and it was going to end up on the Internet somewhere. It wasn't the first time people had tried to make her look like an idiot.
In college, her young age and genius label had rendered her a target for silly pranks. One time a bunch of frat boys had circled the girls' dormitory dressed as the Living Dead, while the girls had begged her to use her superior intellect to save them from the zombie apocalypse.
So this time it was the Undead. She crossed her arms and acted nonchalant. "You're married to a vampire?"
"Yes." Abby nodded with a hopeful expression as if she expected her to believe this nonsense.
Leah shot the camera a wry look, then turned back to Abby. "How did you reach that conclusion? Did he turn into a bat and fly around the bedroom?"
Abby's eager expression faded into disappointment. "You think I'm kidding."
"Did you expect me to take this seriously?" Leah asked.
Laszlo motioned to the stack of papers on the table. "But we showed you the lab work. And the data - "
"Which can be manipulated," Leah interrupted. "Or in this case, manufactured." She glowered at the camera. "The game is over. I'm not playing." She headed toward the door, but halfway there, it opened.
Dr. Lee rushed inside. "Is there a problem?"
"Yes," Leah replied in the affirmative, at the same time as Abby and Laszlo. She aimed a frown at them. "They're playing a dumb joke on me."
"It's not a joke," Abby insisted. "Vampires are real."
Leah snorted. "Why would you believe that? Did your husband bite you?"
"Well, yes, he has. And he can - "
"What? Leap from one tree to another like a monkey?" Leah lifted a hand to stop Abby. The poor woman was suffering from delusions. "You should lie down and get some rest. Given your condition, you could be experiencing some hormonal fluctuations - "
"I'm not imagining this," Abby grumbled.
"Or it could be a case of being overworked," Leah continued. "I know how it is. When I get really involved in a project, I can forget to eat or sleep. Just this last week, I was so busy, I can hardly remember it."
Dr. Lee winced. "Perhaps a demonstration is in order."
"Good idea." Abby turned to Laszlo. "How about you levitate to the ceiling?"
Laszlo frowned, tugging hard at a button. "If you wish, but it might cause her to panic."
"Go ahead," Dr. Lee told him. "She needs physical evidence."
Leah scoffed. "So the chemist is a vampire, too?"
Laszlo's button popped off and landed on the stainless steel table with a ping. He gave her an apologetic look. "It's not really a bad thing. Just think of it as a . . . an unusual medical condition."
Leah shook her head. These people were certifiable. "You're a vampire?"
"Yes," Laszlo admitted but hastened to add, "but a very friendly one, I assure you."
"Well, that is . . . comforting," Leah muttered. A friendly bloodsucker. That made as much sense as a friendly serial killer. She glanced at Abby. "And you? Are you Casper, the friendly ghost?"
Abby gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm mortal like you. I know you must be shocked. I was shocked, too, when I found out. I even fainted."
"I don't faint." Leah waved a dismissive hand. "And I'm not shocked. I'm . . . saddened that you've deluded yourselves into believing such a ridiculous - " She halted when Laszlo's body floated up to the ceiling.
Okay, that wasn't normal. It had to be wires. A spark of anger flared inside her. These people were really taking the joke too far. "That's enough! I don't believe anyone here is a vampire!"
"But I am." Laszlo winced as his head bumped into the ceiling.
"Me, too," Dr. Lee added.
Leah spun to face him. Her boss was a vampire?
"I am as well." Another man sauntered into the lab. He was tall, dark, and handsome.
And Undead? Leah stared at him. "Who are you?"
He bowed his head. "Roman Draganesti, at your service. I'm delighted to meet you, Dr. Chin."
This was the scientific genius who had invented synthetic blood? Leah swallowed hard. He was either as crazy as the other guys in the room, or they were actually . . .
Vampires.
Her skin chilled with instant goose bumps. No, this isn't possible. There had to be a reasonable, scientific explanation for this. Why bother to explain it? Just get the hell out of here!
She stepped toward the door, but Dr. Lee and Mr. Draganesti were blocking the exit. A quick look around confirmed it was