I’m shocked when thirty minutes after picking me up, Joe pulls up in front of a boring-looking brownstone instead of the 54th. “Get out. We’re here.”

“What are we doing here?” I ask as Joe escorts me inside. We’re in a safehouse the department uses for the Witness Protection Program. On the outside, it looks nice and normal. Flicking the switch on, however, I see the UV lamps that ring the windows and door flicker on, and the steel-core door will hold out any shifter too.

“You’re lucky I got to you first,” Joe says, setting down his gun and turning on more lights. There’s a panic room too, three inches of solid steel in all directions, but I wouldn’t want to go there unless we had to. “It wouldn't have been pretty if they did. They’re giving zero fucks to civil rights now.”

I’m too prideful to admit he’s right about his getting to me first. “How’d you find me?” I ask, and Joe chuckles.

“Damn luck, mostly. When the crowd gathered at your place, I asked the captain to be the person to investigate. Drones spotted you jacking the car near your apartment and then heading into the woods. Had a hunch and called in a favor and found out where that boy you’ve said Alyssa was seeing lived and burned rubber out there.”

“You always were a good detective.”

“Yeah . . . but that was pretty stupid, Eve,” Joe chastises me as he pours two glasses. “What were you thinking?”

I take the offered glass and drink, even though coffee’s more my thing and my body really should get some sleep. “I was thinking of making sure Alyssa was okay. What do you think? And I was hoping on the side chance of getting my hands on my gun locker.”

Joe’s partner, who I’ve come to understand is Devin Porter, sits down after parking the car and catches the end of my statement. “Why? You have powers. What do you need a gun for?”

“Because I have no idea how to use them. Whatever I can do, it’s not exactly reliable.”

“That’s not good,” says Joe, shooting his whole glass of Pepsi and pouring himself another. “Because it’s your powers I really, really need right now.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

Joe pulls out his phone and opens a video file. “Before checking out your place, Devin and I did a little undercover work with the vampires. I’ve been working this angle for some time. Yesterday wasn’t the first time I’ve heard the name Marcus.”

I watch the video, shocked as Marcus talks about his plan. When he gestures toward Joe, the video cuts out, and I hand it back. “How’d you get into that?”

Joe shrugs. “I’ve been on secret assignment. Marcus thinks I’m a dirty cop who’s going to help him with this attack of his. They’re planning on hitting the mayor’s ceremony for the 54th. Kill them all, and I’d eventually take over as chief of police. Marcus says he’s got City Hall all taken care of.”

Chills run down my spine. “It shocks me that they would be so bold,” I whisper. “How did you manage to get so close without my knowing?”

“I wasn’t actually getting seduced by succubi,” Joe says, blushing a little. “After the incident at the bridge that started all this shit, I worked some connections. By promising him loyalty and info, I played it tight. Still, would have been a lot easier tonight if you’d been my partner instead of Rook here. Had to do some fast talking to let that one get by.”

Joe has a haunted look in his eyes, and I know it had to be difficult. I wonder what other things he had to do or overlook, all because he knew he had to take Marcus down. “I wish I could’ve helped,” I say, kind of hurt that he couldn’t trust me. I’m sure he had his reasons. “But what does this have to do with my powers?”

“Ever since your . . . mishap, I’ve been thinking about how long we’ve worked together, Eve. Three years tells you a lot about someone. I started thinking about what you said, that you don’t know what you did or how you did it. You scared the shit out of me at first. But you’ve got a good heart, I’ve always known that, and you’re more by the book than most of the squad. No matter what, I didn’t think you deserved to be carted off and made a lab rat. I’m glad those four fairies, shifters, or whatever they are saved you.” He pauses, taking another drink of Pepsi. “Where are they, by the way?”

I shake my head. “I’m sorry, Joe. You’re right. I never knew about what I can do. I still only know a little . . . but those four are innocent. I can’t betray the trust they’ve shown me.”

Joe nods slowly. “I understand. See, that right there is what makes me so sure that you're one of the good ones. If those guys stick around, I'd like to shake their hands. The thing that matters most is what I have planned for you.”

“What’s that?” I ask as Devin disappears into the back. “Where’s he going?”

“Rookies need sleep,” Joe says with a chuckle. “As for you, the word of the day is redemption. With a big ol’ fuckin’ capital R.”

The word sends a thrill to me, and I arch an eyebrow. “But how?”

“Simple,” Joe says. “I plan on letting the vampires attack tomorrow.”

“What?” I ask, stunned. “Joe, are you insane? You said it yourself that they’re going to slaughter everyone!”

“If you want to clear your name, it’s the only way,” Joe says. “And quite frankly, maybe I’m being a little harsh, but the department needs cleaning. Not to mention, Marcus isn’t stupid. I have a feeling he’s got more plants in the department and at City Hall. The way he talks, he’s just a little too cavalier about how the new mayor would be under his thumb. If we take him down now, he’ll wiggle free, and then it’s open war in New and Old Haven.”

“We can stop—”

“I’ve thought about it long and hard,” Joe says over me. “We need to let them try to attack. They think the way is free and clear, and the moment they think they’re going to spring the trap, we turn it around. We disintegrate every last bloodsucking bastard in Marcus’s coven.”

“You’re taking a huge risk,” I say uneasily. “Yes, the department is corrupt, whether it be that they’re in Marcus’s pocket or that they persecute innocent Paras . . . but there are some good people. They could die. That’s not something I could live with.”

“If we do this right, nobody with a heartbeat dies,” Joe says. “And it’ll clear your name. Hell, it might even make you a hero. Isn’t that what you want? For people to not think you’re some evil mutant out for blood?”

“Yes, but I don’t care about being a hero.”

Joe drains the rest of his glass, slamming it down. “No buts, Eve. This is my ass in the breeze too, and I believe in you. This op . . . I’m so deep-cover, I go down if shit goes south. You’re right, I should have tried to UV blast the entire meeting last night, cut the head off right there. But there’s no guarantee the rest would just pack up and go home even if I had. At least now, you get a second chance. People need to see that Para doesn’t mean bad.”

“And how do you see this going down without losing any innocents?”

Joe grins. “I’m not saying we simply let them attack and watch, just that we’ll be there waiting. I already have a SWAT team assembled and ready that I trust. They’ve got the gear, and they’ll be ready. Tomorrow night, the vampire threat ends.”

I don’t reply for a moment, and Joe reaches across the table, taking my hand. “Eve, I need you on this. There’s only so many people I trust these days.”

I chew on my lip. It does make sense, but there’s danger and risk involved. We both know that things never go as you plan on an operation. Something unpredictable always happens. “And afterward?”

“Well, the bad guys will be dead, and the public will see you’re not the monster everyone’s trying to make you out to be. They'll have no choice but to accept you. To accept that not all Paras are bad. Then we rebuild.”

I grow silent, thinking. “I don’t know how much help I’ll be. I wasn’t lying. My powers, they’re unpredictable. I’m so new to this and they can’t be relied on—”

“Even if they aren’t,” Joe says, “you always come through. And you’re good with your gun either way. So, what will it be, Eve? You in?”

There’s so much that could go wrong. The SWAT, as good as they are, are going to have their hands full. But if we can pull this off . . . Joe’s right. It’ll bring peace to Old Haven, at least long enough for the NHPD to start fixing things. Maybe even enough time for people like Alyssa to start to get people to listen to them.

This would be a lot more successful if we had four kick-ass Fae warriors on the team too, I think, but I shake my head. I know them well enough to know that while they’d happily walk into the battle, most likely with Jacob making a wiseass remark, they’ll object to anything that puts me in danger. They’d never go for this.

No, this is on me.

Joe’s depending on me. He needs me.

“I’m in.”