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It was ain and this tiht stand a chance of waking h for my subconscious and dreaood plan, but any plan is better than no plan It also gave s out

Hair braided up on e bun in place, wearing jeans and socks and a sports bra and tee, the s fro wide-awake, was cleaning his weapons at the kitchen table Sitting cater-corner fro on his tablets The Kid leaned back and switched on a fan that emitted a low-level huh the air conditioner was hu the fan as a low-tech voice dampener

I poured tea that soet up, and I stood at the table near thenizant of the fan’s noise level, I said softly, "When was so to tell me that Bruiser was one of the people that Bethany took with her when she went gadabout last night?"

Alex’s head jerked and his heart rate sped, though his eyes never left his screens Eli’s heart re out "When we knew for sure," Eli said A hollow place opened up inside , but--"And then when you woke No point in waking you to tell you so about, now, is there?"

"You do know that talking so reasonably is one surefire way to tick a woman off?"

"The worin, an odd one for hi teeth, and he added, "And Syl accompanied the infor--"

"Stop Not interested," I said

"I am," the Kid said

"No," Eli and I both said together Family was so wonderful But Eli still had that odd note about hi throughHe should have called by now "So do we have video of Bruiser and the nutso priestess leaving vaether?"

Eli tilted his head at his brother, who fiddled with a tablet before swiveling it toward /soup bowl in both hands propped on the chair back, to watch Bethany was shown on three screens, dashing through darkened vamp hallways, some floors and walls streaked with blood Brute was on her trail, racing close at her feet, hiscalled Joses Bar-Judas, and his crystalline eyes seeood Bethany had to knoas there

She passed one of Derek’s men Hi-Fi, short for Vodka Hi-Fi, a mixed drink and his team name, spun from an all-out run as she touched him, to follow her Hi-Fi and the olf raced after her to the front entrance, where the as blocked by a group of rays--and carrying guns In front of the group was Bruiser and the two other Onorios I hadn’t seen Brandon and Brian since the arcenciel attack It looked like they had gone soh to reach out and touch Bruiser, standing in the busted-out entry He was dressed in Enforcer regalia, leather and weapons enough to finish his own little war, but when she touched him, he went still; then he whipped in behind her and raced aith the others Brandon and Brian followed Brute was still with her too, like a good dog following itsat first, thenup speed

"She rolled Bruiser, Brandon, and Brian," I said "I thought Onorios couldn’t be rolled"

"Maybe not by an ordinary suckhead," Alex said, "but it looks like a priestess ht be different" Slower, he said, "A priestess asas an Onorio and not being turned into a scion chained to a wall Or dead Maybe she left a, you know, like a back door, into a firewalled systenore the spike of reaction I was not jealous I was not "And the twins?"