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My dress was silver It hung toa halter at the neck The back was bare, and the front had a deep V that made a bra impossible Those stick-on ones didn't do the trick, either

I frowned at et cold I'm the hostess, I'm not supposed to look cheap"

Bones appeared behind "

A brush of his lips on my back punctuated his compliment, and as if on cue, both ht

"Ravishing," he whispered into my skin

He should like the dress, he picked it out Bones always choseoutfits than I did At least I had on underwear, s I insisted on despite his limitless powers of persuasion

Bones tilted his head to the side for a second "Your mum's here"

I went downstairs to greet her, since Bones wasn't dressed yet I hadn't seen her since that unbelievable night at Rodney's, and I didn't even want to know if they were now, uentleman, hadn'tto prep for the evening's on slayer!" salute

I opened the doorand my smile froze Thiscouldn't be my mother

Her brown hair was free of gray and had new lighter highlights Whether it was makeup or a chemical peel that seemed to have taken ten years off her in less than three weeks was anyone's guess Her dark ah on one leg before draping down to her ankle on the other side One shoulder was bared in Grecian style, and her hair ept half up with stray pieces trailing Her blue eyes were the only thing familiar about her

"Catherine" She swept byOkay,that was fa war out"

Hello to you, too, Mom Or whoever the hell you are, because you sure don't look like the woman who raised me

"You should talk," I h My God, if Grandrave!"

My mother opened her mouth, paused, and then smiled "I won't tell if you won't"

I was going directly to the kitchen to fall to ed to give her a sense of huured that would take voodoo, several headless chickens, and a lot of gris-gris

"Let's get you soh to steer her into the living room "It's spiked"

Chapter Fourteen

OUR LIST OF GUESTS WAS SMALL DUE TO THE unfestive circu at war There were Rodney, Spade, Rattler, Tick Tock, Ian, Zero, and another vaht as her date nauests consisted of Denise, Randy, my mother, Don, Cooper, Dave, Juan, and Tate

Bones had invited Ian at the last inal list of people I wanted to spend time with, but since he'd thrown in his side with ours, Bones felt he'd deserved the nod I'd been hoping he wouldn't show, but that was in vain In fact, I wondered if the reason Ian caot a kick out of that

We were sitting in the dining room Ian had arrived late and as soon as he crossed the threshold, ering near the porch with Dave, Cooper, and Juan, who also had reason not to like the chestnut-haired vampire across from me

"Why, Cat, you seerew pointed "You're not still cross atyour ex-boyfriend last summer, are you?"

I resisted the urge to hurl my plate at him "Of course not, Ian It's just that nor like rabbits, so I get twitchy when I have to wait for him to climb aboard"

Ian wasn't aoodwill, Crispin?" he demanded

Bones lifted a brow "You're not insulted in the least, and bringing up reference to how you attempted to force Cat into your line was extremely ill-mannered Let it be the last time you speak of it"

The words were reen

Ian leaned back in his chair "Well, htaway, and here I was barely even being rude At first I thought you snatched her away from me out of spite, but that's not it, is it? You of all people to fall prey to love"

They had over two hundred and twenty years of history between theood and bad The air seemed to thicken around the table

"You didn't come here just to discuss my wife, did you?"

Ian leaned forward "It was Max's treatment of her that prompted you to declare violent retribution to any who had a part in it Why wouldn't I want to see how committed you were before I stuck my own neck out farther than I already have? If you were led the sen tence with a careless flick of his hand "Why endanger me and mine over ruffled feathers?"

"Do you remember the tihtly "You can't count how many times I've wished I'd twisted it Ruffled feathers over , torture, and attempted murder? Fuck you!"

"I' what happened to you, Cat," Ian said at once "Only stating my interest in Crispin's reaction to it What he's done to Max is deserved, but that could have been the s more You do appreciate the difference?"

Ian's piercing turquoise eyes met mine He was a cold bastard, I knew that from experience, but there must be more to hio

Bones inclined his head "You have your answer, Ian My response is entirely personal when it comes to her"

"Lucky for you that Mencheresof your new alliance, I can't i of the two of us, I'ed his wife"

I froze even as Bones let out a vicious curse Ian, catching h

"What, didn't Crispin tell you about that? Don't knohy, happened before your parents were even born"

I got up fro to happen Bones followed me as I went outside on the porch Once ere alone, I rounded on him

"Why? I know you didn't think randsire's wife!"

His jaw clenched "I didn't knoho she hen it happened Mencheres and Patra hadn't been on good tero, I ht, and then a week later I found out she was Mencheres's wife Patra kneas She did it to hurt Mencheres, bloody hell, who do you think told him about it? I didn't understand why he didn't kill me back then, but after what's happened recently, I suppose he knew one day he'd need me around"

By hag sx with another vampire's wife, Bones would be under a death sentence-if the wronged spouse chose to claim it

"Is there anything else I don't know? Because I better not find out there was so more you decided to keep from me"

"There's nothing else I promise"

I stopped er I ith him, the more I was reminded that many women had shared that opinion I was sure there'd be a lotthey wouldn't be powerful, homicidal ones like Patra