"I am." Phil watched the monitors. Connor had met up with Jack in the woods.
"Me, too," Phineas added. "Man, have you noticed how many of the guys are getting lucky? Roman, Angus, Jean-Luc, Ian, and now Jack—they're all hooking up with hot-looking babes."
Phil edged behind the desk to fill a cup of coffee from the pot Howard kept on a credenza. "I'm happy for them."
"So am I, but where the hell is my hot babe?" Phineas stood and planted his fists on his hips. "I'm the Love Doctor. The chicks should be climbing all over me."
Howard shoved a small canister toward Phil. "Sugar?"
Phil shook his head.
"Not for a long time, man." Phineas paced across the room. "It's been months since I had any sugar."
Howard offered Phil a canister of Coffee-mate.
Phil shook his head. "I like it black."
"I like 'em black, too." Phineas suddenly halted. "But I'm not prejudiced, you know. I have never failed to jump a woman's bones based on her color or religion. The Love Doctor never turns a lady away."
"That's real sporting of you, Phineas." Phil took a sip of coffee. He noticed on the monitor that Jack and Connor had reached the side entrance. Connor swiped his card, then activated the hand sensor.
Phineas's shoulders slumped. "I just don't get it."
"Get what?" Howard poured himself a cup of coffee, then dumped in a huge amount of sugar.
"All the married Vamps seem really happy." Phineas resumed his pacing. "With just one woman. When there are so many hot chicks in the world, how can you settle for just one?"
"She has to be really special." And of all the women Phil had met in his twenty-seven years, it was Vanda who came to his mind. She didn't wear the facade of indifferent superiority like most Vamp women. She was raw, passionate, and painfully honest. She was in your face. She'd intrigued him from the start.
"I think it's called love," Howard said.
Phil flinched. "I wouldn't call it that. Infatuation, maybe."
Howard gave him an incredulous look. "You don't think Jack loves Lara? Or Roman loves Shanna? Or—"
"Oh, yeah." Phil realized he'd lost the trail of the conversation. "That's definitely love. I–I was thinking about…someone else."
Howard eyed him curiously. "Like who?"
Phil was saved when the buzzer sounded at the door. Connor had activated the security measures outside, causing the door to unlock. Connor and Jack walked in.
Jack smiled and shook hands as he greeted everyone. "You're all coming to the engagement party, yes? I want Lara to feel welcomed in the Vamp world."
"We're coming," Howard said.
"Where is Lara?" Phil asked.
"At her apartment," Jack answered. "I teleported her there first, so she could get some sleep. She's worn-out from sightseeing all day in Venezia."
"I'm glad ye're back." Connor stood next to the desk and folded his arms across his chest. "Phil just arrived tonight, too, so I'd like to catch everyone up to date."
"Good." Jack perched on the far corner of the desk.
Howard sat behind the desk, while Phineas and Phil took the chairs in front. When everyone was focused on Connor, he began.
"The latest information we have indicates that Casimir has moved to North America. We have no idea where he's setting up his base of operations, but we do know that he liked to visit his friend Apollo, in Maine. We're assuming he doesna know that Apollo and Athena have been killed."
Phil drank some coffee. Earlier in July he had helped Jack rescue his fiancée, Lara, who was being held captive at Apollo's Malcontent compound in Maine. Jack had killed Apollo, while Phil had teamed up with Lara to kill Athena. "We left the compound empty. Most of the mortals had their memories erased and were sent back home."
"What happened to the girl who wanted to keep her memory?" Jack asked.
"She's at Shanna's school," Connor replied. "She's going to be a teacher there. Carlos is doing security. Now my point is, there's no one at the compound to tell Casimir no' to come anymore. So Angus figured there's a good chance that Casimir might return."
"Are we setting a trap?" Jack asked.
"Aye." Connor smiled. "Angus arrived there two weeks ago to do just that. He has a team of seven with him. That should be enough to capture Casimir."
Phil felt a twinge of envy. He would love a piece of that action. "What are our orders?"
"We're to stay here," Connor said. "Romatech is still a prime target. If Casimir decides to avenge the massacre at DVN, he knows he can always find a few enemies right here."
"We'll need to be extra careful the night of the engagement party," Jack said.
"Aye. We'll all be on duty that night. Any questions?" When no one spoke, Connor continued. "Good. With any luck, Casimir will be destroyed soon, and another vampire war will be avoided."
Jack glanced at the monitor that showed the coven meeting coming to an end. "I need to talk to Shanna about the party. See you all later." He rushed out the door.
"Phineas, will you make sure everyone attending the coven meeting leaves?" Connor asked. "We doona want anyone roaming about the facility."
"Gotcha." Phineas hurried out the door.
"Howard, see if Shanna and the children need a ride home," Connor said.
"Yes, sir." Howard lumbered out the door.
"Phil, ye're off for the rest of the night." Connor sat behind the desk and shuffled through some papers. "I'm glad ye're back, lad."
"Me, too." Phil finished his coffee, then returned the empty cup to the credenza. As a day guard, he was expected to sleep at night so he could be on duty during the daylight hours. He usually slept at Roman's townhouse in the Upper East Side. Phineas and Jack would show up there shortly before dawn to fall into their death-sleep.
"Good night, sir." Phil headed for the door.
"Good night. Oh, I was wondering…" Connor gave him a curious look. "I saw on a monitor earlier that you were talking to Vanda and then she teleported away."
Phil paused with his hand on the doorknob. "She was a little upset."
"Of course she was upset. Three of her former dancers were suing her for damages. Do ye know what Roman decided?"
"He insisted she take another session of anger management."
Connor snorted. "Like that will help. Vanda's been angry for as long as I've known her."
"How long is that?" Phil asked.
"Since Roman became Coven Master and inherited the harem in 1950."
"So she was already in the harem? She must have joined when the previous Coven Master was in power."
"Aye." Connor nodded. "Why are ye so interested?"
"I agreed to be her sponsor."
Connor's eyebrows rose. "Why would ye do that?"
Phil shrugged. "Someone had to do it."
Connor studied him a moment, then shifted his gaze to the monitors. "She left her car behind."
Phil glanced at the monitor that showed the front parking lot. "Which car is hers?"
"The black Corvette. I have the keys."
Phil's heart leaped in his chest. He could see her again tonight. "I'll be happy to return it to her."
"If she wants it, she can teleport back for it. Ye're officially off duty now."
"But I can drop it off on the way to Roman's townhouse," Phil insisted. "I really don't mind."
Connor removed the keys from his sporran. "She's probably at her club."
"I know where it is."
Connor handed him the keys. "Be careful, lad."
Phil snorted. "I know how to drive."
"I wasna referring to the car."
"I know what I'm doing."
Connor frowned at him. "That's what they all say."
Although Phil knew about Vanda's nightclub, he'd never been inside before. The entrance to the Horny Devils was hidden at the dead end of a dark alley to keep unsuspecting mortals from stumbling across the place.