Wild Cat (Shifters Unbound #3)(26)
Author: Jennifer Ashley

Diego grinned. “She really does. She’s trying to get a kid settled with a foster mother, plus she helps three elderly Shifter females and one elderly Shifter male get groceries or fill out paperwork for the government or whatever else they need.” Diego held up a folder. “It’s in the file. Even Lieutenant Reid couldn’t disagree.”

“Yeah, I hear Reid can be a real ass**le. He’s pissed as hell at me for letting you have the Warden case at all.”

“Well, then prepare to be surprised, sir. Reid agreed with me to ask that Cassidy’s probation be shortened.”

Captain Max stared. “He did?”

“Probably not out of compassion. I think he just wants his files back. Or me out of his sight. Both, probably.”

“And you want me to sign off on this?”

“Cassidy Warden didn’t intentionally break the law in the first place. She was scared and trying to hide.”

Captain Max gave Diego a half-disgusted look. “You mean you like her, you think she’s hot, and now you feel sorry for her.”

“I can’t lie, sir. She is hot. But Cassidy isn’t dangerous. I don’t think all the widows and orphans should suffer because humans decided that trespassing was a crime for Shifters.”

Captain Max heaved an exasperated sigh. “Listen, Escobar. Personally, I agree with you. It’s a dumb law, she didn’t cause any damage, and no one cares about that rusty hunk of metal in the desert. But damn it, I hate Shifter Division down on my ass. They’re the most anal, annoying shits on the planet. It’s only probation, for God’s sake.”

“But Reid agrees with me,” Diego said. “And his captain likes him.”

Captain Max rubbed his hand over his balding head, climbed to his feet, and snatched the file out of Diego’s hands. “All right. All right. We’ll end your girlfriend’s sentence early for good behavior. I’m sick of Shifter Division looking over my shoulder anyway. But she steps out of line even once—ever—it’s on you.”

“Yes, sir.” Diego wanted to laugh in glee, but he confined himself to a quiet smile. He was looking forward to telling Cassidy that she was free to do as she liked.

Captain Max signed the forms, closed the file, and slid it back to Diego. “Diego,” he said as Diego picked up the folder and started to leave. “Seriously, be careful. If you want to see this woman personally, it could backlash on you and your career. She’s Shifter. Plus, you arrested her.”

“I know that, sir. I’ll be careful.”

“See that you do. I almost lost you once. I don’t want to lose you again.”

“Yes, sir.”

Too late for careful. Diego walked out of his captain’s office with his file, reflecting that he’d just thrown away the excuse he had to visit Cassidy every day. He didn’t like the thought that she might not want him to keep visiting now that she wasn’t under restriction. Or Eric might not want Diego there. Eric had tolerated Diego because he didn’t want to cause trouble for Cassidy. Diego was under no illusion that he and Eric were now friends.

He got a taste of dashed hopes when he called the Warden house to give Cassidy the good news. Cassidy wasn’t there. Jace, who answered the phone, told Diego that Cassidy was over helping Torey and his new mom. But Jace would pass on the message. Jace also thanked Diego warmly for helping Cassidy out, then he hung up.

That was that. Diego stared at his cell phone a long moment in disappointment before he flipped it closed. Yep, he’d moved a long way past careful.

Diego’s hopes rose again when his cell phone rang as he entered his apartment. He dropped the plastic bags of groceries on the counter and flipped open the phone. “Yeah?”

“Diego?”

Everything in the apartment seemed to brighten, but he kept his voice casual. “Hey, Cassidy, what’s up?”

“Thank you.”

Diego wanted to stand there and drink in her voice, the way she sounded truly grateful. He made himself start putting away the food, which mostly meant beer, along with some eggs and tortillas for breakfast.

“No problem. Just keep your nose clean, all right? The shitheads in Shifter Division are still jonesing to arrest you.”

“I’ll be careful.” She kind of blew through the phrase, which wasn’t reassuring, but for now he didn’t care what Cassidy said. He only liked listening to her voice. “We’re going to Coolers tonight to celebrate me getting sprung. Want to join us?”

Hell, yes.

Coolers was a Shifter club—that is, a human-owned club Shifters frequented. Thinking about Cassidy there, dancing in that tight blue dress, made his heart beat double-time. This is why I’m glad I’m a man.

“Diego?”

“What?” Diego shoved the fantasies aside. “Sure, I can meet you.”

“Excellent. Ask Xavier to come too—Lindsay will be there.” Cassidy laughed. “She only reminded me about ten times today to ask you that.”

“Xavier. Right.” Not as good as Cassidy begging him to meet her somewhere alone, somewhere dark, somewhere romantic, but he’d take what he could.

“I can’t wait. We’ll be there around ten. See you, Diego.”

She hung up.

Diego stood staring at the phone, his heart beating off the scale, the plastic bottle of milk he held warming in his hand. When condensation rolled down his fingers, he jumped, shoved the milk into the fridge, closed the door, and hit his speed dial.

“Xav. We’re going to Coolers tonight. Don’t argue, just be there at ten.” Diego clicked off in the middle of Xav’s startled, “Sure thing.”

CHAPTER NINE

By ten that night, Cassidy was so wound up she thought she’d have to shift and run around the parking lot to work it off. She settled for dancing, shimmying around the middle of the floor with Lindsay while male groupies drooled on themselves.

Coolers was one of the few clubs in town that let in Shifters. Most club owners didn’t like the “element” Shifters drew, preferring to cater to rich tourists, but the Shifter-admitting clubs did a bang-up business.

Shifter groupies were humans who wore fake Collars, dressed in skimpy clothes or biker leather, painted on whiskers, and lived for contact with Shifters. Most groupies were happy to simply stand near a Shifter; others wanted full-on sex. Shifters, both male and female, were libidinous as a rule, so the sex seekers didn’t always go home disappointed.