Part 29 (1/2)
Shelby sighed. ”I'm with Internal Affairs.”
You know that expression ”Knock me over with a feather”? Well, screw the feather because I had just been hit by a Mack truck. ”You're IAB?” I whispered. ”What the Hex are you doing here?”
”Morgan requested an undercover officer to partner with you,” said Shelby. ”To a.s.sess the viability of kicking you off the force.”
That witch. After she had just paid me a backhanded compliment too. I was about to unload my uncensored feelings about Morgan and Shelby when I realized something: I still had a job. Rick wasn't escorting me out the front door with a cardboard box full of my things.
”You gave me a good report,” I said to Shelby, gobsmacked all over again.
Shelby smiled. ”It's not everyone who will go toe to toe with my uncle for me.”
”Hex it,” I muttered. ”Shelby, I've said so many terrible things about you ...”
”Never mind that now,” she said, picking up her bag. ”I really just came by to tell you I'm taking a leave of absence from the department. And that it'll probably be permanent.”
”Why?” I demanded, standing up as she did. ”You're a great cop! You can't leave just because you feel guilty about spying on me or some ridiculous thing like that.”
She laughed once. ”Don't take it too personally, okay, Luna? I still have obligations to my family. They need me. The Nocturne City PD doesn't. It's as simple as that.”
I did hug her then, and she embraced me, prim and short, just like the rest of her. ”Don't be a total stranger, okay?” I said. ”Will do,” said Shelby. ”See you around, Luna.”
”See you,” I said. I watched her leave the squad room, then sat down at my desk and got back to work.
After my s.h.i.+ft was over, I drove home and found a single light s.h.i.+ning from the kitchen window of the cottage, just like it used to when Sunny lived there.
Dmitri greeted me with a grin instead of a mug of tea, but he was just as welcome. ”I've been waiting for you, Ms. Working Woman. Did you bring your handcuffs?”
After a month, having Dmitri around most of the time was still extremely weird. I hadn't seen him during the last phase, and now the moon was waxing again, within three or four nights of full.
”Is that all you think about?” I asked as I put my new gun and s.h.i.+eld in the entry table drawer and locked it.
”Pretty much,” said Dmitri, pulling me close. ”I just want to get some quality time in before I take off for the phase, if you know what I mean.”
”Dmitri.” I pushed him away and held him at arm's length. ”Stay.”
”No.” He shook his head instantly. ”I'm too unpredictable, Luna. With the daemon bite, I just don't know what could happen. I black out totally now when the moonphase comes. I could hurt you.”
I took his wrists and looked into his eyes. He wasn't going to wriggle out of this. ”You've never hurt me before.”
”I wasn't a monster before,” he whispered. Hot sadness flooded through me. This This was what he thought of himself, of us? I took his face between my hands. was what he thought of himself, of us? I took his face between my hands.
”Dmitri, you are not not a monster.” a monster.”
”So you say,” he muttered.
”I do,” I agreed. ”Deep down, you know it too. And I say you're going to stay. I'm not afraid of the daemon bite. I'm not afraid of you.”
”Maybe you should be,” Dmitri murmured.
”Maybe.” I shrugged. ”But I still want you to stay.”
His jaw worked like he wanted to object, but finally he wrapped his arms around me, pressing me against his chest so I could hear his heart beating. ”You're the most d.a.m.n stubborn woman I've ever known, do you realize that?”
”I do,” I said, ”and I know you wouldn't want me any other way.”
Dmitri took me by the wrist and opened the front door. ”Come here.” He led me out onto the drive and we both basked under the moon, letting it fill us and tantalize us with the promise of the phase. ”This is you and me,” Dmitri whispered. ”No matter what. You and me, Luna. I promise.”
It was sweet of him to try and rea.s.sure me, really, but as I leaned against Dmitri's solid body, saying a silent prayer to the bright lady for Vincent Blackburn and all the nameless, faceless victims that Seamus had claimed, I knew the only certainty we had was that we didn't know anything the future might hold. No one could promise me a happy ending, not even Dmitri.
But I'd face the unknown as I always had, and with Dmitri's help, I'd be able to do it with my eyes open.
”Luna?” Dmitri said. ”You okay?”
”Fine,” I murmured, looking out over the ocean. ”Let's go inside.”
”Something on your mind?” Dmitri asked mischievously.
I kissed him, and let him lead me back to the cottage. ”No. I just want to enjoy the time we have.”
Read on for a preview of SECOND SKIN
Coming from St. Martin's Paperbacks in March 2009
When werewolves from Nocturne City's oldest packs are found shot point-blank through the head, homicide detective Luna Wilder isn't sure what's killing them or why ... and now the killer is determined to make Luna their next victim. To make matters worse, her boyfriend Dmitri's daemon bite is getting worse, weakening him and putting a major strain on their relations.h.i.+p.
Luna discovers the murders are linked to the Wendigo, shape-s.h.i.+fting cousins of werewolves who drink the blood of their victims for strength. Luna doesn't know whether Wendigo leader Lucas Kennuka is friend or foe, but he's clearly determined to wrest her heart from Dmitri. And if Luna doesn't discover who's behind the killings, it could destroy her fragile relations.h.i.+p-and cost Luna her life....
My cell phone buzzed against my hip. The Caller ID blinked dmitri. ”Hold on,” I instructed Bryson, who was standing obstinately in front of my car with a hangdog look.
”This bed is awfully big without you in it.” Dmitri's voice sounded like dark red wine spilled on pale skin, Eastern Europe blended up with clove smoke.
”Hi, honey,” I said flatly. Bryson gave me the eye, like I'd just started speaking in Esperanto.
”Do you know what I wanna do to you right now? I'd start between your thighs ...”
”Sure, no problem. Gotta go.” I slapped the phone shut and jerked open my door. ”The answer is still no, Bryson.” I turned the Fairlane's engine over with a roar. ”Either get out of my way or be my speed b.u.mp.”
”It's weres!” Bryson yelled at me. ”Dead weres! Four of them so far!”