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"The usual"

She looked up from where she’d sat down to tie her shoes and was distracted for a moment by the view of a very naked Aden from this perspective It took her a moment to remeed, then laughed at his flat look of disapproval She stood, going up on tiptoes to kiss his scowling face, her ar his neck "There’s the no-nonsense Aden I’m used to I’ll be here"

"See that you are," he said, walking her to the door And then he kissed her good-bye A full-body kiss, deep and slow and pro all sorts of dark, erotic pleasures

When he finally let her go, she had to hang onto his were so wobbly Yeah, she definitely needed

She waved as she walked down the hallway, hearing his door close behind her with a very solid thunk of sound The red doors were equally substantial, and when she turned to make sure they’d closed completely, she found they had already locked behind her Down the hall, the elevator was open and waiting She took it down to the fifth floor and was nodding a souards when one of the htly older, maybe mid-forties and had an air of authority

"Ms Reid?"

"Yes?" she responded, wondering if she’d triggered so down in the elevator when she did

"My naht security team Lord Aden said I should introduce myself"

Sid suy who thought about you like that?

"Thank you, Mister Hamilton"

"Oh, call me Earl Everyone does"

"Earl It’s a pleasure, thank you I’ll just--" A thought occurred to her "Let ive you my cell number, Earl, just in case I can ever help out"

Nuot Earl’s number, too--Sid made her way to the street and climbed into the taxi which Earl had summoned for her The ride was thankfully short At her own building, she rode up to her condo, went directly to the shower, and then to bed She was nearly asleep before she realized there’d been soor rather, soht’s bloodbath at the slavers’ holding house

She reached for her cell phone autoot his voice e until later, and she si as she had him, or at least his so-abrupt-it-was-ale

"Hey, it’s me We’ll talk later, and you probably know this, butwe didn’t get everyone at that house tonight You know that, right?"

She barely ed to disconnect before she was sound asleep

Chapter Twelve

"WHAT DO YOUto you, ht up to Aden, s up at hi blue fire and pro hand in her jacket, yanked her closer, and then he kissed her, starting out hard and dutiful, but quickly turning seductive and ending with a sensuous flourish of his tongue that left her breathless

"We’ll continue that later," he led happily

"Nohat did you e?" he de to catch her breath She glanced up to let hi her with a s trouble breathing She rolled her eyes, but he only winked back at her

"Okay," she said, taking a full breath "I didn’t see everyone you killed last night, because--"

"Because soh the door," Aden interrupted i there," she admonished him "I think you missed someone The slave business was Klerunt work There was another vaot the impression he did other stuff, too, because he wasn’t around e His nalanced over her head, and she turned to see Bastien coh the door to the office where they stood Bastien was the most buttoned-up of Aden’s vampires, always dressed in black, his hair a neat razor cut He ht ,

"Pinto," Bastien repeated, then shared a look with Aden before asking Sid, "When was the last ti and thu for Pinto’s naala," she said, half to herself, then found the note she was looking for "Yep Eight days, to be precise He was at their place in Fuller Park It’s kind of a drug clearinghouse for the at her oddly