Leah glanced about as she walked. The left wall was interspersed with doors; the right wall was made entirely of glass and overlooked a basketball court and a well-lit patio furnished with tables and chairs. She spotted a gazebo covered with white twinkling lights in the distance. So pretty. “This looks like a nice place to work.”
Abby nodded. “I’m very happy here. I have a fabulous lab.”
Leah slanted a curious look at Abigail Holstein. Could she actually become a friend? There’d been plenty of students eager to befriend Leah in college and med school, but they’d only sought her out in hopes of free tutoring from the infamous freak who had started college at the age of fourteen and med school at the age of seventeen. Dr. Freakazoid, they had called her behind her back. And when they’d no longer needed her to pass a course, they’d quickly disappeared.
She’d started off so naïve and trusting. It had been a cruel lesson, realizing that people were often undependable and unpredictable. Mercenary and combustible. You never knew when a seemingly harmless fish would turn out to be a shark. The only way to remain safe was to remain alone.
Science, on the other hand, she could trust. Unlike people, chemicals bonded in a consistent, reliable manner. They could break apart or combust only if she introduced a new variable. In her lab, she was in control, queen of a universe where all her constituents obeyed the rules.
She took a deep breath. “When Dr. Lee hired me, he said I would spend most of my time in a lab. It was my genetics research that interested him the most.”
“Yes, we’re very excited about that.” Abby slowed to a stop. “Don’t let the number of patients alarm you. You were right about them being very healthy. They won’t need your services unless one of them is injured. Or expecting a child.”
Leah noticed that Abby’s hand had moved to her stomach. “Are you . . . ?”
With a grin, Abby nodded. “We found out last night.”
“Wow. Congratulations.”
Her face beaming, Abby leaned toward Leah. “Don’t tell anyone, okay? We’re going to announce it at the party.”
Leah nodded. Would Abby be shocked to know she’d never had a friend confide a secret to her before? “I won’t say a word.”
Abby clasped her hands together. “Gregori is so excited. And his mother—she’ll be ecstatic!”
“I imagine your parents will be thrilled,” Leah added.
Abby’s smile faded a bit. “I hope so.”
Was there a problem there? A chill skittered down Leah’s spine, and she peered over her shoulder. Another camera, its red light blinking. “Are we being watched?”
Abby glanced at the camera. “Maybe. We have excellent security.”
“Can they hear us?”
“I suppose, if they turn up the volume.” Abby shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry about it. There hasn’t been an incident here since the bombing years ago.” She winced. “It wasn’t a big deal. No one was seriously hurt.”
Leah’s mouth dropped open. “This place was bombed?”
“I know it’s hard to believe someone would do that when synthetic blood saves so many lives, but I’m afraid there are some strange . . . people out there.” Abby patted her on the arm. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Leah glanced again at the camera. Were they listening? “I know the world is full of weirdos.”
Abby gave her a worried look. “As you say.” She walked forward a few steps, then stopped next to a door. “Welcome to my lab.”
“Whoa. Are you partying without me?” Gregori asked as he sauntered into the security office. “It smells like Bubbly Blood in here.”
“There was a wee accident.” Angus motioned to where Dougal was partially hidden beside the desk, picking up shards of glass that were once a bottle and tossing them into the litter bin.
“Hey, dude, long time no see,” Gregori greeted him. “How’s the bionic hand?”
“Fine.” Dougal straightened. “I . . . miscalculated my grip for a second.” No way was he going to admit he’d lost control. Angus might reconsider putting him in charge here. Or refuse to let him go on missions.
Fortunately, Angus seemed more interested in watching the monitors than speculating on his wee accident.
“Where’s Roman?” Gregori scanned the monitors, searching for his boss.
Angus pointed at a hallway where Roman was walking with Jean-Luc. “They’re on their way to the party.”
“I’ll give him a call.” Gregori punched a number on his cell phone, then asked Roman to head toward Abby’s lab in ten minutes.
Meanwhile, Dougal located a broom and dustpan in the small closet. If this was going to be his office, he’d start taking care of it now. He swept up the last of the broken glass and dumped it into the litter bin.
“I wonder what they’re talking about.” Angus turned up the volume on the monitor showing Abby and Leah.
“We found out last night,” Abby said, smiling and patting her stomach.
“Wow,” Leah replied. “Congratulations.”
“Och, man.” Angus turned to Gregori. “Ye’re going to be a father?”
Gregori grinned. “Yep. You bet your little plaid skirt.”
Angus rolled his eyes. “The puir bairn.”
With a laugh, Gregori punched Angus on the shoulder. “I knew Abby wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret. She’s so excited.”
“Congratulations,” Dougal told him. His gaze shifted back to the monitor just as Leah glanced over her shoulder straight at the camera. His hand flinched, the fist tightening around the handle of the dustpan.
“Are we being watched?” Leah asked.
Hell, yes. He winced at the dents he’d left in the metal handle. Why was he reacting so strongly? She wasn’t Li Lei.
“Maybe,” Abby replied. “We have excellent security.”
“Can they hear us?” Leah asked.
He turned away, feeling a twinge of guilt for eavesdropping. As he returned the broom and dustpan to the closet, he spotted a half-empty bottle of Blissky on the top shelf. Just what he needed. He set the bottle on the desk, then fetched three paper cups from the sideboard.
When Abby explained about the bombing a few years back, he glanced at the monitor just in time to see Leah’s wide-eyed reaction. Damn, they had no right to drag her into this world. She looked so young. Early twenties, perhaps. There was a fragile innocence to her features, an innocence about to be crushed.
He poured Blissky into the three cups. “How about a wee dram?”
“Great idea!” Gregori lifted his cup in the air. “To our beautiful wives!”
“I’ll drink to that.” Angus grabbed a cup and downed the contents.
Gregori shot Dougal an amused look. “Or in your case, a future beautiful wife.”
Dougal snorted, then looked at the monitor and found Leah staring at the camera as if she could see him. His heart stilled. Another itch skittered along the length of his tattoo, and he shrugged his right shoulder.
“I know the world is full of weirdos,” she said softly.
Och, lass, ye have no idea. But she would be finding out soon. He had a sudden urge to teleport straight to her and take her away, far away from a world of vampires and shifters and demons. But how could he protect her from the weirdos when he was one of them?
“Cheers.” He tossed back the Blissky and let it burn down his throat. He deserved the burn.
“Welcome to my lab.” Abby opened the door and ushered Leah inside.
Angus moved to the monitor that showed the lab and turned up the volume.