Forbidden Nights with a Vampire(58)

 

"And what would that be?" Connor asked.

 

Phineas brought another glass of Blissky, and Sigismund drank it down.

 

He licked his lips. "You claim to be good because you drink synthetic blood. But if you lost your supply, you'd go right back to biting mortals. Then hundreds of vampires would realize how much they enjoy biting and never want to go back. They'll join us. You'll be so outnumbered, you won't stand a chance."

 

Connor stood. "You're planning to attack our supply lines?"

 

Sigismund snorted, then hiccuped. "We'll stop you from even making the crap."

 

All the Romatech facilities were in danger. Phil knew there were several in the United States. The one in White Plains supplied the East Coast, but there were others in Ohio, Texas, Colorado, and California.

 

"I need to warn Angus." As Connor strode from the room, he yelled back, "I'll send Jack down. Keep the prisoner talking."

 

"Will do." Phil approached Sigismund. "Did you go to Apollo's compound often?"

 

"Sure. It was great. All those stupid girls just begging us to bite and screw them."

 

Phil squeezed his fists to keep from socking him. "The party's over. We set the girls free. We killed Apollo and Athena."

 

Sigismund glowered at him. "Their deaths will be avenged."

 

Phil snorted. "You think Casimir gives a damn about his so-called friends? He knows you were captured last night, but he never went back to rescue you."

 

"He avenges his friends," Sigismund insisted. "He has a hit list. In a week, everyone on the list will be dead."

 

"Who's on this hit list?" Austin asked.

 

"The ones responsible for the massacre at DVN and the murder of Jedrek Janow," Sigismund sneered. "At the top of the list there's Ian MacPhie and his mortal bitch, Toni."

 

"Wife," Phil corrected him. "They're married." And as long as they remained hidden away on their honeymoon, they should be safe. Still, they needed to be warned.

 

"Next on the list—those bloody assassins, Giacomo di Venezia and Zoltan Czakvar," Sigismund continued. "Then Dougal Kincaid and the traitor, Phineas McKinney."

 

"Cool," Phineas said. "I'd feel really left out if you forgot me."

 

"Anyone else?" Phil asked. He knew Carlos Panterra, Howard Barr, and Gregori had also been at DVN that night, but Casimir might not be aware of their involvement.

 

"There's one more," Sigismund grumbled. "That crazy bitch from Poland. Vanda Barkowski."

 

Phil's heart lurched in his chest. "That's not right. She didn't kill anyone."

 

"She was there, causing trouble like she always does," Sigismund growled. "Don't think she's innocent. Jedrek tried for years to kill her off. Casimir just wants to finish the job once and for all."

 

Phil swallowed hard. "These hits start in a week?" He had to hide her someplace no one would ever find her.

 

"They'll be dead in a week." Sigismund chuckled. "The hits start tonight."

 

Phil grabbed Phineas by the arm. "Teleport me to the club now!" He dragged the young Vamp out into the hallway just as Jack stepped out of the elevator. "We're going to the Horny Devils. Austin can fill you in."

 

"All right." Jack hurried through the open door into the silver room.

 

"Let's go!" Phil heard Sigismund's mocking laughter as everything went black.

 

Vanda eyed Terrance the Turgid's sleek, hairless chest and decided life wasn't at all fair. She'd had sex with Phil and didn't even know what his chest looked like. But the rascal certainly knew what she looked like. All over.

 

Terrance rotated his hips in time with the bongo drums. "Do you like the music I selected?"

 

"Jolly good." Pamela tapped her foot on the floor.

 

Vanda sighed. Every month, her performers gave her a preview of the next month's dances for approval. Cora Lee and Pamela loved this part of the job. Vanda used to love it, too, but now she found herself comparing every man she saw to Phil. And they never matched up.

 

While Terrance gyrated his hips, he ripped apart the Velcro that fastened the fake leopard cape around his neck. He tossed the cape, and it landed on Cora Lee's head. Giggling, she pulled it down onto her lap.

 

Vanda could now see Terrance's bare shoulders, but they didn't look as broad and muscular as Phil's. Of course, it was hard to tell 'cause she'd never actually seen Phil's shoulders. Dammit. She should have insisted he take off that tuxedo.

 

Terrance pranced about the office in his sparkly Tarzan loincloth. "You hear the trumpet sound? When it trills, that's when I'll swing across the stage on a vine."