Vamps and the City

CHAPTER 24

Austin couldn't stay at the penthouse. His bedroom there reminded him too much of Darcy. The scent of her shampoo lingered on the pillows, making it impossible to sleep. He took the subway back to his apartment in Greenwich Village. Even then, he couldn't escape the pain or the memories.

The next day, he went to the office. He wasn't there five minutes before he realized how difficult it would be to continue working for the CIA. He could no longer fight every vampire with the conviction they were all evil. He needed to convince Sean that it was only the Malcontents who were attacking people. If he could steer the Stake-Out team's focus toward the Malcontents and away from law-abiding Vamps, then it would be worth keeping his job.

Emma stopped by his desk and looked him over. "You look tired. It must be hard being the sexiest man on earth."

"Exhausting."

She snorted. "Well, wake yourself up, Lover-boy. Sean wants you and Garrett in the conference room in five minutes."

Austin groaned. Sean probably wanted a report on the reality show and DVN. None of those vampires were a threat to humanity. Even humongous Otto was all bark and no bite.

He wandered over to Garrett's desk. "How's it going?"

Garrett glanced up. "I'm going over my list of vampire contestants. Where was Reginald from?"

Austin frowned. "Reginald? Was he a vampire?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Austin sighed. "I'm having trouble remembering. I think the vampires must have messed with my memory."

"Really?" Garrett's eyes widened. "When did that happen?"

"I don't know. If they erased my memory, how can I remember it?"

"Oh." Garrett shifted his gaze back to his paper. "I remembered these names."

"Can I see your list? Maybe it'll help jog my memory."

"Sure." Garrett handed him the paper.

Austin scanned the list of names. Garrett hadn't been very industrious if this was all he had discovered while working undercover. "You don't have their last names. It'll be hard to track them down."

Garrett shrugged. "We never knew their last names."

"Are you sure?" Austin lifted an eyebrow. "Or did they erase your memory, too?"

Garrett looked confused. "I don't know."

"Did you find out where Shanna is?"

"No." Garrett stood slowly. "Or maybe I did, and they erased it."

"Damn." Austin crushed the paper in his fist. "Sean expects us to give detailed reports, but we can't remember much."

"But I do remember. I remember the penthouse and the five lady judges and—"

Austin listened while Garrett rambled on and on, then slipped into his head without the guy noticing it. Austin couldn't erase memories like a vampire, but he could certainly muddle someone's memory by projecting contradictory images. Garrett stopped talking and closed his eyes as his mind overflowed with the mental pictures Austin sent.

"Hey, are you all right?"

Garrett rubbed his forehead. "It's hot in here."

"Maybe you're coming down with something. Or maybe it's just an aftereffect from those vampires messing with our heads."

"Yeah." Garrett nodded. "That could be it." He wandered toward the conference room.

"I'll be right there." Austin's heart raced as he headed for the shredding machine. Garrett had been pathetically easy to confuse, but still, messing with a fellow agent's head was too much like treason.

But what could Austin do? He couldn't let Sean terminate the good Vamps.

Austin fed Garrett's list into the shredder and punched the button. Damn it to hell. He'd just become a double agent.

He rushed to the men's restroom and splashed cold water on his face. He breathed deeply until he was calm. Then, he marched toward the conference room.

Garrett had been easy to manipulate. Sean Whelan would not.

He entered the conference room and gave Garrett and Sean a nod. "Good morning." He shut the door.

"You're late." Sean sat at the head of the table. Garrett sat on the right, his shoulders slumped.

Sean tapped the end of his pen on the table. "We have a problem."

"Yes?" Austin approached the table.

"I want your reports, but Garrett doesn't have one. He says you don't either. He says the vampires messed with your heads."

Austin took a seat. "Yes, I believe they did."

"How could you let that happen?" Sean glared at him. "I can understand Garrett having trouble repelling their mind control, but you—Austin, your power is rated off the charts! You should have been able to stop them."

Austin narrowed his eyes as if in deep concentration. "I do remember some things. But nothing of any value. We don't know where your daughter is. I'm sorry."

Sean's jaw clenched. "What do you remember?"

Austin shrugged. "I can't recall their names, but there were several vampires there. They were harmless."

Sean snorted. "Now, that's an oxymoron, a harmless vampire."

"They would have never harmed us."

Sean slammed his pen onto the table. "They've been messing with your head. That is harming you."

"I remember some names," Garrett offered. "Roberto. No, maybe it was Alberto. And there was a beach house."

Austin shook his head. "No, it was penthouse."

"Oh yeah, that's right." Garrett grimaced. "Why am I remembering a beach house?"

Austin slipped into Garrett's mind and fed him more pictures. "I remember the contest, and there were five judges."

"Poodles," Garrett said.

"What?" Sean shot him a confused look.

"The judges were fluffy pink poodles." Garrett frowned and rubbed his glistening forehead. "That can't be right."

"Those bastards." Sean banged a fist on the table. "They're toying with us." He stood and paced about the room. "This has been a waste of time. We're no closer to finding my daughter."

Austin took a deep breath. "I think we should concentrate our efforts on the vampires who are actually attacking people. The Vamps at DVN just want to entertain each other with dorky soap operas and sell a few bottles of Chocolood. They may be guilty of bad taste, but they're basically harmless."

Sean stopped his pacing to stare at Austin. "If the vampires messed with your head, everything you say is suspect. There is no such thing as a harmless vampire."

"I remember enough from the reality show to know that those vampires would never harm humans."

Sean scoffed. "Is that what you remember, Garrett? A bunch of sweet, harmless vampires?"

Garrett's face flushed with heat. "There was never any biting. The poodles were nice." Sweat beaded on his brow. "I mean, the ladies."

Sean frowned at him. "You look ill. Have you checked your neck for tooth marks?"

Garrett paled. "Oh, my God." He unbuttoned his collar and ran his fingers over his neck. "I'm all right."

"No, you're not." Sean ground his teeth. "You've been brainwashed. Get an appointment with the Company shrink."

"Yes, sir." Garrett wiped his moist forehead. "I do feel strange, like I'm running a fever."

Sean narrowed his eyes. "You may go," he ordered quietly.

"Thank you, sir." Garrett weaved toward the door and left.

Austin stood to make his leave.

"Sit."

He sat back down. A swoosh of hot air surrounded his mind, powerful and suffocating. Austin knew who it was, and he also knew his mind was full of memories he couldn't allow anyone to see. Memories he had claimed were forgotten. And memories about Darcy. Sean's mental forces tightened like a vise. Austin instantly erected a firewall and began gathering his power.

"Not bad," Sean whispered. "You do realize, don't you, that when a human invades your mind, you feel heat? How interesting that Garrett was feeling hot."

Austin's power had reached critical mass. He dropped the firewall and unleashed his power, shattering the vice that had surrounded him.

Sean stiffened with a gasp.

Austin stood. "Don't try that again."

"And you expect me to believe the vampires messed with your mind?" Sean's face was pinched with anger. "As strong as you are, they couldn't do anything to you. Unless you wanted it."

Austin gritted his teeth. He had hoped to steer Sean's focus onto the Malcontents and away from Darcy and her friends. But it would never work. Sean no longer trusted him.

Sean gave him a scathing look. "What happened to you, Austin? Did you let one of those vampire bitches seduce you?"

He balled his hands into fists. "I assure you, I am in complete control of myself."

"Then prove it. Go back to the penthouse and stake them all while they sleep."

Austin swallowed hard. "No."

Sean planted his palms on the table and leaned forward. "Think twice before you answer, Erickson.

Are you disobeying a direct order?"

His heart raced, causing a thundering sound in his ears. "Yes. I am. I'll turn in my resignation today."

"You stupid fool."

Austin shook his head. "You are the one who refuses to learn the truth. There are two kinds of vampires. You should leave the harmless Vamps alone and concentrate your efforts on the Malcontents. They are the dangerous ones."

"They're all dangerous!"

"No, they're not! For God's sake, Sean, talk to your daughter. Shanna will tell you the truth."

"Don't talk to me about her! She turned against me. And now, you've betrayed me, too. Get out of here!"

Austin strode to the door. "I'm going to continue the fight against evil. We will still be on the same side."

"You are evil, you traitor! Get out of here," Sean yelled.

Austin closed the door behind him. Alyssa and Emma were hovering outside, their faces worried.

He removed his ID card and handed it to Emma.

"You mustn't leave," she whispered. "You're the strongest one amongst us."

"I'll still be fighting the bad guys." Austin smiled sadly. "Be careful out there." He walked out and took the elevator to the ground floor.

He'd screwed up everything. Sean knew where the reality show was being filmed, and he was furious enough to wreak revenge on the Vamps who were there. Austin would have to go back to the penthouse to make sure Darcy and her friends were protected. There was only one night of recording left. Once it was over, Darcy and her friends would be safe.

And what would he do then? He'd lost his job. He'd lost the girl. He'd tried to do everything right, but it had all fallen apart.

You can either marry me or spend eternity in a drunken stupor. Austin's unfortunate choice of words continued to haunt Darcy. She couldn't marry him. How could she subject him to a life of darkness and a wife who could turn into a monster at any given moment? She still shuddered every time she remembered the pain of her fangs elongating, the powerful urge to use them, and the overwhelming lust for blood.

Fortunately, her reaction of horror and disgust had been just as strong as her need for blood. That alone had helped her maintain enough control to keep from biting Austin. But what if it happened again and again? What if she slowly grew accustomed to it, and the horror faded away? Then, there would be nothing to keep her from biting Austin or transforming him against his will. And then, he would hate her. Just like she hated Connor.

Tears blurred her eyes. As far as she knew, she and Gregori were the only Vamps in the world who were completely bottle-fed. She knew the rest of her friends must have bitten people in the past, but she'd always had trouble imagining it. Sweet little Maggie sinking fangs into someone?

But now, she knew how it could happen. When her fangs had shot out, she'd desperately craved blood. And if it happened night after night, it would eventually lose its aura of terror. It would become normal. In time, it would even become pleasurable.

She couldn't drag Austin into that trap. And spending eternity in a drunken stupor was pathetic. The only recourse she could think of was over-work. She could at least be productive. And it would keep her mind from dwelling on Austin.

Wednesday, she arrived at DVN soon after dusk and went straight to work editing the third show which would air that Saturday. After a few hours, Sly peeked in her office. Darcy was tempted to throw a stapler at him for being so creepy to Maggie.

"Well, Newhart, did you find out who the babe was in the hot tub?"

"No." She concentrated harder on her work so he'd know he was interrupting her. "I'm afraid it will always be a mystery."

"Hmm." He scratched his beard, oblivious to her hints that he was bothering her. "Most of the phone calls and emails indicate that people think it was Cora Lee or Lady Pamela."

Darcy sighed and kept working.

"We're still getting emails about how dowdy the ladies are dressed," Sly continued. "Did you get that taken care of?"

"Yes. They're all thoroughly modernized. It won't show up for a few episodes, but I think you'll be very pleased."

"Good." Sly propped himself against the doorjamb like he intended to stay another five minutes.

Darcy stifled a groan.

"Are you still on schedule?" he asked. "You're recording the last show this Friday?"

"Yes, sir. We'll have the winner Friday night." And it had better be Roberto, or her goose was cooked.

"Great! I'm planning to be there for the final ceremony, so I can give away the check. I'm having a great big one made up."

"Sounds good."

"And I told Corky Courrant to be there, so she can do some post-ceremony interviews."

"Sounds exciting," Darcy mumbled.

"It is exciting!" Sly turned his head, his attention drawn by something in the hallway. "Hey,

Tiffany! You're late." He glanced back at Darcy. "I've got a meeting to go to. See you later." He closed the door.

Darcy shuddered. Right. He and Tiffany had something important to discuss. Darcy worked until midnight, then took a break to watch The Sexiest Man on Earth as it aired its second show on international vampire television. It was the one where Lady Pamela took the contestants for a walk through the greenhouse. Watching Austin made her heart twist with pain. When he poked his finger on a rose thorn, the cameramen did an excellent job of showing Pamela's desire to taste his blood.

Darcy's eye twitched. She massaged the jumpy nerve at her temple. She'd made the right decision.

Austin could never be safe living with her in the vampire world. It was like dangling a bottle of wine in front of a group of recovering alcoholics. When the show ended, her phone rang.

"Darcy!" Maggie sounded happy. "We all loved the show."

"That's good." She could hear excited voices in the background. "What's going on?"

"We're partying! Bart, Bernie, and Gregori came down to the servants' parlor to watch the show with us. We're all having Bubbly Blood to celebrate. Oh, and Roberto wanted to come. He said he was lonely all by himself in the penthouse, but Gregori told him he couldn't, that it wasn't fair for the contest."

"I see."

"Vanda's trying to talk Gregori into taking us to another male dancer club. Bart says there's a really hot one close by, though I don't know how he knows."

Darcy raised her eyebrows. Bart liked male dancers? "I see."

"Can you come with us? Gregori could teleport you here in a second."

"No, thanks. I've got a lot of work to do."

"Oh, okay." Maggie sighed. "I just don't want you to be sad because—oh, that reminds me. I guess I should tell you."

Darcy frowned at the hesitancy in her friend's voice. "What's wrong?"

"Gregori heard something outside in the hall, and he went to check it out. It was Adam. Or Austin.

Whatever."

Darcy's heart skipped. "What was he doing?"

"Gregori said he was walking around the penthouse, worried about security. He said we needed more guards night and day."

Darcy caught her breath. Did Austin know something? He was, after all, a CIA operative. He might have good reason to be concerned for their safety. "Maggie, let me talk to Gregori."

"Okay." There was a pause.

"What's up, sweetcakes?" Gregori spoke.

"I think you should take the ladies out. Keep Bart and Bernie with you. And call… Connor. Ask him if he can spare a few guards for the penthouse."

"What's going on? You sound as worried as that guy, Adam."

"I'll explain later. But believe me, if Adam is worried, then there's a good reason for it. Be careful."

Darcy hung up and went back to work.

She worked long hours again on Thursday night and had two more shows ready to air. When Friday arrived, the ladies dressed in their finest new evening gowns. This would be the night they finally acquired their new master. And it would be the last night Darcy would ever see Austin.