Be Still My Vampire Heart(61)

 

Angus straightened.

 

Her cheeks blushed. She tugged at her shirttails. "Your eyes are red again."

 

"I saw a vision."

 

"You saw my ass. Where's my underwear?"

 

"I saw a vision of beauty. I saw our future."

 

A pained look crossed her face. "We have no future. You know that."

 

He stepped toward her. "I know I promised to make ye scream several times, and I'm a man of my word."

 

"I–I release you from that promise."

 

"'Tis no' what ye want."

 

"We don't always get what we want." She snatched her pants up and began putting them on.

 

"What were ye going to do with this list? Were ye planning to kill all seventeen?"

 

She turned her back to him to zip up her pants. "If you want to help me, I'd appreciate it."

 

"And if I doona help ye?"

 

She glanced at him, frowning. "I have to do it. My father's last words to me were Avenge us."

 

"Then ye did witness the murders. That's how ye knew about vampires."

 

She sat on the chaise. "A part of me died that night with them."

 

"Lass, revenge is no' going to bring yer parents back."

 

"It's not revenge! It's justice."

 

He picked up the list of names. "I know most of these men. They're the worst assassins in the vampire world." She was trying to kill her grief with violence. He recognized the signs. He'd done it himself after his wife's rejection.

 

Emma stuffed her feet into her shoes. "I've come too far to give up now. Everything I have done and learned for the past six years has led me to this moment."

 

"Then it has all led you to me."

 

Her eyes widened. "I don't believe in fate. We make our own choices in life."

 

"And you have chosen to trust me. Please, Emma, doona go after these men. You doona need to slay every dragon in the world to prove yer love. Yer parents know ye love them."

 

She looked away, clenching her fists.

 

"Let me find the two who are responsible."

 

She met his eyes. "And then?"

 

"I'll help you find the justice ye need. In the meantime, I'll transfer two of my employees here and have them watch over Central Park."

 

"I thought you and I were going to police the park."

 

She actually looked disappointed. Would she miss him? "We will until my employees arrive. I canna stay here indefinitely. I have to find Casimir. He's growing an evil army, and if there's another war, many will die."

 

He pushed away from the desk and strode toward her. "Imagine an army of over five hundred Malcontents, all feeding off mortals every night, then killing them because they know too much. 'Twill be a massacre."

 

Her face paled. "Is that what happened with the first war?"

 

"Aye. The battle raged on for three nights. A dozen villages in Hungary were destroyed. A few mortals escaped, and their tales spawned some of the legends ye still hear today."

 

"Stories of evil vampires?"

 

"Aye." He sat on the chaise beside her. "That was long before synthetic blood. Both sides had to feed off humans. Both sides were killing. Although we tried never to kill mortals, we probably appeared as evil as the enemy."

 

"If there's another war, will you be the general?"

 

"Aye."

 

She winced. "I hate to think of you in so much danger."

 

"Hopefully, it willna come to that."

 

"Do you want me to tell Sean about this? I could tell him that we talked before you took me home."

 

"From what I've seen of yer boss, I doubt he'll believe any of this."

 

She sighed. "He hates vampires with a passion. I don't know why."

 

"Ye have cause to hate, too, but ye believe me."

 

Smiling, she touched his cheek. "I like you too much."

 

He took her hand and kissed the palm. There was no such thing as too much. He wanted it all. "Where shall I teleport you—yer apartment or Austin Erickson's?"

 

"I've been meaning to ask you. How do you know about Austin?"

 

"He works for me."

 

Her mouth dropped open. "I thought he was constructing something in Malaysia."

 

"He and his wife, Darcy, are in Eastern Europe, helping with the search for Casimir."

 

Emma's eyes widened. "Austin married the vampire director of a reality show?"

 

"She's no longer a Vamp."

 

"She's no longer dead?"

 

"No longer undead. 'Tis a long story, but Roman was able to change her back."