Page 40 of Ghost
Ada’s brown eyes snapped from me and returned to the pack. She raised her eyebrow at the group. “Even so, you’re still not off the hook. Why were any of you eating evidence at a crime scene? I know that you must eat, but that was completely unprofessional. Bring your own snacks. Didn’t your academy cover this?”
“But we didn’t go to academy,” Conner protested with a petulant look. “Only Jamie went to school. We’ve been grandfathered in through a shadowing program.”
Jamie face-palmed, and Ada appeared to become even angrier. Even Titus stiffened in surprise.
“Are you kidding me?” She turned to Jamie. “He better be kidding me.”
I glanced at the group of them. I wasn’t certain how Titus ran his business exactly, but I knew he was a perfectionist. It was doubtful he’d have his shifters work without the basic certifications required for non-shifter forces.
“What is he talking about?” Titus spoke for the first time, addressing Ada.
Ada’s face was completely red now. “I don’t know, I’m so sorry, Mr. Ducharme. But I don’t… I’ll check into it at once.”
Titus’ mouth thinned. “I want a report on my desk first thing in the morning.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied, her voice somewhat smaller.
Ada was a stern woman, but kind. And Ididfeel bad for her. Obviously something had gone wrong in the process somewhere, and now it was all coming to light. In front of both Titus and myself.
After this, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jamie and his boys ended up dead after all.
Jamie, too, saw the writing on the wall. His hand dropped from his face and he averted his eyes. “It’s a comprehensive process.”
“I’ll show you a comprehensive process.” Ada clapped her hands, pointing toward the door. “Get off of the floor and get back to headquarters right now. We’re taking care of this nonsense immediately.”
Jamie paused, his gaze drifted toward Titus.
“We’ve got another unit on the way, people thatI’vepersonally trained. Damen and I will wait here for them to take over this case. You are free to leave.”
He sighed, but obediently followed Ada and the others from the scene. As soon as they were out of hearing distance, Titus’ attention turned toward me.
“I’m still angry at you,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets.
“I know.” I didn’t blame him—I was angry at myself. I knew how hyenas fought, and as soon as there was apossibilitysomething might be wrong, I should have gotten Bianca to safety. But I overestimated my own abilities to keep the situation contained without suspicion.
And now, because of that, Titus’ world had been exposed.
“She’s been so scared of me,” Titus said, as if reading my thoughts. “I was making progress, but what if this ruins everything?”
Guilt raced through me. This was my fault. And I couldn’t deny it might not happen, because it very well could. I was sure when she got to know him, she would move past that hesitation. But Titus, in his real form, was terrifying.
“She didn’t see you,” I said. We had that going for us now.
“I couldn’t stop myself.” He ignored my attempts at reassurance, stuck in his worries. “When I came in, and they were about to tear into her… It felt as though a part of my heart was about to be ripped into pieces.”
“She didn’t see you.” I couldn’t focus on his concerning words, or what they might have meant. Titus couldn’t get attached, not like this. Him doing so meant something that was simply out of range for what I could deal with at the moment.
He was worried about her finding out, and running from him. But… “She’s going to find out eventually. Before that happens, you should probably tell her first. That way it would be less of a surprise.”
Titus shrugged in response, and I wondered if he’d take my words to heart.
Chapter Sixteen
Bianca
Odds
Julian’s face dropped. “We could, at least, determine some likely family lines through the types of abilities that you have. And to go a step further, we could continue to narrow the pool depending on the strength of your abilities. But we’re researching without a starting point. In the end, you could still have hundreds, if not thousands, of potential relatives.”
