said, pouting. "Make up your mind. Do you want Dominic or this mortal?"
"Bryan's with me."She knew instinctively that the only way to survive this night was to bluff her way through.
With more courage than she felt,Tracy peeled the vampire's fingers offBryan 's arm, then took him by the hand and walked into the bar.
Stepping through the door, she wondered if Dominic was inside.
The bar was dimly lit, as usual. A slow, sultry tune was being played on the piano. Several couples were dancing, their bodies pressed intimately together.
Tracyrecognized a few of them, including Marcus and his human companion. There was no sign of Dominic.
Petrinaslithered up toBryan . "Come on, honey," she crooned, "let's dance."
PetrinaledBryan onto the dance floor. Zarabeth grinned atTracy , silently daring her to make a scene.
Instead,Tracy moved to the bar and sat down between two vampires. She recalled Dominic had introduced them as Laslo and Turk. She nodded briefly at both of them,then turned to watch Petrina and Bryan dance.
Petrinawas pressed so close toBryan that they looked like they were joined at the hip. She was whispering in his ear; whatever she was saying brought a rosy flush to his cheeks.
Zarabethsauntered over to stand in front ofTracy , blocking her view of the dance floor. "So tell me, where is Dominic this evening?"
Squaring her shoulders,Tracy met the vampire's gaze. "I don't know. I'm not his keeper."
Zarabethlaughed softly. " Petrinawill be delighted to hear that. I must tell her, when she gets back."
"Gets back?"Tracy leaned to one side and peered around Zarabeth . There was no sign of Petrina .Or ofBryan . "Where did they go?"
Zarabethshrugged,her eyes wide with mock innocence. "I'm not her keeper."
Tracyslid off the bar stool and pushed her way through the crowd onto the dance floor, her gaze searching for some sign ofBryan . If anything happened to him, it would be all her fault.
She was suddenly aware that all conversation had come to a halt.
The music stopped, and a heavy silence fell over the room.
Like wolves on the scent of prey, all the vampires save for Marcus moved towardTracy until they had formed a tight circle around her. The air hummed, vibrating with preternatural power. Their eyes glowed red with their lust for blood.
Tracybroke out in a cold sweat as the vampires gathered around her. She looked over at Marcus. He was sitting in a booth, his arm around his human companion. She saw regret in his eyes before he turned away.
Pulses racing, heart pounding in her ears, she sent out a silent plea for help.
Chapter2 1
Bryanopened his eyes to darkness. He blinked several times, hoping to clear his vision, but the darkness remained. Reaching out, he realized that he was lying on a bed with no memory of how he had gotten there.
Rising, he felt his way around the room, searching for the door, only to discover that he was locked in what seemed to be a small, windowless room.
Moving blindly across the floor, he made his way back to the bed and sat down.
Where was he, and how had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was dancing with some really weird Goth chick while she whispered obscene suggestions in his ear.Bryan knew he wasn't a man of the world but he wasn't a complete innocent, either. Still, he had felt himself blushing furiously at some of the outrageously salacious filings Petrina had proposed.
Too nervous to sit still, he rose and began to pace the floor beside the bed. Where wasTracy ?
Was she being held here, too? How long had he been here? And where the devil was he?
He tried to tell himself there was nothing to be afraid of, that Petrina was just playing some sort of sick joke, but as the minutes passed, fear took hold of him. He broke out in a cold sweat, began to tremble convulsively as he recalled her grip on his arm. No mere woman was that strong.
He tried the door again. And again and then, in desperation, pounded his fists against it.
"Hello!" He pounded on the door again. "Is anybody out there?"
"Are you so eager, my little mortal? Then I shall not keep you waiting any longer."
The voice was low and filled with quiet menace.
Bryanstepped away from the door, his heart hammering in his chest. He took a deep breath in an effort to calm his nerves. It didn't help.
The door opened and he saw a tall, slender woman with dark red hair silhouetted in the doorway. She wore a long red