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She climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom. There she found a note taped to the mirror.
Toni,
I want to help you rescue your friend. Please forgive me for being an arse.
Ian
With a laugh, she pressed the note against her chest. Ian understood. She could trust him. And Sabrina would be saved. She ran back into the bedroom. "Thank you, Ian. Thank you."
He just lay there.
She sat on the bed, smiling at him. "You're not an arse. You're a wonderful man."
And she was falling in love with him.
A thrill shot through her. How could she not love him? He was the dearest, sweetest, sexiest man she'd ever met.
She studied his face as love continued to swell inside her. This wasn't at all like her two past relationships. She'd thrown herself into those affairs with a desperation born from her mother's rejection. She'd needed to feel loved.
This was different. She hadn't meant to fall for Ian. For the first time, it wasn't about her and her need to be loved. It was all about Ian and the love she felt for him. It had become painfully clear to her when the explosions had gone off and she'd feared him dead.
She touched the dimple on his chin. She couldn't run away from him. She'd be running from her own heart.
She showered and dressed and left Ian locked safely in the silver room. When she stepped out of the elevator onto the ground floor, she was immediately surprised by all the people. Real people. They were bustling up and down the hall. Most of them were wearing white lab coats. They all had Romatech name tags clipped on their pockets.
On the way to the MacKay security office, she called Carlos on her cell phone. "Guess what? Ian agreed to help us rescue Sabrina."
"That's great!" Carlos lowered his voice. "So tell me, menina, what did you do to convince him?"
She snorted. "I talked to him."
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"Come now, you must have been...friendly." "Carlos, we need to rescue Bri as soon as possible. Do you think we can do it tonight?" "Yes." His voice grew more serious. "I'll draw up some plans and come see you this afternoon." "Good." Toni hung up and strode into the security office. Howard was sitting behind the desk, his
bandaged leg propped on a chair. "Sorry I overslept." She sat beside him. "No problem." He waved at the monitors. "Nothing much going on. Day security is getting the
mess cleaned up in the parking lot."
Toni gazed at the monitors that showed the parking lot. A wrecker was hauling the burned car away. "What did the police say about last night?" Howard munched on a doughnut. "They're used to Romatech getting bombed. I told the officer in
charge that we've been targeted by a group of psycho fanatics who are opposed to the synthetic
manufacture of blood. Which is pretty much the truth, actually." Yeah, you couldn't get any more psycho than the Malcontents. Toni scanned the other monitors. One showed a bedroom with several twin beds. Phineas and Dougal were stretched out in their death-sleep. The silver room was displayed on another monitor. Oh great. Had Howard seen her touching Ian's face? "Doesn't day security think it's strange that we're in here, watching dead people sleep?"
"They have their own office. They keep out of our business." Howard pushed a pastry box in her direction. "Want a doughnut?"
"Sure." She selected a plain one. "So what happened while I was sleeping?" "Connor took Roman and his family and Radinka into hiding about three in the morning. No one knows where. It's better that way when jerks like Jedrek can pick through your brain."
"Jedrek's the guy who attacked Gregori?" "Yep." Howard finished his doughnut and licked his fingers. And Jedrek had been the one who'd tried to capture Ian. Toni sighed. She doubted they'd seen the
last of him.
Howard slid a paper across the desk. "This is the list of stuff to do for the Christmas Ball. Shanna and Radinka were kinda upset that they wouldn't be here to help, but I told them not to worry." Toni gulped down the last of her doughnut. The list was a mile long. "And all this has to be done
before tomorrow night?" "Don't worry. It's covered. I gave a copy to Todd Spencer, the VP of production during the day.
He knows what to do. Shanna gives a Christmas party every year, and then there's the Vamp conference and Gala Ball every spring." "Todd must be a mortal. Does he know about Vamps?" Howard shifted in his chair. "Todd knows a lot of things. He's already got some workers setting
up chairs and tables."
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"Number one is decorate the big Christmas tree," Toni read aloud from the list. "I don't recall seeing a tree."
"It'll be delivered around noon." Howard drank from his coffee cup.
Toni glanced down the list. Item number ten was confirm the band. A phone number was listed. "I'll go ahead and call this band."
Howard chuckled. "Wait till tonight. The High Voltage Vamps couldn't light a lightbulb right now."
"It's a vampire band?"
"Yeah, they play all the big Vamp parties and weddings." Howard stood and limped toward the door. "Come on. I'll show you the ballroom."
Just to the right of the main foyer, there were a number of meeting rooms with partitions that could be folded back like giant accordions. Toni was surprised by how large the ballroom was. The back wall was mostly windows that overlooked a garden. In front of the windows, Todd Spencer was overseeing a group of workmen who were erecting a stage. Howard introduced her.
"Glad to meet you," Todd yelled over the noise as he shook her hand. "It's about time MacKay hired a woman."
Toni looked around the huge room, bustling with workers. "How many people work here during the day?"
"Over two hundred now, divided into four departments," Todd explained. "Research, production, packaging, and shipping."
"Can I do anything to help?" Toni asked.
"You can help decorate, if you like." Todd showed her the plastic bins filled with ornaments and greenery.
Howard limped back to the security office to watch the monitors, and Toni spent a few hours spreading tablecloths and draping garland. She grabbed a quick lunch in the Romatech cafeteria and called Shady Oaks.
"I'd like to talk to Sabrina Vanderwerth in Ward Three." She recited the ID number.
"I'm afraid we can't allow that," the receptionist answered. "Her doctor has left strict instructions that she's not to receive any visitors or outside calls."
Toni winced. Uncle Joe had discovered their visit. "Can't we get a second opinion on that? Surely it helps the patient to know there are people who care about them."
"The decision is final." The receptionist hung up.
"Damn." She went back to the ballroom and discovered the fifteen-foot Christmas tree had arrived. She helped decorate for a few hours, then wandered down to the MacKay office. "How's it going?"
Howard motioned toward the monitors. "They're still dead, but they should be up in about twenty minutes."
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The phone on the desk buzzed, and Howard picked it up. "Yes?" He listened, then covered the receiver with his big, beefy hand. "It's the guard at the entrance gate. Someone's come to see you. Drives a black Jaguar."
"That must be Carlos." Toni headed toward the door. "Carlos who?" Howard asked her. "Carlos Panterra." "She confirmed his name," Howard told the guard on the phone. "Let him in." Toni hurried to the front door and stepped outside just as Carlos was parking his car. It was chilly
with the sun going down, so she rubbed her arms as she walked to his parking place.
He climbed from his car, looking like a spy all dressed in black. He motioned toward the blackened area surrounded with orange cones. "What happened there?" "Some vampires came by last night. Blew up a car and caused some injuries. Nothing major." Carlos glanced at the burned area, frowning. "Are you saying your vampires don't play well with
other vampires?"
"Mine are the good guys who drink from bottles. The bad ones are called Malcontents. They're the ones who attacked me and Sabrina. They hate the guys I work for." Carlos gave her a worried look. "Toni, you've stepped into a war." She shivered. "I know." "You're cold. Let's get inside." He opened his trunk and removed a laptop and a long roll of white
