The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo (Love at Stake) Read Free Page A

creatures.”
    “We thought it best. As a scientist, she has great admiration for Roman and his invention of synthetic blood. She also knew about Abigail’s achievements and was eager to meet her.” Angus motioned to the monitor showing the ballroom. “And there’s a blasted party going on for a bunch of bairns. How frightening can we seem when we dote on our children?”
    Dougal snorted. “So we’ll convince her that we’re as meek as lambs?”
    Angus smiled. “That’s the plan.”
    “What of the moral dilemma of exposing an innocent woman to a dangerous world? What if she wants nothing to do with us?”
    Angus’s smile faded. “We need her. And since ye’ll be working here, I expect you to do yer part to convince her to help us.” He held up a hand when Dougal started to object. “Ye may think it’s wrong to involve her, but what if she can free the soldiers who’ve been enslaved by Master Han? There could be over a thousand souls she saves.”
    So the needs of the many outweighed the needs of one? There was a ruthless logic to it, but it still didn’t sit well with Dougal. How often in the past had he ranted against a cruel fate thrust upon him without his consent? The same thing could happen to this woman.
    He took a deep breath. The die was cast, and he couldn’t fight it. All he could do was protect her to the best of his ability. “Hopefully she will react well tonight.”
    “Like ye said, we’ll be as meek as lambs.” Angus stepped closer to the wall of monitors. “They’re here.”
    Dougal glanced at the screen that showed a black Town Car pulling into the parking lot. “Who’s with her?”
    “Abby picked her up this afternoon at LaGuardia and took her to Roman’s townhouse. After the sun set, Dr. Lee and Gregori joined them. That’s Gregori’s car. He’s driving.”
    “They plan on telling her the truth soon?” Dougal asked.
    “Aye,” Angus replied. “Abby will take her to the lab first. Laszlo’s been getting things ready.”
    Dougal glanced at the monitor, where Laszlo could be seen straightening a stack of papers. No wonder the chemist had cleaned the room. He’d even combed his unruly hair and put on a fresh white lab coat with a full array of buttons.
    Dougal’s gaze shifted back to the dimly lit parking lot, where the Town Car had come to a stop by the front entrance. His nerves tensed as a heavy feeling swept over him. Something was wrong. The air was suddenly too thick to breathe. He grabbed the bottle of Bubbly Blood and swallowed down a gulp. It didn’t help.
    Gregori and Dr. Lee exited the front seats and opened the rear car doors. Two women emerged. One was short with curly auburn hair. Abigail Tucker Holstein: renowned scientist, daughter of the American president, and Gregori’s wife. The other . . . Dougal glimpsed a slim young woman, who turned away from the camera, her long black hair swinging about her shoulders.
    His prosthetic hand tightened around the bottle of Bubbly Blood.
    Gregori punched in the security code at the entrance, then opened the doors so they could enter the foyer.
    “Dr. Lee made the mistake of simply blurting out the truth,” Angus said, watching the monitors. “Abby thinks we should pique her scientific curiosity first. Then we’ll have a better chance at reeling her in.”
    They paused in the well-lit foyer, and Dougal had a clearer view of her from behind. The graceful curve of her spine and firm set of her shoulders, the inquisitive lean of her head as she looked about . . . so familiar. Painfully familiar.
    His shoulder blade itched as his tattoo grew warm. Turn, turn toward the camera.
    Her head moved slightly as if she might have heard him. Turn, turn to me. A sizzling sensation started on the tail of his tattoo, then burned a path along the dragon’s body, over his shoulder to his chest, till it erupted in the fiery breath etched in crimson over his heart.
    He gritted his teeth against the surprising burst of pain. Why