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She bit her lip

"Not perfect?"

"There’s just one thing," she broached with reluctance "John works until nine to to roup, so he’ll probably be home by ten I’m not sure what you have in "--her cheeks filled with a pretty pink--"amorous with him home or expected home any minute"

He smiled "I assure you such was notI’ presumptuous I didn’t--"

He touched her shoulder "I meant such was not my intention while you feel unwell"

"Oh," she repeated, then sent him a shy s caution "Normally, I rarely patronize this store"

"You’ve been in here at least every other night for the past month"

He nodded "Yes Because, once Iabout you"

She s away "Really?"

"Yes"

"Me, too," she adht you ca that I knew you"

Chier Soht he had rescued her But that ti but a black void She should have no h to make her think she had seen him before

"You did?" he asked as casually as he could

She nodded "I wanted to ask you if we’d ht think it was a pickup line or so"

"Ah" Smooth

"Have we "

"I’

She nodded, brow faintly furrowed "Yeah,it out, he glanced down to note the caller: Chris Reordon, the e of the East Coast division of the huave Jenna’s shoulder another light touch "I’m sorry I have to take this"

She nodded

"Yes?" Richart answered

"I just received a call from a woman in distress," Chris said without preamble "All she had time to do is say, ‘Oh, crap’ and drop the phone before vaunshots sounded"

"Could you tell howby the sounds of it, a hell of a lot Étienne is at UNC Chapel Hill near Kenan Stadiuo as soon as I track dohere she is"

Richart walked a couple of paces away "Could it be Tracy?" Tracy was his sister Lisette’s Second, and 9mms were her weapons of choice

"It isn’t Tracy I would have recognized her voice"

Relief rushed through hi the call now," Chris continued, "and should have a location by the time you rendezvous with Étienne If it’s a place you know, teleport directly to the location and join the fight If it isn’t, Étienne has his car with hiet the two of you there as fast as he can"

"I’ his phone away, Richart turned back to Jenna "Looks like I spoke too soon It won’t be a quiet night after all A problem has arisen that requires my immediate attention"

"Okay"

"May I have your phone number so I may call you tohten her by ad he already knew it

She recited it quickly "Be careful," she added as he bowed and backed away

War another ser than anticipated to trace the call, which came from way out in the boonies Étienne violated just about every traffic law to get the two of them there as quickly as possible When the car flew over a hill and Richart spied the battlefield ahead, he teleported hi, he took in what -up vampire corpses scattered across a blood-soaked field "Merde!"