“I can help you,” Lexi told MacDonald.

He lifted his tired hazel eyes to her. Then he sat back in his chair and ran a hand through his dark hair liberally laced with gray at the temples. “I like you, lass. It’s because I like you that I’ve no’ had you arrested. Your friends are on their way back to America. You should be with them.”

“Thank you for your time,” Lexi said and rose from the chair. There was no use remaining any longer. “Call me if you find anything.”

She walked toward the entrance knowing she would never hear from D.I. MacDonald, because he was looking at the wrong sort.

Just before she exited the homicide division she saw a pretty woman with turquoise eyes and blond hair in a pixie cut staring at her. The woman hastily looked away after a brief smile.

Lexi walked out of the station without a backward glance. She then ambled along the streets, zigzagging her way through the city until she came to the section where she saw the red-eyed men daily.

No matter how long it took, no matter what she had to do, she was going to find the son of a bitch who killed Christina.

*   *   *

For two weeks, Thorn had been in Edinburgh with Darius hunting the Dark Fae. He wasn’t exactly thrilled that the Dragon Kings were spread so thin throughout Scotland to kill the bastards.

Then again, he was killing Dark Fae, which made him extremely happy.

He liked Darius, even if he had his own demons to battle. Darius wasn’t the issue. It was Con.

Thorn halted his thoughts as he jumped from the roof he had been on and landed silently behind two Dark. He came up to them and smashed their heads together. Then, with his knife, he slashed their throats.

Both Fae fell without a sound. Damn, did he ever like his job. Thorn threw both Dark Fae over his shoulder and hurried to the warehouse where he and Darius were stashing the bodies.

He did most of his killing at night when the Dark came out to prey on the mortals, but Thorn never passed up an opportunity to kill the buggers.

There were half a dozen Dark lying dead in the warehouse. With merely a thought, he shifted, letting his body return to its rightful form—a dragon.

His long talons clicked on the concrete floor as he looked down at the Dark. Thorn inhaled deeply, fire rumbling in his throat. Then he released it, aiming at the bodies.

Dragon fire was the hottest thing on the realm. It disintegrated the Dark Fae bodies instantly. When there was nothing left but ash, Thorn shifted back into his human form.

He clothed himself and returned to the streets that were overrun with Dark. The humans had no idea who they were walking beside or having drinks with. Many mortals he and Darius had saved from being killed by the Dark, but there were so many more that they couldn’t reach in time.

With just two Dragon Kings in the city against hundreds of Dark Fae, the odds were stacked against the humans.

Thorn didn’t understand why the mortals couldn’t sense how dangerous the Dark were. Or perhaps that’s exactly what drew them to the Dark—that and their sexual vibes the humans couldn’t ignore.

The Dark weren’t as confident as they were a few weeks ago. Their ranks were dwindling, and though they suspected Dragon Kings were involved, they had yet to find him or Darius.

If two Dragon Kings could do so much damage, imagine what twelve could do? That brought a smile to Thorn’s face. The Dark thought they were being smart, but they had begun the war a second time. And Thorn knew it would be impossible for the humans not to learn just what inhabited their realm with them.

His smile faded when his gaze snagged on a woman he had seen daily for the past week. She kept hidden, but it was obvious she was following the Dark.

She had a determined look on her face, one that had anger and revenge mixed together. Thorn knew that expression. It was the one that got mortals killed.

Her pale brown locks hung thick and straight to her shoulders. She tucked her hair behind her ear and peered around the corner of a store.

Thorn slid his gaze to the three Dark she was trailing. They were toying with her. They knew she was there.

“Damn,” Thorn mumbled.

He and the other Dragon Kings vowed to protect the humans millions of years ago. They fought wars and sent their own dragons away to do just that. He couldn’t stand there and let the Dark kill her.

Nor could he let them know he was there.

He flattened his lips when she stepped from her hiding spot and followed the Dark down the street. They were leading her to a secluded section.

Thorn didn’t waste any time climbing to the roof of the building. He kept to the shadows and jumped from roof to roof as he tracked them.

He let out a thankful sigh when she ducked into an alley. Thorn jumped over the street to the opposite building before landing behind her.

“Not this time,” he heard her say.

An American. Southern by her accent. He reached to tap her on the shoulder when his enhanced hearing picked up the Darks’ conversation. They were coming for her.

Thorn wrapped a hand around her mouth and dragged her behind a Dumpster. “Be quiet and still if you doona want them to find you,” he whispered in her ear.

She was struggling against him, but his words caused her to pause. A second later, she renewed her efforts.

Thorn held her tightly, her thin form easy to detain. The more she struggled, the more he could feel every curve of her body.

It wasn’t until the Dark reached the alley that she stilled. He couldn’t even feel her breathing.

“There’s no one here,” one of the Dark said in his Irish brogue.

“She was here.”

The third snorted. “Not anymore. Come on.”

A full minute passed before the three walked on. The woman’s shoulders sagged as she blew out a breath. Thorn released her and held up his hands as she whirled around to face him.

Slate gray eyes glared at him with fury as her full lips pulled back in a scowl. Her cheekbones were high in her oval face.

She wasn’t a great beauty, but there was something about her that wouldn’t let Thorn look away.

“You’re in way over your head,” he told her.

CHAPTER

TWO

Thorn wasn’t sure if it was the subtle narrowing of her eyes or her arm shifting. Even though he knew she was about to strike, Thorn didn’t move.

He felt the blade pierce his left side, sinking through skin and muscle. With a scowl down at her, he grabbed her wrist and pulled the dagger from his body.

“Don’t touch me,” she said through clenched teeth.

She wasn’t worth the trouble. At least that’s what Thorn tried to tell himself. He’d saved her from the Dark—today. Tomorrow would be another story, but he couldn’t follow her around and ensure she was safe when she was so bent on following them.

He had an entire city to rid of the Dark Fae.

“Then doona attack me,” he retorted.

Her gray eyes widened a fraction before a look of annoyance and skepticism contorted her face. “You’re the one who grabbed me.”

“To save you.”

“Whatever,” she said with a roll of her pretty gray eyes. “Look, just leave me alone.”

Thorn cocked his head to the side. “This might be a tourist mecca, lass, but it isna a place for you to be alone. You hear an Irish accent, go the other way.”

She mumbled low, but he still heard, “I wasn’t alone before.”

That’s when he saw the sadness and grief she was desperately trying to hide with anger and fervor. At first glance, she was able to disguise her true feelings, but Thorn was looking deeper.

And he didn’t like what he saw.

He didn’t need to ask her to know that the Dark must have killed someone dear to her. That’s the only reason a mortal would hunt them.

The fact she continued to get close to bastards and not throw herself at them begging them to ease the desire burning her was enough to make him wonder what made her different.