"Good one," I growled. "She didn't know you were his sire."
Bones appeared from behind him. "Mate, come with me for a moment."
He didn't wait for Ian's reply, but propelled him onto the porch. I went in the opposite direction to intercept my mother's furious beeline.
"Catherine!" she snapped as I blocked her path. "Get out of my way. I need to have a word with that thing."
Since she usually called Bones "filthy animal," I assumed "thing" meant Ian.
"Mom, I know you're upset."
She continued to shove her way past me. "Don't worry, I won't make a scene," she said with a final push by me. For her, that was the height of consideration.
"You." She marched straight up to Ian and jabbed a finger in his chest. He gave it an amused glance. "You created her father? Didn't you know what kind of filth he was? Or are you brainless, oblivious, and uncaring about the monsters you make?"
Bones let out a grim snort. "Clean up your mess, mate, but no matter how rude she gets, don't be insulting."
Ian rolled his eyes. "No, Justina, I'm not brainless, oblivious, or uncaring about those I sire. But if I'm responsible for every action my offspring does, then the same goes for you. Your daughter murdered my friend the day I met her. What do you owe me for that?"
I was nearly as taken aback as my mother was by Ian's cool turning of the tables.
"Another filthy vampire?" my mother purred when she regrouped. "One of many who tried to feast on her neck?"
"A ghoul doing his duty to defend me against a woman who tried to kill me in my own home," Ian countered. "Ask Cat. She'll tell you I never even attempted to bite her before she beheaded my friend."
I shuffled uncomfortably. How did I know Don had ulterior motives in sending me after Ian? I'd thought I was on just another job taking out the bad guys, not being the unwitting murderer of someone who'd done nothing wrong.
"I'm sorry about your friend, but I thought he was a killer, and he was sneaking up behind me to knock me out," I replied. "Besides, before that, you admitted you'd killed two people, Ian. Your employees."
"Who stole from me," was Ian's response. "Really, Crispin, what would you do to a couple of blokes who raided your home and tried to hawk your valuables on eBay?"
Bones shrugged. "The same. If you can't trust a chap with something as small as your possessions, how can you trust them not to betray you in a more serious manner?"
"Even so," Ian agreed, before giving my mother another measured look. "Then with Max we're more than even, poppet, so what else are you riled at me about?"
She appeared rattled, but then gestured at Bones. "Him. You made him, and he's the reason my parents were murdered, so we're hardly even, vampire."
A shadow flickered across Bones's face.You weren't responsible for that, I told him.She's wrong.
"Yet he also taught Cat how to fight, making her stronger, faster, and deadlier. Without that, do you think she'd still be alive? Furthermore, didn't he just save her lifeand yours recently? Are you telling me that's worth less than your parents?"
My mother stared at him in an odd way. Like she didn't know what to make of him. Ian returned her gaze, unblinking and unapologetic. Finally, after a tense silence, she turned on her heel and walked away.
"Glad we had a chance to talk," he called after her.
She didn't reply.
Ian clapped a hand across Bones's shoulders. "Shall we return inside? It's chilly out, and your wife is clearly cold." His eyes roamed over me and he laughed. "Clearly."
"Sod off," Bones snapped.
Ian walked away, whistling. I snorted. "Told you I should have worn a bra." Then I changed the subject, not wanting anything else to dampen our evening. "If you ask nicely, I'll let you open one of your presents, even though it's early."
Bones's lips curled. "What must I say? Please? Ah, Kitten, please, I implore you, beseech you-"
"Shut up." With a smirk, I pulled him into the library and retrieved a box from under the couch. A quick glance told me no one was watching, because I didn't want an audience for this. I'd been kidding when I said it was one of his real presents. It was something else. "Here."
Bones unwrapped it, and his smile grew to a dirty leer. "Aren't these lovely? Not my size, but if you'd like me to wear them, I'll be happy to oblige."
"Aren't you funny? But you know you're supposed to pick which one you wantme to put on."
His choice was instant. "The red."
"I thought you'd like that one." My voice was wispy from the sudden flare of heat in his eyes.
Bones leaned closer until his mouth grazed mine.
"Right you are."
Chapter Fifteen
THE RED NIGHTGOWN FLOWED AROUND ME, as dark as blood on my skin. Bones held me by the hips and arched underneath me, sharp noises of pleasure coming from his throat.
"Yes, Kitten. More...don't stop..."
I closed my eyes, caught up in the ecstasy. My fingers wound the sheet into handholds as I moved faster.
"Yes..."
The sensuality of the moment faded as a haze seemed to appear around us and the sheets began to develop a life of their own. They coiled around my wrists and ankles, as if the cotton had become an evil serpent. I tried to tell Bones to stop, but when I opened my mouth, blood poured out.
"Still trying to be brave, little girl?" a voice witheringly asked.
Horror crawled over me. I knew that voice.
The haze lifted, and I screamed in a long, piercing wail as Bones and the bed faded, and I was somehow on the floor in front of my father. Those serpentine sheets became knives that speared me through the wrists. My gut, leg, and arms throbbed in agony.
"Know what I'm going to do to you, little girl?" Max went on. "I'm going to rip your throat out again."
He came toward me. I tried to twist away, but those knives in my wrists prevented me. Max laughed as his fangs neared my skin, my struggles as frantic as they were useless. Then I screamed as he dragged his fangs slowly across my neck.
"Stop stop stop stop-!"
Max pressed something to my mouth. I coughed, sputtered, and swallowed, but after a few moments, Max faded and I could see someone else.
"Wake up, Kitten!"
Bones focused in front of me. Before my gaze, welts and scratches on him healed, leaving only blood to show where they'd been. His wrist was pressed to my mouth, the sheets were shredded all around us, and we weren't alone in the room.