The days had taken on a sameness, the changes in her body the only break in Shay’s routines. But since Simon’s announcement of Nik Dimitrou’s pending visit last night, things had gotten weird. Make that weirder.

Shay had finished her escape hatch in the top of her cage this afternoon, but she’d found no chance to try it out. The warehouse had become a vampire version of Grand Central Station. Fangs coming and going as soon as dusk hit.

Not to mention the bird that had showed up about lunchtime. Not just a bird—a golden eagle. Jon’s shift at guarding the scary caged pregnant women was winding down, and Eric had arrived with Parasol’s roast beef po-boys for everyone. Shay learned she could claim to crave just about any food and Simon’s human minions would scramble to get it. A kidnapped pregnant human had to find amusement wherever she could.

Everyone chowed down today at lunch. Even Tina had stopped crying and moaning about morning sickness and had wolfed down her sandwich.

Tap tap tap, crack.

Shay had been the first to notice the sounds coming from the last in the row of grimy narrow windows that stretched along the top of the warehouse. Eventually, they’d all stopped eating and watched as a small crack in the edge of the pane became a bigger one, followed by a crash when the glass fell inside and exploded into shards on the concrete floor.

“What the hell?” Jon had jumped up, smearing gravy all over the front of his shirt, but he seemed unsure of what to do when the eagle stuck its head through the opening it had created.

Shay doubted the whole bird could have squeezed through that oblong little window, but it stuck its head inside, its dark gold beak clicking as it looked around the room. It stayed for at least three or four minutes before it emitted a loud hiss that echoed around the warehouse and flew away.

Thinking on it hours later, Shay decided what had been so creepy about the whole thing was that the eagle didn’t just glance around the room like it was curious about what might be there. It looked at each person in the room for several long seconds each, as if memorizing details. And the hiss seemed directed at Jon and Eric, standing open-mouthed by the sofa while holding up their dripping sandwiches.

The whole idea that the bird was studying them was ridiculous, of course. Although so was being made pregnant and held captive by vampires. The world had become a ridiculous place, and not in a funny way.

Finally, Jon had left and only Eric remained to guard. He had covered the broken window, then settled in for a nap facing the door—probably so no eagles could sneak in on him.

“Shay?” Tina spoke in a soft whisper. “You doing any climbing today?”

Shay moved to sit cross-legged on the rug next to the wall of her cage that adjoined Tina’s. Earlier, she’d shown the girl the big escape hatch and had passed her precious clippers over so Tina could begin her own. They all needed to stick together, especially Tina and her. The other two women were so far away, they had to shout to communicate.

“Not today. Let’s see if they settle back into their normal routine.” Now that she’d calmed down, Tina had proven to be good company. She was smart and a touch goth. The vampires had nabbed the fifteen-year-old living on the streets and panhandling for money in the Quarter.

“You think your friend will show up tomorrow night? Do you think he can help us?” Tina sounded too hopeful. Shay wasn’t convinced Nik Dimitrou would show up or, if he did, that he’d help them. He might flip sides to help Simon and his creepy boss.

Shay paused while Eric snorted in his sleep and waited until his snores resumed. “They seem to think he’ll be here tomorrow night, so he obviously agreed to talk to them. I just hope it gives us a chance to escape.”

“How well did you really know the guy?”

Shay gave a bitter laugh. “I was honest about that.” Not that she’d had a choice since Frank had hypnotized her. “We dated in high school, when I was about your age. I was crazy about him, and thought it was serious. He dumped me, dropped out of school, and disappeared. End of story. He’s a stranger now.”

Shay would bet the 32-year-old Nik Dimitrou was just as sexy as his 16-year-old self, but she hoped he’d become less self-absorbed and moody. Otherwise, it didn’t bode well for him being the knight who was going to ride in on a white steed and save them.

“Well, I think that he—” Shay chopped off her sentence when Simon breezed into the warehouse, breathing fire. It was early for any of the vamps to show up—barely dark.

“Sleeping? You fool!” Simon grabbed the still-groggy Eric by the collar, lifted the taller man from the sofa, and flung him across the warehouse floor. The befuddled guard ended up near the two women huddled in their cages at the far end of the room.

Shay raised an eyebrow at Tina. No words were needed; they both slipped back to their respective beds and made themselves as quiet and inconspicuous as possible. What had happened? Simon wasn’t a pussycat, but she’d never seen him in a rage. Fear-inducing iciness was more his style.

“I’m sorry, I just dozed off for a minute.” Eric climbed to his feet and backed away with a limp. “It’s never happened before.”

Oh, brother. And Shay had a patch of swampland in South Louisiana to sell Simon if he bought that load of crap.

“I sincerely doubt it.” Simon returned to his familiar, icy self. “Luckily for you, I don’t have time to deal with incompetent blood junkies. Get your ass out of here and go to the house in Bywater. Our esteemed visitor from Penton isn’t due until tomorrow night, but he might show up early. Despite my instructions, I also doubt he shows up alone, so I expect you to call should anything look amiss.”

Simon paused. “If he arrives and finds you asleep, I don’t need to describe your future, do I?

Eric swallowed hard. “No sir.”

Yeah, because he’d have no future. Shay had no doubt of that.

Once Eric had gone, Simon accompanied Shay to visit each of the women. The wheels of the rolling cart of supplies his flunky had brought squeaked as they crossed the concrete floor.

Tina’s vitals were fine, as were Sarah’s, but Lindy’s blood pressure was way too high. “Are you having any pain or cramping?” Shay did a second blood pressure check, and again got a high reading. The girl had been distraught since they’d brought her in, and stress could complicate any condition, especially pregnancy. “Any bleeding?”

Lindy nodded. “The cramping started earlier today and I thought it was something I’d eaten, but…” she glanced at Simon, who’d moved closer.

“But what?” he demanded. “Good God, woman, I’ve lived three centuries. Is there any bodily function of which you think I’m unaware?”

Lindy blushed. “I started bleeding an hour or so ago. I thought if I stayed still and quiet it might stop, but it hasn’t.”

Shay glanced over at Simon. “Where’s that portable ultrasound I asked for?”

His voice was clipped. “Tomorrow.”

“By tomorrow, she could lose the baby and be in danger herself. She needs to go to a hospital.” Shay had no clue what to do for her beyond basic common sense. Quiet, minimal stress, and other niceties not to be found in a riverside warehouse full of vampires and captive pregnant women.

“Not possible. Keep her quiet and calm. We’ll have the ultrasound when we have it.”

“She needs more than that now. She needs a fetal monitor. She needs a gynecological exam. There might be medications that could protect her and the baby.”

Simon gave her a look that would freeze boiling water on contact. “Back in your cage. Now. And you”—he turned to Lindy—“lie down, stay quiet, and don’t do anything to jeopardize this child.”

“Threatening her won’t—”

“In your cage now, Ms. Underwood. Need I remind you how very expendable you are?”

No, he already reminded her at regular intervals. But Shay was spared another warning by the ring of Simon’s mobile phone, which he snatched out of his pants pocket with a jerk. Somebody had sure pissed on his Wheaties tonight.

While he talked, Shay backed toward the cage that had become both her prison and her refuge, not wanting to turn her back on him. Once inside, she pulled the cage door closed behind her, wishing for once that she had a key to lock herself in.

On the other hand, maybe he’d forget to lock it.

Another vampire, a short blond woman Shay had never seen, arrived just as Simon ended his call. He handed her his keys and pointed at Shay. “Lock her door and keep an eye on the blonde at the other end of the warehouse—she’s ill.”

“Is everything all right, Simon dear? You look frazzled.”

“No, just do as you’re told. Frank’s pissed at both of us because of your fuckup in Atlanta.”

A good word for Simon’s demeanor: frazzled. Shay curled up on her bed, watching the woman lock the door of her cage without even looking inside. Fine with Shay. She didn’t want to know any more vampires, although this was the first female she’d seen.

Simon and the woman, whose name seemed to be Marianne, talked quietly and since she couldn’t hear what they were saying, Shay closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep. Jon had come in a little earlier to drop off some papers but hadn’t stayed long. Maybe the revolving warehouse door would be quiet for a while.

“Damn it.” Simon jolted her awake, and Shay sat up. Simon perched on one of the chairs, his fingers pressed against his temples, then pulled his phone out and tapped the screen. He listened a few seconds, then ended the call. “I’m trying to reach Jon, but he seems to be out of range,” he told Marianne. “Take backup, check out my safe house in Bywater, and send Rocky here to the warehouse. Something’s gone wrong; I can feel it.”

Shay pulled the light quilt over her and closed her eyes, pondering Simon’s behavior tonight. And what kind of vampire name was Rocky? Would it be too much to hope something horrible had happened to Jon?

And what would frazzle a vampire as scary as Simon?