All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire(118)

 

"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."