Bound to Shadows (Riley Jenson Guardian 8)

He glanced around as the door opened and Evin stepped inside. His gaze quickly swept Harris, Benny, and then me, taking in the blood on my pants and around the chair. "What the fuck has been happening?"

"Long story," Harris said. "Grab Benny's feet. We need to get him into a cell. "

Evin did as ordered, and the two lifted the young man with ease. "He looks as if he needs a doctor, not a cell. "

"He's susceptible to vampire suggestion, so he goes into the cell," I said, connecting just enough to his mind to feel if the vampire tried to control him. "And we can't risk a doctor for the very same reason. "

"Oh. "

For someone who didn't have much to do with either cops or vampires, Evin seemed to be handling it all amazingly calmly. The two men disappeared through the door. A few seconds later, the cell door slammed shut and footsteps echoed as they returned.

"So why are you two here?" Harris asked as he walked into the reception area. Evin followed him out and propped his butt on the reception desk.

"It's not that I don't appreciate the intervention," Harris continued, "but I ordered you to stay away. "

"And we know how well ordering me to stay away in the past has worked, don't we?" He rolled his eyes. I smiled and added, "I needed to ask you some questions. "

"Then fire away. " He strolled across to a percolator and flicked a switch. The rich aroma of brewing coffee soon filled the air, making my taste buds water.

I crossed my arms and said, "How well do you know Mike West?"

He gave me what I could only call a "cop look" and said, voice flat, "Mike West isn't involved in any nefarious plot against you. "

"Then do you know why he was driving toward the whaling station just over an hour ago?"

Harris shrugged. "Why is that even important?"

I sidestepped the question with another. "Then do you know what Denny and his friends have been up to over the last few hours?"

"No. Not only have I been out of contact with Mike, Denny, and any of his friends, but I was with you, chasing a killer and then getting locked in a cell. How the fuck would I know what anyone has been up to?"

"Then no one has reported anything to you?" I persisted.

"No. And if anyone had reported it to Mike, I would have heard it. Emergency calls get routed to both cell phones when we're out of the office. " He glanced at Evin. "How do you take your coffee?"

"White and one. "

Harris nodded, made the coffee, then carried over three cups, handing one to Evin and one to me before sitting on the chair I'd propped my foot on earlier. "What are you getting at, Hanna?"

"I'm not Hanna. "

"Well, until you remember your name, I need to call you something. Now answer the damn question. "

"While you and I were hunting your prisoners, Denny and his friends kidnapped Evin. "

"What?" He glanced sharply at Evin, eyebrow raised in query.

"It's true," Evin said. "I have the bruises and rope and silver burns to prove it. "

"And I have the ransom note. " I took the piece of plastic out of my pocket and handed it over. He read it silently and shook his head.

"Why would the damn fool do something this stupid?"

It was a rhetorical question, but I answered it anyway. "It was a ploy to get me out to the whaling station alone, where dearest Denny intended to exact his revenge. Except they were expecting me to drive out there and, as it turns out, I have an alternate shape - a seagull. That ability allowed me to get there ahead of time and get the jump on them. I disabled their trucks, rescued Evin, and we both got the hell out of there. "

Harris raised an eyebrow. "Did Denny and his friends survive the encounter?"

He didn't actually sound like he'd mind if they hadn't. "Of course they did. "