Dark brows rose for an instant, then he shrugged. “Gives us the element of surprise, at least.”

Then he dropped his binoculars and pulled out his cell, texting something too quickly for me to read.

“What’s that?”

“Insurance,” he replied. “If I don’t send Mencheres another text in six hours, he’s to come for us.”

I glanced back at the building with an inner shiver. So much for my concern about innocent bystanders. Mencheres wasn’t only the vampiric version of Bones’s grandsire and the co-ruler of their two enormous lines—he was also the most powerful vampire I’d ever met. Nothing would be left standing if he came here to pull us out.

“Let’s hope Madigan is feeling cooperative,” I said, trying to make my voice light.

Bones wedged his cell phone between two branches and jumped down, landing on his feet with more grace than a jaguar.

“I doubt it, but wonders never cease.”

“She’s here?”

It was almost funny to hear the shocked tone on the other end of the line. I couldn’t see the guard’s face through his darkly tinted visor, but his voice also held a distinct note of surprise.

“Yes, sir. She and the other vampire.”

Bones smiled, unperturbed by all the weapons aimed in his direction. I had just as many pointed at me. Kudos to the guards for not being sexist.

A long silence, then Madigan’s voice came back on the line, sounding terse this time.

“Let them in.”

Bones and I went through the next five checkpoints without incident before we finally reached the main building. When the wide metal doors of the compound closed behind us, I hoped the locking sound was a new security feature and not Madigan trying to trap us. That wouldn’t bode well for the fate of my friends, let alone the employees inside.

More helmeted guards escorted us to Madigan’s office, not that it was necessary. I could find my way blindfolded since it used to be my uncle’s office. Madigan had wasted no time setting himself up here once he took over.

The man whose past was so murky that my uncle refused to divulge what he knew about it rose from his seat when we entered. Madigan wasn’t being polite—it was to add force to the daggers he glared in our direction.

“You have astounding nerve.”

I shrugged. “I’d say we were in the neighborhood, but . . .”

I let the sentence dangle. Bones picked it up immediately.

“You know we can’t abide you, so why pretend this is a social call?”

Either Madigan remembered Bones’s trademark bluntness or he didn’t care about the insult. I couldn’t tell which since I couldn’t hear his thoughts behind the Barry Manilow song he kept repeating in his head. I hated Madigan, but I had to give it to him for the defense he’d developed against vampire mind reading. No one could push past the annoying mantras he chose. Then, with a glint in his eyes that looked too satisfied for my liking, he waved at the chairs opposite his desk.