Page 66 of Hoofin’ It

“I’m probably the only one who’s been on this patrol without spending some time serving as a vampire’s snack.”

“Why? Aren’t virgins special treats to succubi? How did you prevent it from happening?”

I shifted on the seat so I could reach the Ruger in my pocket, waited until I hit a stop sign, and pulled the gun fast enough Marian sucked in a breath. “After I kneecapped a few vampires, they stopped thinking of me as dinner.”

“That’s not on your record.”

“The vampires were rather embarrassed and politely begged me not to tattle on them.” I smirked. “That was with my first partner. Let’s just say he washed out.”

“You don’t seem too upset about that.”

“He requested patrols for this area.” I returned the Ruger to its holster and resumed my slow drive through Lower Chicago, taking the first larger street headed downtown. “After a few months of shit shifts thanks to him, I asked for a favor.”

“A favor?”

“Yeah, from one of the local vampires. Nice guy, if you don’t mind someone looking at your neck like you’re a tasty treat. You’d be surprised how considerate the nocturnals can be if you make it clear you’re not interested. Casey never did find out why the locals stopped grabbing him for a fun time during his patrols. I really got tired of hunting his ass down in Upper Chicago and taking him to the ER. Ultimately, I was the reason he got fired, since I may have asked that vamp friend of mine to take notes on Casey’s activities.”

“Public endangerment?”

“Bingo. Since I was flagged as contaminated with lycanthropy, no one really cared if he got me into trouble, but when our patrols are interrupted because he’s deliberately trying to get with a succubus, it causes problems.”

“And you didn’t get into any shit over it?”

“No. I had a few close calls. When the vamps decided to sink Casey, I got a concussion during his grab. If Casey had been reassigned, all that would’ve happened was the other cop would’ve been sucked into the same cycle.”

“Not so squeaky clean as I thought, then.”

“Nothing I did was illegal.”

“You realize I’m going to verify that, right?”

I chuckled. “Would you like me to provide an exact timeline of my dastardly deeds so you can verify my pristine record?”

“That guy at the range was right. You are a smug bastard, aren’t you?”

“That’s the name of the game here, Marian. Some cops can get away with bending the rules. Me? They were looking for an excuse to get rid of me all along. I was just too stubborn to quit.”

“So you made the most of it.”

Making a thoughtful noise in my throat, I considered my situation. “Do we have time for a detour?”

“A detour? What sort of detour?”

“There’s someone I want you to meet.”

“I’m game. I told them it might take me a while to find you. I’d like to be there by five.”

“We’ll be done by five,” I promised. Once she figured out what I had in store for her, she’d probably kill me, but there was no better way of learning someone’s mettle and intentions than exposing them to the worst Chicago had to offer and watching the fireworks.

Chapter Nineteen

Most people were fooled into believing I was as good a person as my record implied, but in reality, I had a mean streak, and I had no problem dipping my toes into the cesspool of Chicago if it meant I could get the advantage. Taking Marian to a prime hunting spot for nocturnals put me firmly in the bad cop category.

Taking her in the middle of the afternoon, when the nocturnals’ hunger peaked, went beyond bad to ruthless. My favorite parking spot, tucked between a brothel and a courthouse, would keep the FBI’s vehicle safe. I got out, sat on the hood, and waited.

Marian stood on the sidewalk with her hands planted on her hips. “What are we doing here?”

Instead of answering her, I smiled, watching the third-story window of the brothel. After a few minutes, the curtains shifted, and a dusky hand pressed to the glass. Without seeing the rest of the feminine arm, I couldn’t tell which succubus was in the shop, but with a single gesture, she beckoned me to pay a visit.