"There is. Have your lover bring the stone back to me. That is the only solution."
She bit her lip. Hard. "Not going to happen."
"Then I'm afraid the night shall not end well for you." Fire flashed in his eyes again.
Just as he was about to protect Angela, he was pushed down into a chair and handcuffed to it.
Front-row seat. The drones grabbed Janie's arms again.
Angela blinked up at the Boss, who approached her like something out of a nightmare. "I don't want to be eviscerated!"
He hovered his hand over her face, not quite touching. "There is a veil of magic over you. A curse."
"A… a curse?" she stammered.
"Shall I lift it for you?" He smiled. "My powers are not vast, but that is within my means. Shall I do that?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
Angela screamed, and Janie wrenched against the men, who held her still.
Her sister went silent, her eyes closed tightly, and then she slowly opened them and looked at her.
"Janie?"
Janie's heart lurched. "Angela? You remember?"
She nodded. "Oh… oh, my God. I can't believe this. I left and you didn't know where I was all of this time. I'm so sorry!"
"What happened?"
"I went out partying. I wanted to get drunk. I went to a club just to dance and forget everything." She laughed dryly. "I guess it worked, didn't it? A guy started flirting with me. We got along really well. Left together. His girlfriend found us making out in the parking lot. She was a witch… said some stuff in Latin.
And then everything I knew went away."
"She cursed you."
"The guy wasn't even that cute. I was definitely wearing my beer goggles." She glanced at Lenny.
He swallowed and looked down at the plush carpeting. "So I guess this means that you and I—"
She shook her head. "It doesn't change anything. My heart has known you for years, Lenny. I love you."
"My heart has known you for years"he repeated. "That would be a great title for a poem."
"Which you will never have the chance to write, since you will be dead," the Boss finished. "Now"—he gripped Angela's shoulder and his eyes blazed—"shall we begin?"
"No!" Janie yelled.
The door burst open, and she looked over to see Quinn standing in its outline.
"Am I too late?" he asked.
"Quinn!" she managed, struggling against the men who still held her. "What are you doing here?"
"Saving you."
"How did you find us?"
"The place is empty. It was easy to follow the screaming."
"I'm going to kick your ass."
"That's what I thought you'd say, but I'm still here."
The Boss regarded him in silence for a moment. "I could rip your heart from your chest where you stand."
"That sounds unpleasant."
The Boss's eyes turned to flame.
Quinn held up his hands. "No need for violence. I've brought you what you want."
"Have you? Just like that?"
"Just like that. But you have to release everyone." He glanced at Janie with concern.
The Boss smiled thinly. "Love is a dangerous thing, vampire. You would risk so much for a woman who does not even possess the ability to feel such an emotion? Remember one thing, I hire my employees based on their lack of conscience. On their cold ability to do their jobs without any threat of emotion playing a part. Parker has rarely failed me in that respect. She doesn't love you."
Quinn's expression didn't change. "I'm here to give you what you want and you're arguing with me?
Yeah, that sounds intelligent. I can see why you're the boss around here."
The Boss's eyes narrowed. "Do you know that there is a scale on which all life is ranked?Demonkind ,
of course, is at the top. Humans take up a great middle section, since there are so annoyingly many of them, but within that category they are separated into the weak and the strong. Those who would fight to live another day, versus those who would kneel before their death without raising a finger to stop it. Then there are the others. Those with magic infusing their existences, like werewolves and witches and fey and otherlessers . They rank lower than humans, for their souls are not quite as tasty, you see? But at the very bottom, do you know what is there?"
Quinn crossed his arms. "Let me guess. Vampires?"
"No. Actually, angels. They are really annoying. But just above angels are vampires."
"You talk a lot for an evil entity."
"Give me the stone."
Quinn eyed him warily. "Any reason you're not just taking it from me?"