Page 7 of Ogre on Patrol (Monsters, PI #5)

Chapter 7

Ellie

T hain left Crouton with me and went back out to the greenhouse. I would've followed him if my grandmother hadn't detained me. Not physically or with magic but with the sharp look in her eyes I'd long since learned never to ignore.

“I’d like a word if you please,” she said sharply the moment the kitchen door had thudded closed behind Thain. She sank onto the sofa, patting Crouton's head in a distracted way when he came over and whined by her feet. “Explain what that male is doing here.”

“I told you. I hired him to investigate the damage done to my greenhouse.”

“You've filed with your insurance company, I assume.”

“They said they’d be by within a few days to take a look.” Insurance companies were slow to catch on to the value of magical items, unfortunately. I'd receive some money for the damage to the physical structure, plus a bit for the ruined ordrids, but nothing close to the value of the plants themselves. They wouldn’t know how to assess their value.

“Why Thain ?” she asked softly. “Surely there was someone else at that agency you could hire.”

“I went to Monster, PI after the local law enforcement appeared to be going nowhere.” Like insurance companies, human police might be making an effort to help magical beings, but they still hadn't fully caught up to where we were before we went public. And how could they understand? They needed to hire monsters and magicals to handle cases like this. “Thain was the only one available to take my case. I asked for Wolfram, but he was busy.”

“The master vampire would've been a much better choice, but one makes do when one must. Avoid Thain as much as possible and once he's solved your case, you won't need to see him again.”

While she knew what happened between us, most did not. Witches had taken the fall rather than announce the true reason for our break-up. Making scandals like that public benefited no one. I'd never quite understood why we hadn't made a statement about Thain's actions. Why we’d decided to let it slide. We had no reason to protect him.

But in this, I'd let the council decide, and I'd abided by their decision ever since. We weren’t the only ogre-witch matchup, and the others were working out well. No one wanted to destroy our fragile truce after one of the ogres had misbehaved—words named when one of the council members called me to share the guidelines for how I was supposed to act. Forget about it, he said. Don’t speak of what happened. Move on with your life.

Oh, and they were happy to fix me up with another ogre if I was interested.

Like I’d consider jumping into another relationship when my heart had just been sliced in two?

“If nothing else, I believe we can trust him to get to the bottom of this.” Nana's finger stabbed the newspaper lying on the coffee table, where Thain had left it. “Make sure he questions the author of that piece. I'm tempted to have a word with that columnist myself.”

“Let Thain handle it. That's why I'm paying him. I'm sure it's related.” What was going to happen next? Because it was clear someone was out to ruin me. I'd been as good a witch as I could be. I hadn't harmed anyone. My plants made people happy. I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to drive me out of business, though they were doing a good job of it already.

Thain came back inside, the screen door clicking as it swung shut behind him. I rose and joined him in the kitchen. He filled the room with his size, crossing to the sink to wash off his hands before turning to lean against the counter, his gaze locked on me. Such gorgeous eyes. I used to think I could read his thoughts, though that had obviously been proven untrue. Look what he did; I hadn’t seen it coming.

Crouton trotted over and sat in front of him, his tail sweeping back and forth across the floor.

“Nothing new,” Thain said, his deep voice falling into every crevice of the small kitchen. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, letting his words settle between us. “It’s hard with the rain still falling.” A drop plunged to the floor from the end of his hair as if to punctuate that statement. “It’s supposed to clear overnight. I'll come back tomorrow to do some more investigating. I plan to speak with the person who wrote that article and find out all I can about their source.” A grumble vibrated through his chest. “There’s no evidence, and they risk being charged with defamation. I'll also insist on a retraction. With your permission, of course.”

“Yes, thanks. I didn't think of that.”

He flashed me a smile that didn't last long enough. “That's what you're paying me the big bucks for.”

“About your bill?—”

He lifted his hand. “The office handles that. No worries. You're a friend. I'll make sure they give you a good deal.”

“I have savings,” I said stiffly. I wasn't one to take handouts. “I can pay the usual cost.”

His lips thinned, emphasizing his prominent tusks I'd found sexy when I first met him. His species didn't use them to rip through things any longer, but the wilder side of me kept picturing him shredding a few of my intimate things—while I was still wearing them. When we split, I was grateful we hadn't gone all the way. Now, with him standing in my kitchen, reminding me of the good things, not the bad, I felt a twinge of regret. At least I would've had that when he was gone .

We went into the living room.

Nana rose from the sofa, not breaking eye contact with him. “I’ll leave you to do… whatever it is you’re here to do. Please remember the guidelines established by our two species.”

Interactions were allowed but must be done with complete respect. He'd destroyed that with what he did, and there was no respecting that.

Her disdain hung in the air like a blade balanced on an edge. To his credit, Thain didn’t flinch, didn’t bristle one bit, though one of his eyebrows lifted. He inclined his head. “Nice seeing you again, Bea.”

Back then, she'd insisted he call her Nana, but that time was over, and it had been swept under the rug.

Nana sniffed, her lips pressed into that grim line she always reserved for people on her not-worth-my-time list. She swept past him, Crouton circling her legs in a frenzy of goodbye wags. After a quick but fierce hug for me, one strong enough to wring the air from my lungs, she smoothed her already-perfect jacket and headed for the front door, stepping outside and closing it briskly behind her.

After my parents died, she was there for me. Kind and offering to help in any way possible, though I was nineteen and could handle things on my own. I reminded myself of that when she put on her head-of-the-council mask.

Thain’s boots scraped against the floor as he looked between me and the front door. “I should be going too.” His voice came out neutral, but his movements weren’t. He lingered on the edge of the room, his palm braced on the wall beside him.

I didn’t reply, unwilling to prod at whatever it was that kept him standing there. My heart was already a cracked pane of glass, fragile and prone to shattering at the slightest touch. No sense inviting more damage. I tugged my sweater tighter around my body and focused on the clock on the mantel, ticking away in the silence.

“Ellie,” he said, quieter this time, his gaze burning into me. But when I turned my head to meet it, he stopped himself, shrugging like he’d never intended to say anything meaningful. “Never mind. I'll see you... when I see you. Tomorrow, that is. When it’s no longer raining.”

“Of course. I'll be here. Can I start cleaning up?”

“You should wait until after the insurance adjuster looks around.”

“Oh, yeah, right.” I could work in one of the other greenhouses. It was even more important that those plants thrive now that my prize ordrids were a loss. “Thank you.” Surprisingly, it didn't hurt to say that. “I appreciate your help.”

I couldn't do this alone, and this was his field of expertise. In the years after we parted, I’d heard he was working for the equivalent of the ogre CIA. I wasn't sure why he'd moved back to this small town and taken a job that many would find unworthy of his skills, but he had. After seeing him a few months ago and at a distance, I'd done all I could to avoid him. I'd done great with that until this happened. Maybe, once this case was solved, we could…

No, I wasn't going down that route again. The bridge had been burned. The path, too, most likely. Maybe it was time I forged a new trail, one with someone new.

Crouton beat him to the back door, yipping as Thain followed. I trailed behind, stuffing my feet into my rain boots, then holding the door open for him to leave.

Thain lingered on the porch, water dripping off the eaves and onto his face. Cool night mist curled around his boots. Crouton darted between us, hopping down onto the lawn where he paused to sniff a tuft of wet grass before snorting and trotting back up to bump against Thain’s shin. I tipped my head back to watch Thain, my grip tightening on the doorframe.

“Are you alright being alone here?” His deep voice cut through the air thickening between us.

“I’ll manage.” My tone came out clipped, but not harsh. The last thing I needed was to sound like I was fishing for reassurance. Back then, I would've leaned on him without hesitation, but I wasn’t that naive girl anymore.

Thain’s eyes roamed my face like he was memorizing it, and a muscle in his jaw ticked. “Alright. In between then, I’ll do more digging into our suspects. I might find more information online or here in town with subtle questions. Call me if anything changes.”

I gave him a small nod, and unable to resist despite the steady drizzle, followed him out onto the lawn, the chilly fall air biting through my sweater. Why was I out here? My hair was going to get wet, and when that happened, it frizzed.

The gravel on the walkway crunched softly under his boots, and he moved his big frame with that ridiculous, easy grace he always had. He stopped at his truck, reaching for the door handle before turning back toward me.

For a moment, his expression seemed indecisive, but then he raised one hand in a small wave. “Take care, Ellie.”

“You too.” I folded my arms tight across my chest.

I turned to head back inside but Crouton, clearly feeling neglected in all this drama, zipped between my feet at breakneck speed.

And like a perfectly timed curse, he tripped me.

My footing dissolved beneath me, and I flailed my arms as my center of gravity gave up completely. Before I even had time to shriek, something solid—no, someone solid—caught me.

Thain’s large hands wrapped around my waist, lifting me enough to stop the fall. He straightened me, the heat of his hands seeping through every layer of my clothing as he pulled me against his chest.

My heartbeat drummed much too loud in the space between us.

“Watch where you’re walking,” he rumbled, his voice dangerously close to the top of my head. It wasn’t a mocking tone, but there was a teasing warmth there that made my insides twist. “Or is this your way of making sure I don’t leave right away? ”

I shoved against his chest, trying to put distance between us. “You're too stuck on yourself.” My voice came out sharp, and I looked up at him.

He was too handsome tonight. The porch light hit his face, softening his features into something beyond gorgeous. Not that I’d admit it.

I wasn’t prepared for the way he was staring at me. No teasing grin now. Only the quiet intensity of his eyes boring into mine.

“Ellie.” My name sounded different on his tongue this time. And the way his voice dipped sent an unwanted shiver racing across my skin.

“I should?—”

His lips captured mine.

The kiss wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t some animalistic, desperate thing either. No, Thain kissed me like he had all the time in the world. His big hands slid up to cradle my face, as if holding me together was the most natural thing he could do. His lips were firm but careful, like he was remembering how I liked to be kissed and like he was testing whether I’d let him or smack him away.

The ridiculous part of all this was, I loved kissing this male more than any other.

I hated myself for it, but I leaned into him, coiling my fingers into the fabric of his shirt as his mouth tilted to better fit against mine.

He tasted like something I hadn’t realized I'd missed. Warmth and restraint laced with the faintest hint of a mint he must've eaten earlier. His tusks brushed against the corners of my mouth, and that light contact alone sparked heat deep in my belly. Memories I’d locked away broke free in a flash. He used to kiss me like this all the time.

Back when we still trusted each other.

His thumb grazed my cheek in a maddeningly gentle move, and my resolve fractured. Maybe it was how his kiss was more careful than any from an ogre should be. Or maybe it was how, for one disorienting second, I’d forgotten about the mess between us.

But when he finally pulled back and stared down at me, his golden-brown eyes searching mine, reality crashed across me like a cold wave.

“What—” my voice caught, and I took a step back, my hand fumbling at my mouth as if I could wipe away the rekindling emotions rolling through me. “What are you doing?”

Some fleeting emotion crossed his face—regret or longing? Before I could name it, he stepped back too.

“Helping you not fall,” he said simply, without a shred of humor in his voice.

As swiftly as he’d caught me, he bent down to scoop up Crouton, who’d sat in the grass. Cradling the dog, Thain turned toward his truck, his broad shoulders tense as he opened the door and climbed inside. He secured a buckle in the passenger seat to the dog's harness, his face unreadable while he did it.

I didn’t move; I couldn’t. I stood on my lawn, rain drenching through my clothing, drawing shallow breaths. I was utterly useless as he shut his door, and his truck roared to life. I expected him to pull away immediately, but he didn’t. The truck sat there, rumbling low, his silhouette visible through the water-splattered window. Finally, the sound of his tires crunching on the gravel pulled me out of my haze in time to lift a hand as if it was perfectly natural for me to wave goodbye.

To kiss him.

I stayed there until his taillights finally became two faint red dots swallowed by the darkness. Only then did I turn and go back inside, where I shut and locked the door and leaned my back against it. I pressed a finger against my lips. They still tingled.

“What the hell are you doing, Ellie?” I whispered.

I already knew the answer. Whatever this was between us, it was dangerous, and possibly stupid on my part.

And I wasn’t sure I wanted it to stop.