The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo (Love at Stake) (4 page)

“Really?” Leah eased her hand from his grip.

“Yes!” Laszlo’s hand gravitated straight to his lab coat, where he grabbed onto a button. “We have some interesting case studies to show you.”

“Sounds good.” Leah glanced around the lab. “This is very nice.”

“Yes.” Laszlo smiled at her while he fiddled with his buttons.

Leah’s eyes narrowed as she spotted the camera in the corner. Dougal poured more Blissky into his paper cup and downed it.

Abby strode toward the long stainless steel table that was topped with several microscopes and stacks of paper. “Everything is ready?”

“Yes,” Laszlo answered, still smiling at Leah.

“Ha!” Gregori pointed at the monitor. “Look at that silly grin on Laszlo’s face. He’s in love!”

Dougal’s fist snapped shut, crushing the paper cup in his hand. What the hell? Before anyone could see the mangled cup, he tossed it into the litterbin. Or attempted to. His fist refused to open.
Release,
he ordered his hand. It remained locked around the crushed paper cup.

Angus shook his head. “Smitten, perhaps. I’ll have a talk with Laszlo. We canna let anyone’s personal feelings jeopardize our plans.”

Release, dammit! Open!
Finally Dougal’s fist relaxed, and the cup fell into the litterbin.

Meanwhile, Leah had moved to the table and was peering into the first microscope. “Interesting,” she murmured, then picked up the stack of papers beside it.

“Let’s hope she takes the bait,” Angus said.

Dougal moved closer to the monitors.

Leah scanned the first page, then the second. Abby watched, chewing on her lip. Laszlo twisted a button on his lab coat.

“Definite mutations in the DNA sequencing.” Leah moved on to the third page. “Some rather drastic changes. Is this man still alive?”

Abby hesitated. “At the moment, yes.”

Gregori snorted.

Leah set the papers down. “I’ve never seen anything like this. Some of these mutations might possibly strengthen a person, but others . . .” She shook her head. “I’m not sure a human can survive this. Is he exhibiting any bizarre symptoms?”

Abby’s mouth twitched. “Other than a strange desire to disco dance, no.”

Gregori stiffened. “What’s so strange about that?”

Angus hushed him.

Leah shook her head, confused. “Where is the patient? Can I see him?”

“You’ve already seen him,” Abby replied. “It’s Gregori.”

Leah gasped. “What?” She thumbed through the papers once more. “I don’t understand. Your husband seems so healthy.”

“He is,” Abby agreed. “When he’s . . . awake.”

Dougal winced. The shit was about to hit the fan.

Angus frowned. “I have a bad feeling about this. Gregori, call Dr. Lee. Tell him to get to the lab right away.”

While Gregori made the call, Leah tapped her hand on the stack of paper. “Your husband could be in serious trouble. He should be hospitalized immediately for observation.” Her eyes widened. “Oh my God, you’re pregnant with his child?”

“I’m fine, really. And so is Gregori.” Abby exchanged a worried look with Laszlo.

He nodded, furiously twirling a button. “There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this, I assure you.”

“Really?” Leah gave them an incredulous look. “How do you explain it?”

Abby took a deep breath. “My husband is a vampire.”

Chapter Three

L
eah’s heart leaped into a fast, pounding rhythm. She stepped back, resisting an urge to run for the door. Her gaze shifted from the president’s daughter to the so-called brilliant chemist, then back. Did the president know his daughter was insane?

Holy crapoly, the whole building might be full of crazy people. Even the creepy people watching her through the camera—her breath caught. Of course, she was being punked! The camera was recording this, and it was going to end up on the Internet somewhere. It wasn’t the first time people had tried to make her look like an idiot.

In college, her young age and genius label had rendered her a target for silly pranks. One time a bunch of frat boys had circled the girls’ dormitory dressed as the Living Dead, while the girls had begged her to use her superior intellect to save them from the zombie apocalypse.

So this time it was the Undead. She crossed her arms and acted nonchalant. “You’re married to a vampire?”

“Yes.” Abby nodded with a hopeful expression as if she expected her to believe this nonsense.

Leah shot the camera a wry look, then turned back to Abby. “How did you reach that conclusion? Did he turn into a bat and fly around the bedroom?”

Abby’s eager expression faded into disappointment. “You think I’m kidding.”

“Did you expect me to take this seriously?” Leah asked.

Laszlo motioned to the stack of papers on the table. “But we showed you the lab work. And the data—”

“Which can be manipulated,” Leah interrupted. “Or in this case, manufactured.” She glowered at the camera. “The game is over. I’m not playing.” She headed toward the door, but halfway there, it opened.

Dr. Lee rushed inside. “Is there a problem?”

“Yes,” Leah replied in the affirmative, at the same time as Abby and Laszlo. She aimed a frown at them. “They’re playing a dumb joke on me.”

“It’s not a joke,” Abby insisted. “Vampires are real.”

Leah snorted. “Why would you believe that? Did your husband bite you?”

“Well, yes, he has. And he can—”

“What? Leap from one tree to another like a monkey?” Leah lifted a hand to stop Abby. The poor woman was suffering from delusions. “You should lie down and get some rest. Given your condition, you could be experiencing some hormonal fluctuations—”

“I’m not imagining this,” Abby grumbled.

“Or it could be a case of being overworked,” Leah continued. “I know how it is. When I get really involved in a project, I can forget to eat or sleep. Just this last week, I was so busy, I can hardly remember it.”

Dr. Lee winced. “Perhaps a demonstration is in order.”

“Good idea.” Abby turned to Laszlo. “How about you levitate to the ceiling?”

Laszlo frowned, tugging hard at a button. “If you wish, but it might cause her to panic.”

“Go ahead,” Dr. Lee told him. “She needs physical evidence.”

Leah scoffed. “So the chemist is a vampire, too?”

Laszlo’s button popped off and landed on the stainless steel table with a
ping.
He gave her an apologetic look. “It’s not really a bad thing. Just think of it as a . . . an unusual medical condition.”

Leah shook her head. These people were certifiable. “You’re a vampire?”

“Yes,” Laszlo admitted but hastened to add, “but a very friendly one, I assure you.”

“Well, that is . . . comforting,” Leah muttered. A friendly bloodsucker. That made as much sense as a friendly serial killer. She glanced at Abby. “And you? Are you Casper, the friendly ghost?”

Abby gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m mortal like you. I know you must be shocked. I was shocked, too, when I found out. I even fainted.”

“I don’t faint.” Leah waved a dismissive hand. “And I’m not shocked. I’m . . . saddened that you’ve deluded yourselves into believing such a ridiculous—” She halted when Laszlo’s body floated up to the ceiling.

Okay, that wasn’t normal. It had to be wires. A spark of anger flared inside her. These people were really taking the joke too far. “That’s enough! I don’t believe anyone here is a vampire!”

“But I am.” Laszlo winced as his head bumped into the ceiling.

“Me, too,” Dr. Lee added.

Leah spun to face him. Her boss was a vampire?

“I am as well.” Another man sauntered into the lab. He was tall, dark, and handsome.

And Undead? Leah stared at him. “Who are you?”

He bowed his head. “Roman Draganesti, at your service. I’m delighted to meet you, Dr. Chin.”

This was the scientific genius who had invented synthetic blood? Leah swallowed hard. He was either as crazy as the other guys in the room, or they were actually . . .

Vampires
.

Her skin chilled with instant goose bumps.
No, this isn’t possible.
There had to be a reasonable, scientific explanation for this.
Why bother to explain it? Just get the hell out of here!

She stepped toward the door, but Dr. Lee and Mr. Draganesti were blocking the exit. A quick look around confirmed it was the only way out.

“Her heart is racing,” Mr. Draganesti murmured.

She turned toward him, her eyes narrowed.

“Superior hearing,” he explained.

“Why should I believe you? Given the situation, anyone could guess that my heart rate would be elevated.” A thudding sound startled her, and she whirled about to find that Laszlo had landed on the tile floor.

She rushed toward him, and standing on her tiptoes, she swept her hand through the air over his head. No wires. “How did you do it? Are you wearing special shoes that will lift you in the air? Or maybe it’s magnets?”

“It’s levitation.” Laszlo regarded her sadly. “Do you need me to do it again?”

“No.” She grabbed his wrist and pressed her fingers against his vein. “You see?” She dropped his arm. “You have a pulse. You’re alive. So stop this crap
now
!”

“Leah, calm down.” Dr. Lee moved toward her.

“I will not!” She stepped back. “And I’m not working for you anymore. This is a cruel joke, and I won’t put up with it!”

“Leah, for God’s sake.” Dr. Lee gave her a beseeching look. “We’re not trying to be cruel. Just honest.”

“
No
!” She shook her head. “I won’t listen! Vampires aren’t real. You’re lying to me! You’re lying
—
”

“Dammit, don’t make me erase your memory again!” Dr. Lee winced and lifted his hands. “I didn’t mean it like that. We would never hurt you. You have to believe us.”

A chill swept over Leah, and she shivered. “You . . . what did you do?”

Dr. Lee dragged a hand through his short gray hair. “This is so damned frustrating. I tried to tell you the truth a few days ago, but you didn’t take it well.”

“You—you erased my memory?”

“You were having a panic attack. It seemed like the best way to calm you down.”

Leah struggled to breathe. Oh God, was that why the past few days were a blur? He’d . . . tampered with her mind?

“My dear child,” Roman said softly. “Perhaps you should sit down?”

“You look very pale,” Abby added.

“I don’t faint.” Leah stumbled toward the far wall, where a countertop and sink were located. She didn’t know whether to be angry or . . . scared to death. Her mind had been tampered with? Dr. Lee had that kind of power?

She glanced at herself in the mirror over the sink and grimaced at her pale, stricken look. Damn them all. She would not allow anyone to alter her memory. She would remember this.

But did that mean she had to accept a new reality, one that was occupied with
vampires
? With trembling fingers, she turned on the cold water.

“Let me help.” Abby joined her at the sink and pulled some paper towels from the nearby dispenser.

She eased away a few inches.

“Leah, please,” Abby whispered. “I’m mortal. And a scientist like you. I had trouble accepting it, too.” She folded the towels into a pad and moistened it under the cold running water. “Here, press this against the back of your neck.”

Leah accepted the damp pad and looked in the mirror over the sink. She and Abby were reflected there, and the stainless steel table in the background. No Laszlo.

She glanced back, and with a gasp, she dropped the damp pad to the floor. Roman Draganesti was standing right behind her. “What? How did you—?” She turned back to the mirror.

He wasn’t there.

“Do you believe us now?” his voice spoke softly behind her.

The room swirled, and she gripped the edge of the counter.
Vampires are real?
It wasn’t scientifically possible. She squeezed her eyes shut. Had her world just turned upside down? Had she stumbled into an alternate reality? Was she hallucinating?

“Take deep breaths,” Abby whispered. “You’ll be okay.”

Leah shook her head. No, it would never be okay. Her safe and scientific world had crumbled around her. What was left to rely on? How could she even trust her instincts, when they were telling her she’d lost her mind?

A cold sweat broke out on her skin. She cupped her hands in the cold running water, and her eyes burned at the sight of her shaky hands. Was this really happening to her?

She splashed water on her face, then straightened to watch the rivulets running down her face in the mirror. It was real. Was the vampire still behind her? She cupped more water in her hands and tossed it over her shoulder.

A wincing sound. She turned and found Mr. Draganesti standing behind her, wiping droplets of water off his shirt and tie.

He gave her a wry look. “My wife didn’t take the news well either.”

“Your
wife
?” Leah scoffed. “Apparently she got over it.”

He nodded. “Shanna’s looking forward to meeting you. Our children are at the party, too. Sofia is four, and Constantine’s six.”

“Already?” Dr. Lee strolled toward them, smiling. “It seems like just yesterday I delivered them.”

“I know.” Mr. Draganesti grinned. “They grow so fast.”

Leah grimaced at the pointed canine teeth on display. Did they have fangs that shot out like the ones in movies? How many carotid arteries had they punctured with those?

When Mr. Draganesti noticed the apparent horror on her face, his smile faded. “Dr. Chin, there is no need to fear us. I invented synthetic blood to free us from the need to use mortals for our survival.”

So Romatech Industries was their equivalent to a grocery store. Leah moved to the side beyond their reach. “Before synthetic blood, you fed off people?”

Mr. Draganesti nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. We would take what we needed, then erase the mortal’s memory.”

“I never liked hurting people,” Laszlo grumbled as he stuffed the loose button into his pocket. “It was a blessing to us when we could rely on synthetic blood.”