"About time. I obviously didn't hurt her throat."

"Then Corky insisted that it would only be fair for Roman to drop the lawsuit that's been leveled against her, but he refused."

"What lawsuit?" Vanda asked.

"You haven't heard? The famous model, Simone, is suing Corky. Remember when I hired Simone to do Fangercise, an exercise DVD? Corky claimed on her show that Simone used fake teeth."

Vanda broke out in laughter, her voice echoing across the silent room. A dozen male Vamps shushed her. Laszlo dropped his pen and gave her a startled look. Then he glanced at Roman.

Vanda halted mid-laugh and cleared her throat. Damn. These old Vamps needed to pull the stakes out of their butts. She opened her mouth to say so, but Gregori touched her arm.

"Don't," he whispered. "Don't speak to him until he's spoken to you."

"Laszlo," Roman began quietly.

"Yes, sir?" The Coven Secretary fiddled with a button on his lab coat.

"Since Vanda Barkowski has finally arrived, let us proceed to the other suits against her."

Other suits? As in plural? Vanda glanced around nervously. Roman's wife gave her a sympathetic smile.

Anger sparked inside Vanda, and she clenched her fists. She didn't need anyone's sympathy. She was tough, dammit.

Laszlo fumbled through a stack of papers. He drew one page out. Then another. And another. Three pages? Her anger sizzled into a hot flame.

Laszlo gave her a nervous look, then proceeded. "Vanda Barkowski is being sued on three counts. Count one—unjustified termination of employment, resulting in loss of wages and mental trauma. Count two—reckless endangerment at the workplace, resulting in minor injury and mental trauma. Count three—assault with a deadly weapon, resulting in physical injury and mental trauma."

Vanda jumped to her feet. "That's a load of crap! Who's suing me?" Her face burned with heat as she scanned the room. "Where are you, you assholes? I'll show you some mental trauma!"