Page 91 of Hide From Me

He grabbed it from me before I could stop him. Eric held it, letting it hang there open. It was a black leather jacket, expensive if I had to admit it. Nothing was too strange about it except the small, and I mean like the size of my finger, hourglass with barbed wire wrapping around it.

“This isn’t nobody. It sure as shit isn’t yours. It’s obviously a man’s.”

I had stood in the act of trying to stop him, but all I could do now was reach for it as he pulled it away.

“I’ll ask you again, Klein. Whose jacket is this?”

I stopped trying to grab and stepped back. We were back to last names. Hands on hips, I let my emotions show in the way I pressed my lips together and the way my nostrils flared as I took in a deep, not-so-calming breath.

“Were back to last names, Fuller? Okay then. My personal life is not your business. I never signed away my life when Isigned the contract. I’m on a case-by-case basis as it is with the department, so what are you going to do? Stop telling me to get my ass down to a murder scene?”

He folded the jacket in half but still didn’t give it back yet.

“Alright, Rylee.”

He came at me and instinct had me backing away quickly, trying to protect myself. I didn’t like whatever side this was of the detective. To be fair, it wasn’t like I knew him more than just a grumpy asshole who trusted me to help with his cases through my natural curiosity about a crime scene.

“You don’t have to tell me who this belongs to, but I can tell you it’s from one of the local gangs. Or, rather, the local gang. Watch yourself. The offer still stands for lunch in case you get tired of the unsavory company. Once you get through this little phase.”

My jaw dropped.

“Phase? Why can’t this just be me?”

He looked at me like I was a spoiled glass of milk. It was fine though, really. I didn't actually need to make Cas jealous. At least not right now. He had bigger issues, like why did he feel the need to leave me just to panic and come running to find me? Yeah, I needed to just get out of here.

“I don’t plan on making any good choices apparently. Maybe I like this phase. Thanks for the heads up, but I’m guessing friends isn’t an option. I’ll send the photos over with my notes.”

I grabbed the coat back and flung my equipment bag over my shoulder as I spun on my heel and marched my happy ass to the elevator. I ignored his protests as I dialed Cas. For all he represented in the world, he was still my person and always had been. It’s why I’d been fighting to get back to him since the moment I was free to make my own choices.

“Hey, I’m heading down. Be outside to meet me?”

He barely said a word, but I knew he would be there. The elevator doors dinged and opened, letting me get myself away from one more human on my ‘I don’t think so list.’ It was a very long list. Just as the doors were closing and my anger had dared to take a backseat to my relief, an arm shot out and forced the doors back open.

“Oh good. You didn’t get the hint the first time,” I said, glaring right at Detective Fuller. I wouldn’t be calling him by his first name ever again.

THIRTY-FOUR

cas

“Rylee?”I said over the phone.

She hadn’t hung up, and I didn’t know if she knew that. The issue was, I could hear her telling someone off. That made my heart fucking happy as hell, but the fact someone had pissed her off sent that spark of fury that always burned just below the surface just for her into a blaze ready to fight the world.

“Rylee?”

Still nothing. I listened closely, catching more words. Catching a voice. Catching a male voice.

My jaw hurt as I clenched my teeth tight. Why was there a man talking to her?

“Why would a woman like you want something like that? The Spectors? They’re nothing but the shit under my shoe.”

I couldn’t prove who had just said that, but there weren’t too many options given she was at work. I was not one to sit and wait for shit to happen. Fuck. Who was in that elevator?

“Well, maybe you’re just the thorn in their side? I don’t really get where this is coming from.”

I smiled to myself as I got out of the car. I would be right fucking there the second she came out. She would be needing a new job shortly.

I was already out of the car as I tried to listen to what was happening. My boots thudded against the ground until I stopped and glared like the building was offending me.