Destined for an Early Grave Read Online Free PDF Page A

last. “Gregor can shove his claims straight up his arse.”
    I still wasn’t convinced. “But I hated vampires before Bones. I would never have gone away with one for weeks.”
    “You hated them because of your mother’s influence,” Mencheres said. “Gregor dealt with her first, compelling her to tell you he was a friend of hers who would protect you.”
    Bones growled. “How far has word of Gregor’s claim spread?”
    Mencheres considered him. “You haven’t asked me if it happened yet.”
    I felt like they were speaking another language. “What?”
    “Doesn’t matter. He’ll only get her over my dried, withered corpse.”
    “What!” Now I jabbed Bones for emphasis.
    “Gregor’s claim,” Bones said icily. “Now that he’s free, he’s telling people that sometime during those weeks you were together, he married you.”
    Contrary to popular belief, there have been a few times in my life I’ve been speechless. At sixteen, when my mother told me all my oddities were due to my father being a vampire, that was one. Seeing Bones again after four years of absence, that was another. This topped both of them, however. For a space of several frozen moments, I couldn’t wrap my mind around a vehement enough denial.
    I wasn’t the only one goggle-eyed. Even in my state, I noticed the other vampires in the van wearing astonished expressions that quickly turned blank after whatever evil glare Bones gave them. Mencheres continued with his same, uncompromising stare, and finally, I voiced the first coherent thought that came to mind.
    “No.” Just saying it made me feel better, so I repeated it, louder. “No. It’s not true.”
    “Even if it were, it won’t last beyond his death,” Bones promised.
    I gestured to Mencheres. “You were there, right? Tell him it didn’t happen!”
    Mencheres shrugged. “I didn’t see a blood-binding ceremony. Gregor claimed it occurred right before I arrived. A few of his people said they’d witnessed it, but they could have been lying, and Gregor’s honesty is not without fault.”
    “But what did I say?”
    All at once I was afraid. Had I somehow bound myself to an unknown vampire? I couldn’t have, right?
    Mencheres’s eyes bored into mine. “You were hysterical. Gregor had manipulated your emotions, and he was being taken away to an unknown punishment. You would have said anything, true or not, to prevent it.”
    In other words…
    “Bones has stated his position in this matter.” Mencheres flicked his gaze around the van. “I support it as his co-ruler. Does anyone have a differing opinion?”
    There were instant denials.
    “Then this is settled. Gregor has an unsubstantiated claim, and it will be ignored. Cat cannot confirm the binding herself, and she is the only other person who would know if it occurred. Bones?”
    A sudden grin flashed across his face, but it was as cold as I felt inside. “Let’s see how long someone lasts if they suggest that my wife is not my wife. ”
    “As you wish.” Mencheres was unperturbed about the potential thinning of the herd. “We will arrive at Spade’s before dawn. I, for one, am tired.”
    That made two of us. But I doubted I could sleep. Finding out that over a month of my life had been ripped from my memory made me feel violated. I stared at Mencheres. No wonder I’ve always had a problem with you. On some subconscious level, my instincts must have remembered that he’d manipulated me against my will, even if the exact memory of that event was lost.
    Or was it?
    “Why can’t you just look into my mind and see what happened for yourself? You erased my memory, can’t you bring it back?”
    “I buried it beyond even my reach, so as to be sure it stayed forgotten.”
    Great. If Mega-Master Mencheres couldn’t pry it out, then it must really be lost.
    “I don’t care what Gregor or anyone else believes,” Bones said in a softer tone to me. “All I care about is what you think, Kitten.”
    What did I think?