One Foot in the Grave

  EIGHTEEN

  DESPITE MY FEARS, THREE DAYS PASSED WITHOUT a hint of my mother or my work. I was amazed that Bones seemed to be right and my mother hadn’t run to Don screaming, “Nosferatu, arrgh!” or some variance. Did she really fear losing me as much as Bones said? After my whole life of feeling like my mother would be happier without me, it was very unusual to think she’d sacrifice some of her raging prejudice to have a relationship.

  Or she was just biding her time. That was the more likely scenario.

  Bones took me out every night. We went to dinner, movies, bars, or simply walked around Richmond. If I was honest, I’d admit I had never been happier in my life. Every time I opened the door and saw him standing there, my heart did a crazy little pitter-patter. He had to hear it, of course, but he never commented. Bones was staying within the “take it slow” mandate I’d set, waiting for me to make the first move.

  Which was getting harder and harder not to do. Sure, I’d said to take it slow, but the more time I spent around Bones, the less I remembered why I’d thought taking it slow was a good idea. Every time he held my hand, every time our bodies brushed, damn, every night he left me on my porch and walked away without so much as a good-night kiss, I ached with longing. I couldn’t bear to take it slow much longer. I’d end up assaulting him.

  On the fourth night, Bones said he wanted to cook me dinner instead of going out. I agreed, wondering if this was his way of setting up a more romantic evening—and not objecting. If my body had its way, dessert wouldn’t be a food item.

  Since I didn’t have anything in my house other than microwave-ready meals, he went to the store first. I came out on the porch to let him in, smiling at his multiple bags of groceries, and then was puzzled to see his expression harden.

  “We’re being watched.”

  Bones didn’t turn around as he said it. Years of practice made me resist the urge to look about myself. I took some bags from him and asked a soft question.

  “Ian?”

  “No. It’s your bloke, the same one in Ohio. He’s down the street in his car, and from the way his pulse just shot up, you’ve been found out. He can tell what I am.”

  “Tate?” He was the only person Bones had seen back in Ohio when Don used his “join me or die” recruiting tactic. “Do you think my mother called him?”

  Bones used his body to propel me inside.

  “From his heart rate, he’s shocked. No, he had no idea. Probably thought to offer you some company in hopes you’d break down and shag him. Wanker.”

  I began to pace. Bones put away the groceries as if undisturbed. Practicality was definitely his strong suit. That’s what I get for training the guys to notice those slight nuances in appearance and movement that separates a vampire from the rest of the population, I thought. Apparently I’d done my job too well, since Tate had picked up on what Bones was from down the block. I listened hard, sending my senses outward. In a second I, too, heard Tate’s accelerated breathing and heart rate. Yeah, he was shaken, you could safely say.

  In the next instant, his car revved up. He was driving away in the opposite direction of his home, and it was no great stretch to guess where he was headed.

  “I wanted more time,” I said with mild despair.

  Bones just mixed a gin and tonic and gave it to me. It was gone before the ice chilled it.

  “Better, luv?” His lips curled. “Like your bloomin’ security blanket, that stuff is.”

  “I like the taste. That’s what all the drunks say, isn’t it?” In sudden weariness I sighed.

  “Do you want me to leave, or wait to see what they’ll do? I told you, if they come with force, we’ll hear them long before they arrive. It’s your call.”

  After a minute of quiet contemplation, I looked up at him. “Well, they were going to find out soon anyway, I suppose. It’ll take Tate half an hour to get to the compound, another thirty minutes at least for Don to decide on their course of action, and then another thirty to send a team back here, if that’s what they decide. Tate doesn’t know we saw him, so he won’t think there’s a rush. You may as well stay. If I could tell my mother, Don should be a cakewalk.”

  I attempted humor to cover the lurch of my stomach, but Bones knew I felt far less confident than I sounded.

  “It will be all right, Kitten. You’ll see.”

  Exactly one hour later, my cell phone rang. I nearly broke it in my haste to answer it.

  “Hello?” To my credit, there was not a trace of apprehension in my tone. On the other end of the line, Don sounded less urbane.

  “Cat? Is that you?”

  “It’s my cell, who else would it be?”

  There was a moment of silence, and then he guardedly asked, “Is everything okay there?”

  Oh, so he thought perhaps I’d lured a vamp back to my house for some lethal stake and shake. Well, score one for him giving me the benefit of the doubt. Tate hadn’t.

  “Fine. Why? What’s going on?”

  There was another hush, and then Don said, “There’s an emergency. How soon can you get here?”

  I glanced at Bones. He shrugged. “Give me an hour.”

  “An hour. I’ll be waiting.” Oh, I didn’t doubt it.

  After I hung up, I burst out, “I’m not giving you up!”

  As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realized I meant them. The past few days had reminded me exactly how miserable I’d been without Bones. Return to my empty life just so everyone around me could feel more comfortable? No thank you.

  Bones laughed grimly. “Too bloody right. I’m not going away just because they might not give us their blessing.”

  “I’m not just going to quit, though.” Subconsciously I’d already made that decision, too, but I hadn’t voiced it until now. “This is more than a job to me. I’m able to make a difference in people’s lives who don’t have anywhere else to turn, Bones. I know I need to deal with Don and the guys, but I’m not leaving unless they force me to.”

  “Bloody hell.” Bones sighed. “If you want to continue your crusade to rid the world of undead murderers, you can do that with me. You don’t need them.”

  “But they need me. If they leave me no other choice, I’ll go, but I will fight to make them reconsider.”

  He stared at me with a mixture of frustration and resignation. Finally he threw up his hands.

  “All right. I’ll have to think on what to do about that, and Ian as well, though we have a little time with him. Perhaps a month, if luck holds. Don’t tell your boss who I really am yet, if your bloke hasn’t figured it out. There are some details I need to settle first before they realize you didn’t kill me in Ohio after all.”

  “What details? With Ian?”

  “Not Ian. Don. Interesting bloke. Been doing a bit of research on him the last several months. I’m waiting to confirm some information, and I’ll tell you when I have it.”

  Don? “What information?”

  “I’ll tell you when I have it,” he repeated. Then he changed the subject. “You know I’ll follow you over there, but how secure is this building of yours? If they tried to force you to leave, where would they take you? The airstrip?”

  “Yes, they’d try to fly me out, if they were going to get rough. Planes don’t normally take off there, so if you see one taxiing, chances are I’m on it.”

  “You don’t have to go in, but I can see you have your mind set to it. Think for a bit, though. If they can’t persuade you to relinquish me and they reckon you’ll try to escape if they hold you, what’s to stop them from simply killing you? I can guarantee that no plane will take off with you on it, but I don’t fancy you walking into what could be a trap. How certain are you of these men?”

  I did think about it, coldly and impersonally. Then I shook my head.

  “Unless they’ve exhausted all other options, they won’t pull that trigger. They’d try to salvage me first. If I started killing people, then they’d try to take me out, but otherwise…no. That
’s not Don’s style.”

  I met his eyes, because I wanted him to see mine when I spoke this next part.

  “When I left you, I thought it was the only way to save you and my mother. Really I did. But over the years, I’ve gotten to know Don. He can be a callous son of a bitch, but he’s not the cold-blooded creature I first thought him to be. Don wouldn’t leave my mother defenseless if I took off with you, no matter that he threatened to do that when we first met. Yes, he’d kill me if he thought I would destroy his operation, but he’d only do it as a last resort. I’m not afraid of going in, but as I said, I’m not going to give you up just because Don won’t like that you’re a vampire and I’m dating you.”

  Bones came over to me. Very gently, he caressed my face. Then his hand slid into my hair and he leaned down. When his lips closed over mine, I let out a soft moan.

  The instant jolt going through me could have been from his power, since my lips tingled on contact with his. But I thought it had to do with something else, especially when I felt a stronger surge as his tongue rubbed along mine. I pulled him closer, until our bodies were pressed together as tightly as our mouths. All at once, the need I’d suppressed for years came roaring to the surface. My hands tightened on his shoulders, and then raced around with a sudden frantic urge to feel more of him.

  Bones’s arms moved to my back to crush me almost bruisingly against him. His mouth ravaged mine with a hunger that made my pulse skyrocket and a ravenous throb erupt below. He must have heard it, smelled it, because he rubbed his groin into mine with a hard, friction-filled stroke that almost had me climaxing where I stood.

  I tore away from him. Either I did it right then, or I was never going to. Bones held on to my arms while the bright green blaze of his eyes seared into mine. His hands were flexing on my skin, like he was fighting whether to yank me back or let me go.

  “If I kiss you again, I’m not going to stop,” he said roughly.

  The warning was an echo of my own thoughts. I breathed in short little pants that seemed to mock me with their excited rhythm. Stay, they said. It’ll take Don at least an hour to show up with reinforcements…

  “We can’t, not now,” I groaned. “Or it’ll be pretty easy for the guys to kill you, since I’ll already have you pinned underneath me.”

  Bones laughed, but it sounded more like a low growl. “I’m happy to risk it.”

  I backed away, literally uncurling his fingers from my arms.

  “Not now,” I said again, even though what I really wanted to do was scream, Yes, now, and hurry! “I have to take care of this. It’s overdue, don’t you think?”

  He cast a frustrated look at the bulge in his pants.

  “Very overdue.”

  I laughed. “Not that; you know what I meant.”

  Bones ran a hand through his hair, giving me a look that said he still was debating whether to throw me to the carpet. I had to glance away, afraid that what he’d see in my eyes would only encourage him.

  “Right,” he said at last. “Your work. Let’s go over possibilities if they take the news badly. I want you to be prepared to escape if need be.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that,” I replied, with an inward jaded smile. “I’ve had an escape route planned for years.”

  NINETEEN

  THE GUARD AT THE ENTRANCE DIDN’T WAVE me through as usual.

  “Sorry, but…um, we have to check your vehicle.”

  I hid a smile behind my hand. So Don was feeling edgy. “What’s up, Manny? New rules?”

  “Yep, that’s it,” he agreed instantly.

  Three more armed men came around my Volvo. They explored my interior, the undercarriage, and even the engine. Finally Manny straightened and nodded.

  “Carry on.”

  I was stopped at the second gate and the third one as well, the same procedure repeated. It took me over twenty minutes just to pull inside the four-mile stretch that wound around the main building. Not since my first year with Don had I been so thoroughly screened. Little did he know Bones had no need of piggybacking with me. He’d driven himself over on his snazzy new motorcycle, waiting out of sight near the airstrip. Just in case.

  Once inside, the interior guards were less diligent. I passed through the normal checkpoints with ease. Apparently they were only concerned with me bringing an unwanted visitor. When I entered Don’s office, I saw that Juan and Tate were there as well. Oh goody, it was an intervention.

  “Hello guys,” I addressed them.

  Juan nodded, but Tate didn’t even acknowledge me. Don rose from his desk.

  “Cat. You’re twenty minutes late.”

  “I was tied up.” I couldn’t resist. “Then the guards almost strip-searched me on my way in the compound.”

  “Shut the door, Juan,” Don directed coolly. With a gesture, he indicated my usual seat.

  I took it, and promptly put my foot on his new desk.

  “Nice color,” I commented. “Looks better than the old one. What’s the emergency?” As if I didn’t know.

  “You are,” Tate snapped.

  Don waved him silent and gave him a look. So he was playing Papa Bear, and Tate and Juan were backup support.

  “Cat, just the other day, I told you how amazing it was you’d never faltered in your tenure here. It seems I spoke too soon. We know about the vampire. What do you have to say for yourself?”

  I gave him a frosty smile. Bones had said not to reveal who he really was, and that was fine by me for now. God knew they were rattled enough already.

  “Spying on me? I thought you gave that up a long time ago. You nosy bastard, what business is it of yours who I date as long as I do my job?”

  That answer he wasn’t expecting. Don obviously thought I’d shrink under his withering stare. But if my mother couldn’t cower me, then he had no chance.

  “You’re dating a vampire! You just admitted it!” Tate burst out.

  I shrugged. “You know the old saying. Once you go dead, no one’s better in bed.”

  “Christos,” Juan muttered.

  “I hadn’t heard that one,” Don stonily replied. “You fail to see the enormity of what you’re admitting to? You are fraternizing with the enemy in the most compromising way possible, jeopardizing the lives of all you command. This creature is no doubt using you to infiltrate our operation.”

  That made me snort rudely. “He couldn’t give a rat’s ass about your operation, Don. Believe it or not, he cares more about me than what goes on here.”

  “I fail to see how that’s possible,” Don barked, his composure slipping. “Look at the influence he already has over you, making you risk your life for sex. And I seem to remember that personal association with vampires was expressly forbidden in our agreement when you signed on.”

  I wasn’t about to correct Don’s misassumption of my relationship, and besides, I’d already decided on changing our celibate status. Plus, clearly Tate hadn’t recognized Bones from before, or this whole thing would be going down far differently. Well, who could blame him? He’d only seen him for a split second—right before Bones demolished his car, drank him, and chucked him through the air. That, and his hair was different.

  “Yes, well, a lot of things have changed since then, haven’t they?” I observed mildly. “Take for example the invention of Brams. Or the caged vampires on the premises. Oh, and don’t forget, the added years to their lives.”

  I jerked my head in Juan and Tate’s direction. Don’s expression confirmed that he hadn’t told them. There was nothing like clouding the issue to redirect the heat.

  “That’s not relevant now,” Don grated.

  I raised a mocking brow. “Let’s ask them, shall we? Tate, Juan, did you both know if you drank vampire blood, it would add at least twenty years to your natural lives? I didn’t know that, but old Don here sure did. He knew what went on in Ohio, but didn’t figure on telling you. Guess he thought you wouldn’t be interested.”

  “Madre de Dios, is that true?” Ju
an blurted. Tate looked a bit dazed as well, and I pounced on him.

  “It’s not nice when someone knows how long you might live and keeps it to themselves, is it? At least I told Don you had to be informed, whereas you didn’t give me the same courtesy!”

  “Is this some sort of payback?” he asked low.

  The pain in his eyes had little to do with this latest revelation and everything to do with my previous admission. Right then I saw what I’d been blind to before. God, Tate was in love with me. It was so clear, even I couldn’t fail to notice.

  “No, it has nothing to do with that.” No need to lie there. “It has nothing to do with any of you, and that’s the way it stays.”

  “There is no way I will allow this behavior to continue,” Don stated flatly. “Too many lives are at risk, and I care about that even if you don’t.”

  I stood and loomed over him. “Fuck you, boss. I care about each and every man in my unit, and I’ve proved that countless times. You don’t believe me? Then fire me.”

  “Querida, don’t be so hasty,” Juan implored. Don hadn’t moved. “We’re concerned for you; what if this vamp finds out what you are—”

  “He knows,” I interrupted.

  Don cursed freely. That made me blink. He never lost his cool.

  “How does he know that, Cat? You told him? Did you draw him a fucking map of our location and numbers as well? I hope he’s amazing in bed, because you’ve just ruined everything we’ve worked for!”

  “No, I didn’t tell him.” As I spoke, I improvised. “I met him years ago. He knew what I was from back then, and he left Ohio before all that shit went down. I hadn’t seen him until a month ago when I ran into him around here. He’s only a hundred and I’m stronger than he is, so he knows to keep his trap shut or I’ll kill him. There you have it.”

  “How could you do it?” This from Tate, who gave me a faintly disgusted glare. “How could you fuck a corpse? You really went from one extreme to the other. First Noah, then right to necrophilia!”

  That pissed me off. “Does everybody forget I’m half vampire? When you say shit about the undead, you’re also talking about me! It’s like skinheads trying to convince Halle Berry to march in their neo-nazi parade! How could I do it? Why don’t you tell me, Tate? Or you, Juan? Both of you have tried to fuck me. Guess that makes you necrophiliacs as well.”