How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire(37)

"- Opening Ball," Roman finished. "Enjoy." He followed Ian down the stairs.

"Oh, wonderful!" the reporter exclaimed. "Roman Draganesti is coming this way. Let's catch a word with him. Oh, Roman!"

Oh shit. What was she supposed to do now? Trust a Highlander who slept in a coffin? Trust a womanizing Roman who must be some kind of grand warlock?

The DVN man stepped back, bumping into her. "Oh, sorry."

"No problem," she murmured. Suddenly, she remembered the flying bat on the television and the slogan, DVN. On 24/7 because it's always nighttime somewhere. Always nighttime? Was this some kind of witch network? "What does DVN stand for?"

The man snorted. "Where have you been the last five years?" His eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute. You're a mortal. What are you doing here?"

Shanna gulped. If she was the only mortal around, then what were these people? She retreated a step. "What does DVN stand for?"

The man smiled slowly. "Digital Vampire Network."

She gasped. No, it must be some kind of sick joke. Vampires weren't real.

Ian reached out for her. "Come with me, Miss Whelan. It's not safe for ye here."

She flinched. "Stay away from me. I – I know where you sleep." Coffins, vampires slept in coffins.

He frowned. "Now, give me that glass. I'll take ye to the kitchen for some real food."

Real food? Then, what was this? Shanna lifted her wineglass and sniffed. Blood! With a yelp, she threw the glass to the side. It shattered on the floor, splattering blood everywhere.

A woman screeched. "Look what you did! Bloodstains on my new white gown. Why, you-" She glared at Shanna and hissed.

Shanna stepped back. She looked around. Everywhere, people were drinking from the wineglasses.

Drinking blood. She hugged her bags against her chest. Vampires.

"Shanna, please." Roman approached her slowly. "Come with me. I can protect you."

She pressed a trembling hand against her mouth. "You …  you're one, too." He even had a black cape like Dracula.

The DVN man shouted, "Corky, you've got to get this!"

The reporter shoved her way through the crowd. "We've had an exciting new development. A mortal has crashed the vampire ball!" She shoved a microphone into Shanna's face. 'Tell me. How does it feel to find yourself surrounded by hungry vampires?"

"Go to hell!" Shanna turned, but there at the door stood the Russians.

"You're coming with me." Roman seized her in an iron grip and swirled his cape around them both.

Everything went black.

                       
       
           



       CHAPTER 16

For a moment of sheer terror, Shanna couldn't feel her feet upon the ground. She was floating, confused, dizzy, but always aware that she was in the clutches of Roman Draganesti. Darkness enveloped her, disorienting and scary. A sudden bump and she was standing. No, stumbling.

"Steady." He kept a grip on her arm. When he lowered the cape, a cool breeze feathered her cheeks and surrounded her with the earthy scent of pine mulch and flowers.

Outside. She was in the garden that surrounded Romatech. Dim landscape lighting illuminated the shapes of bushes and trees and cast eerie shadows across the lawn. How did she get here? And she was alone with Roman Draganesti. Roman, the …  the …  Oh God, she didn't want to think it. It couldn't be true.

She jerked away from him, her Nikes skidding in the gravel of the garden path. Not far away, she could see the brightly lit ballroom through plate glass windows. "How? How did we … ?"

"Teleportation," he replied softly. "It was the quickest way to get you out."

It must be a vampire trick, which meant only a real vampire could do it. Someone like …  Roman. Shanna shivered. It couldn't be true. She'd never bought into the modern notion of a romantic vampire. A demonic creature, by its very nature, had to be revolting. Surely, vampires were hideous creatures with green, rotting flesh, and fingernails a mile long. Not to mention a case of bad breath that could flatten a herd of buffalo. They couldn't look gorgeous and sexy like Roman. They couldn't kiss like him.

Oh my God, she'd kissed him! She'd stuck her tongue inside a creature from hell. Oh jeez, this would sound great in confession. Say two Hail Marys and avoid further contact with the spawn of the devil.

She stepped onto the grass into the dark shadow of a shade tree. She could see only a silhouette of him in the dark. His black cape stirred in the cool breeze.

Without another thought, she took off in a mad dash, heading for the lights of the front gate. She ran as hard as she could, not allowing the encumbrance of a tote bag and purse to slow her down. Her adrenaline was skyrocketing, her hopes of escape rising, rising. A few more yards and- There was a whir of movement that shot past her, a blur in the dark that suddenly stopped in front of her. Roman. Shanna skidded to a stop to avoid crashing into him. She gasped for air. He didn't even look winded.

She bent over to catch her breath.

"You cannot possibly outrun me."

"I noticed." She eyed him warily. "My mistake. I just realized I shouldn't do anything that'll give you an appetite."

"You needn't worry about that. I don't-"

"Bite? Isn't that exactly what you do?" An image of a wolf's fang flitted through her mind. "Oh, jeez. That tooth I implanted in you-it really was a fang?"

"Yes. Thank you for helping me."

She snorted. "I'll send you a bill." She dropped her head back to gaze at the stars. "This can't be happening to me."

"We cannot stay here." He gestured toward the ballroom. "The Russians might see us. Come." He moved toward her.

She jumped back. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"You don't have any choice."

"That's what you think." She shifted her tote bag to her shoulder and opened her purse.

His sigh sounded irritated, impatient. "You can't shoot me."

"Of course I can. I won't even get charged with murder. You're already dead." She pulled out the Beretta.

In a flash, he ripped it out of her hand and tossed it into a flowerbed.

"How dare you! I need that for protection."

"It won't protect you. Only I can do that."

"Well, aren't you high and mighty? Problem is, I don't want anything from you. Especially tooth marks." She heard his frustrated groan. So she was trying his patience. Too bad. He was trying her sanity.

He jabbed a finger toward the ballroom. "Didn't you see the Russians in there? Their leader is Ivan Petrovsky, and the mafia has hired him to kill you. He's a professional assassin, and a damned good one."

Shanna stepped back, shivering as a cool breeze ruffled her hair. "He came to your party. You know him."

"It's customary to invite all coven masters." Roman advanced toward her. "The Russians have paid a vampire to kill you. Your only hope of survival is with the help of another vampire. Me."

She inhaled sharply. He'd admitted the awful truth about himself. She could no longer deny it, even though she desperately wanted to. The truth was just too scary.

"We must go." He grabbed her quickly. Before Shanna could object, her vision went black. The swirling disorientation was terrifying. She could no longer feel her body.

When she became aware of her body parts again, she was standing in a dark room. She stumbled, regaining her balance.

"Careful." Roman steadied her. "Teleportation takes a while to get used to."

She shoved his arm away. "Don't ever do that to me again! I don't like it."

"Fine. Then we'll walk." He grasped her elbow.

"Stop it." She pulled her arm away. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Didn't you hear what I said? I'm your only hope for escaping Petrovsky."

"I'm not helpless! I've done pretty good on my own. And I can get help from the government."

"Like the federal marshal in New Rochelle? He's dead, Shanna."

She gasped. Bob was dead? "Wait a minute. How do you know?"

"I had Connor watching Petrovsky's house in Brooklyn. He followed the Russians to New Rochelle and found your contact there. The marshal didn't stand a chance against a group of vampires. Neither will you."

She swallowed hard. Poor Bob. Dead. What should she do?

"I've been looking everywhere for you." He touched her arm. "Let me help you."

She shivered at the feel of his fingers gliding down her arm. Not that it repulsed her. It had the opposite effect. It reminded her of how determined he'd been to rescue her, how kind and caring he'd been, how sweet and generous. His desire to help her was genuine. She knew that deep down in her soul, even though she reeled in shock from this latest revelation. How could she accept his help now that she knew the truth? How could she not? Wasn't there a saying about fighting fire with fire? Maybe the same held true for vampires.

Jeez, what was she thinking? Trust a vampire? She was a bloody food source for them. The blue plate special.

"Is that your real hair color?" he asked softly.

"Huh?" Shanna noticed he had moved closer and was looking at her too intently. Like he was hungry.