Read The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo (Love at Stake) for Free Online Page B

son, Tino. And the third is from one of Master Han’s soldiers. You’re welcome to look at them whenever you’re ready.”
    Leah sighed. “I’m afraid I’m not taking this very well.”
    “You’re doing fine.” Abby patted her shoulder, then headed toward the second table. “Come on, let’s check out the desserts.”
    Leah followed her, but instead of admiring the giant cake, her gaze drifted back to the crowd across the room. What on earth? There were two men in kilts? The last man she’d seen in a kilt had been her Irish grandfather. A wave of grief swept over her with the vague memory of a haunting melody. How she missed him.
    No one had enjoyed life as much as Grandpa, so it seemed like sacrilege for the Undead to dress the same way. Each of the kilted men held a young child in his arms. “Are all the children half vampire?”
    “The kids like Tino are. Did you want to go back to the lab and see his blood work?”
    Leah gave her a wry look. “Was that the plan all along? Appeal to my curiosity to lure me in?”
    Abby winced. “Well, you have to admit it’s all fascinating. Right?”
    “I admit nothing. To even consider vampires as real—I’m either crazy or dreaming.” Leah ate a cube of cheese. Cheddar, sharp and creamy. Would it taste this real if she were dreaming? But the alternative was she was crazy. And that conclusion put her one step closer to utter panic.
    She glanced at the third refreshment table. It was covered with bottles and empty flutes and wineglasses. “Is that synthetic blood?”
    “Yes.” Abby bit into a chocolate-covered strawberry. “The bottles on ice are Bubbly Blood, a combination of synthetic blood and champagne. Roman’s invented a whole menu of Vampire Fusion Cuisine. Bleer that’s half beer. Blissky that’s half whisky. You get the idea.”
    “Vampires like to get drunk?”
    Abby chuckled. “I’ve seen Gregori overindulge.” A humming noise emanated from her pants pocket, and she retrieved her cell phone. “Oh, that’s him now.” Smiling, she put the phone to her ear. “Hi, sweetie.”
    Leah shuddered. Sweetie bloodsucker?
    After a pause, Abby frowned. “Not now. Give us some time, okay?” She hung up. “I didn’t think you wanted to visit with any more Vamps for a while.”
    “I don’t.” Leah glanced again at the vampires across the room. They were smiling and chatting like normal people. But they weren’t normal. Nothing was normal anymore. “Why are some guys wearing kilts?”
    “They’re Scottish.” Abby scanned the crowd. “That’s Robby MacKay and Ian MacPhie. They’re security guys.”
    Leah pivoted around till she spotted the camera with its red blinking light. Was she still being watched? If she dashed out the front door, would she be chased down by a vampire in a kilt? “If I don’t accept this, they’re going to erase my memory again, aren’t they?”
    When Abby was silent, Leah turned toward her. “Are they?”
    Abby winced. “Is it that hard to accept?”
    Leah’s heart raced. What was hard to accept was the way she felt trapped. Coerced. It was like they were holding her brain hostage. Play along or have it tampered with. With trembling hands she set her cup and plate on the table.
    “Leah, no one will hurt you,” Abby assured her, her voice sounding muffled and far away.
    A wave of dizziness blurred Leah’s vision, but she shook it away. She’d rather make a run for it than faint. Better to show strength than weakness. She turned toward the entrance, desperately gathering her energy and courage for the mad dash to the foyer and front door . . . and froze.
    Gregori paused in the entrance, spotted her and Abby, and waved. Another man joined him. A short man in a lab coat. Laszlo. He raised a hand in greeting, giving her a hopeful smile.
    Leah’s heart thundered in her ears. No escape. The lab mouse was thoroughly caught in the maze. The guppy had been tossed into an aquarium with sharks. Welcome to your new