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"And the key hunt? How goes that?"

"It doesn’t" Which wasn’t really a lie, because right now, it was going nowhere "We’re finding nothing but dead ends"

"Which is another reason for bringing Quinn and me in on the search Maybe you need a fresh set of eyes on the evidence"

Not a hope in hell It was bad enough that I’d pulled Ilianna, Tao, and even Jak into the line of fire There was no way I would endanger the two people I considered pseudo parents

"Thanks," I said "But there’s actually no point because, as I said, we have no fucking clue where anything or anyone is"

"But perhaps if we --"

"Aunt Riley," I interrupted softly, "I love you to death, you know that, but right now --"

"I need to butt out," she finished for ray eyes "You know that’s ih me I couldn’t let her help me any more than she already had I had lost my mom I didn’t want to lose my other mom as well "Look, I promise I’ll holler for help when I need it, but there’s really nothing you can do at thefor me to do"

She consideredyou?"

"Yes"

"Then I’ll back off for the ain, I will be madder than hell at you"

I sh me in equal amounts "I promise, on Mom’s soul, I will call in your help theshe undoubtedly caught the catch-22 in that stateh to call in her help on the key search – but all she said was, "Keep in contact regardless, Risa, or I will get involved, whether you like it or not"

"Noted," I said, and hung up The phone rang almost immediately, and the tone told me it was Jak I hit the vid-phone’s Answer button, and Jak’s ie popped up on the screen "Jak," I said, voice a mix of relief and confusion If everyone I cared about was safe, who the hell had Hunter gone after? "Are you okay?"

He frowned "Of course I’ you, aren’t I?"

"Well, yeah" I hesitated "Where are you?"

"At the office, like I said I would be" His frown increased "Are you okay? I mean, you look a little pale --"

That’s because death is reaching her sharp little claard one of my friends I sed back bile and said, "Look, I’ht now And don’t open the door to anyone but me"

"Why, if I didn’t know better," he said, amused, "I’d say you orried aboutto kill you, I want it to be "

He chuckled, and airily waved a hand – a et into the office, Ris Not only is there security downstairs, but the entry into this area is thumb-coded I’m actually safer here than at home"

"Security doesn’t worry vampires," I told hiuard and they’re in"

Or, in the case of thurin faded "And that’s what you think is after me? A vampire? Why?"

I took a deep breath, and released it slowly "I’h "But a vampire has threatened to kill so heeded" His voice was somber "And I’ll be careful, I promise Now, do you want to hear what I found?"

I did, but I wanted him safe, too, and I couldn’t escape the notion that he wasn’t, no ht Hunter hadn’t made that threat idly Butfist of fear, and the knowledge that sooner or later, one of my friends would be dead The bitch would no doubt enjoy toying withas you proo home, lock the door, and stay there until further notice"

"Sounds a bit extreme," he said, with a frown

"Trust me, the bitch who er, then nodded "I’ve seen tooup, I’ll leave That okay?"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>