Read Online The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo (Love at Stake) by Kerrelyn Sparks - Free Book Online
Authors: Kerrelyn Sparks
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stumbled back. The room swirled, along with his stricken, bloodstained face.
“ ’Tis no’ what ye think.” He stepped toward her, the woman’s arm dangling from a blood-smeared metallic hand.
Red, bloodlike dots flickered before her eyes, then Leah did something she’d never done before.
She fainted.
Chapter Six
“T he devil take it, man, what the hell happened?” Angus shouted in the security office.
Dougal squared his shoulders. “ ’Twas my fault. I’ll explain it to Dr. Chin—”
“The hell ye will!” Angus interrupted him. “Ye’ve terrorized her enough for one evening.”
Dougal glanced at the monitors but couldn’t spot her anywhere. Seeing the pale, horror-stricken look on Leah’s face had caused his grip on VANNA’s arm to finally relax. The arm had hit the floor just seconds before Leah had crumpled, and his heart had plummeted along with them. How would she ever see him as anything but a hideous monster?
Her scream and collapse had caused all the partygoers to come running. And there he’d stood in the dark conference room, his kilt askew, his hair wild, his face and clothes splattered with blood, while half-naked VANNA reclined on the table, looking thoroughly ravished and dismembered. Leave it to Gregori to comment she was still smiling.
“Where is Dr. Chin?” Dougal asked.
“Gregori carried her down to a bedroom in the basement. Ye willna see her on a monitor. Emma told me she insisted they turn the camera off.”
So she was awake. “How is she?”
“She’s demanding we call the police and turn you in for sexual assault and battery.” Angus grimaced. “It looked like ye were—”
“I wasna tupping a rubber wench!” Dougal’s heart plummeted even farther. Did Leah think he was a rapist?
“Well, we can be grateful for that,” Angus muttered. “But ye still ripped her bloody arm off. Is that what ye call meek as a lamb?”
Dougal sighed. He could look like either an incompetent fool or a violent sex offender. “My prosthesis locked onto VANNA’s arm and wouldna let go. I dinna want anyone to see, so I took her to the nearest conference room—”
“Yer hand is malfunctioning?” Angus interrupted.
“ ’Twas no’ responding to my mind control.” Dougal closed his fist and opened it. “ ’Tis working now, but I’ve been having trouble on and off all evening.”
Angus gave him an exasperated look. “Ye should have said something. Roman and Abby can examine the hand to see what’s wrong with it. If it’s broken, they can fit you with a new one.”
Dougal sat heavily in a chair. “I doona think it is the hand’s fault. I know I should have told you, but I dinna want to look incompetent.”
Angus leaned against the desk, studying the prosthesis. “Yer fist locks and doesna release?”
“Aye. So when I turned toward the door, VANNA’s arm came with me.”
Angus snorted. “Then ye would have an excellent grip on a sword. I think ye can still do security here.”
Dougal exhaled with relief. “Thank you.”
“In fact, ’tis best for you to remain here, where Roman and Abby can work with you to get the problem fixed.” Angus sighed. “But until then, we’ll have to remove you from the mission roster.”
Dougal groaned inwardly. “I understand.”
Angus grabbed a new MacKay S&I polo shirt off a bookcase shelf and tossed it to him. “Put this on and clean yerself up. I’ll tell Emma what happened so she can explain it to Dr. Chin. Hopefully, she’ll still agree to help us with our guest in the basement.”
Dougal glanced at the monitor that showed the silver room and the captive soldier still in stasis. Would Leah want to help? Or had he frightened her so badly that she would wish only for escape?
As he strode to the restroom, his old vow reverberated inside his head. I will find you. No matter what. If it takes a thousand years, I will find you.
Another sizzle skittered along the length of his tattoo, and he rolled his right shoulder
“ ’Tis no’ what ye think.” He stepped toward her, the woman’s arm dangling from a blood-smeared metallic hand.
Red, bloodlike dots flickered before her eyes, then Leah did something she’d never done before.
She fainted.
Chapter Six
“T he devil take it, man, what the hell happened?” Angus shouted in the security office.
Dougal squared his shoulders. “ ’Twas my fault. I’ll explain it to Dr. Chin—”
“The hell ye will!” Angus interrupted him. “Ye’ve terrorized her enough for one evening.”
Dougal glanced at the monitors but couldn’t spot her anywhere. Seeing the pale, horror-stricken look on Leah’s face had caused his grip on VANNA’s arm to finally relax. The arm had hit the floor just seconds before Leah had crumpled, and his heart had plummeted along with them. How would she ever see him as anything but a hideous monster?
Her scream and collapse had caused all the partygoers to come running. And there he’d stood in the dark conference room, his kilt askew, his hair wild, his face and clothes splattered with blood, while half-naked VANNA reclined on the table, looking thoroughly ravished and dismembered. Leave it to Gregori to comment she was still smiling.
“Where is Dr. Chin?” Dougal asked.
“Gregori carried her down to a bedroom in the basement. Ye willna see her on a monitor. Emma told me she insisted they turn the camera off.”
So she was awake. “How is she?”
“She’s demanding we call the police and turn you in for sexual assault and battery.” Angus grimaced. “It looked like ye were—”
“I wasna tupping a rubber wench!” Dougal’s heart plummeted even farther. Did Leah think he was a rapist?
“Well, we can be grateful for that,” Angus muttered. “But ye still ripped her bloody arm off. Is that what ye call meek as a lamb?”
Dougal sighed. He could look like either an incompetent fool or a violent sex offender. “My prosthesis locked onto VANNA’s arm and wouldna let go. I dinna want anyone to see, so I took her to the nearest conference room—”
“Yer hand is malfunctioning?” Angus interrupted.
“ ’Twas no’ responding to my mind control.” Dougal closed his fist and opened it. “ ’Tis working now, but I’ve been having trouble on and off all evening.”
Angus gave him an exasperated look. “Ye should have said something. Roman and Abby can examine the hand to see what’s wrong with it. If it’s broken, they can fit you with a new one.”
Dougal sat heavily in a chair. “I doona think it is the hand’s fault. I know I should have told you, but I dinna want to look incompetent.”
Angus leaned against the desk, studying the prosthesis. “Yer fist locks and doesna release?”
“Aye. So when I turned toward the door, VANNA’s arm came with me.”
Angus snorted. “Then ye would have an excellent grip on a sword. I think ye can still do security here.”
Dougal exhaled with relief. “Thank you.”
“In fact, ’tis best for you to remain here, where Roman and Abby can work with you to get the problem fixed.” Angus sighed. “But until then, we’ll have to remove you from the mission roster.”
Dougal groaned inwardly. “I understand.”
Angus grabbed a new MacKay S&I polo shirt off a bookcase shelf and tossed it to him. “Put this on and clean yerself up. I’ll tell Emma what happened so she can explain it to Dr. Chin. Hopefully, she’ll still agree to help us with our guest in the basement.”
Dougal glanced at the monitor that showed the silver room and the captive soldier still in stasis. Would Leah want to help? Or had he frightened her so badly that she would wish only for escape?
As he strode to the restroom, his old vow reverberated inside his head. I will find you. No matter what. If it takes a thousand years, I will find you.
Another sizzle skittered along the length of his tattoo, and he rolled his right shoulder
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