Dylan (Bowen Boys, #3)(41)

He was dressing when the door to the room exploded open. He knew this day was coming and was glad now that he’d— Damn it. He’d not hit send.

“Hello, human. I have been looking for you.” Lucius walked into the room and looked around. “You’ve become a pig. This room looks as if you’ve been here for months and not even had anyone clean up after you. You’ve let yourself go to ruin.”

Kirby laughed. Not smart, he supposed, but he couldn’t help it. Lucius couldn’t have been closer to the truth. The vampire looked at him with disgust. Kirby picked up his shoes and took them to the chair he’d been sitting in for days.

“I had some things to straighten out. And I needed peace and quiet.” Kirby leaned over and pulled on his shoe. “And the house smelled of death.”

“You will know that smell soon enough, too. You have disappointed me greatly, and we had a deal. What do you think I do to people who do not—?”

“You killed my wife and daughter, didn’t you?” Lucius looked shocked, then smiled. “I thought so. You disappoint me, as well. We had a bargain of sorts, too, and you f*cked it up when you killed my Sally and Karrie. They were the only things that kept me in line. When I figured out you’d murdered them, I decided to quit you.”

Kirby leaned down to pull on his other shoe, put his hand on the computer, and moved the mouse. When he reached down to tie his shoe, he could see that he had no connection. He nearly cried out. Mother f*ck, could nothing go right?

“You knew they were dead? How? She couldn’t call to you. The child…she was nothing but a drain on you. You have thought yourself the same thing.” Kirby moved the mouse again, sweat beading on his forehead. “I gave you something you have wished for.”

“I never wished for their death.” He got a connection and moved the mouse again. But the computer was thrown away from him before he could try to send again.

“You wished them gone.” Lucius had shoved the computer to the floor, and Kirby glanced at it to see that it was still running. When Lucius slashed at him, Kirby knew he’d f*cked up royally. He should have sent it when he finished. Now no one would know.

He dropped to his knees, his blood pouring from his throat. Lucius sat in his chair and watched him as if he was a fireworks display, and he was waiting for the grand finale. Kirby thought maybe he was.

“You should have done what I told you. You’d still be dead, but I would have made it quicker.” He laughed as Kirby fell fully to the floor. “Maybe not. I do love a grand death scene.”

The keys were there. Letting go of his ruined throat, Kirby tried to see the keys. His vision was blurred, and he was fading quickly. Blindly, he touched where he thought he needed to be and closed his eyes. He knew he was as good as dead, but worked at opening them once more, just to see if he’d been successful. The words, “Your message has been sent. View message” were the best words of his life. He heard Lucius cursing.

“What is that thing? What does it mean you’ve sent something? What have you done? Bring it to me.” Kirby smiled. He could barely move, much less bring back an email that should have been taken care of years—no, decades—ago. Lucius continued to scream at him to stop the machine.

Kirby closed his eyes as he felt his belly spill out onto the dirty floor. There was no pain now, only a sense of accomplishment, something he’d not felt, he realized, for many years.

~~~

Dylan shook hands with his family and tried to move his new wife, his only wife, toward the door. He had made them reservations at the Grand after Jacob had left, and now all he had to do was get her there. He wanted her there ten minutes ago. She looked at him again when he pulled her to the door. Khan laughed.

“He wants to consummate the marriage. Don’t blame him. I felt the same way after I married Monica.” The woman in question hit her husband. “Okay, she wanted to. Nearly raped me when we got into the elevator, too, if I remember right.”

Monica handed him one of the twins and told him to shut up. She moved toward the newlyweds, pushing them to the door. She had a way about her that made Dylan glad she was his leader, too.

“Go now, before someone else comes in here and asks you about where you’ve been.” Jack had been questioned by everyone. “I’ll take care of the reception for tomorrow night. It’s still on, right?”

“Yes.” Dylan kissed her cheek. “Thank you for this. I know that I sort of messed up your plans to—”

“You married her, and that’s what we all wanted. I love you both dearly, and am glad you’re together.” Someone called for Jack, and Monica told them to wait. “If you don’t go now, I may shift and eat the lot of them.”

Laughing, they ran out the door and into the waiting limo. As soon as the door closed, Dylan pulled her over his lap and kissed her. She responded just like he’d hoped she would. Christ, the woman had him panting before the car moved.

He took her nipple through the bodice of the dress. He felt it harden, and he nipped at it until she moaned. Reaching behind her, he pulled the zipper tab down and peeled the dress off her, leaving her arms caught in it.

“You distract me. I want to nibble, and when you touch me, I can’t think.” She moaned again when he unhooked her bra and filled his hands with her. “So warm and all mine. When we get to the hotel, I’m going to make love to you. Softly, slowly, until you can’t move.”