"Nay." He gently squeezed her shoulders. "I willna leave ye unprotected."
She fought the urge to melt into his arms. "It's not that I don't appreciate your concern. You're very kind - "
"Kind, my arse. 'Tis more a case of pride and stubbornness. I'm determined to keep ye safe, lass, and I willna be thwarted. I'm a man of my word."
An honorable, medieval knight in shining armor. He was so irresistible, she could almost forget about his undead status. Almost, but not quite. She touched his cheek. "I know you're an honorable man, but I don't think I should be alone with you."
"You're not alone," a strange voice muttered.
With a gasp, Emma spun around. Two men were standing by the staircase. Very handsome men. One was wearing a kilt. She recognized him as Robby from Paris. The other man was wearing an expensive suit and a knowing smirk. They must have teleported in.
"The answering machine was on." Robby dropped his cell phone into his sporran. "We heard ye needed help, Angus."
"Indeed." The suited one smiled slowly as his gaze swept over Emma. "I can see your hands are full."
She blushed. Was there no privacy at all in the vampire world? At least tonight she was fully dressed. She strengthened her mental firewall to block all attempts at telepathy.
"Thank ye for coming." Angus strode toward the front door and punched a button on the security panel. Then he approached the visitors and patted Robby on the back. "Thank ye for coming, but are ye leaving Jean-Luc unguarded?"
Robby shrugged. "He insisted he dinna need a nurse-maid, and ye needed me more." He bowed to Emma. "How do ye do, Miss Wallace?"
"I'm fine, thank you." Emma adjusted the strap to her bag on her shoulder. The stakes rattled.
Robby blinked.
The one in a suit smiled. "La signorina likes to live dangerously."
Emma recognized his voice as the first one who had spoken. His Italian accent was faint, but still there.
Angus motioned toward him. "This is Jack from Venice."
He rolled his eyes. "Angus is always trying to anglicize me. I am Giacomo di Venezia."
With a snort, Angus glanced at Emma. "If he tells ye his family name is Casanova, doona believe it."
"Ah." Giacomo placed a hand over his heart. "You wound me, old friend." He bowed to Emma. "Consider me at your service, signorina."
Who were these guys? Rob Roy and Casanova? Emma couldn't believe how much her life had changed in just a few nights. It was enough to drive her to drinking Blissky sans blood.
"Any news about the search for Casimir?" Angus asked.
"The latest rumors indicate he's somewhere in Eastern Europe," Robby answered.
"We can rule out Poland," Giacomo added. "I was just there with Zoltan and his men. We found a village that experienced a number of unexplained, sudden deaths a month ago. We believe he was there, but has moved south."
"Then we're catching up with him. Good." Angus nodded. "Meanwhile, I have an assignment for you here."
"Can we eat first? I've been working for over eight hours now, and I'm starving." Giacomo's dark eyes glimmered as he gazed at Emma.
She glared back.
Angus shook his head. "Doona tease her, Jack. She has stakes, and she's no' afraid to use them."
He chuckled. "I hear Roman's new drink is excellent."
"Aye, Blissky. This way." Angus led the two men into the kitchen while he explained about the murders in Central Park.
Emma stood alone in the foyer for a few seconds, then decided she might as well go into the kitchen, too. She pushed open the swinging door.
"Ye'll be keeping the park safe every night." Angus stood at the kitchen counter pouring Blissky into glasses.
While Robby and Giacomo asked questions, Emma surveyed the kitchen. Refrigerator, microwave, pristine stovetop. Obviously, no one did any real cooking here. Her gaze wandered toward the table and did a double-take when she spotted red lace. Her mouth fell open.
Her underwear?
She glanced back at the trio of vampire men. They were busy with their Blissky, drinking and praising it in all its gory glory. She edged toward the table, then making sure she blocked their view, she plopped her bag of stakes on top of her panties.
"Emma?"
She whirled around at the sound of Angus's voice. "Yes?"
"Would ye like something to drink? We have some soft drinks, and I still remember how to make a cup of tea."
"Cola's fine. Something diet, please." She circled the table to sit facing them, then rested her hands on top of her bag. Slowly she dragged it toward her.
When Angus turned his back to open the refrigerator, she slid the bag to the edge of the table. The red panties fell into her lap. A piece of paper fluttered to the floor. She leaned to the side to see where it landed.
"So you've managed to kill four Malcontents?" Giacomo approached the table.
She slapped a hand over the red underwear in her lap. "Yes, I have."
"Amazing." The Italian Vamp sat across from her and set his drink on the table. "A mortal killing vampires. You must be fearless."
"Emma is verra cool under pressure." Angus filled a glass with ice.
Oh, right. Very cool. She only went berserk the night before when she discovered herself in a strange place with no underwear.
"Well, she is a Wallace," Robby observed.
She doubted her famous ancestor had ever tried to hide red underwear. She set her bag in her lap, then slipped the panties inside. She reached down to retrieve the paper that had landed by her chair.
"Did you drop something?" Giacomo asked.
"No." She grabbed the paper and then straightened, slipping it also into her bag. "Just a mosquito bite on my leg. Itches like crazy."
"Bloodsuckers." Giacomo smiled slowly. "Don't you just hate them?"
Did he really expect a response to that? She frowned at him. "I hear some of them carry disease."
He laughed. "I like her, Angus."
"Ye'll like her from a distance," Angus muttered as he set a diet cola in front of Emma.
With a grin, Giacomo raised his glass. "To amore." He drained his glass dry.
"Miss Wallace, may I ask how ye slayed the Malcontents?" Robby strode toward her. "Did ye use a sword or one of yer stakes?"
"Stake." Emma gulped down some cola.
"May I see yer stakes?"
She coughed, then cleared her throat. "I - I'd rather not."
Angus snorted. "Ye were never too shy to show them to me. I had to destroy a few that came too close for comfort."
Giacomo laughed. "She tried to kill you?" He leaned forward to peek at her bag. "They must be terrifying."
"Nay. I'll show you." In a flash, Angus grabbed the bag from Emma's lap. He opened it, looked inside, and blinked. He dipped his head for a closer look.
Giacomo stood, smiling. "What is it? Have you discovered her secret weapon?"
"Nay, a souvenir." Angus stuck his hand into the bag.
Emma winced.
"Here ye go." Angus slapped two stakes onto the table. "Souvenirs from the slayer." He returned Emma's bag to her lap.
She sighed with relief. She should have known he would be a gentleman.
Robby and Giacomo each picked up a stake to examine it.
Robby shook his head. "Too small. I prefer my claymore." He dropped the stake into his sporran.
"And I'll rely on my dagger." Giacomo slipped his souvenir into a jacket pocket. "We should be on our way." He bowed to Emma. "A pleasure to meet you, signorina."
"Likewise." Emma stood, clasping her bag to her chest. "Thank you both for protecting the park." She waited for both men to leave the room, then sat down with a relieved sigh.
Angus retrieved his glass of Blissky from the counter and took a long drink. "How did yer knickers get into yer bag?"
She gave him an aggravated look. "They were prominently displayed on the kitchen table for the entire world to see. I had to hide them somewhere. That reminds me - " She removed the paper from her bag. "There was a note on the table, too."
Angus strode toward her, his hand outstretched. "That's probably for me."
She glowered at him. "My knickers, my note." She unfolded the paper.
He waggled his fingers in a gimme gesture. "'Tis my note. And I claim yer knickers as spoils of war."