Page 64 of Reaper Flame

The man held out a badge for inspection.

Bingo.

I sure could teach plainclothes officers a thing or two about blending into their surroundings. This guy needed to up his game.

Zander barely glanced at his badge. He looked the officer up and down coldly. “You’re new.”

The cop flinched under Zander’s appraisal. Having a badge didn’t mean he had the courage to face a man like Zander. West edged closer, drawing himself to full height and cracking his knuckles menacingly. I made a mental note to tell him to stop doing that. Looking cool was not worth the risk of joint damage, but I’d let him have this one for dramatic effect.

The officer loosened his collar and gulped. A glance at West’s balled fists was enough for him to lose any of his existing confidence. Being confronted by Zander was terrifying enough, but The Hulk? That was another matter.

“Can we have a moment to talk?” the officer stammered.

“Whatever you have to say, you can say here,” Zander said. “It’s late to be making a house call on this side of town.”

“We’ve been trying to contact you,” he said. “It’s about Briarly Manor. There was an incident this morning.”

“We are aware.”

The officer’s mouth opened and shut as if he wanted to talk but couldn’t form the words.

“The fire crew are finishing their investigations, but you’ll be able to visit in the morning,” he said, finally finding his voice again. “The area will be cordoned off because it’s unsafe.”

“How bad is the damage?” Rocky piped up.

Out of all three guys, Rocky looked the most approachable. Perhaps it was the fact he wasn’t covered in tattoos or because he was wearing a loose t-shirt and sweatpants? Appearances were deceiving, though. Rocky was our dark horse, and, after seeing him in the ring, he was probably the most skilled fighter in hand-to-hand combat.

The cop scratched his neck nervously. “It’s better you see it for yourselves.”

His shit-scared expression told us all we needed to know. If Giles had Hiram’s help, it would have been a thorough job.

“We’ll be there tomorrow,” Zander said. “Will that be all?”

“Actually, there’s one more thing…”

The officer reached inside his jacket. At the same time, Zander’s hand slipped behind his back to rest on the gun tucked into his waistband. How long had he been carrying that?

“Your cousin asked me to deliver this note to you personally,” the officer said, holding out an envelope.

Zander snatched it from his shaking hands. “Do you often do deliveries for my cousin?”

Zander’s icy tone took the cop by surprise. He must be new in town, otherwise he’d know about the ongoing feud between Zander and Giles, which had been brewing for decades.

“No,” he spluttered. “This is the first time.”

“For your sake, I hope it’s the last,” Zander said, then cocked his head. “If you’re picking sides, make sure you pick the right one.”

West nodded at two henchmen loitering in the shadows. They advanced forwards and stood on either side of the officer.

“They’ll see you out,” West growled.

“That really won’t be necessary...”

West shot him a smile, making him shiver. “I insist.”

“Call it good old-fashioned hospitality. Have a good evening, officer!” I blew him a kiss. “Drive safe now, won’t you?”

The officer paled further and scampered into the night without looking in my direction. He wasn’t as dumb as I first thought. It’s funny how others can instinctively sense when they are amidst a predator. The poor guy’s flight or fight response must be in overdrive.

---