The Deadliest Bite

His eyes went back to his would-be assassin. “It is more than any other Sister of the Second Sight has given me in al these decades.” He switched to a different language—Romanian, if I had my dialects right—speaking almost urgently as he pressed his hands into Aaron’s shoulders.

“I don’t know what you’re saying.” Aaron looked to me desperately. “I don’t know! But I swear, my dad is—was—Aaron Sul ivan, Sr. He worked for the power company until he died. And if I don’t kil this vampire”—he lifted his forearm so he could point at Vayl while he talked—“he’s never going to stop haunting me and I’m never going to pass the bar and I’m going to spend the rest of my life clerking for Schmidt, Glesser, and Roflower at a desk the size of a DVD player!”

“Look, kid.” I checked myself. I couldn’t be more than a year or two older than the guy. Even if I’d already survived more than his grandma, maybe I should avoid talking like her. I tried again: “Your ghost infestation is not our problem. Go bag yourself another vamp before we shred you like last year’s bil s.”

“Jasmine.” I turned my whole body toward Vayl as warning bel s clanged so loud in my head that for a second I felt like I’d been transported into a church steeple.

“What?”

Vayl patted Aaron on the arm and said, “Excuse us.” He came over to me. “May I speak with you at the end of the hal for a moment?”

“Sure.” I walked up to Aaron and began to frisk him.

“Jasmine,” Vayl protested. “You have done a remarkable job. Now that we al know he is my son I am sure that is not necessary. Especial y with Raoul right here—” I held up the vial I’d just retrieved from the inside of his calf. “Holy water, no doubt.” I stood.

Folded my right arm around Aaron’s neck, forcing him to stoop to my level. He gasped, al the blood rushing to his face, his eyes bulging in shock as he realized a girl half his size had taken complete physical control of him and he hadn’t even thought to resist.

I said, “Look at us closely, Vayl. One of us just inspired you to ram into the wal so hard the chandelier dropped half of its diamondy doodads on the floor. The other shot you in the head. You’d better make sure, right now, that you’re clear whose side you’re on.” The sides of his lips drooped. “This is not about loyalty.”

“It sure as shit is. Don’t you dare make the same mistakes you made with Badu three hundred years ago. This little fucker—” I looked at Aaron as I spoke, noted his size, and said, “Okay, this big fucker just tried to kill you. He may be the walking incarnation of your murdered boy, but that doesn’t change the facts. And you have to face those facts. Al of them. Now! ” Vayl’s chin dropped a centimeter. Not an agreement. Just an acknowledgment that he’d think about it as he motioned to the end of the hal . I threw the holy water to Raoul and watched resentful y as Vayl moved away, the muscles bunching and releasing in his perfect ass. An hour ago I’d had my hands wrapped around that work of art, and my brain had been so deeply steeped in ecstasy it was practical y rose- colored. Now I wanted to take that same rear and pinch it until the annoyance forced him to realize he couldn’t just instantly forgive the guy who’d tried to kil him, never mind who he’d been two hundred and some years ago.

I took a deep breath. Vayl wasn’t the only one who had to work to contain his violent tendencies. I slipped my feet into a spare pair of shoes I’d left beside the front door yesterday and fol owed him to the end of the hal . We crunched through the glass of the cabinet he barely glanced at and ended up facing each other in front of his grandfather clock between two doorways, one leading left to the dining room, the opposite opening to the guest bathroom.

He said, “I have not lost my mind.”

I realized I’d crossed my arms when I dropped them in disbelief. “Oh?”

“Aaron needs to think that I trust him implicitly.”

“Why?”

“So that he wil believe just as deeply that you do not.”

His dimple made another appearance and I clasped my hands behind my back so I wouldn’t be tempted to grab him. I turned my back so Junior wouldn’t be able to read my lips as I whispered,

“Are you suggesting we pul a little good cop, bad cop scenario on him? And you’re even letting me be the bad cop?”

He bowed his head. “That, my pretera, is how much I love you.”

“You have never been sexier than at this very moment.”

“It is a shame we have so much company,” he agreed quietly.

I cleared my throat. “Okay. So you’re not buying the I’m-being-haunted story either?”

“Certainly not. Those issues are easily taken care of through mediums. The boy has been weaponized. And until we discover by whom, we cannot help ourselves, or him.” I lifted my chin. “So you stil wanna help him?”

“Jasmine, I cannot discount the fact that he may be my son. But my hopes have been lifted too many times for me to embrace him completely until I know for certain. Stil , I cannot let him flounder knowing the chance exists.”

I nodded. “Okay.” I rubbed my hands together. “Damn, I wish I had a doughnut to throw at him.” Vayl smirked. “You enjoy our games, yes?”

I smiled up at him. “You bet I do.”

“Then let us finish this one quickly, because I have just thought of another. And it is definitely limited to two players.”

I let him see the fire in my eyes before I pul ed myself together. When I turned around I’d adopted the expression I’d seen almost every morning at the breakfast table during my childhood. Pissedoff mom is only a half step away from bad cop. As soon as I started talking, I’d be there. A little tidbit for you future operatives. Write it down.

CHAPTER THREE

Wednesday, June 13, 1:45 a.m.