Lyla pointed the gun at the quivering man on his knees. His hands were up in a vain attempt to appease the angry human.

"Please, I have done nothing wrong."

"You're a vampire. That's enough."

"Surely we can trade?"

"I don't want money or objects."

"Then how about information?"

That made Lyla intrigued enough to lower the gun a fraction. The vampire was relieved, even if the weapon was still technically on him. His body was a whole lot better than his forehead.

"What kind of information?"

"You're the woman from the markets, the night that it went down."

"That's right, you're the creepy guy behind the machine."

He huffed for a moment, soft and amused.

"I suppose so. Was your aim to destroy the markets?"

"No, to get my daughter back. She was with the guy running the place."

"Nironsa," the vampire whispered. "His name was Nironsa, and he was not the one running the black markets. Merely a showman, a puppet if you will."

"Then who was the top dog in that place?"

The vampire hesitated, glancing around the tiny alley. He'd been cornered, foolishly, of course. He knew better yet, this tempting morsel had tricked him. The warnings about the human had come too late for him. Believing he'd found an innocent human, he didn't recognise her and followed her into the alley for an early meal.

"I don't know who, but I do know that the markets are still running."

"Same location?"

"Yes."

"If you could take a guess at the person running the markets, who would it be?"

Lyla already had a thought, and she wanted to know if she was right or if there was another in this town that could hold such a costly event.

"Boss man," the vampire said softly.

"Funny, I thought that too. Has he got a name, or did his parents give him that ghastly title?"

"Gamichee."

"All of it." she said tersely.

"Gamichee Larmen."

Carefully Lyla pulled out the small notebook and pen, watching the vampire and ensuring he didn't try anything bold. Distraction was always a downfall, one that she was not prepared to suffer.

Lyla handed the items to the vampire.

"Addresses, anything noteworthy that might save your life."

The vampire nodded, taking the book and flicking it open to a clean page. He began to write everything that he knew about the boss man, which wasn't a whole lot, but it would be something for this vengeful human. If he could walk out of this alley without any bullet holes in him, he'd give whatever was necessary.

When he was done, the vampire held his shaking hand out, returning the items. Lyla read through it, keeping an eye on the vampire. Satisfied, she pocketed them and began to back out of the alley. With the gun aimed at the vampire, she offered her gratitude in the only way she knew would be sufficient.

"Thank you for your assistance. Your reward for parting with the information so easily is that I won't kill you tonight. I would suggest that you go home right now, pack your things and leave as soon as you can. If I see you tomorrow night, I will kill you."

The vampire gulped and nodding, sputtering his own gratitude.

Lyla made her way to the only place that she could gain information and trust the source. She wouldn't feel safe in the place, but that was because she knew that nothing was safe. Even the sanctuary that was her home was no longer the haven she wanted it to be. It was watched. She'd seen vampires walking past it, curious to what lay beyond the drapes. After watching the vampires searching the exterior of her house, she understood why Lennon was so insistent they stayed at the warehouse.

When she thought of her time with the odd trio, Lyla believed that marking them for death was unjust. She liked Adley even if she couldn't understand him. Merissa was nice. She was a fiery woman that was sharp and sassy. As for Lennon, Lyla didn't know what to say or think. He was a thorn in her side, but it was one that she wasn't willing to pull out as quickly as she thought she would. There was a darkness to him that was incredibly sexy. He dressed like a bad boy rock star and certainly thought he was enticing to the female population.

The conflicting thoughts left Lyla in an odd place. She pushed against the door, desperately trying to discard the thoughts about them and Lennon in particular.

"Evenin' Blue."

"Diego," Lyla said with a warm nod.

Sliding up on the stool, she watched as Diego pulled a bottle from the fridge, removed the lid and put it on the coaster in front of her.

"I'd ask what's new, but I already know the answer. My condolences, Lyla."

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry we didn't get to talk at the funeral."

"It's fine," Lyla murmured. "I wasn't in the mood for talking to anyone anyway."

Diego nodded solemnly.

"How's Isaac holding up?"

Lyla shrugged, looking sad as she gazed at the bottle.

"He hasn't accepted it yet. Blames himself for being overseas at the time."

"Can't help it when you've got a very important body to protect."

She nodded, wishing that he'd been here. Isaac was a pest most of the time, but occasionally, he'd be the guy she fell in love with. There was no going back to the past, though. Too many things had been said, too many hurt feelings. Their divorce hadn't been easy, but that very important body seemed to keep him busy, so it was better than it could have been.

The door to the men's restroom opened, Diego looked up. As the figure crossed the room, Diego turned to the fridge and pulled another beer out, leaving it on the counter beside Lyla.

"Good luck," Diego said before he continued down the bar to the other patrons.