One Foot in the Grave

Don glared at me. I held his gaze, not blinking. Bones had made a prediction on this outcome also.

Don was the first to look away. When he spoke, his voice was rough.

“I pray to God you’re not wrong to trust this creature, Cat. If he’s played you, we’ll all go down in flames for it. He’d better be as good as he is arrogant.”

Four out of four. Bones smiled triumphantly. “Don’t fret, mate. I’m not playing her, and I am as good as I am arrogant. After all, I had you pegged. She was sure you’d refuse. I told her you wouldn’t.”

Don looked as worried as I felt, but he didn’t object further.

“It will take a few weeks to assemble everything,” Bones said, “and the three of you will be busy until then. If things go south, you’ll need to react quickly. You all know the price behind drinking vampire blood, right?”

Cooper didn’t. In a few minutes, he was informed about the ramifications of his actions in the cave. He took it far better than I had. He simply snorted once in disbelief.

“Welcome to the freak club,” I sympathized. “All of you will need to be immune to vampire mind control, and blood’s the only way to do that. Anyone who refuses will stay back. I won’t risk your lives, or the lives of those around you, by letting some vamp green-eye you into submission.”

“I’m up for juicing,” Tate said, again being the first to offer. “But you won’t mind if I refuse to suck blood off his tongue like you did?”

Bones let out a bark of amusement. “Don’t fret; you’re not my type. Anyone else have a concern?”

There were no other voices of dissent. Bones rose.

“Right then. Let’s go to the lab, so Don can put my vein on tap again. Really, old chap, you’re as excited over my blood as any vamp is over a juicy artery. Sure you’re not hiding some family traits?”

“That’s not funny,” Don brusquely responded, but he also stood, and we proceeded to the lab. The path leading to it had been cleared of other employees, minimizing Bones’s exposure on the premises. The same was done to the pathology unit. Once we got there, Bones gave Tate a calculating look.

“Ready for an upgrade? After your first dose, I’m going to beat the seven shades of shit out of you to see how much you can take.”

“Bring it on” was Tate’s reply. “Cat’s been pounding on me for years. Years. How long have you spent with her, combined? Only six months?”

Bones grabbed him, intending to do something painful, no doubt, but I hauled on his arm.

“Quit it! Tate, enough of the taunts, and Bones, how old are you? Why don’t I just give you a pair of my panties to hang around your neck? Then whenever you feel jealous, you can wave them at whoever’s pissing you off.”

“Like you wear panties,” Tate muttered.

I punched him. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I only go without when I’m on a job!”

Instead of being incensed by Tate’s knowledge of my underwear, Bones gave me an odd look as he sat in the chair Don indicated. Don set up a line and a bag and inserted the needle, since Dr. Lang, the head pathologist, still didn’t want to stick Bones himself.

“Kitten, are you still hunting vampires without your knickers on?” he asked with that same strange countenance.

“If I’m playing the bait, yes, but if it’s a search-and-destroy, no. Why?”

His lips twitched. “We’ll talk about it later,” he demurred.

I pounced. For him to look so peculiar, there had to be something to it.

“Tell me now.”

Five sets of eyes regarded him expectantly. Only Don didn’t look intrigued at this exchange. His eyes were glued to the IV bag filling with red liquid.

Bones’s lips twitched more. “It’s just that you can expand your wardrobe, luv. Not that I’m advocating it, of course, but then I’m biased. That thing I told you about no knickers making a difference when it came to luring vampires…well. I might have stretched the truth a bit.”

“You what?” My mouth dropped open in incredulity.

Juan gave Bones the most admiring look he’d bestowed on him yet.

“You talked her into going without panties all these years? Madre de Dios, now that’s impressive. I could learn a great deal from you, amigo.”

“You lied to me.”

I ignored Juan’s praise and advanced until I pointed a finger in Bones’s chest, which shook with suppressed laughter.

“Now, Kitten, it wasn’t exactly a lie. Merely an embellishment of the truth. I told you vampires found that right irresistible, and some do. Myself, for one, whenever I’m around you. And do you remember how you were back then? So uptight and prissy, I couldn’t resist needling you. Really, in all fairness, I never intended to let it go on this long-”

My voice trembled with wrath. “You perverted, depraved bastard, how could you!”

“What a mean trick,” Tate agreed instantly.

Bones reached out to me, chuckling, but I slapped his hand.

“Don’t touch me. You’re a dead man.”

“Since before you met me,” he agreed, still grinning. “I love you, Kitten.”

“Don’t try to get out of this. We’ll see if you love me when I pay you back.”

“Even then I will love you,” Bones called out as I stomped away. “Even then.”

I watched with empathy as the tremors ripped through Tate. The white cup that had held half a pint of Bones’s blood fell from his trembling hand. Bones gripped him by the shoulders until the glaze faded from Tate’s eyes, he stopped shaking, and he breathed without sounding like he was choking.

“Let go of me,” Tate snarled as soon as he could talk.

Bones released him. Tate inhaled several deep breaths, and his widened gaze met mine.

“Jesus, Cat. This isn’t like before at the cave. What the hell is in that asshole’s blood?”

I didn’t respond to the insult but only to the question. “Power. The blood you had before was from a weaker, shriveling vampire, so it doesn’t compare. Are you okay now?”

“Everything is so loud, and so clear.” He shook himself like a dog flinging off water. “And the smell! Goddamn, Juan, you stink! Didn’t you shower today?”

“Fuck off,” Juan growled, looking sheepish. “I showered, but I ran out of soap. Didn’t know we were getting sniff tested.”

I knew to suddenly have a vampire’s sense of smell was an incredible thing. It was like being born blind and then later recovering your sight. You couldn’t believe how much you’d missed.

“All right, Juan, you’re next.”

After all three men had been given blood, we proceeded to the training room. It went well, though I’m sure my guys had other views over their treatment at Bones’s hands. Don was nervous, but he visibly relaxed when Bones revived Tate after their bout and sent him on his way with constructive criticism and even praise. Tate took his place by my side and made one statement about the experience.

“Bastard hits harder than a fucking freight train.”

I just smiled. “I know.”

“You’ve schooled them brilliantly, Kitten.”

Cooper had just been perked up with a blood chaser, and Bones glided over to me.

“They are without a doubt the toughest humans I’ve come across,” he said to Don next. “With the additional strength of blood, they’ll be equal to a young vampire.”

Bones kissed me on the forehead as he spoke. That single touch, combined with the past couple of hours of watching his shirtless predatory ballet, made me react in a purely instinctual manner. My loins clenched, greedily demanding attention.

Uh oh. I had to get out of here. Fast. Before the boys picked up on the fragrance of my lust.

“I’m off to clean up; I’m sweaty. I’ll, ah, see you all later,” I said, and practically ran out of the room in my