All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire(33)

 

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."