They all got comfortable on the jet, ready to get on their way to Texas. Things had been tense since the explosive encounters of the day before. Zander and Jasper were mad at her and Vincent, Elijah was frustrated by all of them, and Quinn was standoffish.

Sawyer just wanted to focus on the objective at hand. Vincent was getting ready to give them a full briefing on the information the IMPO already had about the case. She ignored the looks from Zander, the hurt in his eyes, and just hunkered down in her own section of the small jet.

“What all did you bring?” Elijah asked, walking over to her section. “I want us all well-armed going to this area, but I didn’t want to breathe down your neck about it.”

“Twelve-inch daggers, three. Two to sit at my hips, one on my thigh, none concealed. I brought my sidearm in a shoulder holster to keep Vincent happy. Throwing knives just in case, and those will be on my belt, around the back.” Sawyer whispered, looking down at her bag. “We’re arming up after we land?”

“Before. I want us walking off the plane ready for a fight,” Elijah sighed.

“You really don’t like this area,” Sawyer pointed out.

“It’s not a good place for Magi,” Elijah told her, taking a seat. She just watched him. “The more remote areas of the world hold some strange beliefs about what we Magi are. In the eyes of some, we aren’t human.”

“Yeah, I know all of this.” Sawyer huffed, “but this has you seeming a little freaked.”

“Where we live, people are uncomfortable with us. We chose an area where there’s no real Anti-Magi presence, but they still avoid us. Keeps them from trying to get close, and keeps us from trying to do the same. It’s a security thing. We need to keep our home from being vulnerable to the multitude of enemies we make doing what we do.”

“Couldn’t let someone like Axel find a way to where you sleep,” Sawyer murmured to herself with a nod. She spoke louder for the rest. “What’s wrong with rural Texas?”

“Christians, believe it or not. Ones that may believe we’re demons that need to be exterminated, or that we sold our souls for our magic, hence why we get our abilities in our teenage years,” Elijah groaned. “This isn’t the first time we’ve done a case in an area like this. It’s gotten rough before. Also, don’t trust the local law enforcement. They are often community leaders in these types of areas, and privately drive the rhetoric.”

Sawyer wasn’t hearing any new information, but she was learning that Elijah and the team thought this was a serious problem. That made her pause and listen.

The jet finally got into the air, and once the seatbelt indicators were off, Vincent stood up.

“Alright, everyone,” Vincent called out. Kaar made an awful squawking noise, and Sawyer wondered if Vincent had asked the raven to do it. She rarely saw the bird, so she didn’t know its personality as well as Shade’s and Scout’s. “Eyes on me.”

Sawyer unbuckled herself, and Elijah followed suit. They moved closer to Vincent and waited to hear what was going on. Jasper and Zander looked focused, as well, while Quinn shifted out of his wolf form, but stayed toward the back, as far from them as he could get. Shade and Scout stayed near him, completely uninterested in the world around them. She frowned back at him, and Elijah leaned close to her.

“He doesn’t like planes. We try to get portals, but we never seem to be lucky enough. I think they purposefully don’t leave a Magi in Atlanta who can do them just to fuck with us.” Elijah whispered in her ear. She nodded and turned back to Vincent.

“Portals are better,” Sawyer mumbled. “Even if they are cold as fuck.”

“Focus, you two.” Vincent sighed. He dropped two small files on the table in front of him. “These are our victims. We only know about them because the local press caught wind of the first, and the IMPO was able to get eyes on the situation. However, the locals have made it hard for the agent to get any real information, or even good eyes on what they have. They don’t know he’s with the IMPO. His cover is that he is a simple Magi passing through and saw the newspapers. He’ll be leaving when we arrive, so he’s not roped into any dangerous situations.”

“Good for him,” Elijah commented.

“On to the actual bodies.” Vincent sighed. “Both have been ruled heart attacks, but they are Magi, which is our in. Because the area is a hot-bed for Anti-Magi activity, they wanted Special Agents and not just detectives or officers from Dallas or any of the other surrounding cities.”

“And there’s only like five of them per city,” Sawyer interjected. “They wouldn’t have the manpower anyway. They can barely handle their own cities where Anti-Magi problems aren’t really a part of the situation. Urban centers are normally too dangerous for the different hate groups to work.”

“Did you read that in the handbook? Because that’s not in the handbook I remember.” Vincent asked, frowning at her. Sawyer shook her head.

“Common knowledge for any Magi who works outside the law,” Sawyer told him plainly. There was no reason to hide it. “First order of business in any new city for me? Find out who those IMPO guys are and learn their patterns. If one of them moves, learn whoever replaces him or her. Makes working in the city much easier if I know where they live, what they like to do, and all of that. The information is also available for purchase on the Dark Web, but I never used that venue personally.”

“Holy shit,” Jasper whispered, and Sawyer saw him shake his head out of the corner of her eye.

“The only people we really can’t find information on… are people like you guys. You show up, cause mayhem, catch someone, bust a ring, and disappear. The guys at the top are actually the easiest to keep tabs on because they are very public figures.” Sawyer finished, rocking back and forth a bit. Maybe she should have kept her mouth shut. The creeping feeling of shame at her knowledge of the dirtier workings of the Magi world filled her. She looked down, away from all of them towards her feet.

“We’ll need to remember that for later,” Vincent mumbled. “Back to the case. Yes, Sawyer, you’re right. They don’t have the manpower or the expertise in dealing with much outside their own cities. Since we aren’t attached to managing a specific area, we can get sent straight into the thick of it.”

She just nodded mutely, deciding that she really shouldn’t keep talking. What did it say about her that she knew someone’s life could be bought on the Dark Web? She’d never done it. She’d never bought or sold, preferring to do her leg work and see if she learned anything interesting. But she knew, and they would judge her for that. Hell, she judged herself for it. As a criminal, that was just the way her world worked. Now on the other side, she had a bitter taste in her mouth over it.

“From there, we know nothing.” Vincent sighed. “Two Magi bodies within a few weeks, both heart attacks, and the IMPO’s rep was denied any access to the case.”

“So, we’re going in blind,” Jasper said. “Do we have names on anyone who is or has worked on what happened to the bodies?”

Vincent slid a third file to Jasper.

“That’s the line-up of the local law enforcement,” Vincent told him. “It also includes anyone who handled the bodies. Oh, here’s one more thing for everyone; they haven’t done autopsies on the bodies yet.”

“Why not?” Elijah asked, sounding pissed off. “They just…”

“Something’s being covered up,” Zander growled. “That’s obvious.”

“Or they just don’t care enough about the victims,” Elijah snarled. “I’m not sure what’s worse. Cover up or just plain fucking heartless.”

“Settle in and enjoy the flight,” Vincent sighed. “Also, we don’t have leave to get into any fights with any non-Magi, unless we can prove they are direct threats or a part of the case.”

Sawyer nodded and just went back to her seat. She would spend the entire trip with a small cotton towel and her blades. She brought a small whetstone to make sure they were sharp. She knew Elijah had done fresh enchantments on them, but she liked the time with her weapons if she knew they might find use.

It had been a long time since she went through this ritual. And to her, it was ritual. She sharpened them, tested the tips and edges, then cleaned them.

If they were used, she would clean them again. Another step in the ritual.

She considered the years since she’d last stopped doing this. Before Henry was gone. Her last hit for Axel. She closed her eyes for just a moment as that memory came back. She let it ride. She remembered telling Henry not to touch her things. He asked why she was going away. She told him that his papa needed her to keep them safe. Henry had accepted that as the truth. The real truth was that she only did it to keep him safe. All of it had been for Midnight and Henry. Every second of it.

She reopened her eyes and continued working on the dagger. She didn’t look up as one of the guys drew close. She had grown used to their magic now, and she didn’t need to see who it was. The fact that it was barely noticeable told her everything she needed to know.

“Yes, Vincent?” she asked, continuing without missing a beat in her ritual. She tested the edge and was happy with it. She put the whetstone down and grabbed the cotton towel and wiped the dagger down carefully. When she was younger, she’d cut herself more times than she had cared to.

“I wanted to see how you were feeling,” he mumbled, sitting across from her. She flicked him a glance. He looked uncomfortable, but not pained. Uncomfortable, but not haunted. It was a good change, she decided. Uncomfortable was natural. Haunted… well, she had the market cornered on haunted. She didn’t need to see it in everyone around her as well.

“Fine.” She sighed. She slid the dagger into its sheath and realized it was the last one. She groaned and leaned back in her seat to look at their fearless leader.

“No one has…” Vincent cast a glance over his shoulder and she frowned.

“No one has given you a hard time over what… happened between us?”

She shook her head at his telepathic question. Zander’s comment had pissed her off and fucking hurt. So had Jasper’s reaction. Neither of them had talked to her since, and she accepted that they were angry and needed a moment to themselves. They were entitled to a bit of anger. But only a bit. Sawyer was going to give them this case to get their heads out of their asses. She didn’t belong to people. Not Axel, not Vincent, and not them. Their anger stemmed from them thinking that she was theirs, and that didn’t fly with her.

“Let me know if any of them do?”

She shrugged. She couldn’t mentally respond to his telepathy, but he would get what she was saying without her needing to vocalize it.

“We’re back to you being standoffish about telling me anything?”

She grinned, and he broke into a small smile. Oh, the games. They were almost perversely fun. Then he was up from the seat and back to his own.

The rest of the flight was uneventful. She maintained her distance and looked herself over after they landed. She was geared up, and she did the one thing she knew they would hate.

She wore her black leather pants. They were thick enough to protect her and allowed her to have her thigh sheath. She had on a black tee, tucked in, per IMPO regulation. Her belt was black, and she had her other two daggers at the ready along with a row of throwing knives at her back. Her boots were her black work boots for thieving, meant to be in for the roughest of use. She put on the shoulder holster last and made sure her Sig was secure.

She followed the uniform instruction to the letter. All black, work clothing that was kept in good condition. These were her work clothes. Sure, she had black cargos, and they were in her suitcase, but if they wanted her armed to the teeth, the leather pants were really the best for her. Part of her brought out the leather pants because, at some point or another, all of them had told her not to.

She met the guys at the door towards the front of the jet, just behind the cockpit. None of them paid attention to her as they listened to the staircase get set up. Then a choked noise came from Jasper.

“Need any more knives?” Jasper asked, looking over everything she was carrying. He was looking a bit… she couldn’t find the word. Disgusted? Scared? Admiring? Some mix of all of that, she decided. He was carrying only his sidearm. Zander was the same, though his hands were wrapped in black.

“Am I allowed to have any more knives?” she asked, genuinely curious. “I’m sure I could grab a jacket and hide a few more.”

“That’s everything she brought,” Elijah cut in with a chuckle. Elijah sported a longsword, the hilt showing over his left shoulder. “Though I’m terrified that you can find a way to carry more. I think you are out of space.”

“I could put smaller blades on my upper arms. I have a free thigh without a blade yet. I could line the shoulder holster with more throwing-”

“We get it. You can carry a lot of weapons,” Zander groaned. “Jesus fucking Christ.”

“Be careful with that language, here,” Elijah warned him. “They won’t take kindly to it. And don’t be an asshole to your teammate.”

“We’re still in Dallas, dickhead,” Zander growled. “And I’ll say whatever the fuck I want, to whomever I want.” Then he followed Vincent out of the jet.

“Get your boy,” Elijah told Jasper. “Before I put him in the dirt.”

“Forgive him,” Jasper grunted. “He’s a bit cranky.”

“He gets this case to pull his head out of his ass,” Sawyer added, cutting between the two of them and leaving the jet. “Or I’m doing it for him.” She called back before she was out earshot. She didn’t fucking have the patience for Zander’s cranky shit over her and Vincent’s… accident. Because that was what she and Vincent were, an accident. Not one to be repeated, under any circumstance.

She stomped down the stairs with Jasper and Elijah behind her. On the tarmac, the Explorers were already waiting on them. She climbed into one and found herself with Elijah and Vincent. She was happy that she was in a car with Elijah driving, for once. Kaar bounced around on the seat next to her and she shifted away from him. Kaar was a big-ass bird, and Sawyer didn’t want to find out if he was biter.

“We have a hotel in Albany, the Hereford Motel.” Vincent sighed. “It’s basically the only place in town.”

“Fantastic,” Sawyer muttered.

“Why aren’t we staying in Abilene?” Elijah asked as they hit the freeway and took off.

“Because we’re supposed to get in the thick of it and stay there. Abilene is half an hour away.” Vincent answered. Sawyer sighed and leaned back.

“This shouldn’t be the hardest case to solve. We check in at the motel, get our stuff secure, and then go straight to finding where they are keeping the bodies and examine them,” Vincent continued. “Let’s just get through it.”

“You know,” Sawyer said chuckling. “I said that about the last heist I did, and Axel happened to be there.”

Sawyer was pleased to hear and see that they had given her a room to herself. She threw her bags onto her bed and met the guys back at the Explorers. She watched Zander focus and build a complex shield around their set of rooms to keep people out. He had to make it go through walls, the ceiling, and the floor to make sure the entire thing was secure. She had a genuine respect for that level of care.

“I’ll bring them down when we get back,” he said and groaned. “I didn’t make them very strong, but I don’t think there’s a Magi in the area who poses a threat to them. They should be fine.”

“Good thinking,” Vincent told him. “Let’s go bother the sheriff. He probably knows everything we want to know. Kaar is out getting a visual on the area for us.”

“Let me do the talking,” Elijah sighed. “I grew up with people like this.”

“How close is this to home for you?” Sawyer asked as they climbed back into the Explorer.

“Close enough to piss me off,” Elijah divulged.

“Are you thinking about visiting anyone while we’re nearby?” Sawyer asked, and Vincent made a noise. She knew his parents threw him out, but he had friends in the area, he must have. Guys like Elijah had friends fucking everywhere.

“No,” Elijah growled softly. Sawyer dropped it but committed his response to memory. Not just the word, but the tone, the set of his jaw. It told her that whomever he left behind, if anyone, wasn’t worth it to him. And that told her that not even Elijah was everything he appeared to be on this team of misfits and criminals. As long as she had been with them, there was still a lot for her to learn.

They pulled into the Shackelford County Sheriff’s Office and climbed out. Elijah took point, and Sawyer fell in beside Quinn at the back. They were probably both aiming for the same thing. Unseen and unnoticed at the back of the group where no one would give them any trouble. They didn’t fit in with the locals. At all. Best to go unnoticed, really, in Sawyer’s mind. They had left Shade and Scout in the air conditioning of Quinn’s motel room. An added level of security, and two wolves following them around would have screamed Magi.

The door chimed as they entered. Sawyer saw a small bell at the top of the door.

“Howdy. We’re looking for Sheriff Stevenson,” Elijah told a deputy at the front desk the moment he got within earshot. The young man looked up with a frown.

“And who’s looking?” The deputy’s strong accent was apparent, and Sawyer knew in a second that this guy was probably born in the area and never saw a day out of it.

“I’m Special Agent Elijah Grant, with the International Magi Police Organization,” he said politely, pulling out his badge and letting the deputy look it over. Sawyer noticed that his accent was a bit thicker than normal, and it had always been prominent. “This is my team. We report to Special Agent Vincent Castello.” Elijah motioned to Vincent, who gave a nod and short greeting. Once that was over, Elijah continued before the deputy could interrupt. “We’re here due to two Magi who recently passed away. The World Magi Council would like it investigated, just to make sure everything is fine, and let their families know. We should be in and out of your hair in a matter of days.”

“Sheriff’s not in, Special Agent,” the deputy replied with a sneer. “Now, why don’t you let us handle our business? They were locals. People have heart attacks. We’ve got it covered.”

“One of them wasn’t a local,” Jasper spoke up and Elijah gave him a quick look to be quiet. Sawyer noticed it and sighed quietly. “He was staying in a nearby town, doing some work and was supposed to leave in a few more weeks when he passed away.”

“Well, if you think you know everything, then I guess I’m not needed,” the deputy huffed. “Go on. I’ll let the sheriff know you stopped by but don’t think…”

The door chimed again, and Sawyer turned to see an older gentleman walk in. He was a true Texan, this one. Probably in his mid-fifties, he had leathery skin because he was in the sun too often. His goatee was salt and pepper. He wore the standard sheriff tan or khaki with that silly gold badge. He was also fit. He didn’t have the stereotypical old sheriff gut she was used to.

But none of that really was important. What was important was that he was a Magi. She narrowed her eyes. A very weak one with an almost unnoticeable amount of power. He was probably the weakest Magi she had ever come across. On a crowded street or in a crowded room, he was probably so weak that she wouldn’t have even noticed him.

“We have company, Jacob?” He asked gruffly as he walked behind the front desk. She kept her eyes on him. She looked for the small details. He placed his hands on the front desk, and she noted what could have been a wedding band on the left hand, but on the wrong finger and a… fraternity ring of some sort on the other. She narrowed her eyes a little. Those were Greek letters alright, she just couldn’t identify which. She needed to get closer but decided against it.

“From the International Magi Police Organization,” Deputy Jacob answered, with a bit of derision. The sheriff looked them over, and Sawyer raised an eyebrow at his glance at her legs. She shifted slightly so her thigh sheath and twelve-inch black dagger were more obvious.

“Not from around here, are you?” he asked, looking towards Elijah and frowning. Sawyer grinned to herself.

“I am. Special Agent Elijah Grant.” Elijah chuckled. Sawyer lazily rested her hands on the pommels of her daggers. “About an hour south, actually. The rest of my team hails from all over the world.”

“Sheriff Stevenson. Why are you in my town, Elijah Grant?” The sheriff asked, shaking Elijah’s hand. Then he shook his head. “Never mind. You’re here about the two bodies. Well, I have some bad news for you, then.”

“Oh?” Vincent frowned, and Elijah slowly pulled his hand out of the sheriff’s slowly.

“We’ve already released them to their families.” Sheriff Stevenson smiled politely. “Heart attacks, ya know? Pretty common. We don’t want to waste precious time and resources keeping ahold of bodies that families probably want back.”

Sawyer felt the mood shift in the room. Everything would have been fine if they had bodies to examine but without them… where did the team go? What did they do?

“I take it there’s no file kept on it either. You never questioned possible witnesses or anything?” Jasper asked, looking around Elijah to Sheriff Stevenson.

“No, neither had any witnesses. Heart attack, alone, in the middle of nowhere with spotty cell service, at best? Plenty of old farmers go that way,” Sheriff Stevenson replied, shrugging. “It happens.” Elijah pulled out his wallet and a card. He held it out to the sheriff.

“Call if anything else comes up?” Elijah asked. The sheriff took it and nodded, but Sawyer saw a hint of something in the sheriff’s eyes that bothered her. His stance was defensive, and he looked a bit… upset. “We’ll be out of your hair, then.”

“Y’all have a good day.” Sheriff Stevenson called out as Sawyer left the building.

“You, too,” Vincent replied quietly.

Once outside, Sawyer leaned on one of the black Explorers. It was fucking hot. The truck, the sun, the air, Sawyer. Everything was just so goddamn hot. September in the middle of Texas was a terrible place for an all-black uniform. It had to be over ninety degrees and sweltering.

“What now?” She asked, frowning at them.

“In the car,” Elijah whispered. “Now.” She continued to frown as he opened a door for her. She slid in and stayed quiet until they were all leaving together.

“What now?” she asked again.

“He’s a Magi with mind reading.” Elijah bit out, hitting the gas to get to their motel. “And that ring on his right hand? He might think I don’t know what it means but I’ve seen it before. I just don’t remember where. The letters were Alpha and Omega.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed it.” Sawyer mumbled about the ring and the sheriff’s identity. “Mind reading, though? He’s super weak. Can he even use it? From my knowledge, mind reading requires a fairly deep Source.”

“It’s why he shook my hand, and he only got in for a second. It was probably all he felt comfortable with, both against another Magi and to prevent his own burnout.” Elijah groaned. “Vincent?”

“That’s why he knew we are looking to investigate the bodies before we said anything.” Vincent shrugged. “Or that could be a good guess. What were you thinking about?”

“The ring,” Elijah told him. “Who knows what he got? In the end, don’t let the good old sheriff touch you unless you’re prepared for it.”

“Yeah, pretty stupid to touch a Magi skin to skin before you learn their abilities,” Sawyer snorted. “Why did you?”

“Because a good handshake in this part of the world is the sign of good manners and can make or break a first impression.” Elijah chuckled. “Not like you know anything about manners.”

“I do, too,” Sawyer huffed. “And don’t pretend you have any, Sugar.”

“Now, little lady.” Elijah sounded wounded for a moment. “Don’t hurt my feelings.”

“Tell me what’s next,” Sawyer pressed, toeing Vincent’s seat enough to shake him up.

“We’ll talk at the motel,” Vincent told her with no emotion. “Don’t kick my seat.”

“I didn’t. I touched it to get your attention.” Sawyer chuckled, shaking her head. It was easier to mess with him now. It didn’t feel like a dead boy was between them, haunting them anymore. They could be normal fucking people if they wanted to be. At least to Sawyer, even though she was battling the edge of possession she felt over him now. “Still think this case will be easy?”

“Yes, though if no other bodies show up,” Vincent paused, shrugging, “…we’re done. Maybe they were just heart attacks.”

“Maybe,” Elijah offered and also gave a shrug. “But when two Magi pass away in an area like this, it gets investigated, just to make sure. Hell, even just one, which was why we were notified when the first body showed up.”

“You guys almost make it sound like the IMPO and the WMC actually care,” Sawyer whispered with a touch of bitter sadness. Sawyer didn’t trust either organization as far as she could throw them. She’d heard the rumors of corruption. There wasn’t a Magi on the planet who didn’t know that some vein of corruption ran through their ranks.

“And here’s Sawyer, the criminal, back out to play.” Elijah laughed. “Is there anything you really trust in the world?”

She thought about it.

“No, but I’m always excited for new experiences.” Sawyer laughed. It was a joke. She did trust a few things. A few people. Charlie had been one of them, and she still loved the old man dearly, but he also had sold her out. She knew better than to trust Liam to follow directions. He was probably back in New York getting himself into trouble trying to do what she did. Especially now that he was mad at her.

The team? Sawyer thought she might. If she didn’t, she was going to try.

Back at the motel, they all filed into Vincent and Elijah’s room, to the right of her room. Quinn had his own room, so the wolves got a bed. It was next to hers, on the left. On the other side of Quinn, Jasper and Zander had a room with each other.

Sawyer sat on the edge of a bed and waited patiently.

“We should find the places where the bodies were found,” Vincent finally announced to them. “I don’t know what we’re looking for though. Any trace of magic, anything out of the ordinary.”

“Going to be hard, since we don’t know where the two Magi dead,” Jasper added quietly. “But, if they died in their homes or on their own property, then it shouldn’t be hard to identify which magic signature is whose.”

“Good point, Jasper,” Vincent said, nodding toward Jasper. “We’re in a bad spot without the bodies.”

“We are.” Elijah groaned. “And I’m not sure how to feel about the sheriff. He didn’t give me a good vibe.”

“Me either, but he could have just been defensive because we’re treading onto his turf,” Sawyer muttered.

“He’s not supposed to be a sheriff.” Jasper sighed. “Magi can’t hold non-Magi political office, and we’re banned from entering their law enforcement or militaries. This is punishable by the WMC, who doesn’t want us driven by our local feelings and loyalties.”

“Magi first, foremost, and always,” Zander reminded them all. It was the unofficial motto of their kind. Forget the rest of the shit and remember that being Magi makes you outnumbered, powerful, and the need to be careful was paramount. One should keep Magi business with other Magi. One shouldn’t dabble into non-Magi affairs because that only bred disaster.

Sawyer followed it sometimes. Other times, and more often, she completely disregarded the belief.

“Does Dallas know about him? The IMPO agents and office?” Sawyer asked, frowning.

“Probably not,” Elijah said and chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “But they’re about to. Poor sods are going to need to come in after us and handle him. He’s not our priority, but we need to report it. He’s not the first we’ve found and won’t be the last. Some just can’t follow the rules, and he’s a weak enough Magi where he wouldn’t climb in our world.”

“But every Magi has an advantage over a non-Magi.” Sawyer sighed. “Yeah.”

“I’ll call it in,” Jasper said with a stiff diplomacy.

“Let’s decide who’s checking out which property.” Vincent groaned. “Greg Lake, age fifty lived on a farm alone near Moran. Quinn, Zander, and Sawyer. You three can go handle that one. Jasper, Elijah, and I will look over the one here ten minutes outside of Albany. I think we should get this done sooner rather than later.”

“Are you sure we should send those three together?” Jasper asked, frowning. “Sawyer’s new to this, Zander barely follows the rules, and Quinn doesn’t at all.”

“I know,” Vincent responded. “That’s why I’m sending them.”

“What?” Sawyer narrowed her eyes on Vincent and he gave her a sly smirk.

“I want you three to put the fear of God into them if someone gives you trouble that far out. As a message, as a warning, whatever you want to call it,” Vincent chuckled. Sawyer raised an eyebrow as Elijah laughed.

“Perfect,” Elijah said with a great deal of admiration. “I’m suddenly in love with you, Vincent.”

“Please don’t be,” Vincent groaned. “Let’s get moving.”

“I’m taking Shade and Scout,” Quinn announced, leaving the room first.

As everyone got moving, Sawyer moved closer to Zander. They had barely spoken since that moment on the porch, and she was still a bit pissed at him. And his attitude on the plane? That could fuck right off.

“Ready to go?” she asked carefully, and he turned to her, and she watched a flash of anger pass through his eyes. His cheeks got a bit red and so did his ears.

‘Yeah’ was all he said before walking off to get to their Explorer. She fumed for a moment. They were on a case. She never let personal feelings affect her work before, and she wasn’t going to let it happen now that she was working with them.

She followed him, and saw Quinn loading up Shade and Scout. She climbed in as Zander started it up. They sat in silence for a long time before Sawyer groaned.

“Not here, Zander,” she told him. “Be mad at home. Be mad on the plane. Do not be mad at me here, while we’re doing this.”

“Fine,” Zander growled. “You’re right. This isn’t the time or place for it.”

“Then cut the fucking attitude,” she snapped. “This pissy shit. We haven’t had a chance to talk, and it’s got to fucking wait now.”

They went the rest of the ride in silence and passed through Moran, keeping their eyes open. It was dead little town. She counted maybe three people walking around at that particular moment.

Greg Lake’s residence was five minutes south of town and they pulled up slowly, keeping their eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.

Too bad they had no idea what ordinary was.

“I’ll send out Shade and Scout to get an idea of what scents are around,” Quinn told them, carefully neutral through it all. She raised an eyebrow at him as Shade and Scout took off.

“We don’t know where the body was found,” Zander reminded them. “Since the sheriff didn’t bother to keep notes on fucking anything.”

“I can find it,” Quinn said quietly, and Sawyer watched him shift. He was bigger than Shade in his tan and grey wolf form. She considered touching him for just a second, just to see how soft he was. She rarely saw him this close in his wolf form.

“Lead the way.” Zander sighed. Sawyer followed with Zander as Quinn sniffed around. They put all the personal drama away for a moment and focused. The property didn’t seem to have much going on: a run-down, old home with peeling, light blue paint, and a small rotting porch. There was a gravel driveway and a few trails towards other areas of the property, but nothing major.

She wasn’t really mad at Zander, thinking about it as they just wandered. She didn’t like his attitude and anger, but she understood his hurt. He had probably convinced himself, if she judged his behavior before and after the Vincent incident, that he was her future man. And she had gone and slept with a completely different guy. An accident and a mistake that she sorely wanted to repeat.

And she didn’t want to think about how good Zander looked in the afternoon sun. His fiery red hair, those freckles, the tint of red on his cheeks. Her attraction to him made her angrier. She was angry that he was hurt because of something she did, and she still wanted to jump his bone. When he was just rowdy, passionate Zander, he was wonderful. His smile brightened the world, and he could bring a woman to her knees with a flash of those white, perfect teeth.

Too bad she also wanted to knock him on his ass half the time.

“Here,” Quinn called out. She looked away from Zander and towards Quinn. She had missed him shift back. He was pointing to a spot next to the house near the central cooling unit. “He died here. And there’s too many other scents warring with each other for me to get anything clear. Death is obvious but telling you how many people that have been here is another thing. Maybe five, maybe a dozen. I don’t know.”

“I’m going to head inside. He might have been on medications for high cholesterol or something,” Zander continued. “Quinn, go out with the boys and see if you three find something unusual on the property. Sawyer, come help me?”

“Yeah,” she said simply, following him in as Quinn took off in wolf form again.

The house was relatively clean, except for a few weeks’ worth of dust covering everything. They went to the kitchen first and began pulling open cabinets. It was a tiny kitchen and more than once, she had to squeeze around Zander, who wouldn’t give her the space.

“There’s nothing here,” he finally whispered. “Fuck. Let’s check bathrooms.”

“Alright,” she said, sighing. She followed him towards the back of the house. She stopped at a bedroom, though, and went in. There were a few places she wanted to check out. She found nothing on or in the desk, same for the bedside table. The dresser didn’t reveal much either. “Damn.”

“Yeah.” Zander sighed, walking in after she was done. “There’s nothing here. Nothing to say he was unhealthy and susceptible to a heart attack.”

“That’s it?” She motioned around. “This is all a dead end?”

“Yeah,” Zander mumbled. “Yeah, it is. And I don’t like that.”

“Me either,” Sawyer agreed. She looked to him and waited for him to tell her what was next. He instead changed the topic on her.

“How was he?” Zander asked softly, eyeing her, then looking away. She groaned.

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want answered, Zander Wade,” she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. Fantastic. Vincent had been fantastic.

“Do you even know why I’m mad?” he pressed, looking at her. He looked wounded, angry, and a touch afraid. Sawyer narrowed her eyes on him.

“Because I slept with another guy,” Sawyer answered, and Zander bared his teeth at her in anything but a smile.

“No,” he growled.

“Then fucking tell me,” Sawyer snapped. “Because I can’t read your mind, Zander. God damn, I would like to be able to, but I honestly can’t. Mind reading just wasn’t an ability I was blessed with.”

“If you can’t figure it out…” Zander huffed and stormed out of the room. Sawyer was left speechless. What the actual fuck? She wanted to shake him. Strangle him. Stab him. Three S’s that would solve all her problems.

She followed him out, stomping. She had woken up yesterday after a great lay, and the amount of anger and regret she was having over it was driving her mad. She was missing something. Something was eating at Zander that wasn’t Vincent, but she didn’t know what. She didn’t want to screw up on this case trying to figure it out right now. It looked like she needed to take this moment, though, to say something. She could only offer Zander what she had, because she wasn’t in the mood for more fighting.

“Zander,” she called out, as she sped up to catch him before he got to the Explorer. “Zander, listen to me.”

“Yes, Sawyer?” Zander turned back towards her and she saw the pain in his eyes.

“I’m sorry.” She sighed. “Alright? For whatever I did. You have been, and probably always will be, my best friend, even if that’s a bit complicated, currently. We fight and bicker but, in the end, we always have each other, and I don’t think that should change.” She took a breath as Zander stepped closer to her. “I don’t know, Zander. What I do know is you’re upset with me, and I’m sorry for it. I don’t like that I did-”

“Would you do it again?” Zander asked softly.

“Upset you? I would try not to,” Sawyer answered honestly. “But first you need to tell me what’s gotten you so hung up if it’s not Vincent.”

“Later,” he mumbled with that cranky edge. Then he softened, and she saw guilt come over his face. She wondered what Zander could possibly feel guilty for. “Just… later. I need to talk to someone about it first.”

“Fine,” Sawyer huffed at him, crossing her arms. “You know, I like communication. I wish you would… communicate.”

“I’m sorry I’m not perfect.” Zander grumbled. “Thank you for the apology, though.”

“Not a problem,” Sawyer replied, leaning against the Explorer.

They waited until dusk for Quinn to get back. Zander called one of the other guys at a certain point to let them know there was nothing on the property.

They were stuck. Two dead and no idea whether it was malicious or natural causes.

Sawyer didn’t like it. She was finding that she didn’t like a lot of things about Texas.