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knife and wearing the weirdest expression on his face. He dropped to his knees and pitched forward, a silver handle sticking out of his back. My mother was behind the vampire. Her hands were bloody.
    "Rough, quick, and thorough, or you won't get a second chance," she mumbled, almost to herself.
    Bones stared. "That's right, Justina." Then he began to laugh. "Well done."
    I was stunned. Bones swept me up, kissing me so hard I tasted blood when his fangs pierced my lips.
    "Don't you ever frighten me like that again."
    "He didn't die," I said, still stunned by the recent events. "I twisted a blade in his heart, but he didn't die ."
    "Like he said, situs inversus." At my confused expression, Bones went on. "Means he was born with his organs backward, so his heart was on the right. That's what saved his life before, but he shouldn't have admitted it while I could hear him."
    I hadn't known such a condition existed. Note to self: Learn more about anatomical oddities.
    Bones scanned the parking lot, but the only vampires out here were the ones gathered around the side of the nightclub. Onlookers , I thought in amazement. Had they stood there the whole time and just watched?
    Fear leapt in me. "Where's Tammy?"
    "I ran her inside after the car blew up," my mother said. "She'd be safe in there, you said."
    And then she'd come back outside to face a pack of hit men. Tears pricked my eyes even as Bones smiled at her.
    "You saved my life, Justina."
    She looked embarrassed, and then scowled. "I didn't know if you were finished getting that knife out of Catherine. I couldn't let him sneak up on you and stab you until my daughter was okay."
    Bones laughed. "Of course."
    I shook my head. She'd never change, but that was okay. I loved her anyway.
    Verses walked out of Bite with Tammy at his side. From her red-rimmed eyes, she'd been crying.
    "It's over," I told her.
    Tammy ran and hugged me. I wanted to say something profound and comforting, but all I could do was repeat, "It's over."
    At least Tammy wouldn't remember any of this. No, her memories would be replaced with one where she'd been sequestered by boring bodyguards provided by her father's former friends. Tammy would go into adulthood without the burden of knowing there were things in the night no average human could stand against. She'd be normal. It was the best birthday present I could give her.
    "You fought on the premises," Verses stated.
    Bones let out a snort. "You noticed that, did you, mate?"
    "Maybe if you wouldn't have stood there and done nothing while we were ambushed, your precious premises would still be in one piece!" my mother snapped at Versus. "Don't you have any loyalty? Bones said you were a friend!"
    Verses raised his brows at her withering tone, then cast a glance around at the parking lot. Vampire bodies littered the area, one of the cars was still on fire, and various others were smashed, ripped, or dented.
    "I am his friend," Verses replied. "Which is why I'll let all of you leave without paying for the damages."
    "He doesn't sound like we'll be welcomed back," I murmured to Bones. "So much for coming here during the rest of our vacation to explore all those private areas."
    Bones's lips brushed my forehead. "Don't fret, luv. I know another club in Brooklyn I think you'll really fancy..."
    The End

ONCE BURNED

Jeaniene Frost

    Get a special sneak peek into Jeaniene's upcoming novel, ONCE BURNED, the first book in the new Night Prince series. From the back of the book:
    She's a mortal with dark powers...
    After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...
    He's the Prince of Night...
    Vlad Tepesh inspired