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and Jackson turned just in time to see his partner catch Kat as she staggered. Her face had blanched, and her wide blue eyes fastened on Mackenzie with something akin to shock. Jackson had seen the expression before—whenever Kat opened herself to the emotions around her and found herself overwhelmed.
    “Dammit.” He shot off the stool. When he reached Kat, he wrapped his hands around her upper arms and tried to catch her gaze. “Kat? Hey, Kat, come on. Snap out of it, okay?” She blinked. “I lost it,” she whispered in a shaky voice.
    “She’s so scared …”
    He raised a hand to her face and kept her gaze locked with his. “Yeah, I know. But it’s okay, Kat. We’ll fix it.” She closed her eyes. As soon as she did, Alec swung her up in his arms and nodded past Jackson.
    Mackenzie had come to the edge of the bar, her face tight and her fingers clenched around the edge. “Is there anything I can do? Should I call someone?”
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    Crux
    Alec answered before Jackson could. “I don’t suppose you could find Nicole for us? Tell her Kat’s out here and she’s feeling a bit light-headed.”
    Mackenzie’s gaze slid back to Jackson. “Of course. She should be in the back.”
    After she hurried away, Jackson looked back to Alec and groaned. “Oh, don’t start with me. Not right now.” He moved toward a booth and shoved the table to one side, making plenty of room for Alec to place Kat on one of the dark vinyl benches.
    Alec settled her and crouched next to the bench. “Kat.
    Hey, look at me, kiddo.”
    The young woman’s eyes opened slowly. “It’s okay. I’m okay. I just wasn’t expecting—” She swallowed. “Jesus Christ, Jackson. If I was as scared as she is, I’d be hiding under my damn bed, whimpering. It’s not just that, she’s—” She shook her head and made a vague gesture, her frustration at being unable to express herself evident in her tight tone.
    “God. It’s like she’s dying, bit by bit. Someone ripped her up inside.”
    Jackson fought the anger rising within him. If some bastard was after Mackenzie and he got his hands him… “I should have warned you. I’d planned on it, I just…” He’d just been distracted.
    She hissed in a sudden breath. “Jackson, please—” www.samhainpublishing.com 53

    Moira Rogers
    Alec rose, crowding Jackson and forcing him away from the bench. “Lock it down,” he whispered fiercely. “I get that you’re pissed, but Kat can’t handle it right now.”
    “I got it.” He averted his eyes and tried to focus, tried to tamp down the rage and irritation. After a moment, his emotions eased. “I’m fine.” He shot Alec a bland look. “You want to back up off of me now?”
    His partner studied his face and nodded shortly. “If someone’s chasing her, we don’t want to attract any attention by going through official channels. I’ll take Kat back to the office and she can work a little of her computer mojo while you convince the girl to let us help her.”
    “Thanks.” Jackson glanced toward the door to the back.
    “Did you sense anything?”
    He’d been working with Alec long enough to know his slight hesitation wasn’t a good sign. “Can’t tell you much more than Nicole did. What I’m getting doesn’t make a lot of sense, so you might be better off trying your spell.”
    “Doesn’t make sense?” Jackson echoed. “What the hell does that—”
    “Hey.” Nick appeared, out of breath and disheveled, at Jackson’s elbow. “Did her empathy explode?”
    “Yeah.”
    “That’s what I figured. I told Mackenzie it was low blood sugar. She’s in the kitchen, making her a milkshake.” 54
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    Crux
    Kat bolted upright. “Are you going to let her stay here?
    You can’t let her leave. Something’s wrong . Really, really wrong.”
    Nick soothed her with a soft noise. “She’s agreed to stay upstairs in Mahalia’s old place.” She laid a hand on Jackson’s arm.