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He braced his hands against her shoulders, sprawled halfway over her "Jordan, stop it, for the love of God, stop it! You have to listen?"

He broke off so suddenly that she ceased to fight She stared at hi that she didn’t hear It had taken his attention froht s in the night

A whisper, a hiss, a warning

She didn’t need to escape hi her As she stared into the darkness, she saw a shadow for to face the shadow The darkness took shape A e black coat Fronor walked toward thehinor draw soot to her feet

She watched the two er, a nor ducked the swing of the blade, and the shistled through the night air

Jordan found the strength to move Her car was useless Sheopposite the twoback toward the way she had come

Then she saw Ragnor strike He had only a long bladed knife, while the other er had lost his balance Ragnor sprang forith a sure, true ai the fellow dead center in his throat

Jordan screa his throat Blood was spilling fronor went in ain as the nor did not cease He struck out again, and again, until the e A second later, the body?which had wobbled even after it had lost its head? went crashing into the bushes after it

She had never felt such pure hysteria She sinor stare at her, and she backed away, and she wanted to run, but she couldn’t, she could only stare at hi hiain, she started backing away, shaking her head in disbelief and horror

"Jordan, he was sent to? kill you Or stop you, bring you down I still don’t completely understand?"

"Stop!" she raised a hand before her, still backing away She hit soft dirt Her heel sank, and again, she stu over her

"Do it!" she shrieked "Kill me, cut off my head, dodo " He reached a hand down to her "Get up, screaical and listen to ain

He had a grip on her arhts of a car suddenly pinned theht Jordan looked to the road for help

Sean Canady was driving the car

Her heart sank

"Jordan, let’s go," Ragnor said curtly

He drew her to the car Canady opened the door; Ragnor ushered her in, then took a seat in the back

The carto do with me?" Jordan asked

"Give you sohtly "Then a good stiff drink" She caught Ragnor’s eyes in the rearviewa cop and having to cohtly

"A cop?but not a vampire?" Jordan said

"Yeah Almostbut never really," Canady explained

She fell silent, thinking that sheon the plane But she wasn’t drea in her ankle and her knee hurt And her back And catching sight of herself in a dis and bracken were in her hair

The car pulled up to the house Before she had a chance to nor left the rear seat and opened her door He drew her out, none too gently "Could we have a discussion now, in the house, please?" She shook off his touch and walked up the front steps Both the wonor asked

"He went looking for you, too," Jade said "He was afraid you ht have met with trouble"

"I did"

"Did you know hi their own little arht worth a daie said Evidently, she had gotten her child to bed in the nor, Jordan took a seat on the edge of the antique sofa that faced thein the hearth At least that brought a warmth to her that she found she desperately needed

They flocked around her, Maggie on one side, Jade on the other, Sean in front of the nor?who had just sawed off someone’s head on the other side He was in a leather jacket, breathing easily for ablond hair soly, in place She wanted to run to him; she wanted to run away from him

Now she knehy

"Jordan, first of all, I swear, none of us means to hurt you in any way," Sean Canady said

"We’re trying to protect you," Maggie explained