Toni laughed. "It's good to have you back." She joined Ian at Vanda's office, and he arched an eyebrow at her. Her face grew warm. "I was just looking."
His mouth twitched, and he knocked on Vanda's office door.
She greeted them. "Come on in. I've got everything ready."
As Toni entered, she smiled. "Thank you for your help."
"No problem." Vanda regarded her sternly.
Toni had a feeling she didn't approve. As Ian introduced everyone, Vanda's gaze flitted over Bri and Teddy, then came to rest on Carlos. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Carlos smiled slightly. "I like your cat suit."
"Thanks." Vanda adjusted the whip she used as a belt. She opened a door that revealed a narrow staircase. "This is the back entrance. I figured you don't want anyone to see you going up there."
"That is correct." Ian led them up the stairs.
Toni stepped through some hanging strands of beads and brushed back a gauzy curtain. "Good grief."
"Wow," Bri whispered. "It's beautiful. It looks like Princess Jasmine's boudoir."
"Glad you like it." Vanda swept into the harem-styled room. "As you can see, there's food and drink on the table and plenty of big cushions for resting." She pointed at two doors across the room. "That's the restroom and the main stairs."
"It's perfect." Toni wandered over to the carved wooden screen. She could see the club below. "Thank you, Vanda."
She adjusted her belt with an annoyed look. "Ian's a good friend. I'd do anything for him."
"So would I." Toni glanced at Ian. He was at the refreshment table, pouring himself a glass of Bleer.
Vanda stepped closer. "Would you give him up?"
Toni stiffened. "Why would I do that?"
"Because he wants a true mate," Vanda insisted. "Someone who can spend eternity with him. You can't do that."
"I don't know how things will work out," Toni said. "But I do know I'm in love with him." She heard a gasp behind her.
"You're in love with a vampire?" Sabrina screeched.
Toni winced as everyone stared at her with shock or dismay on their faces. Everyone except Ian. He was watching her intently, his eyes sparkling with emotion.
She lifted her chin. "Yes, I'm in love with Ian."
He walked toward her, a smile slowly forming on his lips.
Vanda scowled at him. "You said all you wanted was a vampire."
"I changed my mind." Ian was grinning now, and the sharp points of his fangs showed.
Sabrina pressed a hand to her chest. "Toni, how could you?"
"How could I not?" She pulled the heart pendant out from behind her green sweater. The gold chain and heart glimmered in the soft overhead lights. "Thank you for sending me your heart."
Ian halted and his grin faded. "I dinna send that."
Toni blinked. "But it came this afternoon with a note that said, All my love."
Ian zipped toward her, and with a quick wrench of his wrist, he broke the chain around her neck.
"Ian—" Toni gasped when he dropped the pendant on a low table and smashed it with his fist.
He picked up a small metal piece.
"That's a tracking device," Carlos said.
Ian dropped the device on the floor and crushed it with his heel. "I'll summon Phineas and Dougal here, and we'll teleport everyone to Romatech." He stepped away, closing his eyes briefly.
Toni realized he was sending out a psychic message.
Sabrina clutched her arm. "Who—who would want to follow us? Is it my uncle or the police?"
"Worse," Carlos muttered.
Teddy's eyes lit up. "The evil forces! They're upon us!"
Shots exploded below in the club, and screams filled the air.
CHAPTER 21
Ian dashed to the wooden screen to see what was happening below. He spotted Jedrek Janow with a pistol in his hand and a sheathed sword hanging from his belt. Jedrek shot twice in the air and laughed when the women scurried about, screaming. Thankfully, most of the women had enough sense to teleport away.
"Toni, call Dougal and Phineas, so they can use yer voice to teleport straight to this room. And tell them to bring extra weapons." When Ian had sent out a psychic message, he'd merely summoned them to the Horny Devils. But now he didn't want them to accidentally teleport into the turmoil below. And he didn't want to send another psychic message that Jedrek could overhear.
Toni whipped her cell phone from her pants pocket.
Sabrina started crying, and Teddy tried to comfort her. Vanda and Carlos were peering through the wooden screen.
"They're taking hostages," Carlos said quietly.
Ian looked at the scene below. About ten of the lady Vamps had frozen in fear and failed to teleport to safety. Stanislav and Yuri were using silver ropes to lasso them like frightened heifers, while Jedrek stood on stage, smiling as the silver burned their skin and made them scream. The women were herded together, and a Malcontent woman looped more silver rope around them to keep them confined and unable to teleport away.
Phineas and Dougal materialized next to Toni, carrying five swords and some wooden stakes.
Ian passed a sword to Carlos. "Do ye know how to wield it?"
"I can learn." Carlos gripped the hilt. "Why don't you use guns?"
"We can recover from most bullet wounds, but a sword through the heart is permanent." Ian offered the last spare sword to Vanda.
"No thanks." She untied the whip from her waist. "I'm more comfortable with this."
"Can I have a sword?" Teddy approached him.
"Teddy, no!" Sabrina pulled him back. "We shouldn't get involved."
"I want to be a hero, too," Teddy insisted.
Ian passed him the sword. "Ye'll guard the women."
"He can protect Bri." Toni grabbed some wooden stakes. "I'm not staying here."
"Ye are—" Ian was interrupted by Jedrek's booming voice.
"Ian MacPhie! I know you're here. Bring me the Stay-Awake drug or I'll start killing." Jedrek's voice was muffled by screams from the hostages.
Ian motioned for Phineas and Dougal to join him at the screen. "We'll teleport at the same time. I'll take Jedrek."
Phineas peered through the screen. "I'll take Stan."
"Then I'll take Yuri," Dougal said.
"And I'll take the woman," Toni added.
Ian stiffened. "Nay. Ye're staying here."
"I will take the woman." Vanda glared at Toni. "I can teleport. You can't."
Toni glared back. "I can handle the silver ropes to untie the hostages. You can't."
"Ye're no' going—" Ian was interrupted by Jedrek.
"Don't think you can attack me, MacPhie!" he shouted from the stage. "We have a hostage here, and she'll die if anyone comes close to me. Nadia, you will kill the blonde to please me."
"Yes, Master." With gloved hands, Nadia tied a blonde hostage to the dancer pole on the stage.
"Oh no," Vanda whispered. "It's Cora Lee."
The bartender struggled against the silver ropes that bound her and sizzled against her bare skin. "Let me go!"
Jedrek pointed his handgun at her. "Silver bullets, my dear. They really hurt." When Cora Lee whimpered, he smiled. "Your fear makes you even more attractive."
"Vanda," Toni whispered. "Do you have any wire cutters around here?"
"Maybe. There's a tool kit in my office."
"Toni." Ian regarded her sternly. "Ye are no' going down there." When she opened her mouth to argue, Ian continued, "This is no' a friendly request. I'm yer boss. Ye'll do as I say."
Her eyes flashed with anger.
Ian turned to Carlos. "Ye both stay here."
"You can't order me around," Carlos growled.
Ian ignored him and motioned to the other Vamps. "We teleport on three." He counted, and they vanished.
Ian materialized beside Jedrek and with the first swipe of his sword, he sent the gun flying from Jedrek's hand.
Jedrek jumped back, spotted the blood seeping fro
m his cut hand, and yelled, "Kill the blonde, Nadia!"
Ian glanced over to see Cora Lee, still tied to the pole, squirming and crying. Nadia was too busy avoiding Vanda's snapping whip to follow her master's orders.
Ian charged at Jedrek, but he vanished.
"Damn!" Ian spun around to see where the coward had teleported.
Dougal and Phineas had engaged their opponents, and the clash of swords mingled with frantic screams from hostages. Jedrek reappeared, standing on the bar. He drew his sword, and blood dripped from his hand.
Good, let his grip grow slippery. Ian jumped from the stage and stalked toward him. Let him grow weak from the loss of blood.
Jedrek kept his eyes on Ian as he reached down and nabbed some paper napkins off the bar. He pressed the napkins against his bleeding hand.
"Amazing how much those little cuts can bleed," Ian observed.
With a sneer, Jedrek tossed the bloodied napkins to the floor.
From the corner of his eye, Ian noticed Toni slipping from Vanda's office. Dammit, no! She had wooden stakes stuffed in her waistband and wire cutters in her hand. Staying low, she dashed to the back of the hostages.
He couldn't let Jedrek see her. Jedrek had sent her the heart pendant. He knew Ian cared for her, and that made her a prime target. By all the saints, she should have known that. She should have minded him and remained hidden.
Ian zipped quickly to the bar and leaped on top, forcing Jedrek to face him and turn his back to Toni. Ian lunged, slashing his sword with full force. Jedrek teetered on the edge of the bar, losing his balance, then vanished.
"Damn!" Ian spun around. How could he fight the cowardly bastard if he kept teleporting?
From his position on the bar, Ian could see most of the room. Already the group of hostages had dwindled from ten to six. Another vanished, making it five. Toni was obviously freeing them as quickly as she could. But her own success would be her downfall, for with no hostages left, there would be no one for her to hide behind.
Jedrek reappeared on the stage. "This one will die, MacPhie!" He lunged toward Cora Lee.
"No!" Vanda snapped her whip at him. It tangled around his sword arm.
"You bitch!" He grabbed the whip and yanked Vanda toward him. She released her whip to keep from being pulled onto his sword. "I should have killed you in Poland. You would always hide in the caves like a rat."
Vanda scrambled back.
"It will please me, Nadia, for you to kill the blonde," Jedrek ordered.
"Yes, Master." Nadia advanced on Cora Lee.
"And I will kill you, Vanda." Jedrek lifted his sword.
Ian teleported to the stage and intercepted Jedrek.
"Help me!" Cora Lee screamed as Nadia came closer.
With an angry shriek, Vanda leaped on Nadia's back. The two women tumbled onto the stage, scrambling for the dropped sword. Ian wanted to help, but he was fending off Jedrek's attack.
Behind Jedrek, he spotted Toni sneaking onto the stage. Oh, hell no. He fought furiously, attempting to keep Jedrek fully engaged. Toni ran past them and clipped the silver ropes holding Cora Lee to the pole. Cora Lee scrambled off the stage, crying. Meanwhile, Nadia reclaimed her sword, and she stalked toward a weaponless Vanda.
Toni grabbed the silver rope that had bound Cora Lee and charged, swinging the ropes at the back of Nadia's head. Nadia cried out in pain. The air smelled of burnt hair.
Ian leaped back as Jedrek's sword narrowly missed slashing his stomach. He needed to pay better attention. He lunged at Jedrek, but the bastard vanished once more.
"Bloody hell!" Ian wheeled around, searching for his opponent.
Jedrek appeared next to Toni.
"No!" Ian zoomed toward them, but Jedrek vanished, taking Toni with him. "No!" Fear seized his throat in an icy grip.
Relief swept over him when he saw Jedrek reappear on the bar with Toni. At least the bastard hadn't taken her to some secret place to torture and kill her. Ian jumped from the stage and ran toward them.
His relief was short-lived. Jedrek yanked Toni against his chest and pressed his sword to her neck. Ian froze.
"Comrades, to me!" Jedrek shouted, and the three other Russians teleported to the bar. "You see, MacPhie, we only need one hostage when we have the right one." With a hissing sound, his fangs sprang out.
He nuzzled his mouth against Toni's cheek. His fangs scraped her skin, leaving a pink mark. She squeezed her eyes shut. "I can smell her fear, MacPhie. No wonder you like her so much. She tastes delicious."
Ian swallowed hard as bile rose in his throat. He had to save Toni, but God help him, he didn't know how. The second he attacked, Jedrek would slice her throat.
"You know what I want, MacPhie. Bring me the drug."
Should he play along to buy some time? Despair roiled in Ian's gut, threatening to smother his ability to think. He couldn't bear to lose her. He couldn't bear to fail her. He dropped his sword, and it clattered on the cement floor.
Jedrek smiled. "You have five minutes."
A loud crash sounded overhead. Everyone looked up as splintered pieces of wood rained down. And through the cracked opening of the wooden shutters, a giant black panther leaped into the air. It roared, and the sound echoed in the stunned silence of the nightclub.
With Jedrek distracted, Ian retrieved his sword and moved toward him. Unfortunately, Jedrek realized the panther was headed straight for him. He pivoted, dragging Toni with him so she'd take the full force of the animal's attack. He extended his sword, obviously hoping to skewer the panther as it landed.
With Jedrek's back turned to him, Ian zoomed forward and stabbed the Malcontent's right shoulder. Jedrek cried out and dropped his sword. His hold on Toni loosened enough that she was able to duck just as the panther slammed into them. Its massive paws caught Jedrek on the shoulders and knocked him and Toni off the bar. Ian jumped to the right as the panther flew past him, hit the ground, and rolled onto its feet. Toni had landed on top of Jedrek. She dove to the left just as the panther pounced. Jedrek shrieked as razor-sharp claws ripped through his shirt and scored his chest with bloody stripes.
Toni screamed and scooted away on her rump. The panther looked at her, then turned toward the bar, its amber eyes narrowing on the three Malcontents. They teleported away. Jedrek, too. The cat, realizing its prey had escaped, roared in anger.
Dougal and Phineas approached slowly, their swords pointed at the beast.
"Shall we kill it?" Dougal asked.
"Nay!" Ian shouted. "Leave him be."
The panther swung toward him, snarling, then focused its familiar amber eyes on Toni. As its head turned, Ian noted the gleam of two gold studs in its pointed ears. Of course. He should have known. But he would have never guessed a panther.
The giant cat stalked toward Toni.
"No." She scrambled back and tried to get to her feet, but her legs were shaking.
Ian flung himself in front of her. "Carlos, no."
The panther growled low in its throat.
"Carlos?" Toni whispered.
Ian heard a dull thud and glanced back. Toni was sprawled on the floor in a dead faint. "Och, lass." He squatted beside her and brushed her hair from her face.
"That's Carlos?" Phineas lowered his sword and whistled under his breath. "Hello, kitty."
The panther padded toward Toni on its huge paws. Ian was relieved to see its claws were in, but those teeth were awfully sharp. One nip and Toni would be a were-panther for life. Was that what Carlos wanted?
The cat lowered its head to sniff her.
"By all the saints, doona bite her," Ian whispered.
The panther whipped its thick tail around so hard and fast, it knocked Ian onto his knees. Then it trotted toward Vanda's office. Toni had left the door slightly ajar, and the cat squeezed through.
"I thought he smelled like a shape shifter," Dougal said. "But I assumed he would be a black wolf."
"Me, too." Ian supposed Carlos was headed back to the harem room to change
and dress. When Sabrina screamed, he knew the panther had arrived.
"God, I hate shape shifters." Vanda had found her whip and was looping it around her waist.
"You know of them?" Ian asked.
Vanda shrugged. "Long story. Just get that cat out of here, okay?"
"He saved Toni's life," Phineas reminded her.
"She wouldn't have needed saving if she'd followed orders," Vanda snapped. "You should fire her ass, Ian."
"No!" Cora Lee strode toward Vanda. "Toni cut me free. She freed all the hostages. And she kept that terrible Nadia from killing you, Vanda. Land sakes, I've never seen a mortal be so brave."
"Okay, okay, she's brave." Vanda tightened her whip. "But she still can't follow orders."
Yes, she'd disobeyed a direct order. Ian tamped down on the anger simmering inside him. She'd disobeyed him and come bloody close to dying. And he'd been helpless to save her. If it hadn't been for Carlos…his anger spiked. Dammit. That was the real cause of his anger. Carlos had saved her. He had not.
He heard her moan softly. He patted her cheek, and her eyelids flickered. "Toni, wake up."
She blinked at him with a dazed look. "What happened?"
"Ye fainted."
She struggled to sit up. "That's crazy. I never faint." She looked around. "The Malcontents?"
"They teleported away," Ian explained. "I doubt we'll see them again tonight. Jedrek's in bad shape."
Toni looked around again. "Carlos? He's a—?"
"Were-panther." Ian helped her to her feet. "It's rather unusual."
"Well, duh." She glanced up at the shattered wooden screen. "I didn't think such creatures existed."
"I've never known one who shifted to a cat." Ian noticed Hugo stumbling into the nightclub. His hands were tied behind his back with silver rope, and blood oozed from a bullet wound in his thigh.
"Oh my God!" Vanda rushed to him.
"We'll take him back to Romatech," Ian offered. "Laszlo can remove the bullet."
"I'll take him." Dougal grabbed Hugo's arm, and they both vanished.
With a sigh, Vanda ran a hand through her short, spiky hair. "Everyone's gone, so I'm closing for the night. I just hope the customers will come back, that we're not ruined."
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