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He knew the question was coming. No avoiding it.

“Soundly.”

It took a moment, but Alessandra and Kenton seemed to figure it out at the same time.

“What . . . ,” she began. Then her expression shifted to a look of knowing. “Oh my. I guess the date went well.”

For his part, Kenton appeared somewhere between concerned and mildly amused. “She won’t remember what happened tomorrow,” he cautioned.

I can ensure you she’ll remember some of it.

He kept that thought to himself.

“I don’t know if she’s supposed to work in the morning, but after what happened—”

“I’ll take care of Birdie. You just make sure Toni is safe. We have no idea if this is connected to . . . well, you?” Alessandra looked back and forth between Lawrence and Kenton.

“You mean a vampire? Or, God forbid, a Cheld?” Kenton asked, earning himself a harsh stare from his Cheld fiancée.

“I’d have sensed either—”

“Not if he was cloaked,” Alessandra argued.

He’d thought of that. Although it had remained a well-kept secret, he and his siblings were not the only ones who knew how the Cheld could hide themselves from vampires. The Morleys had not yet discovered it, but the Sect knew. Many of them had the ability to hide in plain sight. Although Lawrence hated to think it, some of the Cheld he and his siblings had helped had defected to the other side. They had become hunters. Hunters who would kill even those who had helped protect them.

But Alessandra was the first Cheld to have been discovered in Stone Haven. The first, even, in all of Pennsylvania. Her brother was the second.

“My gut tells me it’s not related,” Lawrence said, “but the timing is odd.”

“Your gut also told you to attempt to murder me on at least three occasions,” Kenton interrupted. At least there was a trace of humor in his voice as he mentioned the old gripe.

“Regrettably, none of the attempts were successful.” Lawrence allowed the corner of his mouth to tug up just slightly. He enjoyed ribbing Kenton.

“I particularly resent the time in—”

“Boys,” Alessandra cut in.

Lawrence couldn’t help but laugh. “Boys. We are the oldest men in the world—”

“Who happen to be acting like two school children. We have much more important things to do than engage in a pissing match.”

Kenton folded his arms. “If this were a pissing match—”

“I can’t take it.” Alessandra tossed up her arms in disgust. “Seriously. What do we do next? I mean what if—”

“We don’t do anything,” Lawrence cut in. “Except watch and wait.”

“He didn’t see you?” Kenton asked.

“I don’t believe so. And to be honest, that’s my biggest concern at the moment since I do think it was a random act.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences.” Kenton sighed.

He didn’t usually either, but the man had appeared to be human. No Cheld would have made such a foolish muddle of the break-in.

“Either way,” he said, “I’ll need to prep Toni—”

“No one can know you were at the bank when it happened.”