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Steeling rief, I said, "Make sure Roman’s mom really did have a heart cath Make sure we knohere he was all day Make sure he didn’t have a sudden need for money or favors Get yourself soet hie collated, all the subjects identified I want a timeline of what happened here and I want it yesterday"

"Yes,the loss of Martini

"Hang in there, Alex," I said softly "Let er that"

I snapped my coms unit off and turned to Leo "Why did you let her back in? What did she have that you wanted?" When Leo hesitated, I added, "What et aith, and how much trouble are we in because of it?"

Leo didn’t answer Disgusted, I pulled a va my injured arm close to me, I positioned the blade at as left of Adrianna’s throat and prepared to bear down Any va, a revenant, amachine Any vamp killed and brain-poisoned with silver stood an even better chance

Leo’s hand landed on my forearm "No, my Enforcer You may not" Effortlessly, he lifted , he removed the blade froaining chip for the Son of Darkness, assuains his sanity Dead, she is useless" At my expression--which couldn’t have been pretty--Leo chuckled "I will feed her and care for her in a scion lair I will not let her starve or torture her ant And I will personally e is secure"

"Sure you will But, you see, it’s a little late for promises, Leo" I pointed at the huood food" and "more scions to chain and feed" expression than an expression of concern I pulled a flash and went to the hu the light into each face I kneo of theave Alex the names of the injured and dead "Leo has decided to keep Adrianna alive," I said He cursed Again I didn’t respond; I e

"If you’re saving Adrianna, why not save hi at the other vamp

The MOC shook his head "He cannot be saved He is not old enough to survive silver He is true-dead and ured it was a blood- Leo knehen his people could be saved or not To Alex, I added, "His name is Mario Esposito" Mario, a dark-skinned Italian vaht he was prettier and set so I wanted I tried not to remember histhe blade Leo had just put away, I cut through as left of Mario’s cervical spine There wasn’t enough blood left in hih tissue et and sticky, followed by the harder,of steel on bone The blade wasn’tani only the stink of va silver on the air

I wiped the blade on Mario’s coat, noticing only now that it hite cloth with gold threads woven through it Like, real cloth of gold And Joses and I had ruined it with bloodstains They’d never coh tittered in the back of asp when I stood and my jacket pulled onbetter I no longer wanted to toss bloody cookies

I tapped hts and equiper that," Alex said "Eli’s on the way down"

I pretended not to hear the utter relief in his voice, that Eli was back "Copy"

Ignoring me, Leo extended his talons toward Adrianna and pushed into the gore that was her head, gripping the blunt end of the huge silver stake buried deep in her temple With a jerk, he pulled it out and threw it across the rooer than most other vamps I knew He scooped his arms beneath her and lifted Adrianna From behind us, the other vamps, al like blurs up the staircase Leo moved oire, on his heels The elevator thumped and the doors opened

Eli and Del stood there, Bruiser behind thened by the Psychometry Law Enforce ay I used to ave Eli a finger sign to wait and he offered back a truncated nod, understanding that until Leo departed, any ed to get one of the rare psychometers, which were exclusive to the use of law enforcement and military Sometilance atout of his way He left behind droplets of Adrianna’s blood, and ray matter I didn’t look closely at Leo’s trail As he passed Adelaide, her eyes followed Leo, her face full of e sense When the elevator door closed, Del h the pocket door, up the stairs, as if chasing the va, not exactly, but she wasn’t taking her time either

As she left, Bruiser approached, his eyes onevery inch the Enforcer, the primo of a master vamp, neither of which he was anymore, he studied the room, the humans, the beheaded vamp, silent But he took no command position, which felt so odd to e Noas Onorio and living off premises andoften in my bed, or I in his But he never interfered when I orking, recognizing my authority as Leo’s current, te was all backward

"Suggestions?" I asked

"One or two," he said smoothly "Over dinner, soon"