She’d given him several opportunities to deny he was a vampire. He should have said he didn’t believe in such nonsense. After all, it was also his mission to make sure only a small group of mortals knew that vampires actually existed. And that small group did not include Abigail.
Dammit, he should have played it safe. He should have acted aloof. As if he couldn’t hear her heart racing every time she came near him. As if his heart wasn’t racing, too.
He should have looked her in the face and lied.
Why hadn’t he? It wasn’t like he was a stickler for honesty and honor like the old Vamps. He could have lied to Madison without giving it a second thought. This was business, and he had a job to do. Thousands of Vamps were depending on him.
So why did he screw up? What was it about her?
As usual, he didn’t let his frustration show. He entered the Oval Office with a smile, playing the charming diplomat while Sean Whelan made the introductions: Secretary of Defense George Ralston; National Security Advisor Frank Garcia; chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Bond; CIA director Nick Caprese; head of Homeland Security Alan Schiller; and the president, Laurence Tucker.
Their smiles were as false as his own, Gregori thought. There was no disguising the wary glint of suspicion in their eyes. Nor the implied warning that came with the steely grip of their handshakes. They were sizing him up as a potential threat to the American people.
The president took a seat at the end of a coffee table in the chair closest to his desk. Sean Whelan motioned for Gregori to take the chair at the other end of the coffee table, then he and the remaining men squeezed onto the two long sofas that flanked the table.
President Tucker gestured to an ice bucket perched on a metal stand next to him. “We provided you with some refreshment. Help yourself.”
Gregori glanced at the bottle of synthetic blood resting in ice. “Thank you, but I’m not really hungry.”
Sean cleared his throat and rolled his eyes toward the bottle.
They wanted to see him drink blood? Gregori grabbed the bottle and unscrewed the top. “A little would be nice. Thank you.” He took a sip and carefully refrained from grimacing at the taste of cold blood.
The mortal men stared at him like he was a circus freak.
“I was informed three nights ago of the existence of vampires,” President Tucker began. “Mr. Caprese tells me the CIA has been aware of your kind for over six years.”
The CIA director nodded. “It was our agent, Mr. Whelan, who first brought your species to our attention when he was stationed in St. Petersburg. Since your kind exists all over the inhabited world, we’ve always felt the Agency is best equipped for keeping track of you. Mr. Whelan’s Stake-Out team has given us a lot of valuable information.”
“I see.” Gregori wondered just how surprised Caprese would be if he knew Sean Whelan was now Undead.
“Of course we’ve always shared any national developments with Homeland Security to make sure our citizens are protected,” Caprese continued. “We’ve also been monitoring the Digital Vampire Network. Your Nightly News program keeps us well-informed.” He gave Gregori a smug look. “You’ve made our job easy.”
Gregori took another sip of blood and remained quiet.
President Tucker leaned forward, studying him. “Mr. Whelan tells us the vampire community has selected you as their representative. Is that true? Do you admit to being a vampire, Mr. Holstein?”
Gregori glanced at the Secret Service man at the door. There were two more outside. Had they been told to attack if he confessed? Was Abigail still outside, hoping to confirm her suspicions?
A chill tickled the back of his neck. He’d never confessed to a mortal before, and the words were surprisingly hard to force out. He knew the second he did, his life would never be the same.
He was tempted to say no, it was all a hoax, but there were too many people who believed the stupid video. It wouldn’t take long before the Buffy wannabes started hunting. And if they videotaped themselves in the act of staking a vampire with the poor Vamp turning to dust, it would fuel the fire. More vampire hunters. More death.
The Vampire Apocalypse.
The Vamps needed the government to declare the video a hoax. Here goes Plan A.
He shifted in his chair. “Yes, I’m a vampire, but I can assure you that I’m not dangerous. My fellow Vamps and I are morally opposed to causing mortals any harm.”
He glanced toward the Secret Service man, but the guy didn’t budge. No one moved. They sat still, staring at him.
Even the president seemed speechless. He might be called the Torpedo, but as far as Gregori could tell, that honor belonged to his daughter. Abigail Tucker had completely blown him out of the water.