Page 76 of Hoofin’ It

Right. Most people in law enforcement hated crooks—or worse, they were a crook pretending they weren’t. “Who else is going to let me shoot them as many times as I want?”

“What truly disturbs me is that I can’t blame you for that reasoning.”

I grinned, got out of her SUV, and tossed her the keys. “As far as vamps go, they’re not that bad.”

“Are you ever going to let him get a taste?”

“I told him I’d think about it. If I thought about it until the day I died, he’d be happy knowing it’s hanging over my head.”

“So he’s playing you.”

“Of course he’s playing me. He’s a vampire. That’s what they do. I’d be worried if he wasn’t trying to play me.”

Marian frowned, locked the car, and headed across the parking lot. I made sure both my guns were unloaded and the chambers were clear so I could turn the weapons over to security. Her clamming up didn’t surprise me; if the FBI found out she’d just spent several hours keeping a wanted criminal company, they’d start taking a closer look at her professional and personal life.

I wondered if they’d find anything.

Some cops kept their noses clean, some turned out like Casey, putting their desires ahead of the job. Some, like me, took advantage of the loopholes hidden in the system to stay on the right side of the law. My relationships with Ed and Ernesto probably put me on the wrong side of the line for the good cops, those who couldn’t tolerate even the whiff of injustice or crime.

Justice came in many forms, and some officers took the hard line, believing justice belonged to those who followed the letter of the law rather than its spirit. Loopholes, such as the one indemnifying people under the influence a demon, allowed Ernesto to continue his operations.

A talented incubus or succubus could influence a vampire, thus clearing the vampire of wrongdoing. The demons took minimal risks, as most wouldn’t dream of pressing charges. Few on the receiving end of the night of their lives did. The vampire got a legal drink, the victim got government-funded health care insurance companies couldn’t touch, and the demons got the energy they needed to survive.

Marian put herself in danger to catch the worst criminals, those abhorrent even to the operators of the tolerated underground crime networks. Within the CPD, women like her washed out like Casey, addicted to what only a demon could provide, sacrificing far more than their bodies in the pursuit of justice.

The thought sickened me.

When Marian reached the elevator and pressed the up button, she asked, “Penny for your thoughts?”

Courage came in different forms, and I braced for the answer I feared. “How long have you been in the business?”

“Investigating trafficking operations?”

I nodded.

“A lot longer than I care to think about. This was my first really bad run, though. They’ve gotten a lot sneakier. Why?”

“Call it curiosity.”

“You don’t approve.”

The annoyance in her voice startled a laugh out of me. “It has nothing to do with approval.”

The elevator dinged. I stepped through the opening doors, holding my hand out so they wouldn’t close. She hesitated, watching me before joining me inside and pressing the button for the lobby. “Then what does it have to do with?”

I shrugged. “My first two partners got addicted and washed out, putting the public at risk because they wanted sex when they should’ve been doing their job. You tell me.”

“You’ve been burned.”

“You could say that. Maybe I don’t want to see that happen to you.”

“Unlike many police forces, the FBI requires all agents working in the field who have had exposure to a sex demon go through therapy. It’s a two week session designed to prevent addiction. Your partners weren’t treated?”

“No.”

“That explains a lot. Good way to get rid of unwanted cops on the force. What I don’t understand is why those brothel operators hadn’t gotten rid of you in the same way.”

“I amuse them.”