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Morley chuckled.

The hybrid barely spared him a glance.

“I really think you should take the bag,” the silver-eyed creature said. “I fear you will very much regret it, if you don’t.”

Nick sighed.

Glancing into the metallic shopping bag a second time at the featureless box, then at the featureless pouch below the box, which took up the bottom third of the bag, Nick quirked an eyebrow. He looked up at the preternaturally handsome hybrid, noting the silver of his hair exactly matched his mercury-colored irises.

“It’s not going to explode, is it?” he joked.

The hybrid wasn’t a funny-guy type.

“Certainly not,” he said briskly. “I think you will like this gift, Detective. I think you will appreciate the contents very much. Particularly right now.”

He emphasized the “right now” part just the tiniest bit.

Nick frowned a little, but only nodded.

He had his doubts.

Still, something in the way the hybrid said that last part, or maybe something in his overall demeanor––not to mention his insanely expensive clothing––finally convinced Nick that the present really had come from the CEO of Archangel.

“Okay,” he said.

He took the handles of the bag gingerly from the hybrid’s fingers.

As soon as he had, the other male released it at once.

Without another word, silver eyes turned on his heel.

He walked back to a waiting vehicle.

Nick hadn’t even noticed that specific car idling there, not amongst the disjointed sea of police vehicles, ambulances, I.S.F. cruisers, and private cars and trucks. He didn’t pick it out of that crowded parking lot until the hybrid walked directly towards it.

The car waiting there wasn’t quite a limousine, but it was close.

Nick watched the hybrid disappear into the back of the cream-colored car.

He watched the door close.

The instant it had, the vehicle began to move.

Morley and Nick watched as it pulled around the circular driveway and headed for the outside road, picking up speed as soon as it reached the paved straightaway.

The car soon disappeared among the trees.

Morley grunted.

Nick made a noise of his own.

The two of them exchanged looks.

Then Morley burst out in a laugh, holding up his hands.

“Don’t look at me, Detective.” He grinned, shaking his graying head, half in disbelief. “Jesus, you’ve got some weird-ass friends.”

Nick didn’t have a good comeback for that.