Destined for an Early Grave

me up, but I brushed him off.

“Don’t bother, thanks. I’ll do it myself.”

A quick bend of the knees and flash of concentration, and I cleared the twenty-foot space. With my increasing ability to jump, at least I was becoming more like my feline namesake. If I shed my pulse, I could do a hell of a lot more than jump high.

Bones was waiting by the cemetery gates. When he smiled, leaning into the bars as the lock opened, I suddenly didn’t care about anything but the shape of his mouth. That smooth curve, lips palest pink. The strong jaw and deeply etched cheekbones. Dark brown eyes taking in the surroundings. His hands clasped over mine when the gate opened, vibrating with no less power than Marie’s, but they didn’t leave me feeling numb. I felt safe.

“We might have to take some beignets to go,” I began.

He squeezed my hands. “Don’t fret, I suspected the two of you wouldn’t get on. We’re packed. Liza’s waiting with the car.”

Traffic whizzed by in a blur of red and white lights as we approached the Quarter. This was a city that woke up instead of sleeping after midnight. Jacques stayed behind, apparently not interested in following us back to Bones’s house.

“What was the last thing Marie said to you?” Bones asked, before I could even question him about it.

“Go in peace.’ Does this have a hidden meaning?”

Bones stopped as we were midway in crossing a street. A horn blared at us. He gave the driver a fingered expression of his opinion, then tugged me to the other side.

“You’re sure she said that?”

“I’m not deaf.” Was it very bad?

His smile turned into a full-throated laugh.

“Exactly what did you say to her, luv? I’ve known Marie a hundred years, and all I got was a ‘Be guarded on your journey,’ which is a nice way of saying, ‘Watch your arse, mate!’ ‘Go in peace’ means she’s backing you. You were only down there thirty minutes. What on earth were you talking about?”

Relief washed over me. “Movies. Drinks. Headless chickens. You know, girl stuff.”

Up went his brows. “Indeed?”

We rounded the corner. Four more blocks until his house.

“Good thing for us, she’s a Matrix fan…”

My voice trailed off and I froze in midstride. Bones stopped as well, glancing at me in concern before he became absolutely rigid. He must have felt him, even though I’d barely glimpsed the man three blocks ahead. I wouldn’t know him if I hit him with my car…

But I did know Gregor. At a glance. And I wasn’t dreaming.

EIGHT

GREGOR’S EYES SEEMED TO BURN INTO MINE. Even though I couldn’t see their color from this far away, I knew they’d be grayish-green. His golden hair had darker strands in it, giving it an ash-blond color. It was as if Gregor had been too bright and someone had sprinkled him to tone him down.

“Hopscotch, Band-Aid. To me, at once.”

Bones didn’t raise his voice, so the two vampires must not have been far. They came out from the crowd, taking up position, one on either side of us. Bones jerked his head toward that immobile figure and muttered a low curse.

“He’s almost right outside my home, filthy sod. Did he think he’d bloody ring the door for you?”

His hand tightened on mine. I gave a small yelp. Bones loosened his grip, but not by much. Even with the distance, I saw Gregor’s eyes narrow, flash green, then he started walking toward us.

Bones let go of me. He rolled his head around on his shoulders and cracked his knuckles while advancing with deadly purpose. I would have followed, but Hopscotch and Band-Aid grabbed me.

“Bones!”

He ignored me and kept moving. So did Gregor. It was clear neither one had talking on his mind. I was seized with a sick fear even as I struggled with the two men holding me. They’d gotten a good grip when I wasn’t paying attention.

When Bones and Gregor were less than twenty feet from each other, Jacques stepped between them, holding out his arms.

“Both of you, go no farther.”

They ignored him. Jacques probably would have been shoved to the side, but then another voice cracked through the air.

“You shall not fight in my city!”

Bones stopped. Gregor slowed, pausing within touching distance of Jacques’s still-spread arms.

Marie didn’t walk up so much as glide. Bones gave her what could only be described as a frustrated look.

“For Christ’s sake, Majestic, if you didn’t want us to fight, then why did you tell him we were here?”

While they were focused on the drama, I managed to throw an elbow into Band-Aid’s eye before slipping under Hopscotch’s loosened hold.

“Don’t do that again,” I warned them as I dashed away.

“I didn’t tell him,” Marie replied. “Nor did any of my people.”

A flicker of arrogance passed over Gregor’s face. In person, he was even more imposing than in my dreams. There was something about him I found unnerving, even though he stared at me without hostility. If anything, there was a longing in his expression that made me stop where I was. Little pinpricks of pain began going off in my brain.

…I’m from a farm as well. In the south of France, but there were no cherries to be found there…

My hands flew to my temples. Gregor’s nostrils flared. He took in a long, provoking, audible breath.

“Catherine.”

“Take your eyes off my wife.”

Bones growled it with barely restrained fury. The power seething off him struck me even several feet away. Gregor let out an equally venomous snarl and took a single step forward.

“That’s my wife I’m looking at.”

When Gregor uncurled his power like a peacock displaying its magnificent feathers, I sucked in a gasp.

Gregor had felt strong in my dreams, but that must have been the watered-down version. With the energy spilling from him in ever-increasing waves, he could have fueled the French Quarter’s electricity needs. Oh, shit. He’s at least as strong as Bones, if not stronger…

Brakes screeched close by, but neither man took his eyes off the other. I looked, and saw Liza roll down the window of a van. Her eyes bugged, and she made a hasty gesture with her hand.

“Please, Cat, get in.”

“Not without Bones.”

I said it to Gregor as well as her. It didn’t matter that the memory of Gregor’s voice had sliced through my subconscious like a knife. Didn’t matter that for a split second, as his gaze bored into mine, I’d felt a flicker of yearning. Awake, or asleep, I belonged to Bones, no one else.

“You see? She’s made her choice.”

Bones said it with luxuriant hatred in every syllable. Even with his back to me, I could just imagine his taunting half smile. Judging from Gregor’s livid expression, I was right.

“Despicable whoreson, her choice has been erased by Mencheres. He dragged her screaming from me only an hour after our binding!”

“I don’t give a rot if Mencheres yanked her off your throbbing, rigid cock,” Bones snarled. “Go dream a little dream, you sod!”

Marie wasn’t going to be able to keep them from brawling much longer. Lethal danger to Bones aside, there were also way too many bystanders. People would get hurt or killed if the two of them went at it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fabian streak into the van.

“Bones.” I made my voice calm. Don’t startle the rabid beast. “If he knows we’re here, others do, too. We need to leave.”

“You’re only in danger because of his blind arrogance,” Gregor said. “Come to me, Catherine. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Insolent bastard,” Bones spat. “I reckon nothing’s beneath a man who’d try to steal another man’s wife before they even met.”

“Bones, leave.” Although Marie didn’t raise her voice, her tone was dangerous. “Gregor, you will stay here until the following dawn. You came to my city without invitation to provoke violence. No matter our history, you know better.”

“Marie—”

“You’re in my Quarter.” She cut Gregor off. “You of all people know better.”

Gregor flexed his hands. For a second, I thought he might hit Marie. Don’t do it, buddy. She’ll be burying you under her porch in no time!

“As you insist,” Gregor said tightly.

Bones inclined his head without turning around. “Get in the van, Kitten. Hopscotch, Band-Aid, you, too. Majestic, I hope more of Gregor’s ignorant ramblings won’t sway your judgment in the future.”

I climbed inside the vehicle, avoiding that smoky green gaze.

“And farewell to you, Dreamsnatcher,” Bones went on as he got into the van. “I hope you enjoyed tonight, because it’s the last you’ll see of her.”

“Catherine.” Even without looking at Gregor, I felt his stare. “Your memories lie in my blood. They’re waiting for you, ma bien-aimee, and I will keep my oath—”

The door slamming cut off the rest of Gregor’s statement. So did Liza’s peeling out of the narrow street like a drunken Tony Stewart. I closed my eyes so I