Read Online Companions by Susan Sizemore - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Susan Sizemore
Ads: Link
a daily basis with mortals every bit as nasty and sensitive to vulnerability as any bloodsucker. Her own lord and master was the only one she'd encountered since that first run-in with a nest that she let faze her. In fact — and she hated to admit it — not all vampires were bad people. Most obeyed their laws and kept out of mortals'
way. Some of the things they did, when properly regulated, even helped to bring a certain rough, peremptory justice to a dark and ugly world. She just didn't want to be one.
And no way was she letting them step over the line in her town.
"What do you want with me?" Ariel asked. "Officer."
"That's Detective Sergeant."
"Detective Sergeant."
He looked straight ahead out the front of the windshield, not deigning to glance her way. He did give her her due with a slight nod. "Detective."
"Hunter," she reciprocated. "I want you to identify a corpse," she told him.
He swiveled his head slowly to look at her. He lifted a pale eyebrow and drawled, "Is this an official investigation, Detective?"
"That'll be up to you."
That got his attention. "Who owns you, companion? Who dares to let you interfere with my — "
"Indignation doesn't become you. Stick to business, and I'll get out of your way,"
Jerk, she thought. Ought to be thanking me instead of bringing up the little matter of —
She cut off the thought before Ariel could goad her into an emotional slip that would let him into her mind. Screw the strigoi and their dominance games.
Selena pulled into the alley she'd been looking for. It was a quiet, private place, at least since she'd rousted some gangbanger drug dealers out of it earlier in the evening. They wouldn't be back for a while, and the regular beat patrol car wouldn't be likely to come this way for another half hour at least.
She killed the engine and lights, popped the trunk, and took a flashlight with her when she got out of the car. Ariel followed her. He stood quietly back, hidden in the shadows, while she unzipped the body bag inside the trunk.
Page 35
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
He moved to stand by her shoulder when she shone the light on the corpse. Neither spoke for a few seconds. Finally, he said, "Where did you get that?"
"Stole it from the morgue."
"I… see."
Selena wasn't sure what he saw but didn't ask.
He made a slight gesture toward the head and torso. "How many people know about… him?"
"Quite a few. I can take care of some of the paper trail associated with your boy, here, but I can't put the whammy on that many people."
"That is my job," he conceded with one of his slight nods.
"Fine," she said. "Good." Selena played the light over the dead face. "Who is he?"
Ariel looked at her with his cool, pale eyes. "I have no idea."
Chapter 7
"He's not a local boy?"
"He is not from any nest in the city."
Not a local boy. Shit. Selena knew she shouldn't have gotten involved. It was none of her business —
except that it was a homicide, and that was her department. And now it looked like it was more complicated than she'd thought. The plan had been to take the body to the Enforcer of the City and leave the trouble for him to deal with. A simple plan. She'd figured it for a simple crime of passion. Signs indicated that somebody who knew and hated the victim took out their rage in a nasty, thorough way.
Vampires claimed they couldn't kill each other, but Selena knew anyone could kill anyone if sufficient motive, means, and opportunity were present. She hoped this was a vampire-killing-vampire case. She wasn't going to let herself think about the other possibility while Ariel was around. The other way was too complicated.
Complicated crimes among the strigoi tended to call for a specialist. The specialist: Istvan. Meanest Mother in the Valley. Her Steve.
Shit.
"Local strig?" she asked hopefully. "Territorial war between some new boys in town?" The strigs were technically loners, living outside the
way. Some of the things they did, when properly regulated, even helped to bring a certain rough, peremptory justice to a dark and ugly world. She just didn't want to be one.
And no way was she letting them step over the line in her town.
"What do you want with me?" Ariel asked. "Officer."
"That's Detective Sergeant."
"Detective Sergeant."
He looked straight ahead out the front of the windshield, not deigning to glance her way. He did give her her due with a slight nod. "Detective."
"Hunter," she reciprocated. "I want you to identify a corpse," she told him.
He swiveled his head slowly to look at her. He lifted a pale eyebrow and drawled, "Is this an official investigation, Detective?"
"That'll be up to you."
That got his attention. "Who owns you, companion? Who dares to let you interfere with my — "
"Indignation doesn't become you. Stick to business, and I'll get out of your way,"
Jerk, she thought. Ought to be thanking me instead of bringing up the little matter of —
She cut off the thought before Ariel could goad her into an emotional slip that would let him into her mind. Screw the strigoi and their dominance games.
Selena pulled into the alley she'd been looking for. It was a quiet, private place, at least since she'd rousted some gangbanger drug dealers out of it earlier in the evening. They wouldn't be back for a while, and the regular beat patrol car wouldn't be likely to come this way for another half hour at least.
She killed the engine and lights, popped the trunk, and took a flashlight with her when she got out of the car. Ariel followed her. He stood quietly back, hidden in the shadows, while she unzipped the body bag inside the trunk.
Page 35
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
He moved to stand by her shoulder when she shone the light on the corpse. Neither spoke for a few seconds. Finally, he said, "Where did you get that?"
"Stole it from the morgue."
"I… see."
Selena wasn't sure what he saw but didn't ask.
He made a slight gesture toward the head and torso. "How many people know about… him?"
"Quite a few. I can take care of some of the paper trail associated with your boy, here, but I can't put the whammy on that many people."
"That is my job," he conceded with one of his slight nods.
"Fine," she said. "Good." Selena played the light over the dead face. "Who is he?"
Ariel looked at her with his cool, pale eyes. "I have no idea."
Chapter 7
"He's not a local boy?"
"He is not from any nest in the city."
Not a local boy. Shit. Selena knew she shouldn't have gotten involved. It was none of her business —
except that it was a homicide, and that was her department. And now it looked like it was more complicated than she'd thought. The plan had been to take the body to the Enforcer of the City and leave the trouble for him to deal with. A simple plan. She'd figured it for a simple crime of passion. Signs indicated that somebody who knew and hated the victim took out their rage in a nasty, thorough way.
Vampires claimed they couldn't kill each other, but Selena knew anyone could kill anyone if sufficient motive, means, and opportunity were present. She hoped this was a vampire-killing-vampire case. She wasn't going to let herself think about the other possibility while Ariel was around. The other way was too complicated.
Complicated crimes among the strigoi tended to call for a specialist. The specialist: Istvan. Meanest Mother in the Valley. Her Steve.
Shit.
"Local strig?" she asked hopefully. "Territorial war between some new boys in town?" The strigs were technically loners, living outside the
Similar Books
