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she’s gunning for you. I need you to find Preacher, the father of the vampire baby, and make sure he’s not planning a rescue mission of his own. Tell him whatever he needs to hear, but keep him under control. We know the ancient ones have the baby and the grand masters are working on a way of luring them out. Until that happens, your task is business as usual. Protect the citizens of Paradise City.”
    Octavian raised his brows. “Hasn’t it been pretty quiet since the mayor lifted the curfew?”
    So he’d been filled in on what had been happening. Annika was good about keeping her people in the loop. She tilted her head toward the double agent. “We don’t anticipate that quiet lasting much longer.” Then she looked at Creek again. “It never does in this town.”
    Fi shifted from one foot to the other, her new heels too high to be comfortable. Not that she cared. Shoes this pretty didn’t need to be comfortable. Besides, most of the evening would be spent sitting down after the cocktail hour was over.
    “Nervous?” Doc asked, glancing down at her with a smile.
    “Does it show?” He looked amazing in his tux. She could think of a lot of other ways to spend the evening with a man that fine. None of them included making party talk with the brother of a woman whose death she’d played a part in.
    “A little.” He squeezed her hand. “Is it because of Remo?”
    She nodded.
    Doc’s face went serious. “Don’t let him intimidate you. You rank higher than he does.”
    She looked away. “Too bad that rank doesn’t come with fangs and claws.”
    He yanked her hand to bring her attention back to him. “Hey. If anything happens—anything—you go ghost, you understand?”
    “I know.” Once Chrysabelle taught her to fight, she’d feel better.
    Isaiah, their butler, approached. “Omur just called up. Everyone’s arrived, Maddoc. They’re ready for you and Mrs. Mays downstairs.”
    Doc tipped his head. “Thanks. Go ’head and call the elevator. We’ll be right there.” He turned back to Fi, the devilish charm she loved so much glinting in his eyes again. “Have I mentioned you look like a million bucks, Mrs. Mays?”
    She glanced at her strapless black gown. “You’re just saying that to distract me.”
    “I’m saying it because it’s true.” He winked. “Did it work?”
    “I’ll be fine. Stop worrying about me.” The elevator chimed and she gave him a playful shove toward it, following after him.
    When they stepped off the elevator, cocktail hour was in full swing. Barasa and Omur each had small groups of upper-crusty varcolai and social types gathered around them. Fi scanned the crowd for familiar faces besides theirs, but found none.
    Doc leaned in to whisper. “That blond woman in the red suit? That’s the state senator’s wife. She’s from a long line of puma shifters. Old, old family. I definitely want you to meet her. And the man next to her with the buzz cut is a former JAG we’re considering hiring as the pride’s attorney.”
    Fi nodded. “What kind of shifter is he?”
    “Lynx.” He tipped his head toward a man standing beside Barasa.
    “That’s the police chief over there with Barasa.”
    “Why was he invited after what happened with you getting arrested for violating curfew?”
    “The curfew was the mayor’s idea, not his. And he’s been fairly sympathetic to varcolai causes. It’s a relationship we want to maintain.”
    “The mayor’s not here, is she?”
    He sighed. “No, but the council thinks it would be a good idea to talk with her at some point.”
    “Screw that.”
    “Fi.” He looked at her, his expression half shock, half amusement. “It’s in the pride’s best interest.”
    A stranger walked up to them. “What’s in the pride’s best interest?”
    Doc straightened. “Hello, Remo. Our relationship with the mayor, but that’s a conversation for another time.”
    Fi tensed. So this was Remo. She didn’t like him just from looking at