Eric growled again, but the man paid no attention, sprawling on the couch in his naked glory.
Diego pulled out his badge and shoved it under the human man’s nose. “Out.”
The woman managed to hide herself as she fled through the open door. The young man eyed the badge, heaved a long sigh, picked up his pants, and shambled drunkenly after her.
Shane closed and locked the door behind him.
Diego tucked away his badge. “Five minutes,” he said.
“You stink,” Shane said. “Hell, I even started liking you.”
“I took a shower,” Diego said. “And my clothes are clean. Washed them last weekend at my mom’s. She insisted.”
Shane continued growling, claws showing. Diego knew he should be afraid—Shane could make short work of him, even with his Collar, and it remained to be seen whether Eric would stop Shane or not, pledge or no pledge.
But Diego felt no fear. Maybe because he’d gotten to know Eric and Cassidy a little, or maybe because he sensed that they, at least, were more worried and puzzled than angry.
Or maybe because they were on the ground floor. No heights, and Diego Escobar was one brave guy.
Cassidy stepped in front of Diego. “Leave him alone, Shane.”
“Cass, he’s been with Fae.”
“Fae?” Diego asked. “What’s Fae?”
“The Fair Folk,” Eric said in his mild voice.
“You mean fairies?” Diego stared at Eric in amazement. “You believe that?”
“Of course we believe it,” Shane said. “The bastards made us.”
“They’re real, Diego,” Eric said. “I’ve fought the Fae. I almost died against them. They kill Shifters, and they laugh about it. They made sure we were put in these.” He tapped his Collar. “They want us as we were—their slaves to hunt and kill for them. You’ve been in contact with one recently. I smell it on you now, and I smelled it when you came to the house yesterday.”
Diego sniffed, but he couldn’t smell anything but his own sweat and the sweet scent of Cassidy next to him. “I haven’t met any fairies. I think I’d remember that.”
Cassidy’s jade eyes were full of worry. “They can look human, Diego. That hunter up in the mountains, he smelled like Fae.”
“Cass,” Eric rumbled.
“He needs to know this, Eric. If he’s had contact with a Fae, he’s in as much danger as we are.” She turned back to Diego. “Have you talked to anyone lately you didn’t know? Or who looked suspicious?”
“How would I know? What do these fairies look like? Do they have wings?”
“No wings,” Shane growled in disgust. “They have dark eyes. It’s like looking into voids.”
“They’re blond or white haired,” Cassidy said. “Very fair skinned. Plus, they can’t touch iron. It makes them sick. They fashion their weapons from silver and bronze.”
Diego considered. “I haven’t talked to anyone off the force except during the drug bust I just finished, and all those guys carried plenty of iron. Or steel. Knives, pistols, machine guns, you name it. No one upchucking when steel handcuffs were slapped on them either. Could it be someone here in the club? Maybe someone I walked by when I came in. Or at the grocery store? I stopped for food on my way home.”
“No.” Eric shook his head. “It’s faint, but I’m guessing you spent a little time with him or her, at least. Not here. I would have noticed a Fae in the club or in the parking lot.”
Diego had gone to Captain Max’s office before he’d left work tonight. But Captain Maxwell was about five feet six, with a fringe of brown hair, though he had very dark eyes. No blond hair or pointed ears—plus he always carried a Glock.
“It could have been a half Fae,” Cassidy said. “They can look more human.”
“This is too strong for a half Fae,” Eric said. “The Fae scent wouldn’t linger on Diego so much. I’d say full.”
“Can’t think of anyone,” Diego said. His watch beeped. “Time’s up.”
Eric studied him thoughtfully, but Shane was still angry. “We can’t trust humans, Eric. I always said so. Let me get the truth out of him.”
“Leave it, Shane,” Eric said.
“I think we’re done here,” Diego said. He turned around, only to find himself facing the wall of Shane. The man could move fast for someone so big.
Shane topped Diego by several inches. His face was changing into the bear-man’s Diego had faced outside Cassidy’s bedroom, his fingers again razor-sharp claws.
Diego looked straight into Shane’s eyes. “Move.”
Shane didn’t move. Neither did Eric or Cassidy, though Diego sensed Cassidy ready to spring at Shane. Eric had laughed when Diego had refused to be intimidated by Shane, but he wasn’t laughing now. The man was waiting to see who won the battle of wills, Diego realized. They were establishing dominance.
“Understand something,” Diego said to Shane in a careful voice. “I know I can’t fight you one-on-one. I don’t have the strength. You could kill me right now, and I’m betting that your Collar wouldn’t slow you down fast enough to save me. But I will promise that if anything happens to me back here, you’ll be facing Xavier. Trust me, you don’t want to. Xav might act like a guy who lives to party, but he’s got a lot more anger in him than I do. If something happens to me, he’ll go for you, and he won’t stop for anything.”
A spark jumped on Shane’s Collar. Cassidy stood rigidly beside Diego, and Eric waited, quietly, for the outcome.
“Eric,” Cassidy said softly. “Stop this.”
Eric said nothing. Diego figured Eric would have a reason for not intervening, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Was he testing Diego? And why?
“He’s been with Fae, Cass,” Shane said. “We can’t trust him. You can’t trust him.”
Cassidy kept her gaze on her brother. “Eric, let me vouch for him.”
Eric’s quiet stance vanished. “No.”
At the same time, Shane said, “Don’t you dare let her.”
“No, it makes sense,” Cassidy said. “My fault for bringing him here tonight. My fault for bringing him to Shiftertown at all. There’s a lot of Shifters out there, and if he’s going to be safe from them, they need to know he’s protected. You’re leader, you’re needed. You can’t pay the price. But I can.”