Jean-Pierre had risked everything for Sylvia: his reputation, his career, even his life. Thank God his brother had blown the whistle on Big Pharma about the illegal treatments that had caused her condition. Otherwise she might have ended up in super-max.

Still, Sylvia's relative freedom involved her near complete isolation while she lived off of meager state benefits like some parasite.

Until the class-action lawsuit came through.

If it came through at all...

In the meantime Jean-Pierre--the detective who had taken over her case--checked in on her from time to time. Mostly on official business. Except when it wasn't.

She answered it with a heavy sigh. "What's up, JP?"

"Bad timing?" he asked with a curious lilt.

"You could say that. I'm getting a little--"

"Say no more," he said. "I've got good news."

Sylvia's heart leapt into her throat. Good news. Their euphemism for another lead on a heinous criminal who had escaped justice, one that deserved a fate worse than death.

Finally something she could do. A way she could let go and feed.

"Thank God!" Sylvia ran a trembling hand through her hair. "I'm fit to burst, JP."

The silence hung heavy between them. "Would you like a distraction?"

A shiver of delight coursed through her veins as she recalled the last fantasy they shared. Even though they'd never touched one another in the real world, Jean-Pierre had invited her to sink into his mind.

Each time she tumbled down, down, down like Alice into the rabbit hole. Electric tingles flooded her cheeks at the memories of tangled limbs and passionate kisses. A release a thousand times better than sex. A greater euphoria than any drug.

But Sylvia refused to treat him like cattle. She insisted on consent, only sharing his dreams when he offered them to her of his own free will.

After cascading through his deepest thoughts, Sylvia had realized that Jean-Pierre had feelings for her, ones he'd kept hidden in his unconscious mind. She couldn't use him the same way that blood vampires kept lovers as their own portable food source.

Feeding from the innocent was cruel.