Deceptive Changes: Kat LaMond Book 1 by R A Baker Page A

him.”
    “You had to, Kat.” I could hear the barely contained rage in Todd’s voice. 
    “You don’t understand, Todd.  This was weird and different.  I had killed his lover, yet he wanted me.  I didn’t understand his attraction and yet I used it against him.  When I stabbed him through the throat…” I stopped speaking.  I could see the whole incident in my head once more.  “He looked at me with hurt and surprise.  Not hurt as in physical either.  His eyes told me that I had betrayed him.  He had protected me from his lover.  The other vampire, his lover, could have killed me with just that one bite but he defended me.  I can’t explain it.”  They nodded.  “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.  I want to forget.  Who wants to help me forget?”  They looked at each other. 
    “Kat, I think you should…” Todd said, and faltered when I jumped from the chair into his lap.  I kissed him, almost ravenously.  I didn’t want to think about Caplin or what had happened.  I wanted to forget and they could help me forget.  Todd kissed me back, his arms winding behind my back. 
    He pulled back and looked at me.  I might have been desperate to forget but he wouldn’t help.  He held me back and shook his head.  “No, Kat.  You have to deal with this.  In two hours we’re scheduled to meet the vampires and show them what happens when they mess with either you or me, or ours.”
    “Fine.”
    I got off Todd’s lap, walked into the bedroom, and grabbed some really frightening clothes, black everything except the dark blue jeans that I loved to wear.  I showered again and this time I didn’t cry.  I just soaped up and hissed as soap got into my open wounds. 
    I finished and stepped out of the shower.  I wasn’t all that surprised that one of my men was in the room; however, I was surprised that it was Erick.  He had laid out bandages and Neosporin.  He bandaged me up and I got dressed.  I kissed him and left the room, all without saying a word. 
    I walked downstairs and went into the armory.  I had transferred the armory, courtesy of Charles and all his hard work, from the hotel to the house.
    I grabbed several knives and sheaths, which attached to my arms—upper and forearm.  The knives weren’t really long but they’d cut a vamp’s head off, which is what I was going for.  I strapped them to my arms and grabbed two leg holsters.  I strapped them on and grabbed my two favorite guns, a Glock .357SIG and a Glock 10mm.  I made sure the clips were full and holstered the guns. 
    I looked at myself in the mirror in the hall and turned back around.  I looked around for a minute and grabbed a sword.  The strap would lay across my chest like a purse.  It was long enough to do damage from a bit farther away than the little knives on my arms but short enough to go across my back and not limit movement or the ability to sit.
    I walked out of the room and found the guys in the kitchen waiting for me.  They looked me up and down and grimaced.  “Kat, I don’t anticipate problems.”
    “I don’t care, Todd.  I’m not going out without being armed to the teeth.  They caught me off guard once and I won’t be prey again.”  They didn’t say anything after that.  Todd grabbed keys and we set off.  The heads had been tied in double-lined garbage bags.

Chapter Eleven
    We made it to the meeting sight.  A small building that I knew had a giant subterranean basement.  We walked down the stairs and went into the throne room.  We stood on the throne area.  The room was called to attention. 
    Todd stepped up and in a loud, clear, voice said, “This is what happens when you mess with me or mine.”  I produced the two heads.  The room gasped as one.  “Who wants to challenge me or mine?” 
    The room stayed quiet for a long moment before a lone voice came through the silence.  “Who killed them?” 
    I stepped forward.  “They tortured me and I told them