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But the real way to win the battle might just be by using one of the Other’s own. A demon half-breed to deal death.
She smiled as she gazed through the binoculars. Perfect.
Carefully, she stepped over the sniper’s still body. He was human, which was unfortunate, because she’d had to kill him. But, really, if he’d taken the shot, she wouldn’t have learned anything.
Now, she knew everything she needed to know. New prey. Prey with a weakness.
* * *
“What the hell?” Jude came awake in a rush, jerking upright with his claws out and up—just the way Zane expected him to wake.
Zane grunted and kept the gas pedal pinned to the floor. “Wanna tell me how you got taken out?”
Jude exhaled hard, and his head wrenched toward Zane. “Taken out?” The words were a little raspy. They wouldn’t be that way for long. Shifters, especially rare, white tiger shifters like Jude, were fast healers. That healing ability was why the tiger had only been out ten minutes.
“I found you unconscious in the truck.” Jana lay slumped between them. No telling how long she’d be out. “Way to watch my back, tiger.”
“Fuck.” From the corner of his eye, Zane saw Jude run a shaking hand through his hair. Then his hand dropped to his neck. “Drugged.”
Yeah. And if the sniper had been out there, why hadn’t he taken a shot at Zane? His psychic blast wouldn’t have been strong enough to carry more than a block. The sniper could have taken him.
“Who did it?” Jude demanded, and he finally seemed to see Jana. “Aw, hell, her, too?”
Zane’s jaw clenched. After a moment, he said, “She was shot right in front of me.” He hadn’t expected the special agent to take that shot. If her gun had been loaded with real bullets…
Darkness rose around him and the truck began to tremble.
“Zane?”
“A woman claiming to be from the FBI was there.” He forced his hands to ease their too-tight grip on the steering wheel. He sucked in a couple of deep, slow breaths. Control. Jana is going to be all right. “Special Agent Kelly Thomas. She said Jana was on their extermination list.”
Jude froze. Yeah, they all knew about the list. They’d even been hired a few times to make sure the exterminations were carried out for particularly dangerous paranormals.
But…Jana.
Zane yanked the wheel to the left. “She wanted me to just hand Jana over, knowing they were gonna kill her. Agent Thomas wanted…” He braked hard and turned to meet Jude’s watchful stare. “I’m not turning Jana over to the Bureau.”
Jude whistled. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
“When is it standard procedure for the FBI to drug hunters? Huh? When? They drugged you, Jude. Attacked first, and didn’t plan to ask questions later.”
The tiger shifter’s lips tightened. “I’m pissed as hell about that.” And his fangs were still out. Those claws still ready. “But Jana?—”
“If the agent wanted Jana dead, she could have killed her.” While I just stood there. Fucking stood there. “But she drugged her. She didn’t shoot to kill.” Because the agent wanted Jana for something. To use her? Aim and fire—everyone knew that was the way to use an Ignitor.
His gaze returned to Jana. She still barely appeared to be breathing. Her face was so pale, and dark smudges lined her eyes. “I’m not turning her over,” he said again. “She didn’t burn Night Watch. And before anyone plans her extermination, I want to know exactly what happened with those humans in New Orleans.” He wanted to know everything. Every detail of her life.
How had she become a killer?
How had he?
“You’re letting this get personal,” Jude warned.
Yeah, he was. “Get out of the truck, Jude.”
The shifter blinked. “It’s my truck.”
Zane brushed back the dark hair that had fallen over Jana’s cheek. “I need the wheels because I’ve got to get cover and figure out what’s going on.” His eyes once again met Jude’s. “The FBI is gonna be looking for me now, too. I don’t want them to come after you.”
