One Foot in the Grave

in a style that would have made even Jennifer Lopez pause. Double-sided tape held the two black strips of material to my breasts in vertical swaths. The bottom was attached, cut high on the legs front and back, and the only thing that saved the outfit from being obscene were the translucent bits of fabric that ranged from hip to mid-thigh length and swayed when I moved.

One thing was for sure-this dress sure as hell didn’t lack for fluidity. There wasn’t enough of it to hinder movement.

Once I had my makeup on, the new cell phone from the box rang as if on cue. An unfamiliar voice was on the other end.

“Reaper, meet us at the overpass of Forty-fifth and Wilkes. You’d better be alone. By now you should know that we have four of your people, and we don’t need all of them.”

How charming. Not even a hello. “I’ll play ball, but if you kill any of them, you’re next.”

I was already on my way to the parking lot, those new keys in my hand. They went to the blue Explorer parked near the entrance. I fastened my seat belt as I drove off, since going through the windshield wasn’t in my plans tonight. At least not that I knew of.

Two cars waited for me at the designated area with four vampires in each of them.

“Let’s get this show on the road, boys,” I greeted them.

Sixteen pairs of eyes roamed me from head to high-heeled feet. Helpfully I spun in a circle and stretched out my arms.

“You can check me for weapons, but what you see is what you get. Now, if you’re finished gaping, I have a date with whoever your boss is.”

“Hello there, darling,” a voice behind me said, with a pronounced English accent.

I spun around to see a tall vampire with long, spiky black hair lounging by the guardrail. He hadn’t been there a moment ago. His aura announced him as the most powerful of the group, a Master vampire, and it wasn’t the first time I’d met him.

“Where I come from, it’s polite to introduce yourself first before calling someone a sexist demeaning nickname, or maybe you weren’t brought up with manners?”

He smiled and straightened from his easy slouch to sweep me a bow that was still the courtliest I’d ever seen.

“Of course. How rude of me. My name is Spade.”

I controlled my expression to show nothing, but inwardly I grinned. This was Bones’s best friend. Years ago when we met, I’d automatically assumed he was a bad guy and tried to smash his head in with large stones. After Bones arrived and cleared up his identity, Spade had brushed himself off-and then roundly criticized me for my method of introduction.

“Spade. Nice name. Were you forced to pick from a comic book or something?”

I knew why he’d chosen the name, of course. Spade had been a South Wales prisoner along with Bones. The overseer used to call the former Baron Charles DeMor-timer by his assigned tool, a spade. He’d kept the name so he wouldn’t forget his former helplessness.

His mouth twitched before he stilled it. “I’ll ponder my choice later, angel. If you would step this way? I’m going to search you for weapons.”

The other eight formed a protective circle around us as Spade ran his hands leisurely and thoroughly over me. When he was finished, he wore a slight grin.

“Now it’s a pleasure meeting you.” He inclined his head toward one of the cars. “After you.”

We drove to a deserted road where a helicopter waited. There was no more conversation. I drummed my fingernails on my leg as we took off. The other vampires kept staring at me, but I ignored them. For his part, Spade was silent, but every so often, he’d cast a sideways smirk at me.

We landed just over two hours later. I didn’t have a watch, but guessed the time around eleven-thirty. Soon, then. Very soon. I said a silent prayer that no one but my father would get killed tonight, and then I got out to start the party.

Ian certainly liked to entertain in style. This house was even grander than his last one, a virtual mansion. Gardens formed eerie shapes in the moonlight, and torches were decoratively displayed for maximum effect. Sculptures frozen in permanent pose either welcomed or warned, and some of them were downright barbaric. Idly, I wondered if the ancient-looking Greek ones were authentic as we crossed underneath a marble trellis. Knowing Ian’s penchant for rare and valuable things, they probably were.

The collective force of supernatural power that hit me when the doors opened made me pause. It was like walking into liquid electrocution with all the inhuman currents buzzing around. Good God, what kind of creatures were in here? A twinge of apprehension shot through me. This was the big leagues and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to go pro, but it was too late to turn back now.

There was a gauntlet of vampires and ghouls lining the hall we strode through. The weight of their stares was heavy, but I looked straight ahead and forced my legs not to tremble. Never show fear. That would be the same as ringing a dinner bell.

A set of impressively carved, giant double doors were pulled open by two attending vampires. Spade motioned for me to go inside. I squared my shoulders and straightened my spine, gliding into the dangerous unknown as casually as if I were Cinderella to the ball.

Thunderdome, was my first thought. Gothic, luxurious Thunderdome. An amphitheater of sumptuous chairs, couches, and pedestals circled an open bare center that could have been an arena. The room was set up stadium style, with each level overlooking the ominous square platform. Since my path took me in a straight line to center stage, that’s where I went.

Murmurs broke out at the sight of me, so many it was hard to translate. Apparently I was the main attraction tonight. How flattering. With sheer willpower I refused to search the dozens and dozens of faces for the one I loved. Bones was here. Even in the maelstrom of whirling energies, I could feel him. Hell, I could smell him after downing all that blood last night.

Ian was seated front and center like royalty. The lowest balcony was one level up from the platform, so I tilted my head toward him and feigned surprise.

“So you’re the one who’s behind all this? Serves me right for not twisting that knife before. Come on down and I’ll fix my oversight.”

Ian had dressed up as well, wearing a vintage flowing shirt with ruffles of antique silk. I guessed it was late seventeen hundreds, from the style. Its pearly color nearly matched his skin, and his chestnut hair was tastefully arranged. Turquoise eyes gleamed at me with anticipation.

“Your prissy pants suit didn’t begin to do you justice, Catherine. You are simply dazzling.”

“Once and for all, and it’s good that so many people will hear this so I don’t have to repeat it-my name is Cat.” Since they’d all seen me, concealing my work name hardly seemed important. “Now, I dragged my ass up here for a reason, and it wasn’t to hear that you liked my dress. Where are my men? And what do you want? It must be a real doozy for you to track me down and blackmail me.”

Ian had a superior grin when he answered, comfortable in his presumed control. “You can thank your old friend for helping me find you, Cat. I have a feeling you’ll remember him. Crispin, say hello to your former protegee.”

“Hallo, luv. Long time no taste,” a voice drifted down to me.

I hid a grin and turned in his direction.

Bones cleaned up better than Ian, in my prejudiced opinion, and I couldn’t help the tug of a smile when I saw his hair. Sometime since I’d last seen him, he’d colored it the same shining platinum it had been when we first met. It was newly cut as well, hugging his head in closely cropped curls. His shirt was a full-bodied crimson, contemporary by contrast with Ian’s, and his skin glowed like cream-covered diamonds against the vivid fabric. It was time for me to look away. Fast. Before I drooled.

“Bones, what an unexpected revulsion,” I said cleanly. “Jeez, you’re not dead yet? I’d hoped to see the last of you years ago. Still having that premature ejaculation problem?”

Ian guffawed in amusement. So did the rest of his section. They were segregated by lineage, with the youngest members higher up in the nosebleed seats. Bones sat symbolically on the lower edge of Ian’s group, and a snort of