The Deadliest Bite

Raoul laughed. “Do you want to know how her friend Cole describes her?” Aaron dropped his head to one side, which was al the encouragement my Spirit Guide needed.

He said, “Cole says she may be a skinny white chick, but she’l kick your ass so fast you’l wonder why your butt cheeks are dented.”

I hid a smirk and reminded myself to cal my buddy, and former recruit, as soon as I had a free minute. Our last mission had been a bitch to him and he wasn’t adapting wel to the downtime. In fact, this situation would probably cheer him up immensely. Give him something to take his mind off the fact that he’d nearly become a demon in Marrakech, and part of him had liked it. I sent a mental message to Teen Me to try to remember where I’d left my phone in al the chaos, while I went on with the task at hand. Which was to get as much information as I could out of the prisoner while Vayl was stil pissed at him. Because as soon as he found out they’d once been as close as two men ever managed to get, that’d be the end of it.

I said, “Raoul here says your first name is Aaron. What’s your last name?” I asked.

“How does he know that?” Aaron demanded.

“It’s his job. Now. You got a last name?”

I watched him consider stubbornness. And then realize it didn’t real y matter. We had him cold.

He said, “Sul ivan.”

I sat forward just enough to cause Jack to readjust his head where it lay on my lap. He moved it to my knees, blinking his eyes from me to Aaron and back again like he truly understood our conversation. “They sent you in blind, didn’t they? I’d almost guess someone wanted you dead, except you nearly succeeded in kil ing Vayl, so I have to believe whoever hired you real y wanted him out of the picture. Would you like to fork over any names before your lips get too puffy for me to understand you perfectly and you have to keep repeating yourself?” Raoul said, “Jaz. Do we have to threaten him with violence already? He hasn’t even stopped cooperating.”

I glared at my Spirit Guide. “I’m itching for an excuse to punch this little creep. Would you stop being so damn nice?”

I turned to Aaron, waiting for his answer. But apparently Raoul’s soft heart had made his decision for him. He sealed his lips shut, shook his head, and went back to cleaning.

I said, “You should know it’s not just me and Vayl you have to worry about. After we’re done with you I’l be cal ing a very select group of government agents who, after hearing you’ve nearly smoked one of the most valuable public servants this country has ever known, wil be only too happy to make sure you disappear forever. But not before you learn how to scream like a little girl. That is, unless you cooperate. You got me?”

Aaron didn’t bother to look up as he said, “I have nothing to tel you besides the fact that I tried to kil a filthy vampire and I failed. Now I’m going to get my blood sucked dry. In fact, by morning I’l probably be one of those leeches with legs myself.” He shook his head, spat with disgust, then wiped it up with a rag I’d be burning shortly.

Rip out his hair and feed it to him, Jaz! It was my Inner Bimbo, teetering on her bar stool because she was balancing a cigarette between two fingers and a rum and Coke in the same hand, and rummaging through her big, black bag with the other hand. I had to chime in, even if it was only in my mind.

Why do you care? He’s so not your type I’m surprised you’re actually able to see him. So far the only upside to his personality I’ve found is that he’s discovered the single kernel of bravery inside his core and he’s hanging on to it for dear life—what the hell are you doing?

After what just happened with Vayl, you have to ask why that piece of shit deserves battery clips and a strong current? As for what I’m doing, I thought I had a book on self- defense in here, you know, just in case one of my lovers gets a little too frisky. When I find it I’m going to read you all kinds of suggestions for how to deepen his dimples. She paused to imitate a bel ows, sucking in and blowing out enough cigarette smoke to give the entire bar the feel of a foggy Hal oween night.

Remember, I’m the one who knows best how to make you lose control.

Pull in the claws, Sheba. This one gets to live. Although if I decide to slap him around a little you can be my cheerleader.

Stellar! I even have the outfit!

Why am I not surprised?

I’d been silent enough to make Aaron-boy nervous. Stil concentrating on his cleaning he asked,

“What’re you going to do with me?”

Fuck if I know. So I answered his question with a question. “How many vampires have you met?”

“Including yours?”

“Yeah.”

“None. I wouldn’t say we’d been properly introduced, would you?” I stood up and, surprisingly, Raoul didn’t hold me back. He didn’t even protest when I grabbed Aaron’s .38 Special out of his waistband and shoved it against the little prick’s skul . “I’ve had enough of your attitude. Normal y I enjoy smartasses. But not when they’ve just tried to murder the man I love.”

“He’s not a man. He’s a parasite!”

I pushed down on the barrel hard enough to leave a nice round imprint if I ever decided to back off, and Aaron figured out it was my turn to talk. “That vampire has been working for the United States government for eighty years. He’s saved our country from decimation more times than I care to recount. In fact, dumbass, you just nearly destroyed a national treasure.” He looked up at me then, his cheeks jiggling slightly with the nerve it took to meet my eyes. I found myself respecting him slightly more as he managed a firm, “No.”