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Finally, her uncle looked away. “I pray you’re not wrong about this creature you’re dating, Cat. If he’s playing you, we’ll all go down in flames. He’d better be as good as he is arrogant.”
At that, Bones laughed. “Oh, I am as good as I’m arrogant, and I’m not ‘playing’ her. After all, I hadyoupegged. She was sure you’d refuse to let her men do this. I said you wouldn’t.”
Not because Don cared for her. Because Don knew the truth: his operationcouldsurvive without Tate, Juan, and Cooper, but it couldn’t survive without Cat. Not yet, anyway.
Don sent a baleful look his way.
Bones only smiled.It isn’t peeling your skin off while you’re screaming, but I’ll take it.
“We’ll need a few weeks to assemble everything, and the three of you will be busy until then,” Bones said. “You’ll all need your fastest reflexes if things go south. All of you know the price of drinking raw vampire blood, yes?”
Tate and Juan nodded, but Cooper shook his head. With great sympathy, Cat informed him that it could add decades to his life. Cooper only snorted. Either he didn’t think he’d live long enough for that to be a factor, or Cooper didn’t consider it the disadvantage that Cat did.
“Drinking vampire blood is the only way to ensure you’ll all be immune to vampire mind control,” Cat said, as if they needed further convincing. “Needless to say, Ian won’t let you keep your helmets on. So, anyone who refuses will have to drop out. I won’t risk your lives or anyone else’s by a vampire green-eyeing you into revealing the real plan.”
Tate grunted. “I’m up for juicing, but you’ll understand if I refuse to suck the blood off his tongue like you did.”
Had a sense of humor, did he? Good. He’d need it.
“Don’t fret, you’re not my type,” Bones lightly replied. “Now, then, if there are no other concerns, let’s go to the lab so that Don can put my vein on tap again. Really, old chap,” Bones needled him, “you’re as excited over blood as any vampire. Sure you’re not hiding any family traits?”
Don glowered at him. “That’s not amusing.”
No, but the barb was the least he deserved. Ian wouldn’t be after Cat if Don hadn’t sent her after Ian, so this entire fiasco was Don’s fault.Hemight be pretending otherwise, but Bones hadn’t forgotten that.
Before they left, Don ordered the laboratory and the hallways leading to it cleared of all non-essential personnel. At least he was heeding Bones’s warning to keep his presence known to as few people at the compound as possible. When that was done, they went down to the Pathology sublevel.
Juan and Cooper’s heartbeats indicated that they were the normal amount of anxious over drinking his blood, but Tate’s pulse was higher. Not fear, Bones noted as he took in a breath. Excitement. Tatewantedthe additional power, and from the frequent glances he stole at Cat, his reason was obvious.
“Ready for your upgrade?” Bones said with a smile that showed his teeth. “After your first dose, I’m going to beat the seven shades of shit out of you to see how much you can take.”
Tate gave him an insolent look. “Bring it on. Cat’s been pounding away at me for years.Years,” he stressed. “How long have you spent with her, combined? Only six months?”
Bones hauled him up until Tate’s feet dangled. He was almost impressed by the nastiness of Tate’s taunt, but that didn’t mean he’d let it go unchallenged, especially since Tate was one of the soldiers who’d whisked Cat away from him.
Cat yanked on Bones’s arm. “Tate, enough sniping! And Bones,howold are you? Do I need to give you a pair of my panties to hang around your neck so you can wave them at whoever’s making you jealous?”
“Like you wear panties,” Tate said under his breath.
Cat punched Tate before Bones could. “Not that it’sanyof your business, but I only go without while on a job!”
Bones dropped Tate, disbelief spearing him as he looked at Cat. Did she…did she still believe that was necessary?
Don seemed eager for a change in subject. He shoved the nearest chair toward Bones and went to get the IV line.
Bones sat, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Cat, who seemed part angry, part flustered, and part embarrassed.
“Kitten, are you still hunting vampires without your knickers?” Bones asked in as careful a tone as he could manage.
She gave him an exasperated look. “If I’m playing the bait, yes, but if it’s a search-and-destroy, no. Why?”
Lucifer’s. Bouncing. Balls.“We’ll take about it later.”
Her brows drew together like building storm clouds. “From your expression, we’ll talk about itnow.”
Everyone waited for his answer except Don, who pretended to be deaf as he inserted the needle into Bones’s arm and opened the line into the waiting blood bag.
Bones fought the laughter building in him. She’d already fillet him for this, and that’s if he could replywithoutchuckling. “It’s just that you can expand your wardrobe, luv. Not that I’m advocating that, but then I am biased.”
