powerful tattoo giving her a boost in strength and confidence, she didn’t have any additional magical gifts. At least, the tattoo wouldn’t have given her any. She would never have been able to pull such a kidnaping off without leaving behind massive amounts of chaos and destruction.
This was someone new. Could the killer Gideon and I had been tracking north finally have arrived in Low Town? Only someone with magical gifts could have pulled off a stunt like this. We were running out of time to save these women and to stop these killers before they unleashed something even scarier than what was already hunting Low Town.
“Were all the women taken last night?”
“And early this morning.”
“Any of them shifters?”
“No. Human.”
I breathed a small sigh of relief. It was bad enough that pregnant women around the city were no longer safe, but I didn’t need to add to it the fact that all the shifters were in an uproar, though they were already going to be foaming at the mouth about losing one woman.
With my elbow on the arm of the chair, I dropped my head into my hand as I shoved away thoughts about the problems that Jack and his pack were going to cause. I just couldn’t get drawn into the mess. Besides, I didn’t need to go looking for trouble; I already had plenty in my lap. The easiest way I could help the city was to stop this maniac.
“We need to get ahead of this woman. As it is, we’re staying one step behind her so that we’re constantly tripping over dead bodies,” I muttered, talking mostly to myself.
“I was kind of hoping that you’d feel that way.”
My head jerked to Serah, the little hairs on the back of my neck standing on end at the nervous little smile straining her lips. This was going to be bad. “Why?”
“The cops want to set up a sting.”
“And what? They chose you to be the bait?” I snapped.
“I volunteered.”
“Shit,” I swore softly, a rant already rising up my throat detailing her stupidity, but I never got a chance to speak my mind.
“Listen, Gage!” she said sharply, pushing to her feet so that she was towering over where I sat. “There aren’t a lot of women on the force in Low Town. I’ve at least got some experience dealing with some of the lowlifes that lurk down the dark alleys. Believe it or not, I can take care of myself.”
“I have no doubt that you’ve managed to put down a rowdy incubus or a shifter at the end of a full-moon cycle, but this is different—”
“Don’t you dare condescend to me! Just because you’re some hotshot warlock doesn’t mean I haven’t learned to protect myself. Or is your issue the fact that I’m a woman?”
I jerked back as if she’d hit me. Is that what I’d just done? Dear God, I had! If my mother were here, she would have smacked me and then washed my mouth out with soap. When had I become a condescending prick? Oh, about the time your friends starting getting hurt because you’re a warlock and hell’s fury made a habit of knocking on your door.
“I’m sorry,” I said softly.
Serah took a step back, looking absolutely stunned. Yeah, I was feeling a little stunned myself. Not so much because I apologized. I had a lot of practice at that. Too fucking much. It was more to do with the fact that I had stopped seeing people as capable of handling a situation without me. Maybe this is why things got so out of hand with the witches and warlocks. Or at least started out this way.
“I’m serious. I’m sorry. I know you’re very capable. I guess with everything going on, I don’t want to see you get hurt as well.”
“Thank you.” Serah returned to her seat and blinked a couple times as if she were trying to get her brain functioning again. “I appreciate your concern.”
“There is an element of magic involved here that makes me uncomfortable leaving you solely in the hands of the police.” I shook my head, trying to watch my words but still impress upon her the danger that she was walking into. “You didn’t see what Gideon and I saw. The potion has made this woman stronger and faster. If she manages to surprise you, you’re not going to have more than a second to escape.”
“That’s why I’m kind of hoping that you have a trick or two up your