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“Gun safety,” I wheezed, trying to keep him distracted so he wouldn’t notice that I was reaching for my thigh bandolier of daggers. “Important to mind.” My lungs were burning, but my fingertips grazed the pommel of one of my daggers. I was able to snag it, easing the grip up to my palm giving me a decent hold on it.

“Sure,” he said. “If you—” he broke off uttering curses in three different foreign languages when I stabbed the dagger into his stomach, aiming for roughly the same area I’d shot him in.

He released me, applying a knee to my back and throwing me towards the pavement.

I didn’t have time to turn so I caught myself on my wrists—which jarred me badly enough that I felt it in my teeth. I strengthened my wrists for occasions like this, so at least I didn’t injure myself.

On the downside, I’d been stabbing behind me, so my dagger slipped out of my tenuous hold when Ruin threw me. But now, I could breathe!

“You have the tenacity of a viper.” The vamp plucked my dagger from his stomach. Based on the little amount of blood on the blade, I half wondered if he’d healed up already. I’d been hopeful that I’d finally been able to rattle him, but his voice was still charming and put together.

When I rolled to my feet and swung around to face him, he tilted his head back just enough that I saw a flash of a smile before the enchanted shadows of his hood swallowed the lower half of his face again.

I coughed. “I’ve entertained you, now I need to get back to work.”

Please, please, please just let me go. I’m not going to survive this cat and mouse game if backup doesn’t show up!

“Oh, no. This has been far too much fun to let you gonow,” His eyes were glowing an even brighter red, and I realized—with dread—that he was enjoying this.

This wasn’t hard for him at all—I don’t know if he was even feeling my admittedly brutal attacks.

He rushed me. My abilities kicked in and I hopped away—sprinting up the street and barely avoiding his hand when he tried to grab me.

How do I even the stakes? I don’t know where my gun is, I’ve got plenty of daggers, but I can’t seem to hit him hard enough to do more than make him pause!

“Ruin, stop it!” I snapped.

“Ruin? You have a nickname for me?” His voice was liberally colored with delight as he tried to kick me.

“Not me—the department.” I dropped to my knees and slid under his leg. The maneuver gave me enough time to yank a dagger free from my belt and stab upward, stabbing his leg in the calf as I passed underneath.

Ruin made a noise in the back of his throat. “That’s not half as fun. Let’s just say it’s your special name for me.” He made another grab for me, and I sprang to my feet slipping out of his reach so his fingers only brushed the shoulder of my uniform.

“No thanks,” I said as I fled.

What do I do? I can’t face this caliber of vampire alone! My whole family would have to show up for a target like this.

He somehow got in front of me, so I ran into his chest and bounced off.

He grabbed my wrists—holding them with an iron grasp so I couldn’t reach my daggers anymore.

My heart beat frantically in my chest and the toehold fear had on me started turning to a consuming fear.

Ruin started to yank me closer, when a static filled shout pierced the air.

“OH YEAH, I SEE HER! TEAM FIRE IS A BLOCK UP!” Tetiana’s voice blasted over the radio.

“Freeze!” I recognized the commanding voice and my suffocating fear instantly died.

Sarge appeared, stepping out of an alleyway on the side of Main Street that backed into the lake.

The faint pattern of silver scales that brushed across his jawline and neck shimmered in the streetlight marking him as the naiad he was, and he had a hand pointed back towards the lake—an enormous water supply that he could command with his magic.

Radios crackled, and Grove, Juggernaut, April, Clarence, and Medium-Size Robert stepped out of the shadows, ringing us.

“You’re surrounded,” Sarge announced.

“I see that.” Ruin tilted his head contemplatively.