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“No. I don’t know any of them. Ms. St. Maarten didn’t send them. Ms. James said they were government. Maybe the racial authorities. Or the human ones.”

“Racial authorities.” Nick felt another shiver of alarm. He rubbed his face again, fighting like hell to clear his head. “Fuck. Okay. Hide. Do what she said.”

Tai let go of Nick’s arm.

She started to walk away, but Nick’s voice stopped her.

“Tai… wait.” The girl turned, blinking at him. “You really don’t know them?” His voice sharpened. “None of them? Did Wynter show you theirfaces?Or just their uniforms?”

“Yes,” she said, frowning. “She showed me both. She showed me their cars. Their faces. I saw their clothes. I told you… I don’t know them. Ms. James thinks they’re police. Or I.S.F. What’s wrong with you? Why are you so weird?”

His mind was coming back online, but she was right.

He was moving way, way too slowly.

He was thinking way,waytoo slowly.

He was weird. He was definitely fucking weird right now.

Fighting to think past that, to absorb her words, he bit his tongue.

“Okay.” He motioned with his fingers for her to go. He aimed the gesture at the stairs. “Okay. Walk quietly. Don’t let them hear you, Tai. Go to the guest room. Use the cubby behind that panel… the one in the closet. If they’re police and they’re here on official business, I can’t take the chance they might search the place.” He held a finger to his lips. “Be super quiet, okay? Don’t make a sound, small fry.”

She nodded, her eyes worried.

She clutched the unicorn tighter to her chest.

He heard it when they knocked that time.

His vampire ears picked it up, loud and clear.

Really loud.

Really, really damned loud.

Like they were slamming a tree trunk against her security door.

How thefuckhad he slept through that?

“Detective Midnight?” A muffled voice reached him beyond the metal door.

A human wouldn’t have heard it, but Nick heard it clearly.

Clearly enough he felt his jaw clench.

Gaos.He was a fucking idiot.

They better not have a vampire with them. If they did, they already knew Tai was here. Worse, they likely would know exactly what she was, as soon as they walked through that door. The entire couch and all the blankets and pillows positively stank of seer. It wasn’t a scent any vampire would miss. Nick was used to it now, but the first time he smelled it, it nearly floored him, and he’d only caught a bare whiff of it on wind.

If they had a vampire with them, Nick was fucked.

He’d have to fight their way out.

No way could he let them take the kid.

“We need to speak to you!” the voice shouted through the door. “Please pick up your incoming. We need you to open the door… Detective Midnight… we were told you were here… don’t make us break down the door…”

Nick’s frown deepened.