A Recipe For How To Annoy Tate Bradley In 10 Easy Steps Or Less (A Right Enjoyable Pastime)
By: Crispin Phillip Arthur Russell III
Maybe I annoy you with my choices
Well, you annoy me sometimes too with your voice
But that ain't enough for me
To move out and move on
- Jason Mraz
Having come to an accord about her – our – new working arrangements, Kitten and I still had a few loose ends to tie up. I groaned mentally as she started with Justina.
"Is my mother still here?"
"She's in one of the bunkers," Don replied. "You want to see her?"
"No. But keep her here." Whew. "If my father knew where to find me, then she's not safe at her house."
"We also can't have your team wandering around for Max to snatch them up and discover I'm involved, Kitten," I mentioned, although personally I'd feed Tate to Max, but that was clearly the minority opinion at my new job. "As for the rest of your employees, round them up. They won't remember seeing me."
"What about Noah?" Don asked, and Kitten flinched.
"He doesn't know anything."
"That's not what he means," I said, pleased that I managed to keep my voice carefully neutral. "Noah would make right good bait for you, whether or not he knows why. Max might reckon you still hold feelings for him."
Kitten considered that. "Then put a watch on Noah, Don, work and home. Any sign of the supernatural, and we move in. Maybe we can catch Max at his own trap."
"I'll make the call now," her uncle promised, picking up his phone.
We stood to leave, and Kitten looked a bit anxious for a split second before squaring her shoulders. "Bones, while you and Don play Bright Eyes with the other staff, I'm going to talk to the team about your new status."
I grinned. This should prove priceless. Too bad I wouldn't be able to hear most of it. "Give your bloke my regards, Kitten. Can't wait to start working on him."
She frowned. "With Tate, Bones. Not on him."
I just grinned wider. "Right."
I was strolling back towards Kitten's office, my eyes fading back to brown, when I heard a voice I recognized from the Wreck Room drift from it.
"… he whipped our asses, Commander. If he wanted us dead, I guess we would be."
"He's the same vampire who trained me, Coop. Oh, and I'm sleeping with him, to save Tate the trouble of announcing it next. Got a problem with any of that?" Kitten replied. Ah, this was Cooper.
"You're a freak. Why wouldn't you want a freak also?"
"I don't fucking believe this," her bloke spit out just I came into the room. For effect, I went and wrapped my arm tightly around Kitten.
"Feeling better, mate?" I asked Cooper. "If not, you will soon. Don drained a pint out of me just now, Kitten. Seems the head pathologist didn't want to stick me himself. Poor bloke was quite jittery, though I can't imagine why."
"Could be because you made dinner out of his assistant, amigo," Juan commented drolly.
Cooper turned dark eyes to me in an inquiring glance. He only seemed interested, not too concerned. I could quite like him, as well.
"We're letting him eat people?"
"Apparently," Tate growled.
"Brad Parker plotted with another vampire to put me out of my misery, Cooper." Kitten glared at Tate. "You heard about last night? Well, you can thank the late Mr. Parker for giving away my location and my weaknesses."
Cooper eyed me again, then blithely shrugged. "So he deserved it. Too quick, though. He should have been hurt first."
I snorted with laughter, my lips against Kitten's temple. "You and I will get along famously, soldier."
"Fucking asshole," Tate muttered, and Kitten's temper went off.
"I want you with me on this, Tate, but I can't force you. Are you in or are you out? Decide now." She glared at him, bristling.
He folded his arms and glowered at me. "I'm in, Cat. I'd never leave you. Especially when you've got death breathing down your neck."
"Very funny," she retorted, since I was nuzzling her cheek just to annoy him. "And as you know, he doesn't breathe. Now that details about our new team member are settled, I'm leaving. I've got a family reunion to plan."
At that, my good humor darkened. Ah, yes, the father-in-law. I couldn't wait to meet him.
