now?"
"I shouldn't have run. I should have tried to restrain her, make her tell me where Alexi takes his rest."
"Are you mad? From what you told me, she sounds stronger than the two of us put together."
"I might have been able to subdue her long enough to tie her up." He lifted one shoulder and let it fall. "I panicked. There's no excuse for it."
"I can think of several," Marisa muttered.
"Grigori will see it as a weakness on my part."
"Well, we mortals are allowed to be weak now and then."
Ramsey smiled faintly. "Would you mind if I stayed here today?"
"No, of course not."
"I don't think you should go to work."
"You don't think she'll come after me, do you?"
"I don't know. It seems unlikely that Alexi would send her into the city in broad daylight, but... I'd feel better if you stayed home."
"We're really busy at the office," Marisa remarked, "but I've got some sick time coming. I guess it wouldn't hurt to miss one day." She glanced at the clock. "No one will be there yet. Why don't you get some rest?"
"Would you mind if I showered first?"
"Of course not. The bathroom is down the hall, first door to your left."
With a nod, he carried his coffee cup into the kitchen. She heard him place it in the sink. A few minutes later she heard the shower go on.
Putting her cup on the coffee table, she sat back and closed her eyes. She never should have agreed to stay home. She would have been better off at work. At least there, she'd have something else to think about.
Ramsey returned fifteen minutes later. "Thanks."
"You look a lot better."
"I feel a lot better." He regarded her for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "Are you game to go vampire hunting?"
"Me? When?"
"Now. We should be safe enough if we stick together."
"Are you going like that?"
Ramsey glanced down at his T-shirt and pajama bottoms and grinned. "No, I have a change of clothes in my car." He winked at her. "Pays to be prepared."
"Can I have breakfast first?"
Ramsey laughed softly. "Of course. I'll even fix it for you while you get dressed. What would you like?"
"French toast."
Giving her a thumbs-up sign, he went into the kitchen. She stood there for a moment; then, with a sigh, she went into the bathroom and shut the door.
"So, where are we going to look first?" Marisa asked. It was a little after nine. She had showered and dressed while Edward fixed breakfast; then, while she cleaned up the kitchen, Edward had changed his clothes. She'd made a quick call to work to tell them she wouldn't be in.
Now she was sitting in the passenger seat of Ramsey's car, her heart racing as she anticipated her first vampire hunt.
"I think we'll start at my room." Edward shifted the car into gear and pulled onto the street. "I need to pick up the rest of my things anyway. Perhaps she left a trail of some kind."
Marisa nodded. That made sense.
Edward had been staying at a small hotel located uptown. He paid his bill, made up some excuse about the broken window, then packed his few belongings into a worn brown suitcase.
Marisa stood in the doorway, her gaze sweeping the room. Except for the broken window, there was no sign of a struggle.
"She must have cleaned the place up," Edward remarked. "See here? You can see where she tried to scrub the blood from the carpet. It's still damp." He swore under his breath. "Looks like she got away without leaving a trace."
"Now what?"
Edward rubbed a hand over his jaw. "I've covered practically every mile of Griffith Park and the surrounding area, since most of the murders took place in that part of town. I've also checked most of the nearby beaches. I've never searched around here, but I think he must be nearby."
"What makes you think that?"
"The revenant. I doubt if she'd be able to drive a car. She couldn't take a bus either."
"Maybe a taxi."
"Maybe." He shuddered as he recalled looking into those soulless eyes. No cabdriver in his right mind would have picked her up once he caught a glimpse of those lifeless eyes. "I'm thinking Alexi's resting place must be within walking distance of my hotel."
"So where do we look first?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe I've been operating under the wrong assumption. Maybe he doesn't hide away anymore. Maybe he's rented a house. Come on."
Returning to the car, Ramsey threw his suitcase in the trunk and then headed