CHAPTER 24
The next evening, Olivia busied herself at her apartment, cleaning and doing laundry. She even cooked some moussaka. Anything to keep from dwelling on the fact that this was Friday night, the night she'd thought Robby was going to propose.
Now she knew better. He'd planned on telling her he was a vampire.
She was sick of hearing about it. On the drive back to Kansas City that morning, J.L. and Barker had talked endlessly about vampires. J.L. thought their powers were awesome. Barker was grateful there were good ones to combat the bad ones. They'd spent a good thirty minutes speculating on what the Malcontents would do next, then another thirty minutes wondering how the CIA would cover up what had happened.
Olivia had been ready to scream by the time they arrived at the office. At least the afternoon had been spent on something different. She and J.L. had interviewed some of Yasmine's relatives. One of Yasmine's sisters admitted that she'd seen her two days earlier. She claimed not to know where Yasmine was hiding, but she'd loaned her debit card to her sister.
After more investigation they learned the debit card had been used at an ATM machine on the Kansas side of Kansas City. They canvassed the neighborhood but didn't find her.
Olivia was exhausted by the time she made it home that evening, but she still kept busy. If she stopped for a moment, her thoughts would return to Robby, and the pain would rush back.
How could she have a relationship with a vampire? He could never share a day with her. Or a meal with her. He would never grow old. And what would it mean to her? Would she continue to age until she lost him? Would she never have children? Would she be lured into a dark world and become one of them?
She shuddered. Love should bring a person joy and life, not darkness and death.
She watched the news while she ate her supper of salad and moussaka. Her fork froze halfway to her mouth when she recognized the scene on the television. A helicopter was flying over the farmhouses in Nebraska. The reporter claimed ten people had died from a new deadly strain of the flu. The public was warned to stay away from the area. It was believed to be the same strain of flu that had recently caused eight deaths in South Dakota.
Olivia set her fork down. The Malcontents were leaving a trail of death down the center of the country. She prayed the children would survive.
When the sun went down, she closed all the blinds and wondered where Robby was. Was he waking up from the dead? Would he spend the night hunting for Casimir and the Malcontents?
She was washing dishes when her cell phone rang. She quickly dried her hands. Part of her hoped it was Robby. Part of her dreaded that it would be. "Hello?"
"Liv, turn on the news," J.L. said. "Hurry."
She went to the television. "If this is about that cover story, I already - " She gasped.
There was a picture of Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary on the screen. A headline read: EIGHT INMATES ESCAPE.
"Do you see it?" J.L. asked.
"Yes." She turned up the volume.
The news anchor reported a strange incident at Leavenworth. Eight of their worst inmates had simply disappeared from their prison cells. The guards had no idea how it had happened.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" J.L. asked. "What if it was teleportation?"
Olivia sank onto the love seat. "You mean the Malcontents teleported in and took them." She closed her eyes briefly. Robby had said that Casimir needed to expand his army. And if he couldn't find evil vampires, he would make them. What better place to find evil people than a federal prison?
The news anchor continued with his report. "This just in. We are now able to identify the eight inmates who escaped. If you see any of these men, notify the authorities immediately. Do not approach them. They are extremely dangerous."
He recited names while the prison photos were flashed on the screen. "And the last prisoner - Otis Crump."
Her heart plummeted into her stomach.
"Shit!" J.L. shouted. "Olivia, get out of the apartment now. Go straight to work. I'll meet you there."
She froze, staring at Otis's photo on the television screen. He was free. Not only free, but if Casimir had freed him, he might soon be a vampire. Otis's claim that they were destined to be together forever took on a sinister new meaning.
He would come after her. And if he succeeded, she would end up either dead...or undead.
"Liv!" J.L. yelled on the phone. "Are you there?"
She jerked out of her stunned trance. "I'm here. I'm leaving. See you soon."
She ran into her bedroom to put on some socks and her athletic shoes. Then she strapped on her holster and sidearm over her blue jeans. Her heart pounded. Otis could be on his way to her apartment right now. If he was alive, he might be driving. If he was already a vampire, he might be able to teleport straight into her living room.
She threw on a jacket and stuffed an extra clip of bullets into the pocket. How fast could someone become a vampire? She had no idea. Could her bullets kill a vampire? She hoped she wouldn't have to find out.
She rushed into her living room just as a form suddenly appeared. Her heart lurched.
"Oh God, Robby!" She pressed a hand to her chest. "You scared me to death."
"Ye're in grave danger."
"Yeah, I know." She hurried past him to the console by the front door. "Otis Crump could be on his way here."
"I've come to take you to safety."
"No thanks." She collected her handbag and keys.
Robby strode toward her. "Ye must let me protect you."
"I don't think so." She opened the door and stepped onto the front porch.
"What are ye doing?" His eyes were wide with shock. "Ye canna leave on yer own."
"Watch me." She closed the door in his face and locked it. She hurried down the stairs, stifling a grin. That had felt surprisingly good.
As she strode toward her car, her stride hitched a bit when he appeared in the parking lot. He wasn't wearing a kilt tonight. His black cargo pants and black T-shirt hugged a muscular body. Leather straps across his chest probably meant his claymore was on his back. His brow was furrowed with fierce determination.
Damn, he was good looking. And as much as she chafed against his he-man tendencies, she had to admit there was a raw masculinity to him that made her bones melt. She forced herself to look away and headed for her car.
He followed her. "Perhaps ye doona understand the gravity of the situation. We know it was Casimir and his minions who helped the prisoners escape."
"I already figured that out." She pressed her keypad to unlock her car.
"Then ye should know the Malcontents could be transforming the prisoners into vampires right now, including the bastard who's obsessed with you."
"I know." She reached for the door handle.
He leaned against the car door, blocking her. "I can take you to a safe place where no vampire can get to you."
"Including you?"
His jaw shifted. "Ye have no reason to fear me. I would never harm you."
"Tell that to my breaking heart," she muttered.
His eyes glittered an intense green. "There is no reason for you to suffer. We could be together. Ye only have to accept me for what I am."
"I can't do that right now. Please move, so I can go."
"Bugger," he muttered, and stepped back. "Dammit, woman. If ye love me, ye will stay loyal to me. Ye willna stab me in the back with betrayal."
She flinched. He was accusing her of wrongdoing? How dare he? "If you loved me, you would have been honest with me!"
His face paled and a glint of pain flickered in his eyes. Her heart clenched in her chest. Damn, she hadn't realized he was hurting as much as she was. She usually knew exactly what other people were feeling.
With a trembling hand she opened the car door.
"Where are ye going?" Robby asked as she climbed inside.
"Work." She shut the door and turned on the engine.
She backed out of her parking space, then hit the brakes with a lurch when Robby suddenly materialized in the passenger seat. "My God, would you stop scaring me? What are you doing here?"
He removed the sheath from his back. "I have to protect you."
"I don't need your protection."
"No one can protect you from a vampire as well as another vampire." He settled back in the seat and put on his seat belt. "Where exactly are we going?"
"FBI building, and I didn't invite you."
"Och, I could teleport you there in a second. 'Twould save you time and gas."
She ignored him and stomped on the accelerator. Traffic was light at this time of night, so she was able to make good time.
"Whelan and his team are at Leavenworth," Robby said as she passed another car. "And Angus and Connor are there. If there are any clues to be found, they'll find them."
She sped up to catch a yellow light.
"The safest place for you is the silver room at Romatech," Robby continued. "'Tis completely lined in silver so no vampire can teleport in or out."
"You can't teleport through silver?" The minute the question left her lips, she slapped herself mentally. She'd meant to completely ignore him. It irked her that he assumed she would need saving. She wasn't a stupid weakling. She could save herself.
"That is how they were able to hold me prisoner last summer," Robby explained. "They tied me up with silver chains. We canna teleport through it. And if it touches our bare skin, it burns away the flesh."
She grimaced. Poor Robby. And he hadn't been able to save himself. Damn. His fear that she might need saving wasn't an insult. He was simply being realistic.
"I could teleport you to Romatech in a second," he continued. "Ye would be safe there."
"I'm not running away. I'm not hiding." She cast an annoyed look at him. "And I'm not allowing you to take over my decisions."
He crossed his arms, scowling. "I'm trying to keep you alive."
She snorted. "Are you sure about that? Don't you intend to change me over someday?"
He remained quiet a moment, then turned toward her. "Are ye saying ye intend to stay with me?"
She winced. "It was a hypothetical question. I haven't made any decisions yet."
"Och, well, becoming a Vamp would be yer decision as well. I would hope we could have children first, and ye need to be mortal for that."
She shot him an incredulous look. "Wouldn't you need to be mortal for that?"
He quickly explained a procedure that Roman Draganesti had invented to allow the Vamp men to father children.
Olivia drove in stunned silence. She could have children with Robby. He wanted to have children with her. He described Roman's children as mostly mortal. They were awake during the day and ate real food. They just possessed a few special gifts.
That didn't disturb her. She'd grown up with a special gift herself, and had always known her children could inherit it. Even so, she remained quiet until they reached the FBI building.
When they walked inside, she warned him, "They're not going to let you in here with that giant sword."
"We'll see." He slid the claymore off his back and plunked it down on the security officer's desk.
"What the hell?" The officer eyed him suspiciously, then his face suddenly cleared. "Go on through the metal detector, sir. I'll pass your umbrella to you on the other side."
"Thank you." Robby slanted her a smug look.
She glared back, then handed her sidearm to the officer. She walked through the metal detector, then he handed her gun back to her. As she snapped it back into the holster, Robby sauntered through the metal detector. It went off.
The officer calmly turned off the buzzer and handed the sword back to Robby. "Have a nice day."
"Thank you." Robby swung the claymore onto his back.
"I thought you only used mind control when you had a really good reason," she whispered.
"I had one. I'm no' leaving yer side." He strolled toward the elevator. "Ye're on the second floor, aye?"
She punched the up button. "How do you know?"
"I've been here before." The elevator doors opened, and he motioned for her to go first.
She pushed the button for the second floor. "What are you packing that made the metal detector go off?"
He shrugged one shoulder. "It could be the dagger strapped to my leg or the jackknife in my pants pocket. Or the silver chain in the other pocket."
"Wouldn't it burn you to take out the chain?"
"I have a pair of gloves in another pocket. If I get a chance to capture Casimir, I'm no' going to let him teleport away before I can kill him."
"You still want revenge."
"Aye."
She sighed. "Why don't you go hunt for Casimir? Wouldn't you rather do that than babysit me? I'm safe here."
His eyes glimmered with emotion. "I'm no' leaving you."
Was he putting aside his quest for revenge in order to protect her? He really does love you. She looked at him, and a bittersweet ache of longing filled her heart. Oh God, she still loved him. She'd always loved him.
A hint of red glittered in his eyes.
"Why does that happen?" she whispered. "Why do your eyes turn red?"
The elevator doors swooshed open, and he turned away, closing his eyes briefly.
She exited, and noticed his eyes were back to normal when he followed.
The office was bustling with activity. Every available special agent had been called in.
J.L. rushed toward her with a relieved grin on his face. "Thank God you're here." He shook hands with Robby. "Thank you for watching out for her. Come on, Barker will want to see you." He led them to the supervisor's office.
Olivia was irked that both J.L. and Barker were delighted that Robby had graced them with his presence. They were full of questions, and Robby explained how the Vamps and CIA Stake-Out Team were at Leavenworth. The Malcontents hadn't bothered to erase any videos from the surveillance cameras, so they knew, without a doubt, that Casimir and his minions were responsible for the jailbreak.
Angus and Connor were questioning the guards. Sometimes, with vampire mind control, a Vamp could help a mortal retrieve lost memories. They hoped to find something useful.
"If Casimir changes the prisoners into vampires, how long will that take?" Barker asked.
"They would be in a coma the first night," Robby answered. "Then the next night they awake as vampires."
"There's no telling when they'll do the change," Olivia said. "They might spend this first night finding a good place to hide."
"Any idea where they might be?" J.L. asked.
"If we did, we would have already attacked," Robby said wryly. "With teleportation, they could be anywhere. Our best bet is to check any mortals the prisoners know and trust. Vampires need a dark place to hide during the day, and they prefer to have some mortals nearby to protect them."
Barker motioned to the large room outside his office where special agents were busily at work. "I have two men assigned to each of the escaped convicts. They're going through all contacts and coordinating with the local police."
"Otis might ask Yasmine to help them," Olivia said. "Or the missing guard, Joe Kitchner."
"I'm watching the debit card she's using," J.L. said. "If she spends any money, I'll know about it."
"At some point Otis will come after Olivia." Barker looked at her. "Do you mind if J.L. and I spend the night in your apartment?"
She shook her head. "What do you want me to do?"
"Stay safe." Barker packed up his laptop. "Stay with Mr. MacKay."
"She will," Robby said.
She frowned as Barker and J.L. left the office. "I'm not going to sit here and do nothing."
Robby glanced at the couch at the back of Barker's office. "I could think of a way to pass the time."
She snorted. "I'm going to work." She went to her work station, and Robby followed her. The other special agents glanced warily at him as he passed by.
He grabbed J.L.'s chair, rolled it into her cubicle, and sat beside her. At first she found it distracting to have him so close, but as they went through her notes on Yasmine and Joe, she grew more accustomed to him. He was thoughtful and thorough.
At one point he brushed back one of her curls and hooked it behind her ear. She stiffened, but he just smiled and said it was blocking his view of her desk.
J.L. called to report that nothing was happening at her apartment. They'd found the pan of moussaka in the fridge and finished it off.
After an hour of dead ends regarding Yasmine, Olivia and Robby turned their attention to Joe. According to some neighbors who lived close to Joe's brother, he had been seen a few times there. The brother wasn't well liked in the neighborhood since he enjoyed hosting loud parties that dragged on all night.
"He might have thrown a 'congratulations on breaking out of jail' party," Robby said, and he called the number. It rang six times, then an answering machine picked up.
"We could drive there," Olivia suggested.
"Teleporting is faster."
She gave him a wry look. "I never quite mastered that skill."
"I have all the skill ye need." The corner of his mouth tilted up. "I can transport you to another world."
Her cheeks grew warm. "I'll take the car."
"Come with me. I dare you."
The last time he'd dared her, she'd ended up with a handful. And a night of glorious sex.
He leaned close. "We canna do it here where people might notice. We need to be alone."
Her face blazed hotter. Damn him. He was seducing her all over again. "Barker's office."
"Good." He grabbed the sheet of paper with the brother's phone number and led her back into Barker's office. He punched the number into his cell phone.
"Okay, it's ringing." He motioned for her to come closer.
She inched toward him.
He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. She gasped at the feel of his hard body against hers. Her heart raced.
He lowered his head and grazed the tip of his nose against her temple. "Put yer arms around me."
"Do I have to?"
"Do ye want to get lost on the way?"
She threw her arms around his neck. "Are you sure this is safe?"
His mouth twitched. "Safer than yer driving."
"What? I - " She stopped when she noticed the red glint in his eyes. "Why do your eyes keeping turning red?"
"It - " He glanced at his cell phone. "The answering machine picked up. Hang on tight."
She did, then everything went black.