Page 139 of Hoofin’ It

“What?!” My eyes widened, and I sucked in a breath.

Dad shot me a look. “Into the water, pup.”

I exhaled. “Oh.”

“Last I checked, she’d figured out vampires don’t drown but do flail in water, so she was playing with a pair of them. Since she looked like she was having a good time, I left her to it.”

“Wonderful. Wolf-infested waters. What the hell is going on?”

Bai Bao Chen turned to watch the chaos on the streets, which involved a lot of vampires trying to bite other vampires, something wasn’t ending well for the vampires belonging to the rival brood, especially with the Babylonians participating in the fray. As far as I could tell, the vampires of Ernesto’s brood were toying with their victims to give the Babylonians a turn with them. I twisted around in the saddle to watch our back and keep an eye on Dad.

“About fifty vampires swarmed the restaurant half an hour ago. We think they were trying to take Pierina.”

When Ernesto found out, Ricci would be smeared across half of Chicago. “Really? That’s pretty stupid of them. Where is she?”

“Playing volleyball with one of her brothers and someone’s head in the restaurant’s entry. I got the feeling she knew the guy and had a grudge, so I thought I’d leave her alone. That was right before the…” Dad held his hands up in helpless surrender. “I don’t know what they are. They came and started making a mess of things.”

“Babylonians,” I supplied before gesturing to Bai Bao Chen. “Dad, this is Bai Bao Chen, and she’s a kirin.”

“Pleasure to meet you, ma’am. If my pup gives you any trouble, kick him a few times. He’s tough. Try not to hurt him too badly. I’d have to take offense if you did that.”

Bai Bao Chen chuckled. “The pleasure is mine.”

“I think you should be aware humans are part of her diet, Dad.”

“We’re going to have a long talk about your life choices when this is over, pup.” Settling in a crouch, Dad watched the battle, his eyes glowing gold while he panted. “Where’s your woman?”

“Probably within five minutes of scaring a decade or two off my life,” I confessed, wondering if it was possible to convince Fang Jiahao Yi to stay near the barrier where I could pretend she wasn’t about to wade into a brawl. “Seen O’Conners?”

“He’s around. I haven’t gotten close to him yet.”

“Bai Bao Chen?”

“We hunt. Eat well on this battlefield, werewolf.”

Dad displayed his teeth in a hungry grin.

When the cops joined the party, the battle turned into wholesale slaughter, a bloodbath the Saven brood declined to participate in. At the first sound of sirens, Bai Bao Chen had jumped the canal, taken to the alley on the other side, and stood statue still, watching Michietti’s from the shadows.

“They’re on the list,” she said, her ears twisting back. “For that, I am sorry.”

“Let’s find O’Conners.” I would deal with reality later—after I made sure the hitman couldn’t target Marian again. “So much for being the good cop.”

“It is not your fault they decided to sell other humans for profit. Do not carry guilt that does not belong to you. Their victims will not see justice in your human courts. The evil ones will face judgment from a higher power now.”

I hated she was right. “If I were O’Conners, and I was looking to get rid of specific nuisances, I’d be on higher ground waiting for a good shot.”

“But his position is bad else he would have taken you out already. Over the restaurant?”

“Possibly.”

She shook her head. “The rooftop here. You cannot go my way.”

“Fire escape?” Michietti’s had one at the back of the building, facing the alley away from the canal. “Probably on the back of the building so the canal view isn’t ruined.”

The kirin twisted, more flexible than any horse, turning in the narrow confines of the alley. I spotted the fire escape, but someone had taken offense to the first fifteen feet, leaving scars on the brick and stone where the metal staircase had once been. A second look revealed the building’s other two escapes had been likewise damaged. “He might be up here.”

“If I toss you, can you grab hold without falling to your death? I would hate to explain to a werewolf I killed his puppy who was attempting an act of unnecessary heroics.”