"No kidding. They already think my big butt and our sudden engagement is all about me springing the 'baby trap' on you. No wonder your mother is thinking she's going to be a grandma. Didn't you warn her against reading the tabloids?" Ray frowned. "Sure, but she devours those things anyway. You should see her scrapbook." I reached up and smoothed away Ray's frown lines. "So call her, let her down gently. No need to tell her the really bad news now."
"No, I won't. I'll say she can visit after the Grammys. Maybe we'll have something to celebrate." He grabbed my hand and kissed my palm.
"A Grammy, sure. You can celebrate with your family." I eased my hand away. "But after the full moon she'll be reading about our breakup. I'm really sorry, Ray, but I did go back to Blade and that's how it is." I reached for the doorknob.
"For now." Ray put his hand against the door. "I don't think he's what you really want anymore, Glory. He's a habit you've had for centuries. And I can see that you're different around him. So I'm going to ask you to do something for me."
"What?" Different? Was I? Valdez had told me to grovel to get Blade back, but I hadn't done it. I'd acted like the same independent woman I was right now, hadn't I?
"Just step back a little and watch how you are when you're around Blade and then how you are around me. When are you freer?
Happier?" Ray wasn't touching me, but was so close I felt surrounded by his scent and the warmth of his body. His arm was mere inches from my lips.
My breath caught in my throat as his eyes drifted down my body. I'd worn a black cashmere V-neck that dipped low enough to show the edge of my lacy bra. My hips were jammed into black cords with my high heels. I wished I had on a turtleneck as Ray looked down the valley between my breasts. But it was too late. Ray had seen what was under these clothes. Touched me. Tasted me. And I'd encouraged him. Even had moments when I'd wanted him. I remembered to breathe again. Ray
"No, don't say anything now. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm just seeing what I want to see. 'Cause if I don't get inside you soon, Glory, I'm going to blow apart." He inhaled, like he was memorizing my scent.
I closed my eyes to it because it was a vampire thing I recognized and knew only too well. Part of the mating game we played with each other. I didn't need to inhale him. I already knew his scent as well as I knew Jerry's and wasn't that a hell of a thing?
"Ray, please. This is only going to hurt you." I
had
to look at him. He was watching me, studying me and trying to read my mind. I was smart enough to block the chaos that passed for my thoughts right now.
"Hear. Me. Out." He touched my cheek, then traced the vein in my throat with his thumb. "Sometimes relationships outlive their usefulness. Me? I think it may be time for you to cut the Scotsman loose. For both your sakes." Ray stepped back from the door. "Think about it."
I stood there a moment trying to figure out how I was going to act halfway calm after
that.
Finally I jerked open the door. I expected to see Barry waiting impatiently. Instead, a nervous Nathan, surrounded by two of the three visiting nightmare vampires, had lifted his fist to knock again. I could see Lily and Drac on the other side of the store talking to Bri and Sienna.
"Benny, Luke, I see you've met a friend of mine, Nathan Burke, and this is Israel Caine. Perhaps you've heard of him. Nathan and Israel are under my protection, men. Which means they are under
Blade's
protection." I crossed my fingers. Hopefully Jerry would back me up on that.
"Israel Caine! Sure. Dig your music." Luke and Benny knocked knuckles with Ray who actually managed to smile and not cringe. Props to Ray on that. Surely he'd picked up on the serial-killer gleam in their eyes. Nathan linked arms with me and whispered in my ear.
"They showed me fangs, Glory. More vampires. I don't think you want this to become a hangout, do you? Bad PR." He shuddered. "They kept talking about my blood type. You said it was rare. Guess I'm like the daily special. Do me a favor? Tell them again that I'm off-limits?"
"Sure." I saw that the water bottle was empty. "And, Nate, there's a bathroom in the back room. Stay out of sight as long as you can. I'll suggest they move on." I gestured behind me. I smiled as Nate made a wide detour around the vampires. I turned up the classic rock station on the radio. That should help keep Sienna from overhearing while I tried to
get
rid of my visitors.
"Glory, you have a great shop." Lily walked up with a frowning Dracula in tow. He kept looking over his shoulder at Sienna who was heading into a dressing room. "Drac, you will
not
bother Sienna. This is Glory's business. You can't use her customers as a filling station."
"Thanks, Lily. And none of you will bother any mortals who are in my shop, especially not my friends." I introduced them to Ray and Nathan. Nathan quickly excused himself and headed to the back room. I blocked an attempt by Luke and Benny to follow him.
"Dude, didn't know you were one of us." Drac looked Ray over.
"Yeah, it's not something I advertise, understand?" Ray didn't smile.
"Totally." Drac glanced at his buddies. "We survive by the same code, man. We won't out you; you do us the same favor."
"Absolutely." Ray put his arm around me and I saw Lily's eyebrows go up.
Hmm. She knew I was with Jerry, now Ray was acting possessive. Well, vamps are complicated. I just smiled until I caught a whiff of something familiar.
I sniffed and moved closer to Drac. "Masculine."
"Yes, isn't he?" Lily hugged him. "That's why I turned him over a hundred years ago. I just love a man with a great body and that whole macho vibe, don't you?"
"No, I mean, yes, of course Drac is masculine, but he smells like a men's cologne called 'Masculine.' Ray's publicist wears it." I narrowed my gaze on Dracula. "Did you feed recently near this shop?"
"Why do you ask, dear lady?"
"That's not an answer, Dracula. Where is he?" I got up in his face and Valdez was suddenly right beside me. Bri hurried to the door, threw the dead bolt and turned the sign to Closed.
"Glory, what the hell are you talking about?" Ray put his hand on my arm, obviously concerned that I was getting aggressive with a vampire a foot taller than I was.
"The mortal who wore the cologne?" Dracula looked unconcerned. "In the alley, I suppose. I didn't take much. I don't
think
I was overeager." Drac looked at Lily. "Blade asked us not to kill mortals on his turf."
"When was this? When you went outside for a smoke?" Lily grabbed Drac's arm.
"Sorry, darling, but he was so perfectly fine. B positive. Turned out to be quite thin, though. Not the blood, the man. I barely started when the idiot fainted." He shook his head when Lily snarled. "Quit overreacting. There was a heartbeat when I tossed him in the Dumpster."
"You threw Barry in the Dumpster?" Ray ran toward the back. "I swear to God, if he's dead, asshole,
you're
dead."
"Like to see you try." Luke and Benny jumped in front of Ray and showed their fangs.
"Stop it!" I pushed between them, almost tripping over Valdez.
"Get the hell out of the way. Blondie."
He snarled, putting himself at Ray's side.
"Bring it on, fellas."
I looked behind Luke and Benny. "Lily? Some help here?"
"Let's all go out and see what the damage is before we start ripping out throats." Lily had her father's calm. Or at least that's the way I saw it. "Drac, you're crawling into that Dumpster."
"But, darling, I have on my new Gucci loafers." Drac pouted as he followed Lily out the back door. We were quite a parade into the alley. I heard a flush as we went through the back room.
"Nathan, stay where you are and keep the door locked. Don't come out until I tell you to." Luke laughed. "That flimsy door isn't going to protect anyone."
Valdez growled.
"Keep talking and you'll see who protects who around here."
"Calm down." Lily had stopped outside next to the Dumpster. We all groaned. Mugs and Muffins had obviously dumped some soured milk produces recently. The enhanced vamp sense of smell really wasn't helping matters. "Drac, get in there."
"He's probably dead. This is good waste disposal. Don't you think?" Drac looked around for approval. Luke and Benny were all for it. "Clever, Drac."
"Efficient."
"He'd better not be dead. And you're not getting out of it. Take off your shoes. Those look like expensive jeans. Drop them if you want to and climb in. Pull the guy out. We want to check his vitals for ourselves." Lily had her hands on her hips, obviously the alpha in this pack.
"I'm going commando, love. I might shock Glory." Drac grinned in my direction.
"What'll shock her is how little your package is. Now get in there."
Valdez and Ray slapped paw to hand while I did my best to keep a straight face. Drac gave them a dirty look. Luke and Benny weren't laughing, which made me think Lily pretty much spoke the truth. Drac muttered an obscenity, rolled up his jeans and leaped up and into the stinky mess.
"Here he is, on top of a pile of, shit, well, not shit, but what must be
egg
shells and old baked goods of some kind. I'm throwing him out."
"No!" Ray and I screamed it at the same time.
"You'll kill him that way,
darling"
Lily looked at me and rolled her eyes, like that's what you get when you choose beauty over brains. "Carry him out and bring him into Glory's back room."
We all watched Drac leap out of the Dumpster, a limp Barry in his arms. Drac walked over to the back door, then laid the mortal on the oak table. Luke carried Drac's shoes inside and we all crowded into the room to assess the situation.
"I can see him breathing." Ray hovered over Barry. "Nate, get out of the bathroom and bring some wet paper towels."
"The rest of you can go back into the shop." I glanced at Drac's filthy feet. "After you clean up, Drac." Lily shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Caine. I guess this is a friend of yours?"
"My publicist. And a friend." Ray took the wad of paper towels from a wide-eyed and speechless Nate and began washing Barry's pale face. "Glory, what do you think?"
"You're right, he's still breathing. I'll look at him more closely in a minute. Lily, I appreciate what you did with Drac." I saw him come out of the bathroom, roll down his jeans and slip into his shoes. He had a sullen look on his handsome face and he really wasn't happy with his lover. When he'd stepped into the store and closed the door, I continued. "Drac's quite a handful, isn't he?"
"Yes, but I made him during a lust-filled weekend when I was basically out of my mind, so he's my responsibility. I should have known better." Lily sighed. "I may have to stake him some day if he goes too far. But I'm quite fond of him. It's a tough choice."
"Well, I hope Blade
is
your father. Because you're a daughter he'd be proud to acknowledge." I hugged her.
"Thanks, Glory. I'd better get out there. Sienna's just his type. We have an open relationship, but I still have to keep an eye on things. You know what I mean?"
Oh, God, did she sound like her father. "Yes, I do." I turned to look at Barry. Besides the puncture wounds at his neck that Drac hadn't bothered to heal, he was obviously weak from blood loss. He probably could benefit from a transfusion, but that wouldn't be happening. You don't just show up at an emergency room and ask for one. And our blood would turn him vampire. Definitely not happening. He was going to have to sleep it off.
"He'll be okay, Ray. I'll heal those puncture wounds and he should be fine by tomorrow. Lily, do you think Drac bothered to erase Barry's memory of the feeding?" So far, I didn't have reason to believe Drac had done anything right.
"I wouldn't take a chance that he did or didn't." She leaned down and licked the puncture wounds closed. "Here, let me show you a trick I learned in Europe." She put her hands near his heart and pressed. Like a vampire version of CPR or a shot with high voltage. Barry suddenly sat up, alert and wide-eyed. Lily immediately locked eyes with him and told him that he had had an accident and had fallen in a Dumpster. His clothes were a mess and he was lucky that his friends Ray and Glory had found him and brought him into her shop. Then she snapped her fingers.
"Oh, my God! Ray? I swear I only had one martini with dinner. That Dumpster came out of nowhere." Barry tried to get off the table but fell back.
"They must have made it a triple, my friend." Ray helped Barry sit up. "Hate to tell you this, but you reek." Barry sniffed. "No lie. Glory, sorry about this. I need to talk to you soon about the engagement. Get a quote or two. Not tonight. Still feel woozy." Barry rubbed his head. "Better call me a cab."
"Will do. You lie back and rest. I'll come get you when it gets here." Ray helped Barry settle back down again and the rest of us left the storeroom. Valdez trotted back to the front door, which Bri had unlocked again. Sienna was at the counter with three dresses and a sweater. "There you are. Glory, I just love this place." She leaned closer. "So many hot guys. Girlfriend, this is a treasure trove." She glanced at Drac who was giving her hungry looks. "I slipped that one my private number."
"Uh, Sienna, please. He's not That is, his girlfriend's really jealous. I wouldn't go there. They say they're free to date others, but I don't believe it." I began to ring up her sales. "I'm giving you the family discount, not that you need it, of course. And Bri gets the commission."
"Thanks, boss." Bri happily wrapped up the sweater and left the dresses on the hangers. Sienna whipped out a credit card. "What about the other two guys? I can dig the Goth look and they are so incredibly hot. Oh, what am I saying? I'm leaving Austin in a few days. Long-distance relationships don't work. Ian and I broke up this weekend." Her eyes filled. "That's why the retail therapy."
"I'm sorry." I put my hand on hers. "But you're right. Wait till you get home to L.A. Then you can find someone."
"Los Angeles?" Luke strolled up to the counter. "My home town. I'm heading there next. This was just a quick stop." He leaned close to Sienna and began talking about hot spots and bars in L.A., even Rodeo Drive, convincing me, at least, that he'd actually been there. I tried to read his mind, but no go.