[English] HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE

Halfway to the Grave
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As the hour dragged on, it became apparent that the bartender wasn't alone in his admiration of my new look. After refusing offer after offer of drinks or dancing, I had passed the flattered stage and gone into the irritated one. My God, I must look easy. No less than a baker's dozen had made a go at me.

The vampire came through the door with the gliding stealth only the undead could manifest. Judging from his height and black hair, it had to be Sergio. Even though he wasn't well muscled or overly handsome, his grace and aura of confidence had more than a few feminine eyes following him as he made his way through the throngs of people. In a nonchalant manner, I sipped my drink and stretched my legs, crossing them while rubbing one calf against the other. The bar I was at was elevated and in direct sight of the entrance, so he had a good view of me over the heads of the other patrons. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him pause, stare, and change direction. Headed now straight toward me.

The seat next to me was occupied by an older man staring fixedly down my dress, but the vampire never hesitated. With a flick of his hand, Sergio dislodged him from his chair. "Go," he commanded.

The other man walked away with his eyes glazed over. Mind control. Bones had warned me about that.

"Thank you," I remarked. "If he'd have drooled any more, the bartender would've had to mop the floor."

"Who can blame him?" The smooth accented voice flowed over my ears. "I can't take my eyes off you, either."

I smiled and took a deep sip of my drink, letting the liquid roll around inside my mouth before swallowing. He didn't miss a motion of it.

"I seem to have finished my drink."

I looked at him expectantly. He gestured to the bartender and a fresh one was poured.

"What's your name, my young beauty?"

"Cat," I replied, this time letting my tongue linger on the edge of my glass before swallowing another long draught.

"Cat. What a coincidence. I love pussies."

The double-entendre was so bald, I was glad Bones had put me through that dirty-talk test or I'd have blushed right then. Instead, I raised a brow in perfect imitation of his trademark.

"And you are, my pu**y-loving new friend?" Kudos to me, not a hint of a flush.

"Roberto. Cat, I must say, you look far too young to be gracing such a place."

I leaned forward conspiratorially, opening my dress to spectacular proportions. "Can you keep a secret? I'm not really twenty-one. Actually, I'm nineteen. My friend loaned me her ID, we look kind of alike. You won't tell, will you?"

From his expression, he was downright delighted. "But of course I will keep your secret, sweet one. Is your friend with you night?"

The question sounded innocent, but I knew what it meant. Will anyone miss you if you leave?

"No. She was supposed to meet me, but she hasn't shown up yet. Maybe she met someone, you know how it is. You just forget everything else around you."

He covered my hand with his and I almost gasped. Ten more points for Bones. Sergio's power nearly crawled up my arm. None of the other vampires but one had felt like this, and look where he'd gotten me.

"I know what you mean," he said, squeezing my hand.

I smiled seductively and squeezed back. "I think I do, too."

Less than thirty minutes later we were out the door. I made sure to drink multiple gin and tonics beforehand, so there was valid reason for me to be staggering in his eyes. Sergio kept up a steady stream of innuendo about pussies, cream, and licking that would have shocked me into bolting if it hadn't been for Bones. Damn him, but it was turning out he'd come in handy.

Sergio drove a Mercedes. Never having been in one before, I kept up a line of suggestive compliments about how I loved the interior. Especially the backseat. So roomy.

"This leather feels wonderful," I purred, rubbing my cheek against the cushion of the passenger seat. "That's why I wear the gloves and boots. Love the way it rubs against my skin."

The tops of my br**sts were straining against my push-up bra. Sergio grinned, showing a crooked front tooth he'd managed to conceal at the bar.

"Stop doing that, little pu**ycat, or I won't be able to drive. How about we go to my place instead of that club I told you about?"

Warning. "No," I breathed, getting an angry look in return. Clearly he didn't expect to be disagreed with, but there was no way we were doing that. Thinking fast, I caressed his arm. "I don't want to wait that long. Pull off somewhere. Kitty needs a tongue bath." Ick, my mind protested, but as incentive I rubbed my hands across my stomach and down to skim my outer thighs.

He bought it, hook, line, and sinker. Too well.

Sergio kept one hand on the steering wheel and reached over to run his other hand along my leg. It climbed higher up my thigh and toward his goal with relentless determination. As instructed, I wasn't wearing any underwear. The thought of his fingers touching me there sent a wave of revulsion through me. Quickly, I grabbed his hand and stuck it in my cle**age instead. Better there than the alternative.

"Not yet." Anxiety made me breathless. Hopefully he would think it was desire. "Pull off. Pull off now."

The sooner I had a stake in him, the better. His hand seemed happy where it was, but just in case, I unfastened my seat belt and climbed over the seat.

He gave me a surprised look. I wrapped my arms around him from behind, licking the side of his ear. Double ick. "I'm waiting, Roberto. Come and get me."

The car swerved to the shoulder of the road. Damn, we weren't even in the woods yet. I hoped someone wouldn't drive by while we were decapitating him. That would be hard to explain.

"I'm coming, pu**ycat," Sergio promised, and then his teeth clamped on my wrist.

"Mother****er!"

The word flew out of my mouth in a yelp as he bit me savagely.

"You like this, pu**ycat?" he snarled, sucking at the blood pouring from my forearm. "Slut. Whore."

Furious, I unsheathed my stake with my free hand and plunged it into his neck. "Didn't your mother tell you not to talk with your mouth full?"

A howl escaped him and he let go of me to grab the stake. I yanked my arm out of his mouth, tearing it more, and went for my other stake.

In a flash, he was in the backseat. Sergio loomed over me, but I kicked out hard and scored a direct hit to his groin. Another pain-filled bellow shook the car.

"Bitch! I'm going to rip out your throat and f**k your bleeding neck!"

Not wanting him to get anywhere near my neck, I brought my knees up as a barrier when he flung himself on me. With my boots so close, I managed to extract the other stake and then ram it in his back.

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Sergio flew out of the car, smashing through the doorframe as though it were paper. I charged after him, needing to retrieve one of my weapons. A blow knocked me sideways as soon as I cleared the door. I rolled to avoid the kick aimed at my head and sprang to my feet.

Sergio lunged at me again-and then was yanked backward by the vampire who seemed to materialize behind him. Bones held him roughly, one hand on the stake in his neck, the other gripping the one in his back.

"About time," I muttered.

"Hallo, Sergio!" Bones said cheerfully, giving a vicious jerk to the stake in Sergio's neck.

There were a few sickening gurgles before Sergio spoke. "Filthy bastard, how'd you find me?"

It amazed me he could talk at all with half his throat laid open. Bones tightened his hold on the stake in Sergio's back next, digging it deeper until it must have been grazing the other vampire's heart.

"I see you've met my friend. Isn't she just wonderful?"

Blood was running in rivulets down my arm. I ripped off one of my sleeves and wrapped it around the wound, which throbbed in accordance with my pulse. Even with that, I managed to get a grim satisfaction out of the look on Sergio's face when his eyes swung back to me.

"You. Set me up." Incredulity filled his voice.

"That's right, pu**ycat. Guess you won't be giving me that tongue bath after all." There was a piece of me that was startled by my coldness, and another that gloried in it.

"She is something, isn't she?" Bones went on. "Knew you couldn't pass up a pretty girl, you worthless sod. Isn't it fitting that now you're the one who's been lured into a trap? What, did you grow short on funds so you had to go out for dinner instead of order in?"

Sergio went still. "I don't know what you say."

From his expression, he did know. Well, I didn't have a clue.

"Of course you do. You're his best client, from what I hear. Now, I have just one question for you, and I know you're going to answer me honestly, because if not"-he gave another twist of the stake in Sergio's back-"I'm going to be really unhappy. Do you know what happens when I'm unhappy? My hand twitches."

"What? What? I tell you! I tell you!" His accent was thicker now, almost incoherently so.

Bones smiled a truly frightening smile. "Where's Hennessey?"

A petrified look came over Sergio's face. If it were possible, he blanched even paler than his vampire white.

"Hennessey will kill me. You don't cross him and live to brag about it! You don't know what he'll do if I talk. And you kill me anyway if I tell you."

"See, mate." Twist, turn, yank. "I promise I won't kill you if you tell me. That gives you a chance to run from Hennessey. But I swear to you, if you don't tell me where he is"-another thrust of the stake, and Sergio let out a high-pitched wail-"you'll die right here. Your call. Make it now."

He had no choice, it was clear on the doomed vampire's face. Defeated, his head slumped forward and a single sentence emerged from his bloody mouth.

"Chicago Heights, south side of town."

"Thanks ever so, mate." With a c**k of his eyebrow, Bones turned his attention to me. "This your stake, luv?"

He ripped the one out of Sergio's back and threw it at me. Catching it in midair, I met his eyes with perfect comprehension.

"You promised! You promised!"

Sergio whimpered as I advanced, my torn arm clutched to my chest. It was amazing how frightened he was at the thought of his own death when minutes ago he'd been delighted to hasten mine.

"I did. She didn't. Got something you want to say to him, Kitten?"

"No," I answered, and shoved the stake into Sergio's heart. My hand went into his chest with the momentum and I jerked back, shaking his thick dark blood off in disgust. "I'm done talking to him."

Chapter Seven

BONES WAS FAR MORE EXPE***IOUS IN disposing of a body than I'd been. He had Sergio wrapped in plastic and tucked inside the trunk within a few minutes, whistling to himself all the while. Meanwhile, I sat with my back against the car applying pressure to my wrist. He squatted down next to me after he'd closed the trunk with a bang.

"Let me see it," he said, reaching out to me.

"It's fine." Tension and pain made my voice sharp.

Bones ignored that and pried my fingers off the wound, undoing my makeshift bandage.

"Nasty bite, tore the flesh around the vein. You'll need blood for that."

He pulled a switchblade out of his pocket and started to press the tip against his palm.

"Don't. I said it's fine."

He just gave me an irritated glance and scored the blade along his palm. Blood welled up at once and he clamped it against my resisting forearm.

"Don't be irrational. How much did he take?"

My wrist actually tingled as his blood mingled with mine. The magic of healing, in real time. Somehow it seemed almost as intimate as when I had to lick blood off his fingers.

"About four good pulls, I guess. Stabbed him in the neck as fast as I could to get his mind off it. Where were you, anyway? I didn't see a car behind us."

"That was the idea. I drove my bike but kept back far enough so Sergio wouldn't know he was being followed. Bike's about a mile from here down the road." Bones nodded toward the nearby trees. "I ran that last part through the woods so there'd be less noise."

Our heads were only inches apart and his knees were pressed against mine. Uncomfortable, I tried to scoot back, but the car door left nowhere to go. "I think the car's ruined. The rear door is in scraps."

Indeed it was. Sergio had mangled it beyond belief. A wrecking ball would have done similar damage.

"Why did he go for your wrist, if you were both in the backseat? Couldn't get to your neck?"

"No." Inwardly I cursed at the memory. "He got frisky in the front seat and tried to feel me up, thanks to you and the no-panties idea. I wasn't about to let that happen, so I climbed into the back and put my arms around him from behind so he wouldn't get suspicious. Stupid of me, I know now, but I didn't even think of my wrists. Every other vampire had always gone for my neck."

"Yeah, including me, right? The car swerved off the road so fast, I thought you two were already sprawling inside. What made him pull off so erratically then?"

"I told him to come and get me." My voice was flippant, but the words hurt. He'd come and gotten me, all right. A question suddenly leapt to mind.

"Is he okay back there in the trunk?"

Bones chuckled. "You want to keep him company?"

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An evil glare accompanied my retort. "No, but is he really gone? I'd always cut off their heads to be sure."

"Critiquing my work? Yeah, he's really gone. Right now we need to get out of here before some nosy driver pops alongside and asks if we need help." Releasing my wrist, he examined the wound. The flesh was already closed together as if by invisible stitches. His hand no longer even bore a mark. "That'll hold you. We need to move this vehicle."

I stood up and again looked at the mangled car. Not only was the door hanging by a mere few scraps of metal, but there was a fair amount of blood in the front area from my wrist and Sergio's neck.

"How I am supposed to drive in this wreck? Any cop that sees this car is going to pull me over!"

He grinned that ****y smile of his. "Don't fret. Have it all worked out." From out of his jacket he pulled a cell phone.

"It's me, we're finished. Looks like I'm going to need that lift after all, mate. You'll like the ride, it's a Benz. Needs a little body work on the door, though. We're on Planter's Road, just south of the club. Step on it, right?" Without saying goodbye, he hung up and turned his attention back to me.

"Sit tight, Kitten. Our ride will be here in a minute. Don't worry, he's nearby. Told him I might have a use for him tonight. Course, he was probably figuring on it being a little later in the evening." He paused, giving me a knowing look. "You left with him right quick, didn't you? He must have been quite pleased with you."

"Yeah, real happy. Color me flattered. Seriously, Bones, even if you tow this car there's still too much blood in it. And you didn't listen to me about bringing cleaning materials. This thing could have been at least mopped up."

He moved closer to pull my arm out for another inspection. There was only a thin red line of healed skin now, but after satisfying himself with its con***ion, he still didn't let me go. Avoiding his gaze didn't prevent me from feeling its weight.

"Trust me, luv. I know you don't, but you should. You did a smashing job tonight, by the way. That stake in his back was just a thought away from his heart. It slowed him, as did the one in his neck. You would have had him even if I wasn't here. You're strong, Kitten. Be glad of it."

"Glad? That's not quite the word I'd use. Relieved? You could say that. Relieved I'm alive and there's one less murderer prowling around for na?ve girls. But glad? Glad would be if I never had this lineage. Glad would be if I had two normal parents and a bunch of friends, and the only thing I'd ever killed was time. Or if even once I had been to a club just to go dancing and have fun instead of ending up staking something that tried to kill me. That's glad. This is just...existing. Until the next time."

I pulled my hand away and moved off a few feet to put some distance between us. A wave of melancholy coursed through me at the things I had just mentioned that would never be mine. Sometimes it was frightening to feel old at twenty-two.

"Rot." The single word broke the silence.

"Excuse me?" How like a vampire, to have no sympathy.

"Rot, I said. You play the hand you're dealt just like everyone else in this bloody world. You have gifts people would kill for, no matter that you scorn them. You have a mum who loves you and a nice house to go home to. Sod your backwoods neighbors who look down their ignorant noses at you for your lack of a father. This world is a big place and you've got an important role to play in it. Think everyone goes around whistling about the life they lead? Think everyone is given the power to choose the way their fate goes? Sorry, luv, it doesn't work that way. You hold the ones you love close and fight the battles you can win, and that, Kitten, is how it is."

"What would you know about it?" Bitterness made me brave, and the words flung out of my mouth.

Surprisingly, he threw back his head and laughed before he seized my shoulders, moving closer until his mouth almost touched mine.

"You...haven't...the...slightest...inkling of what I've been through, so don't...tell...me...what I know."

There was thinly veiled menace in the way he deliberately spoke each syllable. My heart started to pound, and I knew he could hear it. His grip loosened until his fingers no longer dug into my skin, but his hands remained. God, he was close...so close. Unconsciously I licked my lips, and a jolt went through me as I saw his eyes follow the movement. The air fairly crackled between us, either from his natural vampire energy...or something else. Slowly his tongue snaked out and caressed his bottom lip. It was mesmerizing to watch.

A horn blaring made me jump nearly out of my skin. My heart caught in my throat as an eighteen-wheeler slowed down and parked just ahead of us. The noise of the axles releasing and brakes locking sounded deafening in the suddenly quiet night.

"Bones...!" Frightened of discovery, I was about to say more when he walked up to the vehicle and called out a greeting.

"Ted, you buggering bastard, good of you to arrive so quickly!"

It might have been me, but I thought I detected a note of insincerity in his voice. Me, I wanted to throw my arms around this Ted and thank him for interrupting what could have been a very dangerous moment.

A tall skinny man climbed down from the trailer and gave a grinning reply. "I'm missin' my shows because of you, buddy. Hope I didn't interrupt nothin' between you and that gal. Two of you looked awful cozy."

"No!" It escaped me with all the denial of a condemned soul. "Nothing going on here!"

Ted laughed and walked around to the damaged side of the car, poking his head inside and wrinkling his nose at the sight of the blood.

"Sure...I can see that."

Bones arched a brow at me in silent challenge, causing me to look away. Then he clapped his friend on the shoulders.

"Ted, old chap, the car is yours. Just need to get a piece out of the boot and then we're golden. Drive us to the place, we'll be done by then."

"Sure thing, bud. You'll like the back. It's air-con***ioned. Some boxes to sit on, or you could ride in the car. Come on, now. Let's put this baby to bed."

Ted opened the back of the trailer. It was equipped with stabilizing clamps to fasten a car onto. I shook my head in admiration. Bones really had thought of everything.

When Ted lowered the steel ramp on the back, Bones jumped into the Mercedes and drove it straight onto the clamps. After a few adjustments were made, the car was secure. Then Bones left to get his motorcycle, returning in a few minutes to put it in the trailer on its side. When he was finished, he grinned down at me.

"Come on, Kitten. Your taxi's waiting."

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"We're riding in back?" Frankly, the thought of being alone in a confined space with him frightened me, and not for concern of my arteries.

"Yeah, here. Old Ted doesn't want to risk being seen with me. Values his health, he does. Keeps our friendship a secret. Smart bloke."

"Smart," I muttered as I climbed into the trailer's interior. Ted closed the door with a decisive click and sound of a lock turning. "I envy that."

I refused to sit back in the car where my blood stained the seats and a body lay in the trunk. Instead, I was as far away from Bones as the tight interior of the truck's trailer could manage. There were crates toward the front, filled with God knows what, and I huddled into a ball on one of them. Bones perched contentedly on a similar box as if he hadn't a care in the world.

"I know this isn't a concern for you, but is there enough oxygen in here?"

"Plenty of air. Just as long as there isn't any heavy breathing." His brow arched as he spoke, while his eyes told me loud and clear that he hadn't overlooked an instant of our earlier moment.

"Well, then I'm safe. Absolutely safe." Damn him for the knowing twist of the lips he gave me in reply. What would I have done if he'd moved closer before? If he'd separated that last inch between our mouths? Would I have slapped him? Or...

"****." Oops, said that out loud.

"Something wrong?"

That half smile still curled his lips, but his expression was serious. My heart started to beat faster again. The air seemed to close in around us, and desperately I searched for something to break the tension.

"So who's this Hennessey you were asking about?"

His expression became guarded. "Someone dangerous."

"Yeah, I gathered that. Sergio seemed pretty scared of him, so I didn't think he was a Boy Scout. I take it he's our next target?"

Bones paused before answering, seeming to choose his words.

"He's someone I've been tracking, yes, but I'll be going after him alone."

My hackles rose at once. "Why? You don't think I can handle it? Or you still don't trust me to keep this secret? I thought we covered this already!"

"I think there are certain things you'd do well to stay out of," he replied, evasive.

I switched tactics. At least this topic cut the strange mood from earlier. "You said something about Sergio being Hennessey's best client. What do you mean by that? What did Hennessey do to whoever hired you? Do you know, or did you just take the contract on him without asking?"

Bones let out a soft noise. "Questions like that are why I won't tell you more about it. Suffice it to say there's a reason why Ohio's been such a hazardous place for young girls lately. It's why I don't want you chasing after vampires without me. Hennessey's more than just a sod who bleeds someone when he can get away with it. Beyond that, don't ask."

"Can you at least tell me how long you've been after him? That can't be top secret."

He caught the snippiness in my tone and frowned. I didn't mind. Better to be arguing with each other than, well, anything else.

"'Round eleven years."

I almost fell off my crate. "Good God! He must have a real fancy price on his head! Come on, what did he do? He pissed off someone rich, obviously."

Bones gave me a look I couldn't decipher. "Not everything is about money."

From his tone, I wasn't getting anything else out of him. Fine. If he wanted to play it that way, fine. I'd just try later.

"How did you become a vampire?" I asked next, surprising even myself with the question.

A brow arched.

"Want an interview with the vampire, luv? It didn't turn out too well for the reporter in the movie."

As I murmured, "I never saw it. My mother thought it was too violent," the humor of it made me laugh. Bones grinned as well, and cast a meaningful look toward the car.

"I can see that. Good thing you didn't watch it, then. Heaven knows what might have happened."

Laughter fading, it occurred to me that I really did want to know, so I looked at him pointedly until he let out an acquiescing noise.

"All right, I'll tell you, but then you'll have to answer one of my questions. Got an hour to burn anyhow."

"Is this quid pro quo, Dr. Lecter?" I scoffed. "Fine, but I hardly see the point. You already know everything about me."

A look of pure heat was shot my way and his voice lowered to a whisper. "Not everything."

Whoa. Back came that awkwardness in a flash. Clearing my suddenly dry throat, I fidgeted until I was scrunched up even smaller.

"When did it happen? When you were changed?" Please just talk. Please stop looking at me that way.

"Let's see, it was 1790 and I was in Australia. I did this bloke a favor and he thought he was returning it by making me a vampire."

"What?" I was shocked. "You're Australian? I thought you were English!"

He smiled, but with little amusement.

"I'm a bit of both, as it were. I was born in England. It's where I spent my youth, but it was in Australia that I was changed. That makes me part of it as well."

Now I was fascinated, my earlier consternation forgotten. "You have to go into more detail than that."

He settled back against the side of the trailer, legs casually splayed in front of him. "I was twenty-four. It happened just a month after my birthday."

"My God, we're almost the same age!" As soon they were out, I realized the absur***y of the words.

He snorted. "Sure. Give or take two hundred and seventeen years."

"Er, you know what I mean. You look older than twenty-four."

"Thanks ever so." He laughed at my obvious chagrin, but put me out of my misery. "Times were different. People aged far more rapidly. You bloody folks don't know how good you have it."

"Tell me more." He hesitated, and I blurted out, "Please."

Bones leaned forward, all serious now. "It's not pretty, Kitten. Not romantic like the movies or books. You remember you told me you slugged those lads when you were young because they called your mum a whore? Well, my mum was a whore. Her name was Penelope and she was fifteen when she had me. It was fortunate that she and the madam of the place were friendly, or I never would have been allowed to live there. Only girl-children were kept at the whorehouse, for obvious reasons. When I was little, I didn't know there was anything unusual with where I lived. All the women doted on me, and I would do house chores and such until I got older. The madam, her name was Lucille, later inquired as to whether or not I wanted to follow in the family business. Several of the male customers who were so inclined had taken notice of me, for I was a pretty lad. But by the time Madam approached me with the offer, I knew enough to know I wouldn't want to perform such activities. Begging was a common occupation in London then. Thieving was as well, so to earn my keep, I began to steal. Then when I was seventeen, my mum died of syphilis. She was thirty-three."

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My face paled considerably listening to him speak, but I wanted to hear the rest. "Go on."

"Lucille informed me two weeks afterwards that I had to go. Wasn't bringing in enough quid to justify the space. It wasn't that she was cruel, she was simply being practical. Another girl could take my room and bring in three times the money. Again she offered me a choice-leave and face the streets, or stay and service the customers. Yet she added a kindness. There were a few highborn women she was acquainted with that she'd described me to, and they were interested. I could choose to sell myself to women rather than men. And so that is what I did.

"The girls at the house trained me first, of course, and it turned out I had a knack for the work. Lucille kept me in high demand and soon I had quite a few regulars among the blue bloods. One of them ended up saving my life.

"I was still picking pockets, you see. One unlucky day, I pulled the purse off a toff right in front of a bobby. Next thing I knew, I was in chains and up before one of the meanest hanging judges in London. One of my clients heard of my predicament and took pity on me. She persuaded the judge through carnal means that sending me to the new penal colonies would be just the thing. Three weeks later they shipped me and sixty-two other unlucky buggers to South Wales."

His eyes clouded, and he ran a hand through his hair reflectively.

"I won't tell you about the voyage except to say it went beyond any misery man should ever have to endure. Once we were at the colony, they worked us literally unto death. There were three men I became mates with-Timothy, Charles, and Ian. After a few months, Ian managed to escape. Then, almost a year later, he came back."

"Why would he come back?" I wondered. "Wouldn't he have been punished for running away?"

Bones grunted. "Indeed he would have, but Ian wasn't afraid of that anymore. We were in the fields slaughtering cattle for beef jerky and the hides when we were set upon by the natives. They killed the guards and the rest of the prisoners except Timothy, Charles, and me. That's when Ian appeared among them, but he was different. You can guess how. He was a vampire, and he changed me that night. Charles and Timothy were changed as well by two other vampires. Though three of us were changed, only one of us asked for it. Timothy wanted what Ian offered. Charles and I didn't. Ian changed us anyway because he thought we would thank him later. We stayed with the natives for a few years and vowed to return to England. It took us nearly twenty years to finally get there."

He stopped and closed his eyes. At some point in his story I'd uncurled myself from my ball and sat staring at him in amazement. He was absolutely right, it wasn't a pretty story, and I hadn't had any idea what he'd been through.

"Your turn." His eyes opened to stare right into mine. "Tell me what happened with that sod who hurt you."

"God, Bones, I don't want to talk about that." I hunched defensively at the memory. "It's humiliating."

That dark gaze didn't waver. "I just told you that I used to be a thief, a beggar, and a whore. Is it really fair for you to cry foul over my question?"

Put like that, he had a point. With a shrug to hide my continued pain, I summarized it briskly.

"It's a common story. Boy meets girl, girl is na?ve and stupid, boy uses girl and then hits the road."

He just arched his brow and waited.

I threw up my hands. "Fine! You want details? I thought he really cared for me. He told me he did, and I fell for his lies completely. We went out twice, and then the third time he said he had to stop by his apartment to get something before we'd go to this club. When we got there, he started kissing me, telling me all this crap about how special I was to him..." My fingers clenched. "I told him it was too soon. That we should wait to get to know each other better, that it was my first time. He disagreed. I-I should have hit him, or thrown him off me. I could have, I was stronger than he was. But..." I dropped my eyes. "I wanted to make him happy. I really liked him. So when he didn't stop, I just stayed still and tried not to move. It didn't hurt as much if I didn't move..."

God, I was going to cry. I blinked rapidly and took in an uneven breath, pushing back the recollection. "That's about it. One miserable time and then he didn't call me anymore. I was worried at first-I thought something bad might have happened to him." Bitter laugh. "The next weekend I found him making out with another girl at the same club where we were supposed to go. He told me then that he'd never really liked me and to run along because it was past my bedtime. That same night, I killed my first vampire. In a way I owe it to being used. I was so upset I wanted to either die or murder someone. At least having some creature try to rip out my throat guaranteed me one or the other."

Bones didn't make any of his usual mocking quips. When I dared to meet his eyes again, he was simply staring at me, no scorn or judgment on his face. The silence stretched, seconds into minutes. It filled with something unexplainable as we kept looking in each other's eyes.

The sudden jostling of the trailer broke the trance as the vehicle ground to a stop. With a slight shake, Bones leapt down from his perch and headed to the rear of the car.

"We're nearly at the place, and there's still work to be done. Hold open that bag for me, Kitten."

His normal jaunty tone was back. Perplexed by the earlier moment, I joined him at the rear of the trailer.

Bones unwrapped Sergio from his plastic shroud as cheerily as a child ripping through wrapping paper on Christmas. I was holding a kitchen-sized garbage bag and wondering what he was up to.

It didn't take long to find out. With his hands, he twisted Sergio's head off as cleanly as if it were the top on a soda bottle. There was a sickening crunch, and then the withering cranium was unceremoniously dumped into the bag.

"Yuck." I thrust the bag back into his hands. "You take it."

"Squeamish? That lump of rotting skull is worth fifty thousand dollars. Sure you don't want to cradle it a bit?" He smiled his familiar mocking smile, the old Bones again.

"No, thanks." Some things money just couldn't buy, and my spending more time with that head was one of them.

The rear of the trailer opened with a creak and Ted appeared in the artificial light.

"We're here, bud. Hope you both had a smooth ride." His eyes twinkled as he looked back and forth between the two of us.

Instantly I was defensive. "We were talking."

Ted grinned, and I saw Bones hide a smile as he turned to face his friend.

"Come on, mate. We've been driving for, what...fifty minutes? Not nearly enough time."

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They both laughed. I didn't, seeing nothing amusing at all.

"Are you finished?"

Sobering, Bones shook his head. "Stay in the trailer for a minute. Something I have to take care of."

"What?" Curiosity killed the cat; I hoped for better results.

"Business. Got a head to deliver, and I want you to stay out of it. The less people know of you, the better."

Made sense. I sat on the edge of the trailer with my feet dangling and then peeled back the cloth to inspect my wrist again. The wound was completely healed, the skin coapted together around the edges and unscarred. There was such a vast difference between vampires and humans, even half-breeds like myself. We weren't even the same species. So why did I tell Bones things I'd never told anyone else? My mother didn't know what happened with Danny, for example. She wouldn't have understood. She wouldn't have understood a lot about me, in fact. I hid more from her than I told her, if I were being honest, and yet for some reason, I told Bones things that I should hide.

After about thirty minutes of contemplating this and chipping the polish off my nails, Bones reappeared. He jumped into the trailer, untied his bike, and carried it one-handed to the ground.

"Hop on, pet. We're finished."

"What about the car? Or the torso?"

I climbed behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist for leverage. It was disconcerting to be pressed so close to him after that near miss earlier, but I didn't want to peel myself off the asphalt if I fell. At least he'd given me a helmet, although he didn't wear one himself. One of the advantages of being already dead.

"Ted's taking the car. Got a chop house that he runs for 'em. It's how he makes his living, didn't I tell you?"

No, he hadn't, not that it mattered. "And the body?"

He sped off, leaving me clutching him at the sudden momentum as the motorcycle weaved onto the road.

"Part of the deal. He plants him for me. Less work for us. Ted's a smart fellow, keeps his mouth shut and minds his business. Don't fret over him."

"I'm not," I shouted over the wind. Actually, I was tired. It had already been a long night.

It was a two-hour drive back to the ****, and we arrived shortly after three a.m. My truck was parked about a quarter mile away from the entrance as usual, since the vehicle couldn't navigate the rest of the way. Bones pulled to a stop at the truck, and I jumped off the motorcycle as soon as it quit moving. Motorcycles made me nervous. They just seemed such an unsafe way to travel. Vampires, of course, didn't share my trepidation of a broken neck, limbs, or skin sloughed off on the pavement. The other reason for my haste was simple-to be away from Bones as quickly as possible. Before any further attacks of stupi***y overwhelmed me.

"Off so soon, pet? The evening is young."

He looked at me with a glint in his eye and a devilish curl to his lips. I just collected my keys from their hiding place under a rock and heaved wearily into the truck.

"Maybe for you, but I'm going home. Go find yourself a nice neck *****ck on."

Unperturbed, he uncurled himself from the bike.

"Going home wearing that dress with blood all over it? Your mum might worry at seeing you that way. You can come inside and change. Promise I won't peek." The last part was accompanied by an exaggerated wink that made me smile despite my watchfulness.

"No, I'll change at a gas station or something. By the way, since this job is done, when do I have to come back here? Do I get a break?"

I was hoping for a break not only in training, but also in the time spent in his company. Maybe my head needed to be examined, and some time away would help accomplish that.

"Sorry, Kitten. Tomorrow night you're on again. Then after that I fly to Chicago to see my old friend Hennessey. With luck, I'll be back on Thursday, because Friday I have another job for us..."

"Yeah, I get it," I said disgustedly. "Well, you just remember I'm starting college next week, so you'll have to cut me some slack. We might have an arrangement, but I've waited too long already to get my degree."

"Absolutely, pet. Fill your head with volumes of information that will never apply in real life. Just remember-dead girls pass no exams, so don't think you're going to neglect your training. Don't fret, though. We'll work it out. Speaking of that, here you go."

Bones drew out a wide opaque plastic bag from inside his jacket, which had looked considerably fuller than normal, come to notice. Rifling through it for a moment, he pulled out a wad of something green and held it out to me.

"Your share."

Huh? I stared at the multiple hundreds in his hand with disbelief that turned *****spicion.

"What's this?"

He shook his head. "Blimey, but you're a difficult chit! Fellow can't even give you money without you arguing. This, luv, is twenty percent of the bounty Sergio had on his head. It's for your part in him losing his head. See, I reckon since I don't pay anything to the IRS, I may as well give their cut to you. Death and taxes. They go hand in hand."

Stupefied, I stared at the money. This was more than I could earn in six months of waitressing or working the orchards. And to think I had been worried about draining my savings on gas! Before he changed his mind, I shoved the cash in my glove box.

"Umm, thanks." What did one say? Words left me at the moment.

He grinned. "You earned it, pet."

"You just got a big chunk of change yourself. Are you finally moving out of the ****?"

Bones chuckled. "Is that why you think I stay there? Out of lack of funds?"

His clear amusement made me defensive. "Why else? It's not a Hilton. You have to pirate electricity and you wash in an ice-cold river. I didn't think you did that just because you liked seeing your parts shrink!"

That really made him laugh. "Concerned for my bits and pieces, are you? Let me assure you, they're fine. Of course, if you don't take my word for it, you could always-"

"Don't even think about it!"

He stopped laughing, but there was still a gleam in his eyes. "Too late for that, but back to your question. I stay there because it's safer, primarily. I can hear you or anyone else coming from a mile away, and I know it like the back of my hand. Be difficult for someone to ambush me without my turning it around on them. Also, it's quiet. I'm sure there have been many times the background noise from your house has kept you awake. And besides, it was given to me by a friend, so I check on it when I'm in Ohio and make sure all's well, like I promised him."

"A friend gave you the ****? How do you give someone a ****?"

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"His people found it hundreds of years ago, so that makes it theirs as much as anyone can claim anything they don't walk around in. Used to be a winter residence of the Mingoes. They were a small tribe of the Iroquois nation, and they were one of the last Iroquois still in the state when the Indian Removal Act of 1831 was put into effect. Tanacharisson was a mate of mine, and he chose not to go to the reservation. He hid at the **** after the last of his tribe was forcibly removed. Time went by, he saw his people and culture being irrevocably destroyed, and he decided he'd had enough. He painted his body for battle and went off on a suicide mission against Fort Meigs. Before he did, though, he asked me to look out for his home. Make sure no one disturbed it. There are bones of some of his ancestors back in the far part of it. He didn't want the whites desecrating them."

"How terrible," I said softly, thinking of that lonely Indian making his last stand after seeing everything he loved disappear.

He studied my face. "It was his choice. He had no control over anything except how he died, and the Mingoes were very proud. To him, it was a good death. One befitting the legacy of his people."

"Maybe. But when death is all you have left, it's sad no matter how you cut it. It's late, Bones. I'm leaving."

He touched my arm then, and his features were very serious.

"About what you told me earlier, I want you to know it wasn't your fault. Bloke like that would've done the same to any girl, and no doubt has before and since you."

"Are you speaking from experience?"

It flew out before I could stop myself. Bones let his arm drop and he stepped back, giving me another unfathomable look.

"No, I'm not. I've never treated a woman in such a manner, and most especially not a virgin. Like I said before-you don't have to be human to have some behaviors be beneath you."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just hit the gas and drove away.

Chapter Eight

IT OCCURRED TO ME THE NEXT MORNING THAT I had a few hours with nothing to do and money to spend. The combination of both had never happened before. Energized by the thought, I ran upstairs to shower again and get dressed. Showers were all I'd taken lately, since baths had proven to be slightly dangerous.

After a blissful trip to the mall, I was shocked when I glanced at my watch and saw that it was after six. My, how time flew when I wasn't killing something. It was too late to drive home and give my mother an excuse about tonight, so I settled on calling her. I lied-again-and told her I'd run into a friend and would be seeing a movie and having a late dinner. I hoped whatever occurred tonight wouldn't take too long. It would be nice to spend a weekend evening at home for once.

Speeding to arrive late anyway, I leapt from the truck as soon as I pulled into the familiar grotto. Paranoid, I'd taken my packages with me. It would be just my luck for someone to break in and steal my purchases, even at the edge of the woods. By the time I'd sprinted the remaining mile to the entrance, I was almost out of breath.

Bones was waiting near the opening with a scowl.

"Took your sweet bleedin' time, I see. Oh, but I suppose everything in those bags is for me, so all's forgiven. Guess I don't have to wonder where you've been."

Oops. Suddenly it occurred to me that arriving with an armful of presents bought with his money while not getting him anything might be construed as rude. Covering my faux pas, I straightened my shoulders in feigned offense.

"Actually, I did get you something. Here. It's for...umm, your aching muscles and pains."

I handed him the massager I'd bought for my grandfather, realizing too late the stupi***y in the gesture. Vampires didn't have aching muscles or pains.

He looked at the box with interest.

"Well, well. Five speeds. Heat and massage. Deep, penetrating action. Sure this isn't yours?" That dark brow arched with volumes of meaning, and none of them therapeutic.

I snatched it back.

"Just say so if you don't want it. You don't have to be so crude."

Bones gave me a pointed look. "Keep it and give it to your gramps like it was intended. Blimey, but you're a bad liar. Good thing you manage to pull it off with the marks."

Exasperated already, I fixed him with a scathing look.

"Can we get on to business? Like the details about tonight?"

"Oh, that." We descended deeper into the ****. "Let's see, your bloke's over two hundred years old, naturally brown hair, but he changes his color periodically, talks with an accent, and is very quick in combat. Good news is, you can keep your knickers on. He'll be smitten with you on sight. Any questions?"

"What's his name?"

"He'll probably make one up, most vampires do, but his name is Crispin. Get me when you're ready. I'll be watching telly."

Bones left me at my makeshift dressing room, and I flipped through the dozen or so skank-wears he'd bought me until I pulled out a halter dress that almost skimmed the knees. Still too tight, but at least my boobs and butt didn't hang out of it.

An hour of hot rollers, makeup, and high-heeled boots later, I was ready. Bones lounged sideways across the weathered chair, avidly watching Court TV. He loved the channel. Somehow, seeing a criminal get such a kick out of that program disturbed me. His favorite comment was that victims had less than half the rights of the offenders.

"Hate to pry you away, but I'm ready. You know, places to be, etc."

He glanced up in mild pique. "This is a good part. They're about to deliver a verdict."

"Oh, for God's sake! You're worried about a verdict on a murder case when we're about to commit one! Doesn't that strike you as a little ironic?"

Suddenly he was in front of me, uncurling himself with the speed a striking rattler would envy.

"Yes, it does, pet. Let's be off."

"Aren't you driving separately?" We never rode together, to avoid people making the connection.

He shrugged it off.

"Believe me, you'd never find the place. It's a different sort of club, very particular. Come on, let's not keep the gent waiting."

Different sort of club. That was the biggest understatement I'd ever heard. It was far off the main highways, down a twisting back road that looked seldom traveled, and inside an industrial warehouse that was soundproofed. To the outside observer, it was simply another blue-collar industry building. Parking was around the back with only one narrow way in or out between tall trees that acted as a natural gate.

"What is this place?"

My eyes bugged even before we approached the door. There was a line of people waiting for entry. Bones simply passed by them while pulling me along up to the female at the door who I assumed was the bouncer. She was as tall and broad-shouldered as a linebacker, with a face that would have been beautiful except for its preponderance of masculinity.

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"Trixie, missed you," Bones greeted her. She actually had to bend down to return his kiss on the cheek.

"Been a while, Bones. Heard you'd left these parts."

He grinned and she returned it, showing gold incisors in her smile. Nice.

"Don't believe everything you hear. That's how rumors get started."

We slipped through the door, to the consternation of the waiting patrons. It was dark inside, with low beams of reduced light making brief flashes across the ceilings, and immediately I knew what kind of a "different" club it was.

There were vampires everywhere.

"What the hell is this?"

My whisper was low and savage, because plenty of things here had great hearing.

Bones waved an unconcerned hand to encompass the general surroundings.

"This, luv, is a vampire club. It doesn't even really have a name, although the locals call it Bite. All sorts of things come in here to mix and mingle comfortably, not having to hide their true natures. Why, right over there you have some ghosts at the bar."

My vision swung to where he gestured. Damned if there weren't three transparent men sitting (sort of) on barstools, looking for all the world like a couple of regulars from Cheers. Well, Cheers Macabre, maybe. The energy that vibrated off the inhuman inhabitants made my entire body feel like it touched a live wire.

"My God...there's so many of them..."

And there were. A couple hundred, at least.

"I hadn't known there were that many vampires in the world..." I went on in disbelief.

"Kitten," Bones said patiently, "'round five percent of the population is undead. We're in every state, every nation, and we have been for a very long time. Now, I give you, there are certain areas where you'll find more of us. Ohio happens to be one of them. I told you it has a thinner line separating the natural and the paranormal, so the whole region gives off a faint charge. The younger ones love that. Find it invigorating."

"You're telling me my state is...a vampire hot spot?"

A nod. "Don't feel too unlucky. There are dozens around the globe."

Something brushed past, and my radar went haywire as I craned my neck to see who, or what, had just slipped by.

"What was that?" I whispered, having to press my mouth nearly to his ear to be heard. They were a noisy bunch of immortals.

"What?" He glanced in the direction I stared.

"That." Impatiently. "That...thing. It's not a vampire, I can tell, but it's definitely not human. What is it?" It being of male gender, though I wouldn't have been sure of anything, and looking human but not quite.

"Oh, him. He's a ghoul. Flesh-eater. You know, like Night of the Living Dead, only they don't walk so funny or look as hideous."

Flesh-eater. My stomach heaved at the thought.

"Here." He pointed to the bar. There was an empty seat near the ghosts-or would the politically correct term be living-impaired? "Wait there, have a drink. Your bloke will show up soon."

"Are you crazy?" My mind couldn't compute fast enough all of the reasons not to do as directed. "This place is crawling with monsters! I don't want to be an appetizer!"

He laughed low. "Trust me, Kitten. See all the normal people waiting to get in? This is a special place, like I said. Mostly vamps and ghouls, but also humans as well. That's part of the lure. The humans that come here are handpicked or they wouldn't know about it. They come to mingle with the undead, and even to get some blood extracted. Believe me, there are those who get off on it. Whole Dracula thing, y'know. But there is a strict etiquette here. Absolutely no violence on the premises and only willing feedings. Can human nightclubs say the same?"

With that, he melted off into the crowds, leaving me with no choice but to sit where he said and wait for my victim. How was I supposed to spot him here? It looked like Creepshow met Studio 54.

The bartender, a vampire, asked me what my pleasure would be.

"Leaving," I snapped, then realized how rude that was. "Uh, sorry...um...do you have gin and tonic? You know...for normal people?" All I needed was a flesh spritzer, or a Bloody Mary the likes of which I'd never forget, to make my night complete.

The bartender laughed, showing teeth without a hint of fang. "First time here, honey? Don't be nervous, it's perfectly safe. Unless you leave with someone, of course. Then you're on your own."

How comforting. After assuring me the drink contained nothing more than regular gin and tonic-he showed me the bottles to allay my suspicion-I gulped it down as though it were a magic elixir that could make the whole place disappear. It was delicious, better in fact than any I'd had before. The bartender, whose name was Logan, smiled when I complimented him on it and informed me that after a hundred years, one got rather good at the trade.

"You've been a bartender for a hundred years?" Goggling at him, I quaffed another healthy sip. "My God, why?"

A casual shrug. "I like the work. You meet new people, get to talk a lot, and don't have to think. How many jobs can you say that about?"

How many, indeed. Certainly not mine.

"What do you do, young lady?" he inquired politely.

Kill vampires. "I, ah, go to school. College, that is."

Nervousness made me sputter. Here I was, having a casual conversation with a vampire in a club full of ungodly things. Where had my life gone wrong?

"Ah, college. Study hard, it's the key *****ccess." With that advice and another quick smile, he turned away to take an incoming order from a ghoul across the counter. This was too weird.

"Hello, there, pretty girl!"

The voice made me turn around, and two young men grinned at me in a friendly way. From their looks and heartbeats, I knew they were human. Wow, what a relief.

"Hi, how ya doing?" I felt like someone in another country who met a stranger from her hometown and was inordinately glad to see people with pulses. They gathered around me, one on either side of my chair.

"What's your name? This is Martin"-he gestured to the brunette with the boyish smile-"and I'm Ralphie."

"I'm Cat." Smiling, I shook hands with both of them. They eyed my glass with interest.

"Whatcha drinkin'?"

"Gin and tonic."

Ralphie was about my height of five-seven, not tall for a man, and he had a sweet smile. "Another gin for the lady!" he bellowed importantly to Logan, who nodded and brought a fresh glass.

"Thanks for the offer, boys, but I'm kind of...waiting for someone." As much as I liked having my own kind around me, still there was a job to be done and they would hinder my plans.

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They each groaned theatrically.

"Come on, one drink! It's hard to be the fleshies around here, we have to stick together."

The entreaty so clearly mirrored my own thoughts that I relented with another smile.

"One drink. That's all, okay? What are you two doing here, by the way?" They both looked my age and way too innocent.

"Oh, we like it here, it's exciting." Martin bobbed his head up and down like a bird, watching as Ralphie again gestured to Logan for another refill.

"Yeah, exciting enough to get you killed," I warned them.

Martin dropped his wallet when he fumbled for the money for my gin, and I got down to help him pick it up. They looked too gullible by half. Giggling, Ralphie handed me my drink with a flourish.

"You're here. You can't say you don't understand."

"You don't want to know why I'm here," I muttered, more to myself than to them. With a slight salute, I raised my glass. "Thanks for the drink. Now you'd better go."

"Aren't you going to finish it?" Ralphie asked with almost childish disappointment.

I opened my mouth to respond, but a familiar voice beat me to it.

"Sod off, wankers."

Bones loomed threateningly behind them, and they gave him one frightened look before scampering off. He slid into the seat next to me after shoving its occupant aside. The person left, unoffended. Guess it wasn't that uncommon.

"What are you doing here? What if he comes in?" My voice was a low hiss as I pretended not to look at him for the benefit of anyone watching.

He simply laughed that infuriating chuckle of his and held out a hand.

"We haven't met. My name is Crispin."

I ignored the hand extended to me and whispered furiously to him out of the corner of my mouth, "I don't think that's funny."

"Don't want to shake my hand, do you? That's not nice manners. Didn't your mum teach you better?"

"Will you stop?" I'd passed the point of furious and headed straight into enraged. "Quit playing! I have a job to do. The real Crispin's going to be here and he'll be put off by your blathering! God, don't you have any sense?" Sometimes he was too cheeky for his own good.

"But I'm not lying, pet. My name is Crispin. Crispin Phillip Arthur Russell III. That last part was merely a bit of fancy on my mum's part, since clearly she had no idea who my da was. Still, she thought adding numerals after my name would give me a bit of dignity. Poor sweet woman, ever reluctant to face reality."

It occurred to me with mounting anxiety that he wasn't kidding. "You're Crispin? You? But your name-"

"Told you," he interrupted. "Most vampires change their name when they change from human. Crispin was my human name, just as I said. Don't go by it much anymore, because that bloke is dead. When Ian turned me, he laid me in the natives' burial grounds until I rose. For hundreds of years they'd buried their dead in the same place, and not too deeply, either. When my eyes opened for the first time as a vampire, all I saw about me were bones. I knew it was what I was then, for from bones I rose and Bones I became, all in that night."

The imagery was haunting, but still I persisted. "Then what kind of game are you up to? You want me to try and kill you, is that it?"

He laughed indulgently. "Blimey, no. In fact, this is all your doing."

"My doing? How could I have anything to do with..." looking all around, adequate words failed me. "This?"

"You said last night when you were moaning about your life that you'd never been to a club just to have fun and go dancing. Well, pet, this is it. Tonight you and I will drink and dance and absolutely murder no one. Consider it your night off. You will be Cat and I will be Crispin, and you'll send me home with a dry mouth and aching balls just like you would if we'd never met before."

"Was this all some trick to get me to go on a date with you?" With a scowl I drank my gin, courtesy of the two human boys who had run for the hills after one dirty look.

His eyes glowed with dark lights and that sly curl returned to his lips.

"Let you keep your knickers on, though, didn't I? Can't even appreciate the little things, you can't. Come on, luv, finish your drink and let's dance. Promise I'll be the perfect gentleman. Unless you request otherwise."

I set my glass on the counter.

"Sorry, Crispin, but I don't dance. Never learned how. You know, whole lack of a social life and all that."

His eyebrows nearly swept his hairline. "You've never been dancing? That deflowerer of yours never even took you out for a twirl? Bloody sod."

The memory of Danny continued to smart. "Nope. I don't dance."

He shot me a measured look. "Now you do."

He practically hauled me to my feet, ignoring my protests and vain attempts to pull free. When we were well inside the hoard of human and inhuman gyrators, he spun me around until my back was to him. He had one arm wrapped around my waist while the other still gripped my hand. His body was pressed along the length of mine, hips intimately touching front to rear.

"I swear if you try anything..." My threat was drowned out in the music pumping and noise around us.

"Relax, I'm not going to bite." Laughing at his own joke, he began to sway in time to the beat, hips and shoulders rubbing against mine.

"Come on, it's easy. Move the way I do, we'll start you out slow."

Out of lack of other options except to stand there stupidly, I followed the line of his body, mimicking his movements. The pulsating beat seemed to jerk my nerve endings like invisible puppet strings, and soon I undulated against him of my own accord. He was right, it was easy. And ***y as hell. Now I knew how a snake felt when the charmer played his flute, slavishly twisting along to the music. Bones whirled me around to face him, still gripping my hand as if fearing I would bolt.

He needn't have worried. I was curiously enjoying myself. The lights and sounds seemed to blur together. All of the bodies brushing by us made me feel drunk from their collective energy. It was a heady feeling, to let my body move any way it wanted, directed by the rhythm and nothing else. I raised my arms and let my head fall back, surrendering to the sensation. Bones slid his hands to my waist, lightly holding me, and a mischievous impulse surged through me. He had blackmailed me, beaten me, and forced me to endure unbelievable rigors of training. Time for a little well-deserved payback.

I splayed my hands across his chest, seeing his eyes widen, and brought him closer until our bodies touched and my br**sts rubbed against him. Then I gave a slow twist of my hips against his as I'd seen another dancer do.

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His arms tightened around me, yanking me to him until we were molded together. One hand crept up to tug my head back, and I smiled smugly at him.

"You were right, it's easy. And I'm a fast learner."

My body was still curled around his, taunting him. This was so unlike me, but something felt as though it had taken over. My earlier concerns were a faint memory not even worth dwelling on. The lights caused deep hollows to form under his cheekbones, making them look even more pronounced. The heat in his eyes should have made me break free and run, but all it did was entice me.

"Playing with fire, Kitten?"

His mouth grazed my cheek as he spoke directly in my ear to be heard above the noise. His lips were cool against my skin, but not cold. My head spun, my senses reeled, and in reply my tongue crept out and licked his neck with a long wet stroke.

The shudder went all through him. Bones pressed me so close that his body ground into mine, jerking my head back with a thick handful of hair until our eyes locked. What had started out as a game was now an open challenge, as well as a direct threat. Any further action would bear results, it was clear from the way his gaze smoldered into mine. All of this should have frightened me, but it was as if my mind were incapable of rational thought. He was a vampire, a hit man, and had almost killed me...and nothing mattered more than the feel of him. I licked my lips and didn't pull away, and it was all the invitation he needed.

His mouth came down onto mine, slanting across without difficulty, since I moaned at the first touch. It had been so long, so long since I'd kissed someone and not been faking it. The last time had been with Danny, and the scant desire I'd felt then was nothing compared to the searing flash of heat in me now. His tongue caressed my lips briefly before twining around mine and seeking my depths with ruthless sensuality. My heart pounded so fiercely I knew he could feel its pulse in my mouth as I responded, pulling him closer and digging my nails into his back. Bones deepened the kiss further until he sucked on my tongue. Everything inside me began to throb with need. I returned the gesture with more strength, drawing on his tongue with erotic hunger. There was a distinct hardness to him as he rubbed his hips against mine in a wave of friction that caused a near-excruciating clench in my loins.

He only pulled away to snap at someone when we were rudely jostled for no longer dancing, leaving me to gulp in breaths of air. My legs felt almost rubbery and lights danced in my head. Bones propelled me toward the far wall until we were clear of the dance floor, tumbling my hair in my face from the speed of his action. He brushed it back to kiss me again, and this kiss was better than the one before. His whole body seemed to be poured into his searching mouth. He finally pulled away, but didn't go far.

"Kitten, you need to make a decision. Either we stay here and behave or we leave now and I promise you"-his voice dipped lower and the words fell against my lips-"if we leave, I won't behave."

His mouth closed over mine once more, lips and tongue expertly evoking a response. My self-control was still somewhere away on vacation and my arms went around his neck because I simply wanted more. His back was to the wall and one hand was in my hair while the other was low, dangerously low on my back. Fingers kneaded my flesh through the thin material of the dress, holding me so close, every movement he made stroked me. After another few dizzying minutes, he broke the kiss to whisper almost raggedly in my ear.

"Decide now, luv, because I can't take much more of this before I make up your mind and carry you off."

The room seemed fuzzy, the lights dimmer, and there was a far-off noise in my head. None of those things seemed important, however, except for Bones. His body felt as hard and sinewy as a racehorse's, and his mouth on mine made me want to scream with lust. There wasn't a single part of me that wanted to be anywhere but with him.

"Bones..." I couldn't begin to articulate the need.

Unexpectedly his whole body stiffened, and he looked over my shoulder with tension ringing off him.

"Bloody frigging hell, what is he doing here?"

He seemed to freeze in my arms, face hardening as though turned to stone.

Confused, I squirmed to look behind me. "Who? Who's here?"

"Hennessey."

Chapter Nine

MY MIND COULDN'T SEEM TO KEEP UP WITH current events. "I thought Sergio said he was in Chicago. He's supposed to be in Chicago!"

Bones muttered a foul curse and straightened, spinning us around until his back was to the door.

"Do you think Sergio lied to us?" I persisted.

He shook his head as if to clear it.

"Keep your eye on him, luv. Black hair. Mustache, thin beard, dark skin, tall. Wearing a white shirt, see him?"

I leaned my head against Bones's shoulder and scanned the faces until I found one that matched.

"Got him."

"Sergio didn't lie," Bones answered my earlier question grimly. "That means somehow Hennessey got word that he's gone missing. He knew Sergio was in this area, so he's poking around here for answers. He's no doubt rightly worried about what Sergio would have said to whoever made him disappear."

"Well, whatever the reason, he's here. Let's go for him."

"No."

The single word surprised me. "No? Why not? He just got dropped into our lap!"

His expression was ice, and he kept his voice low. "Because he's a bloody treacherous sod and I don't want you anywhere near him. You're going straight home as soon as he's away from the door. I'll handle this myself."

My head cleared enough for me to be pissed.

"You know, for someone who keeps telling me to trust him, you sure don't extend the same courtesy. I thought tonight was a regular job, so I'm all staked out and ready to roll. I took on vampires before you, remember? All by myself and without someone to hold my hand through it. Now I have training and backup, and you still want me to turn tail and run? Don't kiss me like a woman if you're going to treat me like a child."

Bones stared down at me with frustration. "This isn't about treating you like a child. Bugger, I clearly don't see you that way! Look, I told you Hennessey's not just a bloke who goes out and snatches up a girl when his tummy grumbles. He's in another league, Kitten. He's a very bad sort."

"Then quit arguing and let's go get him," I said, softly but firmly. "He sounds just like the kind of person I'd love to take out."

Bones didn't say anything for a moment, then he let out a resigned noise.

"I don't like this, not at all, but...fine. We'll go for him. So much for a night off. If anything goes wrong, anything at all, you hit that panic button. Now, here's what we'll do..."