Once Bitten (Shadow Guild: The Rebel 1)

“You know I’d never kill Beatrix or anyone else.”

“I do.”

I slumped back in my chair. “Thank God.”

“But it doesn’t matter. The team thinks I’ve lost objectivity when it comes to you, and the evidence against you is substantial.”

“What evidence?” My voice was a strangled cry. “I didn’t do it, so there should be no evidence.”

“You were at both scenes less than a minute after the deaths. So close that you could have been there during them.” His voice had turned cold. “A minute, Carrow. How did you do that?”

“I see what I see. You know I can’t explain it.”

He dragged a weary hand over his face. He was a handsome man in his mid-forties, nearly twenty years older than me, but suddenly, he looked like he could be my grandfather. “No court of law will clear you based on your strange visions. That kind of thing just doesn’t exist.”

A vision of the man with the fangs flashed in my mind. I was certain he existed, but I couldn’t say it. Not in front of Corrigan.

“I know.” I slumped back against the chair, my heart racing like mad.

He leaned toward me, his voice going low. “Banks is going to get you for this. He’s been after you for years, and he says he has the evidence he needs.”

“What evidence?”

“I don’t know, but he’s clever and well connected. You’re in a bad spot, kid.”

“But then the real killer will go free.”

“Not as far as he’s concerned.”

Tears pricked my eyes, hot and sharp. Frantically, I tried to blink them back. I couldn’t show fear. Not here. Not anywhere.

“I can give you one chance, Carrow.” Corrigan’s voice was pitched so that the recorders in the room wouldn’t pick it up. “I owe you for your help with my other cases. I don’t want the real killer to go free. And I like you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t understand your skills, but I know you can catch whoever did this.” His gaze flicked toward the clock set high on the plain white wall. “In three minutes, all the power in the station will be shut off. A fire alarm will sound. And you’ll be alone.”

My mind raced. Holy shit, he was helping me escape.

“You’ll need to be quick,” he whispered. “There’s a key taped under the coffee cup. Get out of here and find the killer. Clear your name.”

“Thank you.” Desperate gratitude surged within me. “Thank you.”

His jaw was tight as he nodded. “It’s the least I can do. But I mean it when I say you need to solve this. Fast. There are cameras all over the city, and every police officer will know what you look like. Solve this murder or go to prison for it.”

“You really think that’s possible?”

“Banks is convinced he can get you for this, and I think he might be able to swing it. The crimes are connected, and your presence at the scene is the only thing connecting them. He says he has other evidence, too.”

“Have you seen it?”

“No, but is this a gamble you want to take? You don’t want prison, kid. You’ve put so many of those bastards behind bars, you won’t survive there.”

Clear my name.

Or die.

When the alarm sounded, I was ready. The lights cut out, and I made my move. The cameras wouldn’t work with all the power out, so no one would see me reach for the key that Corrigan had left under the cup. Whatever I did, I couldn’t implicate him. He’d been good to me.