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his placating tone only serving to make Tess more incensed. “It is precisely because of your many years of service that I want you as my assistant director. I wasn’t just blowing smoke up the Tribunal’s collective ass in there—I was serious. I need someone to oversee special task forces. You’re too good to be tracking down bail jumpers and parole violators. The Sebille Fenwick case assured me of that.”
    Tess huffed, shaking her head, but I could see the compliment had gone a long way in winning her over. Unfortunately, she wasn’t quite there yet. “Fine, put me in charge of a special team or something, but assistant director, Al? Seriously? I have a reputation to uphold.”
    I couldn’t quite smother a smile. Did she ever. I opened my mouth to interject my own thoughts and congratulations on the matter, when a sudden movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. I glanced down the hall and felt my blood run cold when I saw what had drawn my attention.
    â€œSon of a bitch,” I growled. I vaguely registered that my outburst had brought Al and Tess’s conversation to an abrupt halt, but didn’t stop to explain as I took off down the hall.
    Demetrius gave me a taunting smile as he pivoted, unperturbed, and disappeared around the corner. I sprinted after him, not even caring about what kind of trap could be lying in wait. I just knew I wanted to catch that son of a bitch and demand to know what the hell he was up to.
    I heard Tess calling for me, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. I had to catch that slimy bastard and figure out what his game was. I was going to get it out of him one way or another—and if it was with my hands wrapped around his throat, all the better.
    But when I rounded the corner where he’d disappeared, the hallway was empty, the lights in this area still off at the early hour, leaving the black marble hallway shrouded in shadow. He’d vanished into the darkness.
    Demetrius had never intended to confront me or interact with me at all. He was trying to psych me out, put me on edge, torture me a little with his pathetic game of cat and mouse before he finally moved in for the kill.
    I heard a rhythmic pounding behind me and turned to see Tess running toward me. “What the fuck is going on?” she demanded, out of breath from chasing me down. “You shot off like a bat outta hell. What gives?”
    I looked toward the dark end of the hall. “He was here.”
    There was a beat of silence before she said, “Demetrius.”
    I nodded and snatched my fedora from my head with a frustrated groan before wiping the sweat from my brow with my forearm.
    Tess followed my line of sight, searching the darkness. “I thought the Judges only came at night.”
    â€œThey do,” I assured her. “He wasn’t coming for me. He was letting me know how easily he could get to me, making it clear that nowhere’s safe.”
    Tess’s phone suddenly rang, startling us both. She snatched it from her hip and frowned when she saw the number. “Hey, Gran. Aren’t you supposed to be shooting your show?” Tess frowned at whatever Tilly Stuart had said. “How in the hell did you find out about my promotion already? I just heard—” She bit off her words and sent a venomous glance back down the hall where Al and Mary were sidling toward us. “You don’t say? Well, yes, I’ll have to thank Al for calling you right away to tell you the good news.”
    My phone buzzed with a text message, calling me away from Tess’s conversation with her Gran. I glanced down, wondering who else was already up at this ungodly hour.
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    Meet me at the usual place in 30.
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    I blinked at the message in surprise, not sure if I was reading it right. “I’ll be damned.”
    â€œGran wants to go out to dinner tonight to celebrate my promotion,” Tess announced, rolling her