“I’ll take Annette.” The words flew out without much forethought. “She can come with me as backup to help with Ian’s guards, then you can be with Rodney to get Noah.”
Bones gave me a look like I’d gone crazy, which wasn’t a far trip for me. “You think I’d let you attack a group of vampires—a group you’re not even intending to kill, which as we all know makes it bloody harder—while I’m off securing your pet vet?”
His scathing delivery on those last two words made me even more determined to ensure Noah’s protection. Rodney would know Bones wouldn’t really be upset if anything happened to Noah. Annette would know it, too. But if Bones went himself... then he’d feel honor-bound to make sure Noah was kept safe. No matter how much he didn’t like him.
“Actually, it would work better this way,” I said, improvising. “We can assume two things: one, the guards won’t know who I am at first, thanks to my brown hair, and two, once they do realize who I am, they’ll try not to kill me. Ian would be pissed at being denied his prize, right? They’d know that. I’m safer with them than anyone else.”
“It may indeed work better, Crispin,” Annette offered. “They’d be less likely to suspect an ambush if they thought we were there for their... entertainment.”
Bones didn’t respond for a long moment, then he turned to Annette and smiled coldly at her.
“After yesterday, I have cause to wonder if you’re offering with ulterior motives, so let me tell you what will happen if any harm comes to her. I’ll cut you off from my line.” Bones took a knife out of his pocket and sliced it across his palm, his eyes never leaving Annette’s. “On my blood, I swear I’ll cut you off. And then I’ll offer a standing reward to anyone who makes your life an unbearable hell, do you understand me?”
Annette actually gulped. I couldn’t help but wince in empathy for her. What Bones had just promised her was worse than a death sentence. Annette would be open game for anyone undead and uncaring, and she wasn’t strong enough to protect herself. Throw in some cash prizes to any interested Dead Depraved, and she’d be truly screwed.
Bones arched a brow at me. “Now you can have Annette accompany you, and I’ll go after Noah.”
Poor Noah. The only reason he was involved in this to begin with was that he’d had the misfortune to date me. In fact, out of everyone, I was the only truly safe one in this whole messed-up scenario. Annette would protect me with her whole afterlife now, and Ian’s men would probably risk getting killed themselves rather than hurt their sire’s coveted new toy. That left Bones at risk trying to keep Noah safe, not to mention if Annette and I couldn’t beat Ian’s men, my three guys were in the most danger of all. Ian had said he’d kill one of them, for revenge and to prove a point. Tonight would decide everything, and suddenly I couldn’t bear to just gamble that we’d be all strong enough or smart enough to pull it off. What if we weren’t? Why should any of them have to risk dying to save me? After all, there was another way out. It only required my sacrifice, and I made the decision in a split second.
“Bones.” I came over and grasped his hand. “None of this has to happen at all. Ian only wants me because being a half-breed makes me rare, but if I’m a full-blown vampire, then I’m nothing special. So do it. Change me over. Make me a vampire.”
The howl of protest I expected from Tate, but the most emphatic refusal came much softer.
“No.”
I blinked in surprised anger. “Come on, dammit, do it! Or was Annette right? Does my body temperature mean that much to you?”
Cheap shot number two. Bones tightened his grip when I tried to tug free.
“You’re not leaping before you look on this one. Balls before brains won’t do it.” His refusal finally penetrated the rampage by Tate, who shut up and stared at Bones with disbelief. “You don’t want this, luv,” Bones continued. “You think you have no choice, but I’ve told you time and again, there is always another way. If you truly desired me to change you, then I would. You know that. But not like this. There’s no going back from this decision, and then even the most poignant regret is wasted.”
He pulled me to him, and his next words fell softly near my ear.
“And if I were really just so fond of your flesh being warm, I’d throw you in a hot tub each time before I shagged you. You’d be ninety-eight degrees in twenty minutes, vampire or no, so sod Annette and her nasty little comments.”
“Something could happen to you with Max,” I muttered.
Bones let out a snort. “Not a chance. You’re right—Max is too much of a coward to take me on, and if he did, I’d bend him in half the wrong way and deliver him to you in a box.”
“That leaves my guys. If Annette and I fail, I can’t just stand there and watch Ian kill one of them.”