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Authors: Gina Rosavin
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immediately set about finding out what Machiavelli had been up to recently. The meeting begun by telephone last night continued now, and he had discovered nothing.
"What about the other task?" one of his minions asked. "Yes, Edgar, we'll get to that in a moment. First, I want to…" The intercom buzzed and he picked up the receiver.
Before he could speak, a man shouted over the line, "Intruders! By the lab!"
"Bring them up immediately," Adrian said. He slammed the phone back down and turned to Edgar. "We have some trouble."
A loud crash and a scream broke the stillness in his office. Adrian stood, as the doors burst open and two figures tumbled to the floor. Two more hulking retainers stepped into the office behind them.
"What the hell is this?" he demanded, staring at the two people huddled before him. Their audacity astonished him. He folded his arms as Joshua rose.
As the younger man reached his feet, one of Adrian's aids clamped a meaty hand onto his shoulder. He tried to shrug it off, but failed.
"Found them lurking near the lab. They were trying to log onto the network when we caught them. Checked them out. They're clean."
"Thank you, William." Adrian kept his gaze locked with the young vampire hunter's. "My day started badly, but it's quickly improving. Finally the chance to rid myself of troubling annoyances."
"Damn you, du Lac, you won't get away with this," Joshua spat.
"And what's going to stop me?"
"I know you can't attack us during the day. Neither can they."
Adrian shrugged. "Perhaps not, but we can still overpower you. And from the looks of it," Adrian let his gaze fall on each of his loyal servants, "I'd say you're outnumbered."
"Not quite." Sophie had also regained her footing and pulled a large crucifix from her jacket. While the other vampires around him cowered and backed away, Adrian remained unaffected. He took the opportunity to study her now that he hadn't had last night. She was not what he expected.
He had kept up on the events of her life, just to ensure she wasn't encroaching upon his, but nothing more than phone calls and emails conveyed the information. Petite, with a slim, firm body, he hadn't known she'd grown so lovely. Her bright blue eyes dominated her face and her dark hair was cut into a flattering bob.
"You can do better than that, Sophie." He stepped closer, pleased when she backed away. He reached out, plucked the cross out of her hand and tossed it aside, where it fell out of sight under a bookcase. Immediately, his men stopped spitting and regained their composure. "You were saying?"
Sophie swallowed visibly and took one step back. She reached out and grabbed Joshua's hand.
"Tell me why I shouldn't just kill you now for your attempt on my life last night?" He grabbed Sophie's arm and dragged her against him, breaking her hold on the younger man. Joshua lunged, but the two men who had brought him quickly restrained him.
"We can help you find Machiavelli," Sophie cried.
Surprise eased Adrian's tightening grip. He chuckled. "Really? You. Help me?"
"She's right," Joshua said. "I can tell you where he's living."
Intrigued, Adrian decided to hear them out. They had no chance of escaping him now. He nodded to his men, who released their hold on the younger man. He pulled Sophie over to his own chair behind the desk and shoved her into it. He stood behind her, one hand firmly on her shoulder. She was tense, and he could hear her heart pounding in fear. He anticipated tasting her blood, and pondered what he would do once he had what he needed. He knew instantly. What a triumph it would be to turn Klaus Mannfried's granddaughter into a vampire. The ultimate victory, to bring across the final member of the family who had plagued him for centuries. It was a temptation he didn't want to resist.
"Now, Joshua, tell me what you know."
"Let Sophie go first."
Adrian shook his head.
"What about the other task?" one of his minions asked. "Yes, Edgar, we'll get to that in a moment. First, I want to…" The intercom buzzed and he picked up the receiver.
Before he could speak, a man shouted over the line, "Intruders! By the lab!"
"Bring them up immediately," Adrian said. He slammed the phone back down and turned to Edgar. "We have some trouble."
A loud crash and a scream broke the stillness in his office. Adrian stood, as the doors burst open and two figures tumbled to the floor. Two more hulking retainers stepped into the office behind them.
"What the hell is this?" he demanded, staring at the two people huddled before him. Their audacity astonished him. He folded his arms as Joshua rose.
As the younger man reached his feet, one of Adrian's aids clamped a meaty hand onto his shoulder. He tried to shrug it off, but failed.
"Found them lurking near the lab. They were trying to log onto the network when we caught them. Checked them out. They're clean."
"Thank you, William." Adrian kept his gaze locked with the young vampire hunter's. "My day started badly, but it's quickly improving. Finally the chance to rid myself of troubling annoyances."
"Damn you, du Lac, you won't get away with this," Joshua spat.
"And what's going to stop me?"
"I know you can't attack us during the day. Neither can they."
Adrian shrugged. "Perhaps not, but we can still overpower you. And from the looks of it," Adrian let his gaze fall on each of his loyal servants, "I'd say you're outnumbered."
"Not quite." Sophie had also regained her footing and pulled a large crucifix from her jacket. While the other vampires around him cowered and backed away, Adrian remained unaffected. He took the opportunity to study her now that he hadn't had last night. She was not what he expected.
He had kept up on the events of her life, just to ensure she wasn't encroaching upon his, but nothing more than phone calls and emails conveyed the information. Petite, with a slim, firm body, he hadn't known she'd grown so lovely. Her bright blue eyes dominated her face and her dark hair was cut into a flattering bob.
"You can do better than that, Sophie." He stepped closer, pleased when she backed away. He reached out, plucked the cross out of her hand and tossed it aside, where it fell out of sight under a bookcase. Immediately, his men stopped spitting and regained their composure. "You were saying?"
Sophie swallowed visibly and took one step back. She reached out and grabbed Joshua's hand.
"Tell me why I shouldn't just kill you now for your attempt on my life last night?" He grabbed Sophie's arm and dragged her against him, breaking her hold on the younger man. Joshua lunged, but the two men who had brought him quickly restrained him.
"We can help you find Machiavelli," Sophie cried.
Surprise eased Adrian's tightening grip. He chuckled. "Really? You. Help me?"
"She's right," Joshua said. "I can tell you where he's living."
Intrigued, Adrian decided to hear them out. They had no chance of escaping him now. He nodded to his men, who released their hold on the younger man. He pulled Sophie over to his own chair behind the desk and shoved her into it. He stood behind her, one hand firmly on her shoulder. She was tense, and he could hear her heart pounding in fear. He anticipated tasting her blood, and pondered what he would do once he had what he needed. He knew instantly. What a triumph it would be to turn Klaus Mannfried's granddaughter into a vampire. The ultimate victory, to bring across the final member of the family who had plagued him for centuries. It was a temptation he didn't want to resist.
"Now, Joshua, tell me what you know."
"Let Sophie go first."
Adrian shook his head.
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