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stupid, deep-down part of me that refused to give up hope.
    â€œHe couldn’t have. I checked both the perimeter and the cemetery itself before I gave the go-ahead to exhume the body. There was no one and nothing here.”
    â€œThen how did those red cloaks get here so fast?” I tucked my shirt back into my jeans. Thankfully, the magic that allowed us to shift from one form to another also took anything that was touching our skin—clothes, watches, etcetera—with it. Unlike werewolves, we didn’t end up wearing rags after shifting shape.
    He shrugged. “The virus endows many vampire-like qualities, including speed.”
    â€œNot even Superman could have gotten here on foot from Brooklyn so fast,” I said. “There were barely ten minutes between us opening the casket and them attacking.”
    â€œMaybe he had a small squad of them on standby. There are plenty of drain outlets nearby, and that seems to be their chosen method of moving about.”
    That was certainly possible, but part of me doubted it. He had to have known Sam, at least, would be heretonight. And he would have guessed that curiosity would also drive me here, if only to support Sam.
    â€œYou don’t believe that any more than I do.” I paused, then added softly, “He knew we were coming, Sam.”
    â€œIt wasn’t Rochelle.”
    â€œAre you sure?”
    â€œYes, because I didn’t tell her. Only my boss knew what was going on tonight.”
    â€œYour boss, and the security team who monitors your every move.”
    He hesitated then nodded. “They wouldn’t have given her the information, though.”
    â€œAre you sure of that?”
    â€œYes.” His voice was flat. “It wasn’t her, Em.”
    I let it go. It was pointless arguing, because he was never going to believe that the woman he was sleeping with would betray him that way.
    Which was odd given his belief that I
had
.
    Of course, my betrayal had come out of necessity rather than choice—something he’d refused to hear back then. He knew the truth now, when it was all far too late.
    â€œThen there’s the magic—”
    â€œMagic?” he cut in. “Where?”
    I waved a hand to the black patch of soil that had once held the spell stone. “And it was a strong spell, too, but it’s one that can’t be set up too far in advance.”
    His gaze swept me, and it was a cold, judgmental thing. “Since when did you become an expert in magic?”
    â€œI’m not, but I’ve been around a very—”
    He clapped a hand over my mouth, the movement so fast I squeaked in surprise. He released me almostimmediately and motioned me to remain silent as his gaze swept the night and his expression grew dark.
    â€œFuck,” he said, his voice a low growl. “That’s all we need.”
    â€œWhat?” I kept my reply low and studied the trees around us. I couldn’t see anything out of place, nor could I sense anything or anyone approaching. But the senses of a vampire—or even a pseudo vampire—were far sharper than those of a phoenix. I might be able to sense the heat in others, but if they
had
none, or if it was concealed in some way, it left me as blind as any human.
    Which meant, if there
was
a threat out there, it could really have only one source.
    His next words confirmed my fears.
    â€œVampires,” he said. “Six of them. And they’re coming straight at us.”

C HAPTER 2
    â€œW hy the fuck are
vampires
here?”
    Surely Parella wouldn’t have gone back on his promise? Not yet, anyway. He was smart enough to realize the notes wouldn’t be found here, in the grave of a man who’d been buried over a year ago. Granted, it would make a brilliant hiding spot if you
did
want to hide something, but it wouldn’t be an easy place to access—and De Luca had said he’d doled out the research notes on an