APEX

Ch. 5: Neutral Isle

"You're underestimating humanity's sense of justice. They don't forget as easily as you want them to." She leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. "I have my work cut out for me, don't I?"

I took a moment to turn inward as well, ignoring the throngs of protestors in favor of the more favorable aesthetic gracing the inside of her mother's car. This was neither the time nor the place to fixate on the way Calla's skirt had been pushed partway up her thigh as she shifted in her seat. It was hard to ignore how close she was, though, how close that bare leg was and where that bare leg led... I could almost forget I was on Neutral Isle surrounded by people who wanted to shoot me and turn my pelt into living room décor.

"We'll be clear in a minute," Neil said to us over the car's intercom system from behind the soundproof glass dividing the front and back seats.

Police stood in front of concrete barricades, creating a clear pathway into the garage. Once we were inside, it was as though the crowds didn't exist. The vacuum of sound steadied my nerves. This was fine. I was fine.

Detective Kim, flanked by several armed OWA officers met us at the elevator doors. "Rhys, good to see you." He grabbed my hand, and I pulled him in for a bro hug.

"Dev, my man. How's it going?"

"Living the dream." He pulled back and turned to Calla, his body language going from surfer dude to Marine recruiter in less than two seconds. "Miss Bardot."

"Detective Kim. Shall we wait for the other two or head up now?"

By the other two, I took it to mean she still expected my brothers to roll into the parking lot. Time to disabuse her of her naivety. "About that. They're not coming."

"What?" Calla's face turned a shade of crimson that managed to break through her foundation. "You told me they were meeting us here."

"Sure. They were, for like, two seconds. And then they backed out."

"Unbelievable. Did you know this the whole way here?"

As fun as it was to witness her frustration, the anger radiating from her made me want to break my confident stance and step back. Alarmed that I would have that thought, I strode towards her instead. Challenging, affirming my position, towering. "Neutral Isle smells like onions and it's like, the worst place in the world. No offense," I nodded to Dev. "But it really does suck. You're lucky you convinced me to show up. I can relay to them any information we receive here. I promise."

"That'll be my job. Let's get on with it." Calla eyed me up and down before heading for the elevator, grumbling about entitlement and daddy's boys.

Upstairs, Calla explained to Dev that she wanted his take on the tragic events of the Full Moon.

"Be direct even if what you need to say would be difficult for certain ears," she told him. "Rhys absolutely must hear it all."

Dev gave her a stare cold enough to freeze a turkey. "Are you implying that I'd hold something back to spare him?"

"Maybe. You two are awfully chummy. It's like you were in the same fraternity."

"God knows I'd never have any sort of personal relationship with a werewolf from a prominent family, Calla." Sarcasm dripped from him like a candle with an out-of-control flame. "What could you be thinking?"

I glanced back and forth between them. What had begun as an unpleasant outing had just turned quite amusing. And, if I was reading this right, totally scandalous. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing," they both said at once, which of course meant something was absolutely going on.

"Fine then. Let's hear what Detective Kim has to say. How bad are things, for real? Don't go easy on me or you'll give Calla an aneurysm."