Any irritation Toni had felt sifted away, only to be replaced by a twinge of fear. She reached behind her back to hook her bra. "How serious is this?"
"Verra serious. If he comes to the townhouse, he willna come alone. He'll bring other Malcontents with him, and everyone here, including you, will be attacked."
A chill prickled her skin with gooseflesh. "They know about this townhouse? I thought it was a secret." Damn, she had thought she was safe from them.
"Roman's home is a secret, but this place has always been known in the Vamp world. Every spring, Roman hosts a conference at Romatech, and coven masters come from around the world to attend. They always stay here, and Angus's company provides security. Are ye decent now?"
She could be attacked again? God, no. Memories of that night threatened to wash over her. No, not again.
A form appeared before her, and she gasped.
Ian's eyes widened. "Toni."
Her hands fluttered around her panties and bra. Damn! Her undies didn't cover up much. And her scars! She glanced at his face and saw his expression go from shock to horror.
"Go away!" She turned her back to him. Dammit, what was worse? Being caught almost naked or seeing a guy's horrified reaction to it?
"Toni, ye're covered with bite marks."
"I know. I was there when it happened." She rushed to the closet and yanked a pair of jeans off a hanger.
"And yer hip. It's bruised something terrible."
"Stop looking at me!" She pulled on the jeans. "I fell in a parking lot."
"At the Shady Oaks Psychiatric Hospital?"
She gasped, and the jeans slid down to her knees. "How—" She noticed his gaze drifting south, and she jerked the jeans back up. "How did you know?"
"I'm a verra good investigator."
Damn him. She zipped up her jeans. "You've been spying on me?"
He strode toward her. "Is that yer suitcase there?"
She jumped aside to keep some distance between them. "What are you doing?"
He opened the suitcase on her dresser and started filling it with her clothes. "Finish getting dressed now."
She didn't care for his authoritarian tone. Or that he'd been spying on her. She jerked a T-shirt off a hanger and pulled it on. "Fine. I'll get dressed. Then you won't have to look so horrified at the sight of my body."
He paused with a handful of her panties in his fist. "I was angry when I saw how those bastards punctured you with holes. I wasna horrified. Yer body is beautiful."
How could she stay angry when he said that?
He dropped the panties in her suitcase. "Please hurry. We need to go."
"Where are we going?" She ran into the bathroom, grabbed her hairbrush, toothbrush, cosmetic bag, and contacts, then tossed them into the suitcase.
"I'll take you to Romatech. Security is much tighter there. Then the lads and I can return here to fight the bastards if they come."
She liked the idea of being safe, and she really hated the idea of seeing the Malcontents again, but something about Ian's plan annoyed her. She didn't like being a weak damsel in distress. She sat on the bed to pull on her socks. "I'm not going to hide and leave all the fighting to you guys. I was hired to fight."
Ian smiled as he grabbed clothes from her closet and dumped them in her suitcase. "Ye're a brave lass, and I commend ye for it, but this is no' yer fight."
Normally she would agree. Why risk her life over a vampire dispute? But the night the Malcontents attacked her, it became personal. As much as she hated seeing them again, she had to do it. She jerked on her boots. "This is my fight. I won't cower in fear. I'll do what I was hired to do."
Ian zipped her suitcase shut. "Sweetheart, ye were hired as a day guard. That means ye're supposed to fight daytime enemies, namely mortals. Ye're off duty at night for a reason. Ye canna survive against a vampire foe."
"I pinned Phineas down the other night."
"A lucky break."
"Look, sweetheart." She marched toward him. "I'm good. I'm damned good. Do you need a demonstration?"
"Perhaps ye do." He vanished, and a second later he was behind her, pulling her against his chest.
She reacted quickly, ramming her elbows into his chest. It was like hitting a brick wall.
His hands moved to her neck and face, and his voice was soft against her ear. "The next sound ye would hear is the snapping of yer neck."
Rage swept through her. Dammit to hell, was there no winning against them? The memory of her attack flooded back and sucked her under, drowning her in horror. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the memories, but they filled her mind, playing back every excruciating detail. A shudder almost doubled her over.