Page 97 of Fire Dancer

The woman was a terrier — small but ferocious.

“It’s okay.” Pippa hustled closer. “He’s with us.”

I stared. Who exactly was us?

“Ingo, meet Delaney. Delaney, meet Ingo.”

I nodded but didn’t let down my guard. Honestly, the woman looked borderline deranged.

Not deranged. She’s on a mission,Pippa murmured in my mind.There’s a fine line.

Well, maybe. But Delaney was definitely teetering toward the dark side.

Pippa touched me, and every nerve in my body calmed. Slowly, I released the woman’s arm, and we both stepped back.

“Delaney is Janet’s sister,” Pippa explained softly.

My brow folded. Police research hadn’t come up with any such relation.

My skepticism must have shown, because Delaney chimed in next.

“Technically, her stepsister, through her mom marrying my dad. Eventually, they divorced, but Janet and I were always close.” Her eyes shone with grief and anger. “Sisters, through thick and thin.”

So that was why police hadn’t found the link — and why Jananovich hadn’t caught on to Delaney either.

I eyed the stake. “Have you two been…” I trailed off, incredulous.

“Luring in vampires one by one and offing them?” Pippa supplied.

Delaney gave a proud nod, and they exchanged high fives.

“You bet your ass, we have,” Pippa finished.

I didn’t know whether to cheer or yell.

“What happened to setting up the camera and getting out?” I asked.

Pippa shrugged. “I guess we had a better idea.”

Delaney moved to the door. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

I stared. How long was her hit list?

Long, I decided. With Jananovich at the top.

Still, I tugged her back.

“Offing them one by one will only work for so long. Sooner or later, Jananovich’s security guards will catch on, and what will you do then?”

And, uh-oh. Delaney had an eerie sense of calm about her. Kamikaze-style calm.

“That’s why I’m going for Jananovich next.”

Her tone was as flat and emotionless as a person giving driving directions.Go left, then right, then stake a vampire in the heart…

I eyed the stake in her hand. “How many of those do you have?”

“Last one. And it has Jananovich’s name on it.”