as I took in her rosy skin, reddish brown hair and hazel eyes. And the vamp marks, visible all over her body, where her cotton shorts and tank didn’t cover her. The one on her neck was a real messy one and my suspicions about her grew.
The girl seemed to get self-conscious at my perusal and threw on a hoodie she’d been holding, zipping it all the way up. Then she glanced at Hunter with a look of confusion. “I’m sure there’s some coffee.” She turned back to me. “I can get it, Officer. Do you take milk? Sugar?”
“Black. No sugar, thank you.” She hurried off to the kitchen and began working the barista machine as it hummed and hissed, releasing rich, bitter vapors into the apartment.
“Nowthatis hospitality,” I said to Hunter, as he scowled even harder, saying nothing.
Hunter sighed and frowned as the girl poured the cup and brought it back over to me. She kept her distance from me, extending her arm almost fully and making me do the same so there were still a few feet between us. I was sure my scrutiny of her vamp marks hadn’t won me any favors with her. Still, she’d made the coffee. More than my blockhead brother or rich boy Bryce had done.
I felt the cup’s heat pulsing against my palms as I cradled it and took a sip. “Hmm, Colombian. This is the good stuff. Nothing like a hot cup of coffee in the morning.” Especially served by such a bewitching young woman, suspect or not. “Thank you, miss. And your name is?”
“Serenity, Officer.” Yep, she was definitely the one Rico had talked about and the one the shelter superintendent and her half-vamp son had mentioned being there too.
“Detective Dagger Pierce.” I flashed my badge briefly, more to irritate Hunter than anything else.
My jaguar had obeyed me and kept quiet, but his claws remained out, their razor tips scratching against my insides as he pined for the human. I tried to stay focused. I had a lot of questions to ask before I could strike her name from the guilty list.
Bryce hadn’t offered a word up since I’d entered. His suit looked crumpled, like he’d slept in it. “Bryce, long time no see. You finally dragged yourself away from your desk then? What you doing over here so early? Your threads don’t look as sharply pressed as usual. Or do you just make an extra effort on TV?”
“What time I visit friends or what I wear are nothing that should concern the police, Dagger.” His tone wasn’t quite as stony as Hunter’s, but he’d hardly powdered it with sugar. At least he bothered to use my name.
I sneered. “Fine. Whatever.” I pretended not to care that the two men I ‘d once loved so much couldn’t seem to stand me now. I nodded at the nearest sofa. “Mind if I take a seat?”
Hunter stared in cold silence, but the girl, Serenity, after glancing at Hunter with a frown, gestured for me to sit. “Please do, Detective. Is this about Rico? Oh God, please tell me he’s okay. Is he okay?”
Her worries over the kid were touching and seemed genuine. But I still didn’t trust her. If I had a dollar for every feigned look and false word of concern I’d been given during all my investigations, I’d be living in a Bryce Harding-style penthouse.
The coffee’s earthy fragrance didn’t stop me noticing Serenity’s scent was strongly mingled with Hunter’s. She had a light, sweet essence that had my jaguar whining for me to take another whiff. But God dammit, it was so intertwined with Hunter’s, I couldn’t even get a clear draw of it into my nose.
Were they fucking each other?
No, I assured myself as I sat down. It didn’t smell like sex in here. They hadn’t done that… yet. I tried to reassure my jaguar, who was howling with jealousy at the thought of her with someone else.
But even though their scents were all over each other, I couldn’t sense any arousal or other evidence they’d been doing anything sexual recently.
Bryce’s citrus and gingery cologne was wisping off her too, though only faintly. That flared jealousy in my jaguar too—and me as well—though I told myself I was losing focus and Bryce couldn’t have a normal relationship with a woman anyway. But she could have been doing that gloved service I’d seen Bryce pay for in the past… I already suspected she worked as a stripper at Hunter’s club, from the place of employment the shelter had listed for her. And that photo Rico had talked about. Was she turning tricks!? My jealousy was rapidly spiraling out of control.
Again though, that wasn’t why I was here.
I took a sip of reviving, pungent coffee and pushed the draw of Serenity deep into the pit of my stomach. It was time to get down to business.
Leaning back into the creaking leather, I replied, “Kid’s awake and able to talk.”
“Oh thank God!” Serenity blurted, sitting down on the opposite sofa, beside Hunter, her shoulders easing as she asked, “Will he recover fully? Do they know what happened? Was it some sort of seizure?”
“The doctors are fairly certain he’ll recover fully. Very lucky kid, all things considered.” I placed the coffee on the circular glass table in front of me. “As for those other questions, why don’t you tell me?”
She made a face, confused. “Me tell you? I don’t understand?”
I listened to her voice but kept my focus on her eyes. The lips could lie but the eyes never did. “Thing is, the kid’s been talking. He’s said a few interesting things about you.”
“Me? What kind of—”
