Over My Dead Body Read online

  “You do not understand,” said Reiner as he put the car into drive and backed out of the gravel drive. “I do not have a choice.”

  “They stole your son, just like they stole my daughter.”

  He glanced at me sharply. Then he nodded.

  “How long have you given up paranormals to ETAC?”

  He didn’t answer right away. Wrestling with his conscience, perhaps?

  “Too long,” he finally admitted. “Ten years ago, they killed my mate and her cousins. Then they stole my infant son. Like most lycan babies, Adaulfo was not doing well.” He tapped his nose. “I am the best tracker, Simone. I did not lie about that. I tracked my son all the way to the ETAC facility in Nevada. The General offered me a deal—if I would help him find paranormals, they would save my son, and I could raise him.”

  I empathized with Reiner. He thought he’d lost everything until he’d been offered what he couldn’t resist. And if others paid the price so that his son could live, then so be it. I knew the feeling well, though I was going to try my damndest not to sacrifice others in the process.

  “Why Broken Heart?” I asked. “Why give them this town?”

  “To get out,” said Reiner. “I have been the General’s bitch.” He paused, his fury so palpable I could feel the air vibrate. “I’d been in touch with Damian and knew he had settled here with his brothers. They are, as you say, old school. Guardians of the undead. An outdated notion, if you ask me.

  “When I found out the Moon Goddess festival would be held here, I made a deal with the General. I would give him the biggest gathering of parakind in the United States—and he would let me and Adaulfo go live among our own kind. We would be free.”

  “I think it would be hard to live among your own kind if you kill them all.”

  He had the grace to look ashamed. Well, he should feel shame, and guilt, and just plain ol’ terrible.

  “You really think he’s going to let you and your son off the hook?”

  His hands clenched the steering wheel, and I saw a muscle working in his jaw. I realized that Reiner had probably suspected as much. Did he have a plan to get out, anyway? Or was he relying solely on the General to keep his word?

  “Do you know what Adaulfo means? ‘Noble wolf, noble hero.’ I am so proud of my son, but not of myself. I once thought of myself as noble, but no longer.” He sighed again. “What can I do, Simone?”

  “Disable the bomb,” I said. “Help us destroy ETAC and save our children.”

  For a moment, Reiner looked hopeful. Then he shook his head. “ETAC is like the hydra. You cut off one head, and two grow back. You may get rid of them for a while, but not forever.”

  In the distance, I saw the squat white building of the hospital. My stomach squeezed as I thought about Gran lying gray and sickly in a bed, fighting for breath, for life.

  “Do you think, if something should happen to me, Damian would raise my son?” He sounded far off, lost in his own thoughts. “Damian has lost much, too. He is a good leader, a good friend.”

  I wasn’t sure what to make of Reiner ’s musings. Tell the truth, this turn in the conversation was making me uncomfortable.

  We pulled into a parking space a few feet from the entrance to the hospital. I turned to the stoic lycan, apprehension swirling in my gut.

  “You have a noble heart, like my wife. She would not approve of all that I’ve done. She would be disappointed.” He turned to look at me, his blue eyes tinged with regret.

  Reiner had already sacrificed so much for his kid. He’d gotten caught up in a bad situation, one that he’d perpetuated, and now it was time to do the right thing. I knew exactly how that felt.

  I didn’t know what to say to Reiner. He jerked his head toward the entrance doors. “Go see your grandmother. I’ll wait for you.”

  As I crossed the parking lot, I turned off the cone because the General may have been maniacal, but he wasn’t stupid. I don’t know what he’d think about not hearing me and Reiner interact for the whole drive, but really, what was he going to do? He needed my water skills to make his plan work, and even if he was a liar, he wasn’t the type of man to act rashly.

  No, he was all about premeditation.

  I walked into the hospital. As usual, it felt cold and empty. Dr. Merrick herself was behind the information desk in the lobby. She looked up from a clipboard and smiled.

  “Elaine is on the third floor. Room three-oh-three.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “Go see for yourself.” She paused. Then she mouthed, Are you ready?

  I nodded. Physically, yes. Psychologically, no. I wasn’t looking forward to putting our plan into action, but at least it was better than following through with what the General wanted.

  I didn’t have much time to enact my part of the plan. I felt guilty that I wouldn’t be able to hold Gran’s hand the way she’d held mine so many times. I didn’t like to think of her being alone tonight, when the world had a serious shot of going all to hell.

  I took the elevator to the third floor and found Room 303.

  I knocked lightly. “Gran?”

  I didn’t hear a response. I knocked one more time, then I slowly opened the door, thinking she was probably resting.

  Yeah. Not so much.

  George was stretched out next to her in the hospital bed (fully clothed, thank God) and Gran was pressed flush against him, her mouth on his neck. Granted, I had been in the same position with Brady not long ago, but still . . . c’mon. It totally geeked me out to see Grandma Elaine macking on her new boyfriend.

  I cleared my throat.

  I heard a slurp-pop sound, then Gran turned to me. George’s eyes opened, and they looked a little dazed (um, ew). Gran wiped her mouth, but it didn’t matter.

  I could see the blood.

  The fangs.

  Holy fucking shit.

  My grandmother was a vampire.

  Chapter 29

  “Hello, sweetheart,” said Gran.

  “Oh, my God.” I pointed at them. “Oh. My. God!”

  “Calm down, Simone.”

  This directive came from George. I turned my gaze to him. “You Turned her?”

  “Only because I asked him. I was dying. I wasn’t scared, child. I just wasn’t ready to go.”

  I didn’t really have the right to consider the natural order of life for her when it didn’t apply to me. The only difference was that I hadn’t been given a choice to Turn. The Consortium made that decision for all of us.

  Then I realized she was looking right at me. As if she could see me. “Gran! You got your sight back?”

  She nodded, her eyes crinkling as she smiled. Her fangs had receded, thank goodness. While her pale skin seemed smoother and her gray hair shone like silver, she still looked like a human grandma.

  “I’m fit as a fiddle, honey,” said Gran. “Now, how about you tell me what’s wrong with you?”

  This was the woman who not only accepted my confession about killing her grandson, but also offered me shelter and support.

  And I couldn’t tell her what was going on.

  “I’m fine,” I said. “I’m just so glad you’re alive. That you’re okay.”

  “What about those awful men?” asked Gran.

  “Brady rescued me,” I lied. “I couldn’t get here any sooner because the Consortium is being really picky about my safety.”

  “Good.” Gran sighed. “They told me they hadn’t found Glory.” George took Gran’s hand and squeezed. “But I think she’s gonna be okay, our girl. I really do.”

  “Me, too.” I wanted to hug her, but George was clinging to her like Jessica grasping the mall’s last box of Godiva truffles. I crossed the room and kissed Gran on the forehead. “I’m glad you’re still around, Grandma Elaine. Life wouldn’t be the same without you.”

  “Thank you, baby. Don’t worry. I’ll be home soon.”

  I leaned down to kiss her one more time. Over the top of her head, I saw George peering at me. If I didn’t
know better, I’d think that was suspicion lurking in his gaze. I didn’t know him well enough to assume anything about the man. Who’s to say I shouldn’t be the one suspicious of him?

  I went to the door, waved good-bye, and left Gran’s hospital room. I untucked my cell phone and glanced at the display. It was already past ten o’clock. Time was slipping away from me.

  I hurried down the hallway and felt a touch on my shoulder. I whirled around. Dr. Merrick put her finger to her lips and gestured for me to follow her.

  We went behind the empty nurse’s station and through a door, which Dr. Merrick closed behind us. Brady waited in the small office. I saw a silver cone on the desk, its blue light glowing.

  Brady met me halfway. He gathered me into his arms and kissed me. Wow. Had I once thought he wasn’t emotive? He had no problem showing affection or letting others know how he felt about me.

  “Everything is in place,” said Dr. Merrick. “I’ve spoken to Patrick and Damian and convinced them you might be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. I see no reason they won’t call me first after . . .” Her gaze moved to Brady.

  Yeah. That was the one glitch in the plan.

  “We don’t have another option,” said Brady. “You’ll have to Turn me.”

  “It’s not an easy process,” I said. “I’ve never done it. I don’t think any Turn-blood in Broken Heart has.” I placed my palm against his cheek. “If I do one wrong thing during the Turning, you’ll die.”

  “It’s true, Brady,” said Dr. Merrick. “There’s a reason only one in ten humans transition to vampire. The process itself is a delicate one. It’s why only Masters do it, and even then they don’t always succeed.”

  “If she drains me,” said Brady, “I’ll be dying, anyway.”

  Dr. Merrick shook her head. Her eyes gleamed with an emotion I couldn’t decipher. “There is another way.” She lifted a gold necklace from her collarbone. The chain had been tucked under her shirt. The piece she clutched between her fingers was a gold circle. In the harsh glow of the overhead lights, I could see writing on the circle.

  She kissed the circle and whispered, “Ruadan.”

  Ruadan? As in Ruadan—the first vampire ever? He was the father of Patrick and Lorcan, former leader of the seven Ancients, and one of the most powerful beings on Earth.

  He sparkled into the office within seconds. His sons had obviously gotten their good looks from him. His hair was as dark as a raven’s wing, his eyes as silver as new dimes. He was tall, well-built, sexy. And even in jeans, a T-shirt, and Converse sneakers, he was damned intimidating.

  “Fate,” he said, inclining his head. His expression was blank, but I sensed an undercurrent of tension. Maybe it was in the way he held himself, almost as if he expected an attack.

  “Vampire,” responded Dr. Merrick, her voice holding a trace of humor.

  Ruadan listened as Dr. Merrick started the explanations. He remained stoic, his face expressionless. Only his mercurial eyes hinted at emotion.

  When she finished telling Ruadan all that had transpired and outlining our plan, she asked, “Will you Turn Brady?”

  “For you,” said Ruadan, “I would do anything.”

  His words wore the mantle of tenderness, which slipped just a little to reveal the bitterness underneath. Why would Ruadan agree to help Dr. Merrick if he resented doing so?

  I glanced at Dr. Merrick. For the briefest of moments, I saw the longing in her gaze, and I knew that there was something more between her and Ruadan. I had the oddest impression that she wanted to touch the vampire, but her hands stayed at her sides.

  Ruadan agreed to be in the woods at the correct time. The idea was to Turn Brady before ETAC could get hold of him and use their technology to do the same.

  Killing Brady was the key to returning to ETAC’s hidey-hole. I would meet my contact at the designated time and hopefully get to the facility to rescue the kids before the General figured out he’d been had. To that end, Brady had given me some techno-whatsits that included a personal Invisi-shield, a handheld laser gun (think Star Trek), and the little silver gun that dispensed drugs.

  “I have to go.” I kissed Brady, thinking about the circumstances of our next meeting. My stomach squeezed.

  “It’s okay,” he murmured. “Trust me.”

  You know what? I did.

  Reiner took me home. The drive was quiet, probably because each of us had our own worries to chew on.

  I was afraid to use the cone again. I didn’t want the General to catch on. I could only hope that when the time came, Reiner would help us.

  Reiner and I said our good-byes.

  Instead of returning to the house, I took a walk by the creek. Darrius stood on the porch, watching me, his arms crossed as he leaned casually against the post. I had no doubts he could be off those steps and changing into a wolf in no time flat. Say what you will about the furred ones, but they had some seriously badass skills.

  I sat at the end of the pier and looked down into the water. I’d never tapped my full powers. Like I said, as the Turn-blood of an Ancient, I had more mojo than most. I’d just never needed it before—and now I had to use it to frighten and trap innocent people.

  I turned and made my way back to the house.

  “Ready to make those cookies?” asked Darrius.

  I laughed. “Yeah. Sure.”

  I managed to bake a dozen cookies for Darrius. Then I claimed I had some sewing to do. Yes, I sewed. My mother taught me how to use a machine (as well as plain ol’ needle and thread), and everything.

  Once again, I activated the signal disrupter. Then I called Dr. Merrick. “I need you to ask Ruadan to do one more thing for me.”

  She listened to my request and promised to contact Ruadan. I really wanted to ask what had happened between her and the vampire, but this was neither the time nor the place.

  I locked myself in the bedroom, inventoried my equipment for tonight, added one more item, and then went to the mirror.

  I looked really stressed. Well, duh. I sat on the edge of the bed and spent a few precious minutes calming myself. It made me feel a little bit better. Maybe I should take one of those yoga classes that Libby had been teaching at the compound. I sure could use some inner peace.

  Not having a heartbeat was really weird. As I returned downstairs, mine should’ve been trying to beat out of my chest. But no, I didn’t have the physical responses designed to give me away to overly sensitive lycans.

  Darrius was on the couch, stuffing another cookie into his maw with one hand while the other used the remote control to flip channels.

  It was easy to stick the little silver gun against his neck. He passed out almost instantly. Whoa. Brady had some powerful toys in his possession. No wonder he was so ape shit about protecting them all.

  The digital display on my cell phone read eleven forty-three p.m.

  Queen Patricia sat in the middle of a dais with her husband, Gabriel, and waited for the blessing of the Moon Goddess.

  The festival had been in full swing all day and all evening. Almost two thousand paranormal beings had come to Broken Heart, most of those Roma and lycanthropes. They were gathered here, on the old location of the town’s high school, waiting to accept Patsy as the new sovereign leader of vampires and lycanthropes.

  Damian and Drake stood sentinel behind Patsy and Gabriel. On the left end of the stage stood two women dressed in long silver robes. Between them was Reiner, holding the statue. I realized now why he wanted me to work on it. This whole time ETAC had been setting up things so that I looked culpable. Even if I refused to cooperate with the General, I’d get blamed for a myriad of other offenses.

  My stomach squeezed. It was a few minutes before midnight, nearly time for the priestesses to come onto the dais and offer the blessings of their goddess.

  Underneath the town crisscrossed the sewer system. All I had to do was call the water forth and trap all the happy attendees. Then Reiner would do his part.

  I h
oped, for the sake of us all, he would do the right thing. I moved through the festivalgoers until I was at the back part of the field. Nearly everyone crowded toward the dais, wanting a look at the drama unfolding on stage.

  The priestesses moved onto the stage and Reiner followed with his gift. It seemed as though the statue was part of the ceremony, and not just a little trinket for the queen.

  Using my power the way Velthur taught me, I put my arms down and aimed my flat palms at the earth. I felt the water, even though it was deep, deep under the ground. I connected with it, drew its power to me, and pulled it . . . up . . . hard . . . fast.

  The earth shook beneath our feet.

  It was difficult to focus the water. I hadn’t done anything of this magnitude, and if I wasn’t the Turn-blood of Velthur, I probably couldn’t have done it.

  Dirt detonated. Walls of brown water shot up around the perimeter of the throng.

  Screams erupted as everyone pushed toward the dais.

  No safety existed there, especially with Reiner and the bomb.

  I stayed outside the ring of violent blasts of water. Even with my vamp vision, I couldn’t see much through the liquid explosions. But I heard the continued screams, and sensed the confusion, panic.

  I hated that I was part of this travesty. I hated that I had to rely on Reiner to keep his word. Would people die?

  Had I done the wrong thing?

  Of course I had. Terror reigned. For a split second, I considered letting the water fall away and taking my chances.

  Glory.

  What wouldn’t a mother do for a child?

  My eyes ached with tears I couldn’t shed. My chest was tight with anguish, regret.

  Please, Reiner. Do the right thing.

  Then the bomb detonated.

  Thunder. Fire. Smoke.

  I clenched my fists and broke the connection. The fountains dropped away; water sloshed over the ground.

  People ran. Lots of people. Relief cascaded. The General would be pissed, but I didn’t care. I did my part. On the dais, I saw Gabriel and Damian helping the queen off the stage. I didn’t see Reiner or the priestesses.