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She pouted. “I like the throat better.”
“Argue again, and you’ll get nothing,” Bones replied with a look that made Belinda’s objection turn into sullen silence. He might not know much about Belinda, but she knew about him. That’s why he’d chosen her versus one of the other two captured vampires. They hadn’t heard of his reputation for ruthlessness. Belinda had, so she knew death would be a mercy compared to what Bones would do to her if she violated their agreement.
Tate’s pulse kicked up when Belinda grabbed his wrist.
She only smiled. “Don’t worry, gorgeous, you’ll like it.”
Tate scoffed. “Not on your afterlife, bitch.”
Her laugh was low, knowing, and smug. “We’ll see.”
A moan sneaked past Tate’s lips as her fangs sank into his wrist. She must have given him quite the dose of venom, because Tate’s eyelids fluttered next, and then he swayed more than he had when Belinda clocked him earlier. Tate forced his eyes open and stared at Cat as Belinda slowly drank his blood.
Bones let her get half a dozen swallows before saying, “That’s enough,” in a tone that brooked no argument.
She withdrew her fangs, licking the blood from them. Tate didn’t grab his wrist. He didn’t move at all. He just kept staring at Cat, who shifted with guilt as if it was her fault that her soldier was being snacked on, and not his.
“Close the holes,” Bones said when Belinda made no move to stop the blood dripping from Tate’s wrist.
Belinda bit her finger and held it over the holes. They disappeared moments later.
Tate finally spoke. “Is this why you can’t stay away from him, Cat? Because of how a vampire bite feels when they’renottrying to make it hurt?”
Cat gasped in outrage.
Bones only snorted. “You’d like to believe it was only that between her and I, wouldn’t you?”
“How could you eventhinksuch a thing?” Cat sputtered.
Because he can’t bear the fact that he had over four years to win your love, and he failed. “Don’t bother, Kitten,” was what Bones said. “Let him comfort himself with whatever lies he fancies. Belinda, time-out’s over. Back to your cell.”
Belinda didn’t argue. She didn’t even glare at Bones, which was more than could be said for the malevolent look Tate shot him as they started toward the exit.
Juan’s voice stopped them when they were almost out of the training room. “What’d I miss?”
Cat barked out a laugh. “Trust me, buddy. Don’t ask.”
36
It took Cat’s men four days of training several hours a day before they were able to stab Belinda in such a way that they’d incapacitate her, but not kill her. Itwasa difficult trick, especially since Belinda was fighting with everything she had, but by the week’s end, Belinda’s treats were extra blood bags for cooperation instead of feeding from the vein for victory.
Cat appeared more relieved by that than Tate, Juan, and Cooper. She hated her men risking themselves for her, as if she hadn’t done the same for them countless times. Bones didn’t point that out, though. She’d only argue, and besides, he had more important topics to discuss.
“You haven’t asked, and there’s been little time, but you need to know who we’re picking up from the airport, Kitten.”
“You said it was the first vampire you ever made,” she replied as they turned into the “arrivals” section of the terminal. “Or did I remember that wrong?”
“You didn’t, but there’s more to it than that.”
“What, she’s an old flame, too?” Cat said in a joking tone.
The oldest one.“You could say that.”
Cat’s expression went from amused to shuttered in a blink. “Can’t wait to meet her,” she said with an edge in her tone.
He well understood her jealousy, but he’d had carnal relations with most of the female members of his line, and he could hardly shun them because Cat wouldn’t fancy that fact. Furthermore, he needed his people with him as a show of strength when he left Ian’s line, so Cat would have to deal with his ex-lovers eventually, and one sooner rather than later.
“Remember I told you that when I was human, one of my clients saved my life by convincing the judge to ship me to the Australian penal colonies instead of hanging me?” At Cat’s nod, Bones went on. “That client was Annette. Two decades later, when I returned to London as a vampire, I looked for the people who’d shown me kindness. Madame Lucille was dead by then. So were many of the prostitutes I’d grown up with, but Annette was still alive. I offered her this life, and she accepted it. She is who we’re picking up now.”
