"Bloody hell," he whispered. He didn't want anyone to witness his lack of control. Why tonight, of all nights? He was just getting back into the game. If Angus saw that he couldn't control his own freaking hand, he might never get another chance.
As he stalked down the hall to find a vacant conference room, he heard Gregori chuckling behind him. Dammit. Everyone would wonder why he wanted to be alone with a rubber doll, and by the sound of Gregori's sniggering, he knew what their conclusions would be.
He entered the first conference room and kicked the door shut. The room was empty, dimly lit from the window that overlooked the front parking lot.
Release! he ordered his hand. Nothing.
"Let go!" He shook his right arm, trying to fling VANNA across the room. She flopped wildly, still in the grip of his traitorous hand. One of her stiletto heels flew off and clattered onto the conference table. Her blond wig stayed on, but the hair stuck out like she'd been plugged into an electric socket.
Damn. He rammed her against the wall, pinning her across the chest with his left arm as he attempted to tug his right hand free. With each tug, her arm lifted higher and higher. Her stiff fingers caught in his hair, pulling his hair loose from its tie.
"Dammit. Let go!" He tried jerking his hand to the side. Her whole body moved with him, but her dress didn't. Clasped in his left fist, the flimsy material tore completely off her shoulders.
"Bollocks," he growled and let the dress fall.
He hesitated a second, surprised by how real her br**sts looked. The n**ples were even beaded, as if she was aroused. Her glassy eyes stared at him through strands of messy hair. Her mouth was permanently set in a dopey grin. There was even a tongue in her mouth. And teeth.
Bloody hell, of all the stupid situations to be in. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He just needed to relax, and then his prosthetic hand would let go. He would toss VANNA back into Gregori's office and forget this had ever happened.
Gregori and Laszlo had invented VANNA years ago as an alternative to biting real women. As good Vamps, they had all switched to drinking synthetic blood out of bottles, but some had missed the thrill of sinking their fangs into a lovely neck. To solve that dilemma, Gregori had come up with VANNA, the Vampire Artificial Nutritional Needs Appliance.
He had bought two lifelike human sex toys, VANNA White and VANNA Black, and Laszlo had installed a pump and rubber tubing inside each of them. The pump sounded like a real heart, and it made synthetic blood flow through the tubing, which ran up the sides of VANNA's neck to simulate carotid arteries. Gregori must have filled her up, for Dougal could smell the blood coursing inside her.
VANNA had seemed like a good idea at the time, but it hadn't worked. Her rubberlike skin had proven difficult to bite, and Roman had lost one of his fangs giving her a trial run.
Dougal was more in danger of losing his sanity than his fangs. He could also lose his job if he didn't get his damned hand under control.
Release, he calmly ordered the prosthesis. Nothing.
He took a deep breath and tried again. No response.
Gritting his teeth, he glared at his hand. You will obey me! Release! Still nothing.
"Dammit!" He sat VANNA on the table, forcing her legs to bend at a ninety-degree angle at the hips. Her legs jutted out, spread wide.
He stepped between them. "I'm not losing my job over this. Release!"
His hand remained locked on her forearm.
Rage burst inside him, and he roared. With his left hand, he shoved her back on the table. As her legs flew up, feet toward the ceiling, her one remaining stiletto caught the hem of his kilt and pulled it up.
"Ye bloody witch from hell!"
"Were-what?" Leah repeated when Abby hesitated.
"Were-panthers." Tino watched her balloon float back to the ceiling. "Do you want me to get it back?"
A chill skittered down Leah's spine. "Panthers? As in big killer cats?"
Tino frowned. "They're nice. My aunt is a were-panther. You want to meet her?"
The room swirled, and Leah grabbed onto the table edge.
"Take it easy." Abby approached her slowly. "We were going to tell you as soon as we thought you could handle it."
Tino winced. "Did I mess up?"
"It's okay," Abby assured him.
"It's not okay." Leah struggled to breathe. "There are some big killer cats in the room with us?"
"Were-cats," Abby said. "Or were-panthers, to be precise. I'm not sure if Rajiv is here. He's a were-tiger."
"What does that mean?" Leah pressed a hand against her chest. Her heart was thudding wildly. "They're half cat?"
"They're fully human right now." Abby touched her arm. "We call them shifters. Werewolves, were-cats, were-bears. I even met a were-dolphin in Hawaii. They shift once or twice a month when the moon is full. I can get you some blood work from one of them if you'd like to study - "
"I don't want to study them!" Leah stepped back, raising her hands. "I want my world back, my safe world where humans stay human!"
"I'm sorry." Abby gave her a sympathetic look. "I know it's a lot to take in. But once you get to know everyone, you'll see how nice - "
"I don't want to know everyone!" Leah yelled. She winced when the crowd across the room looked her way. Oh God, the vampires and shifters were staring at her now.
She stepped back. Great move, Leah. Make the pack of supernatural creatures angry.
"Relax," Abby whispered softly. "No one is going to hurt you."
Tino gazed at her sadly. "I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you already knew everything. My dad said you were going to join us."
Join them? Leah gulped down some air. "I-I need to . . ." Escape. But she could hardly say that out loud. "Is there a ladies' room nearby?"
"In the hallway across the foyer." Abby pointed toward the entrance. "I could go with you."
"I-I'm fine. I just need to be alone for a few minutes." Leah ran for the foyer. Breathing heavily, she glanced back. No one had followed her. Thank God.
But they were watching her. Her skin crawled with gooseflesh. She looked up at the camera by the front door. The red blinking light mocked her. No escape. Her gaze lowered to the front double doors. Locked, most probably.
How about a window? Maybe she could sneak out from a vacant room. She crossed the foyer calmly so it would look like she was simply on her way to the restroom. She sauntered into the hallway and tried the first door on the left. Locked.
The second doorknob moved with a tiny click. Bingo. She pushed the door open and froze.
"Ye bloody witch from hell!"
The room was dark, but she could see enough to recognize the man in the kilt. The volcano had erupted.
Dougal had pinned a woman down on the table. His back was to Leah, but she could see his hair flying wild, his kilt lifted in front. The woman's legs were spread wide and jolted each time he shoved against her.
"Let go, dammit!" He pushed at her so hard that her head banged against the table.
Leah gasped.
He looked over his shoulder and stiffened.
"Oh God," she breathed, stepping back.
"Wait!" With a jerk, he pivoted toward her, and the woman's arm ripped from her body.
Leah screamed.
Blood spurted from the woman's shoulder, spraying drops across Dougal's white shirt and face.
She 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
"The 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.