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And once again, she’d be sequestered safely while that was happening Denise was so sick of being the person her loved ones fought for, instead of facing the danger herself If she could have traded places with Spade, Cat, or Bones, she would have done it in a heartbeat But of course, none of thee, Denise pro herself to, so she’d learn the best way to live in it It h she hadn’t told Spade, she wasn’t ruling out becoular basis would be her trial run She wasn’t the sa to wait on the sidelines Or in the baselanced at Cat Her friend looked rattled, not that Denise blaed on an ability Cat didn’t fully kno to operate Bones and Spade were confident that when the moment came, she would rise to it Denise both feared and envied Cat for that awesome responsibility When had Denise ever been the person trusted to lay it all on the line for those depending on her?

"All right," Spade said quietly "Let’s do this"

Oliver, the hu the SUV running, but Denise, Spade, Cat, Bones, and Nathanial got out Denise looked around, not sensing the other vampires that she kneere there Web’s people They were probably hidden behind every shadow

The spot on Denise’s palh the small wound healed after Spade rubbed his blood over it Nothing was visible on the outside, but inside her palm was a minuscule transmitter capsule Nathanial had one implanted in the same place, too Just in case we’re separated, so Mencheres can track you, Spade had said

Denise knew the harsher reason behind the trans h Spade didn’t say it In case Web wins and the rest of us are killed Web wouldn’t kill her or Nathanial; they were too valuable But she and Nathanial were the only ones Web intended to survive this evening

She thought she’d throw up

Spade’s face cleared of all expression as he took her arm in one hand and Nathanial’s in the other Her relative hadn’t spoken at all, either on the plane ride to Monaco or the car ride to the harbor Denise knew Nathanial had been apprised of his role tonight, but she wondered at his silence Was he afraid of being captured again by Web? She certainly would be, if she were he, though what she intended for Nathanial was so much worse than that

Denise re to do with Nathanial ain with Raum in the first place, but the rationalization felt hollow She glanced at the tattoos covering the brands on her skin If only there was another way to remove them

Her attention was snapped away from that when Web appeared on the end of a pier He must have been there the whole ti, but not until she was on the pier did she notice him Web’s tousled sandy hair was visible in the darkness, but those scary cobalt eyes were still too shadowed for her to see

"Good evening," Web called out, as if this were a social call Then he spoke into his phone "Are we good, Vick?"

Denise didn’t hear the reply, but when Web’s casual stance relaxed even uess what it was Yes, only the six of thereed, which must be what Web’s spies relayed to him

"Don’t you trust me?" Spade asked, a hint of amusement in his tone

Denise didn’t kno Spade could sound so coolly unaffected She was al at the circumstances, and she was the safest person on the pier aside frohtly "You were a bit rude during our last encounter"

Spade chuckled at that, letting go of Denise’s arm "I’m sure you’d have acted the sah to see the gleam in Web’s eyes "Very true"

She’d known it, of course, but seeing Web’s eyes flick behind them with false nonchalance hammered ho Spade, Bones, or Cat walk off this pier Her heart started to beat faster What if this didn’t work?

"You see I’ve brought the girl," Spade said, not looking away from Web "Now, show me the knife"

Web pulled out a thin black case from his jacket, similar to a jewelry box for a bracelet Denise blinked Was the knife really that s a pale blade that was all the same cream-colored substance from sharp tip to thicker etched handle Demon bone

"Slide it over," Spade coirl"

Web didn’t argue, which made Denise even more nervous They must really be surrounded for him to feel so confident He closed the box and then slid it along the pier, watching the s the knife out and holding it up in the irl," Web said silkily

Denise cast one last look at Spade before she walked forward, slowly Web’s eyes slid over her in a way that felt like footsteps on her grave Package deals Blood selling His plans for her would ht

Denise was almost within Web’s reach when the smile slipped froreen

"What is this?" Web grated out His hand slowly lifted froht

Behind her, Denise heard Cat grunt She glanced back, seeing Cat’s hands extended outward and green blazing frorowled

"Run!" Spade snapped to Denise, drawing several knives from his sleeves

Shouts erupted fro harbor was suddenly aith rabbed Nathanial’s ar with a vampire who appeared as if out of nowhere When the vah, his reach slowed, like he wasunder water Before he could touch her, Bones hacked a silver knife through his heart

"Go," Bones ordered

Several more vampires tried to stop her, but they swayed almost drunkenly, as if they’d lost coordination in their li ar lot and the SUV

"Hurry," Cat called out, her voice sounding strained "I can’t hold the toward theruesome efficiency at every vampire he caish human and Oliver hyped up on vampire blood, Web’s people were almost helpless

"Quickly," Oliver said The three of the off before Denise caught her breath