Emma chuckled.
Abigail continued to study the monitors, ignoring him, but her mouth twitched.
“What do you mean by passed out?” Charles asked. “You’re unconscious during the day?”
Gregori exchanged another look with Emma. “Something like that.”
“There’s a car pulling into the parking lot.” Abigail motioned to another monitor.
Emma winced, then gave them a bright smile. “Perhaps you should continue with your tour now.” She opened the door and stepped outside. “Come along.”
Gregori reached for Abigail, but Charles grabbed her arm first and ushered her into the hall.
Emma whispered to Shanna and Caitlyn, “Your mother has arrived.”
“I’ll let her in.” Caitlyn hurried down the hall to the foyer.
“Mr. Draganesti?” Abigail approached Roman.
He turned toward her.
“Roman, this is Abigail Tucker.” Gregori quickly made an introduction. “If you could talk to her later—”
“Of course.” Roman shook her hand, smiling. “I’d be happy to.”
“This way.” Gregori motioned for Abigail and Charles to follow him. Hopefully they could get out of the way before all hell broke loose.
“Dad, go inside the office,” Shanna said behind them. “Mom doesn’t want to see you right now.”
“But I have a right—” Sean objected.
“She figured it out, Dad!” Shanna interrupted him. “She knows what you did to her.”
“Impossible,” Sean replied. “I’ve always had complete control of her mind.”
Abigail stopped to listen.
“Come on.” Gregori reached for her arm.
“Back off,” Charles growled.
“He was controlling his wife’s mind?” Abigail whispered. “Is he a vampire?”
Gregori winced. “Sean has always had a lot of psychic power. That’s why he’s head of the Stake-Out team. He can resist any sort of mind control. Now, let’s move on.” He led them farther down the hall.
“You’re no longer in control of your wife.” Roman’s angry voice echoed down the hall. “The control was probably broken when you went into a vampire coma.”
Charles halted.
“Dammit!” Sean shouted. “This is all your fault, Roman!”
“How can you say that?” Shanna fussed at him. “He saved your life!”
“You call this life?” Sean roared. “He turned me into a—” He glanced down the hallway and spotted Gregori with Abigail and the Secret Service man. “Shit!” He ran into the security office and slammed the door.
“He’s a vampire?” Charles asked softly.
Gregori sighed. “He was mortally wounded in battle about a week ago. Shanna begged her husband to transform him. It was the only way to save his life at the time.”
“You can save someone’s life by transforming him?” Abigail asked.
Gregori squeezed the stress ball in his pocket. He shouldn’t have let Abigail and that damned Charles come here. They were learning too much. He could practically see the wheels turning in her mind. Was she considering having her own mother transformed?
“Sean is here?” a woman shrieked in the foyer. “He told me he was out of the country. That filthy liar! Where is he?”
“Mom, calm down!” Caitlyn told her.
Shanna ran toward the foyer. “Mom!”
Abigail followed, so Gregori and Charles went after her. They stopped at the entrance to the foyer.
“Shanna?” A middle-aged woman stared at Shanna, then burst into tears. “My baby! It’s been so long!”
“Mom!” Shanna hugged her, then Caitlyn joined in the embrace.
Darlene Whelan touched Shanna’s face. “Look at you. You’re so beautiful. I missed you so much.”
Shanna’s eyes glimmered with tears. “You’re back now, Mom. We have you back.”
They continued to hug each other and weep. Gregori glanced over at Abigail and found her watching with tears in her eyes. Hopefully no one would notice that Shanna’s tears were tinted pink.
Darlene wiped her face, then clenched her fists. “I know what he did to me. That control-freak bastard! I can hardly remember the last fifteen years. He stole them from me!”
“I know you’re angry, Mom,” Caitlyn said. “I was angry, too, when I found out what he did to you.”
Darlene gritted her teeth. “Anger doesn’t begin to describe how I feel. If I ever see him, I’m going to kill him!”
“Mom—” Shanna began.
“I have my bags in the car,” Darlene announced. “I’m leaving him. I was hoping I could stay with one of—” Her mouth dropped open. “Caitlyn, you’re pregnant?”