Page 88 of Blood Bearon
“Well, partner, I think you did it,” he said as they entered the sallyport at the station.
Rachel shook her head. “You meanwedid it.”
Khove shrugged. “Close enough.”
“No,” she said fiercely. “No, it’s not. We did this, Khove. Together, you and I, we’re a team. Partners.”
“What kind of dysfunctional relationship is this?”
Khove turned and pushed his hand through the metal grate and snatched up the person in the back seat by the collar. “Did you have something to say?” he asked happily, withdrawing his hand until the prisoner’s face was smushed against the grate.
“No. No! I’m sorry.”
Khove casually tossed him back against the seat.
“Not again,” she moaned, looking at the hole in the grate. “That’s the second time this month. The Sheriff is not going to be impressed, Khove. You’ve got to stop doing that.”
The big shifter shrugged, uncaring. “Not as long as I keep paying, he won’t. You know that.”
“Maybe,” she agreed, exiting the vehicle. “Still, you’ve gotta stop it.”
“I’ll try,” he said sheepishly, following her out of the police cruiser. “I’m just still excited about being allowed to sit in the front seat.”
Rachel groaned. “How long am I going to be hearing about that? It’s been two months now!”
Khove chuckled, sending a shiver of happiness through her. It had been tough to get used to working with the love of her life, but their partnership had actually blossomed because of it. Their differing styles worked well together, and Khove wasn’t so insecure that he had issues being her subordinate, given that he wasn’t actually a member of the law.
Now, together, they’d made the final arrest in the arson cases that had preceded Korred’s attack on the Manor. All along, they’d suspected there was still someone else out there. The one person who liaised with Korred, his go-between, so to speak. Now they had him.
Somewhere along the way as well, Rachel’s guilt about Vince’s death had been eased. She would never entirely forgive herself, but she didn’t carry it around like shackles anymore. He had been doing his job, and unfortunately, sometimes the bad guys got the upper hand.
Khove had been a big help with that, because he not only trusted her to do her job despite the safety risks associated with it, but by working him, she was forced to trust him. It was that trust, Rachel had realized, that she’d been unable to handle after Vince. She’d had a need to control everything. It was why the two people who had been assigned as her partners before she left the city had asked for reassignment. They couldn’t handle her micromanaging.
That didn’t happen with Khove. He politely told her to back off and let him do his job, simply refusing to let her overpower him. That had led to some fights at home over the first few weeks, but eventually she’d adapted. It was growing easier every day now.
“Well, shall we get him over to the cell block and processed?” Khove suggested, interrupting her little mental break.
“Definitely. Do you mind doing the honors?” she asked, gesturing at the door. “I think he likes you.”
Chuckling to himself, Khove opened the rear door. “Out!” he barked.
The prisoner slid out with rapid movements and no protests.
“This way,” Rachel pointed, and the prisoner moved, completely silent, following every direction without protest or hesitation. Yes, working with Khove had its benefits sometimes.
“Corningstone.”
She looked up as the officer behind the desk called her name. “Gomez,” she said, unable to be completely neutral while preparing herself for the evaluating gaze she knew her body was about to receive.
“This the guy?” Gomez asked, meeting her eyes.
“Yeah. Finally got him,” she said.
“Good job,” he said, looking at his computer, then over at the criminal.
“Thanks,” she replied, feeling awkward.
Gomez looked up, and once again he met her stare, and his eyes didn’t go elsewhere. Something flickered behind them as well. “Glad we have you on board, Detective. This was a tough case to crack. I doubt I could have done it.”
