Her chest tightened at his words. Words she didn’t really need to hear, since they haunted her every minute of every day. Two and a half years ago, she’d been one of the foremost investigative reporters in the country. Her former boss had nicknamed her Hound Dog Sue because she could sniff a story from a mile away and then run it to ground and bring it home.

And in one moment of gross stupidity, her whole world had come crumbling down around her. She’d been so hungry that she’d run headlong into a setup that had completely destroyed her reputation.

It’d almost cost her her life.

She rubbed at the scar on her wrist as she forced herself not to remember that awful night in November—the only time in her life when she’d actually been weak. She’d come to her senses, and then vowed to never let anyone make her feel that powerless again. No matter what, this was her life and she was going to live it on her own terms.

But for Leo, whom she’d met in college when they’d worked on the staff of the campus paper together, she’d have never worked in journalism again. Not that working for the Daily Inquisitor could ever be construed as true journalism, but at least it allowed her to pay off some of her gargantuan debt and court costs. And though she hated her job, it kept her fed and off the street. For that she owed the little toad.

Leo tore off a sheet of paper and slid it toward her.

“What’s this?” she asked as she took it from his desk.

“It’s a Web address. There’s some college kid who goes by the name Dark Angel who claims she’s working for the undead.”

She stared at him. Oh, yeah… her life was definitely a lemon and she wanted her money back—with interest. “A vampire?”

“Not exactly. She says he’s an immortal shapeshifting warrior who annoys the hell out of her. She’s local, so I want you to check it out and see what else she has to say. Then report everything back to me.”