"I talked to the maid, Maria. She's from Colombia, and thankfully my Spanish is good. She said your phone call made the Proctors really nervous."
"Oh dear." Toni tossed her boots in the closet. "Did she say if Sabrina's okay?"
"She was locked in a bedroom upstairs. Maria saw her twice, said she was asleep both times."
"I'm afraid her uncle is drugging her."
"You're right. Maria said he was giving her Haldol. It's a strong antipsychotic. Tends to knock people out."
"This is terrible." Toni paced across the room.
"It gets worse. By the time I got there, the Proctors had packed up Sabrina and taken her somewhere. Maria said they were talking about a mental hospital."
"Oh no!" Toni collapsed on the bed. "Why are they doing this?"
"I'm not really sure, but you can bet it has something to do with the money Bri stands to inherit. I'll find out more tomorrow. I have a date with Maria."
"A date? But aren't you—?"
"I'm working undercover," Carlos said. "The Proctors always give Maria Friday night off 'cause they like to go out. So I'll convince her to let me into Uncle Joe's office. Shouldn't be too hard. She hates him 'cause he pinches her ass whenever his wife isn't looking."
"Oh, what a great guy."
"I'll call you tomorrow night. Hopefully I can find out which hospital they took Sabrina to."
"I hope so. Thank you, Carlos." Toni hung up. Poor Bri. If she was trapped in a mental hospital, she would need to be rescued somehow. Carlos would help.
Toni took a deep breath. She'd failed her grandmother, and the guilt had gnawed at her ever since. She wouldn't let Sabrina down.
Jedrek Janow lounged in his chair with his feet propped on his desk as he watched DVN. He couldn't believe the amount of information being thrown about. The newscaster on the Nightly News had actually reported that the Vamps still had no idea where the evil warlord Casimir was located. Jedrek hoped Casimir was watching. He'd love that part about being an evil warlord.
Then a show came on called Live with the Undead, and the buxom hostess announced that Roman Draganesti and his mortal wife were expecting their second child in May.
Jedrek snorted. Why pay spies when he could learn so much for free? Unfortunately, now a stupid soap opera was starting. He turned the television off and set his feet back on the floor. He picked up the photos Yuri had brought the other night and thumbed through them.
A whimpering sound came from the corner of his office. Nadia was still crying.
"Shut up. I can't concentrate with your sniveling."
She sniffed. "I miss my friends."
Of course she did. But the first step in breaking a bitch was isolation. He was making her sit in the corner all night. "Did I say you could talk?"
Tears rolled down her face. "I'm so hungry."
Of course she was. He'd fed earlier that evening, drinking his full from a captured mortal right here in the office while Nadia had been forced to watch. And go hungry. "I've told Yuri to bring me another snack. A blonde. I might let you feed this time."
"Yes, please."
"And when you're done feeding, you will kill the blonde to please me."
Nadia's face paled.
"If you want to eat, you'll have to kill her."
Her shoulders slumped. "Yes, sir."
"That's yes, Master."
CHAPTER 10
"Oh my gosh," Toni whispered as she peered through the peephole on the front door.
It was nine A.M. on Friday morning, the appointed arrival time for the babysitters, but Toni doubted the two girls with pink-striped hair were Shanna Draganesti and Gregori's mother. They banged on the door once again.
Toni punched the intercom. "May I help you?"
"Where's Ian?" one of the girls demanded. "We tried calling, but all we get is a recording."
"Yeah," the second girl agreed. "He says that he's taken, but we don't believe it. We want to see him!"
Toni groaned. The message Ian had left on the answering machine wasn't working. Some of his admirers were resorting to a more desperate tactic. "Please come back tonight."
"And let the competition get to him first? No way!"
Competition? Toni strode into the living room and peered out the window.
Good grief! There were a dozen more girls pacing up and down the sidewalk. They waved posters in the air. Pick me, Ian! Ian's so hot! One girl had a sparkly tiara on her head, and her poster read, I'm Ian's shimmering princess!