Shifters: A Samantha Reece Mystery Book 1 by Jaime Johnesee (libby ebook reader txt) 📕

up for the job if there were ever any openings.” Ben grinned and I shook my head, surprised that he’d try to flirt here, in front of my boss.

Especially under these circumstances.

“Kid, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Say, I thought he was just a slight friend, Sam?”

“In my eyes, he is.”

“Ouch.” Ben grabbed his chest and acted wounded.

“What do you see from your eyes, Fitzpatrick?”

“I see a friend I’d like to know better, but I will take it as slow as she wants. I’d rather have her in my life as a friend than not have her there at all. I truly believe, though, that she is my soulmate.”

“Holy hell, Ben, you can’t just say shit like that. I’m not his soulmate, Gerry. We went through this earlier.” I hissed at my maker so he would understand my point.

My jaguar just leapt and grunted like she always did when Ben showed interest. I would be interested to see what she sees in him.

Sometimes I wonder if she can see his jaguar or if she just senses him. Either way she really seems to like him and his cat. I wondered again about her taste.

“Okay, well, soulmate or not, that’s none of my business. What is my business is making sure you guys are safe and alive. That’s where Quinn comes in. Rather, he will, in another three hours. You guys stay here until then. I’m sending Sheila in to take your food orders.”

“You really going to hold me here, Gerry? Just let me go home, I can finish this. Send some guys with me if you want.”

“Sam, do you really think he’s going by your place considering he has to realize you know who he is now? Well, not exactly who he is, but you know he is the killer.”

“I do. He knows I’m a shifter, too, he has to. He smelled me at my place and I have no doubt he got a good schnozzful at Ben’s apartment. Mainly because I got a good whiff of him there, too. Come on, use me to track him.”

“I don’t know, Sam, you’ve been on duty for too long.”

“As we sit here his scent has mostly dissipated. There are still going to be faint traces of it, but only for another couple hours, then it’s gone and there’s no getting it back. Look, I know this won’t track in a court of law, but this sort of crime can’t be fully dealt with in a court.”

“You talking the vamp council?”

“No, I’m talking me. I don’t need a Hunter to bring down Grisly; I can do it myself.” Hunters were vampire boogeymen that were scarier than any CIA trained spy.

“Sam, don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m just being honest, Gerry. You know me.”

“Honest, I have no doubt about, but, Sam, you’re talking about taking on a psychotic serial killer who happens to shift into a very large bear. That’d be like pitting….” He struggled with a comparison.

“David against Goliath?” I grinned.

“Only with a different result.”

“How do you know for sure?”

“One person won’t be able to take Grisly, you’ve seen the remains.”

“Maybe not, but shouldn’t we at least give it a try?”

“I’ll send some agents with you. Sam, you better watch your back and I hope to hell you’re wrong.”

“You’re not going to let her do this are you?” Ben sounded scared.

“Apparently you really don’t know her very well. I couldn’t let Sam do anything. I’m just trying to stop her from going shifter-cop on us.”

“Shifter-cop?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Like Robocop, but less metallic.”

“I can dig it. Look, I know he is going to be there. I have a hunch that he has me in his crosshairs. The way we keep running into each other could only feel like fate to someone as deeply religious and psychotic as he is. I’ll bet dollars to donuts he will be at my house sometime today, if he hasn’t already been there.”

“Look, I really think this is a very bad idea, but this guy is seriously evil and if this gives us a chance to apprehend him safely you know that I have to take it.”

“I knew you’d see the light, Ger.”

“I’m not done yet. That said, I want you to know that you are not in charge of this sting. You are solely bait in this trap, you hear me?”

“Yeah, I hear ya. I agree to your terms so long as you agree on letting me have some say on who is backing me up.”

“That’s fine.”

“I get to come along, Sam. Tell your boss that. You know I can help you track him.”

“Mr. Fitzpatrick, you aren’t going anywhere. If we bring this guy in alive it’ll be your testimony that’ll land him in jail. I’m not putting any civilian, especially you, anywhere near him. That’d be like putting chocolate too close to the dog and expecting it not to be eaten.”

“You really shouldn’t feed dogs chocolate, sir.”

“I know that, Reece! I’m not a moron! I’m using a metaphor here.”

“So long as you know.” I shrugged, trying to mask my smile.

Sometimes it was fun messing with Gerry.

“At any rate, Fitzpatrick, you’re not going anywhere. You’ll be staying right here where you’re safe. We need your testimony.”

“Are you really that stupid? Do you really think this guy is going to go quietly? Do any of you honestly believe this ends any other way than suicide by cop?” Ben was starting to get riled up.

“Doesn’t matter what I think, I have a job to do. I will not go in there with the mind frame of an executioner. Once I do that then I’m no better than the guys I’m tracking down. And you, Ben, will stay here while I do. I can’t track him down if I’m worried about you getting caught in the crossfire,” I stared him in the eyes while I spoke.

He had to know I meant every word.

“Sam, come on. You know I can help you track him and—”

“What I know is that you don’t