Colt jerked awake with a scream caught in her throat from a nightmare where a dark hooded figure and his mocking, maniacal laughter followed her through half-lit, deserted hallways that reminded her of a sanitarium as she ran for her life.

No matter how hard she ran or how desperately she fought, he inevitably caught up to her. She had woken his cold breath touched her skin, and those terrible razor-sharp teeth savagely ripped into her neck.

Her hand automatically shifted to her throat, her heart racing beneath her fingertips. Sweat coated her body, despite the cold shivers rocking her frame. Disorientated, she stared at the light gray walls of a room she'd never seen before, and as she pushed aside the sheets, she stared at her body, frowning at her undershirt and panties.

She jumped out of bed as if bitten by a snake, her gaze caught on her washed and neatly ironed clothes sitting on a chair with her belongings, including her gun. She slowly sat back down again, fighting the adrenaline kicking through her veins and wiping her hands over her face to wake herself up; she finally recalled falling asleep on the couch.

Both pissed and grateful, she felt rested, as if she'd slept for a week, despite the dream. She lifted her head, yawning as she stretched until her shoulders popped, and spotted the half-open door leading to a dark gray and light gray tiled bathroom. Without another thought, she made her way there, drawn by the promise of washing the dust, sweat, and blood from her skin.

She wanted to wipe the memory of fear from her mind and scrubbed herself nearly raw before washing her hair. She discovered a stack of those huge soft fluffy towels like those in a hotel and wrapped herself in one before returning to the room.

She headed toward the chair, noticing new undies in a small plastic package and dressed hastily before drying her hair with the towel and walking over to the hair dryer. Someone thought of everything. Even a brand-new brush.

***

The apartment was quiet as she made her way over the hardwood floors, and there was only one direction to go.

When she walked into the living area, Colt realized she was still in Gillian's apartment, and the sisters were both busily talking over their phones while Adeline cooked breakfast. Had she slept through an entire day and night?

She glanced at her phone. Yes, and she hadn't done that since childhood.

Adeline motioned her to the kitchen, put a plate down for her at the table, and she gratefully sat down. Her stomach growled almost audibly as the aromas of bacon, eggs, and fried tomato teased her raging hunger.

"Yes, detective Boss, as I told you before, she managed to escape, but she doesn't remember much. She called me, but blood loss had disorientated her, and I struggled to find her."

The conversation paused, probably Boss talking at length on the other side.

"Yes, she almost died, and she's in critical condition. She'll live, but he had cut off her left hand and half her leg. It will be a while before she's ready for life, and I am uncertain if she will return to work," Gillian explained, and Colt watched her listen intently to him, looking harassed.

"Yes, I realize she's the only lead we have, and I promise she's safe. My father is taking care of all of it, but..."

Boss was clearly doing the rapid-fire question thing, and Colt was happy not to be on the other end yet.

"Yes, I understand how critical it is—"

Nor was he in a mood to listen, it seemed.

"I realize someone else could die—"

And even though he had a point, he had no idea of the horrible truth.

"Detective Boss—" Impatience laced Gillian's words, but she never stopped being respectful. Colt gratefully accepted a glass of orange juice from Adeline and almost drained it, allowing a refill.

It can't be easy for someone born in a world where she's used to being in control to hold her tongue when an inferior speaks down at her. The idea furrowed her brow.

How many times had she scolded Gillian, and not once had the young princess gotten on her high horse? She'd never even guessed that royal blood flowed through her charge's veins, but she should have. Watching them both now, she couldn't think how she hadn't wondered about their posture, manners, and almost unnatural restraint. It also explained their reserve with strangers to a point; being vampire made up for the rest.

"Sir! She's our friend, and a psychopath made her cut another friend into pieces before doing the same to her. I will not force her. He first cut off her fingers and then her toes one by one before removing the hand, the foot, and then her lower leg while she was conscious and without being sedated," she bit out. "I will not go in there and make her live through it all again, not today."

This time whatever he said had her on her feet with indignation, her face pale, her eyes almost glowing, and her incisors just a little sharper as she spoke.

"I'm sorry if you feel that way, sir, but I think that I will decline to furnish you with that information until at least tomorrow." Her lips compressed into a thin line, the tension in her shoulders set even further, and her left hand fisted.

"You cannot fire me, sir, but you can suspend me. Do it if you have to," Gillian shut the phone off, throwing it across the room with enough force to shatter against a sparsely decorated wall like blown glass.

Superhuman strength, check.

***

Elissa stopped speaking to whoever she talked to, glanced at Gillian, and her mocking smile spoke volumes. She shook her head and continued with her conversation.

"You realize he's going to come here?" Colt asked, gratefully accepting a plate of Bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs.

She snagged two pieces of toast and slathered them with butter and jelly, her tummy rumbling as if she hadn't seen food in days.

She wasn't the world's greatest cook and was starved for a meal like this. Home-cooked with care by someone that wasn't some brain-fried, short-order cook.

Adeline took peanut butter-slathered toast to Elissa and strong black coffee to Gillian. They smiled at her, and without a word, she returned to serve herself.

"He's not a hard-ass, but he's the type of man who accepts responsibility when people get hurt or die on his watch," she felt obligated to defend him.

Their friendship came from way back when they were rookies, and she knew him far better than most people. For some reason, she didn't want Gillian to get the wrong impression.

"I realize that and I am that way, too, but Dana needs a bit of space. I understand the risks, but we have feelings just like you."

Their eyes met, and Colt nodded.

"I understand that Gillian, and I don't think I would survive even a portion of what happened to Dana. But I don't want anybody else living through that and then dying for his amusement, and she would see it that way too. Just ask her."

Gillian stared at her for the longest moment before nodding.

"Where were your guards when the three of you wanted to face this maniac alone?" Adeline asked tersely, distracting Colt.

"Colt didn't know about us at that point, and we didn't want to have to explain our personal army or draw attention to ourselves, so we went alone."

"That was stupid and irresponsible. I can't understand why your father has not yet told you as much."

Colt listened to the conversation while inhaling her breakfast.

"He did." They said like one person.

"And that's all he did?" she asked, and they shook their heads.

"We can no longer make decisions regarding our bodyguards without his say-so," Elissa admitted, her ears turning red and her mouth a thin line.

If they were princesses, was their father a prince or a king? The question stopped her chewing for about a second.

"When do you return home, Adeline?" Elissa changed the topic when the silence grew long.

"I'm home," Adeline answered, and all of them stared at her for a second.

Elissa just nodded, and Colt stared down at her plate with a frown, their words playing through her mind.

"Do you want me to ask my mother if she would send Lilly to us?" Elissa asked, toying with her phone. Adeline looked a bit surprised for a second and then immeasurably pleased in her contained way.

"Yes, please," her words were cool, but her eyes warm.

"Would your daughter not be... offended?" Elissa seemed concerned, and Adeline laughed.

"No, I think she would be more suited to this environment. It's about time little Danny got a friend instead of a nanny." The buzzer interrupted Adeline, followed by a commotion in the hall and two hammering blows against the door.

Gillian sighed as she got off the couch and went to open the door, but the second she released the lock, the door flew open, pushing her back as it came to a shuddering stop against the wall.

Colt stopped chewing and jumped to her feet. She'd never seen Senior Detective Boss in such a foul mood. He wore that controlled, hostile thing he did—that made him look like that guy from the hulk just before he turned into a giant green monster—like a cape.

"Never cut me off again, do you hear me, Detective Beaumont?" his measured tones were even more impressive for his obvious struggle to control himself.