have a limit? You come intomy house, wall up in there withmy woman, feed from her throat inmy face and think you're not going to ash tonight?"
"Stop it!" Tara shouted. "Enough, already!"
"Oh, yeah, I've had damned enough," Rider said and spit on the floor. "You and I will have a long conversation later, but-"
"He kept me alive, Rider," Tara said quickly, ignoring the ping-pong glances that shot between members of the team.
"You don't have to step up for me, baby," Yonnie said, unbuttoning his jacket and walking forward until he was chest to chest with Carlos. "If this sonofabitch has a death wish tonight so be it."
"She ain't your baby!" Rider said, pointing over Big Mike's shoulder as the huge Guardian attempted to hold him back. He spun on Tara. "Oh, and Ibet he kept you alive while I was gone. Like I didn't do that shit for the last twenty-plus years!"
"What did you say to me?" Tara whispered, making Big Mike move away from Rider's side.
Carlos dropped Yonnie's jacket lapels. All Guardians fanned out. Damali stood in front of the newest members of the team as Tara circled Rider.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"He insulted you," Yonnie shouted. "That's what the fuck he did. Hurt her-swing at her, and your arm is mine."
"Shut up," Tara said, pointing at Yonnie. "This is between me and my husband."
Yonnie looked so shocked that he backed up a step, but lifted his chin higher as he glowered at Rider.
Tara tilted her head and stared at Rider, a millimeter of fangs showing. Marjorie Berkfield covered her mouth and shut her eyes tightly.
"Don't kill him," Marjorie squeaked. "Not in front of my children."
Tara advanced on Rider so quickly and slapped him so hard that for a second, the team reached out to catch his body, thinking she'd snapped his neck. When Rider only rubbed his jaw, Big Mike and Shabazz sat down hard. Marlene wiped her brow and Robert upchucked.
"After all these years," Tara screamed, pointing at Rider as she paced away from him. "You had no right to even question my whereabouts. Ever!"
"Baby," Rider said, trying to slowly walk toward her. "It just looked-"
"Like what?" Tara whirled around, her mouth filled with razor-sharp battle-length teeth, her eyes glowing red.
"Honey, you've never gotten so... like this around me, and-"
"Her ass is fine, and if you can't handle it, I will," Yonnie said with honest appreciation. "Damn, man, if you don't want her... make up your mind, tonight."
Nuts and bolts holding the chairs to the floor began unscrewing and a tear scorched the carpet around them.
"Both of you-stop!" Tara shouted. "You," she said, pointing to Yonnie. "The reason I never allowed you to consummate after the elevation bite was because you were inmy husband's house ."
"You didn't have to put that out there like that, girl," Yonnie muttered and began walking away. He looked over his shoulder. "That was between me and you and personal."
"Don't you walk away from me and try to serve me mist," Tara said. "You disrespected him, after I asked you not to rub a throat exchange in his face!"
Rider nodded and stood up a little taller until she whirled on him and resumed her tirade.
"And, you-oh, I'm done until the end of time."
"Wait, baby, now, I may have been hasty and-"
Tears streamed down Tara's face. "You may not have been able to give me a master vampire's castle, but I was willing to live there in the cabin with you until you died." She started crying bitter sobs and when Rider went to her she pushed him away. "You don't think I know how much love you put into every piece of wood, every window you hung by hand, every fiber in there?" She snatched away from Rider as he tried to embrace her. "I can feel all that throughmy skin. That's what keeps me going when you're away.That's what I hang on to when you're on the road." She slapped him again, but not hard enough to break his jaw this time. "Andthat's what keeps me sane when I hear you with those damned pole dancers-so if I was really the vicious type, I would have done him in our room!"
She walked away and went to Carlos, who absently opened his arms for her, not sure what to do.
"Make them stop it," Tara said, sobbing. "You stand between their worlds. Our old one is dying, and we don't have time for this nonsense."
Carlos looked up at Rider and rubbed Tara's back to try to