The next moment, Stephen gasped as the tip of the golden dagger pressed up under his chin.

Stephen’s chest moved in and out as his breathing increased. “Get that thing away from me.”

“Why would I? From what you’ve told me so far, I’m thinking you’re just a minion. You’re meaningless. You turned an underage girl against her will and gave her the hunger. I don’t care if she wanted to kiss you or not. She didn’t know what it meant. You didn’t explain it. That she isn’t now consuming souls all over the city is her saving grace in my eyes. She’s different than the rest of you. She’s special.”

There was that word again in relation to yours truly. Special.

Bishop had finally gotten the attention of the others hanging out in the lounge area, but not one made a move to help Stephen. Couldn’t say I blamed them. That knife was very sharp.

And—oh, boy. I think it was glowing a little, just like Bishop’s eyes had last night. That was no normal knife. And Bishop was no normal guy.

But I already knew that.

The corner of Stephen’s mouth turned up in a half grimace, half grin. “You’re going to kill me right here? In the middle of a club full of kids? You’ll never get out in one piece.”

“Nice of you to worry about my well-being. Thanks for that. Now, why don’t you make things easier on both of us. Where is the Source?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then you’re not much use to me, are you?” Bishop dug the sharp tip of the knife deep enough that a thin trail of blood ran down Stephen’s throat.

Stephen’s voice turned pitchy. “She doesn’t just stroll in here shaking hands and kissing babies. I don’t find her, she finds me.”

“At least now I know it’s a she.”

An edge of defeat went through Stephen’s eyes. “Are you going to kill me?”

“And risk opening up the Hollow in here? Not tonight.”

Stephen frowned. “The Hollow?”

Bishop gave him a wry grin. “Guess your boss hasn’t told you everything, has she? Sucks for you. When was the last time you fed?”

“Friday. With Samantha. The others here aren’t feeding.”

“And why is that?” Bishop actually looked amused by this. “You know what happens if you feed too much? Have you seen it with your own eyes?”

Stephen’s expression shadowed and, if you ask me, went a little green. “The one you’re calling the Source tells us what to do. She warned us what could happen if we get too greedy, and most of us believed her.”

“Does she come here?”

“No. This is where I hang out. She’s never been here before.”

Bishop’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t approach Samantha again.”

“I didn’t approach her. She came here.”

“I don’t care. From this moment forward, she’s under my protection.”

“Your protection? Who the hell are you?”

“Tell your boss that this entire city is now protected by me and others like me and I will find her for that conversation I mentioned. I’m sure she already knows she can’t leave—that none of you can. You’re trapped. There’s an invisible barrier surrounding this entire city that things like you can’t breach.”

Stephen frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“That’s painfully obvious.” Bishop finally let him go and Stephen staggered back a couple steps. His gaze returned to the golden dagger as Bishop sheathed it. “By the way, if I ever see you again, I will kill you, whether you’re feeding regularly or not. Have a nice night.”

Then he turned, took my arm and guided me down the stairs.

Nobody followed us.

Chapter 7

At the bottom of the spiral staircase, I forced myself to pull away from Bishop’s firm but strangely comforting grip. I wanted to find Carly and get out of here as soon as possible.

He eyed me. “You’re welcome.”

A million insults swelled inside me, battling with gratitude and relief. “You think you can just push me around like that?”

He didn’t look much friendlier than I felt. “What were you thinking, coming here and seeking him out? Are you looking for trouble?”

“Have you been following me? Hiding in the bushes? Do you have a pair of binoculars trained on my bedroom window, too? Trust me…I always pull the blinds before I get naked.” I shivered at how close he stood to me even though his brief touch had filled me with warmth again.

He seemed at a loss for words, as if he wasn’t sure how to reply to my “naked” comment. His eyes burned into mine. “Are you always this irrational or is this just my lucky night?”

I took a deep breath. I wondered when the serenity Stephen mentioned might start. Not tonight, that was for sure. “Where’s Kraven? Is he stalking me, too?”

His mouth went tight. “I’m not stalking you. Once I met you, touched you, I became able to track you. It’s a talent I have—one of the very few I haven’t managed to lose.”

“Oh, that sounds much better. Tracking me. Nothing weird about that.” I was wearing heels tonight, but he still towered over me, overwhelming me with his very presence.

“You could have been hurt confronting that thing up there, you know. Not the smartest move.”

“Says the guy with the big, sharp, glowy concealed weapon.”