“Scary name,” I gasped when I could speak again.

Jesse didn’t look amused. Actually, neither did Eli. Tough room. “Jimmy—Jimena Valdez, she’s my contact at the Sheriff’s Department—said the Kings used to be really bad news. Drugs, weapons, street prostitution. The cops went after them hard, so about twenty years ago, the MC made some changes. Brothels and a little porn instead of street-level hookers, pot instead of heroin, no more guns.”

“I swear, that was a cable TV show,” Eli said wryly.

Jesse just nodded. “And a lot of the show was based on real MC culture. The Demon Kings aren’t the worst of MC culture, but they’re still a long way from the Shriners. As evidenced by the assholes we met today.”

“But it doesn’t sound like they’re big into freelance thuggery, and they’re sure as hell not Old World,” I pointed out. “Why would they be working for a vampire and a boundary witch?”

Jesse shook his head. “That I don’t know. But I might be able to find out. Jimmy says Santa Clarita has a confidential informant within the Kings, a low-level guy who the deputies busted for possession with intent. Jimmy called him, and he agreed to meet with me.” Jesse’s smile looked a little like a shark’s. “Or Jimmy convinced him to meet with me. I have to go alone, though.”

“No problem,” I said, checking the clock. “I need to leave for the first night of the Trials in a little bit anyway.”

“I thought they didn’t start until six?”

“They don’t. Kirsten wards the place to keep out humans, and I have to get inside before she can set the wards, so my nullness doesn’t punch a hole through them.”

Jesse nodded, then paused. “Where exactly does one assemble the supernatural forces of Los Angeles for a Trials slash party?”

I grinned at him. “You’ll like this. Dashiell rented out the Los Angeles Theatre.”

“Seriously?” Jesse asked, wide-eyed. Until a few years ago, the Los Angeles Theatre was just another one of Los Angeles’s abandoned movie palaces. Then it went through a major renovation to apply modern amenities to the original neoclassical style. The grand building was primarily used for movie productions now, but anyone could rent it out for the right (very steep) price.

Jesse’s parents and brother all worked in Hollywood, and he’d grown up with one foot in that world. “Now I kind of want to go,” he said, looking a little wistful.

“Excuse me,” Eli interrupted, and I realized that his face had clouded over. “Have you guys thought about what happens at sunset, when the vampire wakes up and his boundary witch doesn’t pick up the phone?”

“Uh . . .” Jesse and I glanced at each other. I didn’t want to actually say, “I have no idea,” but Eli could pretty much read it on my face. “He’s not going to know it was us,” I said lamely.

“Of course he will,” Eli retorted. “If they recruited human thugs and laid a trap at Frederic’s place, they had to suspect you guys were coming. Who else would visit a vampire during daylight hours?”

Jesse and I exchanged a look that pretty clearly communicated shit, he’s right.

“You think the vampire’s going to respond?” Jesse asked me.

I thought it over for a moment. “He—or she—kind of has to,” I said. “They’re stuck in LA for another two nights while those girls finish turning, and we took away the boundary witch. Katia’s a weapon, and we’ve got it. The vampire’s gotta do . . . something. I just don’t know what.”

“I really wish we knew this vamp’s name,” Jesse muttered.

“Wish granted,” I said solemnly. “From now on, I dub him Count Asshat. If it does turn out to be one of Molly’s sisters, we’ll change it to Countess.”

Jesse held up his hand for a high-five.

Eli glared between us. “This is not a joke,” he said, his voice a near-growl. “What if he comes after you? Everyone in town knows exactly where you’re going to be tonight.”

I shook my head. “True, but it’s also where Dashiell, Will, and Kirsten will be. And a hell of a protection ward. Without the boundary witch, this vampire doesn’t have a chance against all that.”

“What if he has the thugs?” Eli pointed out. “They might not be able to shoot all of us, but they could burn down the theater.”

“No,” I said, “Kirsten’s humans-go-away ward would account for that. Nobody human is going to get on the same block as us, trust me.”

Jesse’s eyes had lost focus, and I knew he was trying to figure out where Count Asshat could attack, same as me. “What about spouses?” he suggested. “Could the Count go after Kirsten’s husband, or Dashiell’s wife?”

“Beatrice?” I shook my head. “No. Kirsten’s house and Dashiell’s mansion have the best security wards in town. Anyway, Beatrice will be at the Theatre organizing the party planning, and Kirsten and Paul split up.”

“They did?” Jesse said with his brows raised. It doesn’t really matter how big a crisis is: gossip is always interesting. There was plenty more gossip about Kirsten, but Eli broke in before I could continue.

“How much does Frederic know about you?” he asked me, looking grave. “Anything he knows, he would tell this other vampire. Could they go after Jack and his family?”

Eli and my brother had actually developed a pretty good friendship, at least as much as a werewolf could be friendly with an unknowing human. He and I had even double-dated with Jack and his new wife, which was so normal it had put a weird taste in my mouth.

“I don’t think Frederic knows about them,” I said, sounding as uncertain as I felt. “But even if he does, Jack and Juliet took the kids to Oahu for their honeymoon, remember? They don’t get back until Monday.”

We kicked it around for a while longer, but none of us could figure out what Count Asshat was going to do next. He or she could try to get out of town, even with four baby vamps in tow, but boundary witches were valuable, and I doubted they would go without at least attempting to save Katia. It made me very nervous.

But not nearly as nervous as it made Eli. “That settles it,” he pronounced when we couldn’t come up with anything. “Until this is over, I go where you go.”

I reminded myself that he was just being protective because he loved me. Again. “We think this house is safe, but there’s still a chance that the Count could figure out where I live,” I pointed out. “And come looking for Katia.”

Eli saw where I was going with this and started shaking his head violently. “No. No. You are not sticking me with babysitting duty while you run around risking your life.”

“Someone needs to stay here and watch her,” I argued. “Jesse has to talk to this MC guy. Kirsten, Dashiell, Will, and I all have to go to the Trials. You’re the only other person in the Old World I can fully trust.” I reached across the table to cover his hand with mine, but he jerked away like I’d burned him.

“Absolutely not,” Eli insisted. “I’m staying with you.”

“I’ll be perfectly safe at the Trials, Eli,” I argued. “Nobody’s gonna be able to touch me around all those people.”

Eli shook his head like a dog shaking off water. “Maybe that would be easier to believe,” he snapped, “if you weren’t coming home shot.” He pointed at my arm. “These assholes have guns, they’re not reliant on magic, and we know nothing about them. They might not be able to enter the theater building, but are you really going to tell me you’ve got everything under control?”

We’d graduated to yelling voices now, and I realized that Shadow was on her feet, her teeth bared silently in the direction of Eli. She wouldn’t normally attack without a command, but if he made a sudden move toward me all bets might be off.

Feeling the tension, Jesse looked at his watch, or pretended to. “I’m going to hit your bathroom,” he said. “And then I need to go meet this guy. I’ll leave your vest by the van, Scarlett.”