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He was right But everything ininsisted that Luc was in the vision I’d seen as a child And his presence in the vision froh it was starting to look more like Nicolas was responsible for that cri else to say but that, although I didn’t have anything concrete to argue with Frustration and helplessness rolled through me, and must have shown in ain

"I’m more worried that they may have seen you If Nicolas believes you overheard them…" He shook his head "I can’t let him hurt you, mon amour"

I didn’t knohat to say to that I didn’t even kno to feel My gut twisted and my pulse raced Happiness that he cared warred with fear at the resignation in his voice

"Maybe you should finish getting dressed" I stepped away I couldn’t be so close to hihed softly "All right I will get dressed We will sleep And tomorroill do what needs to be done"

He’d said we We would do what needed to be done But he’d meant I ThatI called his name once, but the silence in the condo was oppressive

"Fucking idiot," I ut-wrenching all the same Let him take care of his problem Couldn’t let anyone else be hurt Blah blah blah… We’d do dinner

He was a stupid, heroic va into a trap

Even on the off chance Nicolas didn’t expect hi up to protect me or seek justice It didn’t ister and powerful vauards or a few fucking yesin with a dangerous assumption: that Luc’s loyalties ith him, not with his own son

I couldn’t let that happen

He ht consider it a betrayal, but I had to go to the police

I dressed quickly and decided to go to Chicago’s Paranorht with the Otherworlder Enforceo’s freak squad was better staffed than the local OWEA branch And they had , but the situation was too complex, too difficult to explain over the telephone It would be siray clouds hung heavily over the city, and the oppressive cold sank through my coat and scarf almost immediately I looked down the street for a cab There I raised my hand to wave, and a sharp pain stabbed the back of ainst his body I could see and hear the rush of the wind, but I couldn’t move my head to see who held h loved arli ainst the panic as we pulled away from the curb I was lain across the backseat of the vehicle, s across Luc’s lap I couldn’t see the driver Dark tinted s hid us from the rest of the world For a brief moment, I had the insane idea that they couldn’t see me That I wasn’t really there That I was instead locked into someone else’s vision An idea that Luc quickly shattered

"I apologize for the spell, Miss Davis You’ll understand that we couldn’t have you calling out for help or hurting yourself trying to get away"

The va The voice of a politician

"You won’t be harht Totally a politician I could see why the vampires followed him I almost believed him when he said I wouldn’t be harmed I wanted to believe him But, I also wasn’t an idiot People weren’t kidnapped, allowed to see their kidnappers, and then siain at the thought, and I pushed it down as best I could and tried to think h the situation I still couldn’tspell Luc commissioned, I would be ier than that for them to take me somewhere to kill et my chance then

But what kind of chance would I have?

Luc was one of the strongest vampires in the country, and definitely on the shortlist for the most powerful in the world Sure, there were probably a feho could take him out in Europe and Asia where the older families lived, but I didn’t have an ancient va my way free wasn’t an option

I’d have to run Or screa

Aweso else, and we rode silently for a while Finally, a tingle started inoff--and bynearly an hour If I had to, maybe I could surprise them Jump out of the car when it slowed Bruises and broken bones were better than being dead

Before I could conteround, the car slowed and the light outside the s diine ceased its rumble, and Luc opened the door We’d arrived, wherever it ere going