All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire

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 from 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."

"Land sakes, don't you worry about that," Cora Lee said. "This place will be notorious. We'll be packing them in."

"I hope so." Vanda set an overturned chair upright. "Let's get the place cleaned up."

Cora Lee surveyed the room, frowning. "Lady Pamela sure picked the right night to take off."

Ian grabbed Toni and teleported to the VIP room. Phineas arrived shortly after them. Sabrina gasped at their sudden appearance and retreated across the room.

Carlos was back in his human form and gave them a nervous glance as he buttoned his shirt.

Toni approached him slowly. "You saved my life."

"I wanted to tell you about my…condition, but—" He glanced at Sabrina, who was regarding him with horror. "I didn't want to lose your friendship."

"Carlos." Toni wrapped her arms around him. "You will always be my friend."

He hugged her back. "Thank you, menina. You know I would do anything for you."

She gave him a wry look. "I thought I saw a puddy tat."

He grinned. "You did, you did."

They both laughed. Ian felt a mixture of emotion—a twinge of jealousy and a surge of pride. Toni was so generous and accepting. She'd risked her life to save Vamps she didn't even know, and she remained loyal to her friends no matter what.

"It's not funny," Sabrina muttered from across the room. "I saw him change. It was awful."

"It was awesome, man." Teddy blushed. "Though it was kinda freaky when he started stripping."

"That was nothing," Sabrina argued. "What about the black fur sprouting out and the claws and the sound of bones breaking and shifting?" She shuddered.

"Yeah, that was cool." Teddy's face brightened with excitement. "Do you have a name, dude? Like Panther-Man?"

"No." Carlos sat on a low table to put on his socks and shoes.

"Oh, come on." Teddy sat beside him. "You superheroes are totally ignorant about how to behave. How do you expect to get famous without cool names?"

"We doona want fame." Ian stood in front of Teddy. "Listen to me. Ye canna speak of us. Ever. If the outside world learned of our existence, they would kill us."

"That's true." Carlos slipped on his shoes. "My kind was discovered by a land developer in the Amazon. He sent out hunters to destroy us all. They're tracking down my people and killing them."

Toni pressed a hand to her chest. "Carlos, I'm so sorry. That's terrible."

"I managed to save some of the children. Their parents were slaughtered."

"Those are the orphans you're supporting?" Toni asked.

Carlos nodded. "Five of them. Our numbers are dwindling fast. I've been searching Malaysia because there are panthers in the jungle, and odd stories are told in the villages. I've been hoping to locate more of my kind."

"I'll tell Angus," Ian said. "He'll be happy to fund yer research. His company has always been supportive of were-folk."

Carlos's amber eyes gleamed. "That would be wonderful, thank you."

"What other kinds of shifters are there?" Teddy asked.

"Most of the ones I've met are wolves." Ian went to the refreshment table to pour himself a Bleer. "Of course, Howard isn't."

"What?" Toni looked confused. "Howard's a shape shifter?"

Carlos helped himself to a sandwich off the refreshment table. "You said it yourself, Toni. He's a teddy bear."

Ian snorted. "No' nearly as cuddly as a teddy bear once he's shifted, believe me."

Toni's mouth dropped open. "My supervisor is a bear?"

"Aye. Howard Barr." Ian drained his glass.

"That is so incredibly awesome," Teddy whispered.

"No, it isn't!" Sabrina screamed. "I can't take it. Panthers and vampires and bears—"

"Oh my!" Phineas quipped.

"You're all monsters!" Sabrina edged toward the main staircase. "I'm getting out of here!"

"Bri, wait!" Toni ran toward her. "You can't go. You have no money. No ID."

"And the police are looking for you," Carlos added.

"Like that's my fault?" Sabrina glared at them. "You took me from my room."

"We rescued you," Toni said, frowning.

"You made me a penniless fugitive." Sabrina lifted her chin. "Now I'm going to my apartment to get the key to my safety deposit box. I have a passport in there and lots of cash, so I don't have to hang around with monsters!"

Carlos walked toward her. "You can't go to your apartment, Bri. The police will look for you there. And it's a good ten hours before the banks open."

"I am not spending the night with vampires!"

"Calm down, menina." Carlos raised his hands. "I'll take you somewhere safe for the night. Another hotel."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Tears streamed down Sabrina's face. "You're an animal."

Carlos halted, and he scowled at her. "That's why I never told you my secret. Vanderkitty told me you couldn't handle the truth."

Sabrina gasped. "You—you talk to my cat?"

Ian was fast losing patience. There was no way he was letting Sabrina leave with the knowledge she now possessed.

Sabrina glared at Carlos. "You said you had orphans for our orphanage, but they're animals like you."

Carlos's face flushed with rage. "They're children in need of a home and education. And compassion."

Sabrina wiped tears from her face. "I can't possibly put them with normal children. They might bite them or…eat them."

"Enough!" Ian moved toward Toni as he sent a psychic message to Phineas to take Sabrina. "Miss Vanderwerth, yer fear is an unfortunate result of yer ignorance."

She gasped. "How dare you!"

Ian wrapped an arm around Toni. "Ye and yer friend are coming to Romatech. No arguing. No disobeying." That earned him a dirty look from her. He glanced at Carlos. "Ye can come if ye like."

"I'll come tomorrow," Carlos said. "And I'll bring Teddy."

Sabrina squealed when Phineas grabbed her. Ian vanished, taking Toni with him.