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and Teddy, then came to rest on Carlos. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Carlos smiled slightly. "I like your cat suit." "Thanks." Vanda adjusted the whip she used as a belt. She opened a door that revealed a narrow
staircase. "This is the back entrance. I figured you don't want anyone to see you going up there." "That is correct." Ian led them up the stairs. Toni stepped through some hanging strands of beads and brushed back a gauzy curtain. "Good
grief." "Wow," Bri whispered. "It's beautiful. It looks like Princess Jasmine's boudoir."
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"Glad you like it." Vanda swept into the harem-styled room. "As you can see, there's food and drink on the table and plenty of big cushions for resting." She pointed at two doors across the room. "That's the restroom and the main stairs."
"It's perfect." Toni wandered over to the carved wooden screen. She could see the club below. "Thank you, Vanda."
She adjusted her belt with an annoyed look. "Ian's a good friend. I'd do anything for him." "So would I." Toni glanced at Ian. He was at the refreshment table, pouring himself a glass of Bleer.
Vanda stepped closer. "Would you give him up?" Toni stiffened. "Why would I do that?" "Because he wants a true mate," Vanda insisted. "Someone who can spend eternity with him. You
can't do that."
"I don't know how things will work out," Toni said. "But I do know I'm in love with him." She heard a gasp behind her. "You're in love with a vampire?" Sabrina screeched. Toni winced as everyone stared at her with shock or dismay on their faces. Everyone except Ian.
He was watching her intently, his eyes sparkling with emotion. She lifted her chin. "Yes, I'm in love with Ian." He walked toward her, a smile slowly forming on his lips. Vanda scowled at him. "You said all you wanted was a vampire." "I changed my mind." Ian was grinning now, and the sharp points of his fangs showed. Sabrina pressed a hand to her chest. "Toni, how could you?" "How could I not?" She pulled the heart pendant out from behind her green sweater. The gold
chain and heart glimmered in the soft overhead lights. "Thank you for sending me your heart." Ian halted and his grin faded. "I dinna send that." Toni blinked. "But it came this afternoon with a note that said, All my love." Ian zipped toward her, and with a quick wrench of his wrist, he broke the chain around her neck. "Ian--" Toni gasped when he dropped the pendant on a low table and smashed it with his fist. He picked up a small metal piece. "That's a tracking device," Carlos said. Ian dropped the device on the floor and crushed it with his heel. "I'll summon Phineas and Dougal
here, and we'll teleport everyone to Romatech." He stepped away, closing his eyes briefly. Toni realized he was sending out a psychic message.
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Sabrina clutched her arm. "Who--who would want to follow us? Is it my uncle or the police?" "Worse," Carlos muttered. Teddy's eyes lit up. "The evil forces! They're upon us!" Shots exploded below in the club, and screams filled the air.
Chapter Twenty-one
Ian dashed to the wooden screen to see what was happening below. He spotted Jedrek Janow with a pistol in his hand and a sheathed sword hanging from his belt. Jedrek shot twice in the air and laughed when the women scurried about, screaming. Thankfully, most of the women had enough sense to teleport away.
"Toni, call Dougal and Phineas, so they can use yer voice to teleport straight to this room. And tell them to bring extra weapons." When Ian had sent out a psychic message, he'd merely summoned them to the Horny Devils. But now he didn't want them to accidentally teleport into the turmoil below. And he didn't want to send another psychic message that Jedrek could overhear.
Toni whipped her cell phone from her pants pocket.
Sabrina started crying, and Teddy tried to comfort her. Vanda and Carlos were peering through the wooden screen. "They're taking hostages," Carlos said quietly. Ian looked at the scene below. About ten of the lady Vamps had frozen in fear and failed to
teleport to safety. Stanislav and Yuri were using silver ropes to lasso them like frightened heifers, while Jedrek stood on stage, smiling as the silver burned their skin and made them scream. The women were herded together, and a Malcontent woman looped more silver rope around them to keep them confined and unable to teleport away.
Phineas and Dougal materialized next to Toni, carrying five swords and some wooden stakes. Ian passed a sword to Carlos. "Do ye know how to wield it?" "I can learn." Carlos gripped the hilt. "Why don't you use guns?" "We can recover from most bullet wounds, but a sword through the heart is permanent." Ian
offered the last spare sword to Vanda. "No thanks." She untied the whip from her waist. "I'm more comfortable with this." "Can I have a sword?" Teddy approached him. "Teddy, no!" Sabrina pulled him back. "We shouldn't get involved." "I want to be a hero, too," Teddy insisted. Ian passed him the sword. "Ye'll guard the women." "He can protect Bri." Toni grabbed some wooden stakes. "I'm not staying here." "Ye are--" Ian was interrupted by Jedrek's booming voice.
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"Ian MacPhie! I know you're here. Bring me the Stay-Awake drug or I'll start killing." Jedrek's
voice was muffled by screams from the hostages. Ian motioned for Phineas and Dougal to join him at the screen. "We'll teleport at the same time. I'll take Jedrek."
Phineas peered through the screen. "I'll take Stan." "Then I'll take Yuri," Dougal said. "And I'll take the woman," Toni added. Ian stiffened. "Nay. Ye're staying here." "I will take the woman." Vanda glared at Toni. "I can teleport. You can't." Toni glared back. "I can handle the silver ropes to untie the hostages. You can't." "Ye're no' going--" Ian was interrupted by Jedrek. "Don't think you can attack me, MacPhie!" he shouted from the stage. "We have a hostage here,
and she'll die if anyone comes close to me. Nadia, you will kill the blonde to please me." "Yes, Master." With gloved hands, Nadia tied a blonde hostage to the dancer pole on the stage. "Oh no," Vanda whispered. "It's Cora Lee." The bartender struggled against the silver ropes that bound her and sizzled against her bare skin.
"Let me go!"
Jedrek pointed his handgun at her. "Silver bullets, my dear. They really hurt." When Cora Lee whimpered, he smiled. "Your fear makes you even more attractive." "Vanda," Toni whispered. "Do you have any wire cutters around here?" "Maybe. There's a tool kit in my office." "Toni." Ian regarded her sternly. "Ye are no' going down there." When she opened her mouth to
argue, Ian continued, "This is no' a friendly request. I'm yer boss. Ye'll do as I say." Her eyes flashed with anger. Ian turned to Carlos. "Ye both stay here." "You can't order me around," Carlos growled. Ian ignored him and motioned to the other Vamps. "We teleport on three." He counted, and they
vanished.
Ian materialized beside Jedrek and with the first swipe of his sword, he sent the gun flying from Jedrek's hand. Jedrek jumped back, spotted the blood seeping from his cut hand, and yelled, "Kill the blonde,
Nadia!" Ian glanced over to see Cora Lee, still tied to the pole, squirming and crying. Nadia was too busy avoiding Vanda's snapping whip to follow her master's orders.
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Ian charged at Jedrek, but he vanished. "Damn!" Ian spun around to see where the coward had teleported. Dougal and Phineas had engaged their opponents, and the clash of swords mingled with frantic
screams from hostages. Jedrek reappeared, standing on the bar. He drew his sword, and blood
dripped from his hand. Good, let his grip grow slippery. Ian jumped from the stage and stalked toward him. Let him grow weak from the loss of blood.
Jedrek kept his eyes on Ian as he reached down and nabbed some paper napkins off the bar. He pressed the napkins against his bleeding hand. "Amazing how much those little cuts can bleed," Ian observed.
With a sneer, Jedrek tossed the bloodied napkins to the floor. From the corner of his eye, Ian noticed Toni slipping from Vanda's office. Dammit, no! She had wooden stakes stuffed in her waistband and wire cutters in her hand. Staying low, she dashed to the back of the hostages.
