Pack Investigator (13 page)
He halted Jordan at the curb in front of the bar as two black and whites pulled up. The cop car sirens and lights drew attention from the club goers. He ignored the onlookers so he could keep an eye on his suspect. He and Josiah had taken a chance in hunting down Kenny but it appeared to him that Jordan might be the key to finally catching a break. He gripped Jordan’s shoulder as he leaned down close to his ear. “We’ll be talking soon,” he warned Jordan.
“Whatever,” Jordan muttered.
Cooper wasn’t buying his tough guy act. For one thing, he could feel Jordan tremble under his hand. For another, Jordan’s voice shook slightly.
One of the uniformed officers approached and Cooper pushed on Jordan to get him moving. Officer Grant nodded to Cooper. “You want him booked?”
“Assault on an officer and interfering in an active investigation,” Cooper stated. “Have him taken to one of the interrogation rooms as soon as he’s done.” Cooper could use the charges against Jordan to hopefully persuade him to give up the information Cooper and Josiah needed.
“You got it.” Grant gripped Jordan’s arm and pulled him toward the squad car.
“Shit!”
Cooper turned to his partner when he heard Josiah curse. Kenny was leaning to the side, and Josiah was trying to keep him up while Kenny was convulsing. Cooper rushed over to them and grabbed a hold of Kenny’s arm. “What happened?”
“He just started to seize,” Josiah told him.
He helped lay Kenny down on the ground. Kenny was sweating and appeared almost green. His small body jerked, so Cooper placed a hand against Kenny’s chest to keep him down. A few officers had run over to offer their assistance also. Cooper glanced up at the closest. “Get an ambulance here,” he ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
As soon as the officer grabbed the mic from his shoulder, Cooper returned his attention to Kenny. Damn, he didn’t know what the strung-out man had taken. He leaned close and took a big whiff of him, hoping to pick up on a scent that could help Cooper determine what mixture Kenny consumed. All he could catch was dirt, piss and stale cigarettes. That wasn’t going to help. He didn’t know how long it’d been since Kenny had showered or taken care of himself. Like a lot of the junkies around town, Kenny didn’t have a permanent address. He just crashed wherever and whenever he could. It made tracking down Kenny harder but Cooper had known that Kenny would show up at the bar eventually, which was why he and Josiah had been staking it out.
Josiah held Kenny’s head straight as the seizures finally stopped. He looked up and caught Cooper’s gaze. Cooper could read his partner well. Even though Kenny could be a pain the ass, he was also just a guy who’d hit a rough patch. Josiah wanted to help him, and Cooper was at a loss at what to do.
“Ambulance is five minutes out. They were on another call a few blocks away that didn’t require transfer to the hospital, so they’ll be right here,” one of the officers said.
Cooper nodded. They’d get Kenny medical treatment. After, maybe he and Josiah could finally talk Kenny into getting the help he needed. They’d tried before and Kenny had always resisted, but they had to get through to him. Kenny wouldn’t last much longer on the streets.
The ambulance pulled up to the curb at the same time as a news van.
Fuck, I really don’t want to have to deal with the media
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“Step aside.”
Cooper froze as he heard the command. No, it couldn’t be.
He raised his head and standing right in front of him was Julie Sullivan.
He swallowed hard when his gaze met hers. She was in the process of bending down when she spotted him. For several moments neither one of them moved. Cooper wouldn’t have been able to if someone had been shooting at him. Memories flooded his mind as he took in the beautiful human in front of him.
“Coop,” she whispered, and he felt her words like a caress over his body.
“Hey!” Josiah grabbed his shoulder, yanking Cooper out of his shock. “You okay?”
Cooper pushed himself away from Kenny, Julie and the entire scene. He climbed to his feet, refusing to look back.
“Cooper?” Josiah stepped in front of him. Cooper didn’t know what his partner saw on his face but he frowned before glancing in the direction of where Cooper was looking. “Julie?” Josiah’s mouth dropped open.
Cooper would have laughed if his heart didn’t feel like it was going to pound out of his chest. His partner was just as shocked to see Cooper’s old lover as he was.
“Hi, Josiah,” Julie said quietly. “What’s this guy’s story?”
His partner glanced back at him. Cooper raised his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly in the direction of Julie. He needed Josiah to take care of this. Cooper had to get away from her so he could get himself under control. Just hearing her voice was screwing with his body. His cock was hard, his pulse raced and the wolf side of him wanted to howl. The itch under his skin was starting, like when he needed to shift.
“I think Grant needs you,” Josiah told him with a wink.
Cooper managed to grunt before he rushed off, taking the excuse of talking with the officer even though he knew Josiah had made it up. He walked fast, avoiding the numerous cops and onlookers who milled around. Now that the excitement was over, hopefully the public would take off. He spotted a quiet, shady spot against the building and had to keep himself from sprinting to it.
He placed his fist against the old brick as he lowered his head. Cooper drew in a deep breath through his nose then exhaled from his mouth. He repeated this several more times before he felt that he finally had control of himself once again. Turning, he placed his shoulders against the building and looked over to his partner and the one woman he’d never thought he’d see again.
She had her back to him now, so he could take his time looking her over. Julie had always been on the tall side for a woman. She was five foot seven, which matched his own height well. Tonight, she had her long brown hair braided down the back, the end reaching a few inches from her pants. She wore the usual Clear Creek EMT uniform of black cargo pants and red T-shirt, but she didn’t look like the other paramedics Cooper was used to dealing with. No, she was unique, special, and once, a long time ago, she’d been his.
About the Author
Crissy Smith lives in Texas with her husband, daughter, and three Labrador retrievers. The three dogs love to curl up under her computer desk and nap while she writes. It doesn’t leave a lot of room for her but what’s a woman to do?
When not writing or reading, she enjoys hunting, camping and shooting. But she has a girly side too and is addicted to pedicures and coffee.
She has been writing since she was a teenager and still loves everything to do with the paranormal. Her stories and characters all have a place in her heart. She loves the Alpha male, the dominant werewolf, and the Master vampire, which find their way in most of her books.
Learn more about the characters she has created at her website where they have their very own page. It will be updated from time to time to let you know what's going on with them. Also you can find out who will be in the next book.
Email:
[email protected]
Crissy loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at
http://www.totallybound.com
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Also by Crissy Smith
Were Chronicles: Pack Territory
Were Chronicles: Pack Community
Were Chronicles: Pack Daughter
Were Chronicles: Pack Security
Corporate Wolves: Losing Control
Secrets: The Shifter and the Dreamer
Shifter Chronicles: Birds of Prey
Shifter Chronicles: Eye of the Tiger
Shifter Chronicles: Coyote’s Kiss
Caught in the Middle: Magical Ménage
Summer Seductions: Summers’ Girl
Cloaks and Daggers: Vampire Hunter
What’s her Secret?: Designated Alpha
