"I'm not exactly doing cartwheels over the chance to spend time with that crazy old asshole, myself. But it's the only way."
"Such a sweet, charming girl." Malcolm raised an eyebrow. "Then it's settled."
Quinn played out all scenarios in his head as fast as he could.
He could take Malcolm down right now. Then he'd have the Eye, and Janie would be safe, but three hundred hunters plus several innocent bystanders and a good chunk of the hotel would be blown up when the bomb went off.
He could say yes to Malcolm's plan and take off after the bomb, but Janie would pay the price, both from Malcolm and from her Boss when she didn't come through with the Eye.
He tried to think of a third option but came up empty.
His only hope was to buy some more time. Disarm the bomb, then figure a way out of giving Malcolm the stone. He didn't know what the old man wanted to wish for, but he was confident that it wasn't world peace.
"Fine," he said finally.
Malcolm smiled. "The bomb is beneath the speaker's podium of the hunter awards. It would be interesting to witness a vampire risking his life to save hundreds of his enemy. Would they do the same for you, do you think?"
"Enough talking." The muscles in Quinn's right arm were twitching. If he could make his wish right now,
all he'd wish for would be a wooden stake. Extra sharp.
Malcolm studied him. "I know you so well, my boy. Eight years and you still wear your emotions on your face. You are thinking of killing me. But perhaps I am lying. Perhaps I've told you the wrong location? You won't know for sure until you check it out for yourself, will you?"
"I hate you," Quinn spat out.
Malcolm's smile widened. "Best be off, now. You're wasting time. We will meet you downstairs by the tournament slot machines."
Quinn picked his shirt up from the floor, casting a worried glance at Janie.
"I'll be back."
"Is that your Schwarzenegger impression?"
"Hadn't planned it, but sure."
"Good luck."
He moved toward her with the sudden desire to kiss her again. For luck or just to touch her, to reassure her that he meant that he'd be back. But Malcolm grabbed his arm.
"Leave. My patience wears thin."
Quinn scowled at him.
"Go," Janie said. "It's okay. Don't worry. I can handle fang breath here."
"Who, me, worry? Ridiculous."
With a last look, he tore his gaze away from her and left the room, his heart thudding like a wild animal in his chest, to go prowl among the hunters who would love to make it stop.
The moment Quinn left the room, Janie had tried to kill Malcolm with her bare hands. She flew at his throat, losing the bed sheets wrapped around her in the process. He'd managed to bat her away like a pesky mosquito.
She was weak from loss of blood. She'd felt great for a while, but the events of the night were catching up to her. She couldn't overexert herself, and killing vampires was hard work.
When she got her strength back, first she'd stake him, she decided, as the elevator descended to the ground floor. Then she'd hold his head under a vat of holy water. It wouldn't do anything, but it would be fun to watch him flail around. Then she'd probably decapitate him. Or burn him.
Possibly both.
The violent thoughts helped to calm her a little.
Then her thoughts moved to her sister, and a knot formed in her stomach. She'd be okay. Out of everything that had gone on tonight, at least Angela would be safe.
She twisted her were-loom necklace and glared at Malcolm.
"For some reason you look terribly displeased with me," he said.
"Bite me."
He smiled. "But I already did that, didn't I?"
Decapitation, burning, staking,and electrocution. Maybe she could find some hungry rats, too.
She'd made him take her to her room first so she could grab her jeans and tank top. They'd seen better days, but the dress wasunwearable . Well, it was fine if she didn't mind baring her left breast while walking through the casino on the way to where they were to meet Quinn.
She kept getting flashes of Quinn making love to her. It was very distracting, to say the least. She would have been very happy to have spent the rest of the night in bed exploring him much more thoroughly than their passionate but much too quick session before. She bit her bottom lip.
She looked at Malcolm and her eyes narrowed. He'd had to interrupt them just when things were getting good.
She spent the rest of the elevator ride thinking about even more imaginative ways to end his life.
The doors opened. She made a move to get off, but Malcolm raised his arm to stop her.
"Don't try anything," he said.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't try to get anyone's attention or warn anyone. This is between you and me and Quinn. Do you understand?"
"I understand that you're a sick, twisted freak."
"You're a fledgling now," he said. "And during their first hours, vampires are so easy to kill. I could do so with the slightest effort."
She rolled her eyes. "Blah, blah, blah. You don't scare me,jerkoff ."
"You don't care about yourself?" He raised an eyebrow. "Then give me any problems and—" He fished into his pocket and pulled out small black box that Janiesinkingly recognized as a remote detonator. "—I can end this very quickly. Quinn's body will be destroyed, but I can hunt through the ashes later for the red stone."
"And you think I give a shit?" she tried to sound more confident than she felt at that moment. "Maybe