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He shrugged one shoulder. "It was worth it to finally look like a man."
And what a man. "Well, you certainly got some good results."
His eyes started to twinkle. "Like a hot, hot studmuffin?"
She winced. That line was going to haunt her the rest of her days.
He stepped toward her. "We still need to talk."
Not that again. Maybe she should try a new tactic. "I'd love to talk, but can we do it later? I have to go now. My dinner date is waiting."
His eyes narrowed. "Ye have a date?"
She started to say it was just with an old friend, but why put the guy out of his misery? He looked kinda jealous, and she kinda liked it. "You're not the only one who dates around here, you know." He frowned. "I have three dates tonight."
Great, studmuffin. Rub it in. "Have fun." Not. She marched out the door.
Chapter Seven
Forty-five minutes later, Toni was in her apartment, wolfing down Chinese food and giggling with Carlos over the advertisements in The Black Pages.
"Look at this one." He pointed. "Undead Body Armor. Protect your chest against those pesky wooden stakes."
She nearly choked on a noodle. "I still like the Fang File the best. Gotta keep those fangs sharp." Carlos chuckled. "You know what's good, menina? You're able to laugh at vampires now."
"Believe me, that awful attack still bothers me. I'm just getting better at not thinking about it." If she did think about it, she'd probably burst into tears. "I have a long history of learning to laugh at pain instead of cry."
He patted her arm. "You're doing fine. How long can you stay tonight? I'd like to do a recon of Dr. Proctor's house in Westchester. We need to know the layout in case we have to extract Sabrina."
"Excuse me?" Sometimes Carlos didn't exactly sound like an anthropology student.
"Never mind. I'll handle the uncle. You keep working on getting proof that these vampires exist." She sighed. They'd already decided that anyone reading The Black Pages would simply think it was a joke book. "I'm totally stumped. I mean, it sounds easy to get proof, but it's not. Even if I videotaped someone admitting he's a vampire, people would just think I had hired an actor." Carlos stared into space for a moment while he considered. "You need to catch them in the act. Get a recording of them vanishing or their fangs coming out. Go someplace where a lot of them are gathered, and they feel totally free to be themselves."
"A vampire hangout?"
"Exactly." He jumped up and headed to the kitchen window. "I've got something in my apartment you can use."
"A rope of garlic?" There was a loud knock on her door, and she jumped.
Carlos hesitated. "Are you expecting someone?"
"No." She rushed to the door and peered through the peephole. "Oh no!" Oh shoot! With his super hearing, he'd probably heard her.
"What's wrong?" Carlos reversed direction and headed back into the living room.
"Nothing." Damn! How had Ian discovered her address? Her employment application, of course.
He'd probably gone back to Romatech to get it. A second knock shook the door, and she scooted away from it.
"You want me to get it?" Carlos asked.
"No, I'll get it," she whispered. It's just...him."
"Him? The infamous him of no name?"
She lifted a finger to her mouth to shush Carlos up. No doubt Super Vamp was listening to them. Carlos's mouth curled up. "The him whose very mention causes your eyes to glaze over with a take-me-I'm-yours look?"
"That's not true!" Toni winced as she looked back at the door. She dashed over to Carlos and
hissed quietly, "Go back to your place now. Before I kill you."
"Are you kidding?" Carlos perched on the arm of the easy chair. "I wouldn't miss him for anything."
She swatted Carlos on the shoulder, but he didn't budge. It was no use. She leaned close so she could whisper. "Don't say a word about him being a Vamp. You're not supposed to know."
"My lips are sealed." Carlos's eyes twinkled. "Unless he has other plans."
She huffed. "Don't you dare make a move on him."
"Ah. Feeling a bit territorial, are we?"
She glared at Carlos's smirking face.
A third knock banged loudly.
"He's not getting any younger, love," Carlos murmured. "Let the poor man in."
"I am going to kill you." She gasped when she realized The Black Pages was sitting right there on the coffee table. She stuffed it under the easy chair's seat cushion, then rushed to the door.
Vanderkitty followed her. She flipped the lock and opened the door.
"About time." Ian marched in, his kilt swinging about his knees. His gaze flitted past Toni to rest on Carlos. With a lift of his chin, Ian regarded the other man sternly. "I doona believe we have met. Are ye Toni's date?"
Carlos remained sitting while he looked Ian over. "Nice kilt."
Van hissed at Ian, then jumped into Carlos's lap. "Good kitty." He slowly petted the cat.
Ian arched a brow. "Who are you and why are ye here?"
Toni stepped in front of him. "It's none of your business what I do when I'm off duty."
Ian lowered his voice. "Aye, but when ye're on duty, I'm no' in a verra talkative mood. Ye said
ye'd love to talk to me later. So I'm here. This is later."
"This is not a good time."
He glanced at their empty plates on the coffee table. "Ye're done with yer dinner, aye?" Carlos set Van in the easy chair, then approached with a hand extended. "I'm Carlos Panterra, Toni's next-door neighbor."
Ian shook his hand. "Ian MacPhie."
Carlos glanced from Toni to Ian and smiled. "I'll leave you two alone then."
"You don't need to go, Carlos." Toni gave him a pointed look.
"Menina, I have a little gift for you, remember? I'll be right back." He sauntered toward the kitchen.
Toni frowned at Ian. "I thought you had three dates tonight."
"No' real dates," Ian muttered. "I'm just meeting them at a nightclub." He lowered his voice, "For my kind."
"A nightclub?" Carlos asked with one foot on the windowsill. "You should take Toni. She loves music and dancing. Don't you, menina?"
She stared at Carlos, confused.
"It's no' a suitable place for her," Ian began.
"Too wild?" Carlos asked. "Don't worry. Toni loves to get wild. Don't you, love?" He winked. "I--I doona think she would like it," Ian insisted, and Toni realized he wasn't able to explain that this was a vampire nightclub.
"Toni just adores places with lots of action." Carlos gave her a pointed look, and it finally clicked. A vampire hangout! It might be the perfect place to get the proof she needed. "Oh yes! I would love to go."
Ian's eyes widened. "Ye would?"
"Of course." She gave him a dazzling smile. "You will take me, won't you?"
"But ye know what kind of people will be there," he whispered.
"I'd really like to go." Toni made sure that Carlos had disappeared through the kitchen window.
"I'm still a bit uncomfortable around vampires. But if I go with you to this club, it might help me get over it. I could see you all in a different light."
Ian nodded. "Connor told me how bad the attack was. I'm verra sorry."
"Oh." Did he really care? "I--I'm okay."
He looked genuinely concerned. "It happened only a few nights ago. Ye havena had time to recover."
"Well..." She smoothed a loose tendril of hair back from her brow.
"Connor said ye fought bravely. He was verra impressed."
She drew in a shaky breath. No, dammit, she wasn't over it. This whole conversation was getting on her nerves. And the bite marks on her chest and torso were starting to itch. "I don't know how I would have survived if Connor hadn't come along when he did."
"I understand now why ye hate mind control so much. Connor told me how they forced ye to take--"
"Please stop!" She didn't want the memories crashing over her right now.
"Toni." He touched her shoulder, and she flinched. "Och lass, I would never hurt you." She blinked, refusing to cry. This would never do. A stubborn, suspicious Ian she could handle, but a sweet, compassionate one? He was melting all her defenses.
