Page 9 of My Orc in Uniform

And Memnon and I had made the decision to come check it out, right around the time one of our perps had skipped parole and headed to Eastshore to get revenge on his ex…who turned out to be Sakkara’s Mate.

That situation had been…a situation. We ended up quitting the NYPD, I transferred to EIPD, and Memnon…Memnon still hadn’t recovered. The bullet he’d taken had fucked up his femur, and he’d taken an early retirement.

We moved into this apartment over the florist shop on Main Street, and now everything was different.

Not in a good way, though.

“You want any eggs?” my twin grunted as he limped from the fridge to the stove.

“Nah. Fridays are for sugary cereal,” I quipped, trying to keep the energy higher than it felt. “You want any Fructo-s?”

“Stuff’ll rot your teeth and your brain.”

That was my twin brother, spreading cheer as always.

Memnon had always been the serious one, but in the last few months, since moving here, he’d become…so much more withdrawn. Angry. The male was grumpy, there was no way around it, but now? I could tell he was all churned up inside, not at peace with himself, and I hated that I couldn’t help him fix it.

I forced a smile, even though I was eating, and his back was to me. “So, you wanna check out that taco truck tonight? Rissa at work said it was pretty good.”

For the last four days, whenever I’d thought about her, something deep in my chest spasmed. I hadn’t been lying to her son; I respected her and wasn’t going to push my company on her if that’s not what she wanted. But seeing her every day, trying to stay cheerful and upbeat, when myKteerwas urging me totake taste lick claimwas…hard.

Heh. Wasn’t the only thinghard, if you get my drift.

My brother grunted as he scrambled the half-dozen eggs in the pan. I thought that was going to be his answer, but after about a minute, as he was spooning them onto a plate, he said, “Thought you were going to the basketball game tonight?”

Oh, that’s right, itwasFriday.

“I don’t have to,” I offered, spooning the last of my milk. “I’d rather hang out with you.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” he grumbled, limping to the table, carrying his plate and fork in one hand, his mug of coffee in the other. “Go to the game, stupid.”

I hated this. I hated that he no longer pushed me…but just pushed me away. I hated that we weren’t a team any longer. And I hated that he was in pain. “How’s the leg?”

His dark gaze jerked up, and he scowled at me as he plunked the food across the table. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Quit babying me.”

It wasn’t the first time in our careers that one of us had been wounded. But itwasthe first time he’d withdrawn like this.

“Are you going to physical therapy today?”

“Simbel,” he growled, picking up his fork. “Stay the fuck out of my business.”

For thirty-six years, his businesshadbeen my business. And vice versa. “Just wondering,” I quipped, hiding a wince, “because that’s a shit-ton of protein for sitting around on your ass all day.”

Memnon didn’t respond, and that was chilling, frankly. A few months ago, before the disastrous Christmas case, me saying something like that would’ve been enough to launch him across the table at me, and we would’ve gone down in a pile of broken dishes and messy food.

Now, though, he mechanically shoveled the eggs into his mouth.

I sighed. “I reallydowant to try the taco truck with you—”

“Go to the game,” he growled at his plate. “Sit next to Rissa. Woo her. Mate her. Be happy. Leave me alone.”

Eyes widening, I reared back. There was alotto unpack there. He wanted me to…move on with my life without him? I shook my head, hating the weird feeling in my chest, and decided to latch onto the easiest thing he’d said. “I told you, Rissa isn’t interested.”

He shot me a dark look from under his brows. “Yeah, and do you believe it?”

Actually…no. I’d seen the way she looked at me when she didn’t think I was looking. I’dfeltthe way she’d looked at me. More than once, I’d smelled a difference in her scent when she was around me, which normally would’ve been an indication she wasveryinterested in me.

But she’d told me…

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