"Why hallo, Domino. Do you know who I am?"
Bones gestured for Dave to let Domino up. Spade appeared, red stains splattering him, and held Domino with an unyielding grip. Juan and Dave rounded up the few remaining survivors.
Domino glared at Bones. "No. What's the meaning of this?"
It was an outright lie. Domino did know. His eyes kept flicking to me.
Bones smiled. "Oh, grand. Going to make me beat the truth out of you? My favorite way to work."
Even I blinked at the suddenness of his movement. One moment Domino's legs were kicking, the next they were ripped off and in Bones's hands. Ew.
New body parts hurt when they grew back. So I'd been told, anyway. Domino screamed like that was true.
"Still don't know me, mate? Come on, lie to me again, see what it gets you."
"Stop," Domino shouted. "I know you, but I didn't know what the missile was for. I swear to Cain I didn't know!"
A dark brow arched. "Max didn't pay you himself, so who did?"
Domino stared with fascinated revulsion at his own limbs on the ground in front of him. "Promise you won't kill me, then I'll tell you everything."
"You don't want me to do that," Bones said softly. He leaned closer until he was mere inches from Domino's face. "Because if I let you live, you'll wish I hadn't. Or I can kill you here. Much easier that way. See, I believe you when you say you didn't know what that missile was for. That's why you get a choice, but either way, youwill tell what I want to know."
I watched as denial, hope, despair, and bitter acceptance flashed on Domino's face.
"The money was wired, I don't know who from," came his flat reply at last. "Max was given an account number to transfer it into, but he didn't handle it himself. I know this because he kept calling me to see if the money had arrived. It took a few days, and he got impatient and said something about a deadline."
"Back to the bank wire," Bones said. "You're going to give me all of your account numbers, and then the locations of where you store your other merchandise. Make it quick. Don't want to stand here all bloody night."
Domino began to strain against Spade, but the other vampire was too strong. "Why do you need all of them? You can take the account it was sent to, but leave the rest alone!"
Bones chuckled, but it wasn't pleasant. "Why I want them is because I'm taking every last cent you have, along with your life. It'll be a lesson to others about what will happen to them if they cross me. Now, do you need more incentive to talk?"
Domino swore as he began to spout off numbers, locations, banks, stocks, investments, safety deposit boxes, all but what was hidden underneath his proverbial mattress. Bones took notes, pausing to question in more detail certain nuances. When Domino was finished, he just stared blankly ahead.
Bones rested his hands on either side of Domino's head, a light touch that belied his intention.
"Now, mate, if you've left anything out, or lied to me, you won't be around when I find out. But you have a son. Drug runner, isn't he? He won't be past my reach, and I'll have no qualms about taking all of my anger out on him, so the next bugger doesn't try to deceive me when I offer him a fair deal. One last time, have you left anything out?"
"I'd always heard you were a vicious bastard," Domino said in a dull voice. "All I've worked for, gone. My son will have nothing."
Those pale hands tightened. "He'll have his life. Unless he was involved in this or tries to collect vengeance on me later, I'll leave him alone. Last chance."
Domino must have believed the warning, because three more bank account numbers were revealed in a monotone of resignation. Being an arms dealer paid well. Between the money and the illegal merchandise, Bones was getting millions. No wonder he laughed at my salary.
"Wise choice," he commented when Domino finished. "If you've been truthful, your son is safe from me and mine. Any last words?"
"You're an ass**le."
Bones just shrugged. "I already knew that."
Two hard turns later and it was over. I looked away from the head that dropped to the ground next to the rest of Domino's body.
Chapter Nine
IN SPITE OF THE FEVERISH TRACKING OF DOMINO'S accounts to try and pinpoint who supplied the money, we'd come up empty-handed. Whoever it was, he or she was clever. There were ghost companies, fake names, and canceled bank accounts, to name a few of the obstacles we encountered.
Two weeks later, Bones's cell phone rang. The crescendo should have sounded like a warning, but I'd been concentrating on the papers in front of me.
"Hallo...ah, didn't recognize the number, Mencheres..."
The name snapped me to attention. What did Bones's version of a vampire granddaddy want?
Bones's relaxed features hardened into unreadable planes as he listened. Then he said, "Right. We'll see you shortly," and hung up.
"Well?" I prodded.
"Mencheres is summoning me to his house to discuss a proposition he has for me."
I frowned. "Why couldn't he just tell you whatever it is over the phone?"
"It must be important, pet," Bones snorted. "My grandsire isn't much for dramatics, so whatever he wants to propose, it's not whether I'll water his plants for him for a small fee when he goes out of town."
Even though I was bundled under a thick sweater, I felt a chill go up my spine. What could Mencheres want to discuss with Bones that was so important, he was having him drop everything to meet him in person?
There was only one way to find out.
Mencheres answered the door himself, and I couldn't help but shiver as I felt his aura wash over me. The waves of energy coming from him were like a mini lightning storm. Mencheres's features announced him as Egyptian, and he had that whole wannabe pharaoh thing going on with his regal bearing and waist-length black hair. I guessed Mencheres to be well over two thousand, though from his appearance, you wouldn't think he was a day over twenty-five.
"Nice place you have here," I remarked, looking over the ornate mansion as we entered. "I can see why you'd need the space, what with all your houseguests."
If I'd thought we'd be surrounded by Mencheres's usual underlings, I was wrong. It sounded like we were the only three people in this mansion aside from some dogs. Mastiffs. Noble animals. I was a cat person myself.
Bones gave me a glance that made Mencheres smile. "Don't worry, she can say what she pleases. I like her directness. It's very similar to yours, albeit less diplomatic at times."
"My wife makes a good point, although tactless," Bones said. "Normally you have several of your people on hand. Should I assume their absence means you wish to keep our business private?"