Marcus shook his hand. “Marcus Grayden.” He motioned to the others. “Roland Warbrook. His wife Sarah. And Amiriska.”
“It’s an honor to meet you all,” he said and waved toward the elevators. “If you’ll come with me …”
The guards posted on either side of the two elevator doors watched their approach with eyes full of fascination.
Marcus nodded to them.
Smiles broke out all around.
“Honor to meet you, sir,” one offered. Several seconded the notion.
Roland, Marcus noticed, did not receive the same greeting. Most network employees tended to fear him because of the way he had terrorized anyone sent to serve as his Second.
Sarah and Ami both received warm greetings and downright flirty smiles until Roland’s eyes flared amber and he bared his fangs. Many an Adam’s apple bobbed then as the men swallowed with trepidation.
For once, Marcus supported his friend’s show of temper.
The elevator they entered was large, like those one might find in an opera house. According to the buttons inside, there were five subterranean floors.
John pressed S5. “The holding cell is on the same floor as the labs.”
Ami’s hold on Marcus’s hand tightened. Her palm dampened. Her fingers began to tremble.
Frowning, Marcus pried his hand away and wrapped his arm around her. “We can wait in Chris’s office if you’d like,” he murmured, lips pressed to her hair.
John’s perceptive gaze went from one to the other. “Perhaps, Amiriska and Sarah, you would like a tour of the building? You’re both fairly new to the operation.” He smiled. “I’d be happy to show you around, let you see some of what we do here at the network.”
Her eyes on Ami, Sarah produced a bright smile. “Thank you. That would be wonderful. I’ve sort of had my fill of vampires today.”
John laughed. “I can understand that. Amiriska?”
“Thank you. I’d like that,” she said, voice tight.
I’m sorry, she said in Marcus’s head.
Don’t be. We really aren’t doing anything other than delivering the goods. Seth will look into the vamp’s head, see what he knows, then we’re done.
A ding sounded. The doors slid open.
Marcus and Roland exited.
John nodded to the dozen men waiting beside the security desk positioned between the elevator and the hallway. All carried assault rifles. “Todd, show Marcus and Roland to the holding cell we prepared earlier.”
One of the men, garbed in black with short blond hair, stepped forward. “Yes, sir.”
Marcus glanced back. Ami looked so pale.
Sarah moved over and slid her arm through Ami’s. “Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do,” she teased.
Roland snorted. “Is there anything you wouldn’t do?”
She laughed.
Marcus thought Ami’s shoulders relaxed just a bit as the corners of her lips tilted up.
The doors slid closed.
“This way, sirs,” Todd said.
Marcus felt Roland’s gaze as they followed the guard down a long, white hallway lit with fluorescents.
“So?” the older immortal asked. “When are you going to tell me?”
Marcus didn’t have to ask what. “When Ami is comfortable with my telling you. If she’s ever comfortable with it.”
Roland nodded. He wasn’t nearly as unbending as most people assumed. Except when it came to trusting others. Because of his history, Marcus doubted that would ever change.
It wasn’t too difficult to determine which door led to the holding room. A dozen guards were stationed on either side of it. More stood at attention across from it.
The holding room itself boasted thick steel walls. A cot rested against the farthest. Four heavy manacles, dangling from the ends of titanium chains as thick as Marcus’s wrist, were bolted to the wall above it.
A small desk and chair shared the wall with the door, out of reach of those chains.
Roland crossed to the cot and dumped the vampire king on it. “Damn he stinks,” he growled in disgust, swiping at the shoulder the vampire had occupied.
Todd hurried forward and clamped manacles around the vampire’s wrists and ankles. “Mr. Reordon should be here soon. He’s making sure all the bases are covered at the lair.”
Marcus suspected Chris would need to utilize Seth’s mind-altering capabilities on this one. Or not. Chris could sell anyone anything. If he told the authorities who arrived at the scene that he was a DEA agent and the lair was a drug den that had exploded while they were cooking meth, they would believe him. Marcus didn’t know how he managed to handle all of the paperwork and IDs and whatever the hell else he needed to convince them, but Chris always came prepared.
Hearing someone approach, Marcus looked to the doorway.
The doctor from David’s place entered. “Oh,” she said, stopping short when she saw them.
Marcus would have expected a doctor to wear slacks or a skirt with serviceable pumps beneath a white lab coat. Instead, Dr. Lipton wore low-riding jeans, a V-necked shirt that hugged her slender build, and black Converse Chuck Taylor high-top sneakers.
“Hi,” she said, stepping forward and offering her hand with a tentative smile as Todd slipped from the room. “I didn’t have a chance to introduce myself before. I’m Melanie Lipton.”
Marcus shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Lipton. I’m sorry if I scared you the other night.”
“No problem. I know you were worried about Ami.” She offered her hand to Roland. “Good to see you again, Mr. Warbrook.”
Roland didn’t take it. “You probably don’t want to touch me. I’ve been hauling his rank ass around.” He motioned to the vampire.
Following his gaze, she grimaced. “Yikes. He’s nothing like the vampires who live here at the network.” She turned back to Marcus, a clinical look entering her eyes as she appraised him. “So, how are you feeling, Mr. Grayden? You recovered far more quickly than the others, and I’ve been very curious to discover—”
Seth teleported into the room with Chris and Bastien.
Dr. Lipton jumped, then pressed a hand to her chest.
Saved by the bell.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Roland demanded, glowering at Bastien.
Seth arched a brow. “I wanted to see if he recognized the vamp.”
While Roland bristled, Bastien looked at the human in their midst. “Dr. Lipton.”
“Mr. Newcombe,” she responded with a smile.
Marcus frowned. Was her pulse racing from the scare Seth had given her or had it picked up when Bastien had turned his attention on her?
Seth’s brow furrowed as he looked around. “Where’s Ami?”
Irritation rose. “She has an understandable fear of labs,” Marcus snarled, furious at himself as well for forgetting.
“Oh, shit.” Seth scrubbed a hand down his face. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. I knew it was going to take me a while to alter memories at the scene and just wanted her to stay with you where I knew she would be safe.”
“Where is she?” Bastien demanded, the bastard. “And why aren’t you with her?”
What the hell business was it of his? “She’s with Sarah. John is giving them a tour of the network.”
“They’re safe,” Roland came to his defense. “Nothing can get past the security in this place.”
Bastien raised an eyebrow. “I did.” Ignoring the growl that rumbled forth from Roland’s throat, he crossed to the cot and studied the rumpled figure upon it. “He isn’t one of mine, but I recognize him. I approached him, when I first began recruiting. I’m not sure how long he had been infected at that point, but I could tell he would be uncontrollable, that he was close to succumbing.”
“So you knew he would soon be killing innocents and did nothing,” Roland accused him.
A muscle twitched in Bastien’s jaw as he addressed his former nemesis. “At the time, I was focused on curing vampires, not killing them. Why didn’t you take care of him? He’s been in the area for years apparently. Escaped your notice, did he? A powerful immortal like yourself?” he taunted.
Roland tensed, ready to pounce.
Marcus considered joining him.
“Before you take this further,” Seth drawled, “you should know that Dr. Lipton is carrying more of the tranquilizer in her pocket. If necessary, I will instruct her to use it on both of you.”
Color rushed into the brunette’s cheeks when the immortals all glanced at her. Smiling an apology, she withdrew the hand she had tucked into her pocket and held up half a dozen syringes.
Roland sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”
Seth approached the cot and touched his fingers to the vampire king’s greasy forehead.
Dr. Lipton eased forward and watched curiously, her shoulder touching Bastien’s arm.
Bastien’s nostrils flared as he drew in a deep breath and held it a moment. His gaze flitted over the chestnut tresses she had drawn into a casual twist, then her face, and slid down her throat to the hint of cleavage her shirt revealed.
Had Marcus not been paying attention, he would have missed the slight increase in Bastien’s heart rate.
Seth straightened. “He doesn’t know where to find the commander.”
Roland swore.
Marcus didn’t. When Seth’s eyes met his, Marcus saw something ominous in them that scared the hell out of him.
“Dr. Lipton, are there any tests you’d like to run on the vampire king before we execute him?” Seth asked.
“Yes. Could you give me forty-eight hours?”
“Of course. Have security with you at all times while you’re in this room even when the vampire is under the influence of the tranquilizer.”
Bastien spoke up. “I’ll serve as her guard and keep an eye on the vamp while he’s here.”
“The hell you will,” Marcus snarled.