At Grave's End

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Hurt and anger competed inside me. How could Bones just take it upon himself to decide what I could and couldn’t handle? This was supposed to be a relationship, not a dictatorship.

 

“Want to know one of the things I’ve loved most about you?” I asked, a feeling of betrayal welling up in me. “That you never lorded your age over me. Yeah, there’s nothing I’ve seen or done that isn’t old news to you, but you’d always treated me like an equal. Well, now you’re treating me like the pathetic little girl Max accused me of being. You want to have your nasty event without me? Fine. But whatever I would have seen later wouldn’t have come between us as much as what you just pulled did.”

 

“Kitten…” Bones said, reaching out to me.

 

I brushed past him and went upstairs. Below, Juan cleared his throat. Rattler whispered something about giving me time to cool off. Don coughed and muttered that he had to make more calls. Bones didn’t say anything else, and he didn’t come after me.

 

 

 

 

 

SEVEN

 

 

 

 

M Y HURT LASTED THE REST OF THE DAY. I stayed in my room, not wanting to talk to anyone, especially Bones. He’d left me alone, too, not even attempting to come upstairs.

 

But as the sky darkened, I decided I couldn’t just keep sulking. I showered again and went downstairs. Rodney had made dinner. God only knew where he’d gotten the steaks from; he must have sent someone to the store.

 

Don, seated at the table with my mother, gave me a wintry smile. “We were just discussing hiring Rodney to cook for the team. I think it would improve productivity by thirty percent.”

 

I snorted, noticing Bones was outside on the porch. “Probably more. Speaking of the team, where’s the new base?”

 

“Tennessee, that former bomb shelter the CIA used to occupy. With some basic renovations, we should be up and running again within a week or two. The underground reinforcements make this facility the safest choice.”

 

“I agree. When are you going there?”

 

“Later tonight.” Don nodded at my mother. “You’ll have a place to stay there as well. We’ve also relocated your friends Denise and Randy on the off chance that Max discovered their home as well as yours.”

 

“God, I hadn’t even thought of that!” I exclaimed, lashing myself for being an idiot. How could I have forgotten to consider the safety of my best friend and her husband?

 

Don sighed. “You had other things on your mind. Being tortured and almost killed will do that to a person.”

 

Rodney set a plate in front of me, and one in front of my mother. I almost fainted when she began to eat instead of hurling it at him. Had one of the vampires gotten tired of her bitching and bitten her into a better mood?

 

She caught my flabbergasted look. “I watched what he put in it,” she said defensively.

 

Rodney, instead of being insulted, just laughed. “You’re welcome, Justina.”

 

I dragged my attention away from the unbelievable sight of my mother eating food a ghoul had prepared. “If you’re going to the new compound later, Don, I’m going with you.”

 

Bones had been pacing on the porch while talking on his cell. At that, his booted stride stopped.

 

Don cast a pointed glance out the window before meeting my gaze. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

 

“Unless you fire me, I am going there today to check on my team,” I interrupted him. “That’s where I’m needed.” Since I clearly wasn’t wanted with Bones later.

 

I ignored the muttered curse outside. Don spread out his hands. “Of course I’m not going to fire you. I’m sure the men will be glad to see you.”

 

“Zero, Tick Tock, Rattler, you will be accompanying her,” Bones said. He didn’t bother to come inside or raise his voice. With their hearing, it wasn’t necessary.

 

“How did you move Tate to the new location, anyway?” I asked without comment on my assigned guard. Transporting a blood-crazed new vampire must have been tricky.

 

Don coughed. “The only way we could. In the capsule.”

 

My jaw dropped. “He could have been killed.”

 

Don’s expression clouded. “It was Tate’s idea. He knew how dangerous he was to the team any other way. He arrived safe and is now confined with Annette and Dave again. She’s said Tate’s already making strides in controlling his hunger.”

 

It was less than a day since Tate had been turned.

 

“Wow.”

 

Bones came back inside. I didn’t look up, but concentrated on my food. When I was done, I rinsed my plate, put it in the dishwasher, and started back toward my room.

 

“Just a moment, Kitten,” Bones said. I paused, half up the stairs. He held out something that flashed in the light. “Did you want this back?”

 

I glanced down at my left hand and felt a sting of shame. I’d forgotten about my ring. Good God, I had to get my head out of my ass. First not thinking of Denise and Randy’s safety, then not even remembering Max had stolen my engagement ring. That whole tortured-and-almost-killed thing wouldn’t cover every screwup I was making. No wonder Bones was treating me like a stupid little girl—I was acting like one.

 

Jeaniene Frost's books