Scott.” Not much to go on, but it was all they had.
“Four men attacked you?” This from the cop who’d taken Emily away.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” she snapped.
The patrolman dutifully radioed in the information Colin had given him. “Are either of you hurt?” he asked.
Emily shook her head.
Colin remembered the icy flash of pain he’d felt in his hand when one of the bastards had cut him. The wound had already stopped bleeding, and his ribs only ached in a brief echo of pain. “No.” He’d be completely healed long before any EMT could arrive to help him.
“Why’d they jump you?” The cop who’d radioed in their information cast a level stare Colin’s way.
Because I’m getting too close. Colin shrugged. He had to be careful now. He couldn’t very well reveal that the demons didn’t like him sniffing around their territory.
Ah, but his presence had sure made someone nervous.
And that was good. Very good.
Emily crossed to his side. She’d picked up her glasses, and she was rubbing the lenses against her shirt.
“Is he still here?” he asked her, pitching his voice low so that the patrolmen wouldn’t hear him. She’d said the watcher was a strong Other, and Colin wondered if the guy had stayed around to catch the rest of the show.
She shook her head. “No. He left right after the patrol got here.”
Colin grunted. Figures. “Well, Doc, looks like we’ve managed to catch someone’s attention.” He flexed his fingers, feeling the newly healed flesh stretch lightly.
“Yes, I guess we did.” She gazed at the dark end of the alley. “Are we going to heed their warning?”
She’d put a nice, subtle emphasis on the we. “What do you think?”
She pushed her glasses onto her nose. “I think I don’t like it when jerks in black ski masks jump me in an alley.”
He fought the curve of his lips. “Yeah, I don’t like that too much either.”
“I also think it’s good that someone’s nervous out there.” She lifted her chin, still gazing into the darkness. “It means we’re on the right track.”
His lips tightened. “It’s a dangerous track, Doc.” And he didn’t like her being in danger. When that bastard had put his hands around her throat—
“Despite what you think, Gyth, I’m not some delicate flower.” She finally looked at him. There was determination in her eyes—determination and, unless he was mistaken, excitement.
He realized the doc liked the thrill of danger. She enjoyed the hook of adrenaline that came from staring straight into fear.
Oh, but he could really like this woman.
“No, you aren’t delicate,” he agreed, remembering the way she’d attacked the guy who’d tried to jump him from behind. The bastard was probably still tasting his balls.
The doc was a hell of a lot stronger than he’d originally thought, but the fact remained that she was human. And the guys who attacked him, the demons, they could easily kill her.
As for the shifter, the “Night Butcher,” well, he’d be even worse. A human would never stand a chance against a guy like that.
Emily would never stand a chance.
“You’re not going to shut me out,” Emily said, and he wondered for an instant if she’d used her powers to read his mind. “Threats from two-bit demons aren’t going to make me run.”
Threats might not, but what if those demons got ahold of her? What if they caught her when he wasn’t around, when he couldn’t protect her?
But she burned out a demon once, he reminded himself. She burned out the guy who’d tried to attack her—
And nearly wound up in a coma.
No, the doc wasn’t cut out for fighting demons or shifters.
But she was in this thing now. The demons knew about her involvement.
“It’s only going to get rougher from now on,” he warned. The closer they got to the killer, the more dangerous the situation would become.
“I know.” Simple, clear words. No hint of fear.
He held out his hand to her,
“Four men attacked you?” This from the cop who’d taken Emily away.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” she snapped.
The patrolman dutifully radioed in the information Colin had given him. “Are either of you hurt?” he asked.
Emily shook her head.
Colin remembered the icy flash of pain he’d felt in his hand when one of the bastards had cut him. The wound had already stopped bleeding, and his ribs only ached in a brief echo of pain. “No.” He’d be completely healed long before any EMT could arrive to help him.
“Why’d they jump you?” The cop who’d radioed in their information cast a level stare Colin’s way.
Because I’m getting too close. Colin shrugged. He had to be careful now. He couldn’t very well reveal that the demons didn’t like him sniffing around their territory.
Ah, but his presence had sure made someone nervous.
And that was good. Very good.
Emily crossed to his side. She’d picked up her glasses, and she was rubbing the lenses against her shirt.
“Is he still here?” he asked her, pitching his voice low so that the patrolmen wouldn’t hear him. She’d said the watcher was a strong Other, and Colin wondered if the guy had stayed around to catch the rest of the show.
She shook her head. “No. He left right after the patrol got here.”
Colin grunted. Figures. “Well, Doc, looks like we’ve managed to catch someone’s attention.” He flexed his fingers, feeling the newly healed flesh stretch lightly.
“Yes, I guess we did.” She gazed at the dark end of the alley. “Are we going to heed their warning?”
She’d put a nice, subtle emphasis on the we. “What do you think?”
She pushed her glasses onto her nose. “I think I don’t like it when jerks in black ski masks jump me in an alley.”
He fought the curve of his lips. “Yeah, I don’t like that too much either.”
“I also think it’s good that someone’s nervous out there.” She lifted her chin, still gazing into the darkness. “It means we’re on the right track.”
His lips tightened. “It’s a dangerous track, Doc.” And he didn’t like her being in danger. When that bastard had put his hands around her throat—
“Despite what you think, Gyth, I’m not some delicate flower.” She finally looked at him. There was determination in her eyes—determination and, unless he was mistaken, excitement.
He realized the doc liked the thrill of danger. She enjoyed the hook of adrenaline that came from staring straight into fear.
Oh, but he could really like this woman.
“No, you aren’t delicate,” he agreed, remembering the way she’d attacked the guy who’d tried to jump him from behind. The bastard was probably still tasting his balls.
The doc was a hell of a lot stronger than he’d originally thought, but the fact remained that she was human. And the guys who attacked him, the demons, they could easily kill her.
As for the shifter, the “Night Butcher,” well, he’d be even worse. A human would never stand a chance against a guy like that.
Emily would never stand a chance.
“You’re not going to shut me out,” Emily said, and he wondered for an instant if she’d used her powers to read his mind. “Threats from two-bit demons aren’t going to make me run.”
Threats might not, but what if those demons got ahold of her? What if they caught her when he wasn’t around, when he couldn’t protect her?
But she burned out a demon once, he reminded himself. She burned out the guy who’d tried to attack her—
And nearly wound up in a coma.
No, the doc wasn’t cut out for fighting demons or shifters.
But she was in this thing now. The demons knew about her involvement.
“It’s only going to get rougher from now on,” he warned. The closer they got to the killer, the more dangerous the situation would become.
“I know.” Simple, clear words. No hint of fear.
He held out his hand to her,
Similar Books
