though his fingers itched to grab his gun, he refrained from starting a bloodbath and let Olivia continue.
“You are absolutely right.” She turned her attention to Shane and Pete. “I would trust any sentry with my life and the lives of my family.” She smiled sweetly at Augustus. “Not that I think our esteemed czar would go back on his word, of course.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He sighed. “Now be gone.”
Doug nodded to Augustus and followed Olivia, Pete, and Shane into the main hall.
“That is one cold bunch of assholes,” Doug said tightly.
Olivia looked at him intently. “Not all of us are like that,” she said quietly.
Doug stared into those pools of green, and the need to touch her, to cradle her beautiful face, clawed at him. He knew she wasn’t a monster. He saw the look on her face when Augustus threatened her coven, and the fear was evident. Olivia was a good soul, and no matter what, she would never revel in the pain of another the way Augustus did.
Doug, however, was another story. Ever since he was turned, all he could think about was finding the bastard that killed Tom and drinking him dry. He tore his gaze from Olivia and headed toward the exit. Looked like he was a monster, after all.
Chapter 11
Xavier stood on a stool at his lab table in his stained, white lab coat, so engrossed in what he was doing that at first Olivia thought he didn’t notice they were there.
A moment later, he raised his pudgy hand and waved them in without looking up.
“A friend of yours?” Doug had kept one hand on the gun tucked in the back of his pants since they had left Augustus and the senators. She couldn’t blame him. He endured a whirlwind introduction to his new world, and he was handling it pretty well—aside from the desire to kill himself, or more to the point, let Augustus kill him. How on earth was she going to stop that from happening?
“Friends?” Xavier laughed loudly and flew down from his perch to meet them. “You bet your ass we’re friends. I moved my lab to New York just so I could be close to her.”
He leaped into Olivia’s arms and gave her a vigorous hug. She laughed and hugged him back with equal fervor.
“Good to see you, old friend.” She looked at Doug as she held the scientist. “Xavier is the best weapons man in the business, and his inventions have saved my ass more times than I can count.”
“Right.” Doug nodded, and Olivia could tell he was trying not to stare at Xavier.
He was a dwarf, and in his human life, he worked with a circus, living on the rails until his maker found him and turned him. His shock of white hair made him look like a miniature version of Albert Einstein. Xavier gave Olivia a kiss on the cheek before jumping from her arms and flying back to his stool.
“What’s the matter, big guy?” Xavier scooped up two vials of blood and looked intently at Doug. “Never seen a little person before?”
“Well, not one that’s a vampire,” Doug said bluntly.
“Fair enough.” Xavier chuckled and held the two vials out for Olivia. “Pete told me that the synthetic blood from the rogue worked, so I whipped up more. I’m betting that the first dose you took wore off or will soon.”
“It did.” She nodded. “I dusted the one that attacked Paxton.”
She took the vials from Xavier and watched Doug take stock of the lab. She noticed that one of the first things he did was survey the space around him, and it was one habit that would help when they were hunting.
“Here.” She held one out to Doug. “Drink it. It’s a synthetic version of Rogue One’s blood and will help us track him. If he’s in the area, we’ll be able to pick up his scent pretty easily, and it will make it difficult for him to sneak up on us.”
Doug uncorked it, took a whiff, and grimaced.
“Rogues created by rogues are usually a little crazy because they haven’t been properly trained or guided by their makers.” She shrugged and tossed the empty vial into a trash bin on the other side of the room. “The blood you drank earlier was from one of our human donors and had been cleaned.”
“It may be more than that, Olivia.” Xavier scratched his head and smoothed his white hair as he gave her a curious look.
“Like what?” Olivia adjusted the gun at her hip and inched closer to the table.
“I’m not entirely sure.” He pursed his lips. “It could be the essence of the vampire—Rogue One is pure evil. Or he was created by another rogue.”
Doug swallowed again and chucked his empty tube in the trash as well.
“No helping the bad taste, I’m afraid. Maybe if I could figure out why it tasted like that, then I’d be able to fix it.” Xavier hopped from the stool and waddled to the back wall. He pushed a button on the left, and the stainless steel wall slid open, revealing a deadly arsenal. Xavier grinned mischievously and ran a hand over his goatee.
“However, I can help with something else.”
“Son of a bitch,” Doug breathed.
Olivia watched him and smiled. The look on his face could only be described as a kid at Christmas. He ran his fingertips over one of the new guns with an expression of awe, wonder, and excitement.
“See?” Olivia sidled up next to him and elbowed him playfully. “There are some perks.”
“I always did appreciate a nice weapon.” Doug smirked and gave her a sidelong glance. “You’re right,” he said as his eyes wandered over her face. “There are some perks.”
Olivia kept her eyes locked with his and wondered briefly if he felt a smidgen of the attraction that she did. Was it possible that he didn’t hate her for making him like her? She opened her mouth but shut it again quickly.
What the hell was she doing? There was no time for childish nonsense or hormone-driven fantasy. She straightened her back and turned her attention to Xavier. She was afraid she might dissolve into a weeping mess, clinging to Doug and begging him not to leave her again.
“Did you finish the UV ammunition?”
“Yes,” Xavier said enthusiastically. He pointed to two large stainless steel guns with laser sighting. “These are the prototypes.” He lowered his voice and looked around, as if worried someone else might hear. “They are supposed to go to Shane and Pete, since they are our sentries, but it looks like the two of you get to try them first.”
Olivia lifted both guns from their spots on the wall and handed one to Doug as Xavier passed each a full ammunition belt. They strapped on the belts and loaded up their new weapons with the ease of experience.
“Impressive,” Xavier said as he watched Doug load his gun. His white eyebrows furrowed. “When exactly were you turned? You seem remarkably comfortable with your new
“Today.” Doug settled the gun in the belt’s holster. “Why?”
“Hmmm.” Xavier stroked his goatee and looked from Olivia to Doug. “It’s unusual but not unheard of.”
“Really?” Olivia said while inspecting her new toy, trying to seem nonchalant. “I was going to ask you about that. Doug’s turn only took twelve hours, and he slipped into being a vampire the way I can slip into a pair of great heels. Any idea why he seems to be… well… a natural vampire?”
Xavier remained silent but continued to look back and forth between the two of them. Olivia squirmed and couldn’t help but think that Xavier suspected there was more to her relationship with Doug than being his maker.
“Anything unusual for you, Olivia?” He flew to his stool and looked Olivia up and down. “You have turned a few vampires in your day. Is there anything different about his change as far as you are concerned?”
“She can only telepath with me now,” Doug added. “No one but me.”
Olivia shot him a look that could kill. “It’s nothing,” she said through clenched teeth.
“Doesn’t sound like nothing,” Xavier said quietly. He looked back and forth between them before waving his hand dismissively. “Then again, it could be an aberration, you know, a one-time thing. If your telepathy with the rest of your progeny doesn’t return in a few days, let me know.”
