The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo (Love at Stake) (18 page)

“Why?”

“I’ve waited so long. I canna bear to lose you.”

Her heart fluttered. “How long have you waited?”

“Almost three hundred years.”

“You’ve aged well.” She smoothed a hand over a well-developed pectoral muscle, then caressed his nipple.

His chest expanded as he inhaled sharply. “Och, lass. My eyes have turned again.”

That hadn’t taken long. She smiled, knowing that she had caused it.

He kissed her brow. “I should apologize for using words like
tupping
and
boinking.
I said them in jest, but I dinna mean any disrespect.”

Her smile widened. “I’ve heard a lot worse. During my residency, I worked in the E.R., and some of the patients called me some really nasty things.”

“They did?” He leaned back, frowning. “If ye give me their names, I’ll track them down and knock their heads together.”

She laughed. She didn’t know which she liked more—his protective nature or the funny way he said
doon
. “What am I going to do with you?”

He regarded her seriously. “Give me a chance to be with you.” His arms tightened around her. “When I draw my dying breath at dawn, my last thought is of you. And when my heart jolts back to life, my first thought is of you. My mind is filled with you. And my heart longs for you something fierce.”

Her eyes burned. He was poetic after all. She’d wondered earlier how she could resist him, but she hadn’t been ready yet to admit the truth.

She couldn’t. She was falling in love with him. So quickly. So completely.

“Dougal,” she whispered.

He rested his forehead against hers. “Leah.”

Their noses touched. Their mouths hovered close.

“Yes.” She slid her arms around his neck.

His lips pressed against hers once. Twice, lingering a bit longer.

Then suddenly his arms tightened around her, crushing her against him as his mouth covered hers, hungrily devouring.

The volcano within him had erupted, and she was being swept along on the blast, melting in his heat. His tongue invaded her mouth. His hands explored. His groan reverberated through her, sending little shock waves past her stomach to settle with a delicious hum between her legs.

She needed to be closer. Her hands tangled with his wet, wild hair.

“Leah.” He scattered kisses across her face and down her throat.

Her breasts ached to be touched, and she rubbed against his rock-hard chest. It wasn’t enough. The ache slid down to her core, and she moaned.

He pushed aside her lab coat and palmed her breast. “Leah.” His thumb grazed over her nipple.

“Please.” Her sweater was too thick.

As if he’d heard her, he dug his hand beneath the hem of her sweater and slid it up to her breast once again.

She gasped. This time there was only the thin silk of her bra in the way. She shuddered when his fingers coaxed her nipple into pebbling.

“Leah,” he whispered in her ear, giving the hard tip of her breast a little squeeze.

Her legs quivered, moisture pooling between her thighs.

“I want you.” He traced the curve of her ear with his tongue. “I want to—”

He stiffened suddenly, and his head turned toward the building.

“What’s wrong?”

He swung her up in his arms and rushed toward the side door. “The alarm went off. Someone’s teleported inside.”

T
he security office was empty. Dougal dropped Leah onto her feet. “This is the safest place for you.”

“What’s going on?” she asked.

Good question. He punched the flashing button to turn off the alarm, then scanned the monitors, searching for the intruder. He spotted Freemont in the silver room standing next to the empty stretcher.

The captured soldier was gone.

Laszlo and Roman rushed into the office, followed by Gregori, carrying Abby. He set her down next to Leah.

“What triggered the alarm?” Roman demanded.

“I never heard it,” Leah said.

Abby leaned close to her. “It’s set at a pitch where only Vamps and shifters can hear it.”

Dougal punched the intercom next to the monitor showing the silver room. “Freemont, what happened?”

Freemont winced, glancing at the camera. “I’m not sure. It all happened so fast. The alarm started flashing, and I thought I saw someone in here. But he vanished, taking the soldier with him.”

“Oh no,” Abby whispered.

“Do a thorough search of the basement, then the building,” Dougal ordered Freemont.

“Yes, sir.”

Dougal zoomed to the computer on the desk so he could rewind the video recording in the silver room. The monitor flickered, then cleared.

“This was two minutes ago.” Dougal approached the monitor. The captured soldier was asleep on the stretcher, all the restraints in place.

The others gathered around the monitor, waiting for something to happen.

“There!” Roman pointed when a figure suddenly appeared in the room.

Abby gasped.

“Oh, shit,” Gregori whispered.

“I don’t understand,” Leah said. “I thought a vampire couldn’t teleport into that room.”

Dougal’s eyes narrowed. The intruder was male, tall, dressed entirely in black, with long, dark hair. With a flick of his hand, the restraints fell open all at once. With a wry look toward the camera, he grabbed the soldier, then vanished.

“Oh dear.” Laszlo fumbled with a button. “I don’t think that was a vampire.”

“He’s not,” Gregori said, wrapping an arm around Abby, who was visibly shaken. “That was Darafer. The demon.”

Chapter Seventeen

E
verything was happening so quickly that Dougal hardly had time to think.

Roman immediately called Angus MacKay in London, and since it was still dark there, Angus and Emma teleported straight to Romatech.

“Are ye sure it was Darafer?” Angus asked as soon as he entered the security office.

“Aye,” Dougal replied from behind the desk. “Gregori and Abby identified him.”

Angus paced across the office. “We need to find a way to keep him from returning.”

Abby snorted. “He’s a demon. He can go anywhere he wants.”

Angus halted with a jerk. “Do we know that for a certainty?”

“Why don’t we ask Marielle?” Dougal suggested. As a former angel, she would know more than anyone else would about demons.

Angus nodded. “Call her. Emma can call Dragon Nest for reinforcements. I’ll call the Coven House in San Francisco to get J.L. Wang here.” He stepped into the hallway with Emma and Roman.

Dragon Nest Academy was where the shifter and hybrid children lived and went to school, so a number of MacKay employees worked there. On the monitor that showed the side entrance, Dougal spotted Ian MacPhie arriving. He was bringing werewolf Phil Jones with him. Roman met them to update them on what was happening.

Next to arrive was J.L. Wang, head of security for the West Coast Coven in San Francisco. He had were-tiger Rajiv with him.

Darafer’s invasion had changed everything. The mutated soldier was gone, and most likely he was with Master Han and the other soldiers in China. Would Angus decide to move the entire project there? Was that why he’d sent for J.L. and Rajiv? Dougal didn’t want to consider the possibility that he would have to go. Or Leah. Just the thought made his prosthetic hand clench.

He forced his hand to relax and called his old friend, Connor Buchanan, in Scotland. Connor was semi-retired from MacKay S&I, only rarely accepting missions, for he hated to be parted from his wife and child. A few years back he’d met and married Marielle, a fallen angel.

When Connor answered, Dougal quickly explained what had happened. “We’re sure it was Darafer. Gregori and Abby recognized him. They’ve run into him before.”

“He’s no’ someone ye easily forget,” Connor muttered. “I almost ended up in hell thanks to him.”

“We need to know if there’s any way to block him from entering Romatech,” Dougal said.

“I doubt ye can, but I’ll ask Marielle. Hang on a bit.”

“Okay.” Dougal set the receiver on the desk while Connor talked to his wife.

Gregori hunched down beside his wife, who was sitting in a chair in front of the desk. “Are you all right? Do you want me to take you home?”

“With all the reinforcements coming in, the women will be safer here with us,” Dougal said, glancing at Leah, who also sat in front of the desk. She looked pale, staring at her clutched hands in her lap.

“How about something from the cafeteria then?” Gregori asked.

“I’m fine, really.” Abby waved a hand. “Though some ice cream would be nice.”

“You got it!” Gregori straightened. “Would you like something, Leah?”

“She likes apple pie,” Dougal said. “And she gets verra excited over chocolate.”

Leah glanced at him, their eyes meeting for the first time since the alarm had gone off. She blushed slightly. “Yes, something like that would be great, thank you.”

“I’ll get it.” Laszlo hurried to the door. “You guys need to stay here to protect the ladies.”

“Dougal?” Connor’s voice called over the phone.

He picked up the receiver. “Aye.”

“Do ye need my help?”

Dougal’s heart swelled with gratitude. He knew if he said the word, Connor would be there in a second. He’d been the one to change Dougal, and he’d always taken his duty as sire seriously.

The night Dougal had lost his hand, Connor had stayed with him, clasping his forearm tighter than a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. He’d retained that grip for hours even though it must have pained him.

“I appreciate the offer,” Dougal said. “What does Marielle say about Darafer?”

Connor sighed. “Bad news. At the moment, Darafer is free from the confines of hell. That means he can travel anywhere in the universe except Heaven. There’s nothing ye can do to stop him.”

Dougal swallowed hard. Romatech was no longer safe. “If we relocate, will he automatically know where we are?”

“Good question,” Connor replied. “Let me see.”

Dougal lowered the receiver. “Gregori, tell Angus the bad news.”

Gregori opened the door. Angus, Roman, and Emma were in the hallway, talking to the newly arrived Vamps and shifters.

After Angus heard Marielle’s dire warning, he strode inside the office. “If Darafer decides to stop our plans, he may target our scientists next.” He glanced at Abby and Leah. “We need to move them somewhere safe.”

Abby and Leah exchanged a worried glance.

Dougal’s hand clenched, and he moved it behind the desk where no one would see. When he heard Connor’s voice, he used his left hand to punch a button. “Connor, I’m putting you on speaker phone so Angus can hear.”

“All right,” Connor said. “According to Marielle, a demon isna omniscient. There are too many mortals in the world for him to handle all their thoughts and information at once. If ye change yer location, ye’ll be safe for a week or so, depending on how motivated he is to find you.”

Angus nodded. “Then we’ll move. Emma, Roman, and I will figure it out. Gregori, take yer wife somewhere for a few nights.”

“Doona go to Howard’s cabin in the Adirondacks,” Connor said on the phone. “Darafer knows about that place.”

“I want to learn more about demons,” Dougal said. “Do ye mind if I come to yer house?”

“Ye’re always welcome here, lad,” Connor replied.

“Thank you.” Dougal glanced at Leah. “Would ye like to go to Scotland?”

Her eyes widened. “I’ve always wanted to go there.”

“Good.” Angus clapped his hands together. “Then it’s settled. Laszlo can stay here and help us with the move.”

Dougal glanced at the clock on the desk. Scotland was five hours ahead, so the sun would be rising there in a few hours. “I’ll be there within an hour, Connor. And I’m bringing a guest.”

“That’s fine. We’ll see you then.” Connor rang off.

Angus took most of the Vamps and shifters to the conference room across the hall.

Dougal flexed his prosthetic hand. It was relaxed now that he knew Leah would be safe. “I’ll teleport you to the townhouse soon so ye can pack.”

She nodded. “Who is Connor?”

“He’s my sire.” When she gave him a questioning look, he explained, “He’s the one who changed me.”

“Oh.” She frowned. “So he’s a vampire.”

“And he’s married to an angel,” Abby said. “Well, former angel.”

Leah’s mouth fell open. “Are you serious? An angel married to a vampire?”

“Maybe we’re no’ so bad after all.” Dougal gave her a wry look.

She snorted. “Or it could be that an angel is too naïve and trusting.”

“She’s not an angel anymore,” Abby said. “She’s human now.”

Dougal nodded, although he had serious doubts that Marielle was a hundred percent human. “I need to ask her about Darafer. There must be a way to defeat him.”

Abby shuddered. “He’s vicious. Don’t even try to fight him.”

Dougal shifted in his chair. They might not have any choice.

“I’m back.” Laszlo sauntered into the room with a tray. He handed a bowl of ice cream to Abby, then a saucer of apple pie to Leah. “Did anything happen while I was gone?”

“Angus told Gregori and me to take a trip.” Abby dug into her ice cream. “And Dougal’s going to Scotland to see Connor and Marielle.”

“I’m going, too.” Leah ate a bite of apple pie.

“You’re supposed to stay here, dude,” Gregori told Laszlo. “Angus is planning to move the mission, and he’ll need your help.”

Laszlo twisted a button on his lab coat. “We’re moving?”

“Aye.” Dougal glanced at the clock. Angus might appear any second to announce the new location. “Leah, I need to have a word with you. In private.”

Her eyes widened. “Now?”

“Aye.”

She took a sudden interest in her pie. “I-I’m not ready to discuss . . . anything.”

Meaning she wasn’t ready to talk about their relationship. “ ’Tis about work.”

“Oh.” She looked relieved. “Then it doesn’t need to be private.”

“Aye, it does.” He gave her a pointed look. “ ’Tis important.”

“What’s going on?” Gregori asked, his eyes twinkling. “Are you two having a lovers’ quarrel?”

“No!” Leah exclaimed at the same time Dougal muttered, “Nay.”