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"He’s at the Malone nation

"The bordello?" Catcher asked, pulling out his phone, probably to send a randfather

"Our bordello We bought it before Sorcha, before people were afraid We’re going to lose it if we don’t get business" She paused "Robin’s got Padgett’s skull, and he’s going to try to "

"Is he alone?" I asked

She nodded "We had a fight After what happened here, we told hiure out another way to get the money He said he’d do it alone" Guilt hunched her shoulders

If he gets it right, I told Ethan, if he ett will kill him

Ethan was quiet for athe fact that Robin had created the situation and the danger--orth the trouble of a response

"You’ll stay here," he said to Matt and Roz in a tone that allowed no argument "Keep an eye on them," he told Kelley

She stepped forward, eyes silvered and fangs bared

We walked back into the foyer

"You’ve contacted Chuck?" Ethan asked Catcher

He nodded "He’s going to asseet eyes on the house He doesn’t want to send cops in yet If Padgett’s in there, guns won’t help"

"Then let’s join them," Ethan said "And let’s put an end to this"

• • •

Ethan, Mallory, Jeff, Catcher, Annabelle, and I gathered two blocks up frorandfather and the CPD backup

"You’re violating the Order’s rules," Catcher told Annabelle with a grin

Her answering grin was equally wide She earing an ass-kicking enseht of fierce ladies, and she nodded with the same ferocity in her eyes "I know," she said "It feels spectacular"

Catcher chuckled, patted her back "Welcome to the club"

"The house is surrounded," ot a man with a camera across the street" He offered a tablet that shohat looked like color video