Page 14 of Cursed by Death

“Ruby Jane,” a stern voice called out from behind me just as I reached for the driver's side door of Thomas’s car.

I whipped around and easily slid out one of my knives from my wrist sheath.

I relaxed immediately when I saw it was just the Detective. “What are you doing here, Detective Rowans?”

He eyed the knife in my hand and tilted his head to the side skeptically. “You mind putting your weapon away, please?”

Hmm… yes, it probably wasn’t the wisest idea to stand out here in the parking lot with a police detective while holding a knife at my side. I did not want to end up going to jail tonight. Not tonight or any other night. It certainly wasn’t something on my bucket list in need of being checked off, that’s for sure.

Though, I didn’t think I would mind if he wanted to use his handcuffs on me for other reasons.

I slipped my knife back into its sheath and arched an eyebrow at him cockily. “Is that better, Detective?”

He crossed his arms over his chest as he studied me. “It’s just Johnny to you, Ruby. And, no, it certainly is not better. What the fuck are you doing down here and why haven’t you answered your phone?”

I winced.

Shit. My phone. I forgot I had texted him when I got here and then I’d turned my phone to silent. I probably should have thought that one out a little better but, in my defense, I wasn’t used to people caring about me beside Thomas.

The old man had stopped trying to tell me what to do years ago and had resigned himself to either cleaning up my messes afterwards or being my emotional support when I needed it.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized quietly and very sincerely. “I turned my phone to silent because I didn’t want distractions while I was down there. I probably shouldn’t have texted you in the first place.” I shrugged uncomfortably. “I guess I just thought it would be nice to have someone care if something tragic happened to me. It was selfish, I know, and I’m apologizing for it.”

He sighed heavily as his shoulders drooped in what looked like defeat. “It’s not selfish, Ruby. I told you to text me any time about anything and I meant that. I’m just upset that you didn’t ask me to go with you and went down there by yourself. I don’t think you understand just how dangerous this place is and I don’t know what would possess you to go down there in the first place.”

Well, that last part I actually had an answer for him that wasn’t entirely a lie. “I went to see if I could find Thomas’s murderer.” It just wasn’t the entire truth from me either.

“That’s my job, not yours. You really need to leave the police work to the police. I’m going to do everything I can to find who killed your friend.”

I was glad that he didn’t make me any promises because there was no guarantee that he’d be able to keep them. Did I believe that he’d do everything he could to find the person responsible? Yes, absolutely.

But I wasn’t sure that was enough for me.

I looked over the Detective’s shoulder and my eyes widened at what I found there. The Detective followed my gaze and his hand immediately moved to his hip, where his gun sat.

Shit.

He really could not be drawing his weapon here if I still wanted to go unnoticed by the big, bad man himself. And I certainly did. I never wanted to see that bastard again.

Rally, the man who’d interrupted our earlier conversation, and three other shifters stood behind them, not ten feet away from the Detective and I.

“Johnny,” I said quietly as I reached for his hand, stopping him from drawing his weapon. “It’s alright. They’re not a threat. I know them.”

Okay, so… all of that was just a bit of a stretch because I did not know them just because I knew what they were and had one conversation with Rally where he called me his mate. And I had no idea if they were dangerous or not, but they were shifters so I would assume that they certainly could be.

The Detective froze under my touch and grew stiff. “How do you know them?”

Well… damn. Telling him I just met one of them down in the underground for the first time did not seem like the wisest idea at the time.

“You’re standing in between me and my mate,” Rally growled in a dark, dangerous voice that sent a delicate shiver down my spine. “I suggest you step aside.”

I didn’t like the way the shifters were eyeing the Detective, as if they were sizing him up for a fight.

That pissed me off.

“Where’s your car at, Detective?” I asked quietly.

He gestured towards the dark sedan parked two spaces down from my car. Of course, he drove a boring, non-descriptive car. I wondered if he’d taken a peek into my garage and if that’s how he knew this was my vehicle. Because my Jeep had been what I had parked in the driveway.

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