Clarissa couldn't even nod her agreement.

Erin's eyes went wide and they all just stared at each other.

Ronan and Sorley rushed through town toward the next possible trouble scene.

As they crossed Main Street toward the restaurant where Micky had first met Jared, Ronan noted the police cruiser sitting in front of the all-night diner.

Sorley's voice slid into Ronan's mind.Where are you goin'? That's a cop car.

What of it?

I don't know about you, but I'm not to happy about gettin' close to the police. Didn't you say we need to keep away from them because that Fortesque creep is suspicious of us?

If someone needs help I'm not withholding it because they're a cop. Besides, what can they do to us?

No sooner then Ronan had spoken when a shot rang out from inside the building.

Sorley let out a grunt of surprise.Holy shit.

Ronan didn't wait for Sorley's astonishment to fade. The scene looked surreal, almost like a police drama come to life on television. A trembling waitress stood behind the diner counter. An emaciated man with long stringy blond hair and torn jeans held a gun on Fortesque. Sorley popped into existence behind the skinny man a second later.

Fortesque looked stunned as he gaped at the vampires. The waitress fainted with a sigh.

In that second Ronan felt everything in the room. Dark emotions jumped from the feral man to Ronan, the sensation of the evil inside the man almost staggering. Ronan took a deep breath and closed his eyes for one second. He visualized mirrors surrounding his body so the malice pouring off the skinny creep would come right back at the guy. With a gulp loud enough to hear, feral man swallowed and stepped back against a stool.

Testosterone was alive and well, pulsing from the skinny man, Fortesque and himself.

Ronan could smell, feel it, taste it. He detected the fear in the cop, and the ready to jump into action that might cost the police officer his life.

For an instant uncertainty showed on the sweaty, drawn face of the long-haired man.

"Fuck me. Who the hell are you?"

Ronan forced a smile and made sure to keep his voice light. "Your worst nightmare."

Long-hair's gaze darted from the cop to Ronan and back again. Finally his gaze settled on Ronan.

Good, Ronan. Draw his attention away from the cop.

Ronan took in Sorley's encouragement, aware the skinny guy hadn't seen Sorley quite yet.

Ronan put up his hands. "Sure and it's a fine mornin'. No need to get all excited."

"Bullshit. This cop here was going to arrest me. That ain't gonna happen, man."

"Then what are you going to do?" Ronan asked.

"I'm going to shoot him and you. Then I'm going to leave," the man said as his gun- toting hand started to shake.

Fortesque, looking beyond his realm, kept his hands up and didn't move an inch. At least Ronan could give the officer points for sense.

"Well, you see," Ronan said, keeping his voice calm, "I can't let that happen."

When the strung-out man pointed the gun at Ronan's head, Ronan knew the time had come. Take the guy down or get shot.

Taking him down sounded a lot less painful.

With vampire speed he moved toward the criminal. Skinny dude didn't have a chance as Ronan ripped the gun from his hand and delivered a punishing chop to the side of his neck. The man's eyes rolled up and he slumped to the floor.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph," Sorley said. "If that wasn't a clean take out."

"Damn," Fortesque said, his voice strangled as he leaned over the man and handcuffed him. He checked the guy's pulse and looked satisfied.

A woman and a man came out of the kitchen area. Apprehension and terror marred their faces.

"Is it over?" the woman cook asked.

"Yeah." Fortesque looked at Ronan with disbelief. "I think so, anyway. What are you two doing here?"

Oh, good, Sorley's voice spilled into Ronan's mind.You take the junkie down and Fortesque wants you to take it up the ass.

"I'd like to be able to tell you that but-" Ronan started.

"But then he'd have to kill you," Sorley said.

Ronan glared at his friend, then looked back at the cop. Fortesque's frown faded into bewilderment.

Ronan cleared his throat. "Sorry Fortesque. It's just that Sorley expects to be arrested every time a cop sees him."

This statement seemed to make the police officer relax. For a moment Ronan wondered if Fortesque planned to arrest him anyway. Instead the cop called for backup at the location and relayed details to the dispatcher.

"We have to go," Ronan said and started to move away.

Fortesque put up one hand. "Wait."

Ronan turned back around, his apprehension in full force.

Keeping his hand on his holster, the cop surveyed Ronan and Sorley with skepticism.

"Are you staying with ErinGreenway and that boyfriend of hers?"

Before Sorley could speak, Ronan said, "We have accommodations of our own."

When Fortesque scowled, Ronan asked, "What? Do I have something stuck between my teeth?"

Ronan smiled, aware his canines might be the tiniest bit longer. Though time and practice assured Ronan's canines wouldn't grow too long during battle or lovemaking, he knew sometimes he couldn't stop it.

Fortesque stared at him, then blinked. "Uh, no." He put his hand out to Ronan. "I don't know what the hell just happened, but I think you saved my life. Thank you."

While he'd never expected the police officer to react this way, he shook hands.

Sorley sauntered up to them. "I'll bet that killed you to say that."

Fortesque's lips twitched and he raised one eyebrow. "Almost. Look, with all the weird crap going on around here right now, I'm not going to ask if what I just saw really happened. And if what I sawdid happen, that would explain a lot." Deep inside the cop's eyes, trepidation lingered, as if he half expected Ronan and Sorley to create mayhem on their own. "I knew there was something not quite right about you two."