Page 42 of Revenge of the Blood Pack

FIFTEEN

Max

My hands feel tootight on the steering wheel as we drive to the location a supernatural body has been found, and I hate that I can’t seem to shake the tension singing through my body. All night I tossed and turned. All night, despite how hard I fought it, I watched Asha and Braxton sleep. They seemed so damn content. But then, I think I’d be content too if I was curled around the beautiful woman.

A shudder rolls through my body and my wolf bristles inside of me. I know he’s pissed too. Not just pissed, maybe jealous. And, I’m not the kind of person who would ever be jealous, especially not of my own brother. With him, all I want is good things. To find reasons to smile. To find a place in this new world outside of uniforms and fighting.

But not with Asha. Never with her.

Fuck. This is so stupid. She’s not mine. Never has been.Logically I know that she barely tolerates me. That she’s made it clear that being an Enforcer makes me her enemy.

But Braxton is an Enforcer. I guess it doesn’t matter so much for him.A bitter taste fills my mouth. We’ve shared motel room after motel room. Drive after drive. And she’s made it very clear that she doesn’t want anyone in her space, so I’ve respected that. I’ve tried not to touch her. I’ve tried not to joke too much, flirt, or cross any lines.

And now I fucking regret it. Maybe. I think some small part of me thought if I respected what she said and her triggers, enough that eventually she’d come around. I never admitted that to myself, maybe even never realized what I was doing, but now I know, and I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut.

Even if it doesn’t matter. I’m a professional. I have a job to do, and if my team is going to include my brother sleeping with the woman I feel such an overwhelming connection with, I better accept it, or I’ll ruin everything. Ruin both of their chances to work together, and my own chance to not get stuck at a desk.

My wolf just needs to fucking accept that too. Not that he seems to be willing to.

“So.” Braxton clears his throat. “How do they know this body is a supernatural and that what happened is our responsibility to investigate? I mean, this is a big city, I bet there are a lot of murders.”

“They don’t call us in unless they’re sure,” I say, and I hate that my tone is curter than I planned on it being.

Glancing back, I see my brother’s pale blue eyes locked onto mine. I look away as fast as I can. Right now, he’s going to see my emotions like he’s reading a book. I just need a couple of minutes to calm down and put everything back behind my mask without him realizing just how upset I am about Asha.

“Where’s the body?” Asha asks from the seat beside me, her tone suggesting she has no idea the turmoil I’m going through.

“A warehouse. Apparently, the body’s been torn apart pretty badly, but there’s enough left for them to get some basic details.”

She says nothing more, but then Braxton speaks up. “So, we get to see real Enforcer work here? The investigating process?”

“Yes,” I tell him, and I definitely sound angry. But then, he slept all night cuddled around a goddess and I spent all night watching him, so I think my bad mood is justified.

There’s silence for another minute as we draw closer to the water and the warehouses, and then Braxton speaks up, “You know, I’m serious about wanting to be an Enforcer. I want to learn what to do and what not to do.”

Not to do? Like getting involved with a coworker?But I keep that to myself. Because as stupid as it would be, I’d get involved with Asha too… if she didn’t have the hots for my brother.

Damn it. I’m being a petty child.I know she laid with him to calm him during his nightmare, which I’m appreciative of, but it changed after that. They looked more like romantic partners than anything else, and the image is haunting me. I thought I was so damn good at locking my emotions down, but the joke’s on me because I’m not.

I pull down a street, and I see a police car and several dark vehicles on the side of the road. Pulling up behind them, I cut the engine and we all get out. Including the dog.Fuck. Having a dog with us is just the epitome of professionalism.

Biting down on any snarky comments that would serve zero purpose, I go to a door with police tape across it and duck under. “Stay close. Say nothing. Touch nothing.”

Neither of them responds, which I hope means they’re going to listen.

Inside, there is police tape all around the center of the room. There, blood and gore decorate nearly every inch of the floor. More pieces of flesh are flung onto the boxes around the opening, and I see three Enforcers, all vampires, and a demon detective speaking quietly together. As we draw closer, all theirheads go up. One man separates himself from the group. A man I recognize.

“The famous Max Blackwell,” he says, a smile tilting the corners of his mouth as he lifts a hand.

“Hacan Dunkin, it’s good to see you.” I grab his small hand and shake it. The thinner man has dark hair and brown eyes. His face is well constructed, like almost every actor in Hollywood. When he first joined the Enforcers, few people took him seriously, but I answered all of his questions and saw a spark of intelligence within him. What was more, he was hard-working, detail-oriented, and seemed to have a good heart. I’d liked him, even if I’d refused his application when he’d wanted to work with me.

He turns to the guys behind him. “This is Max Blackwell. The best Enforcer on the force.”

I shake my head. “I’m not.”

He looks back at me and smiles at Asha and Braxton. “He absolutely is. This guy took down the Rainbow Leprechaun Ring.”

“Rainbow Leprechaun Ring?” Asha repeats with a snort.

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