Page 3 of High Stakes and Soulmates (Fanged Mistakes #3)

“Yeah, we’ve gone through the trash in the house. Nothing incriminating. Then again, at that point we didn’t know that they might have been in contact with something dead,” I tell him.

“I don’t know what kind of body it is, though. I mean, it could have been a dead animal for all I know. Would you like me to sniff around the yard?”

“Sure,” I say, and he bows his head. I’m extremely confused about what this means until Maeve mimes petting it, and I give him a look of disbelief. “I’m not petting your head.”

“Well, that’s no fun,” he whines when he starts for the door. “You might not get my top-tier service, then. Will you at least come with me?”

I sigh and follow him outside. He’s practically skipping as we walk out together, all eyes on us. “You know people would stare at us less if you were more inconspicuous?”

“Are you talking about moi? I am phenomenal at blending in with the humans. Humans adore me. You’re the only one who doesn’t,” he says, trailing off a bit there at the end. But in no time, his smile is back in full force. “Anyway, I will be your scent dog. Would you like me down on all fours?”

“Literally there is nothing I’d want less than that as my coworkers watch us in wonder,” I retort.

“Someone made a joke the other day about how odd it was you only worked at night ‘like a vampire,’ and then he laughed and laughed, and then I had to laugh because I felt it would be more suspicious if I didn’t. ”

“He should be a detective,” Ezio says before chuckling at his own joke. I quickly stop talking about vampires when I see one of my fellow detectives walking over and smiling at me.

He’s a handsome man named Zach who was transferred to the department earlier this year. “Hey, I wanted to let you know that I found an odd note in the trash can. It’s one of those things where it’s likely nothing, but I did mark it for you to look at.”

“Thank you,” I say, which earns me another smile. “We’re under the impression that the blood on the wall isn’t the woman’s blood. I’d like to test to see if it’s the man’s. But I also want to know if there are any signs of them having disposed of any clothes, gloves, or anything like that.”

“They as in the killer?”

“The man and his wife,” I clarify.

Zach looks confused but nods. “Of course. I’ll keep an eye out. Did you find something out here?”

“Not yet, we’re just looking. There were possible signs that they’d handled something decomposing before they died. We wanted to make sure it wasn’t a pet or something of the like.”

His brow furrows. “I’d love to hear how you came to that conclusion.”

I sweep my flashlight and kind of hope he heads off so I don’t have to explain anymore. Meanwhile, Ezio is over here glaring daggers at Zach, who flashes his smile onto him.

“It’s always such a pleasure to see you,” Zach says, having no idea the man is a vampire and vampires are a thing to be afraid of. “What do you do for work again?”

“Odd jobs here and there, mostly for Casimir Madry’s many businesses,” Ezio explains, which could be the truth, but it really just seems like whenever I see him he’s off fucking around with Julian and Casimir.

I honestly rarely see them do any work. I understand Casimir not doing much because he’s managed to get his hotels to run themselves, and Julian works at the university teaching evening classes, but Ezio…

I really have no idea what Ezio does. I’m also afraid that if I ask, he’ll mistake me as being “interested” in him.

“You have a really nice car,” Zach says, and Ezio perks up.

“Why thank you! I had to buy a new one because my last one got totaled. It was absolutely heartbreaking. I even shed a tear, didn’t I, Cyrus?”

I’m not sure I was present to see that. “Uh… yeah.”

“Was this when Cyrus locked you up in a jail cell for the night or after that?” Zach asks.

Ezio laughs and pats my back. “Cyrus is such a kidder. I really didn’t think he’d leave me there all day! I thought it was a joke. Like who tosses their consultant into a jail cell?”

“You know why,” I say. “I was just trying to remind you why you should be on your best behavior.”

“I’m always on my best behavior!”

I’m not sure my eyebrow can lift any higher if he thinks he was on his best behavior knocking a detective unconscious and then throwing the officer’s car.

He must agree because he seems to drop the subject.

I’m really not seeing much out here, but I keep swinging my flashlight back and forth. Maybe we’ll get a better read in the morning.

Zach reaches out and squeezes my shoulder, and I’m confused until he holds out another flashlight. “Try this one. It’s significantly brighter.”

“Thanks,” I say as I take it, and Ezio grabs my other shoulder. “What?”

He freezes, hand still on my shoulder, looking like he’s prepared to leave it here for the rest of our lives. “Oh, nothing at all, ha ha. Nothing important, really. There was a lightning bug on your shoulder. Yes, that was it,” he says, and it very much sounds like it wasn’t it.

“I see. Anyway, I’m not seeing anything of interest out here,” I state. “Ezio?”

“No, nothing that I’ve noticed,” he replies, but he seems to only be able to notice Zach. I feel like Ezio could have trampled across a dead body and wouldn’t have even noticed because his eyes won’t stray from Zach.

“I guess let’s head back inside. We’ll get the sinks tested as well as their hands and go from there,” I say.

Zach stops me before I get too far. “Hey… Cyrus… could you see me for a moment before you go? I’d like a few words before you head home for the night.”

I hesitate, not quite sure what that’s about, but Zach is all smiles, telling me that I have a pretty good idea. The look of absolute horror on Ezio’s face tells me that he has the same idea.

“Yeah, sure,” I say. “I’ll catch you before I leave.”

Zach gives me a big smile and a wave like he’s going off on an adventure and not a few feet back to the house where I’ll see him in a matter of minutes.

Now that he’s gone, all I have is Ezio, who is standing there like Medusa has turned him to stone.

And of course he looks like he’s become some marble Roman god.

“C-Cyrus! C-Cyrus. Listen to me… I think that man just said something concerning. I really think it was like a threat and you really, really shouldn’t talk to him before you leave.

What… what if he is the killer? You really should avoid him. ”

“Why?” I ask.

“He… he… he stared at you like you’re fresh meat, and he was starving,” Ezio declares.

“So it’s okay for you to but not him?” I ask, even though I’m positive Zach wasn’t.

Ezio deflates. “Woe is me.”

“That ‘woe is me’ shit doesn’t work on me like it does on Julian,” I inform him. “I don’t date vampires.” Or maybe it’s better to just say I don’t date at all but before I can, Ezio’s already on to the next topic.

“Why? Is it because of our life spans? Are you afraid I’ll suffer living without you? Because I’ll merrily turn you. The moment you give the word, I will make you my undead lover.”

I grimace at how casually he mentions such a thing. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” Ezio asks.

“Don’t joke about that shit.”

He seems hesitant as he says, “It… wasn’t a joke.”

“I don’t want to be a vampire,” I say, maybe a bit too sharply since he merely looks away from me and nods.

It’s not that I like being sharp with him, it’s that I want him to find someone else.

I can’t date a vampire. I cannot let myself be drawn into that world.

I shouldn’t even be interacting with them, but I have to…

I have to use them… and as soon as he realizes that’s all I’m doing, he’s not going to want a thing to do with me anyway.

Really, it’s best for him to move on and find someone who wants to be with him in a way I can’t.

Ezio doesn’t mention any more about it as we go into the house, and I find myself feeling bad that I’ve upset him. But if I apologize now, won’t it just encourage him? Fuck… why is this shit so hard?

And while I’m stuck trying to push all of that out of my head, he sets to work scrutinizing every part of the house and checking over the note Zach found, but by the end, we have little to show for it.

“Well, I guess I’ll get going. Let me know what the tests turn up. While we wait, I’m going to look into some things. I’ll call a meeting with the vampires and see if I can sense anything off.”

“Thank you. I can attend, just let me know when it is.”

“Good, I’ll see you there,” he says, then he gives me a wink and a smile before turning.

“What were you depressed about?” I ask before he can get too far away.

Ezio hesitates and glances back at me with a questioning look. “What’s that?”

“When I walked in, you said you were hugging on Julian because you were depressed about something.”

His grin falls and a serious expression takes over, surprising me. “Oh, I was just being dramatic and wanted an excuse to hug the floof. Julian is quite easy to sucker.”

I know he’s lying to me, but I also know that I’m not allowed to care enough to ask about it. Because the moment I start caring, everything gets that much harder. And I feel like I might fall apart if it gets even harder than this. “I see.”

“Have a good night, Cyrus. Sweet dreams.”

“Yeah… you too.”

I find Maeve watching the bodies being removed now that we’re finished with them here.

There’s nothing else here we can do with them, so a medical examiner will be the next stop, and hopefully, they can confirm a few things.

“I’m heading out so I can get a few hours of sleep before I come back in the morning. ”

Maeve nods, looking as tired as I feel. “Me too.”

I find Zach not too far away. He’s leaning against his car, evidently waiting for me as I walk over to him.

If he’s ready to confess to me like Ezio thinks, I really don’t want to even go over there.

I don’t want to hurt his feelings when I shoot him down.

He’s a nice guy and all, but the last thing I need is someone tying me down when I have shit to do…

and putting their life at risk. “What was it you wanted to talk about?”

Zach rubs his head. “I… uh… feel like a teenager. This is so stupid. Ha ha… but I’m so tired of being shot down. I just… I was hoping since you’re friends with Ezio, you could tell me if he happens to date men?”

I hesitate as I realize that Ezio had nothing to worry about. It wasn’t me Zach was interested in but him. It’s almost enough to make me laugh, but I manage to catch myself before Zach thinks I’m laughing at him.

Well, obviously Ezio doesn’t mind men, and if he started dating Zach, he would stop wanting to date me.

Honestly, it’d be ideal. Zach’s a pretty good guy and Ezio is…

strange but he’s a good guy too. I mean…

I guess Ezio is a vampire, but there’s nothing keeping him from dating humans.

He certainly has no problem with me, and I’m a human.

“I’m sorry if this was inappropriate,” Zach says, probably because I’ve just been standing here staring at him and contemplating far too many things.

“Sorry, I’m just half asleep, I think. Uh… you know, I guess I’m not sure if he’s gay or not. I can ask him.”

What.

The fuck.

Was that?

I can ask him ? Like why the hell would I lie to Zach?

I quickly shake my head. “I mean… I think he is. Ha…” Yeah, there we go. Fuck, what’s wrong with me? “I don’t know if he’s dating anyone right now, but at least you know he’s not straight, right? Ha.” What is with all the awkward as fuck “Ha”s?

Could I sound more awkward? Could I sound any more like I have absolutely no idea what’s going on? Have I lost my mind? Possibly, right?

Not possibly, probably . That’s the real answer. Most definitely.

“I mean… unless you’re interested in him. Oh my god. You are, aren’t you? It’s so clear, why didn’t I see it before? I’m so sorry?—”

“NO! I mean, no. Honestly. No. We’re not… at all.”

“Yeah?” Zach asks, looking excited. “Okay. Thanks. Next time I see him, I’ll ask him out. He seems like a really fun guy.”

“Yeah… well, I’m out of here to finally get some sleep. What about you?”

“Same. Have a good night.”

“Thanks, you too.”

I sigh and head back to my car while my mind reels. It should be focused on the dead bodies. I should be thinking about how I’m going to figure this all out, and instead, I’m off wrapped up in some odd montage of Zach dating Ezio and how it’ll turn out if he finds out vampires are real.

I drive home and, after a quick shower, I head straight to my room and fall down on my bed, not sure I could get up even if someone busted through my door right this minute.