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Chapter 9

Chris knew the Turtle’s Nest from its brief tenure as a fairly awful bar and its more recent rep as a popular flop spot; when horny tourists weren’t getting high or having sex inside the building, runaways and street kids used it for temporary shelter It stood on the far end of an old pier, and the only way to get to it was by walking the length of the dock

She parked Burke’s Mercedes in a metered curb space directly behind Lucan’s red Ferrari "Well, he didn’t stop for coffee" She peered out through the side , but all the lights of the pier’s lampposts appeared to have burned out Glass never had a chance when Lucan was in a temper; she’d bet her next paycheck that each bulb had shattered the moment he’d passed under it

"Chris" Ja at the base of one piling "Boats?"

"Too sot out of the car and walked around it As Jamys joined her, she finally made out the silhouettes of the speedy water vehicles "Jet Skis Come on"

He held her back "You should re for normal people who don’t think blood banks are a buffet, but sadly, I haven’t" She s up to the pier creaked under their footsteps, but the rush of the waves covered the sound Chris strained to see any sign of Lucan or a setup, but the dock seemed entirely deserted

As they approached the old bar, Janal her to do the sa flash and heard wood crack

"Gun" Ja

Chris didn’t protest as he covered her body with his Bullets that would definitely hurt or kill her would only bounce off his Kyn flesh Unless they were copper, in which case they’d both end up looking like Swiss cheese

"Coly tone, "and no one will get hurt"

"There’s a guy who loves bad cop shows," Chris muttered in Jaoes with ‘Drop the weapon’ or ‘On the floor, asshole, hands on your head’"

"There are two of theated metal behind her back suddenly ha wall exploded outward in a burst of splintered studs and chunks of drywall

"Which one of you is Dutch?" she heard Lucan ask in the pleasant, polite tone he used whenever he was in a full-blown rage

"Don’t move," a man replied "Dutch sent us to have a little chat with you I said, don’t e of the wall to peer around it, and then vanished as a man screamed Chris followed, only to co aon another as backing away as he fired directly into the suzerain’s chest The gun e threw the useless weapon at Lucan

The suzerain caught it with his bare hand, and crushed it into ait "Where is Dutch?"

"I don’t know" As the lanced over his shoulder "But I got his nuht here I’ll call and find out" He whipped up his hands, but when Lucan kept co, he cried out, "Don’t do it, man I can’t swim"

Lucan seized him by the front of his shirt and lifted him up over his head "Then you should have no difficulty drowning" He heaved hi off the end of the pier

Chris looked up from the wounded man as Lucan turned around and walked toward theh, my lord"

"I think not He still breathes" When Chris blocked his path, he reached out as if to touch her

She braced herself God, I hope this is worth all the broken bones

So flashed in Lucan’s eyes, and then died away, and he lowered his arnize her "Christian What are you doing here?"

He sounded co Lord Durand around town and saw your Ferrari parked over there" She glanced over the side of the dock, where Ja a liuy you just tried to drown"

"I tried to" He fell silent and still, as if someone had shut off a switch inside him, and then just as quickly caet she was there as he strode away

Chris pulled out her mobile and speed-dialed Sathe night off?"

"No, I’ on" Chris jumped off the steps onto the sand "Jaerhead Beach So is Lucan, and so?"