Bones stopped. Gregor slowed, pausing within touching distance of Jacques’s still-spread arms.

Marie didn’t walk up so much as glide. Bones gave her what could only be described as a frustrated look.

“For Christ’s sake, Majestic, if you didn’t want us to fight, then why did you tell him we were here?”

While they were focused on the drama, I managed to throw an elbow into Band-Aid’s eye before slipping under Hopscotch’s loosened hold.

“Don’t do that again,” I warned them as I dashed away.

“I didn’t tell him,” Marie replied. “Nor did any of my people.”

A flicker of arrogance passed over Gregor’s face. In person, he was even more imposing than in my dreams. There was something about him I found unnerving, even though he stared at me without hostility. If anything, there was a longing in his expression that made me stop where I was. Little pinpricks of pain began going off in my brain.

…I’m from a farm as well. In the south of France, but there were no cherries to be found there…

My hands flew to my temples. Gregor’s nostrils flared. He took in a long, provoking, audible breath.

“Catherine.”

“Take your eyes off my wife.”

Bones growled it with barely restrained fury. The power seething off him struck me even several feet away. Gregor let out an equally venomous snarl and took a single step forward.

“That’s my wife I’m looking at.”

When Gregor uncurled his power like a peacock displaying its magnificent feathers, I sucked in a gasp.

Gregor had felt strong in my dreams, but that must have been the watered-down version. With the energy spilling from him in ever-increasing waves, he could have fueled the French Quarter’s electricity needs. Oh, shit. He’s at least as strong as Bones, if not stronger…

Brakes screeched close by, but neither man took his eyes off the other. I looked, and saw Liza roll down the window of a van. Her eyes bugged, and she made a hasty gesture with her hand.

“Please, Cat, get in.”

“Not without Bones.”

I said it to Gregor as well as her. It didn’t matter that the memory of Gregor’s voice had sliced through my subconscious like a knife. Didn’t matter that for a split second, as his gaze bored into mine, I’d felt a flicker of yearning. Awake, or asleep, I belonged to Bones, no one else.

“You see? She’s made her choice.”

Bones said it with luxuriant hatred in every syllable. Even with his back to me, I could just imagine his taunting half smile. Judging from Gregor’s livid expression, I was right.

“Despicable whoreson, her choice has been erased by Mencheres. He dragged her screaming from me only an hour after our binding!”

“I don’t give a rot if Mencheres yanked her off your throbbing, rigid cock,” Bones snarled. “Go dream a little dream, you sod!”

Marie wasn’t going to be able to keep them from brawling much longer. Lethal danger to Bones aside, there were also way too many bystanders. People would get hurt or killed if the two of them went at it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fabian streak into the van.

“Bones.” I made my voice calm. Don’t startle the rabid beast. “If he knows we’re here, others do, too. We need to leave.”

“You’re only in danger because of his blind arrogance,” Gregor said. “Come to me, Catherine. I’ll keep you safe.”

“Insolent bastard,” Bones spat. “I reckon nothing’s beneath a man who’d try to steal another man’s wife before they even met.”

“Bones, leave.” Although Marie didn’t raise her voice, her tone was dangerous. “Gregor, you will stay here until the following dawn. You came to my city without invitation to provoke violence. No matter our history, you know better.”

“Marie—”

“You’re in my Quarter.” She cut Gregor off. “You of all people know better.”

Gregor flexed his hands. For a second, I thought he might hit Marie. Don’t do it, buddy. She’ll be burying you under her porch in no time!

“As you insist,” Gregor said tightly.

Bones inclined his head without turning around. “Get in the van, Kitten. Hopscotch, Band-Aid, you, too. Majestic, I hope more of Gregor’s ignorant ramblings won’t sway your judgment in the future.”

I climbed inside the vehicle, avoiding that smoky green gaze.

“And farewell to you, Dreamsnatcher,” Bones went on as he got into the van. “I hope you enjoyed tonight, because it’s the last you’ll see of her.”

“Catherine.” Even without looking at Gregor, I felt his stare. “Your memories lie in my blood. They’re waiting for you, ma bien-aimée, and I will keep my oath—”

The door slamming cut off the rest of Gregor’s statement. So did Liza’s peeling out of the narrow street like a drunken Tony Stewart. I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t be tempted to look back.

“How do you think he found us?”

I didn’t ask the question until much later. Truth be told, I hadn’t felt like talking after seeing Gregor. Neither had Bones, from his grim silence. The sun was up. Liza still drove. Ghouls weren’t as susceptible to morning tiredness as vampires were. Hopscotch and Band-Aid slept, dark sunglasses fixed over their eyes.

In this new SUV, at least there was more room than the last two cars. In case we were being followed, we’d switched vehicles three times. Bones glared the unknowing other drivers into submission while we hijacked their ride. It was done so quickly, a tail would have to have been right on top of us to catch it. There had been no sign of Gregor yet, and we were almost to Fort Worth.

Bones made an irritable noise. “Unless one of Marie’s people went behind her back—and that’s unlikely—or one of mine did, I’m at a loss.” His fingers drummed on his leg. “Perhaps Don had a hand in it. What name did he use to have those pills delivered to my home, Kitten?”

“Kathleen Smith.” I scoffed at the thought that my uncle would be so stupid as to use my real name. “And if you factor in the time frame, just a day from me telling him where we were, it doesn’t fit. We know Gregor was in Paris and London when we were there, so he’d have to have left soon after we did to make it here. That rules out Don.”

Bones stared at me. “You’re right. Only Charles knew where we were bound to when we left his house. I don’t reckon he ran an ad about it. Marie knew after we arrived. That leaves few people who could have informed Gregor, and they’re all in this car.”

That woke up Band-Aid and Hopscotch. Liza gave a widened glance into the rearview mirror. I tensed, wondering if one of the two vampires would abruptly attack.

Neither did. They looked back at Bones, and he met their gaze, his expression cold and hooded. Without saying it, I knew he was weighing the option of killing them.

“Sire,” Band-Aid began.

“Save it.” Shortly. “After Rattler, I don’t put betrayal past anyone but three people, and you’re not one of them. Still, no need to be hasty. Neither of you will leave my sight until we’ve arrived, and then you’re going to be secluded. If Gregor still finds us, we’ll know it wasn’t you.”

Each of them had a slightly stunned look to his face. Hopscotch recovered the fastest and nodded.

“I wouldn’t betray you. I welcome the opportunity to prove it.”

“As do I.” Band-Aid seconded, giving a furtive glance to Liza.

“Whatever you need me to do,” she said softly.

“I won’t force you.” Bones almost sighed. “Yet I would ask, Liza.”

She smiled in such a sad way, it even hurt me to see it. “You’ll feel safer. It’s such a small thing to do for you.”

It sucked giving the people around you a suspicious eye. Big dark cave. It was sounding better and better.

“I know I only just met her, but somehow, I don’t think it was Marie,” I said.

Bones raised a brow. “Why not?”

“Well…she told me a weird story about poisoning her husband. At first I thought it was just to scare me, but it was after she said if I was married to Gregor, she’d back his side, since vampires can’t divorce.”