“Which means they might be expecting you.”

“True. I’ve got plans for that, though.”

He felt Duncan’s surprise. “What plans?”

He smirked. “You’ll see. Don’t worry, this isn’t my first job.” And it wouldn’t be his last, bondmates or no. He helped people every day, people damaged by those who sought quick and dirty ways to power. As far as he was concerned he would be a Blade until the day he died whether he worked for Robin or not.

It was the least he could do to pay back all of the gifts fate had been kind enough to give him.

Jaden pulled up outside the house Charles Malmayne was currently calling home. It was a stately mansion located somewhere between where Leo Dunne now resided and Duncan’s latest acquisition, the huge brick mansion Moira was dying to redecorate. Duncan’s home, large though it was, still managed to feel like a home. Charles’s house, on the other hand, shouted money and power. Clad in pale stucco and stone with Grecian columns and a car port larger than most hotels had, it managed to look both boorish and pretentious. A huge fountain in the circular driveway featured a nude woman pouring water out of an urn surrounded by pissing cherubs. “It’s confirmed. Charles is definitely overcompensating.”

“What?”

“Have you seen his new place?” Jaden backed the car up until the house was out of sight. He pressed the button that raised the car’s roof and locked it into place.

“No, I haven’t.”

“Let’s just say that I doubt he serves cocktail wieners. They probably give him a complex.” He got out of the car and locked it before misting through the bushes and the fence. He solidified on Charles’s property and scented the air. “So far so good. I’m on the grounds.”

“Keep me posted.”

“Will do.” Jaden glided forward, soundless and swift. Vampires could move quickly when motivated, and Jaden had lots of motivation. He reached the side of the mansion within two blinks. He began to climb up the house, heading for the roof. He doubted Charles was stupid enough to leave him an open window, but that was all right.

Jaden didn’t need something to be open to get into a house. All he needed was a tiny crack.

He reached the roof unmolested. “I’m going to try and get into the house now.” He could almost hear Duncan grumbling. “I’m being careful, old man.”

“Stop calling me that.”

Jaden’s brows rose. Duncan’s tone was difficult to decipher. “I didn’t know you disliked me calling you that.” Duncan had never mentioned it before.

“I tolerated it. Now? No way in hell will my lover call me old man.”

Jaden shivered, and his dick turned rock-hard. Just like that he’d gone from Blade to lover. “Shit. Knock it off. How the hell am I supposed to pull a B&E with a hard-on?”

“Don’t go in, Jaden. Stay outside the house.”

“No can do. I need to know what Charlie-boy has planned.” He misted through the slight gap in the weatherproofing of the window casement, solidifying in the dark and musty attic. “No one ever takes care of the attic windows. Did you ever notice that?”

“Can’t say that I have.” If mental voices had teeth, Duncan’s would be clenched.

Jaden smirked. He crawled along the wall, careful to avoid the creaking floorboards because, mansion or hovel, they all had creaky floorboards somewhere. Very few of them had creaky walls, however, and that’s what he stuck to. “Spiderman, Spiderman, friendly neighborhood Spiderman.”

“Jaden. No. Please. The last time you did that I had that damn song stuck in my head for a week.”

Moira giggled, sounding sleepy. “Spins a web, any size. Catches thieves just like flies.”

“I hate you both.”

“Look out! Here comes the Spiderman!” Jaden chorused with Moira. He bit his lip to keep from laughing and opened the basement door.

Moira’s mental voice was full of amusement. “Why are we singing that, anyway?”

He stared at the two “men” outside the door. Both of them were holding .38’s pointed right at him. They were dressed like Secret Service men, complete with sunglasses and dangling wires in their ears. Idiots. “Step into my parlor.”

“Shit. Jaden?”

He stepped down, carefully lifting his hands into the air. He smiled, showing his fangs. Their scent reeked of moldy mushrooms. Fucking redcaps. He now had proof positive that Charles was living in the darker shade of gray. Redcaps only worked at the express order of their overlord, who was firmly in the Black. He strove to keep his voice quiet so as not to awaken any other would-be guardians. “Hey, neighbor. Can I borrow a cup of sugar?”

The goons frowned. One of them lowered his gun by a hair, if that. The other opened his mouth, hand lifting to his ear.

“Thank the gods they’re stupid.” That was all the opening he needed. Jaden pounced. He had the first one in a submission hold before the other could blink. His arm was around the redcap’s throat, cutting off his air. He ripped the wire out of his ear, keeping him from contacting whoever it was he wanted backup from.

“Jaden?”

“Not now, sweetheart. Daddy’s working.” They seemed to move in slow motion, making it easy to avoid their blows. Jaden shifted, moving before the redcap could slam his elbow into Jaden’s stomach. He tightened his grip, using the redcap in his arms as a shield. He kept the Black Court fucker in a sleeper hold, waiting for him to drop. The free redcap feinted to the left, but Jaden didn’t buy it, didn’t give him an opening. Once a redcap had you in his arms it was damn hard to break free. The freaks were super-strong for all they were so thin, especially if they dropped their Seeming.

Jaden hoped they didn’t do that. He did not want to fill his quota of fugly for the day.

The redcap went limp in his arms, almost dragging Jaden to the floor with him. He held up and on, waiting to make sure the redcap was down for the count before dropping his limp form. He bared his fangs at the remaining redcap. “Looks like it’s just you and me, kid.”

The redcap eyed his fallen comrade and glared at Jaden. “You’ll pay for that.”

“That’s what they all say.” He wagged his fingers at the redcap in a “come here” gesture. “Here, stupid, stupid, stupid. C’mon, boy. Come on.”

The redcap growled and charged Jaden.

Perfect. Like I said, thank the gods these guys are idiots. This one hadn’t even thought to use his “hidden” microphone to call for help, let alone his gun.

Jaden used the redcap’s momentum to get behind him, swinging until he rested on the redcap’s back like a baby monkey. He grabbed hold of the redcap’s ears. “Giddy up!”

The redcap opened his mouth to roar. Jaden clamped a hand around that huge maw. “Uh-uh. No calling in reinforcements.” He twisted the ear he still gripped, earning himself a muffled howl. The redcap shook his head in an attempt to dislodge Jaden’s grip. “There ya go.” Jaden leaned down and bit into the side of the redcap’s neck. Instantly the redcap quieted, Jaden’s vampiric mind control kicking in, keeping the creature in his arms docile. He refused to use the power that made this feel good; all Jaden wanted was quiet. He drank until his opponent had suffered enough blood loss to pass out, but not enough to kill.

Blech. Mushrooms. Jaden swiped his tongue across the puncture wounds. He’d briefly considered killing the two goons but decided not to. He didn’t want it obvious he’d been there; that might get Duncan in trouble. It would be better to let Charlie-boy think that the two idiots had fallen asleep on the job. He arranged them so that they were leaning against the attic door, posing them as naturally as he could, heads leaned back and lolling, mouths open, arms draped over knees. He entered both of their minds, erasing his presence from their memories before misting down the hallway.