"Aye." Angus refilled his flask with Blissky. Bugger. His bottle was almost empty. "She tried to use a few of them on me."
"Really?" Ian's eyes widened. "Are ye all right?"
"Aye, I'm fine." Angus carried the two glasses back to the desk and offered one to Ian.
"But I'm having trouble convincing her I'm a nice guy."
Ian laughed. "Why am I no' surprised? Ye do have a fierce look about ye. Maybe I should talk to her." His grin faded. "No one ever thinks I'm scary."
Angus patted him on the back. "They fear ye on the battlefield." He downed his glass and winced. Bloody strong stuff. But it would take the edge off his hunger for blood. And his lust for Emma Wallace.
He upended the bag and dumped some of Emma's stakes on the desk. He picked one up and read the word Mum.
Ian grimaced. "Nasty things. They look verra sharp."
"Aye, they can kill us." Angus picked up another stake. Dad. Bugger. No wonder she hated vampires so much.
Ian motioned to the computer. "There are some e-mails waiting for ye in the inbox. From Mikhail in Moscow."
"Och, good." Angus circled the desk and sat in front of the computer. He'd downloaded Emma's personnel file the night before. He'd learned a lot of interesting information, most importantly that her parents had been murdered in Moscow six years earlier. He had e-mailed his Russian operative for more information.
Given the time difference, Mikhail would now be in his death-sleep, but he'd e-mailed earlier to report on his findings. He had teleported into the police station in the middle of the night and copied the report on file. He'd attached the report. The first attachment was the report in Russian; the second one, Mikhail's translation of it into English.
Mikhail had done a thorough job. He'd sent a second e-mail an hour later that included a translation of the coroner's report and a copy of the crime scene photo. According to the coroner, both victims had suffered slashed throats and all their blood was missing.
Angus studied the photo. No pools of blood under the victims, so they hadn't bled out where they were found. The police must have assumed the bodies had been moved.
It was a typical vampire cover-up. Cut a throat so the fang marks no longer showed. The police had concluded the mafia was responsible, and that's what they would have told Emma.
Somehow, she knew the truth. The fierce love she'd felt for her parents had transformed into a fierce hatred of vampires. Like himself. Angus sighed.
"This is strange." Ian sipped from his drink as he rummaged through the pile of stakes.
"They're all labeled Mum or Dad."
"Her parents were murdered by vampires."
"Och, that explains her slaying."
"Aye, but I doona know how she figured it out. The Russians told her the mafia was responsible. Why would she suspect vampires? How would she even know we existed?"
Ian shrugged. "Maybe she witnessed the attack."
Angus shook his head. "They would have never let her survive." He double clicked on her personnel file to open it, then skimmed through it. "She was in Edinburgh when the attack took place."
Ian leaned against the desk. "But she's psychic, no?"
Angus glanced up from the report. "Ye may be on to something." Had she somehow witnessed her parents' murder in her mind? It would certainly explain her rage and need for revenge.
"Did ye convince her to stop?" Ian asked.
"No' yet. She's verra stubborn."
"Well, she is Scottish."
Angus smiled. "Aye. She's a fierce fighter, too."
"Gregori says she's hot."
His smile faded. "Gregori will be lucky if he lives another week."
Ian's mouth twitched. "He complained to Roman about you."
Angus shrugged and started typing an e-mail to Mikhail.
Your next assignment: Locate the vampires who murdered Emma Wallace's parents.
It might be an impossible request, but Mikhail would give it his best shot. Angus clicked on Send, then noticed Ian was still hovering by the desk. "Anything else?"
"Aye. Roman wants to see you. Shanna, too. She says it's been six months since yer last checkup."
Angus shook his head, smiling. Was there anything Roman wouldn't do for his wife?
The man was so besotted, he'd actually opened a dental clinic at Romatech so Shanna could continue her profession in a safe place. Most Vamps had been a bit wary of having a mortal poking around their mouths, so Angus had been the first in line to show his support. Then he'd quietly suggested all his employees get a checkup. Anything to help Roman. The monk had saved Angus's life and given him a reason to live. Angus wanted his old friend to be happy, but he couldn't understand how marriage to a mortal could ever work.