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Rodney grunted. “Some days, you’re a cold one, buddy.”
“Somedays?” Bones snorted. “You flatter me.”
They drove in silence until they were nearly at the compound. Then, Rodney said, “It’ll be weird pulling up here instead of scouting it out from a distance. Are we going to have enough room for everyone? Or is Cat taking her own car?”
“We’re only picking up the lads. Cat’s back at the house with Annette.”
Rodney stared at him. “Tell me you’re kidding.”
Bones turned off at the private exit that led to the compound. “No, why?”
Rodney’s stare felt like it grew heavier. “You really left Cat and Annette alone together back at the house?”
“Yes. Why?”
Rodney let out a sharp laugh. “For a smart guy, you just did a very stupid thing.”
Bones showed the identification that Don had made for him at the first guard station, then waited until they were waved through before replying. “Cat might have instinctive vampire jealousy, but she’d never attack Annette without reason.”
Rodney grunted. “You think Annette won’t give her one?”
The unusual derision in Rodney’s voice caused Bones to give him a sharp look. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that Annette’s had you to herself for over two centuries—”
“Hardlyto herself,” Bones interjected.
“She has in the only way that matters to her,” Rodney countered. “You and Annette might have had countless other lovers, but you always came back to each other. Now, you’re suddenly in love with another woman andmonogamous. What makes you think Annette’s going to be okay with being permanently benched after all that time playing on the field?”
Bones had followed enough American football to understand the reference, even if he disagreed with it. “You’re wrong. Annette washappyfor me when I told her I’d found Cat.”
Rodney said nothing as they were stopped by the second guard gate. After his credentials were verified and Bones pulled past it, the ghoul gave him a jaded look. “You’re the expert on women, even though you obviously have a blind spot when it comes to Annette. So, you saying a woman wouldn’t lie about how she really felt in order to stay close enough to her ex to sabotage his new relationship, especially if she thought there might still be chance between them?”
A regular woman might, but Annette didn’t have a jealous bone in her body when it came to him, as she’d proved by their many, many ménages over the centuries. But then…Annettehadantagonized Cat over Belinda, and that was within the first few minutes of meeting her. What might she do if Rodney was right, and she did harbor some unexpected jealousy when it came to Cat?
“Perhaps I should hasten back,” Bones murmured.
Rodney grunted again. “Yeah, you really should.”
* * *
Ten minutes later,Tate gave Bones an aggravated look as Bones hustled him, Juan, and Cooper into the BMW. “Who set your ass on fire?”
Rodney had, combined with neither Cat nor Annette answering their mobiles. He doubted they were too busy with feminine bonding to pick up, so Rodney’s warning might be true.
“I left something on the stove,” Bones ground out.
“I’m Rodney,” his mate said when Bones was too busy peeling out of the compound to bother with introductions. “Good to meet you guys.”
The three humans exchanged a look. Then, Tate said, “I thought we were meeting a new vampire, Bones. Not a ghoul.”
Rodney laughed as if Tate hadn’t spoken over him like he wasn’t even there. “You get to meet both, but I’m first.”
“Hola,amigo,” Juan said, followed by an agreeable-enough “Hey, there,” from Cooper, but Tate still said nothing.
“Save your surliness for me, Tate,” Bones snapped without looking away from the road. “Rodney’s a nice bloke, so show him some respect, or I’ll hurl you out of this window.”
“No need for that,” Rodney said in a genial tone. “I bet Tate’s just shy. But, in case anyone’s wondering, no, I’m not gonna try to eat you. Ghouls only needthatsort of food a few times a year, and I already had mine not too long ago.”
