How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire(53)

"Aye, I have sworn to keep you safe, lass."

"You're a sweetie." Shanna smiled at him. "Is there a little lady vampire waiting for you somewhere?"

He blushed and followed the women into the hall.

"Where are we going?" Shanna asked.

"The employee cafeteria." Radinka walked briskly down the hall. "They have fabulous cheesecake."

"Sounds wonderful."

"Yes." Radinka sighed. "It's to die for."

As soon as the phone rang, Ivan Petrovsky grabbed it. "Yes?"

"I'm in Veszto's lab," Galina spoke quietly. "I need help."

"I knew I shouldn't have sent a female." Ivan motioned to Alek. "Keep this line open till we get back."

"Yes, sir." Alek reached for the receiver.

"Okay, Galina. Talk." Ivan focused on her voice and teleported to Veszto's lab at Romatech. The small chemist lay on the floor, watching them. He was still conscious, terror making his eyes large and glassy like a deer caught in headlights.

Ivan inspected Galina. She looked like a frumpy old hag. "Excellent. I would have never known that was you."

She smiled, displaying a blackened tooth. "It's been fun. I acted like I needed to go the restroom. A Highlander escorted me, and when he opened the door, I pricked him with a dart."

"Where is he?"

"He fell into the restroom. I wasn't so lucky with this one." She opened the door to reveal a Highlander on the floor.

"Shit! You can't leave him out there in the hallway."

"He's huge. I couldn't budge him."

Ivan took hold of the Scotsman under the arms and dragged him into Veszto's lab. "How long was he out there?"

"Not long. I pricked him, then ran in here and pricked Veszto. When I couldn't move the guard, I called you."

Ivan dropped the Highlander on the floor, then shut and locked the door. "Did you set the explosives?"

"Yes. The guards at the door checked my bag, so it was a good thing we hid the C-4 in my clothes. I stuck it under a table in the cafeteria. It'll go off in about forty minutes."

"Excellent." Ivan noticed the Highlander watching them, listening to their plans. "I've always wanted to do this." He knelt and withdrew a wooden stake from his jacket.

The Scotsman's eyes widened. A strangled sound vibrated in his throat as he struggled in vain to move.

"He can't defend himself," Galina whispered.

"You think I give a shit?" Ivan leaned over the Highlander. "Look into the face of your murderer.

It's the last thing you'll ever see." He plunged the stake into the Highlander's heart.

The Scotsman arched. Pain registered on his face, then his body crumbled into dust.

Ivan brushed the stake against his thigh to clean off the dust. "This will make a good keepsake." He slipped it into a jacket pocket. "Now for the little chemist."

He walked over to Laszlo Veszto. "Your weakling of a coven master couldn't protect you, could he?"

Veszto's face had paled to a deathly white.

"You shouldn't have helped that Whelan bitch escape. Do you know what I do to people who get in my way?"

"Come on." Galina rushed to the phone. "We need to go."

Ivan hefted the chemist up in his arms. "Hold the phone for me." He listened to Alek's voice, then teleported back to his house in Brooklyn. Galina followed.

Ivan dropped Veszto on the floor and kicked him in the ribs. "Welcome to my humble home."

Shanna enjoyed another bite of cheesecake as she looked around the dimly lit cafeteria. She and Radinka had taken a table by the window. Connor roamed about for a few minutes, then found a newspaper to read. They were the only customers there.

"I like working at night. It's so peaceful." Radinka emptied a packet of artificial sweetener into her tea. "In another thirty minutes, this place will be crammed full of people."

Shanna nodded and looked out the window. Across the garden, she could see the lights of another wing of Romatech. Roman's lab was over there.

"Did you see Roman tonight?" Radinka asked.

"No." Shanna took another bite of cheesecake. She wasn't sure she wanted to. Or that he wanted to see her. It had to hurt when a guy confessed to loving a girl, and she ran away, crying.

Radinka sipped her tea. "For the last two nights I've been doing some research for Roman. I left the information in his lab, but he says the final decision will be yours."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know that, dear. So, you should discuss the matter with him. Connor can take you to his lab."

Jeez. As a matchmaker, Radinka was relentless. Shanna glanced at the large clock on the cafeteria wall. It was already five-ten. "I don't have time. I came here with Gregori and Connor, and they said we were leaving by five-fifteen, right?" She looked at Connor for support.

"Aye, but we came in a car." Connor folded the newspaper. "Ye can teleport back later with Roman, if ye like."

Shanna made a face at him. Some help he was. "We'd better find Gregori. I hope he's done with all those poor Vamps."

"Did the research study go well?" Radinka drizzled some dressing over her grilled chicken salad.

"I guess. It was sad, seeing people that downtrodden.There was this one bag lady who-" Shanna stopped. She searched her memory. "Oh my gosh. She never came back."

"What?" Connor leaned forward. "Who was this?"

"The old lady who stole a bottle of Chocolood. She left with a guard to go the restroom and never came back."

"Och, this is bad." Connor stood and removed a cell phone from his sporran.

"Perhaps she was ill and went home," Radinka suggested.

Shanna doubted that. "Can vampires even get sick?"

"Yes, if they drink infected blood." Radinka stabbed at her salad with a fork. "And the new Fusion Cuisine doesn't set well with all of them."

Connor punched in a number. "Angus? There may be a member of Gregori's focus group loose in the facility. An elderly woman."

"Maybe she's lost." Radinka took a bite of salad.

Shanna watched Connor pacing about. He seemed worried.

He dropped the phone into his sporran and strode toward them. "Angus has ordered a complete sweep of the building and a lockdown. They'll be starting at the storerooms where the last explosion occurred. Each room will be searched, then sealed, until the whole facility has been checked."

"You expect foul play?" Radinka asked.

"We're not taking any chances." Connor glanced at the clock and winced. "We havena much time before the sun rises."

He was anxious to help with the search, Shanna could tell, but the poor man was stuck babysitting her. "Go on, Connor. I'll be all right with Radinka."

"Nay. I canna leave you, lass."

Radinka stabbed a tomato wedge with her fork. "Connor, take her to Roman's lab. He can watch her while you join the search." Shanna winced. Radinka just never gave up. Unfortunately, Connor was giving her such a hopeful look, she hated to disappoint him. "I guess my ride back home has been canceled?"

"For now, aye."

"Okay." She grabbed her purse. "I'll go."

Radinka smiled. "I'll see you later, dear."

Shanna had to jog to keep up with Connor's long-legged stride. As they rounded the corner to the wing where Roman's lab was located, a loud, beeping alarm went off. "What's that?"

"Red alert." Connor started running. "Something's happened."

He stopped in front of Roman's lab and knocked. He opened the door and waited for Shanna to catch up. Gasping for air, she followed him inside.

Roman was on the phone, but looked up when she came in. His worried expression immediately cleared, and the smile he gave her took away what little air she had left. "She's all right. She's here with Connor." He listened on the phone, but his gaze never left Shanna.

Her heart was pounding, her mouth dry. It was from the running, though. It had nothing to do with the way Roman was looking at her.

She set her purse on a black-topped table. There was some music playing quietly. No instruments, just male voices singing. The soothing sound was in sharp contrast to the insistent beep of the alarm coming from speakers in the hallway. She peered through the open window blinds. She could see the cafeteria across the garden.

"Keep me updated." Roman hung up the receiver.

"What happened?" Connor asked.

"Angus found a guard in a restroom close to where the research study took place. The man was conscious, but paralyzed."

Connor paled. "Petrovsky is behind this."

"What about the bag lady?" Shanna asked.

"They're looking for her," Roman admitted. "We know you're all right, so our main concern now is Laszlo."

Connor paused halfway out the door. "I need to go."

"Go. Shanna will be safe with me." Roman closed the door and locked it. "How are you?"

"I'm okay." She seemed to be developing a healthy tolerance level for dealing with shock. Or maybe she was so past her limit, she was just numb. She looked around the room. She'd been here once before, but it had been too dark to see. A wall of diplomas caught her attention. She wandered over.

Roman had acquired advanced degrees in microbiology, chemistry, and pharmacology. After all this time, he was still a healer. Like Connor had said, death didn't change a man's heart. And