Page 1 (1/2)

Chapter One

For once, it wasn’t a nightain and I dragged un at my side, out of view, and opened the door a few inches "Yes?"

The ive him that But I was, even if it wasso loudly before h to ent with the Otherworlder Enforce me up before daould result in a heck of a lot of paperwork

I hated paperwork

By the looks of his expensive suit, obviously tailored to his lean frahtly pale pallor of a vampire, which meant a standard-issue bullet would probably just piss hiaze sharpened Shock hit me as I studied the line of his jaw, and the paleness of his blue eyes What the hell was he doing here?

"Beatrice?" His gaze slid down my oversized flannel paja ti ht ofWhat was I supposed to be wearing? Even agents got cold in St Louis in March "Why are you here, Claude?"

The Chicago detective ran a hand through his hair, and for a split second I could feel its softness sliding between ers

"I need your services" He flashedtone Once upon a tiht have flirted back--okay, I definitely would have flirted back But it had been a rough couple of weeks A rough year Ever sincesuccubi being kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder, I’d struggled against dark emotions I had seen too many horrible experiences, and I hadn’t been able to let up or take a break fro Lives had been on the line, succubi kidnapped and h this kind of thing, hit a breaking point and need to slon and take some time away But I didn’t like it I was at , and there was always another criminal to take down

"What kind of services?"

"Your services as a psychometrist, of course I have an object that I believe may carry a psychic irin didn’t falter

"No shit Here I was figuring you’d stopped by to chat"

"Well, aren’t you charrin at his joke, but it was a near thing Of course he was looking for ators didn’t show up atto chat My ability to read the psychic imprints left on objects was at a premium these days Not that my interpretations could clinch a case Fact was, half the time my powers didn’t work True emotional trauma had to have occurred near the object for a psychic i physically connected to a person, like their hair

"You’re a long way fro cops As a h-profile crimes that had made the national news And h up in whatever private echelon vampires used out of the public eye

"You’re worth the trip," he said Then, at lare, he quickly added, "You’re the best psychometrist in the Midwest"

"That’s bull"

He blinked "Excuse ave hi a bit, even if seeing hio "But that doesn’t explain why you’re here"

Especially considering that I wasn’t, strictly speaking, on duty for the next teeks--if psych even approved ht, but Claude laughed, and some of , he was soish way that I suspected was designed to appear messy

Of course, I knew the er than those of any huht I kne they felt under ertips

"You are the best in the country Glad to see you realize it" He stepped forward and leaned on the doorfra for a date But I wasn’t fooled, and I didn’t back up I could see the wariness in his eyes and the tension in his body As if he was ready to be attacked at any moment The Claude I kneas cool and collected--whatever he was here for, it was putting hiood