Page 7 of Tooth and Nail

“Oh, man, that’s so good,” Brown said. “So, you said, some of the folks you have working here are half-breeds. What does that mean?”

“Sometimes shifters mate with humans and have offspring. It’s rare but it happens. When I say half-breeds, it’s not meant in a derogatory sense…they areactuallyonly half human. I’ll introduce you to Night. She works in IT and in fact is one of our best.”

“And she’s a half-breed?” Brown asked.

“Yeah, she’s half snow leopard. She doesn’t have whatever gene it takes to be able to shift like a full-blooded shifter, but she’s still a half-breed.”

“Wow. I can’t wait to meet her,” Brown said. He took another long drink of his coffee, then shook his head and pinned him with a skeptical look. “I have to admit. I’m still having a hard time with all of this.”

“That’s totally understandable, Brown.” Eoghan nodded.

“You know…we’re partners now. You can call me Ari.”

“Okay, Ari. Call me Eoghan.”

Ari smiled broadly and nodded. Eoghan noticed the man had dimples for the first time.

Fuck me.

“Good. So, tell me about the chief,” Ari said. “What’s her story? Is she a good boss?”

Eoghan swallowed another mouthful of coffee as he thought about his answer. “Yeah, she’s a good boss. She was in a good mood this morning. Priest’s not always that nice but she’s never harsh unless you do something to put either yourself or others in danger. She’s never punitive and always fair if she has to give you a rip. If you get one, trust me, it’s because you earned it. Usually, it’s because you’ve done something boneheaded. She’s cool-headed which is a good thing since she has to be. Not every team of partners in this office works like me and—” He cleared his throat, kicking himself for almost talking out of turn. The way Ari lifted a single, silky brow, told him he’d fucked up.

“You and…?”

He cleared his throat again. “I lost my first partner almost a year ago. Gladys and I had been together for five years.” He abruptly turned back to the coffeepot and poured himself another cup.

“How?”

Eoghan squeezed his eyes tightly shut, feeling his shoulders tense up as he kept his back to Brown. When he finally turned back, he could already feel the stress headache beginning at the back of his head. “She was killed in a car accident. It was raining and her car spun out on her way home. She lived in Topanga Canyon. She was a good driver but since we’d only had one good, hard rain earlier in the year, the roads were still oily when the second rain came along.

“The CHP said she hit a slick and then slammed into a weak place in the guard railing, before going over. She rolled about five hundred feet, hit a tree, and that was it. I tracked her phone to the site of the accident the following day when she didn’t answer or show up for work. When I found theskid marks and saw the broken railing and trees, I called fire rescue. Unfortunately, it was too late. She’d died on impact.”

“I’m sorry,” Ari said, reaching out and squeezing his shoulder. Instead of flinching away, Eoghan leaned into the touch. “I shouldn’t have brought up such a painful memory. I couldn’t imagine losing a partner.” He dropped his hand, and Eoghan rocked back on his heels.

He nodded and took another long sip of coffee, enjoying the almost painful burn before looking up at Ari. “Thanks. I appreciate that. We were partners for a long time. She initiated me to this incredible world and made me feel grounded.” He offered Ari a faint smile. “And now it’s time to show you around.” He set his mug in the sink and watched Ari finish off his cup before doing the same.

“Let’s start with a tour of the garage and the tombs,” Eoghan said, walking out of the break room and heading for the elevator.

“What are the tombs?”

“The basement where we keep prisoners until whichever clan we’re dealing with can send a representative to collect them.”

“Okay,” Ari said as they stepped into the elevator.

“Hang on. We’re about to drop three levels and this elevator is fast,” Eoghan instructed. He punched the button for the deepest underground level and the elevator swooped downward, opening up and letting them out only seconds later.

“Holy shit. You weren’t lying.”

Eoghan chuckled. “I warned you.”

“Understatement of the year!” Ari said.

“If you think that’s fast, you’ve never seen a vampire.”

“You’re right. I’ve never seen a vampire.” Ari grinned at him.

Eoghan grinned back. “Oh, yeah, I forgot.” He was warming up to his partner more and more. Maybe by the end of the day, he’d decide having a new partner wasn’t going to be the worst thing in the world. As they stepped out of the elevator into a cavernous room filled with several vehicles, numerous mechanic’s bays, and several men in overalls who were working on them, Eoghan tried to picture the garage from Ari’s point of view. This room was also stark white but the floor was a pebbled gray, rather than white like the tile upstairs.

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