His nails began to stretch into claws.
What the fuck?
Colin balled his hands into fists and jerked away from McNeal and Emily. He hoped they hadn’t seen the change. Hoped they hadn’t noticed the razor-sharp claws that sprung from his fingertips.
Jesus. That had never happened before. He’d never had the change come on him so damn fast when there wasn’t a physical threat nearby.
What in the hell is happening to me?
"Colin?" Emily’s voice. The soft drawl was laced with concern.
Great.
"She doesn’t go." He didn’t look back at her. At the captain. His normal control wasn’t back yet, and he was having to fight the lure of the beast.
McNeal grunted. "Don’t be an asshole, Detective. You need her and you know it."
The faint creak of the floorboards grated against his ears. Emily is inching closer to me.
Get your control back, man. Get it back now.
He spun around, came face-to-face with her.
Her green eyes widened and her lips parted on a startled breath of surprise.
With the beast so close, all of his senses were heightened. Her scent filled his nostrils, and the light whisper of her breathing filled his ears. He could even hear the faint drum of her heart. Beating fast, so fast.
"Are you all right?" Her brows drew together as she stared up at him.
And he wondered just what she was feeling. Was the doc using her mojo? Was she tapping into his emotions? Before she’d told him that he projected, and he bet the beast was projecting a hell of a lot of raw emotion straight at her then.
"I’m fine," he gritted, and it was the truth. The beast had just tried to slip its leash for a moment, but the animal was chained again.
Emily had lifted her right hand toward him. It hung in the air, hovering just above his chest. As he watched, her fingers slowly lowered and she pulled back her hand, stepping away from him.
"A civilian can’t work the street." And his captain should damn well know that. "She’s not armed. She won’t be able to defend herself."
"But she’ll know exactly who you need to talk with, won’t she, Detective?" The captain looked about as satisfied as a man could get. The jerk.
Yeah, she’d know who he needed to interview. She’d make his questioning go a hell of a lot faster.
But the idea of taking her with him…
It didn’t sit well with him. Not one damn bit.
"You need me, Gyth," Emily told him softly. And yeah, she was right. He needed her for the case.
Needed her in his bed.
Right then, he wasn’t pleased with either fact.
His eyes narrowed on her. "If we do this, you do what I say, exactly as I order." Keeping the doc under his control wasn’t gonna be easy. Hell, this was the same woman who’d gone traipsing after him as he searched that old vacant lot near her house.
I thought you might need my help.
Dammit, taking her out on the streets with him would be hell.
"Do you think you can do it, Doc?" he asked, taking a step toward her. Their bodies were close, so close he could feel the warmth of her skin against him. "Do you think you’ll be able to take orders from me?" To actually follow those orders?
Her jaw clenched and her green eyes blazed with fire. "Yes," she gritted. "I think I can."
Well, he might not like it, but it looked like he and the doc would be working the street together.
And since Jake Donnelley had asked for a meeting at the Paradise Found in-Colin glanced down at his watch-less than an hour and a half, it looked like their partnership was about to get started.
Shit, but he wasn’t pleased with this situation. Not one damn bit.
His captain was glaring at him, giving him the old you’d-damn-well-better-not-screw-this-up stare.
Emily was gazing up at him, eyes slightly narrowed. Anger burned in her green eyes.
That couldn’t bode well for the night.
He leaned in toward Emily, pitched his voice low as he whispered in her ear. "If we’re doin’ this, then you remember that I’m the one in charge. You listen to me, Doc. And you do exactly as I say."
She exhaled heavily. "I’m not an idiot, you know," she snapped, making no effort to lower her voice. "I know you’re the one with the police experience."
Oh, that had been easy. Too easy, really.
Her index finger jabbed into his chest. "But don’t forget I’m the one with the Other experience." Then, finally, finally, the woman decided to lower her voice as she whispered, "You might think you’re the baddest thing out there, Gyth, but I’ve got news for you…I’ve seen things a hell of a lot scarier than a cop shifter."
His gaze shot to McNeal’s. But the captain was just staring blandly back at him. His lips were curved with faint amusement.
He bit back the words that sprang to his lips. If Emily ever saw the beast he carried, he’d bet his life it’d scare her. Hell, when his ex-partner had seen his other form, Mike had run like hell. Then Mike had come back and tried to kill him.
Good thing he was hard to kill.
"So are we going to do this?" Emily stepped back. Reached for the files on the table. "Or are you too worried that my presence will screw up your case?"
Oh, he was worried. But they’d do it anyway. He’d play her game, play the captain’s game, for now.
And he’d make damn sure he kept the doc safe. He’d stick by her side every moment.
He just hoped she meant what she’d said about following his orders. Because listening to him, doing exactly as he ordered, well, that could be the difference between life and death.
"Umm, glad that’s settled then." McNeal stretched slowly. "I’m going to get out of here." He shot a quick, hard glance at Colin as he opened the door. "Let me know how the meeting goes."
His head inclined in a barely perceptible nod. He’d briefed the captain earlier about Donnelley’s note. In hindsight, he now saw that hadn’t been the best plan. It’d obviously made McNeal think the doc would have a connection with the suspects on the case.
The fact that Emily did have a connection with them only pissed him off more.
He hated being forced into a corner.
Colin waited until Emily bid the captain good night, waited until the glass door swung shut behind McNeal, then he reached for her hand.
His fingers locked around her wrist, and her pulse pounded fast and hard beneath his touch.
"You sure you’re ready for this?" Once he took her onto the street, there would be no going back. Acting as a profiler was one thing. She could sit back in an air-conditioned office and scribble her notes, but going with him to talk to the Other…well, it could make her a target. A very big target.
Behind her glasses, her green eyes stared straight back at him. There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation in her expression. "I’m sure."
"All right, then, Doc. Let’s go find out what our cameraman has to say." Yep, it was time to go and meet Jake Donnelley. Time to go to Paradise Found.
According to Emily the place was the town’s number one demon hangout.
As dates went, it wasn’t his best.
Then again, it wasn’t his worst either.
Chapter 5
Getting past the seven-foot-tall demon guarding the door of Paradise Found had been incredibly easy.
She’d handed the guy a twenty, and he’d let them slip right past without even a raised brow.
The guy had known they weren’t demons. They didn’t carry the "demon scent" that marked the beings of that race. No, Emily knew she just smelled human. She wasn’t exactly sure how Colin had registered to the bouncer’s sensitive nose.
"That was easy," Colin muttered, his eyes sweeping across the darkened interior of Paradise Found. "I would’ve thought it would be harder to get into one of the pits of hell."
Yes, and if the bouncer hadn’t been one of her ex-patients, Emily was certain it would have been much, much more difficult.