Page 15 (1/2)

Chapter 27

OLAF WAS WILLING to throw his leather over everything, but Edward passed out the dark windbreakers with US Marshal on them to all of us "If this is a social visit, won&039;t this be the wrong e?" Bernardo asked

"The ne makes it almost impossible for any of us to pass for civilians," Edward said "We can&039;t enter a casino packing thisThe first time they see us on the security ca"

We couldn&039;t argue with that, actually It took us a few et jackets over our clothes so thatto have to remember to pack my own nifty dark blue windbreaker next ties, but I did keep forgetting soht in his leather jacket "It is invisible under this jacket"

"You don&039;t like having a badge, do you, big guy?" Bernardo asked, as he fluffed the jacket over all of his oeapons

"I like some of it, but I don&039;t like the jacket"

I had to take the backpack off, and just slid the MP5 on its sling so it was under the jacket, and put the backpack on over the jacket The MP5 was the thing most likely to freak the mundanes and the casino security

Edward had replaced his own Heckler amp; Koch MP5 with the new FN P90 It was very science fiction looking, but he swore once I fired it, I&039;d trade inabout the un that the MP5 had replaced for uns than I ever would

We stepped out of the elevator and into the casino It was bright, but oddly elegant in its gaudiness The Indian theme continued, with more animal statues and painted plants on the walls, with real plants huddled under full-spectruh a jungle canopy Then there were the slot machines Rows and rows of the rolled farther in; people were everywhere The noise was not as much as you&039;d think, but it was still a rooet when they&039;re on vacation and trying to enjoy everyto make up for all that work

Edward shook his head, bending over me, so he could be heard over the noise "It&039;s too open, and too many places to hide, all at the sauard work"

I looked around the crowd of people, the slot machines, the noise, the color There was so

Bernardo and Olaf seenal froh alert I realized, watching us, that any policeood security would knoeren&039;t tourists in a heartbeat It wasn&039;t the guns or the US Marshal on the jackets It was that strangewith you, looking sort of ordinary; the next they&039;re "on"-they are cop, they are alert-and no a can hide that they are different fro the weapons; if I&039;d been security, I&039;d have been all over us

I didn&039;t see anything to be afraid of; what had spooked Edward? I moved back so I could look up into his pale blue eyes I searched his face His face was solemn, and his eyes as serious as I&039;d ever seen them

I leaned in, and he leaned down, because I couldn&039;t reach his ear without help "I&039;ve never seen you like this, Edward, not without people shooting at us"

"It&039;s just hard security in a place like this"

I put a hand on his arm to steady myself, because ere too close He slid a hand aroundthat lookedto work out what to do with Olaf Great, another probleuard, Ted I&039;m just a fellow vampire hunter" I looked up into his eyes, and ere too close It was kissing close, but his eyes, this close I could see his eyes, and there was nothing about kissing in them The look in his eyes scared , Anita, and this is a terrible location for protection"

I couldn&039;t argue with that I just nodded

He put his hand on the back of my hair and kissed my forehead He did it for Olaf&039;s benefit, but it e were doing when the weretigers walked up Perfect

Chapter 28

I FELT THEM like a wind on oose bumps on my skin and made me shiver in Edward&039;s arms Most men would have taken credit for that shiver, but Edward looked up and around He knew I&039;d sensed so

His reaction put Olaf and Bernardo on alert Olaf&039;s hand was actually hovering near the edge of his jacket, where it barely covered one of his sidearms We were just all back to that "cop" h rooh rooet in each other&039;s way Bernardo and Olaf did the sa at each other, the four of us formed points of a square to watch the rooers, but we all knew our jobs I ht have issues with Olaf, and even Bernardo, but it was nice to ith people who kne to deal We covered the room, not like cops but more like soldiers No, we covered the roo first None of us were really cops Cops save lives; we took the in a room; best to be elsewhere

There were two uniforroup, but I didn&039;t give theuns I orried about I trusted Edward to watch the guns The wooes with it As she got closer, I saw the dusting of freckles underneath her baseIn fact, she radiated goodwill and humanity The twoto pass for human

They were both tall, about six feet The one on her left was the taller by an inch or two; he had white hair cut short and close to his head His eyes were icy blue but not huers have blue eyes, and the man in front of me had the eyes he&039;d have in animal form in his human face In any other wereani forced into aniers it showed purity of bloodline They were born with the eyes

The ht was just under six feet, with curly hair; some of those curls were black, so into fire

The woman held her hand out "I&039;m Ava, and you ht ere a group of visiting businessy jumped between us like a so round, and her mouth ht not to wipesensation away Mustn&039;t let theoing to be about power, too We&039;d be doing a erous version of what happened when I met the SWAT practitioners There, the worst that would happen was it ht be scary, but no one would have hurt me Here, I wasn&039;t sure of that

Ava did wipe her hand on her dress "I think we ht wait until we&039;re upstairs for any more introductions" Her voice was a little breathy

"I wouldn&039;t suggest anyone pushing power into me, just to test the li orders, Anita," she said

"And ere your orders, exactly?" I asked