Lindsay slid to Xavier’s side. “Sure thing.”

“No offense, Lindsay, but no,” Xavier began.

“Xav.” Diego had the feeling that what he did and said here would be very, very important for a long time to come. “Give me five minutes.”

“They can kill you in thirty seconds.” Xavier’s eyes were hard, the tough kid he’d been shining through.

“I give you my word that Diego won’t be hurt,” Eric said. “We just need to talk. Lindsay will be your hostage, our pledge of good faith.”

“Hostage?” Xavier’s voice went flat. “What the hell does that mean?”

Lindsay hooked a hand around Xav’s arm. “It means that if they kill Diego, you have the right to kill me. Thanks a lot, Eric. I can think of way better things for me and Xav to do.”

“Jace will stay with you too.” Eric nodded at Jace, and Jace nodded back, unsurprised. “Also as my pledge.”

“He means it, Xav,” Diego said. He knew that Eric would never sacrifice his son. Eric had made that pretty clear the first night Diego had met him. Eric wasn’t planning a kill.

Xavier exchanged a long glance with Diego and finally made a conceding gesture.

“Five minutes,” Xav said. “Then I’m in there.”

Diego squeezed his brother’s shoulder and followed Eric to where Cassidy waited at a door beyond the bar. Shane stepped in behind Diego.

The door Cassidy opened led to a paneled, carpeted hallway. It was quiet back here when the main door closed, the hallway lined with rooms marked “Private.” Why the Shifters had access back here, Diego didn’t know.

Cassidy led the way. God, she was gorgeous. Her blond hair hung in a straight swath to the middle of her back, and her spike-heeled blue pumps made her legs look a mile long under that white dress.

Eric stepped around Cassidy to open one of the “Private” doors. Diego saw him jump in surprise, and he looked over Eric’s shoulder into the room.

Two people were having sex on a sofa. Not Shifters. Though one wore a Collar, she was clearly a groupie, and the man wore no Collar at all. Or anything else for that matter.

Eric pushed his way in. “Get out,” he rumbled.

The girl squealed and grabbed for her clothes, but the young man gave them a drunken smile. “Hey, join us. There’s room.”

Eric growled again, but the man paid no attention, sprawling on the couch in his naked glory.

Diego pulled out his badge and shoved it under the human man’s nose. “Out.”

The woman managed to hide herself as she fled through the open door. The young man eyed the badge, heaved a long sigh, picked up his pants, and shambled drunkenly after her.

Shane closed and locked the door behind him.

Diego tucked away his badge. “Five minutes,” he said.

“You stink,” Shane said. “Hell, I even started liking you.”

“I took a shower,” Diego said. “And my clothes are clean. Washed them last weekend at my mom’s. She insisted.”

Shane continued growling, claws showing. Diego knew he should be afraid—Shane could make short work of him, even with his Collar, and it remained to be seen whether Eric would stop Shane or not, pledge or no pledge.

But Diego felt no fear. Maybe because he’d gotten to know Eric and Cassidy a little, or maybe because he sensed that they, at least, were more worried and puzzled than angry.

Or maybe because they were on the ground floor. No heights, and Diego Escobar was one brave guy.

Cassidy stepped in front of Diego. “Leave him alone, Shane.”

“Cass, he’s been with Fae.”

“Fae?” Diego asked. “What’s Fae?”

“The Fair Folk,” Eric said in his mild voice.

“You mean fairies?” Diego stared at Eric in amazement. “You believe that?”

“Of course we believe it,” Shane said. “The bastards made us.”

“They’re real, Diego,” Eric said. “I’ve fought the Fae. I almost died against them. They kill Shifters, and they laugh about it. They made sure we were put in these.” He tapped his Collar. “They want us as we were—their slaves to hunt and kill for them. You’ve been in contact with one recently. I smell it on you now, and I smelled it when you came to the house yesterday.”

Diego sniffed, but he couldn’t smell anything but his own sweat and the sweet scent of Cassidy next to him. “I haven’t met any fairies. I think I’d remember that.”

Cassidy’s jade eyes were full of worry. “They can look human, Diego. That hunter up in the mountains, he smelled like Fae.”

“Cass,” Eric rumbled.

“He needs to know this, Eric. If he’s had contact with a Fae, he’s in as much danger as we are.” She turned back to Diego. “Have you talked to anyone lately you didn’t know? Or who looked suspicious?”

“How would I know? What do these fairies look like? Do they have wings?”

“No wings,” Shane growled in disgust. “They have dark eyes. It’s like looking into voids.”

“They’re blond or white haired,” Cassidy said. “Very fair skinned. Plus, they can’t touch iron. It makes them sick. They fashion their weapons from silver and bronze.”

Diego considered. “I haven’t talked to anyone off the force except during the drug bust I just finished, and all those guys carried plenty of iron. Or steel. Knives, pistols, machine guns, you name it. No one upchucking when steel handcuffs were slapped on them either. Could it be someone here in the club? Maybe someone I walked by when I came in. Or at the grocery store? I stopped for food on my way home.”

“No.” Eric shook his head. “It’s faint, but I’m guessing you spent a little time with him or her, at least. Not here. I would have noticed a Fae in the club or in the parking lot.”

Diego had gone to Captain Max’s office before he’d left work tonight. But Captain Maxwell was about five feet six, with a fringe of brown hair, though he had very dark eyes. No blond hair or pointed ears—plus he always carried a Glock.

“It could have been a half Fae,” Cassidy said. “They can look more human.”

“This is too strong for a half Fae,” Eric said. “The Fae scent wouldn’t linger on Diego so much. I’d say full.”