Chapter Three
Leah's heart leaped into a fast, pounding rhythm. She stepped back, resisting an urge to run for the door. Her gaze shifted from the president's daughter to the so-called brilliant chemist, then back. Did the president know his daughter was insane?
Holy crapoly, the whole building might be full of crazy people. Even the creepy people watching her through the camera - her breath caught. Of course, she was being punked! The camera was recording this, and it was going to end up on the Internet somewhere. It wasn't the first time people had tried to make her look like an idiot.
In college, her young age and genius label had rendered her a target for silly pranks. One time a bunch of frat boys had circled the girls' dormitory dressed as the Living Dead, while the girls had begged her to use her superior intellect to save them from the zombie apocalypse.
So this time it was the Undead. She crossed her arms and acted nonchalant. "You're married to a vampire?"
"Yes." Abby nodded with a hopeful expression as if she expected her to believe this nonsense.
Leah shot the camera a wry look, then turned back to Abby. "How did you reach that conclusion? Did he turn into a bat and fly around the bedroom?"
Abby's eager expression faded into disappointment. "You think I'm kidding."
"Did you expect me to take this seriously?" Leah asked.
Laszlo motioned to the stack of papers on the table. "But we showed you the lab work. And the data - "
"Which can be manipulated," Leah interrupted. "Or in this case, manufactured." She glowered at the camera. "The game is over. I'm not playing." She headed toward the door, but halfway there, it opened.
Dr. Lee rushed inside. "Is there a problem?"
"Yes," Leah replied in the affirmative, at the same time as Abby and Laszlo. She aimed a frown at them. "They're playing a dumb joke on me."
"It's not a joke," Abby insisted. "Vampires are real."
Leah snorted. "Why would you believe that? Did your husband bite you?"
"Well, yes, he has. And he can - "
"What? Leap from one tree to another like a monkey?" Leah lifted a hand to stop Abby. The poor woman was suffering from delusions. "You should lie down and get some rest. Given your condition, you could be experiencing some hormonal fluctuations - "
"I'm not imagining this," Abby grumbled.
"Or it could be a case of being overworked," Leah continued. "I know how it is. When I get really involved in a project, I can forget to eat or sleep. Just this last week, I was so busy, I can hardly remember it."
Dr. Lee winced. "Perhaps a demonstration is in order."
"Good idea." Abby turned to Laszlo. "How about you levitate to the ceiling?"
Laszlo frowned, tugging hard at a button. "If you wish, but it might cause her to panic."
"Go ahead," Dr. Lee told him. "She needs physical evidence."
Leah scoffed. "So the chemist is a vampire, too?"
Laszlo's button popped off and landed on the stainless steel table with a ping. He gave her an apologetic look. "It's not really a bad thing. Just think of it as a . . . an unusual medical condition."
Leah shook her head. These people were certifiable. "You're a vampire?"
"Yes," Laszlo admitted but hastened to add, "but a very friendly one, I assure you."
"Well, that is . . . comforting," Leah muttered. A friendly bloodsucker. That made as much sense as a friendly serial killer. She glanced at Abby. "And you? Are you Casper, the friendly ghost?"
Abby gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm mortal like you. I know you must be shocked. I was shocked, too, when I found out. I even fainted."
"I don't faint." Leah waved a dismissive hand. "And I'm not shocked. I'm . . . saddened that you've deluded yourselves into believing such a ridiculous - " She halted when Laszlo's body floated up to the ceiling.
Okay, that wasn't normal. It had to be wires. A spark of anger flared inside her. These people were really taking the joke too far. "That's enough! I don't believe anyone here is a vampire!"
"But I am." Laszlo winced as his head bumped into the ceiling.
"Me, too," Dr. Lee added.
Leah spun to face him. Her boss was a vampire?
"I am as well." Another man sauntered into the lab. He was tall, dark, and handsome.
And Undead? Leah stared at him. "Who are you?"
He bowed his head. "Roman Draganesti, at your service. I'm delighted to meet you, Dr. Chin."
This was the scientific genius who had invented synthetic blood? Leah swallowed hard. He was either as crazy as the other guys in the room, or they were actually . . .
Vampires.
Her skin chilled with instant goose bumps. No, this isn't possible. There had to be a reasonable, scientific explanation for this. Why bother to explain it? Just get the hell out of here!
She stepped toward the door, but Dr. Lee and Mr. Draganesti were blocking the exit. A quick look around confirmed it was the only way out.
"Her heart is racing," Mr. Draganesti murmured.
She turned toward him, her eyes narrowed.
"Superior hearing," he explained.
"Why should I believe you? Given the situation, anyone could guess that my heart rate would be elevated." A thudding sound startled her, and she whirled about to find that Laszlo had landed on the tile floor.
She rushed toward him, and standing on her tiptoes, she swept her hand through the air over his head. No wires. "How did you do it? Are you wearing special shoes that will lift you in the air? Or maybe it's magnets?"
"It's levitation." Laszlo regarded her sadly. "Do you need me to do it again?"
"No." She grabbed his wrist and pressed her fingers against his vein. "You see?" She dropped his arm. "You have a pulse. You're alive. So stop this crap now!"
"Leah, calm down." Dr. Lee moved toward her.
"I will not!" She stepped back. "And I'm not working for you anymore. This is a cruel joke, and I won't put up with it!"
"Leah, for God's sake." Dr. Lee gave her a beseeching look. "We're not trying to be cruel. Just honest."
"No!" She shook her head. "I won't listen! Vampires aren't real. You're lying to me! You're lying - "
"Dammit, don't make me erase your memory again!" Dr. Lee winced and lifted his hands. "I didn't mean it like that. We would never hurt you. You have to believe us."
A chill swept over Leah, and she shivered. "You . . . what did you do?"
Dr. Lee dragged a hand through his short gray hair. "This is so damned frustrating. I tried to tell you the truth a few days ago, but you didn't take it well."
"You - you erased my memory?"
"You were having a panic attack. It seemed like the best way to calm you down."
Leah struggled to breathe. Oh God, was that why the past few days were a blur? He'd . . . tampered with her mind?
"My dear child," Roman said softly. "Perhaps you should sit down?"
"You look very pale," Abby added.
"I don't faint." Leah stumbled toward the far wall, where a countertop and sink were located. She didn't know whether to be angry or . . . scared to death. Her mind had been tampered with? Dr. Lee had that kind of power?
She glanced at herself in the mirror over the sink and grimaced at her pale, stricken look. Damn them all. She would not allow anyone to alter her memory. She would remember this.
But did that mean she had to accept a new reality, one that was occupied with vampires? With trembling fingers, she turned on the cold water.
"Let me help." Abby joined her at the sink and pulled some paper towels from the nearby dispenser.
She eased away a few inches.
"Leah, please," Abby whispered. "I'm mortal. And a scientist like you. I had trouble accepting it, too." She folded the towels into a pad and moistened it under the cold running water. "Here, press this against the back of your neck."
Leah accepted the damp pad and looked in the mirror over the sink. She and Abby were reflected there, and the stainless steel table in the background. No Laszlo.
She glanced back, and with a gasp, she dropped the damp pad to the floor. Roman Draganesti was standing right behind her. "What? How did you - ?" She turned back to the mirror.
He wasn't there.
"Do you believe us now?" his voice spoke softly behind her.
The room swirled, and she gripped the edge of the counter. Vampires are real? It wasn't scientifically possible. She squeezed her eyes shut. Had her world just turned upside down? Had she stumbled into an alternate reality? Was she hallucinating?
"Take deep breaths," Abby whispered. "You'll be okay."
Leah shook her head. No, it would never be okay. Her safe and scientific world had crumbled around her. What was left to rely on? How could she even trust her instincts, when they were telling her she'd lost her mind?
A cold sweat broke out on her skin. She cupped her hands in the cold running water, and her eyes burned at the sight of her shaky hands. Was this really happening to her?
She splashed water on her face, then straightened to watch the rivulets running down her face in the mirror. It was real. Was the vampire still behind her? She cupped more water in her hands and tossed it over her shoulder.
A wincing sound. She turned and found Mr. Draganesti standing behind her, wiping droplets of water off his shirt and tie.
He gave her a wry look. "My wife didn't take the news well either."
"Your wife?" Leah scoffed. "Apparently she got over it."
He nodded. "Shanna's looking forward to meeting you. Our children are at the party, too. Sofia is four, and Constantine's six."
"Already?" Dr. Lee strolled toward them, smiling. "It seems like just yesterday I delivered them."
"I know." Mr. Draganesti grinned. "They grow so fast."
Leah grimaced at the pointed canine teeth on display. Did they have fangs that shot out like the ones in movies? How many carotid arteries had they punctured with those?
When Mr. Draganesti noticed the apparent horror on her face, his smile faded. "Dr. Chin, there is no need to fear us. I invented synthetic blood to free us from the need to use mortals for our survival."
So Romatech Industries was their equivalent to a grocery store. Leah moved to the side beyond their reach. "Before synthetic blood, you fed off people?"
Mr. Draganesti nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. We would take what we needed, then erase the mortal's memory."
"I never liked hurting people," Laszlo grumbled as he stuffed the loose button into his pocket. "It was a blessing to us when we could rely on synthetic blood."
"We try not to hurt mortals, but there are some bad vampires who do," Dr. Lee warned her. "We call them Malcontents. They enjoy tormenting and killing mortals."
"We've been fighting them for centuries," Mr. Draganesti added.
"These are the good guys." Abby motioned to the men. "I would never have fallen in love with Gregori if he hadn't been one of the good guys."
How could a vampire be good? Their very nature was parasitic. Leah crossed her arms. "How old are you?"
"I'm just over a hundred." Dr. Lee gave Mr. Draganesti an amused look. "You're the old one here."
He shrugged. "I was born in 1461, transformed in 1492."
"You knew Columbus?" Leah winced. She was too frazzled. Now she was asking stupid questions.
Mr. Draganesti smiled. "My son asked me that, too. Would you like to go the party now? You might feel better if you have something to eat."
"You have real food there?" Leah asked.
"There's a bunch of food," Dr. Lee answered. "And a giant birthday cake. Five layers, each one a different flavor. According to Tino, the chocolate one is the best."
Mr. Draganesti snorted. "I'm sure he tasted each layer."
"Of course." Dr. Lee grinned. "When I saw him, he had a smear of chocolate icing on his nose."
Leah took a deep breath. In spite of the seemingly normal cake conversation, she was still having trouble wrapping her mind around this. Vampires. Vampires with wives and children. How could that be possible? The chocolate cake sounded good, though.
She shook her head. "Mr. Draganesti - "
"Call me Roman."
She gave him a wary look. Just don't call me dinner. "Why am I here? What do you want from me?"
His eyebrows lifted. "Straight to the point. I like that. The truth is we find ourselves in a moral dilemma. We've always tried to protect mortals from bad vampires, but there's one in China who's giving us major grief. He goes by the name Master Han."
"He's mutating mortals and using them to fight his battles," Dr. Lee added. "We need to defeat Master Han, but we don't want to kill the mortals."
"That's big of you," Leah muttered. "Where do I come in?"
"The mortals have been transformed at a genetic level," Abby explained. "Since you're an expert in that field, we were hoping you could find a way to change them back."
Leah swallowed a pang of disappointment. She knew she was here on business, but for a few minutes, she had hoped that Abby wanted to be her friend. Her eyes burned. Here she was, surrounded by vampires, possibly in danger, and she was fretting over hurt feelings? How silly of her. But everyone always approached her with an agenda. They wanted her brain, her expertise, her learned opinion. No one ever saw her as a normal person to hang out with.
"I was looking forward to working with you." Abby regarded her sadly. "And I hoped we could get to know each other."
Did she really mean that? Leah stared at her. Did she know the loneliness of never fitting in?
"We'll understand if you refuse," Roman said. "But please give it some thought before you decide. If you can help us, you could possibly be saving the lives of over a thousand men."
Over a thousand lives? That was not something she could turn away from easily. "I'll think about it. But I need some time."
"Of course." Roman nodded. "You've had a lot thrown at you this evening."
"But you're doing great." Dr. Lee smiled. "We can relax and enjoy the party now, okay?"
Relax with vampires? Leah glanced at the camera. Those watchful eyes she felt - did they belong to a vampire? Had he observed her like a lab mouse trying to find its way through a maze? Unfortunately, the evening wasn't over, and she was still in the maze. One step away from a nervous breakdown. "I'd rather be alone with Abby right now."
"We understand." Roman stepped back to let her pass.
"Come on." Abby headed for the door. "Let's get some of that chocolate cake."
"Damn, this is good." Freemont forked a bite of cake into his mouth as he sauntered into the security office. "You guys don't know what you're missing."
"About five thousand calories," Gregori muttered.
Dougal eyed Freemont's plate, loaded down with five slices of cake. So he was doing like Tino and trying all the flavors.
Grinning, Freemont set the plate on the desk. "I'm gonna make this cake my bitch."
Angus snorted. "While ye're doing that, keep an eye on the monitors. I'll leave in a few minutes to update Emma on what's happening. I think everything's going verra well."
Dougal wasn't so sure about that. As he watched Leah walk down the corridor, he had a bad feeling she was one step away from full-fledged panic. Still, her head was held high and her back was straight. She was a courageous lass, showing fortitude as her safe world crumbled around her. She'd stood up to everyone in the lab, refusing to let them intimidate her. Her strength of character was impressive.
"Gregori, ye should go to the party," Angus continued. "Flirt with yer wife and show Dr. Chin how charming ye can be."
Gregori scoffed. "Is that an order?"
"Is it too much for ye to handle?" Angus asked.
"No." Gregori gave him a wry look. "I'm always charming."
"Good. Show the doctor how harmless we are. Meek as lambs, as Dougal puts it." Angus's eyes narrowed on Dougal. "Ye should go with him. She might feel better knowing who was behind the camera."
Dougal winced. Each time she'd glanced at the camera with that defiant, reproachful look, his heart had squeezed in his chest. He knew in his soul that she had resented being observed while everything she held safe and secure had been stripped away from her.
He'd been torn the entire time. Part of him had wanted to turn away and give her the privacy she deserved. But a larger part had kept him glued to the screen, hoping somehow that his presence would lend her strength, that he could lessen her pain by sharing it. He knew too well the pain of losing everything.
He watched on the monitor as she crossed the foyer with Abby. He was still torn. His heart was thudding wildly at the thought of meeting her in person. She was the most intriguing woman he'd seen in centuries. But his mind was telling him to wait. She was hanging on by a thread. If it snapped, she would run and never come back. "I'm no' sure she wants to meet any more Vamps for a while."
"I'll call Abby and see what she thinks." Gregori opened the office door. "Come on, Dougal. Let's party."
"Remember," Angus said, "we're as meek as lambs."
"And randy as goats," Gregori added with a laugh. He slapped Dougal on the back. "Let's go."