“Huh.” Damon was stunned. To him, being a ranger was a job—he liked doing it well enough, plus he could be outdoors, and more importantly, work in solitude. A “normal” job wouldn’t have worked for him, not after what happened. But he’d never really thought of it the way Matthew put it.
“You say I’m a straight shooter,” Damon began. “One of the reasons I became a ranger was because I need to be outdoors.” He clenched his jaw. “I’m sure Garret told you about it.”
Matthew nodded, but didn’t say anything.
“Well, this job—being chief—has its perks, but being stuck inside just ain’t me. And it ain’t cutting it for my animal either.” And that was one of the reasons he’d been even more frustrated the last couple of months. More responsibility, less time outdoors. No wonder he couldn’t keep his anger in check.
“I see.” Matthew tapped a finger on his chin. “Is that why your reports are always late?”
“Yeah, that, and I can’t seem to stop my assistants from quitting.” Okay, he knew he wasn’t easy to work with. He liked things done a certain way, and it annoyed the shit out of him when people couldn’t follow the simplest directions. But why the staffing agency kept sending him these timid little things that quit as soon as he lost his temper, he didn’t know.
Matthew looked deep in thought. “Garret liked the leadership position because it allowed him to spend time on things he was good at, like managing the rangers, meeting with visitors and donors, and making everything run smoothly behind the scenes. You have a different working and leadership style, so really, this position can be what you make of it, as long as the work gets done at the end of the day. Maybe you need some help and—”
The door flew open, cutting Matthew off. Damon slammed his palm down. “Don’t you fuckers ever knock—J.D.?”
J.D. McNamara blustered into his office with her usual no-nonsense, bulldozing personality. “Cooper, ya fartknocker, how’s it—oh, didn’t know you had company.” Her gaze dropped to Matthew. “Hey, Matt, how’s it hangin’? Can you let Catherine know her car’s due for a tune-up?”
“J.D.,” Matthew acknowledged. “I’ll let my wife know, thank you for thinking of her.”
J.D. owned the only garage in town so everyone took their vehicles to her for repairs and tune-ups. She also happened to be one of his oldest friends, along with Gabriel, and a general pain in his ass. If Gabriel had been his patient and silent support when he got back from the Army, J.D. was the one who pushed her way back into his life and bullied him until he snapped out of his funk. She never took no for an answer.
“So, how’s it going, Damon?” she asked sweetly.
Damon frowned. J.D. was usually not this cheery this early in the morning unless she wanted something. “What is it?”
“Huh?” She perched her hip on the side of his desk, not really caring that he was already in the middle of a meeting with Matthew. “Can’t I swing by and visit one of my oldest friends in the world, the one I’ve known since grade school, who I used to share my extra candy bars with?”
Oh, she wanted something all right. The only question now was what. “Spit it out, McNamara, so Matthew and I can finish our discussion.”
“Oops.” She put a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, Matt. Didn’t realize you were in the middle of something.”
Matthew smiled up at her, amused. “It’s no trouble at all, J.D. I can wait.”
“This’ll only be a second.” She turned back to Damon. “I know you fired your last assistant a couple weeks ago; what was her name? Claudine?”
“Justine,” he corrected. “Claudine was the one before her.”
“Well, it’s hard to keep track. Anyway,” she flashed him an extra sweet smile. “I have someone who can replace her. A friend of mine. Actually, she’s going to be my new roommate.”
“Roommate? You’ve never had a roommate before.” J.D. lived in the same house she had grown up in and inherited, along with the garage, when her father passed away.
“Yeah, it’s something I’m trying out,” she said. “So, whaddaya say? She needs a job; you need an assistant.”
Why did he have a feeling this wasn’t what it seemed? “I don’t know—”
“C’mon,” she said. “She came all the way here to interview for the position.”
“I’m not even taking candidates,” he pointed out.
“You’ve been overworked and stressed.” J.D. sighed. “Matthew, did you know that Damon didn’t go home or even sleep during the entire blizzard? Gabriel says he had to practically shove food down his throat.”
“Gabriel has a big fat mouth,” he grumbled.
“Is that true, Damon?” Matthew asked. “I need my chief to be dedicated, but also alive and healthy.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “I’ve been in worse situations.”
“But this is what I’m talking about,” Matthew said. “Some real help could be just what you need.”
“I don’t—”
“Why don’t you show her in?” Matthew told J.D. “It’s a long drive up here. If she came all the way, then she must really need a job.”
“All right!” J.D. pumped her fist in the air. “She’s right outside.”
As J.D. disappeared through the door, Damon ran a hundred scenarios of who this person could be and what could happen. He was a planner, after all, and so he had to know what possible ways the enemy would react.
Of course, the person who did walk in through the door was the last person he expected.
Her.
Anna Victoria.
Mine.
The Demon roared in delight, seeing their mate. It had been cross the
