1:15 a.m.

I figured Lolli might feel better if we spoke in the hotel bar. One of the advantages to staying at the Westin were the accommodations. Luxury suites with superb service. But with Nadine sacked-out in my room, I couldn’t bring her there. Not only would Nadine drill Lolli with questions, she’d probably get all upset over our romp through downtown Pittsburgh again. As it was, my only saving grace was the marriage proposal. The second the news wore off, I had no doubt Nadine would suddenly experience a delayed reaction—one I’d have to listen to for days.

Drama queen. Course, Christopher’s cheating might push her over the edge, too. All in all as things stood now, the old saying, “Never wake a sleeping child” also applied to my BFF.

At a corner table, far away from prying ears, I ordered a round of drinks. To stay level-headed I asked for a Guinness Draught, even though pounding shots of Schnapps sounded perfect about now. Levaughn had the same. Lolli ordered bottled water.

Odd. If ever there was a time to drink, almost being murdered had to be the best excuse ever. Whatever. Who was I to judge? Strange, though. I would think even non-drinkers would tip a few about now.

While we waited for the server to return, an awkward silence hung between us. I doubt any of us knew where to start. How do you ask a victim to relive the most terrifying nights of her life? Levaughn dealt with death every day, but even he looked uncomfortable, clearing his throat, shifting in his chair. After his own near-death experience, who could blame him?

I blurted out, “This is whacked on so many levels. I don’t know you, you don’t know us. We’re not in a professional environment where these things are usually discussed, and Levaughn and I are nowhere near our jurisdiction. It’s all so…so…bizarre. Don’tcha think?”

In response, I got the nodding of two heads.

“Great. So, let’s just get to know each other first. Whaddaya say?”

Lolli released a deep exhale. “Sounds good to me.”

“Mind if I ask why you ordered water? Actually, it’s none of my business. Forget I said anything.”

“No, it’s fine. You’ll probably find out sooner or later, anyway. About a week ago, I discovered I’m pregnant. Thing is, I’m not with my ex anymore. Long story.”

“Wow. Weak moment?”

She chuckled. “I guess you could say that. It’s probably the only thing we did well together.”

“I hear ya. I think we’ve all been there at least once in our life.”

Levaughn parted his lips to speak, and I shot him a penetrating stare. When we first got together we agreed not to discuss our exes. I planned to make him keep that promise, too. Not that I was jealous or anything. Okay, maybe a little. All right, the thought of another woman touching him made me crazy. That’s an understatement. One glance from a beautiful woman, and flames burned inside me like a crematorium. Admittedly, it’s an area I needed to work on. Not tonight, though.

“That’s a lot to deal with,” I continued. “It’s not just you anymore. Now you need to worry about the safety of your unborn child.”

“And Dexter, my cat. What if the hacker hurts him to get to me?”

“It’s funny you say that. Well, not funny. I’m the same way is what I meant.” Crap. Now I had to explain. “A couple years ago, I went through a similar experience to yours, and all I could think about was Berkley and Katie McGuire. Levaughn here—” I rubbed my shoulder against his— “let me stay at his place, and he insisted we bring them along. Didn’t you, babe?”

A hint of rose swept across his cheekbones.

“Aww, so sweet,” said Lolli. “Above and beyond the call of duty, isn’t it, Detective?”

“Please, call me Levaughn.” A slight smirk arched his full lips. “I might’ve had ulterior motives. Shawnee and I worked together for years, but she barely gave me a second glance.”

Playfully, I backhanded his chest. “That’s so not true,” I lied.

At first I might’ve been reluctant to date a cop. Sure, at the time Levaughn had no idea about my late night rendezvous’, but that didn’t make the situation any less wrong, even if I did mentally undress him a gazillion times. “Anyway, if it wasn’t for The Creator case, we might never be together. Right?”

Our gazes locked, and he ran the tip of his tongue across his full lips. Transfixed, I couldn’t look away.

The server delivered our drinks, and broke the sexual tension between us. Probably best. If I stared into his amber eyes another few seconds, I might be tempted to jump his bones right here, right now. Mm-mmm. His silk shirt hugged his bulging pecs and six-pack abs.

Why didn’t I force Nadine to get her own room?

Scrawling a mental note to change our sleeping arrangements, I finger-swiped the thick foam from my Guinness. Levaughn’s gaze followed to my open mouth, and I released a soft squeal.

“Umm,” said Lolli. “It’s late. Maybe I should go.”

Without a word, I chugged half the glass, and an icy coldness trickled down my esophagus. “Ahh, I needed that.” Out of nowhere, something Lolli said earlier slapped me across the face, and my eyes flashed wide. “Deborah Haze was pregnant too. What if all the victims were?”

Levaughn said, “You’re forgetting one important detail.”

“I am?”

“Yeah. Me. If he’s targeting pregnant women, then why hack the Crown Vic?”

Lolli gasped. “He tried to kill you too?”

“Yup. Earlier tonight.”

“What time?”

“First contact was around eight, I guess. It took longer to resolve. Shawnee would know better. Why?”

“Because he called me about eleven o’clock.” Like Dr. Jekyl to Mr. Hide, her kind face grew ridged, her tone dripping with hatred. “You’re the reason he was so angry.”

I waved my hands like an umpire calling foul. “Hey, hey, hey. Levaughn’s not the bad guy here. Let’s not misdirect blame.”

Ice crackled in the water as Lolli stared into her glass. “I’m sorry. Of course it’s not your fault. It’s just that when he used my name it really freaked me out.”

“He, what?” Now she had my full attention. “First or last name?”

“Both.”

“Oh my effin’ head. We’ve had this all wrong.” I shot to my feet. “I need to find Tex.” My gaze ping-ponged between Levaughn and Lolli who, despite wearing her bang-around clothes, was extremely attractive. “On second thought, let’s get you settled first. You’ll be staying in the hotel. It’s not safe for you to go home till we find this guy.”

“But what about Dexter? I can’t leave him alone.”

“Crap. You’re right. Okay, new plan. Let’s get you a room.” I mumbled, “Preferably on a different floor.”

“Shawnee,” admonished Levaughn.

“Did I say that out loud?” I clawed a hand through my hair. “What I meant was, after the room, we’ll swing by your place and grab Dexter.”

“Oh, they allow pets here?”

“No. We’ll have to smuggle him in.”

“How?”

“You let me worry about that. I sort of have a knack for these things. For now, both of you follow me.”

1:45 a.m.

We just hit the front desk when Tex sent me an urgent message to meet him in the conference room. I wasn’t sure what he found, but whatever it was, it sounded serious.

“Crap.” My head swiveled from Levaughn to Lolli and back to Levaughn, and I chewed my bottom lip.

“What’s wrong?”

“I gotta go. Tex needs me. But, uh…”

“Then go. I’ll take Lolli to get Dexter.”

“I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you guys wait for me in the bar? I shouldn’t be long.”

Levaughn dragged me off to the side, moved in real close, and hushed, “Shawn Daniels, are you jealous?”

“What?” I shoved him away. “Don’t be ridiculous. After what you experienced, I didn’t think you’d feel comfortable driving, is all. If you are, fine. Go.”

Staring into my eyes, he ran the back of his fingers against the side of my face. “We’ll wait for you in the bar.”

Arms wide, I shrugged. “Hey, if that’s what you wanna do.”

“Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“I see that wall going back up. Don’t you know by now that you’re the only woman in the world for me? What do I gotta do to make you believe that, paint it across the sky?”

I smirked. “Could ya?”

He cradled my face in his hands and kissed me—hard and long, his tongue swirling with mine—and I melted into his strong chest. “You’re gonna be late.” He knew damn well how much I ached for him. “To be continued?”

I traced his body with my gaze—a juicy steak dangled before a starving lioness. With the back of my hand I wiped drool off my lower lip. “Feelin’ good about leavin’ me this way?”

“Actually—” he grinned— “I do.”

“Bastard.” I winked, then strolled away. I’d been awake for so many hours my breath must’ve reeked like something died inside my mouth. In the elevator I blew into a cupped hand. Huh. Not bad.

Ruby-red digits climbed to the second floor. When the elevator dinged, I hustled to the Butler Meeting Room. Inside, Tex sat alone with his laptop.

“Thanks for coming so quickly. Have a seat.”

I lowered to the chair next to his. “Did I do somethin’ wrong?”

“The hacker we’re looking for goes by Reaper.”

“I know. R-3-a-p-3-r. Wait. You’ve been workin’ this case? I thought you were only consulting on the technical aspects.”

“A friend asked for my help. Of course I’m working this case.”

“Then why bring me in?”

“We’ve had nine murders and two attempted murders. It’s all hands on deck. Do you have a problem with that, Nimble Kitty?”

My eyes flashed wide, and I gasped. “You know?”

“Of course I know. You’ve built quite the name for yourself in some underground communities.”

True. But I wasn’t the one who chose the call sign. That beauty, to use the term loosely, my mentor Bo Adams dubbed me with, and every time someone mentioned it, I cringed. And yet, after Bo’s death, I couldn’t bring myself to change it. To me it felt like trashing his memory. Because if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have survived past my fifteenth birthday.

“Let me explain.”

“No need.” Tex’s fingers swept over his keyboard. “Don’t waste your time with Anonymous. They aren’t involved.”

“Yeah, I kinda figured that when I couldn’t find a connection.”

“I discovered something interesting this morning. Okay, here it is.” He spun the laptop toward me. The flat-screen showed strings of ones and zeroes, otherwise known as bits. “Notice anything hidden within the code?”

Deciphering the design, my gaze narrowed on a string of letters and numbers. “K-y-1-3. We have a name?”

Smiling, he nodded. “Kyle.”

“This is huge. Did you find an IP address by any chance?”

“Not yet, but I do think our hacker isn’t a professional black hat. And if I’m right, he made a mistake somewhere.” His cell phone signaled a text. When he read it, he rose to his feet. “Can you handle things for a while? The team needs me. It’s urgent.”

“Absolutely. I’ve even got Reaper’s cell tower info.”

“Perfect. Lie in wait. When he reconnects, triangulate the signal.”

“Yup. Already on it.”

He patted my shoulder. “Great job. If you need me, shoot me a text.”

“I will.” I waved over my head. “Catch ya on the flipside.”

An hour later, I had a cat named after a serial killer stuffed under my shirt, scratching the shit out of my skin, a pregnant woman who looked like she could pass out at any moment, and Levaughn in front of us, Kumbaya-ing with every security officer who even glanced in our direction. Truth be told, I’d had better nights.