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I watched Natasha as she left her sanctuary. She disappeared into a small room at the rear of the office. She returned with a gun case.

“So, this is it.” I looked as she handed the case over to me with my name engraved in gold on the top.

“The case only opens with your blood and your blood only. No other vampire can use your weapon. The trigger only works in your palm and fingers.”

It seemed complicated, but she had already shown me how to use the gun. “How will the other Cripo Glocks work for the others if you need blood to unlock the case?”

“I have blood, finger and palm print samples from every vampire that works for you.”

“Right. That’s what the samples were for.” More than a year ago, I’d given her permission to retrieve blood from everyone I employed, vampire and human.

I took the gun case and exited the room. She followed me to the waiting elevator.

“Keep tracking the rental car. I want to know every move they make.” I ordered.

Natasha nodded. “Are we closing down The Castle until further notice?”

“No, business as usual.” I replied. “Teresa wants a reaction from me. I won’t give her the satisfaction of disrupting my life or my business.”

Natasha nodded once again as the elevator doors closed.

As I headed back to my car, I called Harlen. He answered on the first ring.

“I need you at my loft. Now.” I didn’t wait for his response before hanging up.

The drive back feels endless. Five innocent women were dead because they shared a name with the woman I loved. Five lives ended as a message to me. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly the leather creaked in protest. Teresa had always been vindictive, but this, this was something else entirely.

By the time I reached my building, my decision was made. Chanel and Morgan needed to be separated. I greeted Josh downstairs and sent him to The Castle to see Natasha. I leftViktor downstairs alone to watch the area around the loft. Donté was asleep in the apartment I set him up in, connected to my building. I needed him close, but I wanted him to still have independence.

The elevator door to my loft opened. The weight of what I needed to say made each step heavier than the last.

The scene that greeted me felt like a punch to the gut. I found the three of them already gathered in my living room. Chanel perched on the edge of the sofa next to Morgan. Harlen was leaning against the wall. His usual smirk was replaced with something solemn. Their faces turned to me in unison. They knew something was coming. They just didn’t know how gruesome it was.

“You got here fast.” I said to Harlen. I placed my gun case and car keys on a table by the elevator.

“You said now,” He answered.

Chanel rose and walked over to me. She wrapped her hands around my left bicep and looked up at me. “What did Natasha want that was so urgent?”

I gently guided her back toward the sofa. “You should sit down.”

It was such a cliché thing to say before delivering bad news.

Harlen followed Chanel’s lead and planted himself down in a chair. I remained standing to deliver news that I knew would devastate Chanel.

“Teresa and Marisol have teamed up.” I began, forcing myself to meet Chanel’s eyes. “Over the past nine days, five women have been murdered across Chicago.”

Morgan’s sharp intake of breath was the only sound in the room.

“All five women,” I continued. “Were named Chanel Taylor.”

The color drained from Chanel’s face. She gripped Morgan’s hand so tightly that Morgan tensed.

“What?” Chanel chanted out a single word.

“Coco, remember, you saw that one postal worker on the news.” Morgan blurted out. I was unaware that they both knew of a victim.

“Yes, she was one of five. Natasha found the pattern with the murders because of the name. The police haven’t released the names of all of the women because it would be all over the place. CPD has been covering the crimes up and keeping them from the public. But they all are Black women that share your name.”