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Annette clicked her tongue. “Terrible. She must truly have changed in the short five years since we three got together.”
Only iron control kept him from slamming on the brakes. Why the hell did Annette keep going on about this? He shot a glare at her and cracked the ice on his aura, letting her feel his anger. If he were very lucky, Cat would miss the subtext-
“Answer the question,” Cat said in an acid tone. “Was it six years ago that the three of you all fucked? Or five?”
Bones nearly groaned. Of course she hadn’t missed the subtext, and five years ago, Bones had been with Cat, as Annette should have remembered. No wonder Cat looked as if she were about to throttle Annette. He was tempted to do the same.
“See, Bones already told me that he’d screwed Belinda,” Cat went on to Annette in a falsely jovial tone. “But thank you for letting me know that you participated, too. I so neededthatpicture in my head.”
Annette opened her mouth to speak, and then snapped it shut when Bones swerved to the shoulder of the highway and put the car in park. Then, he turned to face her, letting his gaze and his simmering fury spill over her.
“I won’t tolerate such rudeness. Cat knew full well what you were implying, and I can’t imagine why you felt the need to throw such a thing up to her. You also know that it waseightyears ago, before I met her, and I’ll thank you not to entertain yourself by sharing any further such recollections with her.”
Surprise stamped on Annette’s features before shame covered them. Then, she bowed her head. “I apologize. Perhaps it was the long flight which made me forget myself.”
Whatever had gotten into her, it wasn’t that. A mere handful of hours on a plane wouldn’t have caused Annette to forget herself that way. No, she’d deliberately baited Cat. Why? Had something happened during their brief interlude when they fetched Annette’s bags? Even if it had, this nonsense ended now.
“Kitten, is that sufficient for you?”
Cat gave Annette a measured look. “I can handle a little ménage à trois reminiscing, but for the record, you can forget about any repeats involving the three of us.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, darling,” Annette promised, sounding properly apologetic.
Bones gave Annette a final, warning look before pulling back onto the road. Annette might not be used to him being in a monogamous relationship, let alone with a sexually sheltered woman, but he was, so she had to respect that. Oh, Cat knew he’d hardly been chaste before meeting her, but Bones didn’t need Annette telling Cat the full extent of his promiscuity. Some things were best left in the past.
Most of the ride was over with when Annette finally broke the silence. “I meant to tell you that I found the loveliest bungalow in the city, Crispin. It’s privately owned and very secluded, so I shan’t be observed by anyone happening by, and it’s available tomorrow night.”
Some of his anger drained away. Annette hadn’t “found” anything. She always stayed with him during formal vampire events, so this was a peace offering. An effective one, too, from the relief that flashed over Cat’s face. Perhaps it was best that they become acquainted from a distance.
“Sounds lovely,” Bones said, giving Annette a brief smile. “Since our time will be short, here’s our plan for Ian.”
He filled her in. She listened in silence until Bones told her about Tate, Juan, and Cooper’s parts in the setup.
“Humans willingly walking into Ian’s clutches? Oh, Crispin, you must let me meet them! Can we have them for supper?”
“She better mean to dinner with real food on the table,” Cat said under her breath.
Annette’s laughter sparkled like champagne. “Of course. Can’t have me eating the bait, now can we?”
Bones pulled up to the house, and then raised a brow at Cat.
She shrugged. “It’s not a bad idea. Maybe meeting another non-threatening vampire will make them less jittery about this whole Army of Darkness thing with Ian.”
Sometimes he forgot that he was the only vampire her men had met that hadn’t tried to eat them first. Their horizonsshouldbe broadened, especially since Don intended to have some of them turn into vampires themselves.
“Very well,” Bones said as he gathered up Annette’s luggage. “If they agree, I’ll pick them up when I fetch Rodney later today. He’s our other houseguest tonight.”
Cat brightened as she got out of the car. “Rodney the ghoul? Oh, I liked him. He didn’t get angry no matter how many times my mom insulted him.”
A feat worthy of praise, indeed,Bones thought wryly.
Cat led Annette into the house, stopping only to pet her cat. Annette offered to make tea while Bones put her bags in the guest room. By the time he was done, Annette was sitting at the table sipping from a steaming cup, and Cat was finishing a tall gin and tonic with a newly pensive expression on her face.
“Um, does Rodney…I mean, because of the last time we met, I’d understand if he did, but just so I’m prepared…does he hate me?” Cat asked softly.
Annette’s brows went up, but she pretended to be absorbed with her tea. Bones sat next to Cat, and took her glass so her hand was free for him to hold.
“No, Rodney doesn’t hate you, Kitten. He was only angry at Don for threatening you, although we didn’t know who’d done it at the time. Now, as far as your mother,” Bones deliberately lightened his tone. “Well, she didn’t make a friend.”
