"Derek!" Dana swallowed hard as she saw the captive policeman. So much for backup.
"Sorry, love." He winked at Dana. "Guess it's all over then."
He had something up his sleeve, she was sure of it. She opened her mouth to say something but Beau beat her to it. So fast she'd barely seen him move, she'd stepped back from the case and pushed Dana behind his back. With her hands hidden, she let her talons and teeth lengthen. If it came down to a fight, survival was more important than concealing her species. The vampire certainly knew about the paranormal and human brains, if indeed the thugs were human, could be messed with after the fact - assuming anyone would believe their claims of seeing a dragon lady in the first place.
"So, Mr. Dumont," Sterling dropped the fawning use of French and addressed Beau in crisp, proper English. "Care to tell me what brings you snooping around my warehouse? And don't even think of screaming for help. These walls are fully soundproofed."