Midnight Moonrising (Moonrising #2)(28)

Alex was almost positive the killer was the same person who had taken Marc's life; coincidences like that didn't happen every day. Plus, it had been Mena's car, not Katie's.

He shuddered for at least the tenth time since he'd received the call from the chief.

Glancing back at the house, he saw something unexpected: Mena, standing on her front porch, arms crossed loosely over her chest and watching him. His heart gave a little flutter at seeing her alive and safe. But for how long? Terror managed to creep its way into his thoughts before he could put a halt on that shit. It made him want to vomit, and puking all over Mena's landscape wouldn't win him any brownie points with her, so he swallowed a few times, desperately trying to get control over his gag reflexes.

"I'm sorry for leaving you like I did. I was just angry over what happened to Katie and… I don't like when other people try to choose what is best for me."

Alex shook his head as he walked up the wide sidewalk to the front steps. Noticing a porch swing out of the corner of his vision, he nodded toward it. "Let's sit and talk."

Uneasily, her gaze moved toward the front door, like she was waiting for something to happen or someone to join her.

"You don't need your bodyguards, Mena, not around me."

She snickered as she walked to the swing. "I was actually waiting for Phoenix. I guess he's still explaining everything to the others."

Alex's brow furrowed as he sat at the opposite end of the swing than she had taken. "I want to ask what he's explaining, but before I do, I would like to ask another question, since we're alone."

"You want to know what Phoenix is to me," she said.


His tongue clucked against his teeth and he leaned forward, letting his elbows rest on his knees, stopping the swing's easy glide. "You told me you weren't having an affair, so I'm at a loss here. It seems to me like he's more than just a friend, but that's what he told me you were to him. I have to be honest, Mena; I don't believe him. It's obvious he's attracted to you."

"Phoenix wants there to be something between us, but I'm not interested in him intimately. He is useful to me in other aspects."

His eyes narrowed. Drugs? He didn't think that was it; Mena was too prim and proper to get wrapped up in something like that. Plus, he hadn't heard any rumors on the Force about Phoenix dealing. What the f*ck would she need him for? "What other aspects would that be?"

The door opened and Phoenix walked out with Daryn and Roel.

Letting the air pass through his teeth in irritation, Alex leaned back, propping his left ankle on his knee and resuming the slow swinging once again. "Never mind."

Phoenix stopped on Mena's side of the swing and let his shoulder rest against the stained wood siding of the house, crossing his arms over his chest as he did so. "Mena has agreed to let us protect her, with a few minor stipulations."

Alex's brow popped up. "Stipulations?" He moved his focus to Mena. She smiled, so he looked back to Phoenix. "Go on."

"Until the killer is found, you and your men can watch over Mena during the day and my men and I will watch over her during the night, at my home—" When Alex began to protest, Phoenix waved his hand through the air. "I can assure you that she will be safe there. Plus, that is not negotiable, so you can save your breath. In the meantime, we are all going to look for Katie's killer. If you agree to do this our way, Mena will share with you what she knows about the killer—"

Alex shot to his feet and glared down at Mena. "You know who did this and you—"

As quickly as he had stood, Roel placed his hand on Alex's shoulder and promptly deposited him back in the swing. Alex sat there a moment, stunned, but Roel just grinned down at him. Did the guy have a Superman cape on under that tight T-shirt? No one had been able to manhandle him that easily since he was fifteen.

The door opened again and several more people walked out onto the porch. He must have been too consumed by his work to see any of them arrive, because none of their faces looked familiar.

Phoenix continued. "Like I was saying, Mena will fill you in on any details we have now as well as anything we find out in the future, but only if you do this our way. This isn't your normal homicide case, detective; I can promise you that much."

Alex cleared his throat and tried his best to relax under the pressure of so many eyes on him. He'd known this case would be different from any other he'd had, and he had a feeling these people weren't going to let him talk about any of it to his superiors. Not that he'd want to, if he knew. That scared him a little. Well, a lot. Yeah—a lot actually better explained how scared he was.

"And what if I agree, but don't like what I hear?"

Phoenix's mouth spread into a big toothy grin, and Alex could have sworn something was different about the guy's teeth. Were his canines longer than normal? No, he thought as he shook his head, it must just be the lighting mixed with the stress of a hectic week playing tricks on my mind. When he looked at Phoenix again, everything appeared normal about his mouth.

"Don't worry, Rhodes, we won't tell you anything that will give you nightmares."

Alex glanced around at the standing bodies, and then his gaze fell on Mena. God, there was nothing that he wouldn't do for her. At least, there was nothing he could think of anyway.