“Mom, can Liam and I take our cookies to the living room and watch cartoons?” Teddy piped up suddenly, drawing everyone’s attention.

“No. You will get crumbs everywhere,” Tricia said at once. “Eat your cookies first and then you can go watch cartoons.”

The boys looked at each other and then, as one, shoved their cookies in their mouths. They were large cookies and the boys’ cheeks were bulging when they finished.

“Liam,” Allie said in a reprimanding tone. “You’ll choke yourself on . . .”

Her words trailed away as the boy quickly chewed and swallowed the cookie, then grabbed his mug and downed the last of his hot chocolate even as Teddy did. Setting the mug down, he beamed at her as if he’d done something clever and announced, “All done.”

“Can we go watch cartoons now?” Teddy asked eagerly.

“If Liam’s mother says it is okay,” Tricia said solemnly.

Allie found herself the focus of two pairs of hopeful eyes and Liam said, “Please, Mom?”

Allie hesitated, part of her wanting to keep him close. She had spent every moment of every day with the boy since he’d been passed into her arms nearly four years ago. At least until she’d started the job at the blood bank. But she’d worked days while he’d slept, and while it had been night when she’d gone to rob the blood bank, she’d waited until Liam was down for his nap, fully expecting to be back before he woke. She hadn’t been surprised to return and find him awake and upset that she’d left him. He seemed eager to leave her now, though, to play with his friend and she felt a little wounded at the knowledge. But she knew it was healthy for him to make friends. It was also convenient, because she had some questions for Katricia and the others that she didn’t think Liam should hear, so Allie forced a smile and nodded. “Sure.”

“Thank you, Mom.” Liam beamed at her and slid off his seat to follow his new friend from the room.

“They will be fine,” Tricia assured her.

Allie nodded, sure that was true.

“Now that the boys are out of earshot,” Lucian said, drawing all eyes his way, including Allie’s, who grew wary when she noted his determined expression. Before she could worry too much, he ordered, “Explain things, Katricia. She seems to trust you.”

Tricia rolled her eyes, but then turned to her with a wry smile and explained, “As I mentioned earlier, we are Enforcers. The police for our people, basically. We hunt immortals who break our laws, such as the ones who attacked you and Liam.”

Allie nodded in understanding, but was mentally substituting “vampire” for “immortal.”

“One of the ways we do that is by listening in on the police scanner for reports of any crimes that might be immortal related,” she continued. “Last night, Mortimer heard that the blood bank had been broken into and the perpetrator taken to the hospital.”