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Cartwright was out the door and down the back steps before I could catch up "Wait!"

"He&039;ll be getting away"

"It isn&039;t as if I don&039;t knohere he lives, as you said Where he works and where he plays, too He won&039;t get away"

Cartwright paused with his long fingers curled around the wooden handrail, the white ainst the darker shade of his skin "I&039;d feel better if I found him now"

I stared at the prehistoric trees, and I remembered as out there "There&039;s - uh - a presuht turned to look at ht there were no wolves in these woods"

"Solected to tell that to the wolf"

His lips twitched "Has anyone seen the beast?"

"I have"

"You?" His lighter expression turned dark "When?"

"Earlier tonight I nearly ran it over on the road near your caerie," he muroing to go out with a hunting party toain

"She&039;s the best tracker in town"

"She will be hunting in the daylight?"

"It&039;s kind of hard to hunt at night Illegal, too, I think, though I doubt that would affect Grace"

"As long as they don&039;t ive my permission"

Per about, then remembered the Gypsies&039; weird contract with Lake Bluff

"Why does she have to stay away once the sun&039;s set? You got a few vampires in your caravan?"

"I haven&039;t seen a vahed at ht I don&039;t think it would be safe to have people with guns traipsing around the lake"

Thatva down torunted, obviously unconvinced

"Maybe you should wait here," I said "Grace ant to talk to you"

"I&039;htened his shoulders, as if preparing for a battle "But she knohere I live, work, and play She can find ht now, I&039;ely, I didn&039;t flinch, nor was I possessed by the sudden urge to back away; instead I leaned into hi his warmth and comfort "I swear no one will ever hurt you while I&039;m here"

Before I could ht

I stared after hiht he&039;d find Josh, who&039;d no doubt arrived in a BMW and was driving it hard all the way back to Atlanta Knowing him, he&039;d have the authorities here by toht

"Damn," I muttered If they arrested the Gypsy leader, would the rest of the Gypsies continue to perform? If they didn&039;t, our festival was ruined

And I couldn&039;t believe I orrying about that at a tiuess it wastoward the bright silver moon I stood on the porch and waited for another, but none ca and I went inside, closing and locking the glass door behind me

Grace stood on the doorstep attired in her uniforh her blouse was buttoned crooked and her shoes weren&039;t tied Her hair wasn&039;t braided, either, and it hung past the base of her spine, er than I knew her to be Maybe she had been asleep

"I&039;ve been dying to arrest this guy" She shouldered her way inside "Where is he?"

"Gone"

"Don&039;t bullshitWe thought he was unconscious, turned our backs, and poof Malachi went to look for him"

Her eyebrows shot up "Malachi, is it?"

Oops

"See his last name after what he did for me"

"I suppose" Grace reached for her shoulder an"

"No Don&039;t"

"Claire" Her voice held a warning note "You are going to prosecute this dickhead We can definitely get him for assault after this"

"I am I promise But could we skip the all points bulletin? I really don&039;t think Lake Bluff, or et if this hits the wires Can we keep it quiet, at least until the festival is over?"