One Foot in the Grave

NINETEEN

THE GUARD AT THE ENTRANCE DIDN’T WAVE me through as usual.

“Sorry, but…um, we have to check your vehicle.”

I hid a smile behind my hand. So Don was feeling edgy. “What’s up, Manny? New rules?”

“Yep, that’s it,” he agreed instantly.

Three more armed men came around my Volvo. They explored my interior, the undercarriage, and even the engine. Finally Manny straightened and nodded.

“Carry on.”

I was stopped at the second gate and the third one as well, the same procedure repeated. It took me over twenty minutes just to pull inside the four-mile stretch that wound around the main building. Not since my first year with Don had I been so thoroughly screened. Little did he know Bones had no need of piggybacking with me. He’d driven himself over on his snazzy new motorcycle, waiting out of sight near the airstrip. Just in case.

Once inside, the interior guards were less diligent. I passed through the normal checkpoints with ease. Apparently they were only concerned with me bringing an unwanted visitor. When I entered Don’s office, I saw that Juan and Tate were there as well. Oh goody, it was an intervention.

“Hello guys,” I addressed them.

Juan nodded, but Tate didn’t even acknowledge me. Don rose from his desk.

“Cat. You’re twenty minutes late.”

“I was tied up.” I couldn’t resist. “Then the guards almost strip-searched me on my way in the compound.”

“Shut the door, Juan,” Don directed coolly. With a gesture, he indicated my usual seat.

I took it, and promptly put my foot on his new desk.

“Nice color,” I commented. “Looks better than the old one. What’s the emergency?” As if I didn’t know.

“You are,” Tate snapped.

Don waved him silent and gave him a look. So he was playing Papa Bear, and Tate and Juan were backup support.

“Cat, just the other day, I told you how amazing it was you’d never faltered in your tenure here. It seems I spoke too soon. We know about the vampire. What do you have to say for yourself?”

I gave him a frosty smile. Bones had said not to reveal who he really was, and that was fine by me for now. God knew they were rattled enough already.

“Spying on me? I thought you gave that up a long time ago. You nosy bastard, what business is it of yours who I date as long as I do my job?”

That answer he wasn’t expecting. Don obviously thought I’d shrink under his withering stare. But if my mother couldn’t cower me, then he had no chance.

“You’re dating a vampire! You just admitted it!” Tate burst out.

I shrugged. “You know the old saying. Once you go dead, no one’s better in bed.”

“Christos,” Juan muttered.

“I hadn’t heard that one,” Don stonily replied. “You fail to see the enormity of what you’re admitting to? You are fraternizing with the enemy in the most compromising way possible, jeopardizing the lives of all you command. This creature is no doubt using you to infiltrate our operation.”

That made me snort rudely. “He couldn’t give a rat’s ass about your operation, Don. Believe it or not, he cares more about me than what goes on here.”

“I fail to see how that’s possible,” Don barked, his composure slipping. “Look at the influence he already has over you, making you risk your life for sex. And I seem to remember that personal association with vampires was expressly forbidden in our agreement when you signed on.”

I wasn’t about to correct Don’s misassumption of my relationship, and besides, I’d already decided on changing our celibate status. Plus, clearly Tate hadn’t recognized Bones from before, or this whole thing would be going down far differently. Well, who could blame him? He’d only seen him for a split second-right before Bones demolished his car, drank him, and chucked him through the air. That, and his hair was different.

“Yes, well, a lot of things have changed since then, haven’t they?” I observed mildly. “Take for example the invention of Brams. Or the caged vampires on the premises. Oh, and don’t forget, the added years to their lives.”

I jerked my head in Juan and Tate’s direction. Don’s expression confirmed that he hadn’t told them. There was nothing like clouding the issue to redirect the heat.

“That’s not relevant now,” Don grated.

I raised a mocking brow. “Let’s ask them, shall we? Tate, Juan, did you both know if you drank vampire blood, it would add at least twenty years to your natural lives? I didn’t know that, but old Don here sure did. He knew what went on in Ohio, but didn’t figure on telling you. Guess he thought you wouldn’t be interested.”

“Madre de Dios, is that true?” Juan blurted. Tate looked a bit dazed as well, and I pounced on him.

“It’s not nice when someone knows how long you might live and keeps it to themselves, is it? At least I told Don you had to be informed, whereas you didn’t give me the same courtesy!”

“Is this some sort of payback?” he asked low.

The pain in his eyes had little to do with this latest revelation and everything to do with my previous admission. Right then I saw what I’d been blind to before. God, Tate was in love with me. It was so clear, even I couldn’t fail to notice.

“No, it has nothing to do with that.” No need to lie there. “It has nothing to do with any of you, and that’s the way it stays.”

“There is no way I will allow this behavior to continue,” Don stated flatly. “Too many lives are at risk, and I care about that even if you don’t.”

I stood and loomed over him. “Fuck you, boss. I care about each and every man in my unit, and I’ve proved that countless times. You don’t believe me? Then fire me.”

“Querida, don’t be so hasty,” Juan implored. Don hadn’t moved. “We’re concerned for you; what if this vamp finds out what you are-”

“He knows,” I interrupted.

Don cursed freely. That made me blink. He never lost his cool.

“How does he know that, Cat? You told him? Did you draw him a fucking map of our location and numbers as well? I hope he’s amazing in bed, because you’ve just ruined everything we’ve worked for!”

“No, I didn’t tell him.” As I spoke, I improvised. “I met him years ago. He knew what I was from back then, and he left Ohio before all that shit went down. I hadn’t seen him until a month ago when I ran into him around here. He’s only a hundred and I’m stronger than he is, so he knows to keep his trap shut or I’ll kill him. There you have it.”

“How could you do it?” This from Tate, who gave me a faintly disgusted glare. “How could you fuck a corpse? You really went from one extreme to the other. First Noah, then right to necrophilia!”

That pissed me off. “Does everybody forget I’m half vampire? When you say shit about the undead, you’re also talking about me! It’s like skinheads trying to convince Halle Berry to march in their neo-nazi parade! How could I do it? Why don’t you tell me, Tate? Or you, Juan? Both of you have tried to fuck me. Guess that makes you necrophiliacs as well.”

It was a low blow, but one that was deliberate. They had to stop seeing all vampires as evil, and God knew that was a tough habit to break. After all, it had taken me years to be less narrow-minded, and I’d been in love with one.

Don coughed, not liking the direction of the conversation. “No one forgets what you are. However, it doesn’t change what your mission is. You kill the undead. All of you do. This is a momentous task with great responsibility. What’s to stop your lover from doing his kind a favor by informing them where the elusive Red Reaper lives? After all, if you’re dead, then you can hardly threaten him.”

“Juan, how many different women have you slept with in the past four years?” I abruptly asked.

He scratched his chin. “Yo no se, querida, perhaps…about one a week?” he answered before Don gave him a censuring glare.

“That’s not necessary!”

“I think it is,” I said sharply. “One a week, give or take. That’s over two hundred different women in the past four years he’s worked here, and on a side note: Juan, you’re a slut. But how many of them were carefully screened to ensure they weren’t a Renfield, or some ghoul’s underling? You sexist bastards, I’m the only one called on the carpet for who I date! Well, I’ve had enough of this little chastity session. Don, it comes down to this. You either trust me or you don’t. I’ve never let you down, and I won’t walk away unless you make me. Period. Now, unless you have a real emergency, I’d like to get back to my vacation. And my corpse, thanks.”

I marched to the door, but Tate didn’t move from in front of it.

“Get out of my way,” I said with an undertone of menace.

“Cat.” Don got up and lightly took my elbow. “If we have nothing to fear from your association with this vampire, then you won’t mind stopping by the lab for a blood sample. You haven’t been indiscriminately drinking blood, have you?”

I snorted. “Not my beverage of choice, sorry. But if it’ll make you feel better to check my lab work, fine. Lead the way.”

“I’ll be frank with you,” Don said as we walked to the second level, Tate and Juan following. “I don’t know what I’m going to do about this. I have the team to consider. I’m not comfortable risking their lives on only your word that this creature isn’t dangerous.”

“That’s where the trust part comes in. Besides, if he wanted to hurt the team, he could have done that last weekend at the GiGi Club. Don’t fuck up a good thing because of blind prejudice, Don. We both know you need me.”

He regarded me as I stepped into the lab. “I want to believe you can’t be turned against us. But I don’t know if I can.”

Later, after a spot processing proved I wasn’t hyped full of nosferatu juice, Tate walked me to my car. He hadn’t said a word since Don’s office, and I didn’t speak, either. They were letting me go, but I knew nothing had really been settled. That was okay-I had nothing to hide now. Well, almost nothing.

Tate opened my door out of polite habit. I slid inside but didn’t shut it. His fingers tapped on my roof.

“I bet you thought that was poetic justice, me not knowing about how much longer I could live. I told Don to tell you about your aging three years ago, when they were sure. He disagreed, and he’s the boss. Sometimes you just have to follow orders, even if you don’t want to.”

“Sometimes.” I stared at him without blinking. “Not always. Not when it affects your friends, but we have different opinions about that.”

“Yeah, well, we have different opinions about a lot of things.” Dark blue eyes met mine. “You really handed me my ass in there. First you casually admit to having a vampire boyfriend, then you tell everyone I tried to fuck you. What’s next? You going to whip out a dick and say you’re really a man?”

His sour tone didn’t lend to humor, but I smiled slightly. “Back me into a corner and I come out clawing. You know that. I wish all of you would just have a little faith. I care about my team and the job I do. If I didn’t, why would I put up with this shit?”

His mouth twisted. “You might have Don fooled, Cat, but not me. I saw your face tonight. You’ve never smiled at anyone the way you smiled at that vampire. That’s why I don’t trust you not to get in over your head. You already are.”