River's POV
The brisk evening air nipped at my cheeks as I walked up to Damien, standing under the glow of a flickering streetlamp. He leaned against the pole, flipping a pocketknife open and shut, his face calm but his posture tense.
I held up my phone as I approached. "Got the pictures."
Damien straightened, tucking the knife away. His lips curved into a smirk. "Good work, partner. Let's see if Adams finally has something to smile about."
We walked side by side into the precinct, weaving through desks cluttered with paperwork and exhausted officers. Adams sat at his desk, poring over a file. His eyes flicked up as we approached.
Damien didn't waste time, slapping the envelope of prints down in front of him. "This is it. Enough to put Mr. Brown where he belongs. it's a minor charge but it should get him 20 years at least if we press our buttons well"
Adams picked up the pictures, his face unreadable as he examined them one by one. His silence stretched too long for my liking.
Finally, he looked up, his expression sharp. "How did you get this information?"
"From a trusted source," I said evenly.
Adams' eyes narrowed as they flicked to Damien. "Damien?"
Damien leaned on the desk, flashing that cocky grin that always managed to irritate authority figures. "Listen, I did my thing the way I usually do my thing. But we got the evidence, so how we got it shouldn't matter."
Adams set the photos down with a sigh. "When you're going against a man as powerful as Mr. Brown, everything matters. He'll tear this apart in court. He can use the fact that you obtained it illegally to nullify the whole case."
Damien's smirk disappeared. "So we're supposed to let him walk?"
"I'm not saying that," Adams snapped. "I'm saying you need to play by the rules. You can't leave any loopholes. Against regular criminals, I might overlook this. But Brown has money, influence, and lawyers who will shred you if you give them the opportunity."
Damien scoffed and stepped back. "Unbelievable."
Adams looked at me, his tone softer. "Find another way. A solid one. A way that can't be used against us in court"
Damien was infuriated, he stormed out of the office and I just followed behind him like a sheep following the shepherd.
---
Outside, Damien ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. Then, without warning, he asked, "Hey, wanna grab a bite later?"
I blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in his mood. "Sure. Could use the distraction."
His lips curved into a genuine smile. "Great. How's your knee by the way?"
"It's better. Thanks to you."
"Good to know." He smiled. "Guess I'll see you later for our dinner date."
Hearing the word "date" made my heart flutter. It's been so long that I ate out, let alone with a guy.
---
Later that night, we met at a quiet diner. The scent of greasy food filled the air as we slid into a booth. I ordered a burger and a milkshake, while Damien opted for fries and coffee.
"So," he began, popping a fry into his mouth, "what's your story, River? Every cop at the station has one."
"Not much to tell," I said, taking a sip of my milkshake. "Grew up not far from here, followed my dad into the force. It's been my life ever since."
He nodded, his eyes studying me. "Family legacy. Makes sense."
"What about you?" I asked, leaning forward.
He hesitated, a shadow passing over his face. "Let's just say... I have my reasons for doing what I do."
His tone made it clear he didn't want to elaborate, so I let it drop.
---
As we walked home together under the moonlight, our conversation turned lighter. Damien suddenly stopped and looked at me. "You know," he said, "having you as my partner is one of those things I didn't know I needed until it happened."
I felt my cheeks warm, but I smiled. "Same here."
"Promise me something," he said, his tone serious. "After this case, let's stay partners."
"I'd like that," I replied softly.
When we reached the junction, he waved me goodbye before heading in the direction of his house.
---
The walk home felt eerily quiet. The usual city noises seemed muffled, and an unsettling chill crept up my spine. I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. Could be my brain playing tricks on me though.
I glanced over my shoulder, but the street was empty. Shaking off my nerves, I quickened my pace. The sound of footsteps echoed behind me.
"Damien?" I called, but the silence that followed was deafening.
I broke into a run, my heart pounding. The footsteps quickened. I ducked into a bush, crouching low and covering my mouth to stifle my ragged breaths.
A shadow passed, and my blood ran cold. The person's feet clicked against the pavement, it had clawed toes which were gleaming in the dim light. I don't know who this was and why they thought it would be fun to play tricks on people like that. If I didn't know better, I would've really said that the person stalking me wasn't human. He sniffed the air, its guttural growls sending shivers down my spine. I was really starting to question my common sense. I was certain at first that it was someone who wore a costume to scare me but as I heard it's growl and saw its feet, i started having other ideas.
I froze, barely breathing. But it turned its head, its glowing red eyes locking onto my hiding spot.
"No!" I screamed as it lunged, its claws wrapping around my hair. It dragged me out, its grip ironclad. At least my doubts has been cleared. It's definitely not a human.
"River!" Damien's voice roared through the night.
The creature snarled, but before it could react, a knife embedded itself in its shoulder. It howled and dropped me.
Damien charged forward, placing himself between me and the monster. "Stay behind me!" he ordered, his voice steady despite the chaos.
The way he knew exactly what to do and where to target was almost as if he practiced for a situation like this. Fear makes you obedient so I just slittered behind him for shelter.
---
Damien's POV
The demon snarled as I drew my silver blades, the moonlight glinting off their edges. I noticed that I left my phone with Riv when we exchanged numbers so I went back to get it. That was when I saw it. Or sensed it rather. I've hunted these monsters for so long that I've developed a sixth sense for them. I can now feel, hear and smell when monsters are close by.
I knew I had to stop it before it harmed River so that's what brought about the idea of throwing a knife to the arm it was using to hold her hair. My precision was frightening, even for me. The demon lunged at me, I pushed River out of the way before bending and kicking it legs, making it fall backwards. This was a low level demon. A baelithon most likely. Very strong creatures but also very stupid. You can beat those by simply outwitting them. I was basically kicking the demon's ass and really impressing River until someone I didn't expect showed up.
Mr. Brown stepped out from the shadows, flanked by two more demons. "You've been a thorn in my side for too long, detective."
"Mr. Brown, what are you doing here?"
"You don't have to know because in less than thirty minutes, you won't be alive."
I scanned the surrounding and looked at the demons I would have to face. "Four to one? Those odds aren't that good. For you of course. Are you sure you don't wanna head back to your mansion and do whatever criminals like you do during their free time?"
"My men and I have other ideas for what to do with our free time."
"How did you get demons to work for you?" I demanded. "They don't deal with humans. They view us as food."
"Yes, demons actually view humans as food. That one, you're right about." Brown chuckled, his eyes glowing red. "i just want to know who gave you the impression that I was human."
Mr. Brown transformed before my eyes, his body twisting into something monstrous. His claws and fangs now protruding more visibly. He was one of them, I should've known. All the signs were there.
"Of course," I muttered, snapping my knives together to form a silver sword. "Well, the more the merrier."
"You overestimate yourself," Brown sneered, lifting a hand.
A blue light surrounded River, and she began to float.
"Damien!" she screamed, clawing at the air, I grabbed her arm and dragged her to myself. "Please don't let them take me."
"I won't let them take you. I promise. I got you." I dragged her with all the power my muscles could generate but his power was too strong. She slipped from my grasp, and went into his hands. He snapped and a portal materialized out of nothing. The other side of portal was fiery like it was hell itself. He tossed her into the portal, she was screaming all the way.
"River!" I roared, my voice breaking.
Brown's laugh echoed. "You're next, detective."
I brought out my sword and charged at them but before I could make contact, gunshots rang out. Silver bullets struck the demons, injuring them. Mr. Brown gave the command and all the demons retreated.
"This isn't over," he growled, disappearing into the darkness.
I turned around to see who was shooting at the demons.
It was my dad.