Succubus. The name was familiar to Todd. He’d heard about a succubus before, and the male version, the incubus. He’d read about them back in college in one of his medieval studies classes that he’d taken, hoping for an easy A, but managing to drag out a low B.
A succubus was a kind of…sex demon.
Cara’s image flashed in front of his eyes and an icy spear of awareness pressed right into his heart.
Oh, shit. No way, she couldn’t be a—
“Succubus.” McNeal whistled soundlessly. “Met one of ’em once. About ten years ago. Sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.” He coughed.
“Well, almost ever seen.”
Cara was damn well the sexiest thing he’d ever seen, but that still didn’t mean—
“I’ve been doing research on succubi,” Colin said, eyes hard and intent on Todd. “Talked with Em some more, hit the local occult shops right before I came in.” A brief smile. “Those places are always open—works for the clientele, you know.”
Todd made a mental note to hit the same shops. A bit of research reading was definitely in order.
“From what I’ve learned, the succubi tend to be extremely territorial. It’s rare to find more than a couple in the same city.”
“And do we know of a succubus in Atlanta?” McNeal asked.
Colin looked at Todd. Too much knowledge was in his stare.
No.
“I said, do we know of a succubus in Atlanta?” The captain repeated, voice rising.
The spear drove deeper into his heart and the pain stole his breath for a moment when Colin said, “Yeah, we do. Her name’s Cara Maloan, and she was our original suspect in the killings.”
Todd’s face burned fiery hot, then shot to icy cold as pinpricks flew over his skin. A sex demon.
“Then get her ass in here, now. ” McNeal’s thin lips tightened. “But be careful. I’ve heard stories. A succubus can steal a man’s mind. Drive him crazy with lust…and kill him as he begs for her touch.”
The captain’s warning came too late for Todd.
A steady rage began to burn inside him. “Cara’s not the killer,” he snarled.
“Fuck.” Grim understanding was in the one word. “Brooks—what the hell have you done to my case?”
He met that gray stare without so much as a blink. “Cara isn’t a killer. Her alibis checked out—”
“And if those alibis were given by humans, she could’ve planted the damn suggestions! Shit, Brooks, she’s a demon, you can’t trust her—”
He wanted to. “I saw her reaction to the news of House’s death. The woman hurt. She’s not a killer.” His gut told him that.
“That’s your dick talking,” McNeal snapped.
Todd stepped forward, body tense.
McNeal glared right back at him. “Gyth…” He never took his eyes off Todd. “Bring her in.”
He felt, rather than saw, his partner’s hesitation. “Her story checked out, Captain—and the alibis—they were given by demons and a witch, not humans.”
“Like demons and witches don’t lie.” McNeal shook his head. “I want Ms. Firon here to-damn-day. ”
Todd realized that his hands were clenched into fists. “You’re wasting time.”
“Gyth—get out of here.” McNeal barked the order, then glared at Todd a full minute before saying, “Brooks, you’d better start talking—fast—and let me know why I should keep you on this case. If Cara’s guilty—”
“She’s not.” Gut, psychic edge, whatever the hell it was—every instinct he possessed screamed her innocence.
The woman had lied to him, though. A sex demon. Shit. She should have told him—
“You’d damn well better prove she’s not involved in these killings—convince me, or your lover is going to find her ass in jail.”
She was back in the station again. Back in the same dingy interrogation room. Sitting at the same scarred table and sitting in the same chair that tilted slightly to the right.
And Cara was pissed.
“Why isn’t Detective Todd Brooks in here?” She demanded, glaring at the stony visage of his partner.
Gyth shrugged. “Because I’ve got questions for you.”
Screw his questions—and screw him. “Does he know what you’ve done? That you dragged me out of my house—”
“Politely escorted—”
“Handcuffed me—”
“For your own protection—”
“Cut my hair—”
“You agreed to that sample—”
“And put me back in this shitty room—”
He cleared his throat. “Interrogation rooms aren’t supposed to be pretty.”
Her nails tapped against the table top. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I was under the impression we’d already done this dance before. My alibis checked out, remember? I even got a nice apology from your partner.”
“You left out a few facts when you were here before.” He pulled out the chair on the opposite side of the table. Flipped it around.
Straddled it as he sat down.
Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Well, like the fact that you’re a demon. You didn’t mention that little tidbit the first time around.”
He’d told her secret. “Todd…discussed that with you?” It hurt. In the heart that others had said she didn’t have. To think that Todd had run straight from her bed to the station so that he could tell his buddies what a freak of nature she was—
Cara straightened her shoulders. “I want to see him.”
“Don’t think that’s the best idea,” he murmured.
Like she gave half a rat’s ass what he thought. Her nails scraped over the old wood. “Look, shifter—”
His jaw tensed. “How do you—”
“I want to see Todd. If I don’t see him, I’m done talking. Done being the good citizen and putting up with all this bullshit.” She’d call Niol, and he’d make the cops sorry they’d even thought to question her. “You don’t want to mess with me. I’ve got friends—
you can’t even imagine how strong they are. Not even in your darkest dreams.”
He leaned forward. “You threatening me?”
Cara shrugged. She was done talking. Unless she got to see Todd.
“He’s been watching you.” Gyth pointed his index finger toward the mirror. “Listening to you.”