came
with us. On the plane, like Jeannie said. He was in the limo with us last night. And in your
office.” “Oh, well, that’s fine then.” “I wouldn’t call that exactly fine,” Jeannie began, but
Michael had already turned away, gently touching Jeannie’s elbow. “Hon, would you tell
the kitchen they need to send up more—” “Wait.” Sinclair might not have been a Pack
member, but he had no trouble seizing control of a moment . . . Everybody stopped and
looked at him. “Michael,” Sinclair asked quietly, almost gently, “where is the baby?”
Michael frowned and cocked his head, as if listening to a voice from another room. “What
baby?” “That’s it,” Jeannie said firmly. “I’m taking you to a doctor. Right now.” “I’m not
sure it’s something a doctor can fix,” I said, mentally reeling. I mean, I really needed a
minute here. As soon as Michael had turned his back, he’d forgotten—again—about
BabyJon. Derik wouldn’t go anywhere near the kid. And the other werewolves seemed to
be picking up on Derik’s extreme stress. Only Sara seemed unperturbed. “Perhaps it’s
time to go,” Sinclair murmured, his fingers clutching the back of my chair. Perhaps it was
time to call the local mental hospital with some new admits. “Uh, okay,” I said, slowly
getting to my feet. BabyJon, unmoved by recent events, yawned against my neck. “Well,
thanks for the—uh—snacks. I guess we’ll—” “We’re not going to actually let them get
away with this, are we?” A petite, dark-haired woman with a severe buzz cut was standing
on the fringe of our small group. She was dressed in black jeans and a black button-down
shirt, and it took me a minute to place her. It was Cain—one of the werewolves who’d
come to the mansion looking for Antonia earlier in the week. “She gets Antonia killed,
then brings some sort of ensorcelled infant—if that’s what it really is—and we’re just
going to let her walk?” “Cain.” “Well, are we?” she cried, turning to face the man who
towered over her. He, too, was dark and whip-thin. He, too, looked weirded out but, even
more than that, he seemed almost embarrassed. For her or for me, I had no idea. But I
wasn’t going to bet the farm it was me. “That’s for the Council to decide,” the quiet, dark-
haired man said. “Not us. And not here.” “But she got Antonia killed! And she doesn’t
even seem to care!” And that was just about enough. “I didn’t get Antonia killed,” I said,
and I could practically feel ears pricking up all over the room. “You did.” Sinclair pinched
the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “And then she— what ?” Cain’s jaw sagged and
she turned to fully face me. “What did you say to me?” “What’s wrong? Should I get a
megaphone? Do you not understand English?” Smiling, I beckoned her closer and, when
she bent to hear, I said loudly, “I didn’t get Antonia killed. You did.” Cain jerked away
and rubbed her ear. A few more werewolves sidled over. Sinclair was still shaking his head
and looking like the before picture of a sinus headache commercial. “I am so sick of this
bullshit,” I said, knowing my voice was carrying, knowing everyone in the room could
hear me, and not much caring. “I guess it hasn’t occurred to any of you to ask yourselves
what the hell Antonia was doing living with vampires in the first place. Oh, hell no! After
all, it’s much more convenient to blame us than face the fact that she couldn’t get out of
here fast enough.” “And now,” Sinclair sighed, “we fight.” “Here,” I said, thrusting
BabyJon toward Sara, who scooped him up and backed off a couple of steps. BabyJon let
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( http://www.novapdf.com ) out a pissed-off yowl, ignoring Sara’s attempts to soothe him. “You can’t pass the buck
that easily,” Cain retorted. “You were
with us. On the plane, like Jeannie said. He was in the limo with us last night. And in your
office.” “Oh, well, that’s fine then.” “I wouldn’t call that exactly fine,” Jeannie began, but
Michael had already turned away, gently touching Jeannie’s elbow. “Hon, would you tell
the kitchen they need to send up more—” “Wait.” Sinclair might not have been a Pack
member, but he had no trouble seizing control of a moment . . . Everybody stopped and
looked at him. “Michael,” Sinclair asked quietly, almost gently, “where is the baby?”
Michael frowned and cocked his head, as if listening to a voice from another room. “What
baby?” “That’s it,” Jeannie said firmly. “I’m taking you to a doctor. Right now.” “I’m not
sure it’s something a doctor can fix,” I said, mentally reeling. I mean, I really needed a
minute here. As soon as Michael had turned his back, he’d forgotten—again—about
BabyJon. Derik wouldn’t go anywhere near the kid. And the other werewolves seemed to
be picking up on Derik’s extreme stress. Only Sara seemed unperturbed. “Perhaps it’s
time to go,” Sinclair murmured, his fingers clutching the back of my chair. Perhaps it was
time to call the local mental hospital with some new admits. “Uh, okay,” I said, slowly
getting to my feet. BabyJon, unmoved by recent events, yawned against my neck. “Well,
thanks for the—uh—snacks. I guess we’ll—” “We’re not going to actually let them get
away with this, are we?” A petite, dark-haired woman with a severe buzz cut was standing
on the fringe of our small group. She was dressed in black jeans and a black button-down
shirt, and it took me a minute to place her. It was Cain—one of the werewolves who’d
come to the mansion looking for Antonia earlier in the week. “She gets Antonia killed,
then brings some sort of ensorcelled infant—if that’s what it really is—and we’re just
going to let her walk?” “Cain.” “Well, are we?” she cried, turning to face the man who
towered over her. He, too, was dark and whip-thin. He, too, looked weirded out but, even
more than that, he seemed almost embarrassed. For her or for me, I had no idea. But I
wasn’t going to bet the farm it was me. “That’s for the Council to decide,” the quiet, dark-
haired man said. “Not us. And not here.” “But she got Antonia killed! And she doesn’t
even seem to care!” And that was just about enough. “I didn’t get Antonia killed,” I said,
and I could practically feel ears pricking up all over the room. “You did.” Sinclair pinched
the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “And then she— what ?” Cain’s jaw sagged and
she turned to fully face me. “What did you say to me?” “What’s wrong? Should I get a
megaphone? Do you not understand English?” Smiling, I beckoned her closer and, when
she bent to hear, I said loudly, “I didn’t get Antonia killed. You did.” Cain jerked away
and rubbed her ear. A few more werewolves sidled over. Sinclair was still shaking his head
and looking like the before picture of a sinus headache commercial. “I am so sick of this
bullshit,” I said, knowing my voice was carrying, knowing everyone in the room could
hear me, and not much caring. “I guess it hasn’t occurred to any of you to ask yourselves
what the hell Antonia was doing living with vampires in the first place. Oh, hell no! After
all, it’s much more convenient to blame us than face the fact that she couldn’t get out of
here fast enough.” “And now,” Sinclair sighed, “we fight.” “Here,” I said, thrusting
BabyJon toward Sara, who scooped him up and backed off a couple of steps. BabyJon let
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( http://www.novapdf.com ) out a pissed-off yowl, ignoring Sara’s attempts to soothe him. “You can’t pass the buck
that easily,” Cain retorted. “You were
Similar Books
