First Drop of Crimson

"Does this mean we're good?" Denise managed breathily.

He set her back, his relief turning to joy. "Yes. And I'm incredibly in love with you."

She heard those words as if they echoed all through her. In love with you, in love with you, in love with you. Happiness as she never thought she'd feel again swept over her, making Denise smile even as Spade's face became blurry through her tears.

"I love you, too," she whispered.

Her breath caught as Spade crushed her to him, rising and twirling her in a circle until her legs swung crazily. Denise laughed even though she could hardly breathe from his tight, possessive embrace.

"I never thought I'd feel this way again," he whispered in her ear. "Oh, darling, I feel like you've brought me back to life."

His words were so reminiscent of how she felt that she choked back a sob. She'd felt that terrible, deadening emptiness for only fifteen months. How had Spade stood it, feeling it for almost a hundred and fifty years?

Guilt wormed its way inside her immediately after that thought. Shouldn't it have taken her longer to love someone again? It had for Spade. Was she a bad person to feel this way so soon?

Spade set her back on her feet, gently smoothing her hair away from her face. "You'll always love him," he said, as if he'd read her mind. "That doesn't die just because he did, or because you now love me. Your love for him is part of who you are. It's a beautiful part, Denise. Don't be sad of it, and I will never be jealous of it."

Denise's eyes overflowed again. Spade was right. Randy and Giselda had made them who they were. Now they would leave the horror of their deaths behind, and, moving on, take only the best parts of them into the future...

"I want you to know if it was possible for me to change back to human, and that's what you asked of me, I would," Spade whispered. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do to be with you, Denise. I'm sorry I can't give you the normal life you wanted, but I promise to adore you every day for the rest of your new one."

"I love you," Denise choked, smiling when he kissed her with a passion and hunger that bent her spine back.

Three hard, loud bangs, followed by a bellow of "Open this door!" had her jumping in the next second, startled.

"What the hell?" Spade muttered, letting her go to fling the door open with a scowl.

Ian stood on the other side.

"What is wrong with you, banging on like that?" Spade demanded.

Ian cast a wicked look at Spade, who wore only his shirt, and then one at Denise as she hastily closed her robe.

"Paybacks," Ian said succinctly. Then he walked away, whistling.

Spade watched Denise clear her plate, closing her eyes as she scraped off the last bite of banana cream pie. She had such a look of bliss on her face as she swallowed, Spade made a mental note to take a large slice upstairs with them later. And then spread it across his skin.

Crispin glanced up from his computer. "Mencheres is here."

Spade rose, not sensing him yet, but trusting that Crispin was correct. Since Mencheres had shared his power with Crispin almost a year and a half ago, his friend could feel the other vampire much sooner than anyone else.

After another minute or so, Spade felt the first sweep of energy in the air, faint at first, but distinctive, as Mencheres's power reached out and found him. Something inside Spade clicked, a form of acknowledgment he'd recognize anywhere, even if he were among thousands of vampires. It grew stronger as Mencheres neared, until Spade could sense the other vampire's emotions as well as the swirling, electrifying aura that distinguished Mencheres as one of the most powerful vampires in existence.

Such was the tie between Spade and Mencheres, the vampire who sired him.

Spade opened the door himself. In another minute, a silver Aston Martin rounded the corner of the driveway. When it stopped at the house, a black-haired Egyptian vampire climbed out with a grace that was impressive even for the undead.

"Spade," Mencheres said, a smile creasing features that looked younger than Spade's were, even though Mencheres was well over four thousand. "I can see you are happy again. I'm glad."

Spade enfolded Mencheres into an embrace, used to the sizzling vibration such close contact elicited. His sire always felt like a walking lightning bolt.

"I'm very happy," Spade replied, wishing the same for Mencheres. But sadness emanated from his sire, darkening his features with more melancholy than anyone who looked like he was in his early twenties should carry.

Denise hung back in the doorway. She'd been nervous about seeing Mencheres again. The last time had been that fateful New Year's Eve, but Spade needed his sire if he wanted to get the demon-bone knife with the least amount of danger.

"Hi," Denise said, looking so outwardly calm that if Mencheres couldn't scent her unease - or read her mind - he'd never know of it.

"How lovely to see you again, Denise," Mencheres greeted her, bowing.

Crispin welcomed his co-ruler more coolly than Spade had. He still hadn't entirely forgiven Mencheres for his secrecy with Cat last year, but Crispin also knew how necessary Mencheres's presence was. Web would be expecting an attack, so he'd be prepared, but even Web's best defenses couldn't stop Mencheres's powers. The mega-Master vampire could freeze dozens of vampires into complete immobility with his telekinesis. With Mencheres's help, Spade could stroll up and take the knife from Web without the other vampire even being able to blink to stop him. The only reason Spade hadn't brought Mencheres on the raid to get Nathanial was that there wasn't time for his sire to arrive.

However, once proper hellos were exchanged and all of them were seated in the dining room, except for Fabian, who floated, Mencheres stunned him.

"I received a call from Web earlier," his sire stated. "He wondered if I knew the vampire I sired and my co-ruler had raided his home to steal his property. When I suggested that Web complain to the Law Guardians if he had an issue, he bade me to give you a message, Spade."

Denise's face paled, but Spade didn't let any of his emotions show. "And that message is?"

"Web said, 'I know what she is and what you want, so I propose a trade.'" Mencheres replied, his charcoal gaze flicking to Denise in interest.

Spade ground out a curse even as Crispin muttered, "How the hell did he find out? We sank the boat so none of her blood could be retrieved."

Spade replayed that awful moment in his mind when Web attacked the boat. He'd held Denise in front of him, but her gloves were on, so Web couldn't have seen the demon's brands. Then he'd stabbed her in the stomach, but Web hadn't put his bloody hand to his mouth - unless he did that later?

"He must have seen my hands," Denise said quietly. "They were changed when I grabbed his arm."

"That's right," Spade breathed, remembering the claws ripping through her gloves and the gouges she'd dug into Web's arms. "After holding Nathanial so long, he'd know what had caused that change in you."

Mencheres raised an inquiring black brow. "Am I to be let in on the secret?"

"Not here," Spade said, with a meaningful jerk of his head indicating the rest of the house. Everyone at this table knew what was in Denise's blood and all its effects, but that was as far as Spade wanted the information spread.

Though now Web knew, too. Spade stifled another curse. Whom had he told? Were there others, even now, gunning for the chance to snatch Denise away for their own sordid Red Dragon trade?

He could only hope Web's greed would keep him silent on the subject. After all, Web hadn't wanted to share news of what Nathanial was with others. Perhaps he still sought to corner the Red Dragon market by not revealing the other source of the drug.

Either way, there was no possibility Spade could let him live. Even after Denise got the brands off, Web might still pursue her in the hope that her blood was still somehow a drug. And if Web was successful in taking Denise and then realized her blood was normal...he'd have no reason to let her live.

A wooden hunk snapped off the table in front of him. Spade glanced down, realizing he'd unconsciously gripped the edge until it broke.

"Apologies," he said, though he couldn't care less about the table. "Did Web leave a number for me to ring him at?"

"He did," Mencheres replied. "You're going to call him?"

"Yes I am. Right now."

Mencheres raised his shoulder in an elegant half shrug, then punched a series of numbers into his mobile, holding it out to Spade when he was finished. At the second ring, Web's voice flowed over the line.

"Have you relayed my message to Spade?"

"He has," Spade said tightly. "What sort of trade do you propose?"

Web let out a false, pleasant laugh. "Spade, I must say, you surprise me. Killing my associate in Vegas. Murdering my guards. Stealing my property, all to take the source of my business from me - when you already had a source. If I'd realized you were so unscrupulous, greedy, and enterprising, I might have gotten to know you before this."

"I'm also impatient," Spade stated in a cold voice, "so get to your offer for a trade."

"Give me the girl, and you can have the knife. You'll still own half of the Red Dragon trade through Nathanial, which should be more than enough for you."

Spade swallowed back the murderous rage that made him want to list all the terrible ways he was going to kill Web into the other line. Instead, he forced his voice to remain cold and steady.

"I rather like the girl. What about trading Nathanial for the knife instead?"

Web laughed. "Because without the knife, Nathanial is a liability, as you must know by now. I don't know how the girl came by her marks, but Nathanial's demon, should he ever return, will seek him out with all the vengeance of hell. And we both know the girl's worth more than Nathanial. I'm being generous allowing you to keep what you stole from me, but if you don't give me something in return...well, I'll have nothing to lose by pursuing you all over the earth, will I?"

Spade was silent for a long moment, staring at Denise, who knew enough from hearing his side of the conversation for her to look sick.

"Fine," he said, holding out a hand when Denise gasped. "Where do you want to meet?"

"Right here in Monaco, of course," Web replied at once. "The Fontvieille pier. I'm sure you'll remember where it is."

The pier Web had under surveillance. Spade's jaw clenched. He would be walking into a trap where Web had home court advantage. His gaze flicked to Mencheres. But I have a trap of my own.

"Fine, then. Tomorrow at midnight."

"Looking forward to it," Web said lightly. "Oh, but you must understand that if I hear Mencheres is anywhere near Monaco, I'm going to assume you intend to double-cross me and our trade is off. And the hunt is on."

"You can't expect me to show up without protection," Spade snapped. "Come now. I'm a businessman, not a stupid one."

Web made a noise of exaggerated patience. "Fine. Bring your little firestarter friend, if it makes you feel better - though she had some trouble with that the other day, didn't she? Maybe the tales I've heard about her powers were exaggerated."

"Crispin would never allow his wife to go without him. You must know that, so your offer to have Cat come isn't real," Spade said, his tone hardening. "In that case, I assume your offer to trade the girl for the knife isn't real, either, so we have nothing else to say. Hunt me as much as you like."

"Wait!" Web shouted, just as Spade was about to snap his mobile shut. "Fine, bring the bounty hunter, too," Web said, sounding put out. "But only the two of them and the girl, or I'll think the worst."

Web must have a large amount of force at the ready, to agree so readily to both Cat and Crispin coming with him.

"A driver and Nathanial, too," Spade stated. "Else how will I know you've brought the right knife and not something you picked up at a hunting outfitter?"

Web let out another low laugh. "Smart and ruthless. We might have a very beneficial partnership ahead of us. Oh, and your driver has to be human. Can't let you sneak in another strong vampire, can I?"

Clever bastard. "Until tomorrow night."

He clicked the mobile shut, silently looking at the faces around the table. Everyone but Denise had heard the other end of the conversation. Mencheres looked grim.

"Why would you agree for me not to come, Spade? You know he intends to kill you, and he'll know if I'm near. Web has spies all over Monaco."

Spade stared at Mencheres. Then slowly, his gaze swung to Cat, the former half-breed who was now the only vampire in existence who derived sustenance from drinking nosferatu blood instead of human.

"Because your power will be there, Mencheres, even if you won't be."

Chapter Thirty-three

The SUV pulled into Fontvieille harbor, stacks of glamorous hotels behind them and luxury boats in front. The lights along the harbor were dark, however, the only consideration to the many hotel windows that would have a view of the parking lot. Since Denise could hardly see and she was down here, the cloak of darkness would be sufficient for concealing whatever would take place in the next few minutes from any high-rise onlookers.

Spade glanced back at her from his place in the passenger seat. He said nothing, but his face spoke volumes. Denise forced herself to smile. Spade shouldn't spend any of his energy worrying about her. He, Bones, and Cat had enough to deal with trying to stay alive tonight.