Natasha held her Glock in both hands, the weapon was locked and loaded. She signaled for the deputy to hold his position at the flank. Then she signaled the rest of the team, informing them that she was about to enter and to therefore cover her.

The person at the rear of the house would be ready and waiting. It might seem like overkill but she wasn’t taking any chances. Both the sheriff and Titan were sitting this one out, much to both of their annoyance. Particularly Titan. She glanced over at where he was waiting in the parked SUV. Big Bear was back at the office. Probably still pale and pacing from one side of the room to the other. She felt for him. This really could not be easy on the guy.

Emmet worked for one person. He wasn’t the mole but the mole’s assistant. What mother would place their son in the line of fire like that? In the end, he’d confessed to both spray-painting her hotel door and driving the getaway vehicle during her botched kidnapping.

She suppressed a shiver. The three men had been out for blood, namely hers. They planned on making an example of what would happen to vampire lovers like her. All orchestrated by one very ‘sensitive’ Honey Bunny. Tessa Hoole was a pharmacist by profession. Not that she practiced anymore. She’d served eight years in the military. She was a well-read, highly intelligent individual; she was also a bigot who loved to hate.

Natasha was going to apprehend her and bring her in alive. No kill-shots this time. It was imperative that they nail the bastards higher up in this organization. For the first time, her hand shook. Natasha eased her hold on the grip. She sucked in a deep breath. She had this.

Using one hand, she counted down. The deputy on the other side used a battering ram to take the door out. There was a loud crash and she entered the house gun-first, and was immediately met with a spray of bullets. Natasha leapt to the side, landing behind a sofa. The bullets had come from the room at the end of the hallway. Tessa’s bedroom. The sheriff had given a detailed layout of the property.

Back up against the sofa, Natasha waited until Tessa stopped firing. “This is Special Agent Walters, put down your weapon and turn yourself in.”

“Never!” Tessa shouted, sounding more like a mad person than the well put-together, pretty older woman she had met just the other day. There was another spray of bullets.

Natasha sat tight. She would be able to hear if Tessa was on the move. According to the infrared surveillance of the property, there was only one person in the house. Tessa Hoole was alone and afraid. A dangerous combination. “Your house is surrounded,” Natasha said between shots. “You may as well give yourself up. There is no escape. You’re leaving in cuffs or a body bag. I can’t guarantee it will be cuffs if you don’t surrender.” Unfortunately, that was true.

There was a sobbing noise from down the hall. It was filled with anger, fear and frustration. Tessa was a sitting duck and she knew it. “Okay.” She sounded defeated. “Fine.” Resolute. “I’m putting my gun down and coming out.”

This was the hard part. Natasha was under no illusion that Tessa was going to do as she said. She’d seen a rookie cop gunned down because he trusted a perp in a situation such as this.

“Do it!” Natasha shouted. She heard something thud onto the carpet. It sounded like a gun but she couldn’t be sure. “Kick the gun down the hall.”

There was a sliding noise of metal against tile. Natasha lowered herself almost to the ground. “Make sure you are standing where I can see you and put your hands behind your head.” She quickly glanced around the sofa, keeping her head as low down to the ground as possible.

Tessa stood in the doorway to her bedroom. Her hands were up. Her gun was on the floor in front of her.

“I said hands behind your head.” She was sure to use an authoritative tone.

Tessa did as she said. The other woman’s eyes were filled with hate and a ton of anger.

“Do not move,” Natasha instructed. Now for the trickiest part of all. She needed to come out in the open.

No kill-shot.

No kill-shot.

“Don’t try anything.” Natasha slid out from behind the sofa, keeping her gun trained on the perp. She rose to her feet, not taking her eyes off of the other woman for a second.

Tessa’s eyes blazed. “You’re a vampire loving bitch,” she hurled. “They’re going to inbreed with us until our blood is no longer pure. They’re non-humans. That means that they’re not human. You like fucking with something that isn’t even one of us?”

Natasha didn’t answer.

“Did you let that thing suck your blood?”

Natasha moved towards the other woman. She ignored the slurs.

“You did, didn’t you? It’s sick. It’s disgusting. You’re going to breed with that scum, aren’t you?”

Natasha turned her head slightly, keeping her eyes on Tessa. “You can enter.”

Just as she said it, Tessa went for something in the back of her jeans.

Shit! “No,” Natasha warned. “Don’t!” she shouted as she watched the other woman pull a gun. Why, oh why? This woman wasn’t an idiot so why was she acting like one?

She had no other choice but to act. Natasha pulled the trigger. She half expected to see Tessa slump lifeless to the ground. Instead, the weapon flew from her hand and she grabbed her right shoulder with a yell.

“Do not move!” Natasha screamed.

Tessa didn’t listen, she dropped to her knees and scrambled for the gun. What the hell? The woman had a death wish. Natasha kneed her in the face. Tessa flew backwards landing with a hard thud. She gave a yell and tried to scrabble up. Her one hand groping uselessly on the ground. Her eyes were wide and she made moaning noises.

“It’s over.” Natasha turned Tessa over and put her good arm behind her back.

“Just kill me,” Tessa moaned. “I’m as good as dead.”

There was a sound of loud footfalls as her back-up entered the building. “Tessa Hoole, you are under arrest.” She pulled the woman’s arm a little higher on her back. “You are going to talk.”

“Just kill me,” Tessa moaned.