“Not really,” Mitch told him, his free hand still petting Ralph. “But I’m afraid if I stop, he’ll rip my leg off. I can’t remember when he last ate. Did you know that crocs only eat every three days or so?”

Shaking his head, Brendon said, “Mitchell…”

“What?”

“You’ve gotta tell her, bruh.”

“I don’t think Sissy finds crocs that interesting.”

“Not that, you idiot! That you’re in love with her.”

“Oh. That.” Mitch sighed again. “I’d rather keep petting Ralph.”

“You think she’ll run?” Ronnie Lee had run when she’d found out Brendon loved her. She took off like Flo Jo.

“No. She won’t run. Sissy never runs. She’ll just ignore whatever I said. Ignore what we’ve meant to each other this last year or so, forget about these last few days. Eventually, she’ll ignore me completely.”

“She can’t ignore you.”

Mitch gave a little snort. “How ya figure?”

“Bruh…you’re sitting here petting a crocodile while informing me of its eating habits. How the fuck are you going to let her get away with ignoring you?”

“You have a point. But I can’t love her, bruh.”

“You already do.”

“I know. But I can’t.”

“It’s times like these I want to start hitting you.”

“Nothing has changed, Bren. I’m still testifying. Still going into witness protection. I can’t offer her anything but running and a new name. So I can’t love her. Understand?”

And Brendon hadn’t realized until that moment what an unselfish little prick Mitch Shaw was. Damn him!

Mitch glanced at Ralph and back at Brendon. “I think he’s snoring.”

“Or those are hunger growls.”

“Bastard.”

Dez had rattled off the litany of things they’d done involving the Shaw case over the last two weeks. Unfortunately, her commanding officer hadn’t been remotely impressed. She’d looked downright annoyed when she told Dez to get out of her sight.

Resting her elbows on her desk, Dez ran her hands through her hair. She was as frustrated as everybody else, but this woman was like a ghost. No prints, no hair, no fibers, and the armed services were less than helpful. Even among the shifters, there was still the usual political bullshit.

“Maybe she’s left the country.” A professional like her would have multiple passports, IDs, and contacts.

“Nah.” Souza put her feet up on her desk. “She hasn’t left the country. Not yet.”

“And you know this how?”

“She’s not leaving until she gets whatshe wants. And what she wants is that money. The bounty on your boy’s head is substantial. If I wasn’t law-abiding, I’d kill him myself for that amount of cash.”

“That’s lovely, Souza. Thank you.”

“I’m just telling you like it is. She’s gonna try again.”

Dez had the overwhelming desire to mark up her desk. It was so pristine and perfect it drove her nuts. In fact, the whole office was like that. High-end and high-tech.

She ran her finger over her desk and wished she had her switchblade. “They want this trial to go forward. So I’m guessing she’ll wait until he’s back in Philly.”

When Souza didn’t say anything, Dez looked up from her desk. “What?”

“In Philly, there will be others. Full-humans who will try to take him out and get in her way. She’ll want him all to herself—and before he gets a chance to testify.”

Dez sat back. “You think she’s found him, don’t you?”

“Full-humans wouldn’t have the connections, but she would.” Souza raised an eyebrow. “Have you thought about going to Tennessee, Desiree?”

“Do you mean on purpose or with a gun to my head?”

After easing Ralph back into the lake, Mitch sent Bren off to make up with Ronnie. Not that their argument would last long anyway.

Mitch headed back to Sissy’s house and was kind of surprised to find her sitting lengthwise on the top porch step with her back against one side and her feet up on the other. Christ, she was so sexy. It made him crazy.

“Hey,” she said, smiling.

“Hey.” He sat down on the second to last step, mimicking her pose, but he faced her and he had to bend his knees. “I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier.”

“Sorry I scared the hell out of you.” She laughed. “I keep forgettin’ we’re different ’round here. What’s normal to us is considered completely insane by everyone else.”

“Not completely insane. I was fine up until the time you started slamming into each other. I kept waiting for a damn flag and penalties.”

“We don’t do penalties.”

“I know that now.”

“Well…it does mean a lot to me that you care enough to irrationally yell at me. Like a frustrated little girl.”

“And it means a lot to me to know that you’re willing to risk permanent spinal injury and having to be nursed twenty-four-seven by your mother for the next twenty years simply to give a town you ran away from years ago a good show. And for no cash reward.”

Sissy’s eyes narrowed the tiniest bit. “Touché, Monsieur Pussy. Touché.”