All I Want For Christmas Is A Vampire (26 page)

Maybe she could find something that would knock her panties down. She looked inside the closet and smiled at the kilt hanging there. She stroked the softness of Ian’s sweater and leaned close to smell his scent. She spotted the black leather pants he’d worn the night they rescued Bri. Behind that was the tuxedo he’d worn to play Dracula. And then there was the vampire cape.

She skimmed her fingers down the sleek, black satin. The stand-up collar was so cool. She glanced back at Ian, still dead to the world.

Well, why the heck not? She dropped her towels to the floor and grabbed the cape. She twirled around, flourishing the cape like a matador. Then she swirled it onto her shoulders and tied the strings at her neck. She clasped the edges with her fingers so she could lift her arms and spread the cape wide. Whoosh, she ran across the room, letting the cape billow behind her. Then she executed a few lunges in a Paso Doble style. Happy with that, she bent her right elbow, letting the cape cover the bottom half of her face. Like Snidely Whiplash, she stalked across the room.

She jumped onto the foot of the bed and lifted her arms wide. With an ominous glare at Ian, she said in a spooky, low voice, “I am your master.”

“Like a virgin,” a female voice answered.

Toni jerked around. That had to be her cell phone. Her pants were somewhere on the floor.

Madonna claimed she was being touched for the very first time.

“Oh, hush.” Toni jumped down from the bed and strode about the room, searching for her pants. “You’re about as virginal as I am.”

“That’s debatable,” a male voice said.

With a squeak, she spun around. “Ian?”

“Toni?” His eyes widened as he took in her costume, or lack of costume.

She whipped the edges of the cape together to conceal her nude body. “I thought you were dead. Again.”

His mouth twitched. “I wouldna miss this for anything.”

Her face heated up.

“Like a virgin,” Madonna taunted her.

She snatched the phone from her pants pocket. “Hello?”

“Menina, what happened to you?” Carlos asked. “You went upstairs to check on Ian and never came back.”

“I—I’m fine. Ian’s fine.” She glanced at the bed. Ian was grinning at her.

“Did you fall asleep?” Carlos asked. “I know you were tired this morning.”

“I…slept a little. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Nothing’s happening. I just thought you might be hungry. Howard’s making some paninis in the kitchen. You want one?”

“I—uh…” She watched Ian stroll past her into the office. The view from the back was great. He removed a bottle of blood from the small fridge at the wet bar and popped it into the microwave.

“Toni, what’s going on?” Carlos demanded. “Do you need some help up there?”

“No! I—I’m fine, really.”

“He’s awake, isn’t he?” Carlos demanded. “Either that, or you have developed some tastes that are way too kinky.”

“Okay, he’s awake,” she confessed.

“Howard told me about the Stay-Awake drug,” Carlos said. “I guess you two are putting it to good use?”

“Oh yeah.”

Carlos chuckled. “Ciao, menina.” He hung up.

“They know what we’re doing?” Ian removed his bottle from the microwave and poured the blood into a glass.

“Yes.” She dropped her phone and wandered into the office. “Are we going to be in big trouble?”

“No one has a way to contact Connor right now, so I wouldna worry about it.” Ian sipped from his glass as he watched her approach. “That cape looks better on you than it does me.”

“I don’t think it’s the cape you’re looking at.” She swept the cape open for a second to flash her body.

Ian smiled and took another sip. “Something amazing happened.”

“Oh yeah, the sex was great.” She perched on a bar stool.

He chuckled. “That, too. But Toni, I actually fell asleep.” He leaned toward her, resting his elbows on the bar. “It was so strange. I havena slept in centuries.”

“Wow.”

He drank more blood. “I’d forgotten what it was like. Death-sleep is so…blank. It’s nothing but death and total oblivion. But this was sweet and…”

“Restful?”

His eyes glimmered with moisture. “I had a dream. I dreamed of you.”

“Oh…my.” She noticed the tears in his eyes were reddish in color.

He touched her face. “I would have never thought it possible.”

She took his hand. “What did you dream?”

His mouth quirked. “Ye did a striptease dance for me in a vampire cape.”

“Really?” When he laughed, she made a face at him. “Very funny. What was the dream?”

His eyes softened. “I’ll tell you someday.”

“Hmm.” She scooted off the bar stool. She walked away from him, then flipped one side of the cape back to reveal a rounded hip. “I have ways of making you talk.”

She gasped when he zoomed up to her at vampire speed. “I have ways of making you scream.” He untied the strings at her neck and pushed the cape off her shoulders.

The satin material pooled on the floor, the red side up. Ian lifted her in his arms, then laid her down on the scarlet satin.

“Well, why not?” She gave him a wry look. “We’ve stained everything else in this place.”

With a laugh, he zoomed back to the bar and grabbed his glass. An inch of blood still remained in the bottom. “Ye’ve given me an idea.”

“You’re going to stain the carpet?”

“Nay.” He knelt beside her and drizzled the blood over her breasts and down her torso.

“Eeuw. I hope you plan to clean that up.” She forgot to be indignant when his tongue lapped the blood off her breasts. He followed the trail of blood down her torso, then licked the last remaining drops from her belly button.

She squirmed on the red satin, enjoying the decadent feel of it against her backside. Ian returned to her breasts to suckle. She felt his teeth nibbling ever so gently and recalled the look of his fangs when he’d gone into full Dracula mode. His eyes had glowed blue, intense with Vamp power, then they’d turned red as he’d looked hungrily at her. The old bite marks on her breasts and torso itched, but not with fear or repulsion.

She felt desire. And need. “Ian.”

He glanced up at her, and the red glow in his eyes tugged deep within her. Her bite marks burned.

She raked her hands into his long black hair and gripped his head tight. “Bite me.”

He blinked. “Nay. Doona say that. I willna use you for food. I’m no’ hungry.”

“I am. I have a deep…hunger inside me.”

“Toni, ye’re reacting to my Vamp power. I’ll try to tone it down.”

“No, let it loose.”

He studied her curiously. “Do ye know what ye’re asking? Ye were attacked. Ye have terrible memories.”

“I want to turn that terror into something beautiful. Can you do that?”

“I can keep it from hurting. But it is all an illusion. Mind control. And I know how ye feel about that.”

“I’m not afraid of your mind. I love you.”

He hesitated, frowning.

“Do it. Do it all. I want to experience everything with you.”

He closed his eyes. “Ye’re so verra tempting. I can smell yer blood, hot and delicious. I can hear it rushing through you, calling to me.”

“Take me.”

His eyes opened, and she gasped at the startling blue. A wave of icy cold air struck her forehead, then swept down her body, prickling her skin with gooseflesh.

I am with you. His voice reverberated in her mind, and her entire body tingled as if he were blowing his breath over her. He nuzzled her neck. We will share mind, body, and blood. He licked her neck, and she gasped as the same sensation happened between her legs.

It had to be an illusion. But one hell of an illusion. All the tingling on her neck was echoed below. Her need grew more desperate, and the tingles grew into throbbing pulses, demanding satisfaction.

She wrapped her legs around him. “Take me now.”

His fangs extended with a small hissing sound that made her ache for him. She shuddered as his erection pressed against her and his teeth softly scraped her neck. Soon, soon it would happen.

He plunged into her core with so much force, she barely noticed the prick on her neck. And then he was loving her, taking her body and blood. I am inside you in every way. Ye are mine, and I am yers.

With each suck at her neck, a shudder of pleasure skittered through her. Then he pulled away from her neck. I doona want to take too much. He licked the bite wounds, and the shudders continued, intensified with each bodily thrust into her core.

His pace picked up. I can feel ye coming. We’re coming together.

And they did. Toni cried out just as she heard his roar of pleasure thunder through her mind. She’d never felt anything like it. Their bodies shuddered together like a choreographed dance. Their minds pulsated in shared pleasure. Amazing, she thought, or did he think that? She could no longer tell who was who. They were one.

“Ian,” she whispered as their breathing returned to normal. Even their breaths were in sync.

Do ye feel how much I love you? His voice filled her mind.

A warmth flooded her and brought tears to her eyes. Then a chill swept through her, and he was gone. Gone from her mind, but lying next to her with love in his eyes.

And she knew, then and there, that nothing would stop her from spending her life with Ian. No friendships or villains could stop her from loving him.

Even death couldn’t come between them.

That evening, just after sundown, Toni was sitting in the parlor with Ian, Carlos, Howard, and all the Vamp guys, watching the Digital Vampire Network. Stone Cauffyn of the Nightly News droned on and on. Phineas and Jack made everyone laugh with their impersonations of the boring newscaster.

Stone turned his head. “What is the meaning of this?”

The camera swerved, and Toni gasped. Jedrek Janow was approaching the newscaster’s desk with a pistol in his hand. “Take him,” he ordered, and a Russian Malcontent rushed past him to loop silver rope around Stone Cauffyn.

“What are you doing?” Stone asked. “This is highly irregular.”

“On me!” Jedrek demanded, and the camera shifted to him. “You, cameraman, will do as I say if you want to live.”

The camera didn’t budge.

Jedrek nodded. “Good, now show our audience what we have behind door number one.” He motioned to his right.

The camera panned to the door. Yuri and Stanislav entered the recording studio, each dragging a hostage.

Toni gasped. “They have Corky Courrant.”

“And another woman,” Ian muttered.

“I say we let him kill Corky,” Phineas said.

“Shh.” Ian turned up the volume as Jedrek spoke.

“As you can see, we have taken over DVN. Your regularly scheduled programming has been canceled for a far more interesting show. Ian MacPhie, you have twenty minutes to bring me the Stay-Awake drug, or I start executing people on live television.”

Toni remained stunned and speechless, while the men all started to talk at the same time. How many men did Jedrek have? Who knew the layout at DVN?

The Vamp men suddenly leaped to their feet.

“Sorry!” a voice called from the foyer. Gregori entered the parlor. “Didn’t mean to trigger the alarm.”

Dougal rushed into the foyer to turn off the alarm.

Gregori glanced at the TV. “I saw what was happening. I thought I should warn you in case you didn’t know.”

“Do ye know the layout at DVN?” Ian asked.

“Sure. I’ve done a bunch of commercials there. Got some paper?” Gregori asked.

Toni ran to the desk. She collected some paper and pens, then dropped them on the large, square coffee table.

Gregori sat on one of the couches and began drawing.

“Phineas, Dougal, go below,” Ian ordered. “Bring up some weapons. Howard, do ye know where DVN is?”

“It’s in Brooklyn.” Howard stood. “You want me to drive there?”

Ian ran a hand through his hair while he considered. “We doona want to teleport into a trap, so I think we should attack from the outside.”

“Agreed,” Zoltan said.

Their attention was snagged by a scream emanating from the television.

“You’re burning my skin, you bastard!” Corky Courrant screeched as Yuri looped silver rope around her wrists.

The other woman whimpered as she was tied up.

Stone Cauffyn looked curiously at his ropes. “I say, what do you expect to gain from this?”

Jedrek sneered. “The world. With the Stay-Awake drug, I can rule the vampire world.”

Stone gave him a bland look. “No such drug exists.”

“Of course it does. Ian MacPhie took it. That’s how he aged.” Jedrek moved behind Corky and slid his hand around her neck. “I have you to thank, Ms. Courrant. You’re the one who brought him to my attention.”

Corky’s eyes widened as his hand tightened. “If I helped you, then why don’t you let me go?”

Jedrek tilted her head back to force her to look at him. “I enjoy watching blondes die. Isn’t that so, Nadia?”

The camera swerved to a small brunette standing next to Stone. “It pleases the master when I kill a blonde,” she whispered.

“You can’t kill me!” Corky screamed. “I have fans.” She glanced at the captured woman beside her. “Kill Tiffany. She’s blonde. And she slept with my boyfriend.”

“No!” Tiffany squealed. “I’m too young to die. And too pretty.”

“Pretty?” Corky snorted. “Men just tell you that so you’ll sleep with them.”

“That’s not true. I’ve been told I’m pretty by hundreds of men.”

“And how many of those men did you sleep with?” Corky snarled.

Tiffany’s eyes widened.

“Enough!” Jedrek rolled his eyes. “Gag them, Yuri, before I kill them now.”

Yuri plastered a strip of duct tape over Tiffany’s mouth.

Corky struggled with her ropes. “You can’t kill me! I’m entertaining. Kill Stone! He’s as boring as hell.”

“Why, I say—” Stone stammered. “That seems uncalled for. I happen to find myself somewhat interesting.”

Jedrek held Corky’s head still while Yuri stuck duct tape across her mouth. Then he turned to inspect Stone, who stared blankly back at him. “What do you do?”

Stone blinked. “I read the news.”

Jedrek strolled toward him. “And?”

“I have…nice hair.”

Jedrek rolled his eyes. “This man is boring. I can’t even sense any fear from him. Let him go.”

Stone looked mildly surprised. “I must say, that is rather good news.”

Nadia untied the silver ropes binding him and led him to the door. Corky tried to trip him as he passed by.

Jedrek paced in front of the two blonde hostages. “Now the question is which one of you shall I kill first? Or perhaps Ian MacPhie will come to save you.”

Corky and Tiffany strained against their ropes.

Jedrek smiled. “That’s it. Show me your fear. Let it ooze from your pores so I can revel in the smell.” His gaze lowered to Corky’s overly abundant breasts. “We’ll need an extra long stake for this one.”

Yuri chuckled. “Yes, Master.”

Corky’s scream was muffled and desperate.

Jedrek inhaled deeply. “Ah, the smell of fear.” He turned to the camera. “Are you afraid, MacPhie? Are you going to let these women die so the entire Vamp world will remember you as a coward?”

“Go to hell,” Ian muttered.

“I’m done,” Gregori announced. He’d drawn a detailed schematic of DVN at vampire speed.

Phineas and Dougal whooshed into the room, their arms piled high with weapons. They set them down on the floor.

“Howard and Carlos, arm yourselves and get going,” Ian ordered.

As the two mortal men grabbed swords, stakes, and daggers, Toni looked at Ian. Did he have other plans for her, or was he trying to completely leave her out? “Ian?”

His eyes met hers. “Can ye stay here?”

She shook her head. “For better or for worse. I’m with you.”

A pained look crossed his face. “All right. Go with Howard.”

She quickly gathered some weapons.

“Find a dark, secluded place nearby,” Ian said. “Then call us, and we’ll teleport. We’ll have a plan by then.”

“Okay.” Howard motioned to Carlos and Toni. “Let’s go.”

On the way to DVN, Howard drove like a madman. “Don’t get into a battle with a vampire, Toni. They’re too fast and strong. They’ll use mind control to freeze you.”

“I understand.” She couldn’t compete with them. The vampires would always be superior. Even Howard and Carlos had abilities that she would never possess.

Howard drove onto the Brooklyn Bridge. “Carlos, if they try to take over your mind, shift. They can’t control us when we’re in animal form.”

“I’ll be ready for them,” Carlos said.

Toni turned to look at Carlos in the backseat. “Be careful,” she whispered.

“You, too, menina.” Carlos winked.

Toni nervously fingered the wooden stakes in her lap. “I wonder how many men Jedrek has.”

“Well, he had two men and a woman in the studio with him,” Howard said. “And at last count, the Russian coven was down to about a dozen.”

“So there could be ten more scattered about the building,” Carlos concluded.

Toni mentally counted their number. Three mortals and six Vamps. Ian, Phineas, Dougal, Zoltan, Jack, and Gregori.

Howard parked in a dark alley next to the DVN parking lot. They immediately called the townhouse, and within seconds, the six Vamps were there, fully armed. Moonlight gleamed off their swords and daggers. Ian explained the plan. All the men nodded, but Toni shook her head.

“No, Ian. It’s too dangerous for you.”

“I’m the one he wants. This is the best way.”

“Shhh.” Phineas held up a hand. “Someone’s coming.”

The men spread out in the alley, and soon Toni heard a yelp.

“I say, there’s no need for violence.”

Toni blinked. It was Stone Cauffyn.

“What are ye doing here?” Ian demanded as Phineas dragged the newscaster forward.

“Are you the good guys?” Stone asked. “I was hoping you’d come. I want to help.” He patted his perfect hair. “I want a piece of the action because I’m not boring!”

“Shhh.” Ian hushed him. “Can ye wield a sword?”

“No, but I’m real good with a hairbrush. Oh, and I know where there’s a secret entrance. Will that help?”

“Yes. Ye’ll take the mortals in through the secret entrance,” Ian ordered. “Gregori, go with them. The rest of you, ye know what to do. Let’s go.” He strode toward the end of the alley.

Toni ran to join him. “Ian, please don’t do this. There has to be a better way.”

“I’ve weighed the options, Toni. If we attack, Jedrek will kill the hostages. This way, he’ll think he’s won, and he’ll be easier to defeat.” He gave her a worried look. “If I begged you to stay here in the alley, would ye do it?”

“You know I can’t. I have to be there for you.”

Ian sighed. “Doona try to take on a Malcontent.”

“Yeah, yeah, the vampires are superior. I’ve heard it before. I’m not good enough.”

Ian stopped and took her hand. “No one is more valuable to me than you. Doona blame me for being terrified for yer safety.”

“I feel the same way about you.”

“I’ll be fine. Trust me.” He kissed her brow, then skirted the alley wall to enter the DVN parking lot.

Toni said a silent prayer for him. Hot tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them away. No time for that now.

Phineas, Dougal, Zoltan, and Jack moved stealthily into the parking lot, keeping themselves hidden, while Ian strode straight to the entrance door.

“Let’s go.” Howard motioned for her, Carlos, Gregori, and Stone to follow him. They crept along the back of the DVN parking lot, staying in the shadow. They stopped behind two large cars to watch.

Ian approached the entrance, where two Malcontent guards pointed their rifles at him. He raised his hands. “I’m Ian MacPhie. I’ve brought the drug for Jedrek.”

One guard held his rifle on Ian while the other patted him down. “No weapons.”

“What about his purse?” The Malcontent pointed his rifle at the leather pouch in front of Ian’s kilt.

“It’s a sporran.” Ian opened it and showed them the vial of greenish liquid. “I’m to deliver this personally.”

Toni’s breath caught. Did he really have some of the drug with him?

The guard checked Ian’s sporran. “There’s nothing else inside. Let’s go.” He opened the door and motioned for Ian to enter.

The guards scanned the parking lot, and not seeing anything, they both went into the building to escort Ian to Jedrek.

About five minutes later, Toni saw a blur of movement as Phineas and Dougal zipped at vampire speed toward the now unguarded entrance. They slipped inside. Two more figures crept from the shadows. Zoltan and Jack stood on each side of the door, pressed against the wall.

Gregori cursed under his breath. “Their alarm just went off. There must be a Malcontent in the security office, and he spotted our guys.”

“We knew that could happen,” Howard whispered.

“At least the recording studios are soundproof,” Gregori said. “Jedrek can’t hear it.”

Toni recalled the plan that Ian had explained in the alley. Phineas and Dougal were supposed to take over the security office as quickly as possible.

The two guards who had escorted Ian returned. They ran out the front door with swords drawn, but they didn’t get far. Zoltan and Jack jumped them, and in a flash, both guards were nothing but piles of dust on the pavement.

Zoltan and Jack sheathed their daggers and drew their swords. Then they rushed inside. Their mission was to zoom through the building, killing any Malcontents they came across. From what Toni could tell, they looked quite capable of the job.

“All right, Stone, let’s go.” Howard gave the newscaster a push.

They ran to the side of the building. Stone moved a heavy potted plant to reveal a trapdoor in the pavement next to the building. He pulled on a metal ring to lift the door and revealed a staircase leading into the basement.

Howard pulled a small LED flashlight from his utility belt and flipped it on. “Let’s go.”

“This is all storage,” Stone whispered, once they were downstairs. “No one comes down here except Tiffany and the boss when they want to—”

“We gotcha,” Gregori muttered. “Take us to the stairwell that’s closest to the control room.”

“This way.” Stone led them across the vast storeroom and up a narrow flight of stairs.

“Me first.” Gregori drew his sword.

“Of course.” Stone let him pass.

Gregori cracked open the door and peeked outside. “It’s clear.” He led them down an empty corridor. The sound of clashing blades could be heard in the distance. As Toni passed beneath a security camera, she could only hope they were being watched by Phineas or Dougal and not the Malcontents.

“This is it.” Gregori stopped by a door with a sign that read Control Room. Clashing blades could be heard inside. Gregori flung open the door. Toni followed him just in time to see Zoltan slash his sword across a Malcontent’s neck, then skewer him through the heart. The dead vampire turned to dust.

Zoltan swiveled to face them and bowed. “The room is yours.” He zoomed out the door.

“Wow.” Toni watched Zoltan disappear around a corner.

“I’m glad that guy’s on our side,” Carlos muttered.

Gregori cursed. “Look at this.” He motioned to the wall that was covered with twelve monitors.

Toni gasped. All twelve monitors showed the same scene, the studio where the Nightly News was aired. Ian had been stripped to his kilt, and Nadia was casually looping silver rope around his bare chest. Red welts appeared on Ian’s skin, and the sizzling sound made Toni’s stomach lurch.

“We have to get him out of there.” Toni pulled her dagger from her belt.