One Foot in the Grave

Max gave a glance around at all of Bones’s people, who were watching him with threat as well.

“No, I have nothing else to say about that,” he replied in a tone that said he’d have plenty to say under other circumstances. “But I do have something to say about her mother.” He fixed his eyes back to me. “You’ve been misinformed. I fucked her, oh yes. But I didn’t rape her.”

Bones tightened his grip on me, sensing I was about to explode. Ian saw it as well.

“You gave up your chance, Cat, and it works both ways. Max is mine and under my protection. If you lay a hand on him, it’s an act of war.”

I got ahold of myself. Another time, another place. Not here where it would turn into a bloodbath between Bones and Ian’s people.

“You’ve probably raped so many women that you don’t even remember who she was,” I settled on evenly.

Max smiled. “You never forget your first, and she was my first after I’d been changed. She was a beautiful brunette with big blue eyes and nice round tits. So young and eager. So fresh. I had such a great time fucking her in the backseat of that car, and the only time she objected was after I was done. She opened her eyes, saw mine glowing green, saw my fangs…and started to scream her head off. Started to cry, too. Just bawled hysterically and said I was a hell spawn or something like that. It was funny. So funny I didn’t bother to deny it. I told her she was right, that I was a demon. That all vampires were demons, and she’d just let herself be fucked by one. Then I drank her blood until she quit screeching and passed out, and that, little girl, is what really happened between your mother and me.”

“Liar,” I spat.

His smile turned cruelly knowing. “Ask her.”

Max was obviously capable of lying. Anyone who could conspire to murder his own daughter wouldn’t be above lying his ass off if he wanted to, but somehow…somehow…I wasn’t sure if he was lying now. My mother had vehemently stated from as far back as I could remember that all vampires were demons. I’d thought it was just a general term of repugnance, but maybe there was more to it than that. If Max had told her he was a demon, that all vampires were, it would certainly explain her mixed feelings toward me as well as her outright refusal to consider vampires as anything but evil.

“You remember her mum that distinctly, do you?” Bones asked in a conversational tone while I wrestled with this.

Max didn’t lose that hateful smirk. “Isn’t that what I just said?”

“What was her name?” Again, blandly.

“Justina Crawfield!” Max snapped. “Going to ask me what color panties she wore next?”

Bones suddenly smiled, but it was far from pleasant. “When Ian figured out you were her father, I also wager he mentioned that she very much wanted you dead. Scared the stones off you, didn’t it? Finding out someone strong enough to get the drop on him was coming after you. You remembered her mum-clearly, as you’ve proven- and it would have been simplicity itself to look up the name of the child she’d given birth to all those years ago. You gave that information to a hit man named Lazarus, didn’t you? Had him murder that couple in her old house to draw her out, yet even when she walked into his trap, he didn’t succeed in killing her. You must have been really scared then, so you decided to go after her through the one source you had. Your brother. You knew he’d sent her after Ian, who else would have, and so you dug around until you found a mole in his operation. One who could give another hit man her location and more importantly, her weaknesses. Good plan, mate, but I’m here to inform you that your little rodent and his accomplice have been exterminated.”

“You prick!” I gasped, seeing it all fall into place.

“What’s this?” Ian asked suspiciously.

“Max found her long before I did, but he kept that to himself. He’s been going behind your back for months, Ian, trying to murder her to protect his own miserable arse. Not very loyal of him, is it?”

“I don’t know what he’s talking about!” Max insisted.

I stared at the man who was my father and knew that now, unequivocally, he was lying. Ian wore a look on his face that said he knew it, too.

“You have any proof of this, Crispin?”

No one was fooled by his cool demeanor. Ian’s eyes had gone flat green.

Bones nodded. “I have copies of bank records and transactions from the most recent attempt. Stupid sod used a personal account to pay the informant at her uncle’s operation, and I reckon if you look, you’ll find that account can be traced to Max. You’ll also no doubt find another large transfer of funds in April, when the people living in her old house were murdered.”

Ian whitened around the lips. I grinned maliciously at Max.

“Uh oh. Looks like someone’s in trouble.”

Granted, it wasn’t his head on a stake, but from Ian’s expression, Max might soon be wishing I’d chosen to kill him earlier instead.

Ian gave Bones a last, long look, and then he turned away, gesturing curtly for Max to follow him.

“Hey Max,” I called out as he stalked after Ian. “Watch your back. You never know when someone might stick a knife in it.”

I saw his shoulders tense, but he didn’t turn around. He went right through those big double doors and then was gone. I’ll see you again, I promised him silently. I know who you are now, and you can run, but you can’t hide.

Perhaps my greatest shock was when the other vampires began to disperse as well, without even so much as a muttered threat among them. Guess they were taking Bones’s warning seriously that anyone starting trouble with me would get a piece of him and his people, too.

Spade made his way down to the arena to give Bones an affectionate slap on the back.

“Bloody hell, mate. You a married man? Now I’ve seen it all.”

The tension visibly drained from him as he smiled at his friend. “Charles,” he said, calling him by his human name. “I believe we’re in need of a lift.”

We hitched a ride with Spade, who drove us to the airstrip where the same helicopter that had brought me here would now take all of us back to the warehouse. Once we got there, Bones let Ian’s six men loose and told them they were free to go. They looked stunned to be released so easily, but didn’t question it, and melted away into the night. Then there was one more stop to let Spade off before we reached the compound. By that time I was tired, physically and emotionally, but there were still things to do.

When we arrived, the five of us went straight to Don’s office. My uncle’s forehead creased in what might have been embarrassment, and he quickly ceased his examination of my attire. Oh yeah. I’d forgotten I was barely dressed.

“Uh, Cat, would you like a lab coat or…something?”

Bones took off his jacket. “Here, luv, put this on before your uncle turns red. Best do that anyway, since I’m about to flog Juan for trying to memorize every curve of your arse.”

I took the proffered coat and glared at Juan pointedly. He smiled, unrepentant as always.

“What did you expect? You shouldn’t have let her walk in front of me, amigo, if you didn’t want me looking.”

“You’re all here, so obviously the operation was a success.” It was straight to business as always for Don. “Cat, you gave instructions to have Noah Rose transferred directly to a hospital? And to have his car wrecked and police reports of a hit-and-run accident filed?”

“That’s right. Bones just might put your brainwashers out of a job, Don. Noah has no idea what he saw tonight. All he’ll remember is that he was in a car wreck and he has to call his insurance company in the morning. You don’t have to worry about him.”

“You know, that brings up a very good point.” Tate gave Bones a hostile glance. “How do we know he hasn’t been fucking with our minds this whole time? Your decision to make him part of this team could have been planted, Don!”

Bones answered the accusation for him. “He knows it wasn’t. For one, this office is being recorded by a battery-powered camera stuck up in the ceiling. I can hear it, old chap,” he supplied at Don’s flabbergasted expression. “Of course, I could have just made you think you watched what occurred when you hadn’t, but you went on alert as soon as you heard your niece was shagging a vampire. You’ve been tipping the bottle, as it were.