Diego stood up, and Cassidy got up with him. Torey snarled and bounced as he attacked and shredded a weed.
Diego had promised himself that he’d hold himself back from Cassidy, but he’d forgotten how Shifters said good-bye.
Cassidy came against him, her arms going around his neck. Diego leaned down to her, unable to resist, as she held him tight and pressed her cheek against his. “Blessings of the Goddess go with you,” she said in his ear. “Are you coming back to check on me tomorrow?”
Diego pulled away enough to look at her, but he kept his arms around her supple waist. His hands rested on her bare back, her skin oh, so soft.
“My captain made me promise I’d come and see you every day.”
Cassidy’s smile widened. “That’s good. I’ll make sure Jace has a fresh pot of coffee ready for whenever you arrive.”
“Mighty hospitable of you, ma’am.”
Cassidy pulled him close again, let her lips linger on his cheek. “See you, Diego.”
It was all Diego could do to let her go, turn away, and walk across the yard. It was hard to walk with his pants having grown way too tight in the front.
He glanced behind him once and saw Cassidy lean down and Torey run and leap into her arms. She caught up the baby tiger, cuddling him and talking to him. Diego’s heart squeezed, and he found it hard to breathe. He turned away again and pulled his coat closed over his pants so Xavier wouldn’t make fun of him.
“You want to cut her probation short?” Captain Max asked Diego incredulously the next day. “Why?”
“She shops for shut-ins,” Diego said.
Captain Max dropped into his chair, giving Diego his famous stop-the-bullshit look. “She can have a friend do that for her. It’s only another week and a half.”
“I didn’t realize how many people Cassidy Warden actually took care of,” Diego said. “I called her nephew this morning and asked him point-blank. She looks after all the elderly in Shiftertown. All the widows and orphans too.”
“Widows and orphans. Dear God. Stop twanging the heartstrings, Escobar.”
Diego grinned. “She really does. She’s trying to get a kid settled with a foster mother, plus she helps three elderly Shifter females and one elderly Shifter male get groceries or fill out paperwork for the government or whatever else they need.” Diego held up a folder. “It’s in the file. Even Lieutenant Reid couldn’t disagree.”
“Yeah, I hear Reid can be a real ass**le. He’s pissed as hell at me for letting you have the Warden case at all.”
“Well, then prepare to be surprised, sir. Reid agreed with me to ask that Cassidy’s probation be shortened.”
Captain Max stared. “He did?”
“Probably not out of compassion. I think he just wants his files back. Or me out of his sight. Both, probably.”
“And you want me to sign off on this?”
“Cassidy Warden didn’t intentionally break the law in the first place. She was scared and trying to hide.”
Captain Max gave Diego a half-disgusted look. “You mean you like her, you think she’s hot, and now you feel sorry for her.”
“I can’t lie, sir. She is hot. But Cassidy isn’t dangerous. I don’t think all the widows and orphans should suffer because humans decided that trespassing was a crime for Shifters.”
Captain Max heaved an exasperated sigh. “Listen, Escobar. Personally, I agree with you. It’s a dumb law, she didn’t cause any damage, and no one cares about that rusty hunk of metal in the desert. But damn it, I hate Shifter Division down on my ass. They’re the most anal, annoying shits on the planet. It’s only probation, for God’s sake.”
“But Reid agrees with me,” Diego said. “And his captain likes him.”
Captain Max rubbed his hand over his balding head, climbed to his feet, and snatched the file out of Diego’s hands. “All right. All right. We’ll end your girlfriend’s sentence early for good behavior. I’m sick of Shifter Division looking over my shoulder anyway. But she steps out of line even once—ever—it’s on you.”
“Yes, sir.” Diego wanted to laugh in glee, but he confined himself to a quiet smile. He was looking forward to telling Cassidy that she was free to do as she liked.
Captain Max signed the forms, closed the file, and slid it back to Diego. “Diego,” he said as Diego picked up the folder and started to leave. “Seriously, be careful. If you want to see this woman personally, it could backlash on you and your career. She’s Shifter. Plus, you arrested her.”
“I know that, sir. I’ll be careful.”
“See that you do. I almost lost you once. I don’t want to lose you again.”
“Yes, sir.”
Too late for careful. Diego walked out of his captain’s office with his file, reflecting that he’d just thrown away the excuse he had to visit Cassidy every day. He didn’t like the thought that she might not want him to keep visiting now that she wasn’t under restriction. Or Eric might not want Diego there. Eric had tolerated Diego because he didn’t want to cause trouble for Cassidy. Diego was under no illusion that he and Eric were now friends.
He got a taste of dashed hopes when he called the Warden house to give Cassidy the good news. Cassidy wasn’t there. Jace, who answered the phone, told Diego that Cassidy was over helping Torey and his new mom. But Jace would pass on the message. Jace also thanked Diego warmly for helping Cassidy out, then he hung up.
That was that. Diego stared at his cell phone a long moment in disappointment before he flipped it closed. Yep, he’d moved a long way past careful.
Diego’s hopes rose again when his cell phone rang as he entered his apartment. He dropped the plastic bags of groceries on the counter and flipped open the phone. “Yeah?”
“Diego?”
Everything in the apartment seemed to brighten, but he kept his voice casual. “Hey, Cassidy, what’s up?”
“Thank you.”
Diego wanted to stand there and drink in her voice, the way she sounded truly grateful. He made himself start putting away the food, which mostly meant beer, along with some eggs and tortillas for breakfast.
“No problem. Just keep your nose clean, all right? The shitheads in Shifter Division are still jonesing to arrest you.”
Diego had promised himself that he’d hold himself back from Cassidy, but he’d forgotten how Shifters said good-bye.
Cassidy came against him, her arms going around his neck. Diego leaned down to her, unable to resist, as she held him tight and pressed her cheek against his. “Blessings of the Goddess go with you,” she said in his ear. “Are you coming back to check on me tomorrow?”
Diego pulled away enough to look at her, but he kept his arms around her supple waist. His hands rested on her bare back, her skin oh, so soft.
“My captain made me promise I’d come and see you every day.”
Cassidy’s smile widened. “That’s good. I’ll make sure Jace has a fresh pot of coffee ready for whenever you arrive.”
“Mighty hospitable of you, ma’am.”
Cassidy pulled him close again, let her lips linger on his cheek. “See you, Diego.”
It was all Diego could do to let her go, turn away, and walk across the yard. It was hard to walk with his pants having grown way too tight in the front.
He glanced behind him once and saw Cassidy lean down and Torey run and leap into her arms. She caught up the baby tiger, cuddling him and talking to him. Diego’s heart squeezed, and he found it hard to breathe. He turned away again and pulled his coat closed over his pants so Xavier wouldn’t make fun of him.
“You want to cut her probation short?” Captain Max asked Diego incredulously the next day. “Why?”
“She shops for shut-ins,” Diego said.
Captain Max dropped into his chair, giving Diego his famous stop-the-bullshit look. “She can have a friend do that for her. It’s only another week and a half.”
“I didn’t realize how many people Cassidy Warden actually took care of,” Diego said. “I called her nephew this morning and asked him point-blank. She looks after all the elderly in Shiftertown. All the widows and orphans too.”
“Widows and orphans. Dear God. Stop twanging the heartstrings, Escobar.”
Diego grinned. “She really does. She’s trying to get a kid settled with a foster mother, plus she helps three elderly Shifter females and one elderly Shifter male get groceries or fill out paperwork for the government or whatever else they need.” Diego held up a folder. “It’s in the file. Even Lieutenant Reid couldn’t disagree.”
“Yeah, I hear Reid can be a real ass**le. He’s pissed as hell at me for letting you have the Warden case at all.”
“Well, then prepare to be surprised, sir. Reid agreed with me to ask that Cassidy’s probation be shortened.”
Captain Max stared. “He did?”
“Probably not out of compassion. I think he just wants his files back. Or me out of his sight. Both, probably.”
“And you want me to sign off on this?”
“Cassidy Warden didn’t intentionally break the law in the first place. She was scared and trying to hide.”
Captain Max gave Diego a half-disgusted look. “You mean you like her, you think she’s hot, and now you feel sorry for her.”
“I can’t lie, sir. She is hot. But Cassidy isn’t dangerous. I don’t think all the widows and orphans should suffer because humans decided that trespassing was a crime for Shifters.”
Captain Max heaved an exasperated sigh. “Listen, Escobar. Personally, I agree with you. It’s a dumb law, she didn’t cause any damage, and no one cares about that rusty hunk of metal in the desert. But damn it, I hate Shifter Division down on my ass. They’re the most anal, annoying shits on the planet. It’s only probation, for God’s sake.”
“But Reid agrees with me,” Diego said. “And his captain likes him.”
Captain Max rubbed his hand over his balding head, climbed to his feet, and snatched the file out of Diego’s hands. “All right. All right. We’ll end your girlfriend’s sentence early for good behavior. I’m sick of Shifter Division looking over my shoulder anyway. But she steps out of line even once—ever—it’s on you.”
“Yes, sir.” Diego wanted to laugh in glee, but he confined himself to a quiet smile. He was looking forward to telling Cassidy that she was free to do as she liked.
Captain Max signed the forms, closed the file, and slid it back to Diego. “Diego,” he said as Diego picked up the folder and started to leave. “Seriously, be careful. If you want to see this woman personally, it could backlash on you and your career. She’s Shifter. Plus, you arrested her.”
“I know that, sir. I’ll be careful.”
“See that you do. I almost lost you once. I don’t want to lose you again.”
“Yes, sir.”
Too late for careful. Diego walked out of his captain’s office with his file, reflecting that he’d just thrown away the excuse he had to visit Cassidy every day. He didn’t like the thought that she might not want him to keep visiting now that she wasn’t under restriction. Or Eric might not want Diego there. Eric had tolerated Diego because he didn’t want to cause trouble for Cassidy. Diego was under no illusion that he and Eric were now friends.
He got a taste of dashed hopes when he called the Warden house to give Cassidy the good news. Cassidy wasn’t there. Jace, who answered the phone, told Diego that Cassidy was over helping Torey and his new mom. But Jace would pass on the message. Jace also thanked Diego warmly for helping Cassidy out, then he hung up.
That was that. Diego stared at his cell phone a long moment in disappointment before he flipped it closed. Yep, he’d moved a long way past careful.
Diego’s hopes rose again when his cell phone rang as he entered his apartment. He dropped the plastic bags of groceries on the counter and flipped open the phone. “Yeah?”
“Diego?”
Everything in the apartment seemed to brighten, but he kept his voice casual. “Hey, Cassidy, what’s up?”
“Thank you.”
Diego wanted to stand there and drink in her voice, the way she sounded truly grateful. He made himself start putting away the food, which mostly meant beer, along with some eggs and tortillas for breakfast.
“No problem. Just keep your nose clean, all right? The shitheads in Shifter Division are still jonesing to arrest you.”
