Page 12 of Calypso's Shield
She tilts her head. “Depends on what, Detective?” Her hand trails lower, nearing my belt.
I grab her wrist, stopping her before she finds out just how much she affects me. Pulling her close, I dip my head to her ear. “Depends on who’s doing the calling, Calypso. Any man would be an idiot to pass up a chance with you, but if you’re looking for commitment, I’m not your guy. My line of work doesn’t allow it.”
Her breath hitches against the side of my neck, hot and wet. I want nothing more than to slam her against the wall and fuck her until she can’t walk and can feel me between her delicious thighs for days, but I have a job to do. I can’t get involved with her.
Calypso senses the shift in my stance and straightens, slipping out of my grasp. “Let’s meet Allura.” She knocks once before pushing the door open.
Inside, a woman with short dark hair reclines in an office chair, eyes closed as a half-naked man massages her shoulders. “Mmm… that’s the spot,” she purrs.
Calypso clears her throat, and the woman’s eyes snap open. She glances at us, then snaps her fingers. The man grabs his shirt and bolts.
“What’s going on, Calypso?” The woman, I’m guessing Allura, leans forward. “Who’s this?”
“This is Detective Dalton. He’s searching for the same missing women and children we are. Things went sideways, so we came here.” I raise my eyebrow at the formality in Calypso’s voice.
Allura’s gaze flicks to me, sharp and unreadable. “Slow down. Start from the beginning.”
Calypso takes a deep breath. “Divine and I were at that warehouse I texted you about. That’s where we met Detective Dalton. He’s looking for missing women. Right as we were leaving, men in black stormed in and opened fire. Farris saved my ass by putting a bullet in one of them, and I returned the favor. When it came time to run, he had a choice, get on my bike and live, or stay and face the firing squad. As you can see, he made the right decision.”
“What’d you find?”
Calypso reaches into her cut and pulls out a handful of photos. “These were pinned to a board inside. That room… it was covered in dried blood.” Her voice tightens. “There was more, but I barely had time to grab these before we had to get the fuck out.”
I tense. She didn’t tell me any of this. “What the hell, Calypso? You left that part out.”
She shrugs. “I don’t know you, Detective. Why would I tell you everything?” I glare, but she’s already turned back to Allura. “I need to call in Scarlett.”
Allura’s brows lift. “You sure?”
“Yes. If this is going where I think it is, we’ll need her.”
“Get it done.”
“Thanks, Prez. I’ll keep you updated.”
Allura dismisses us with a wave of her hand, and we leave her office. Divine comes barreling down the hallway with Iris hot on her heels. Calypso grabs Divine’s arm and stops her in her tracks. “Whoa. Where’s the fire?”
“Iris and I are going for a ride in the desert.”
“Ok, stay safe, and report back soon.”
“You got it, Lyp.” Calypso releases Divine’s arm, and they leave. I’m at a loss for the quick exchange. I have a gut feeling they’re being cryptic, and I need to get to the bottom of it.
Calypso pulls her phone from her cut. As she dials, she watches me. “Scarlett, we need you. Get here as soon as possible.” A pause. “Thanks. See you soon.”
She pockets her phone and meets my gaze. “Come on, Detective. You’re going to be here for a while. Might as well give you the tour.”
“What? No. I need to get back to the precinct.”
“Not happening.” Her voice hardens. “After what happened at the warehouse, those men already have your plates, your address, probably even your favorite place to take a piss. You need our protection.”
“Like hell I do.” Anger bubbles to the surface.
“Why, Farris? Because we’re women, you think we can’t protect you?” Calypso steps closer, making my brain scramble. “In case you forgot, Dick, I saved your life back at the warehouse. If it weren’t for me, you’d have a bullet between the eyes.”
I grab her hand as it inches down my dress shirt toward the stiffness in my pants and pull her closer. “I saved your life, Calypso. I can handle myself.” The tension between us is unbearable.
“I’m sure you can.” Her chest heaves against mine. “But it’s better to have someone watching your back, Detective.” She stares at me, waiting for a decision.
