The entrance to the church was crowded as always. Flo and I nodded to acquaintances, sniffed out a few fellow vampires, then settled into seats near the back. I have an unfortunate habit of levitating when I get into singing along with the choir. It’s like Heaven is calling me. I rise, literally. A female vampire about CiCi’s age sat next to me. She’d helped me before when I’d had liftoff during a song. She was English, wore pretty hats and expensive suits, and smelled vaguely familiar and not just in a vampire way. I pondered the smell during the first songs, then forgot all about it.
Flo and I dig this church because of the message. Happiness, making the most of life, the fact that God loves you no matter what you might have done in the past. The hunky charismatic Pastor John seemed to look right at us even from the big screen TVs placed around the huge sanctuary. He exhorted us to look forward, not back, for the source of satisfaction in our life. Good idea. Back was not so great.
I glanced at Flo and wondered what her forward looked like. The preacher asked us to bow our heads and try to focus on what we really wanted in our future. I closed my eyes and saw a successful shop, good friends and Blade. Richard drifted in there too. Probably because we’d seen so much of each other the night before. He did have an incredible body and—
The woman next to me gave me a sharp elbow in the ribs. Oh, yeah, one of those damned, excuse me, darned mind reading vampires. She sent me a mental message to remember where I was. Church. Not the place for thoughts of hot male bodies and—
Oops. Another elbow. Flo looked over at me and grinned. She hadn’t missed the byplay. She met the woman’s eyes, lost her smile, but nodded. Like maybe she really did know her. I tried to read elbow lady’s mind, but had no luck. The music started again and I was off and running. I fought the urge to fly up toward the ceiling and had to concentrate to stay down and inconspicuous.
The service was over and we were shaking hands with those around us when elbow lady finally spoke.
“Gloriana, I’m Sarah Mainwaring.” She smiled. “I believe you know my son.”
“You’re Richard’s mother?” My mouth dropped open. Wow. If Richard had been a crusader and this was his mother . . .
“A lady never reveals her age, right, Florence?” Sarah smiled at Flo who wasn’t looking all that thrilled.
“Signora.” Flo bobbed her head and made a move like she was ready to leave.
“Wait! I’m surprised I haven’t seen you at some of the vampire meetings, Mrs. Mainwaring. Or with Richard.”
“Please call me Sarah, Gloriana. I’m afraid my son and I don’t always agree on things.” Sarah gave Flo a look, like maybe his fling with the Italian bombshell had been one of those not agreeing issues. “We usually go our separate ways.” She gestured, her hands graceful. “You don’t see him here, for example. I think he’s worried I’ve become a heretic. We were Catholics so very long ago.”
“Weren’t we all.” Flo muttered, putting her hand on my elbow. “We left Glory’s dogs outside, Sarah. See you around. ”
“Please come by my shop sometime.” When I’d first seen this lady, I’d felt drawn to her. Like CiCi, she was a motherly type, one of the few female vampires not still twentysomething. I know, I’m hopeless thinking I could have a mother figure in my life, but Sarah was English, from the feather in her black felt hat, to the tips of her sensible leather pumps. She reminded me of my roots.
“Thank you, Gloriana. You’re most gracious.” Sarah held out her hand and I took it.
Whoa. What kind of trick was this? I felt the zing from my palm to my toes as Sarah probed my mind, digging in my dark corners like a miner looking for gold. I was afraid all she’d find was bat guano. I threw up a block, but it crashed against a brick wall. Finally I managed to wrench my hand from hers. I breathed a sigh of relief when the connection was broken.
“That was intense. Next time you drive your back hoe into my brain, try asking permission.”
“Then I’d never learn anything interesting, Gloriana.” Sarah ignored Flo and focused on me.
“Did you see what you were looking for?” Behind me, Flo said something under her breath about nosy bitches.
“What I found, was that you don’t know your own heart, my dear. I saw Jeremiah Campbell.” I gaped at her and she smiled. “Oh, yes, I know him and his parents.”
“Lucky you.” Now it was my turn to mutter nasties.
“I like to think so. But my son is not so lucky. He has a habit of becoming attached to unavailable women.” She lasered a look at Flo that could have melted steel. “I hope you’ll think long and hard before you lead him to believe you could have real feelings for him.”
“They’ve had one date, Sarah. I hardly think you need to jump in and do the ‘mommie dearest’ thing yet.” Obviously Flo had been on the receiving end of that treatment.
Sarah just smiled. “Richard never allows my interference. And in your case, Florence, dear, it was hardly necessary. He saw through your tricks soon enough.”
I stepped between Flo and Sarah and prayed for some kind of distraction. It came in the form of my dog, one of them anyway. Will, trailing his leash, staggered into the sanctuary, an absolute no-no, and fell at my feet.
“Will! What happened? Are you hurt?” I dropped to my knees and put my arm around him. Then I sniffed. “You’ve been drinking!”
“Fine Scotch whiskey, lassie.” Will licked my cheek, then rested his head on his paws. “My lucky day.”
“Where’s Valdez?” I jumped up and looked around. No sign of him.
“Gone. Told me left a message. On cell phone. Don’t know how. Dumb dog.” Will snorted, then fell into a stupor.
I dug in my purse and found my phone. I’d turned it off in church of course. Now I switched it on and saw I had a message.
“Blade’s called me off, Glory. Guess he’s decided Mara does it for him and you can take care of yourself. Sorry to stick you with Will, but he’s paid till the end of the month. I figure I’m due some vacation time and I’m more than ready to be out of this dog body. See ya.”
This voice was smoother, more hip than the Valdez who talked in my head. It didn’t fit with what I’d imagined he’d really sound like. I hit a button and listened to it again. Blade was dumping me? Like this? I didn’t believe it. Something was off here. Had to be.
My roomie held the phone, then reared back like someone had spit in her ear. “I don’t believe it. That doesn’t sound like Valdez anyway.”
“We never heard Valdez’s real voice. Blade likes to play tricks. The Valdez before this one sounded like the Taco Bell Chihuahua.”
“Still. This voice does sound familiar. Maybe . . .” Flo handed back the phone. “Call Jeremiah.”
“I was planning to.” I hit speed dial but went straight to Blade’s voice mail.
“Jerry, Valdez is missing. If you called him off I need to know. Call me back immediately.” I broke the connection, then my insecurities hit me like a body blow. I’d been after Jerry for decades to let me live my own life. To take away the guards and trust me to survive on my own. Had he finally decided to take me seriously? I felt hollow and wanted to throw up.
I hit speed dial again. “Uh, Jerry, I’m okay with it, if you’ve moved on. Just do me the courtesy of telling me to my face, okay?” Not okay. The enormous sanctuary blurred and I sank down on one of the pews.
“This is ridiculous. Blade would never dump you like this.” Flo stomped her foot and got in Will’s face. “Look at me, you worthless hound. Wake up.”
Will raised red-rimmed eyes to her face. “Hey, beautiful. Let’s you and me hook up after this is over. I’ve been watching you. I think we could be good together. Que bella. Sì?”
“Concentrate on the problem, signor.” Flo pulled back her foot like she was going to kick him then realized where she was. “Where is Valdez? What have you done to him?”
“Nothin’ I tell ya.” His head sagged again.
“Will, where did you get the booze?” I squatted next to him and raised his muzzle to look him in the eye. “Did you shift?”
“Naw. Some guy put a big bowl of Glenlivet down in front of me.” Will belched, then reached out to lick my face.
I jumped back out of range. “Someone wanted you out of the way. What did he look like?”
“Brown shoes.” Hiccup. “I never looked higher than that beautiful bowl of fine Scot’s whiskey.” Snort. Snore.
Sarah had her cell phone to her ear. “That’s right. We’re at the Moonlight church. Valdez has disappeared. Gloriana’s . . . bodyguard.” Sarah looked at me as she snapped the phone shut. “Richard’s on his way.”
“Why do we need him? We haven’t even gone outside to look for Valdez yet.” I grabbed a showy flower arrangement, tossed the flowers on a nearby pew and dumped water on Will’s head.
“Hey, what’d I do?” Will staggered to his feet, then shook water all over us. An usher hurried up.
“Ladies, ladies, please respect the sanctuary. And the dog, unless he’s a Seeing Eye dog, should stay outside.”
“Sorry.” I grabbed Will’s leash and dragged him toward the door. I’d played blind a time or two and still felt guilty about it. Will was dead weight, barely able to walk. Finally, I picked him up. And didn’t that raise some eyebrows. Will’s no lightweight.
Outside, I dumped him on the grass. Where was Valdez? I looked around, called him. He couldn’t have come up with a bowl of fine Scotch or brown shoes. I figure if he shape-shifted he’d still be naked and there would have been at least some kind of commotion, even at this liberal church. So I asked strangers if they’d seen a black Labradoodle with a red and white bandana around his neck, his church attire. Okay, that did it. Tears filled my eyes again and I sat on a stone bench in the garden in front of the church.
“He wouldn’t just leave like that, Glory. He’s really attached to you.” Flo sat beside me and put her arm around me.
“I . . . I thought so. We’ve been together for years.” I took the pristine white hanky Sarah pressed into my hand and dabbed at my eyes. “And what’s with Jerry? If he wanted to cut me loose, all he had to do was say so. I’m not going to force myself on him.” At least not unless I’d had a good dose of the Vamp Viagra when he was in the room.
“Here’s Richard.” Sarah smiled at her tall son.
I felt warmth in my cheeks, remembering the fiasco from last night, how I’d exposed myself in more ways than one to Richard. But any embarrassment could take a backseat today. Valdez was missing. He had to be my first priority.
I looked up and met Richard’s gaze. I could see his resemblance to his mother now that they were side by side. Sarah’s hair wasn’t nearly as white blond as Richard’s but she was fair. And they both had the same aristocratic air about them. Richard had probably shifted somewhere else then just walked up. He obviously hadn’t arrived that fast by car or motorcycle unless he’d been following me.
Nope. He had better things to do, like obsess over finding the EV stronghold. That obsession just might come in very handy. I had that hollow feeling again, this time because the problem with Valdez had EV trick written all over it. I had no proof of course, just my gut.
“Did you see Valdez when you came in?” I jumped up and grabbed Richard’s hands. I glanced around and saw more people come out of the sanctuary.
“No sign of him.” Richard squeezed my hands. “I see you’ve met my mother.”
“Yes. A pleasant surprise.” I ignored Flo’s snort. “We’ve got to find Valdez. He left a kiss-off message on my phone, but I don’t believe it’s him talking. Not that I have a clue what his real voice sounds like, but—”
I hit the button then handed Richard the phone. He listened then handed it back. “Blade dumping you? What do you think?”
He watched me carefully. I really didn’t want this to turn into a drama all about my broken heart, which wasn’t, by the way, broken. Okay, maybe slightly cracked. “No way. Jerry and I have a complicated relationship, but we’re always honest with each other. Jerry would never let one of his minions do his talking for him.”
“It’s not like Valdez either. He seems loyal. I can’t see him taking off like that.” Richard squeezed my hand holding the phone. “Try Blade again. Let’s spread out and see if we can find the dog.”
Richard approached a small group of people while I re-dialed Blade. More voice mail. I hung up and looked inside the sanctuary again. The place was huge. I ran down the aisles until that same long-suffering usher stepped in front of me.
“My dog. I lost my dog.”
“The big one that came in here?” The usher looked toward the hastily rearranged flowers and the wet spot on the carpet.
“No, this was a black dog, with a bandana tied around his neck. He always waits for me right outside the sanctuary, by the door.” I felt a tear run down my cheek and the usher patted my back.
“Check over by the fellowship hall. They always have cake and coffee after the service. Maybe he smelled the food and headed that way.” The man smiled and I wanted to wail against his starched white shirt.
Instead, I sniffed. Ordinary human, who definitely needed his cholesterol checked. “Go see a doctor. Get some blood work.”
The man stared at me. “What do you mean?”
“I’m, uh . . .” What had I seen on the Health Channel? “I’m a medical empath. I sense a thickening in your blood. Take care of yourself or you’re going to have a heart attack.”
“Wow. You sense that? Just by looking at me?”
I shrugged. “It’s more of a sniff than a look. Take care.” I patted his hand then raced to the door.
“Wait! What’s your name? I want you to look at my wife and my mother. Not my mother-in-law, the heck with her.”
“Maybe next Sunday.” I didn’t look back, afraid he would follow me. I sure wasn’t waiting around to find out. I scooted to a stop next to Flo who stood in the doorway.
“Fellowship Hall. They have cake and you know how Valdez is about sweets.” I headed down the sidewalk, pulling Flo along behind me.
“Cake. Yeah, he’d go for that.” Flo hurried to keep up with me.
I can run pretty damn fast in heels. We rounded the corner and saw a crowd coming out of the square building dubbed Fellowship Hall. Many of them were laughing and one woman was dabbing at her skirt. Pink and white icing.
I pushed through the crowd. What had been a nice sheet cake lay in clumps on the tile in front of the long table. A pretty tablecloth had obviously been used to pull the cake off the table. Valdez had his mouth full, oblivious to the dirty looks people were giving him.
“Valdez! Come here! Bad dog!” I dove for his leash. He danced away then shook his head. Frosting and cake flew everywhere. “Stop it! Come here.” I stomped my foot, slipped on icing and almost sat in the middle of it.
He ignored me to take another bite of cake. While he chewed, I grabbed the leash. I tugged, but he just sat down and started licking pink icing off one paw. I finally knelt down and put my hand on his head.
“Valdez, puppy. I was worried about you.”
He barked and leaped, paws landing on my shoulders, raking pink and white frosting down my corduroy dress. I pushed him back and sent him a mental message to cool it. My answer was a tail wag, another bark and a lick in the direction of my face.
“Sit. Sit. Bad dog.” I pushed him until he sat in front of me. A stranger handed me a pile of paper towels.
“I’m afraid he’s not invited back to Sunday service, miss, unless you can tie him up somewhere.”
“No! The Lord loves dogs.” A woman with a broom and dustpan in her hand spoke up. Several parishioners nodded.
“We need a dog park, a fenced area where we can leave our pets while we worship.” A man knelt down and held the dustpan while the woman swept chunks of cake into it.
“You bet we do.” Another man whipped out his cell phone. “I’m calling Pastor John right now. He’ll love the idea. Maybe we could have a bake sale”—laughter from the crowd—“to raise funds for it.”
I guess the church’s happiness message worked because no one threatened to call the dogcatcher. And Valdez had made a huge mess.
I plucked a pink frosting rose from the top of his head and, sue me, but I tasted it. What, you think I worry about germs? Mmm. Sweet. I resisted downing the whole thing, especially when I felt someone watching me. I turned and saw Richard standing in the doorway, his mother right beside him. Flo stayed on the other side of the room, as far away from flying frosting as she could get.
“Uh, I’m really, really sorry. My dog is usually very well behaved.”
“That’s okay, honey. If you’re single, you should join the group in the Twilight Room. After you clean up the dog, that is. The singles are enjoying a late supper. Nice group of folks, some men and women about your age and some older.”
My age? If she only knew. “Thanks, maybe next week.”
Richard was beside me in a flash. “We’re both really sorry about the mess.” He slung an arm around me, implying we were a couple. Hmm.
The woman wadded up the dirty tablecloth and shook her head. “A shame about the cake, though. It was going to be dessert for the singles later.”
“Wait. Let me pay—” I dug in my purse.
“I’ve got it, Gloriana.” Richard’s mother pressed a wad of cash into the woman’s hand. “Please. Accept a donation for the group. For future desserts.”
“Wow. Thanks.” The dazed woman’s eyes widened when she realized what she held. “Next week I’ll order chocolate cake. That’s the group’s favorite. Just don’t let the dog in here. I’ve heard chocolate is bad for dogs.”
“Of course. The dog should stay in the car, shouldn’t he?” Sarah gave Richard a speaking look and he dragged Valdez out the door.
“Ready to go?” Flo was by my side.
“I really need to wash my hands.” I headed for the door clearly marked “Ladies” near the back wall.
Once inside, I dabbed at pink and white frosting until I finally gave up and just licked my fingers. Delicious.
“What a disaster.” Flo pushed inside, then looked around the bathroom to make sure we were alone while I washed my hands. “Those people were giving you the evil eye out there.”
“Yeah. Wonder if there’s another church with night services. I’m afraid we’ll be blackballed after this.” I dried my hands on a paper towel then stared at the large mirror in front of me. Of course I wasn’t seeing either one of us.
“Glory?” Flo put her hand on my shoulder.
“Valdez. What’s wrong with him? Do you think he really left that message?”
“Only if Blade told him to.” Flo reached up and pulled a piece of cake out of my hair. She sniffed, then dropped it in the trash can.
The very possibility hit me like a body blow. “What? And then Blade said ‘Let them eat cake’?” I rubbed at a spot on my skirt. “Did you see the mess Valdez just made? Our Valdez knows we try to keep a low profile.” I gave up on the skirt.
“Someone’s pulling my chain, Flo. Who and why? One guess.”
“Here we go again. Simon, always Simon.” Flo put her hands on her hips. “I won’t hear this.”
“Are you sure that dog is your bodyguard?” Sarah Mainwaring swept into the room, white frosting paw prints on her skirt. “Richard says Valdez is not himself.”
“He’s right. This is totally out of character.” I wasn’t just worried about my dog. I was getting frantic. Sure, we’d been surrounded by people, but he was acting like a . . . dog. I handed Sarah a paper towel. “Thanks, Sarah, for taking care of the cake. I insist on reimbursing you.”
“Forget it. I’m quite able to afford it. Who knows? Maybe I’ll check out the singles group myself some Sunday night.” Sarah smiled at me, turning at Flo’s barely stifled snicker. “Perhaps you should try it as well, Florence. Richard seems to feel that your current ‘friend’ is an unsavory character. ” Sarah wet the paper towel and carefully dabbed at her skirt.
Flo jerked her chin up. “I can’t imagine why you care who I see, Sarah.”
“I don’t, of course. But Richard has shared his concerns about the company you’ve been keeping.” Sarah sniffed. “Not that it should be his concern.”
Flo muttered something in Italian. Sarah muttered something back in the same language and I stepped between them.
Flo turned her back on Sarah. “You always blame Simon for everything. Maybe Jeremiah tires of you. That she-devil Mara has probably been throwing herself at him. You should shape-shift. Go after your man, if you want to keep him.”
“Gee, say what you think, why don’t you?” This was my best friend? Where was the support? But then I’d done nothing but slam Simon since Flo had started going out with him. Maybe it was time for me to get smart, use some psychology. I put my hand on her shoulder.
“You’re my role model, Flo. I don’t see you chasing after a man to keep him. Am I right?”
“Of course.” Flo’s eyes shimmered and I thought she might be working up to shed a tear or two. “I’m sorry I bitched at you about this. It’s just that I’m worried about Valdez too. The phone call. Then going so crazy. This is not our Valdez. Something’s wrong with him. And if Simon did this—” Tears gone, she clenched her fists and turned to face Sarah again. “I’ll find out if Simon had anything to do with this. And if he did, he’ll make things right. I’m sure of it.” Flo turned back to me. “Will you be okay, Glory, if I leave you now?”
“Sure.” Flo was going to confront Simon? Was this a good idea? What if he punished her like he’d punished Greg Kaplan? “But, Flo, be careful.” We stepped out of the bathroom and I looked around. The place was clean again, and didn’t that make me feel guilty? It was deserted, but I could hear laughter coming from the Twilight Room.
Sarah frowned down at her damp skirt. “I’m late for my book club and, after wading through that boring literary novel, I’m not going to miss it. Richard can give you my telephone number, Gloriana. Call me sometime and we’ll talk.”
“Book club?” Flo and I stared after her as she breezed out the door.
“Of course. Lady Sarah Mainwaring has a club for everything. ” Flo shook her head. “That woman’s a barracuda, Glory. She’ll take a chunk out of you if she thinks you’re hurting her baby boy.”
I laughed. Now that I had my dog back, a dog who’d probably just been indulging his food obsession, I felt like I could deal with anything.
“Come on, Flo. Richard doesn’t strike me as a mama’s boy.” The idea of Richard being anyone’s baby boy was ludicrous.
“Maybe not. But Sarah can afford to spring for a few cakes. While Richard goes around saving the world from bad vampires, who do you think pays the bills? She has an investment club too.” Flo sighed. “Look at you. Your dress is a disaster.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I’d better not have cake in my hair.”
“You don’t. What about my hair?” Not that I really cared. For once how I looked meant zilch. Flo knew it too. She put her own dress at risk to give me a hug.
“You look good considering what you’ve just been through. The dog has much to answer for. But if Simon did something to him . . .”
“Don’t go throwing around accusations, Flo.” I grabbed her arm. “Be careful how you handle Simon. He’s got some powerful stuff going on out there. He ever mention Honoria?”
“Another woman?” Flo laughed. “Of course not. Relax, Glory. I’ve been handling men for centuries.” Flo pulled a lipstick from her purse and expertly reapplied it. “I will get the truth from him.” She winked. “One way or another.”
“No VV tonight?” I know, I know. I’m not her mother. But I have a little experience with addiction. And my best bud was showing some signs . . .
“I said I would do without it, didn’t I?” She sighed. “I don’t like seeing you worried about Jeremiah. Do you really think he would just dump you? Get real, Glory. And for Mara, the ice queen? That woman would freeze a man’s balls off.”
Hmm. If Blade had dumped me for Mara, I hoped his balls spent eternity in permafrost. My stomach rumbled and I didn’t think it was from icing. None of this added up. No way did Valdez leave that message. Someone else had to have done it. Otherwise, why was there still a black Labradoodle outside waiting for me?
“Now you make sense. No silly doubts about Jeremiah. He adores you.” Flo looked down at my skirt and frowned. “I’ll miss this church. Nice people. I think I saw a vampire in the singles group too.” She pulled open the door and headed out.
I followed her. Richard stood outside the door, a subdued Valdez beside him. A few people still talked nearby, single smokers who wanted a last drag before they went inside to mix and mingle.
“Bad dog. You know how to stay.” I said this for our audience. “Let’s go. No treat for you tonight.”
“You’ll be lucky if he doesn’t toss his cookies, I mean cake, when he’s in the car.” The smokers laughed.
“Sorry for ruining social hour, folks. I’d better get this dog home.” I took the leash from Richard and pulled Valdez along to the car. When we got there, Richard opened the back door and Valdez hopped in to settle beside a snoring Will.
I grabbed Richard’s arm. “Did Valdez talk to you while I was inside?”
“No. And I tried to send him a mental message, but he either ignored it or didn’t understand it.”
“Didn’t understand . . . ?” My stomach rolled over. I opened the back door again, picked up Valdez’s head and stared into his brown eyes. “Valdez! Say something.”
Nothing. Not even a whimper. He did lick my fingers though, as if hoping for some more frosting. I grabbed both his ears and stared harder, like I could make him respond. “Please, puppy. Say something. Anything. Call me Blondie.”
He just shook his head like he was ready for me to let him go if I wasn’t going to pet him. I released him and turned to Richard.
Twenty-two
We were back at my place before I remembered to tell Richard about Flo’s meeting with Simon in the park.
“This is huge, Glory. Maybe we can catch him alone.”
“What are you going to do to him, Richard? Try to take him out?” In other words, stake him. I shuddered just thinking about it. I knew Simon was a bad man, but killing any vampire seemed almost sacrilegious to me. And Flo. Would she ever forgive me for sending the troops in after her lover? I hoped once she’d had time to think about how she’d been acting, she’d realize she’d needed to move on.
“You think I’m being too tough on him? Roll Valdez over, Glory.” Richard stared down at my pair of dogs, both snoring near the door.
“What do you mean?”
“Look at his tummy, Glory. See if the reason he won’t talk is because he can’t.” Richard didn’t wait. He knelt down and rolled a snoozing Valdez over until we could see his swollen stomach. Sure enough there were two angry red marks on his belly.
I gasped. “You think—”
“That an EV did this? Yes, I do. I’d say that while you were in church and Will was nose deep in whiskey someone conveniently put in front of him, Valdez had an encounter with Simon or another EV and he obviously lost the fight and his power.”
I sat down hard on the floor and rubbed Valdez’s tummy. “You mean—”
“I mean right now Valdez is just a dog. Not a shape-shifter. Unless there’s some way for the EVs to reverse the process, Valdez may never be able to shift again.”
I leaned over and rubbed my face against the dog’s soft fur. He smiled and licked a tear from my face. I breathed in his scent, a scent I knew as well as my own.
“Damn it. I knew there was something wrong with Valdez when he didn’t ask for ice cream with his cake.”
Richard smiled and patted my shoulder. “He would, wouldn’t he?” He left me sitting there and started to work his phone, calling on fellow vamps and making plans to ambush Simon at the park.
“I’m going, Glory.” Richard dropped a kiss on the top of my head. Yeah, I was still on the floor, Valdez’s head in my lap.
“Wait. Simon has to be behind Valdez’s condition. If there’s any hope of getting my dog restored to his old pain-in -the-butt self, Simon or Honoria holds the key.”
“I can’t promise not to destroy Simon if I get the chance, Glory. I’ve been after him for a long time.” He rubbed Valdez’s ear. “Maybe Valdez will recover his power on his own. Eventually.” Richard looked at me and wiped away a tear that had leaked down my cheek. “I know you love him. I’ll do what I can to find out how to fix this.”
“Thanks.” I held on to his hand for a moment. “I know what getting Simon means to you. Do what you have to.”
He stood, tall, powerful and determined. If he got a chance at Simon, he’d take it. And Valdez . . . ? He would have cheered Richard on.
I sat there on the floor for a long time after Richard left, stroking Valdez’s soft fur. An EV had done this. Which meant Jerry hadn’t dumped me after all. I was so relieved I would have laughed, if I hadn’t felt more like crying. Was there any hope of getting the old Valdez back? I had to find out.
The phone rang. I got up and pulled my cell phone out of my purse. I glanced at the caller ID and caught my breath. Blade.
"Hello.”
“Gloriana, what the hell is going on there? Why do you think I called Valdez off?” Jerry was shouting, like maybe I couldn’t hear him across the ocean. Or like maybe he was really upset.
“Valdez is here. I found him. But he or someone left a message that you’d called him off. Because you’d hooked up with Mara. Which is allowed, of course. We do our own thing when we’re apart, always have.” I took a breath and looked at Valdez, snoring softly by the door. The old Valdez would have been up at the first notes of “Phantom of the Opera,” my ring tone. He’d have been listening in, like that was in his job description. He really was just a nosy . . . I sobbed.
“Son of a bitch! Gloriana, tell me everything. And I’m not hooked up with anyone. I’m living like a monk outside a clinic in Switzerland so I can watch Westwood. He’s more vulnerable here, outside of his own place.”
“Good.” I took a watery breath. A monk, huh? Good news for me, bad for Mara. “I mean, you should stay there. That bastard is a threat to every vampire.” If Simon was allowed to just suck power from anyone or thing he wanted, then he was an enormous threat too. God, when did my life get so complicated?
“Tell me what’s happened. What about Valdez?” Blade’s calm voice soothed me.
I took a breath then filled him in on recent events at the church. By the time I got through with the story, Blade was cursing and swearing to be by my side by morning.
“No, you should stay there. Flo and Richard are looking into it.”
“I’ve heard of Simon Destiny and his EV crew. I had a friend who tried their daylight drug.” Blade was silent for a moment. “Liam paid them a fortune. He was so excited to see the sun again. But it was the last thing he saw.”
“Oh, Jerry. Maybe he thought it was worth it.” I’d had those yearnings.
“We’ll never know the answer to that, now, will we? Thanks to Simon Destiny.” Jerry cleared his throat.
“I’m really worried about Valdez, Jerry. He’s a . . . dog. What if he’s lost all his powers?”
“Rafael is a very strong shape-shifter. That’s why I hired him. He may be temporarily out of commission, but that doesn’t mean it’s permanent.” Jerry said something to someone else and I heard a female voice in the background.
“Is Mara with you?”
“She just came in. I’m going to leave her here and come home to you, Glory. I don’t like the fact that Simon’s been trying to lure you to his den of drug dealers. Or that he’s managed to temporarily take out one of your guards. We will resolve this and Simon Destiny will get what he deserves once and for all.” Jerry sounded so damned sure of himself. That kind of confidence made me actually hope that things would come out all right.
“You shouldn’t come. I’ll be fine.” I looked at Valdez, then at Will who was still sleeping off his bender. Well, I’d always said I could look out for myself. Time to test that theory.
“No, I’ve made up my mind. I’m coming.”
Of course I was relieved. “It’s too late to leave there tonight. Wait until tomorrow night. It’s a long, long way from Switzerland to Texas.”
“It is a long way. But I’ll leave here tonight, see how far I get, then spend the day somewhere safe and be there sometime tomorrow night. Wait for me, Gloriana, before you do anything about Simon.”
“I hear and obey, master.” I knew he was just being cautious. It was sweet. Dictatorial, but sweet.
“Come on, sweetheart. Humor me. I’m so damned far away. I want to hold you and tell you that everything will be all right.”
I closed my eyes. “Then do it. Like you did the other night. Hold me. Put your arms around me and your lips on my hair.” I concentrated. “And I’m holding onto you, Jerry. Just breathing, not trying to get you naked or anything like that.” Though now that I thought about it, there was nothing more comforting than lying skin to skin in Jerry’s strong arms.
“Sorry, Glory. What did you say? Mara was telling me we have an opportunity to get to Westwood later tonight. He’s going into surgery in the morning to try to get his arm fixed. He’ll be in a regular hospital room. If we can get inside, we might have a shot at him.”
I gave up. The mood wasn’t happening. “Then go get him. I’ll be fine. Will’s going to sober up. Flo’s investigating Simon and maybe Richard and his vigilantes will manage to get to Simon anyway.” I hung up before I said something bitchy. Trust Mara to come up with a plan just when Jerry was ready to fly to my side.
I sat down beside Valdez again. “You never told me your name is Rafael. Rafe. I like it. Wonder what your last name is. Is it Spanish too? Are you tall, dark and handsome out of that dog body?” I patted his head, but he just stared up at me with big brown eyes, his tail thumping on the hardwood floor.
I sighed and got up. A few hours until dawn. Did I just sit here and wait for something to happen? Would Flo call me? Would Richard? Will snored, obviously still useless. What good would it do Valdez if I ran off and did something foolish, like storm the park myself? I sat on the couch and picked up my latest book, a bestseller on assertiveness.
Half a page and I was heaving it across the room. What did a mortal know about the kind of assertiveness I needed? I wasn’t thinking about asking the boss for a raise or a boyfriend to commit. Hell, I just wanted the leader of the EVs to restore my dog’s powers. Assertiveness in this situation would get me nothing but trouble.
But then I’m a badass vampire. I don’t run from trouble, I start it.
When the phone rang close to dawn, I almost jumped out of my skin. I couldn’t believe I’d actually dozed off on the couch.
“Hello.”
“Glory, it’s Flo. I’m with Simon.”
“Enjoying your date?” I glanced at my dogs, sleeping peacefully.
“No.”
“Flo, honey, are you in trouble?” I couldn’t sit still and carried the phone to the fridge for a bottle of Fangtastic. “Where are you two?” I hoped at the park surrounded by angry vamps with stakes. They wouldn’t hurt Flo and surely she wouldn’t risk her own life for Simon. Unless he’d done some kind of whammy on her . . . I leaned against the fridge.
“We’re at Simon’s headquarters. We didn’t go to the park after all.” Flo took a shaky breath. “I’m sorry, Glory, but Simon is the one who took Valdez’s power. He says if you want your dog back like he used to be, you’ll have to come here and give the EVs something they need.” Flo sobbed. “Don’t do it, Glory! We’ll figure something out. He’ll make you a drone.” There was a crash.
“Gloriana, your friend is hysterical. Please understand that no lasting harm will come to either you or Florence if you follow my instructions.” The male voice was smooth, unaccented, with a mesmerizing quality that I felt even over the phone.
The room swam and I staggered back to the couch. “Don’t hurt Florence, Simon.”
“Florence is my lover. Why would I hurt her? We don’t need to play those games.” He actually chuckled.
I wanted to throw up. “Why did you hurt my dog, Simon? ”
“To get to you, Gloriana. I think you have an enormous amount of power just going to waste. I can take what I need and then I will happily restore your ‘dog’ to his former abilities. ” He laughed again. “This foolish attachment amuses me. Even Florence is moved to tears over the animal’s plight. I found him to be quite ordinary. Shifters are never as interesting as ancient vampires.”
“That shifter was my shifter. And by vamp standards I’m not ancient. I’m practically a kid. Born way after the Crusades. ”
“You’re old enough to have developed some interesting power. Florence has told me how you’ve been experimenting with it. You’ve been delightfully original.”
“Cut the compliments, Simon. I don’t see how you can be so sure I have the kind of power you need.”
“You won’t shape-shift, my dear. Sad for you, but excellent for my purposes. Shifting really drains a lot of power from a vampire. And your . . . dog. He hardly provided enough to make one dose of the VV. Pathetic, really.”
“Valdez, pathetic? Listen, Destiny. That shifter is worth a dozen of you. I can’t tell you how many times he’s saved my butt over the years.” My voice cracked and I swiped at tears. Will was up and had his head in my lap. Valdez still sat near the door, ew, licking himself. That did it. I couldn’t hold back a sob.
“Now, Gloriana. Calm yourself. You can take care of Mr. Valdez’s problem. Come see me and I’ll explain everything.”
“How could I possibly trust you to keep your word?” I found a tissue and blew my nose. Weeping could wait. I had to do something. But I could see it now. Valdez and I would head out to the EV stronghold, wherever that was, and become zombielike creatures, tubes hanging out of our belly buttons for easy access. I gripped the phone.
“I’m the king of the EVs, Gloriana. Of course you can trust me.” The very arrogance of that statement convinced me he’d lie like a cheap watch if it suited his purposes. Or to get what he wanted. And what he wanted was, gulp, my power.
“No freakin’ way. Maybe I can figure out how to give power to my pup without you.”
“Impossible, my dear. Exchanging power is an ancient art that only an Energy Vampire has mastered.”
“An ancient art? Get over yourself, Destiny. Flo can tell you about real art. Sucking tummies doesn’t qualify. Does Honoria think you’re an artist?”
“You will not speak the Demoness’s name, woman.”
Boy, had I struck a nerve. “Maybe she’d be disappointed in how you’re handling things here in Austin. You’ve got the whole vampire community stirred up against you.”
“Now you’re being foolish. Vampires are my customers. Honoria is well pleased with my progress here.”
“Yeah, right. Then swear on her name that you’ll restore my dog and let me go after you get what you want from me. I won’t turn into a drone for you, Simon.” I jumped up and went to sit on the floor next to Valdez. There had to be a way to help Valdez without going through the EVs. The marks where his power had been drained were gone. And even if I bit him on his hairy belly—ew—I would be taking blood, not giving him anything. And Valdez wasn’t a vampire. Biting me would provide him with nothing but a creepy snack.
“I don’t swear on the Demoness’s name for such trivial matters. I know you’re distraught or you wouldn’t try issuing orders when I hold all the cards here. Do you really want to alienate the one person who can give you what you want? I’ll hang up now. Perhaps you’ll be more rational tomorrow. ”
“No, wait!” I had to deal with this creep-a-zoid, he was the only game in town. “Send Flo home, let her tell me about your operation. Maybe we can work something out. I don’t have a lot of money, but I have friends—”
“I’m afraid you’re not in a position to bargain, Gloriana. Florence stays here. I believe you’re quite attached to her as well. And your dog is useless to you as he is. If you want your roommate and your dog restored to you in good . . . condition, I suggest you do as I ask.”
I heard a scuffle in the background. You can bet Flo didn’t like being used as a bargaining chip. I hope she’d flown out of there while she had the chance.
“I’ll give you time to think this over. I’ll call back tomorrow night at sunset.”
“Wait! I don’t even know how to find you.”
“Don’t worry. Someone will pick you up, if you decide your friends are worth the effort.”
He’d hung up. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Worth the effort? Flo and Valdez were worth everything to me. But I dreaded the whole idea of even meeting Simon, much less dealing with him. One thing was certain. I wasn’t about to get within a hundred yards of Simon Destiny alone. I was taking a freakin’ army with me.
"You will come alone, Gloriana, except for the dog. The car is outside as we speak. Try any tricks and you’ll never see Florence again.”
Crap. Double crap. Did I dare go see the EVs alone? I looked up at Richard who’d arrived before sunrise and slept on my couch. No hanky-panky had been attempted or even mentioned. We were both too wrung out by the thought that Flo could be drained dry, then left out in the sun by that ruthless bastard Simon Destiny.
“I want to talk to Flo, make sure she’s all right. Otherwise, no deal.”
Richard nodded and put his hand on my shoulder. He didn’t need to lean closer to hear my phone conversation, vamp hearing and all. He was really grim, like destroyed grim. Poor guy obviously still had feelings for Flo. Of course I had feelings for my roomie too. If Simon hurt her . . .
“Glory.” Flo sounded weak.
“How are you, honey? Is that bastard mistreating you?”
“I’m okay. Just tired. Simon won’t give me any Vamp Viagra. I need it.” She sobbed and the phone rattled, like maybe she’d dropped it.
“You see, Gloriana, Florence is just suffering from withdrawal. I haven’t hurt her, she hurt herself when she got dependent on my product.”
“Your product. Gee, you know Flo thinks you and I are alike, Simon. Both businesspeople. But at least what I sell doesn’t turn my customers into addicts.”
“So you say.” Simon chuckled. “And how many shoes does Florence own? How many handbags? Sounds like shopping can be an addiction to me.”
I’d had just about enough of this chitchat. Flo was suffering, Valdez was a dog and Richard was practically foaming at the mouth. But we’d agreed I’d handle this. Simon wouldn’t deal with a man he knew had been after him for years.
“You say the car’s already downstairs?” I walked over to lift the blackout drapes and saw a Honda Accord idling at the curb with its lights on. “A silver Honda? Business must be bad if that’s the best you can do. Where’s the Mercedes, Simon? The Beemer?”
“Make your jokes, Gloriana. Obviously Florence and Valdez mean little to you.”
“No! I mean, I’m coming. Just give me a few minutes to get dressed. Tell your driver I’ll be down in ten.”
“Good. But no more than ten minutes, Gloriana, or he’ll leave and you’ll have lost your chance to save your friends.”
He hung up.
I looked at Richard. “Now what? I need a weapon, a nice sharp stake. But what do you bet the driver searches me before he lets me in the car?”
“Of course he will. I have a plan.” Richard pulled a bottle out of his pocket.
“Are you going to drug someone? What will that do? I need the driver to take me to the EV hideout.” I’d dressed in jeans and running shoes, my hot pink “Weird Austin” T-shirt and a hoodie. “I’ve got pockets in my jeans, but . . .” I knew from experience that only a credit card could fit in that space. I know, but I like them tight.
“This is perfume. Smell.” He uncapped the bottle and I didn’t need to move closer to get a whiff.
“Whoa! I told you, I don’t wear perfume because it messes up my sense of smell, but that smells wonderful. Where did you get it?”
“It’s my mother’s Joy, I think. It was the strongest-smelling perfume she had.” He dipped the stopper inside and then waved it around. “Sexy. Which is deeply disturbing on so many levels.”
“Okay, so Mummy has excellent taste. Why’d you bring it here?”
“Because I’m going with you, Glory. And I don’t want any of the other vampires to smell me on you.” He reached forward and dabbed it behind my ears.
I inhaled. Absolutely delicious. “Wait. You can’t go with me. I have to go alone. Or alone except for Valdez. You know he has to come with me.”
“I’m coming too. I’m shifting into something very small. I’ll be where they won’t see me and now they won’t be able to smell me either.”
Before I knew what he was going to do, he lifted my T-shirt and exposed my Kevlar bra. My Wonder Woman bra had a bright yellow "W” on gray since Kevlar didn’t come in red. Kevlar was good defense and just about impenetrable. The Wonder Woman thing had been Blade’s idea. And wearing the bra always reminded me that I was powerful. Maybe too powerful since Simon wanted a piece of me.
“I approve. You’re well prepared.” He ripped open the Velcro fastening between my breasts and they sprang free.
“Hey, we’re in the middle of something serious here, Romeo. Get a grip.” I grabbed the edges of the bra.
“Let me put some perfume here.” He slid the cold stopper between my breasts, then leaned forward and sniffed. “A little more, I think.”
Okay, this was ridiculous. I needed to focus and his little games were wearing on my last nerve. “Hand me the stopper, Richard. I can do it.” I grabbed the stopper, dipped it in the pretty bottle, then swabbed my cleavage. Oh, boy, now I felt surrounded by a cloud of expensive scent. Too much, because my head started to throb. I pulled my bra back together.
“Here, let me help.” Richard took the stopper and set the bottle on a table. Then he moved behind me to press his hands on my temples. “Relax, Gloriana. Focus on what I’m about to tell you.”
The pressure in my head eased, but I sure couldn’t relax. “What is this plan, Richard? I’m not going to just give up my power, or let Valdez spend eternity as a dick-licking— sorry fella, but that’s all you’ve been doing lately—dog.” I put my hand on Valdez’s head.
“I’m going with you. When the time is right, I’ll shift into my human form and we’ll take care of Simon. And I know you want Valdez restored. I’ll try to make that happen.”
“We. You. I’m the one with the most at stake here, Richard. And I want to handle Simon. Maybe I’ll give him some power. You said it can come back. I’ll recover.” I pulled down my T-shirt. “And where you think you can hide, I don’t know. They’re going to search my purse. My hoodie has pockets, but they’ll check those too.”
“Here, Glory.” Richard pulled up my shirt and touched the cleavage bulging over the top. “I’ll be right here. Over your heart. After I change, you can put me between your breasts.”
“Pervert. What could you possibly turn into—” I gasped when Richard disappeared. Poof. Just like that. Valdez growled and I looked down. A mouse. A little white, albino mouse. Valdez leaped and the race was on. The mouse, uh, Richard ran under the table and Valdez knocked over the lamp trying to get at him. I shouted at Valdez to stop, but he wasn’t listening.
I grabbed his collar and worked on hauling him into the bedroom. At least without power he didn’t have his super strength. I dragged him, still barking, into the bedroom and slammed the door.
“You can come out now.”
The mouse crawled out from under the couch and hurried to sit next to my left foot. I shuddered, but leaned down to put out my hand. He crawled onto my palm.
“Thanks for not becoming a cockroach. I don’t think I could have handled that between my boobs.” I have a thing about bugs, go figure.
“Loosen the Velcro, Glory. And see if you can push your breasts apart a little.”
“Serve you right if you suffocated in there.” But of course I did what he said. I made a nice little cave. His nose twitched and his little beady eyes, blue, of course, didn’t miss a thing. But I finally got the Velcro closed without damaging either him or my boobs.
This was a good, if awkward, thing. I needed backup. Richard was powerful. And a cute little mouse.
“I have to warn you right now, Glory. You’ve got to keep up your mind shield. I can read you so easily. Simon will be able to read you, too. Block everyone but me. Can you do that?”
“Gee, now I’ll really have a headache.” I hoped to hell I could manage it. Selective blocking is quite a trick. Of course I’d blocked before, but now I’d have to be really careful. Another headache bloomed when I tried. It didn’t help that Valdez was still barking behind the bedroom door. He was making a mess, too. I heard paws scratching at the wood, then breaking glass.
“Don’t let him out yet, Glory. And don’t block me. Can you hear me?”
“Yes, yes, I get it. You’re talking in my mind. Fine.”
“I won’t say anything after we go downstairs. In case the person they send can hear me. Here’s the plan.” His whiskers tickled and I fought the urge to scratch.
“Settle down, will you?”
“Sorry, it’s crowded in here.” Another wiggle. “As soon as you’ve been searched, I’ll crawl out of your bra and hide somewhere else under your T-shirt. For God’s sake keep your shirt on.”
“Okay, okay, I get it. And once we get to the EV headquarters promise you won’t do anything rash. Let me handle things.”
“I’ll try. But if you’re in danger, all bets are off.”
I pulled out the T-shirt neckline and peeked. His cute little head was hardly visible. Poor guy. Riding in my bra and not even a whisker of a chance at a sexy outcome.
“Be careful, Richard. Time’s running out. Let’s go.” I picked up my purse and Valdez’s leash. When I let him out of the bedroom, he raced around the room, sniffing and carrying on like he was on rat patrol. I guess my perfume was working because he didn’t even pause next to me. “We’d better get downstairs. Are we going to have other backup?”
“Damian, Derek and some others are going to follow the car. They know to be careful and stay out of sight. I’m afraid Simon must know you’ll be followed, though, so there might be some kind of security along the way.”
“Security? Like stake wielding thugs who’ll hurt my friends?” I was so going to take out this damned Simon Destiny if it was the last thing I did. Gulp. Tough talk.
The hall door opened and I jumped a foot.
“We’re going with you.” Will was in human form and had on jeans and a University of Texas T-shirt that I knew Lacy slept in. Lacy had on a fierce look but I could tell she wasn’t as into the “save Flo” thing as Will was.
“You can’t go. Simon was very specific. If I have any chance of getting to the EV hideout, I’ve got to go alone.”
“Where’s Mainwaring?” Will sniffed. “What did you do? Bathe in perfume? Not very smart, Glory. How’re you going to use your sense of smell?”
“Don’t worry about my sense of anything. If you want to go with me, you’ll have to shape-shift and just follow the car. At a respectful distance. I don’t want the driver turning around and coming back because he sees he’s being tailed.” I patted my chest gently. “Lacy, you don’t need to come. Your cat would be too easy to spot.”
“I want to help. Diana’s going. Damian called her to meet him and the rest of the rescue squad.” Lacy put her hand on Will’s muscular forearm, obviously more than a little interested in him. Not surprising. She had a history for falling hard and fast for good-looking and impossibly wrong men.
“But I told Will my cat probably can’t keep up with the vampires.” She wrinkled her nose. “Do I smell mouse?” She flipped her long red hair over her shoulder and stalked around the room. “There shouldn’t be one within a mile of this building. ” She sniffed again. “That damned perfume is screwing with my senses, Will’s right about that. You should go wash it off.”
We all turned when we heard a horn honk down below.
“I’ve got to go.” I grabbed my purse and Valdez’s leash. “Do what you want, just don’t interfere with what I’ve got to do.”
“Glory!” Will put his hand on my arm. “Be careful, lass. Blade’s on his way. You should wait—”
“I’m not waiting. Simon’s got Flo. And Valdez needs his power back.” I frowned down at Will’s hand. “And Blade’s going to have your hide for breaking his rules.”
“This is an emergency.”
“You’re right about that anyway.” I ran down the stairs, Valdez at my side.
“Good work, Glory. Neither of them figured out I was there and your block must have held up pretty well.”
“Yep, and I’ve got the headache to prove it.” I pushed open the outer door and stepped out into the chilly night air. It had rained earlier and the pavement was wet and glistening under the streetlight. The driver’s door to the Honda popped open and Greg Kaplan got out.
Twenty-three
"Glory, sweetheart. Glad you could make it.” Greg came up to me, glanced meaningfully at a couple window shopping in front of my store, then put his arms around me. I stiffened.
“Relax,” he whispered. “Got to check you for any concealed weapons.” He ran his hands under my T-shirt and around my middle, then patted me down from my rump to my hips. “Good girl.” He stepped back and opened the backseat passenger door. “Put the dog back here and then hand me your purse.”
“Valdez, hop in.” The dog actually obeyed, seemingly happy to go for a ride. Greg slammed the door, took my purse, then opened the front passenger door.
“Get in.” He glanced at the coffee shop two doors down. A man had come out and looked at us curiously. Both of us sniffed. Mortal. Tinted glasses. Oh, hell. What a great time for one of Westwood’s goons to make a move. I jerked away from Greg and checked out the man. To my relief I could read his mind through the glasses. Seems he didn’t like the way Greg had almost pushed me into the car. I smiled and nodded.
“Let’s go, honey.” I turned to Greg. “I can’t wait to see your surprise.”
“You’ll be surprised all right.” Greg waited until I was in, then slammed the car door.
I felt Richard move inside my shirt. At least my loose T-shirt kept me well covered. Greg got in the car and quickly and efficiently went through my purse. He tossed it back in my lap after keeping my cell phone and his own. He turned mine off, then stuck it in the glove compartment. He looked his over.
“Battery’s dead.”
“Sorry, I didn’t have your charger. What about my phone? Will I get it back?” Not that I cared, but with Richard moving under my shirt, I had to keep Greg focused on something besides my chest.
“Maybe. After this is over, if you play your cards right.” He pulled a thing that looked like a flashlight out of the compartment and ran it up and over me. “Scanning for listening and tracking devices. Good girl, you’re clean.” He tossed it back inside and slammed the door.
“Of course I’m clean. I don’t want to take any chances with my friends in danger. How’s Flo? What has Simon done to her?”
“She’s as okay as she can be without her VV. Simon’s got her locked up for her own safety. He could put her out of her misery with a shot of antidote, but”—Greg shrugged— “it obviously suits him to let her suffer a while. I hear she demanded he fix the dog here. Baby, nobody demands anything of Simon Destiny.”
“He’s a real tyrant, isn’t he?” Making Flo suffer . . . A grade A son of a bitch.
“Honey, he’s the boss. He can give the orders.” Greg put the car in gear, then checked the rearview mirror. “I’d better not see anyone tail us or back we go.”
“I want Flo and my dog restored to the way they belong. I wouldn’t let anyone screw that up.” I looked back at Valdez. He was checking out the scenery. “Why don’t you crack the back window so he can get some air back there?”
“Sure. That perfume’s pretty hot, by the way. I don’t remember you wearing perfume in New York.” Greg glanced at me. “Or shapeless T-shirts.” He reached out and touched the cotton. “Did I feel one of your Kevlar bras under there? Flo told Simon all about them.”
“Sure. I’m not stupid, Greg. I’ve had some hunters after me. The kind with stakes, not just siphons. So I never go out without my protective gear.”
“Take off your shirt. Let me see it.”
“I don’t think so.” I sniffed like he reeked of sewage. “You’re just a drone, Greg. Your job is to take me to Simon. I’m sure you don’t want to get in trouble with your boss again and get ‘punished.’ ”
Greg laughed. “Know how Simon punished me? He let me spend a night in his special room. Wait till you see it, Glory. You may want to just stay out there and become a drone yourself.”
“Special room?” I felt Richard’s whiskers twitch. “What’s so special about it? Is it like a torture chamber?”
“In a way.” Greg reached over to pat my knee. He was on the freeway, headed south. There were a lot of isolated areas outside of town in that direction. As long as we were still surrounded by suburbs, I felt pretty safe, but as the subdivisions turned into stretches of dark undeveloped land, I got more and more uneasy.
“Tell me about this special room.” I was afraid any contingent of vamps following us might be spotted. We were off the freeway now and on a highway that wound through hills. We bumped through a low water crossing, mud splashing as Greg drove through it.
“Daylight, Glory. You’d swear you were on a beach on a tropical island.” Greg sighed. “I would do anything for time in that room.” He looked at me and winked. “You’d love it. Special lights that are just like the sun, only not lethal. White sand, a pool and palm trees.” He chuckled. “You and I could have a lot of fun on a towel on the sand.”
I sighed and felt Richard warm against my skin. “Sun? Sand? Palm trees?” I looked back at Valdez. “And a lizard sunning himself on a rock. That’s you, Greg. Get a clue. I’ve moved on from my New York days. My men don’t conspire to suck the life out of me.”
Greg just laughed. “Yeah, right. Except at the old neck or thigh, huh, baby? I remember what you like.”
I felt a flush heat my chest and cheeks and Richard stirred. He wasn’t sending me any messages and I knew that was the deal. I had my own block up and a probe of Greg’s mind yielded zilch.
The car pulled onto a scenic overlook and Greg stopped. “We get out here.” He walked around and opened both passenger doors. Valdez hopped out and rushed to the edge of the brush to take care of business. I fought tears. He never would have been that blatant about using a tree around me if he’d been himself.
The overlook had a pretty view of Austin in the distance. I could see the moonlight reflecting off a lake, but no lights anywhere close to where we were. I flinched when a man stepped out of the shadows. He silently got in the Honda and drove off. I hoped my followers realized I wasn’t in the car.
“Our ride’s here.” Greg picked up Valdez’s leash and led him to a black Hummer parked under a tree. He shoved the dog in the backseat and waited for me to get in, then quietly shut the door.
“Gee, this is really spylike, Greg. I’ve never been in a Hummer before. It’s huge. And black like the night. Is Simon scared I’ll lead a few angry friends to his place?” I’d said it all out loud in case someone up above us could hear.
“Simon’s not scared of anything, Glory. You’d do well to remember that. He’s king of the EVs, Honoria’s right-hand man.” Greg put the car in gear, but didn’t turn on the headlights, just used his vamp night vision to steer the car down a rough road that ran through a tunnel of trees. Someone flying high overhead would have a hell of a time spotting us. I swallowed.
“Sounds like Simon’s stuck in some earlier centuries. When monarchies were the thing. Where are we going, to some feudal castle in the woods?”
“Simon has respect for old traditions, but he’s also hip to new technology. Brent Westwood’s got nothing on Simon. The king can afford to buy whatever he needs. You’ll see at headquarters.” Greg shifted a gear and we bumped up a rocky hill, well off the road now. “I probably should have blindfolded you, but I doubt you’d ever be able to retrace our path anyway. As I remember, you were too much into blending to hone your vamp skills.”
“Thanks a lot.” I felt a tickle on my chest and tried to scratch without hurting Richard or alerting Greg. It wasn’t easy. “Back then, I’d say you were right, but I’ve been surrounded by strong vampires lately. I’d have to be stupid not to pick up a few tricks.”
“Save them, Glory. Tricks like shifting sap your power. Simon will do what you want to your furry friend back there, as long as he feels you’ve got something he wants. Waste it, and I’m afraid you’ll have lost your bargaining chip.”
“And what about Flo?” I couldn’t imagine my roomie slobbering somewhere in the throes of drug withdrawal. A sex drug. I had visions of her lusting after the handle of her hairbrush and shuddered. Richard had crawled out of his cave and was on my shoulder under my T-shirt. Valdez stuck his head between the seats and growled.
“Flo’s okay. Simon can cure her with a shot of the antidote. ” Greg glanced at Valdez. “Call off your dog or I dump him right here, in the middle of nowhere.”
“Dump my dog and I’ll—” I reached out and grabbed Greg’s crotch. Yeah, right there. “Squeeze this puppy until you hit high C.” I tightened my grip. “Want to test my vamp strength?”
“Damn it, Glory!” Greg slammed on the brakes and the car fishtailed then rocked to a stop. He looked down, his face pale. “Let go. Right. Now.” He pulled a gun from a pocket in the door and aimed it at Valdez’s head. “Now or I blow fur face here to hell.”
I let go, sorry I hadn’t really hurt Greg when I had the chance. Unfortunately, I needed him to find the EV stronghold.
“Now kiss it and make it better.” Greg kept the gun in his left hand and grabbed my hand with his right. He tried to pull me closer.
“In your dreams, asshole. Isn’t your boss waiting?” I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “We’ve already wasted over an hour getting wherever we’re going. Is Simon a patient man? Would he like to hear that we were late so you could get your rocks off?”
Greg dropped my hand and stuck the gun back in the door. “We’re here. Or I would make you kiss it.” Greg gave me a warning look. “And you don’t want to make either of us mad. I can help you, if you’ll let me. Once Simon has your power, you’ll need someone—”
“I’d rather lie in the sun, waiting to die, than let you help me, Gregory. And, news flash, since New York I’ve learned to help myself.”
Greg glanced back at Valdez, then hit me with his best “I’m a rough, tough vampire” look. “Last warning, Glory. Don’t screw around like this with Simon or anyone here, or you’ll regret it. And so will Valdez and Florence. You hear me?”
Oh, yeah, I’d definitely heard Greg. So I was fighting terror and a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach as I followed Greg down a path, Valdez at my side. When we finally came to a clearing, I stopped and gawked. A gold dome sparkled in the light from a full moon. Yep, a genuine dome with a spire pointing toward Heaven, like on a cathedral or mosque or some other holy place.
“Impressive.”
“Thank you, Gloriana.” A man strolled out of the shadows.
“Simon? Or should I curtsy and call you ‘Your majesty’?” I held onto the leash when Valdez started barking and lunged. Brad Pitt? I think not. I did a double take. If it hadn’t been for his voice, I would have sworn . . . Obviously Simon really could make you think . . .
“Show a little respect, Glory.” Greg backed away at a look from Simon. “But not my business. Call me when you need me to drive her home, sir.” Simon just stared and Greg scurried away.
“So this is the dog you’re so attached to.” Simon turned his attention to Valdez. The dog whimpered, tucked his tail between his legs and lay next to my feet. And wasn’t that a creep-out?
“And you’re the man Florence is so attached to. Funny, but you don’t look like Brad Pitt to me. More like Jeremy Blade.”
Simon smiled. “It’s one of my many gifts, Gloriana. I can sense a woman’s hidden desires and become the man she wants.” He stared at me for a moment. “You’re very busy blocking your thoughts, Glory. Hiding something?” He walked closer and touched my shirt. “Take this off. Kaplan might have missed something.”
I shrugged and tore the T-shirt off over my head and tossed it aside. I knew from the tiny movements under it, that I’d flung Richard away with it. He was a vamp. He’d land on his feet and figure out what to do.
“Wonder Woman.” Simon actually licked his lips and I got a glimpse of forked tongue that made me shudder. “I’d enjoy a little hand-to-hand with a superheroine.”
“Hand-to-hand?” I felt strangely disconcerted, talking to a Jerry clone, a man I’d lusted for since my Globe days. Hidden desires? I’d need to mull that over later. “Or did you have something a little more personal in mind?”
Simon laughed and took my arm. “Come now, you wouldn’t think to barter your body for your dog’s power, would you?” He led me toward the mosque. “I have much more interesting uses for you than sex.” He stopped and looked me over. “Though I like a woman with curves. That Kevlar definitely piques my interest.”
He smiled and I almost threw up on his brown suede loafers. Another way I knew it wasn’t Jerry. Jerry didn’t own a pair of Gucci loafers. Yet. I looked back at my dog lying with his head on his paws. Worth it? I hoped to hell I didn’t have to find out.
“Relax, Gloriana. I’ve plenty of willing women if I’m in the mood to indulge my . . . appetites.” He focused on my chest and I wondered if he had X-ray vision. “Like your friend Florence. A most interesting woman. But troublesome. She’s convinced me I’d be wise to pay more attention to my business and less to my own urges for a while. Come along.” He pulled me toward a gold door.
“Wait! How troublesome? I want to be sure Flo’s all right.” Smiling Simon was seriously creeping me out and that gold door looked like the portal to hell or a little shop of horrors or something. No way was I going inside. I just bet that Honoria was in there, ready to gobble my power, then snack on my lifeless body for dessert.
Simon squeezed my arm and smiled. “I can sense it, Glory. All your untapped power. You will be a wonderful source. Because you won’t shape-shift.”
I looked at Valdez who’d stayed on the ground next to my shirt. Now he was sniffing it and rooting around like he’d got a whiff of mouse.
Simon rubbed my arm, tightening his grip when I tried to wrench it away. “I understand your fear of shifting. What if you were injured while in another form? Or”—he nodded toward Valdez—“met with an unfortunate accident and lost your power.” He smiled. “You’d be stuck forever as something less than human.”
I shuddered and looked away from Simon’s gleaming eyes. He had a mesmerizing voice and a knack for ferreting out my deepest desires and fears. And—hell’s bells—I felt a pull. Oh, God. I’d almost leaned toward him.
“I want to see Flo.”
“Of course. I admire your loyalty.” He snapped his fingers and a man emerged from one of the smaller buildings on the edge of the clearing. Flo sagged against him.
“Glory?” She shoved away from the man and ran to me. “Honey, what are you doing here? I’d hoped you wouldn’t—” She turned on Simon. “Bastard! Why are you doing this? Leave my friend alone.”
“Do you feel bad, Florence? Do you want something from me, perhaps?” Simon reached out the hand not gripping me.
Flo whimpered, sounding way too much like Valdez had a few moments before. “Simon, honey, please. I’m hurting.” She actually ran to his side and clutched his hand. “I can make you feel good, baby.” She leaned close and whispered, then rubbed herself against him.
“Not interested.” He released me and snapped his fingers again. The man who’d stood silently by came forward to drag Flo off of him.
“Simon! Why?”
“You bore me, Florence.” Simon smiled at me. “I have someone more interesting here now. We’re about to arrange a trade.”
Flo screeched. Yep, like a smoke detector during a four alarm. In her vocabulary Simon had just insulted her in the worst possible way. “Bore you? Why, I’ll rip out your heart, bastardo. I hate you.” Flo sank to the ground, sobbing and muttering in Italian. Obviously she didn’t have enough strength to rip out anything.
I wanted to run to her and comfort her, but one look at Simon and I knew what I had to do.
“Like I should trust you to make a fair trade.” I looked around. More men had come out of the scattered outbuildings. Women too. Even Greg had made an appearance. Some were armed too. With stakes sharpened to a chilling point.
“You don’t have to trust me, Glory. Now that you’re here, you’re mine.”
“I don’t think so.” I concentrated. Shape-shifting. I hated it. Was terrified of it. And the last time I’d tried it, I’d failed miserably. But the stakes were higher this time. Every other vampire I knew did it without a second thought. I had to concentrate. Will myself to change. If ever I was going to do it, now was the time. And not some puny bird or bat. Nope. I needed to go for broke. Something enormous. That would drain my power and keep me safe from EV siphons and give me some leverage with Simon the bastardo.
I concentrated harder. With a scream that made even me flinch, I morphed into . . . a creature I’d seen on the Discovery Channel.
“Now you’ve done it, Gloriana. You’ll never see your friend cured or your dog restored.”
“Oh, won’t I?” I flapped my wings—got to love that wing span—and rose in the air above Simon. Before he could move, I had him in my talons and carried him high above that shiny gold dome of his.
“Bad choice of homestead, Simon. That pointy thing on the top is gilded wood, isn’t it?”
“Put me down. Help!”
His army stared up at us, then a veritable bat brigade swooped in from the night sky. My shirt jumped. Richard was a man again and beside Flo, pulling her into his arms. One by one, the bats became men and women I recognized. With the advantage of surprise, they managed to disarm Simon’s band.
“Cowards. Take them down. Don’t just stand there.” Simon was trying to grab my claws. “Do you want to feel Honoria’s wrath?”
“Careful, Simon. Look down. If I drop you now, you’ll be skewered. I don’t think EV power means much if you have a stake through the heart, does it?”
He stopped moving. I had him by his jacket. A nice Versace that would have sold in my shop in a heartbeat. That is if it didn’t have those rips where my talons were clutching it. I felt it rip some more.
“Oh, hell. I may drop you anyway.”
“Don’t be hasty, my dear. I can help your dog friend, you know. And I doubt anyone else can.”
“Prove it.” I swooped over the clearing, then hovered over the dome again. I could see Valdez next to Flo. She’d calmed down, Richard’s arms around her. One by one, I identified my friends who had come to help. No sign of Frederick. But Derek was there, Bela, Will, Damian, Diana and . . . Blade, the real one, not the Blade look-alike. He stood by the gold doors and looked up at me like he wanted to throttle me or kiss me or both.
“Kaplan. Get your ass out here and give Valdez your power.” Simon in command mode was apparently hard if not impossible to resist.
“You sure, boss? What’s to keep Glory from dropping you anyway?”
Simon looked up at me. He didn’t look like Jerry now. More like a weasel with a receding hairline. “Good question. I want some guarantees.”
“So do I.” I made another swoop, this time letting the top of the spike brush Simon’s loafers.
“I guarantee to give Florence the antidote and to release her.” Simon looked down. “I think her former lover may be willing to take her back.”
Richard was holding Flo like he’d never let her go and she seemed to be taking a lot of comfort from him. He looked up at me and sent me a mental message to be careful. Yeah, right. Now he remembered me.
“And Valdez? I want a show of faith. Have Greg fix him first.”
“Gloriana, drop him. I’ll take care of the worthless bastard. ” Blade stared up at me, his hands fisted by his sides. I checked out the area. I couldn’t believe it, Mara wasn’t with him.
“No, I’ve got to get Valdez back to normal.” I swooped again, but I felt tired, like this really had drained me in a new and not-so-nice way. I wiggled a talon and Simon shrieked.
“Don’t drop me!” He looked up and tried to whammy me. I could tell. I just brushed past the dome again.
“Fix Valdez.”
“Kaplan, do it.”
Greg grabbed Valdez’s leash and pulled him into the domed building. I heard a humming sound. God knows what kind of device the EVs had in there. A fistfight broke out between Blade and one of Simon’s followers. Maybe an EV. I didn’t know or care, but I was relieved when Blade managed to knock out the other guy.
Obviously the EVs were so busy turning their power into saleable commodities, they didn’t reserve a whole lot of power for themselves. Take Simon, for instance. No way could I have held a vamp like Jerry this way. No matter what form I took, he’d have managed to do me one better and overpower me.
The door opened and Valdez pranced out.
“Shit, Glory. Look at you. That a pterodactyl?” Got to love a dog who’ll watch the Discovery Channel with you.
“Yes, puppy.” The ground blurred and I heard Simon yelp. I’d swooped a little too low and he’d scraped his leg on the spire. I saw blood drip on the gold dome. I sniffed. Sarah’s perfume had been swept away in my change and I could smell Simon’s very rich, very potent blood. For a moment I wavered, feeling a pull deep in my gut. Feed from Simon? No way. No how.
“Final guarantee, Simon. You let us all leave here, safe and in one piece, power intact.” I swooped again, this time shredding his pants. More blood. God, the smell. This was a bad idea. My fangs were full out and I could almost taste him.
“Put me down, Gloriana. I’ll let you taste me. You can feed from me. It will give you a rush unlike any you’ve ever known.”
I jerked when something brushed my cheek.
“Don’t do it, Glory.” Blade was in blackbird form, flying next to me. “He’s a liar.”
“Swear a solemn oath. You capable of that, Simon?”
“Drop him, Glory. I’ll be all right.” Flo had managed to pull herself together. She stared up at me. “But he has to keep his word if he swears in Honoria’s name or no one will follow him. These people will do anything for that demon.”
“Sounds like a plan. Swear away, Simon.”
“Ungrateful, bitch!” Simon shouted down at Flo. “You were never as great as you thought you were. I’ve had better sex with a were-duck.”
Flo screamed and hurled herself into the air. No power though. Instead of changing as she’d obviously planned, she fell to the ground at Richard’s feet. He picked her up and cradled her against his chest.
That did it for me. I swooped again. “I think I’d do better to skewer you here and now. Honoria would probably be grateful.”
“I wouldn’t anger Honoria if I were you. And I have fellow EVs on the Council. Kill me and they’ll never stop hunting you. You’ll not live long enough to enjoy your mangy dog.”
“Hey, asshole. I’m not mangy. I could whip your skinny ass.”
I grinned to hear Valdez back in top form. Blade hovered near me.
“Drop him, sweetheart. We’ll figure things out.”
“No, I think we can make a deal.” Simon said it quietly, like he didn’t want the guys down below to know he was scared.
“Deal? Flo needs an antidote and we need to be able to get the hell out of here in one piece.” I was so damned tired. These leathery wings were unbelievably heavy and every flap took a lot out of me. I barely scraped above the top of the dome.
“That can be arranged. First, call off your people. We don’t need a war now, do we?”
I looked down at my friends, seemingly in control of any ground war. My people. Like I was in charge? I felt a surge of energy.
“What’s the matter, Simon? You afraid Honoria will gobble you up if you lose too many men? I’ll get my people to back off if you—” Simon tried to grab one of my talons and I saw his coat rip some more. “Keep squirming and this discussion won’t matter. You’re hanging by a shred, King.”
“All right. Name your terms. But keep it quiet. There’s no reason the peasants need to hear our agreement.” His voice was barely a whisper.
“This whole deal is really bad for your image, isn’t it? Wonder if the ‘peasants’ know that’s how you think of them.” God, but I was exhausted. I felt Blade beside me, willing me to be strong. It helped and I gained altitude. “Swear that you will leave me, my friends and my dog alone from now on.”
“I swear that I will not harm you, your friends or your dog.”
“Louder.” I swept my beak toward the crowd gawking up at us.
“Honoria won’t like—”
“Screw Honoria.” Oh, boy. Thunder clapped, lightning sizzled nearby and the golden dome actually glowed. Most of the “peasants” fell to their knees and started praying frantically. I felt the electricity in the air and was tempted to skewer Simon and fly out of there as fast as my leathery wings could carry me.
“Say it, Simon. Loud and proud. You will not harm me, my friends or my dog. Not now, not ever. And swear it on Honoria’s sacred bible.” More thunder. Wind whipped around me, making it hard to keep altitude. I flapped my wings, gripped Simon tighter and felt him shaking. Maybe Honoria would gobble him up for making such a poor showing here. I couldn’t stress over it, I had a little thing like survival on my mind.
“I swear that I will not harm you, your friends or your dog. Not now and not ever. I swear it on Honoria’s sacred bible.” Twin bolts of lightning shot from the dome, barely missing both of us.
“Hmm. I’d say the lady’s pissed. But it works for me.”
“Then put me down now, you bitch.”
“Potty mouth.” I looked at Blade. “What do you think? Is it a done deal?”
“If you aren’t going to drop him, then end this. Put him down, Glory, and let’s get you the hell back to human form.” Blade dove toward the ground.
Oh, shit. Back to human form. All my old fears rushed right past the adrenaline that had helped me change in the first place. I dropped toward the ground, so hard and fast that Simon actually bounced when we landed.
“Son of a bitch!” He gestured and two of his men ran to help him to his feet.
“Concentrate, Glory. You can do it. Change back.” Blade, Flo, Richard, all my friends crowded around me. Or as close to me as they could get with my twenty-foot wing span. Some faced out, like they were guarding me. Sweet.
“I’m so tired.” My wings lay on the ground and I felt mud beneath my cheek. A pterodactyl. If I got stuck with a beak that made Cyrano de Bergerac look snub-nosed, I’d . . .
“You’re Gloriana St. Clair, a blood-sucking vampire. Let me see you, Blondie.” Valdez licked my cheek.
My cheek. My human cheek. “I did it!” I laughed, sat up and looked down. Yep, I was back to my old, slightly chubby self, complete with muddy running shoes instead of some really wicked talons. Wonder Freakin’ Woman.
Simon Destiny had disappeared inside his domed building. I heard the sound that probably meant he was being powered up. His word or not, I wasn’t waiting around to find out.
“Let’s go.” I grabbed my T-shirt, but Blade took it and gently wiped mud off my cheek before he handed it to me again.
“I like the way you look in the Kevlar, Gloriana. Today you proved you really are amazing.”
I soaked in the praise, then looked around. “Thanks, love, but would someone drive us the hell out of here?” I was all for the juicy reunion thing, but not while surrounded by EVs giving me the hairy eyeball. I hopped in the Hummer, Valdez right behind me. He leaped into the backseat.
“I can drive us, Glory.” Richard helped Flo into the back. “I saw the way we came in, I can get us out of here.”
“Wait! What about Flo’s antidote?”
“Go. I don’t want it.” Flo leaned against Valdez. “I don’t trust Simon to give me the right thing anyway. Let’s go. I can beat this by myself.”
“Get in, Jerry.” I hopped out again. “Flo can ride up here. We can sit in the back.”
“No, I want to make sure you’re well away from here before Simon comes out. I’ll meet you back at your place, Glory.” Blade leaned into the car and gave me a soul searching, heart melting kiss.
God, but I’d missed him. I grabbed his hair and kissed him back, letting him read that. Then I glanced around the clearing. “Promise me you’ll go ahead and leave here. Don’t try to do anything stupid, like take on these EVs and their drones.”
Blade frowned. “They need to pay, Gloriana.”
“You’re seriously outnumbered. Even if their power levels are low, they’re bound to launch a counterattack as soon as they get over their shock at being invaded. Get our friends to safety.” Yep, I’d read him right. It wasn’t like Jerry just to let a woman save the day. And I had, hadn’t I? I looked at him for a long moment, until he nodded and gestured toward the rest of the troops.
“As you wish. Now get out of here.” He slammed the car door. Richard put the car in gear and we lurched forward.
“I’m sorry, Glory. This is all my fault.” Even Flo’s voice was weak.
“Nonsense, Florence. Simon came to Austin to be with his son. You didn’t see Frederick there just now, did you, Glory?” Richard kept his eyes on the rough track, expertly driving the Hummer through mud and over rocks. I was glad he knew how to get home, because I was totally lost.
“No, Freddy wasn’t there. But I can’t say I blame him. His father is a powerful man. He’d probably be reluctant to declare open war on him. And we did okay without him. We had plenty of help.”
“I’m sure as shit glad to be back. What the hell happened to me? One minute I’m outside the church, eyes peeled for trouble and then zilch.” Valdez sighed and laid his head on Flo’s lap. “I woke up with that machine stuck on me. Like a freakin’ shop vac, only more like a leaf blower. Whomp! I’m me again.”
“I know, puppy.” Flo rubbed his ears and looked at me. “Will you ever forgive me, Glory? You had to change! I know you hated that.” Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “I got us all into this because of my involvement with Simon. I think . . .” She stared at the back of Richard’s head. “I think he did a, what you call, whammy on me.”
“Of course he did. You acted totally out of character.” I reached back and squeezed Flo’s hand. “I felt it, the pull. And then there’s the whole Brad Pitt thing. I know he’s your dream guy.”
“Yes, Simon’s very handsome.” Flo pulled her hand away. “And sometimes generous.” She showed me a nice size emerald ring on her left hand. “I have a souvenir at least.” She held out her hand, which was shaking, by the way, and admired the beautiful green stone. “I guess I should have thrown it in his face as a ‘screw you’ gesture. But he picked out my fantasy ring. Hard to give up.”
Throw it in his face? Yeah, right. Ever read “The Girl’s Guide to Immortality”? A book I really should write someday. Rule number one: Never return gifts, especially expensive jewelry. A woman who may have to support herself forever needs all the help she can get. Okay, so I’d turned down that Mercedes Blade kept dangling in front of me. For purely practical reasons. Do you know what the insurance and upkeep would have cost me?
I smiled at Flo. “You should definitely keep it. Or sell it and keep the money if looking at it creeps you out.”
Flo slipped it off her finger and put it in my hand. “Sell it. I don’t want anything to remind me of that gut-sucking bastard. And I’ll use the money to buy something completely different.”
I jammed the ring into my pocket. “How are you feeling, Flo? Still in VV withdrawal?”
She nodded. “I’m really, really weak, like I want to just lie down and die. And yet when I lie down, I crave—” She looked at Richard again. “I hope this gets out of my system soon. I can’t stand feeling so out of control.”
“We’ll help you, Florence. Won’t we, Glory?” Richard turned the car onto a paved road. “We’ll be home in about an hour, with a few minutes to spare before sunrise. Lie back and close your eyes. Rest. You too, Glory.”
I was glad to close my eyes. Shape-shifting had really taken it out of me. Like I was drained, energy wise. Well, that was a good thing. Vow or not, it was okay to be too powerless for Simon to want me. I heard a soft snore. Valdez? I grinned. No, it was Flo. And wouldn’t she be mortified to know that? I closed my eyes and dreamed of Blade waiting for me at home. It had been a hell of a day.
Twenty-four
"I think Kelly must have had an EV lover.” Flo lay on the couch, a soft throw over her.
“Kelly?” Blade looked at me.
I nodded toward the stereo. “Kelly Clarkson, American Idol Season One.”
“Listen to this CD. The lyrics. ‘You’re like a drug . . .’ Not to mention ‘Beautiful Disaster.’ Simon. She must know Simon.” Flo picked up a bottle of Fangtastic, frowned, then put it back on the coffee table without tasting it. “Where’s Richard?”
“He’s googling.”
“What?” Flo sat up.
“He bought a new laptop, Flo. He took it home to do research on that building where the EVs are headquartered.” I picked up a map. “He’s found out a lot so far. It used to be a compound. A maharishi something or other built it. His group pulled out of Texas after the disaster at Waco.”
“Pah! This is a disaster. Ricardo should be here. Comforting me.” Flo laid a dramatic hand on her forehead. “I don’t want to think about Simon or the EVs. Maybe they will go back to Brazil where they belong.”
“Argentina.” Blade grinned. “You want a cold cloth for your forehead, Florence?”
I frowned at him. I knew good and well who’d have to soak the wash cloth in ice water. Again.
“Flo, honey, don’t you think it’s time you got off the couch? It’s been three days. Time to move on.”
“Three days?” Flo sighed. “It seems like three centuries. How did I ever let myself get so caught up—” She shuddered. “Thank God the withdrawal is over.”
I nodded. “We’re all glad it’s over. We hated seeing you suffer that way.”
Valdez bumped Flo’s arm with his nose. “You tore up your room pretty bad. I think I saw one of your fancy silver sandals under the bed.”
“My God!” Flo sat up. “I really was out of my head.”
“Listen. I’ve got to go down to the shop tonight. The art student’s coming back to study the mural for his dissertation. He would love to meet the artist.” I was perched on the arm of Jerry’s chair, leaning against him. His hand landed on my thigh. “It’s an amazing mural. He really admires your technique.”
“I’m a mess.” Flo touched her hair, then sniffed and wrinkled her nose. “It will take me at least an hour to pull myself together.”
“I’m sure he’ll wait.”
“Then I’ll do it.” Flo tossed the throw on the floor and hurried toward her bedroom, muttering something about her shoe collection.
I picked up the remote and turned off the stereo.
“That’s a relief. Flo’s played that same CD over and over again ever since we got back.” Valdez jumped up on the couch and settled into her place.
“Where’s Will, Gloriana?” Blade grabbed the bottle of Fangtastic, sniffed it, then took a swallow. “I’m sorry he hasn’t worked out better.”
“He’s across the hall. He and Lacy are whipping up a Thanksgiving dinner. Can’t you smell it?” Not working out? He’d made it to the EV showdown, but that was about all I could say he’d done right. Will was a persistent source of irritation with his shape-shifting and cooking. Producing delicious smells for foods that I couldn’t taste. I’d even tried the virtual eating with him. No luck yet. He’d taste, I’d probe his brain and yet I couldn’t quite pull it off.
“Today was Thanksgiving. I guess the holiday doesn’t mean much to me.” Blade rubbed my arm.
I threw up a block and remembered a certain Thanksgiving Day parade . . . Wrong man, wrong time. I hadn’t even bothered to tape the parade this year, like I’d done every year for decades so I could watch it when I woke up. Now that I knew why I’d been so hooked on it, I was over it. No withdrawal necessary.
“What it means to me is a big shopping day. The day after Thanksgiving. That’s why I’m opening at midnight. The holiday’s late this year, close to Christmas. We’re going to have a big after-Thanksgiving sale.”
“You’ve become quite a businesswoman, Gloriana.” Blade pulled me down to his lap and sent Valdez a mental message because he jumped off the couch and disappeared into my bedroom.
“Any word from Mara? Is she any closer to taking out Westwood?”
“No. And I’ve told her she’d be wise to give up for now. It’s become an obsession with her. I’m afraid it will make her careless.” Blade ran his hand up under my short plaid skirt and rubbed my knee through my tights.
“You’re not going after her, are you?” I wished we had more time and I had on fewer clothes. I could feel Blade’s need for me against my hip. Our juicy reunion had been postponed because of Flo’s illness, some intense meetings with Frederick and CiCi and Blade’s own business interests, which had needed some attention after his long absence.
“No. She’ll probably visit her family in Scotland when she gets tired of stalking Westwood. Which should be soon. The man’s impossible to get to.”
“Any word on Simon and the EVs?”
“You’ve made a powerful enemy there, Gloriana. I’m worried about you. You humiliated him and Simon’s obviously a proud man.” Jerry’s hand wandered even higher. “Frederick and Richard believe Simon will keep his word for now. Seems swearing on Honoria’s bible means more than you’d think. He breaks that vow and the EVs will be looking for a new leader.” Jerry frowned. “But he left a loophole, the way he worded it. It didn’t hit me until after we had cleared out of there. He said ‘I’ not ‘We’ when he was swearing, like maybe he could send a hit squad out after you anyway.”
“Will we ever just get to live peacefully? No threats, no problems?” I deliberately put my fear on the back burner. Loophole. Of course. Simon hadn’t risen to king by being stupid. But I was not about to let EV worries ruin my reunion with Jerry. I ran my hand over his chest.
“We can dream.” He held me close and I felt the slow thud of his heart under my hand.
“Speaking of dreams, Will is upset. Seems he and Lacy didn’t win the lottery last night. Did you really saddle me with an addicted gambler?”
“He’s a good fighter. And in a way, I was desperate. Hard to find a man who’ll play dog these days. And Rafael only has a few more months on his contract. I was hoping Will would work out. He has some serious debt and needs the money.”
My stomach churned. I was going to lose my latest Valdez? Do you have any idea how hard it is to break in a new bodyguard? Not to mention that I’d grown really, really fond of my current furry friend.
“Well, my next Valdez will not be William Kilpatrick. For one thing, he won’t stay in dog form.”
Jerry frowned. “Yes, I noticed that. And have docked his pay accordingly.”
“And I also don’t fancy having Mara’s brother underfoot. He’s a wild card. Unpredictable. I need a Valdez I can bond with. I don’t see that happening with a man I’ve seen . . . as a man. Valdez, I mean Rafael . . .” I still had trouble with that name, but it did seem to fit. “Rafael’s just a dog with attitude to me because I’ve never seen him in any other form. I can deal with that.” I looked up at Blade. “Of course now that I’ve demonstrated my own awesome powers, maybe you’ll accept that I can take care of myself. No bodyguard necessary.”
Jerry shifted me until I sat facing him. “This body should always be guarded carefully.” He ran his hands up my hips and around my waist.
“When I think I could have been stuck as a pterodactyl . . .” I shuddered. “Those things are damned ugly. Good defense or not, shape-shifting is still not anything I want to do on a regular basis. Not unless there’s a dire need for it.”
“But you made an awesome winged dinosaur. Everyone who was there has talked of nothing but your magnificence when you dangled Simon over the dome. I know I’ll never forget the sight.”
“And I’m afraid Simon will never forget it either, you’re right about that.” I pushed myself off Jerry’s lap and held out my hand. “But that’s something to worry about another night.” I glanced at the clock. “Valdez, get your furry butt out here.”
“You called?” Valdez came out with an empty Twinkie wrapper stuck to his paw. He’d been heavily into the junk food since his return to normal. And I sure wasn’t denying him anything.
“Go across the hall and stay with Will and Lacy until time to go downstairs. Tell Will to give you some turkey and dressing. I’ll get you both on my way down.” I threw open the door and knocked on the one across the hall. I didn’t wait for an answer, just slammed my apartment door and locked it. I’d heard the shower go on and knew Flo would be in there at least twenty minutes.
“What’s on your mind, Gloriana?” Blade grinned, because he always could read me.
“A juicy reunion. I think we both deserve one. Don’t you?”
Twenty minutes was a good start, but not nearly enough time. I was grinning though, when I threw on my clothes again, Jerry a well satisfied and interested observer. I had less than five minutes to get downstairs.
“Um, Jerry. When you looked at Simon, who did you see?” Okay, a shot in the dark. Maybe Simon had to consciously make a person see him that way. But if Jerry said, “I saw you, Gloriana.” Well, wouldn’t that be cool?
“I saw an ordinary man, Glory. No one special.” He sat up and pulled me to him. “Why? Did he have a power I don’t know about?”
“Forget him and his powers.” I kissed Jerry and turned to go.
“Wait. I have a present for you.” Jerry rolled out of bed and picked up his pants. “I know you lost your cell phone.”
“Yes, that damned Greg Kaplan took it.” I grinned when I saw what Jerry held in his hand. “Is that what I think it is?”
“A new phone. The latest technology including . . .” He pulled me close again. “A camera. It even takes videos.”
“Thank you.” I sighed and leaned against him. “Hmm. You got one too?
“You bet.” He rubbed my back.
“Call me later?” I grinned, my mind whirling with endless possibilities.
“Count on it.” Jerry kissed me and pushed me toward the door.
I stopped in the doorway and gave him my best sultry look. “Call me, Jerry. And don’t be surprised if a pterodactyl answers.”
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada
(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand
(a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196,
South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
REAL VAMPIRES LIVE LARGE
A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author
PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley trade edition / July 2007
Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / April 2008
Copyright © 2007 by Gerry Bartlett.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
eISBN : 978-1-436-22442-0
BERKLEY® SENSATION
Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY SENSATION and the “B” design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
http://us.penguingroup.com
