I bit my lip as I listened to my younger sister’s sweet voice. I’d only managed to visit her once since the Nero nightmare began. Nadya still thought I carried my badge, fighting the good fight. How could I tell the sister I’d raised, who’d idolized me, how far I’d fallen, how much I’d changed?
I sighed and glared at the dark sky. It was a goddamned new moon this weekend, too. Around midnight the night of the new moon, I’d sprout fur, teeth, and claws until I was fully shifted into a black jaguar. I couldn’t see my sister like that. For all I knew I’d eat her.
I had lost everything after Sebastian bit me. I couldn’t lose her too.
It’d been over a year since I visited her at college, and with Nero tailing me I didn’t see that changing anytime soon. With the hope of an antidote, I’d kept postponing my next visit, thinking we’d get a chance when I was back to myself again. And now, since the showdown at Lake Tahoe, I’d been laying low, drifting between Las Vegas and Phoenix, far from the east coast and Nero’s headquarters. I couldn’t risk a cross-country trip to the Boston area to see her.
But lying to Nadya never got easier. I’d just have to make another excuse not to visit. She would understand. She always did.
I jammed the gas pedal to the floor, and my sleek black BMW purred as I maneuvered around the other cars. Speed made me focus. Speed cleared my head. Speed kept me ahead of Nero.
For now.
…
It was almost sunrise when I crossed the Los Angeles city limits. I made record time across the Mojave Desert and couldn’t help but smile. If the police academy hadn’t worked out, race car driver was going to be my fallback career. Ever since my dad used to put me on the back of his motorcycle, I’d been addicted to speed. Less than an hour later, I pulled into the parking structure of my hotel.
I checked my make-up in the mirror on the back of the visor. I still wasn’t used to my new auburn hair, which had always been jet black. Not anymore. I was no longer Sasha Kincade, either. Time to find out my new alias.
I closed the visor and punched the number five on my cell phone.
“You made the reservation?”
“Hello, Beautiful One,” Sebastian purred. “I trust your trip to Los Angeles was smooth.”
I ground my teeth to hold back my frustration. If police work had taught me anything it was not to bite the hand that feeds you. We hadn’t parted on great terms, but I needed whatever help Sebastian might offer, which was probably exactly where he wanted me. “I don’t have time for small talk. Do I have a reservation or not?”
He sighed. I checked my new California driver’s license and grabbed my purse.
“Your reservation is under Sasha Newark. You are also registered for the Anime Expo.”
I almost dropped the phone.
“For the what?”
“The Anime Expo is like a police convention but instead of officers discussing how to subdue assailants, the attendees discuss the latest in—”
I cut him off. “Cartoons. I get it. Why?”
“It’s being hosted by your hotel. I thought you might blend in better there.”
“Bullshit. You thought it’d be funny to see me surrounded by girls dressed up like Sailor Moon and that chick from Inuyasha.”
He paused. A sure sign I was right. Goddamn him. Hadn’t he screwed with my life enough yet?
“Bye, Sebastian.”
I closed my cell phone and went inside to check in. If there was any other way for me to stay ahead of Nero I’d take it, but for now Sebastian was my inside man. Of course, he could’ve been the one tipping off Nero to my locations, too, but I doubted it. If Mr. Severino, Nero’s founder and CEO, knew where exactly where I was, he’d be ordering a trained team to haul me in, not the small time thugs that had been tailing me so far.
They were sending out feelers for now, not sure yet if I survived the showdown at Lake Tahoe. Once they had confirmation that I was still alive, the game might change drastically.
I’d keep running until I found the hard evidence I needed. If I could hack my way into the computer security system files, I’d be able to produce pictures of the lockdown wards the government had no idea existed. They thought they were just financing enhanced soldiers. They had no idea that Severino had another secret bunker with scientists and abducted women.
Once I had some pictures, maybe a captured email or two, Nero would have to let me go or risk exposure.
At least that’s how I hoped it would end. Outcomes were tricky to predict.
After checking in, I rode the elevator up with Goku from Dragon Ball Z and some elf-looking thing that I didn’t recognize, silently cursing Sebastian the whole way. I hauled my duffel down the hallway to my new room and fell onto the bed. It was going to feel so good to sleep.
But I needed to call my sister.
After doing the time-difference math between Los Angles and Massachusetts in my head, I figured she was probably up by now. I hit the speed dial for Nadya.
“Hey, Sash! How’s the hush-hush case going?”
“You know I can’t tell you that.” I kicked off my shoes and stretched out on the bed.
“Or you’d have to kill me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that one before. Are you coming home soon? Think we can get together over the weekend? I haven’t seen you in ages.”
God, it was good to hear her voice again. I closed my eyes, picturing her face. We looked a lot alike, but Nadya’s eyes were emerald green instead of dark brown like mine. She was also half an inch taller than me which she used to love pointing out when she was in middle school.
“I wish I could,” I said, “but I’m knee-deep in this big case right now. I promise as soon as I have the evidence I need, I’ll be dragging you out to Leggio’s for deep-dish pizza. How’s the semester going?”
“It’s going well. I have finals soon.”
“Study hard.”
“I will.” She paused. “Sash?”
“I’m here.”
“Be careful, all right? You’re all I have left.”
“I know.” I blinked hard, shoving my emotions aside. “You do the same, okay?”
Nadya laughed. “I’m at Williams College. Not much danger around here.”
“Just watch yourself. You still have the pepper spray I gave you, right?”
“Yes, Mom.” I could hear the smile in her voice.
“I love you, Nadya.”
“I love you, too. Come see me soon, all right?”
“Will do. As soon as I can.”
I closed my phone and placed it on the nightstand with a sigh. At least she was safe. That was all that mattered.
The sun was bright, burning my exhausted eyes. I yanked the blackout drapes closed and turned toward the bed.
The Ruger was quickly becoming my favorite weapon. I carried my Glock in the shoulder holster, but the Ruger was lighter and easier to hide, and it didn’t trade size for accuracy. Accuracy was the one thing in my life that I could count on. A kill shot at thirty feet was standard for me.
With the gun stowed for quick access, I swapped my pants for baggy sweats and collapsed on the bed. My entire body ached. I was definitely going to sleep most of the day away.
As I closed my eyes, my cell phone started vibrating. My pistol was in my hand and pointed at the nightstand before I realized where the noise came from. I picked up the phone and felt the hair on my arms stand on end as I stared at the text from a number I didn’t recognize.
