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Prison…

Regan winched at the repulsive word

Because it was true

Oh, it was nothing like her tio as she pleased She could hat she wanted, eat what she wanted, and make her own decisions

She had her independence A home, a job, the promise of all the lorious freedo?

She worked, she sketched, she slept

Not precisely the full-throated, guns-blazing sort of existence she’d dreaed one prison for another

And why?

Because every r Hell, she evenher hands, she rubbed her aching te Culligan and being her ownthat had kept her sane

And she held on to those fantasies like a drowning woenuine, unht before her eyes

Holy shit

She really was a schan was jerked out of her painful thoughts With a blink she focused on Tobi, not surprised to discover her friend staring at her with a worried expression

She’d been standing there like a reat" Impulsively she leaned forward to kiss Tobi’s cheek "And you’re right What ht needs is a yummy stud"

Tobi lifted her brows "You sound like you knohere to find one"

"Not exactly, but I knohere to start the search"

With a newfound, glorious sense of purpose, Regan squared her shoulders and headed directly toward the front entrance In a distant part of her mind she heard Tobi call her name, but she never faltered as she stepped out the door and into the dark street

She’d made up her mind

And for the first time, perhaps in her entire life, it felt absolutely, co down the street without her purse, without her keys to her apartan headed directly south She didn’t know the precise location of Jagr’s lair, but Darcy had eneral idea of where she was going

Of course, a general idea in a city the size of Chicago still y, trash-lined streets, not towith a pureblood on a r had ht the faint trace of cold power

Slowing her rapid pace, Regan angled across the eerily er was near

Even if she couldn’t sense his presence, she would know by the fact there wasn’t soto stray near the place No doubt it had so Dead vibe

Perfect for keeping away unwanted guests

Like her?

The dispiriting thought had barely passed through her ed, and a low, faan?"

Spinning around, Regan could see nothing but abandoned cars and er was there, but he’d cloaked himself in those damned va Ronored the biting need to see hieneral direction

"Yeah, I think I did," she said softly "I was hoping that I could find sohborhood, you’re et your throat slit If you want to sluerous place"

His voice was cool, distant, but Regan’s heart warave her more happiness than she’d had in a month

"I’m not afraid"

"You should be" She sensed hi her like a predator on the hunt "Around here, things really do go bu to show unease Sheshe was absolutely certain of was that Jagr would never haran shrugged "Then I should fit right in"

"I thought you’d decided to live like a hu words "How do you know I’ve been living like a huled down her spine and clenched her stoe of awareness

"You can’t be na&iu constant watch on you"

"I to ad for sor, or hell, even Darcy "I would have sensed if a vampire was near"

"Not all of Styx’s servants are deo’s finest"