burst open and two male vamps surged out, looking wild. They headed straight for Andrew and me. What the—? They had the crazed looks I'd seen on Lorenzo's face. I yanked Andrew out of the way and was about to pull a stake when Alejandro yelled, “Stop them from attacking the demons!"
Austin and Vincent flew past me and slammed into the two unhinged vamps. In a blur of motion, they each pinned a vamp to the wall and held them there while Alejandro flew to their sides to place his fingers against the temples of the wild vamps, one after the other. They slumped to the ground.
"Yours, I take it?” I asked drily.
Alejandro gazed at the two sprawled vamps, his expression sad. “Yes."
"What's the matter with them?” Vincent asked.
"The same thing that happened to Corina and Lorenzo,” Alejandro said softly.
Austin shook his head. “This is not good."
An understatement, but it could have been much worse. We were lucky Alejandro was on the scene. “Vamps suddenly turning into rabid animals at two different blood banks?” I said. “Does that suggest a pattern to you?"
"It does,” Alejandro said. Glancing at Austin, he added, “Close the blood banks down. All of them."
Austin tipped his hat. “You got it, boss."
I glanced around. Vincent was dragging one of the zonked-out vamps to the limo outside, and Andrew was nowhere to be seen. He must have sneaked out. Probably off to tell Micah his version of events before I could. Well, good luck with that.
"Close down the blood banks?” I asked. “You think the problem is in the donated blood?"
"It appears that way. I shall do a thorough investigation."
"Uh, how are you going to get your blood supplies in the meantime?” Would the lack of donations doom the New Blood Movement and their lofty goal of not sucking on unwilling humans?
"Let me worry about that. I assure you, we will not harm anyone. I won't allow it."
Yeah, right. “I believe that's what you intend to do, but how long can you go on this way? And can you speak for all of your people?"
"Yes. And we shall go on as long as we need to until we can find out what kind of tainted blood is causing this madness and stop it."
His tone was uncompromising, final. Instead of arguing with him, I went back to another subject. “Did you hear Andrew accuse Vincent of killing someone?"
Alejandro sighed. “Yes. And, before you ask, we shall question Vincent together. While we wait, tell me, have you considered my job offer?"
Only for a fleeting moment. “Uh, you were serious about that?” I asked.
"Very."
"Um, I don't think so. I'm happy with where I am.” Well, not happy, precisely, but at least it had to be better than working with the vamps, no matter how nice Alejandro and Austin were.
He nodded, looking disappointed but not surprised. “Very well, but the offer is still open if you should ever change your mind."
Thankfully I didn't have to answer that because the bald vamp came back in. Turning to him, Alejandro said, “Vincent, please try to control Ms. Shapiro's mind."
Vincent looked uncertainly at me, but when I nodded, he did as Alejandro asked, so I was able to read his mind. “Go ahead and ask him,” I told Alejandro.
"What happened here between you and the fire demon?” Alejandro asked.
Vincent shrugged. “I was seeing clients and noticed the redhead had been sitting here for hours, but hadn't been called to donate. I asked the receptionist, and she said he was waiting for someone. It seemed suspicious so I asked him what he was doing here. He became angry and attacked me, accusing me of killing someone named Veronica. All I did was defend myself."
Vincent was telling the truth. “And did you kill this Veronica?” I asked.
"No,” he said, sounding bewildered. “I've never killed anyone."
I nodded at Alejandro. He was telling the truth about that, too. Then again, the fact that he was still here while Andrew had sneaked out probably would have made me believe him instead of
Austin and Vincent flew past me and slammed into the two unhinged vamps. In a blur of motion, they each pinned a vamp to the wall and held them there while Alejandro flew to their sides to place his fingers against the temples of the wild vamps, one after the other. They slumped to the ground.
"Yours, I take it?” I asked drily.
Alejandro gazed at the two sprawled vamps, his expression sad. “Yes."
"What's the matter with them?” Vincent asked.
"The same thing that happened to Corina and Lorenzo,” Alejandro said softly.
Austin shook his head. “This is not good."
An understatement, but it could have been much worse. We were lucky Alejandro was on the scene. “Vamps suddenly turning into rabid animals at two different blood banks?” I said. “Does that suggest a pattern to you?"
"It does,” Alejandro said. Glancing at Austin, he added, “Close the blood banks down. All of them."
Austin tipped his hat. “You got it, boss."
I glanced around. Vincent was dragging one of the zonked-out vamps to the limo outside, and Andrew was nowhere to be seen. He must have sneaked out. Probably off to tell Micah his version of events before I could. Well, good luck with that.
"Close down the blood banks?” I asked. “You think the problem is in the donated blood?"
"It appears that way. I shall do a thorough investigation."
"Uh, how are you going to get your blood supplies in the meantime?” Would the lack of donations doom the New Blood Movement and their lofty goal of not sucking on unwilling humans?
"Let me worry about that. I assure you, we will not harm anyone. I won't allow it."
Yeah, right. “I believe that's what you intend to do, but how long can you go on this way? And can you speak for all of your people?"
"Yes. And we shall go on as long as we need to until we can find out what kind of tainted blood is causing this madness and stop it."
His tone was uncompromising, final. Instead of arguing with him, I went back to another subject. “Did you hear Andrew accuse Vincent of killing someone?"
Alejandro sighed. “Yes. And, before you ask, we shall question Vincent together. While we wait, tell me, have you considered my job offer?"
Only for a fleeting moment. “Uh, you were serious about that?” I asked.
"Very."
"Um, I don't think so. I'm happy with where I am.” Well, not happy, precisely, but at least it had to be better than working with the vamps, no matter how nice Alejandro and Austin were.
He nodded, looking disappointed but not surprised. “Very well, but the offer is still open if you should ever change your mind."
Thankfully I didn't have to answer that because the bald vamp came back in. Turning to him, Alejandro said, “Vincent, please try to control Ms. Shapiro's mind."
Vincent looked uncertainly at me, but when I nodded, he did as Alejandro asked, so I was able to read his mind. “Go ahead and ask him,” I told Alejandro.
"What happened here between you and the fire demon?” Alejandro asked.
Vincent shrugged. “I was seeing clients and noticed the redhead had been sitting here for hours, but hadn't been called to donate. I asked the receptionist, and she said he was waiting for someone. It seemed suspicious so I asked him what he was doing here. He became angry and attacked me, accusing me of killing someone named Veronica. All I did was defend myself."
Vincent was telling the truth. “And did you kill this Veronica?” I asked.
"No,” he said, sounding bewildered. “I've never killed anyone."
I nodded at Alejandro. He was telling the truth about that, too. Then again, the fact that he was still here while Andrew had sneaked out probably would have made me believe him instead of
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