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Damn dreams Why, why did she have them if she couldn’t stop death?

Not Jude Not him

"What?" The demon shook his head "Look, you’re confused You fell hard" A wince "I didn’t catch you before you slas a minute, you’ll be fine"

No, she wouldn’t be "If you don’t tell ot his attention She saw his Adam’s apple bob "You--you can’t--"

"Psychic, reo into the twisted story of her particular talents

"Jude’s out hunting" He rose, jerked her to her feet, and ignored the scrape of her claws over his flesh

"Hunting where?" Hold on, Jude Please, hold on She couldn’t lose him

Wouldn’t

Always too late

Dammit

Zane jerked out his cell phone and punched in a number His jaw flexed as he waited Waited

Erin rocked forward on her heels He could be dying

"Dee! Dee--where’s Jude? What? No, I don’t have time-- just tell ht "Jaers whitening around the small phone

"Zane?" There had been so much blood

Won’t Lose Him

"He’s in a deo there There’s no way you can--"

Jamestown Erin spun away from him and ran for the double doors

"Wait! You won’t find the den You’ll never be able to--"

She jerked open the courtroolanced back at him "You can find it"

His face paled

"If you don’t, he’s dead"

"Dao to hell"

"A demons’ den is like a crack house" Zane stared at the dark building before them "Only much, much worse"

Erin didn’t really care how much worse the place was Yeah, the place looked like some kind of hole in the wall, but if Jude was inside, she was bringing him out "You sure this is the place?"

"Yeah, yeah Dee said he was following a lead on your stalker"

Jude was going to die because of her The thudding of her heartbeat filled her ears

No Not forsteps

"Wait There’ll be a guard, armed Always is at a place like this He’ll--"

Erin kicked in the door The wood exploded under her foot, shattering instantly She barreled forward, ignoring the scrapes along her aruy with pitch black eyes ran at her, spittle flying

Erin caught hiht in the chest, and shoved the bastard back about ten feet He hit the wall, sent plaster flying, and sank to the floor

He didn’t get up

A long whistle behind her "Yeah, you’re scary," Zane said "And soaze snapped to the left, then the right Old furniture Freaking rats running around Enough dust to clog her nose and numb her sense of sht place! Where is he? " So she sounded hysterical

If there was ever a time for a freak-out, it was now

Zane’s stare swept the roo into the old wood Erin stared at the s They’d started next to the far wall and they ended at the big, scarred chest on the other side of the roo’s--"

Erin bounded across the rooh and hs Then she grabbed one side of the chest and shoved

The chest flew out of the way

"Damn woure, ould they--"

"Because Jude’s down there!" Erin wrenched the knob "And they didn’t want hi out" Not until they were finished with hi black space stared back at her The faint thud of drums reached her ears--or, hell, was that her heart? "Jude! "

"No, Erin, you’ve got to be careful," Zane’s hushed voice "If soot Jude down there--"

Screw careful He needed her

And she damn well needed him More than she’d realized

I didn’t know--didn’t understand--until I saw him die

Erin ran into the darkness

He’d better not be dead

Chapter 18

Di candles lit the basement and revealed the massacre A trail of broken, bloody bodies littered the floor Themen had claw marks all over their flesh

But all of the bastards weren’theaps on the floor More of the assholes were up and they were still fighting Five, no six of theainst the far wall and they were punching hi him

One blade drove into his side, into the already red fur, and the tiger jerked back, a keening cry on his lips

Erin growled

"Oh, no, the hell they aren’t--" Zane’s snarl behind her

No, they weren’t She attacked, with Zane charging at the sarabbed the closest asshole and spun hiht, colder than hell, stared down at her Demon They were all demons in this den "Bitch, what do you want?"

Her claws slashed over his chest His mouth dropped open as the blood soaked his shirt He fell to his knees, screaritted and shoved hiht

But Zane grabbed the next demon and broke the jerk’s wrist when the asshole lifted his knife S, Zane punched hi squish, and then that deh the rooht one demon beneath him Claws and teeth took him out in seconds

Another demon launched toward her Bald head Soulless eyes and skin too pale And like the others, this guy was arrinned at her, then whispered, "Co a breath, tasting blood, Erin raced forward