"Who is we?"
A guarded look came over Toni's face. "Sabrina and I. She's my roommate. She's visiting relatives at the moment."
There was something wrong; Ian could feel it. Something other than the forbidden kiss they'd just shared. And he was more convinced than ever that Carlos was more than he appeared.
He spotted a parking space and pulled over to the curb. "Toni, before we go in, I have to know—why do ye have an apartment?"
She unbuckled her seat belt. "It beats living on the street."
"Ye said ye were guarding Vamps because ye wanted free room and board, but that doesna make sense when ye already have an apartment."
"Yes, I'm paying rent, but the lease is almost up. Believe me, having a well-paying job with all expenses paid is the best thing for me right now. It gives me a chance to pay back my student loans."
"What about yer roommate?"
"She's…not broke like me. She gets a nice allowance every year, and as soon as she graduates, we have a plan for going into business together."
"So ye see this job as temporary?"
"Yes. A year at the most." She gave him a worried look. "That's not a problem, is it?"
"Dinna Connor explain what happens when a mortal guard leaves MacKay Security and Investigation?"
"He said he would erase my memory about vampires."
"He'll erase yer memory of everything. Ye'll lose the year like it never happened."
Her eyes grew wide. "That's…too much." She pressed a hand to her chest.
Ian knew he should urge her to quit now. Then she would lose only a few days. But the thought of never seeing her again was painful. "Ye…ye should quit and go back to yer normal life."
Her eyes glittered with unshed tears. "My life's not very normal." She blinked and squared her shoulders. "So, are we going in this club or not?"
"We'll go." Relief swept through him. He didn't have to lose her just yet. But relief quickly morphed into apprehension. Something was seriously wrong. A mortal didn't throw away a year so easily. She was up to something. And he would damned well figure it out.
She could lose a year of her life? Toni was numb with shock as she walked alongside Ian. She aimed a quick glance in his direction. Good grief, she'd kissed the man! She'd kissed a vampire. And lived to tell about it.
He hadn't even tasted bloody. Oh, bloody hell. She could lose a year of her life? This was too much to take in all at once. How could she have kissed him? She shoved that thought aside and concentrated on the other thing driving her crazy—losing a whole, freaking year of her life!
Damn that Connor. He'd glossed over that part. He must have figured she'd keep the job forever. But she and Sabrina had plans. Big plans, dammit.
And she'd kissed Ian. A sudden thought made her wince. Had Carlos seen it through his little spy camera? No wonder he'd called afterward. He'd probably wanted to make sure she was all right. After all, she'd just locked lips with a vampire. And what lips. The man sure knew how to kiss. Of course, he'd had several centuries to perfect his technique.
He'd been so sweet and apologetic afterward. Why couldn't he be mortal? She could fall for him in a second if he were mortal. She glanced at him again. Could she fall for him as a vampire?
He led her into a dark alley. "The entrance is hidden, so mortals willna try to enter."
She spotted a red door in the dim light, with a huge man standing guard. He nodded at Ian, then opened the door.
"Wait a minute." The bouncer raised a beefy hand. His beady eyes focused on Toni, and his nostrils flared. "She can't come in here. She's—"
"She's with me, Hugo." Ian looped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her inside the club.
Loud music assaulted her ears, and flashing lights temporarily blinded her. So this was a vampire nightclub. It looked a lot like a mortal one. She rotated so the camera on her vest could send the images back to Carlos's apartment. He was recording it all there.
She spotted a group of scantily clad ladies pressed close to the stage where a hunky guy gyrated, his sparkly red thong glittering under the lights. Well, Carlos would enjoy seeing that. Other than the male dancer, most everyone else was female. Even the bartender and DJ were women.
She noted a few Vamps sitting at the tables and drinking something red from glasses. Blood, no doubt, but would a picture of them constitute proof of the existence of vampires? It might look like a picture of regular people drinking red wine.
"Can I get ye something to drink?" Ian smiled when she made a face. "They have a few nonbloody drinks."