All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire

by Kerrelyn Sparks

  Vanda frowned, considering. “If I go down there, he’ll recognize me and—oh, I know. There’s an intercom on my desk that connects to the bar. I use it when I need to talk to Cora Lee. This way.”

  She strode to a door partially hidden behind a sheer red curtain. Ian followed her down a flight of stairs and into her office.

  “Is this it?” He reached for the intercom on her desk.

  “Wait. It’s a two-way connection,” she warned him. “We’ll have to be perfectly quiet.”

  He nodded and pushed the button with his finger.

  “So you know Ian?” Cora Lee asked.

  “Sure,” Jedrek replied with a fake Brooklyn accent. “We go way back. I can’t get over the way he looks now.”

  “I know! I didn’t even recognize him at first,” Cora Lee confessed. “I can’t believe he got older like that.”

  “And you say it happened in Texas?” Jedrek asked.

  “That’s what Ian told me.”

  “Sweetheart, could you get me another Bleer? This stuff is freakin’ fantastic. Roman is a genius.”

  “He sure is. You know him, too?”

  “Who doesn’t? The guy’s famous,” Jedrek commented casually. “But you know what? He looks a bit older, too.”

  “Yep, all of a sudden he turned gray at the temples.”

  “But he didn’t go to Texas, did he?” Jedrek asked.

  “Nope, he was here when it happened. Land sakes, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to look older.”

  “They would if there was a really important, secret purpose behind it,” Jedrek said.

  Vanda gasped, and Ian shook his head to remind her to stay quiet. No doubt she had grasped the full danger of the situation. If the Malcontents acquired the means to stay awake during the day, they would slaughter Vamps who were helpless in their death-sleep.

  The phone on Vanda’s desk rang, and Ian quickly lifted his finger off the intercom button to break the connection. Vanda grimaced and answered the phone.

  Ian dashed back up the stairs to the VIP harem room and peered through the screen. Cora Lee must have heard the ring, for she’d answered her phone. With a confused look, she hung up. Meanwhile, Jedrek was scanning the surroundings, his eyes narrowed. No doubt he suspected something.

  Ian considered teleporting down to challenge him, but before he could weigh the pros and cons, Jedrek vanished.

  “What’s happening?” Vanda rushed into the room.

  “He’s gone.”

  “That damned phone,” Vanda muttered. “It was the dancer I fired Thursday night. He heard Corky was planning to sue me, so he decided to have a go at me, too. The bastard.”

  “I’ll get the name of Angus’s solicitor,” Ian offered. “He’s the best in the Vamp world. And doona fash over Corky. I’ll pay to settle with her. I canna have ye suffering on my account.”

  “But I’m the one who attacked her.” Vanda dragged a hand through her spiky hair. “And now we have this mess with Jedrek Janow. He’s not going to stop until he knows what caused you to age. And if he gets his hands on that drug—”

  “I know. They’ll kill us in our sleep.”

  Vanda pressed a hand to her brow. “This is all my fault. I made you too famous, and now you’re in danger. Jedrek will hunt you down. He’ll—he’ll—”

  “It will be all right.”

  “But I completely screwed up,” she cried. “You’re like one of my little brothers to me. And I lost all of them. I can’t stand to lose you, too, not when it’s all my fault.”

  “Shhh.” He pulled her into an embrace and patted her on the back. “I doona blame you, Vanda. Yer heart was in the right place. But I would appreciate it if ye could tell Cora Lee and Lady Pamela to keep their bloody mouths shut.”

  “I will, I will.” Vanda stepped back and sniffed. “And I’ll keep trying to find you the perfect mate. I’ll make a list of the girls who want to meet you, and I’ll interview them myself to weed out the ones who just want to be famous.”

  Ian figured that was all of them, but he didn’t want to belittle Vanda’s offer. “That would be great. Thanks.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut. “I want you to be happy, Ian. And safe.” When she opened her eyes, anger flashed in them. “So help me, if that Jedrek bastard hurts—”

  “Vanda, promise me ye’ll do nothing about Jedrek Janow. Leave him to me and Connor.”

  She heaved a sigh. “Okay, but please be careful. He’ll want answers, and you’re the one who has them.”

  “I know.” Ian realized Jedrek could be hunting for him right now. And the first place he’d search would be Roman’s townhouse. “I need to use your computer.”

  He dashed down the stairs to Vanda’s office and accessed the tracking device in Toni’s handbag. She was back at the townhouse. All alone.

  Ian’s stomach clenched. Toni, he thought, just before he teleported away.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A hot shower helped take the chill out of Toni’s bones and relieve the ache in her bruised hip. She leaned over to wrap a towel around her wet hair, and as she straightened, she accidentally brushed her hip against the counter.

  “Ow!” She eyed the bruise. It had swollen to a lovely shade of purple that coordinated well with the red scars on her torso and breasts.

  “Toni!”

  She jumped at the sound of Ian’s voice coming from her bedroom. Her hip knocked against the counter. “Ow! Dammit!” She grabbed on to the towel bar to keep from falling.

  “Toni, are ye all right?” Ian pounded on the door. “Is someone hurting you? Should I teleport in?”

  “No!” What was he doing out there? “I…I have the entire offensive line from the New York Giants in here. Oh yeah, I’m feeling good! Second down and eight to go.”

  There was a pause. “Ye’re jesting, right?”

  She snorted. “Brilliant, Sherlock.”

  “Come out now. We need to talk.”

  Not that again. “I don’t have any clothes. Go away.”

  “I’ll close my eyes.”

  Now it was her turn to pause. “I don’t believe you.”

  “Brilliant, Sherlock.”

  Damn him. She wrapped a towel around herself. “Go away.”

  “No. I’ve come to rescue you.”

  “From what? Mildew?”

  “I’ll step into the hall so ye can get dressed. Please hurry.”

  She heard footsteps and a door click shut. She peeked out. The bedroom was empty.

  She eased toward the dresser. “Why are you pestering me? I’m off duty now.” She dropped her towel and quickly pulled on some panties.

  “This canna wait,” Ian spoke from the hallway. “We’re in danger from a Malcontent assassin named Jedrek Janow. He’s the new master of the Russian-American coven in Brooklyn, the bastards who attacked you before. Jedrek wants information about the drug I took in order to age, so he’ll be searching for me.”

  Any irritation Toni had felt sifted away, only to be replaced by a twinge of fear. She reached behind her back to hook her bra. “How serious is this?”

  “Verra serious. If he comes to the townhouse, he willna come alone. He’ll bring other Malcontents with him, and everyone here, including you, will be attacked.”

  A chill prickled her skin with gooseflesh. “They know about this townhouse? I thought it was a secret.” Damn, she had thought she was safe from them.

  “Roman’s home is a secret, but this place has always been known in the Vamp world. Every spring, Roman hosts a conference at Romatech, and coven masters come from around the world to attend. They always stay here, and Angus’s company provides security. Are ye decent now?”

  She could be attacked again? God, no. Memories of that night threatened to wash over her. No, not again.

  A form appeared before her, and she gasped.

  Ian’s eyes widened. “Toni.”

  Her hands fluttered around her panties and bra. Damn! Her undies didn’t cover up much. And h
er scars! She glanced at his face and saw his expression go from shock to horror.

  “Go away!” She turned her back to him. Dammit, what was worse? Being caught almost naked or seeing a guy’s horrified reaction to it?

  “Toni, ye’re covered with bite marks.”

  “I know. I was there when it happened.” She rushed to the closet and yanked a pair of jeans off a hanger.

  “And yer hip. It’s bruised something terrible.”

  “Stop looking at me!” She pulled on the jeans. “I fell in a parking lot.”

  “At the Shady Oaks Psychiatric Hospital?”

  She gasped, and the jeans slid down to her knees. “How—” She noticed his gaze drifting south, and she jerked the jeans back up. “How did you know?”

  “I’m a verra good investigator.”

  Damn him. She zipped up her jeans. “You’ve been spying on me?”

  He strode toward her. “Is that yer suitcase there?”

  She jumped aside to keep some distance between them. “What are you doing?”

  He opened the suitcase on her dresser and started filling it with her clothes. “Finish getting dressed now.”

  She didn’t care for his authoritarian tone. Or that he’d been spying on her. She jerked a T-shirt off a hanger and pulled it on. “Fine. I’ll get dressed. Then you won’t have to look so horrified at the sight of my body.”

  He paused with a handful of her panties in his fist. “I was angry when I saw how those bastards punctured you with holes. I wasna horrified. Yer body is beautiful.”

  How could she stay angry when he said that?

  He dropped the panties in her suitcase. “Please hurry. We need to go.”

  “Where are we going?” She ran into the bathroom, grabbed her hairbrush, toothbrush, cosmetic bag, and contacts, then tossed them into the suitcase.

  “I’ll take you to Romatech. Security is much tighter there. Then the lads and I can return here to fight the bastards if they come.”

  She liked the idea of being safe, and she really hated the idea of seeing the Malcontents again, but something about Ian’s plan annoyed her. She didn’t like being a weak damsel in distress. She sat on the bed to pull on her socks. “I’m not going to hide and leave all the fighting to you guys. I was hired to fight.”

  Ian smiled as he grabbed clothes from her closet and dumped them in her suitcase. “Ye’re a brave lass, and I commend ye for it, but this is no’ yer fight.”

  Normally she would agree. Why risk her life over a vampire dispute? But the night the Malcontents attacked her, it became personal. As much as she hated seeing them again, she had to do it. She jerked on her boots. “This is my fight. I won’t cower in fear. I’ll do what I was hired to do.”

  Ian zipped her suitcase shut. “Sweetheart, ye were hired as a day guard. That means ye’re supposed to fight daytime enemies, namely mortals. Ye’re off duty at night for a reason. Ye canna survive against a vampire foe.”

  “I pinned Phineas down the other night.”

  “A lucky break.”

  “Look, sweetheart.” She marched toward him. “I’m good. I’m damned good. Do you need a demonstration?”

  “Perhaps ye do.” He vanished, and a second later he was behind her, pulling her against his chest.

  She reacted quickly, ramming her elbows into his chest. It was like hitting a brick wall.

  His hands moved to her neck and face, and his voice was soft against her ear. “The next sound ye would hear is the snapping of yer neck.”

  Rage swept through her. Dammit to hell, was there no winning against them? The memory of her attack flooded back and sucked her under, drowning her in horror. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the memories, but they filled her mind, playing back every excruciating detail. A shudder almost doubled her over.

  “Toni, it will be all right,” Ian whispered.

  “No!” She fought back the tears, but the more she struggled, the more her emotions swelled. She broke free from Ian and staggered back. “I—I hate your kind!”

  His face paled. She pressed a hand to her mouth, startled by the intensity of her outburst.

  His mouth thinned, and pain glinted in his eyes. “At least ye’re being honest now.”

  She splayed her hands across her scarred rib cage. “They chewed on me like I was food. Like I wasn’t human. I was just a piece of meat.” Tears rolled down her face, and she wiped her cheeks. “I couldn’t fight them. They took over my mind, and it was like my soul was squashed.”

  He pulled her into his arms. She stiffened, but he held her tight. “Lass, I would never harm you. Ye can trust me.”

  She took a slow, shuddering breath, and let it out. “I know.” She burrowed her face in his thick sweater and let his scent fill her nostrils. He smelled clean, but earthy. Sweet, but manly.

  He rubbed a hand up and down her back. “I hope I do see those bastards tonight. I’d love to skewer them for what they did to you.”

  She rested her cheek against his shoulder. He still didn’t quite understand. She appreciated his desire to protect her, but she didn’t really want a protector against evil vampires. What she wanted was a way to protect herself. And given their superior abilities, she didn’t think such a way existed. And that’s what bothered her the most—the inequality and injustice of it all.

  “I wish I could whip your ass,” she whispered.

  Ian chuckled. “That’s my girl.”

  She nestled her cheek deeper into his thick sweater. He was surprisingly warm and wonderfully solid. When he released her and stepped back, she wanted to throw herself back into his arms.

  “We need to go, lass.” He dragged her suitcase off the dresser.

  She pulled on her coat and grabbed her handbag. “Are you driving?”

  “Teleporting. It’s faster.” He grasped the handle of her suitcase with one hand and extended the other toward her. “Ye’ll need to hold on to me.”

  “Oh.” Not a problem. She slid her arms around his neck.

  “Closer.” His arm tightened around her waist.

  She pressed against his solid chest. “Like this?”

  He closed his eyes briefly. “Aye.”

  Her breath caught when his eyes opened. “What’s the deal with your eyes? They keep turning red.”

  “It’s a normal reaction for a vampire.”

  “I don’t think so.” She studied the red, glowing irises. “None of the other Vamps do that.”

  “Good. I wouldna want to fight any of my friends.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  He gave her a wry smile. “Toni, when my eyes turn red, it’s because I’m wanting you verra badly.”

  She swallowed hard. “But it’s been happening for days.”

  “Aye, since I first met you. But doona let it worry you. I know ye hate our kind.”

  “I don’t hate you, Ian. I don’t hate any of the good Vamps. Maybe I did at first, but now…”

  He watched her carefully. “How do ye feel now?”

  A flood of emotions brought tears to her eyes. “I—I have a lot on my mind. Not just you, but my friend Sabrina. I’m so very worried…and confused.” She shouldn’t feel so damned attracted to a vampire.

  “Tell me what’s going on. I might be able to help you.”

  She studied his handsome face and saw genuine concern and compassion. She wanted to trust him. Dear God, she wanted to stay in his arms forever. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Good. Hang on, sweetheart.” He pulled her tight, and everything went black.

  As soon as Ian was assured that Toni was safely ensconced in the silver room at Romatech, he teleported back to the townhouse with Dougal and Phineas.

  When they materialized on the back porch, they heard the high-pitched buzz of the alarm inside the townhouse. They instantly drew their swords. There were only two explanations for the alarm—either a mortal had broken into the townhouse and didn’t hear the alarm, or a vampire had teleported inside and didn’t know
the proper combination required to turn the alarm off.

  Dougal quietly unlocked the back door and let it swing open. They waited, swords ready, for someone to poke his head out the door and look. If it was a Malcontent, his head wouldn’t stay attached for long.

  No one fell for the bait. Ian moved to enter, but Phineas pulled him back.

  “It’s you they want, bro. Stay between us.” Phineas entered first.

  The kitchen was a mess. Cabinets and drawers hung open, and the contents were scattered on the countertops.

  “They must be looking for the drug.” Dougal started to punch in the combination to turn off the alarm.

  “Nay.” Ian stopped him. “If we turn it off, we’ll be announcing our arrival.”

  Dougal grimaced. “Ye’re right, but the noise is bloody annoying.”

  “Yeah, sounds like a cat on crack,” Phineas muttered. He positioned himself by the swinging door. “Ready?”

  Ian nodded, and the three Vamps zoomed into the foyer. A quick glance assured them that the intruders were not on the first floor. Books were tumbled onto the floor in the library, and the parlor had been ransacked.

  They zipped downstairs to the cellar. Phineas’s bed had been slashed, and the coffins ripped apart.

  “Shit.” Phineas studied the broken picture frame of his family. “We’re too late.”

  “We should check Roman’s office,” Ian suggested. “I’m sure they’ve realized that he invented the drug.”

  “We go together,” Dougal said. “Aim for the fifth-floor landing.”

  The trio teleported to the landing outside Roman’s office and bedroom. The two doors were open, and inside, voices were speaking in Russian.

  Ian eased toward the office door and spied Jedrek Janow at Roman’s desk, fiddling with the computer. The Malcontent cursed and pounded a fist on the keyboard. Then he started rifling through the desk drawers.

  Dougal peeked into Roman’s bedroom, then raised two fingers to indicate two men. Ian lifted one finger. It was three against three. He gave Dougal and Phineas a questioning look, and they both nodded.