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The Austrian never looked so dangerous.

It was an expression that promised torturous death if he didn’t like her answer. Not that I saw it ending any other way. But for some reason, it put me uncomfortably on edge.

Like nothing was too far and no rule wasn’t worth breaking. He’d destroy the world just to take down whoever it was who got in his way, and he’d do it without a moment’s pause. No action was too far, no single person worth saving—not when it meant his mission wouldn’t be successful. It was the look of a natural born killer, and I’d never seen anything like it before in our Hunter ranks.

I watched the vampire shift and move uncomfortably under the silver before something else caught my eye. Gasping, I rushed to intervene, but it was too late. Only a second later, Anita was ashes under the net. Only her tiny black dress and the metal stake she’d stabbed herself with remained.

“Scheisse.”

Shit was right. Our vampire captive offed herself. What were the odds she’d decide eternal death was better than talking to a pair of Hunters?

“That’s...uncommon,” I remarked, still confused. “Usually they work harder to stay alive. Maybe try to lie a bit or bargain something special. Or seduce me with a flutter of eyelashes. That kind of thing,” I rambled, a little out of it. “This isnew.”

Phillip harrumphed under his breath, not at all impressed. “Of all the vampires, Anita was the least likely to commit eternal suicide.”

“So that begs the question, why?”

“Why, indeed,” Phillip murmured, touching his chin with a tattooed hand. “Whoever is after you has a lot of power.”

“No kidding,” I grumbled unhappily, finally relaxing from the fight.

Then the hot burn of my injury finally registered. Jaw clenching, I eyed the wound on my arm.

That’s going to need stitches.

Blood saturated my sleeve, and as if finally noticing, Phillip was beside me inspecting the wound with experienced eyes. “That’s going to need stitches.”

“That’s what I just said!” I started before realizing I hadn’t said it out loud.

To my surprise, Phillip laughed out loud in response. “I can do it here if you’re brave enough.”

He gave me a look, and I rose to the challenge. “What, concerned I’m not going to make it home before I bleed out?”

Maybe the dude wasn’t all bad.

“What? No. It didn’t hit any major arteries. You’ll be fine. But it’ll mess up my car if we leave it until later.”

Nevermind. The jerk was back.

Heat in my face, I internally cursed out the Austrian. “I see where I stand. Car first, me second.”

Phillip’s lips rose devilishly. “Not true.”

“Oh?”

“Sword first. Car second. You third.”

“That’s even worse!”

“They’re antiques. They’re irreplaceable.”

I gaped openly at the rude Hunter. “And I’m what, easily replaceable?”

“Something like that,” he joked happily, his expression no longer darkened by whatever it was afflicted with earlier.

“I hate you,” I grumbled, annoyed by how cute his smile was and the things it did to my heart.

“Well, that’s also not true...”