Hard Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires 4)

She went willingly. After a moment, the crowd completely dissipated, leaving no evidence of Celina's recapture or the proselytizing speech she'd just given.

That gave me a minute to focus on the bigger question: What the hell had just happened?

I stood there for a moment, still trying to wrap my mind around Celina's confession and arrest.

Long story short: I had to be missing something. The entire thing was way too easy and felt like a giant setup. Celina clearly didn't know she was going to meet me, but she'd nevertheless confessed to the entire crowd that she'd been helping Paulie distribute drugs and arrange the raves. And then she tried to convince them to join the vampire bandwagon.

How did that make sense?

It simply didn't. While I wasn't unhappy Celina was off the streets and back in the hands of the CPD, I couldn't figure out her angle. She had to have one. There was no way a woman as egotistical as Celina makes a confession without thinking she'll get something out of it. Maybe that was it. Did she think she could get out of it?

Did she think she was immune from trouble because she had GP protection? Unfortunately, that possibility wasn't entirely unrealistic.

I didn't know what game she was playing, but I knew this wasn't the end of the story. Vampire drama rarely wrapped up so easily.

I sighed and pulled out my phone, preparing to give Ethan a quick update before I searched for a cab. I'm not sure what made me glance up or over, but there he was - right in front of me.

Paulie sat at a small, plastic cafe table inside a beer tent. Two empty plastic cups sat on the table in front of him, and a third, half-full cup was in his hand. He lifted it to me, a toast to my participation in whatever con he was running.

At least to Paulie, this had been a game. He'd set up Celina, but why? To get her out of the way? So he could lose the vampire

middleman - the woman bringing unwanted drama to the entire operation - and gain access to her share of the profits?

I shifted my body weight forward to launch myself toward him. But before I could move, I was stopped by the same thing that had kept McKetrick from me - humans.

This time, a family moved in front of me.

Mother and a double stroller of sleeping children in the lead; father with a sleeping infant on his hip pulling a red wagon that held a third sleeping toddler. The entire family was tethered together with ribbon. It was a wagon train of family.

By the time they'd moved their caravan out of the way and I looked up again, Paulie was gone.

Chapter Twenty-three

DEMERITS

I wasn't entirely sure how to break the news to Ethan. How did you tell your boss that for no apparent reason, your enemy had confessed her evildoings and gone willingly into the arms of the Chicago Police Department?

Turned out, I didn't need to. After picking through the protesters to get into the House, I found half the House's vampires in the front sitting room, eyes glued to a flat-screen television that hung above the fireplace.

Tate stood in front of a podium in a charcoal gray suit, every hair in place, and a soothing smile on his face.

"We've discovered today that Celina Desaulniers, thought to be in the custody of officials in the UK, made her way back to Chicago. While here, she continued to create the chaos she'd begun before her first capture.

We've also learned that she was responsible for the increase in violence we've seen in the city.

Now, finally, the city of Chicago can breathe a sigh of relief. Life can return to normal, and vampires can return to being a part of the city, not antagonists. Rest assured, Ms. Desaulniers will stay in the custody of the Chicago Police Department in a facility we created just for the purpose of keeping the public safe from supernatural criminals. I also need to give credit to Merit, the Sentinel of Cadogan House."

"Oh, shit," I said aloud, half a dozen of the vamps in the room turning to stare at me, finally realizing I'd stepped into the room behind them, probably smelling of kebabbed meats and deep-fried candy bars.

"She was a crucial part," Tate continued, "of efforts to locate and apprehend Celina Desaulniers. Whatever your opinions of vampires, I ask - on behalf of the city - that you not judge all the individuals based on the actions of a few."

My beeper began to buzz. I unclipped it and glanced at the screen. It read, simply, OFFICE.

I blew out a breath, then looked up at the vamps in the room and offered a small wave. "It was lovely knowing you," I assured them, then turned on a heel.

I hustled down the hallway. The office door was cracked, so I pushed it open and found Darius, Ethan, and Malik inside. They were all seated at the conference table - Darius at the head, Malik and Ethan on the window side.

I didn't like the symbolism there, and my already-raw stomach began to churn again.

"Come in, Merit," Darius said. "And close the door."

I did as I was told and took a seat opposite Ethan and Malik. Ethan's expression was completely blank. My stomach tightened, but I'd already decided I wasn't going to be afraid any longer. It was time to talk.

"Sire," I said, "may I speak candidly?"

I heard Ethan's warning in my head, but I ignored it. There was a time to be meek, and a time to take a stand. At this point, I had nothing to lose.

Darius regarded me for a moment. "Speak."

"V was moving through the city. It was hurting our vampires, it was hurting humans, and it was hurting our relationship with the city. With all due respect to the concerns of the GP, we have to live here. We don't have the luxury of returning to another continent, and we couldn't simply ignore the problem. Shifters and humans were already turning against us. If we didn't act, we'd be in the middle of the war the sorcerers have predicted. I stand Sentinel for this House, and I acted in a manner consistent with the House's best interest, even if that interest, in your opinion, does not coincide with that of the GP."

When I was done, Darius looked at Ethan.

"Tonight's events do not reflect well upon the North American Houses or the Greenwich Presidium. We should not be involved in altercations in a public festival in one of the largest cities in the United States." He looked up at me. "We do not need the publicity, nor the heroics. What we need is respect for authority, for hierarchy, for chain of command.

Assimilation is how we've done that for centuries. Assimilation is how we'll continue to do it."

His gaze went ice-cold, as did the blood in my veins.

"Merit, consider yourself officially reprimanded by the GP. Your file will be annotated to reflect what you've done today. I hope you appreciate the seriousness of that action."

I actually didn't have any clue how serious it was, but that didn't matter. It felt like I'd been slapped in the face, every sacrifice and decision I'd made since becoming a vampire called into question.