Bitten 2 by A.J. Colby Read Free Book Online Page A

Retreating to my seat, I adopted an expression of weariness, which really didn’t require all that much effort, and was lifting my cup to my lips when the doors opened on silent hinges.
    A string of curses and threats accompanied Katarina as she poked her head into the room. “The police have arrived, Ms. Cray. Marcus is talking with them now.”
    “Marcus?”
    “Our head of security.”
    Oh. I think Chuckles suits him better.
    “I suppose they’ll want to talk to me next.”
    Nodding, she closed the door.
    I remained in my seat for a whopping three seconds after the door shut, sealing me in the silent office. Bouncing up from the chair, I skirted around Cordova’s desk once more to the filing cabinet. I half expected it to be locked like his desk, and was surprised when the top drawer opened soundlessly. Spurred on by curiosity and a desire to know just what I was getting myself into, I thumbed through the first few folders.
    I’m not sure was I was hoping to find—maybe some evidence that Cordova was planning world domination or was part of a secret cult—but my cursory search turned up nothing more interesting than employment records for the club’s staff. I was reaching for a file marked “Chrismer, J.” when I was startled by a polite knock on the door. Shoving the drawer closed I dashed across the room to my seat, and was reaching for my cup on the edge of Cordova’s desk when Katarina leaned into the room to inform me that an Officer Nelson wanted to speak with me. Chugging the last of my coffee, hoping that she didn’t notice the way my hand trembled, I set my cup aside and rose from the chair.
    My steps were slow as I stepped out into the reception area and was instantly struck by a maelstrom of unpleasant smells. Pissed off vamp smells a bit like the damp remnants of a bonfire, which, when combined with the sour scent of sweat radiating off the Idiot Twins, created a cloying smell that left me fighting against the urge to gag. Wrinkling my nose in disgust, I turned my attention away from the two men staring at me sullenly, and focused on the uniformed police officer standing beside the reception desk.
    Officer Nelson was average in every sense of the word, all the way down to his standard issue uniform; there was nothing about him that would make him stand out in a crowd. I immediately didn’t trust it. He was too normal, as if everything about him was a carefully constructed mask to help him blend in.
    My shoulders stiffened even as I tried to project an air of relaxed indifference. It wasn’t that I disliked law enforcement. I mean, I’m dating an FBI agent for heaven’s sake. It was just that my few interactions with the police hadn’t exactly left me enamored of them. I was pretty sure that I wasn’t at the top of their Christmas card list either. Because all branches of law enforcement and the military barred supes, these organizations were strictly comprised of mundanes, although a few like Holbrook managed to fly under the radar. The cop who wouldn’t automatically side with the mundane in a human-supe altercation was a rare creature.
    It wasn’t until he extended a hand towards me and I felt the familiar tingle of magical energy crawling up my arm that I recognized him for what he was—a magi. Officer Nelson was one of those supes hiding in plain sight.
    The minute widening of his eyes let me know that he’d felt the reflexive flare of his magic answering something inside me while the sheen of sweat that broke out on his brow hinted at his sudden fear that I would out him. With a reassuring smile, I maintained my hold on his hand a moment longer.
    “Evening, Officer.”
    Hesitating for a moment he looked at me askance, and after deciding that I wasn’t going to rat him out on the spot, relaxed a fraction of an inch. “Ms. Cray. What appears to be the problem here?”
    “I was—”
    “That wolf assaulted me!” Mike piped up from where he sat, still zip tied, in one of the ugly