Real Vampires Don't Diet (33 page)

"Your fan followed the limo to our headquarters. Believe me, the men responsible for ensuring this doesn't happen have been dealt with." Simon stroked Tina's shoulder length hair and she snuggled closer to him. I fought my gag reflex. "Uh, so what are you going to do with her?" Frankly I was surprised she was still alive.

"And why the hell is she acting like that? Like she's crazy about you." Ray apparently didn't care about being tactful.

"She thinks I'm you, of course. The great Israel Caine." Simon smiled, leaned down and gave Tina a kiss. When he started to pull back, she grabbed his suit coat lapels and jerked him down for another big kiss, tongues and all. Simon finally forced her to release him. "Insatiable female. I'm finding it interesting keeping up with her." Okay, the chocolate truffles definitely weren't staying down after that one. I pressed a hand to my mouth and breathed though my nose. Ray just looked at me like, huh?

"I have a unique ability, Caine. I can make myself appear as someone's true desire. Apparently, little Miss Tina's true desire at this time is you." Simon laughed.

"She's been stalking me. That's why she followed the limo. She tried to kidnap Valdez, was going after Glory next. I thought I had taken care of that. Used some mind control."

"Her obsession was obviously too strong for that trick. She still hates Gloriana. Because you plan to marry her. I'll take care of her permanently once I'm no longer amused by her. For now, she makes an interesting pet." Simon patted her bottom and she giggled and whispered in his ear. "Later, my dear."

I shuddered. "Simon, she has a nice mother. She can't just disappear. What about"

"Apparently Tina is quite adept with a computer. I'm putting her to work out here. She's already e-mailed her mother that she's taken a temporary job with a very large salary. Which is true." Simon gestured toward a building behind him. "She'll keep up our Web site. Things like that. I'm much better at mind control than the ordinary vampire. I won't have to terminate Tina when I'm done with her unless she does something to displease me."

"Good to know." Ray slung his arm around me. "But this is the second serious breach of security in your operation. Blade, now a stalker who could have harmed Glory. I think you owe me a favor, Destiny."

"Really? What kind of favor?" Simon leaned down, said something to Tina and she hurried away.

"I'm having a little get-together at my home next Wednesday. I'd like to show some of the local people that I'm not such a new vampire, that I have some connections. You know what I mean?" Ray stepped away from me, like it was time for a man-to-man talk.

"Well, you
are
very new at this." Simon's smile was indulgent.

"Right. But I'm used to being a star. With the kind of respect that brings. The vamps around here don't get it. They aren't showing me the proper deference." Ray squared his shoulders. Even in a terry robe and flip-flops, he was still the kind of man a woman couldn't take her eyes off of. "Hell, I've won Grammys, been on TV, own an island and have more millions than I could spend in a hundred lifetimes." Ray grinned. "Now I'll be living long enough to try, you know what I mean?"

"Oh, yes." Simon visibly relaxed, obviously sensing a kindred spirit. "It's why I love being King of the Energy Vampires. I'm feared, yes, but also respected. Some of the clients who come here are nothing. Living hand to mouth. No talent, nothing special about them. I can see you deserve to take your rightful place as a leader in the vampire community."

"See? I knew you'd get it." Ray glanced at me. "Glory, she doesn't understand. I know you and she had some issues. Old news. Now that she's under my protection, she's safe from any reprisals from you, am I right?"

"Of course." Simon smiled at me. "Would you like my oath on it, Gloriana?" I nodded, sure if I spoke I'd spew chocolate all over his expensive Italian loafers.

"Very well. I swear on Honoria and the EV bible that I will not harm Gloriana as long as she is under Israel Caine's protection."

"Excellent. Feel better, baby?" Ray put his arm around me.

I nodded again. Oh, the nausea. Would we ever get this over with? In my head I was busy counting winter skirts in my closet. I'd already done the purses and the shoes.

"Now about that favor? What did you have in mind, Ray, if I may call you that?"

"Sure, Simon. I just want you to drop by the house. At this little party I'm throwing. Just come by and hang out for a few minutes. Show that I'm the kind of guy who has powerful friends in the vampire world. Wednesday about ten o'clock. Think that'll work? Afterward, maybe we can talk about that endorsement you wanted."

"I wouldn't come alone, of course. And some of your new vampire friends may be afraid of us. Even hate us." Simon looked at me, like he knew that behind the stack of sweaters I was sorting, I hated him with a passion that bordered on the kind of obsession Tina had.

"Even better." Ray got a firm set to his chin that surprised me. "Hey, I'm not in this to make friends. I
have
friends. May even make my best friend vampire before all is said and done. Thing is, respect is what I'm after. I have a feeling you understand that."

"Yes. And perhaps one day we can sit down and discuss what it would take to make you an Energy Vampire. I think you would enjoy the perks. Like constant access to the sunlight rooms." Simon's cell phone vibrated, and he shook his head. "Sorry, I'm expecting a call and need to take this. Please enjoy your last night in the room. I guarantee you'll not be disturbed. I'll post two guards at the door. And I'll see you Wednesday night. Ten o'clock."

"Great." Ray reached out to shake Simon's hand, but I grabbed it and tugged Ray toward our room.

"Come on, baby, I'm ready to see the sun. You've kept me standing here so long, I've had time to totally reorganize my winter wardrobe."

"Oops, better go. Later, dude." Ray waved and we watched Simon walk off talking on his phone.
"What was that about?"

"Never shake his hand. He can do some kind of mind meld on you and know everything despite you singing the top
forty in your head. Trust me. You don't want to touch him."

We spent the rest of the night playing in the water, soaking up the sun and keeping on our swimsuits. I'm sure Simon was disappointed in the video, but I was just anxious to get this visit over with so I could go see Jerry. Mission accomplished as far as Aggie was concerned. Wednesday night all we had to do was lure Simon and company out to the deck and Aggie would take care of the rest. So since it seemed I might live past the full moon after all, I'd better see if it would be with a certain Jeremy Blade in my life or out of it.

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Sunday night I drove to Jerry's house, a morose Valdez in the passenger seat. We might have to walk home or call a cab. The Mercedes convertible actually belonged to Jerry. My old Suburban was dead, though, in the alley behind my shop. The repairs to fix it would cost more than it was worth. Time to either buy a new car or Well, I really couldn't think about practical stuff like that now. I was too busy trying to figure out how to fix things with Jerry.

"So what exactly did you tell Jerry when he found you?"

"For the hundredth time, I said you and Caine were out at the EV headquarters trying to figure out a way to get Simon
to the lake. So the Siren could send
him
to hell instead of you guys."

"See? And we did it. So that part worked out. And here I am. Safe and sound." I gripped the steering wheel. "And you still have a job."

"First he fired me. Because I broke my contract."
Valdez snorted.
"Brittany was the one who explained that you
ordered
me to shift. I wasn't about to go begging for my job back."

"Brit did the right thing."

"Yeah, yeah, but I ended up giving him an extra year tacked onto the end of my contract. Letting you go out there to
the EV hellholewas a big mistake. If nothing else, I should have had Brit make a call to Blade. Letting him know what
you were up to."

"I don't know why Jerry is keeping you on anyway. He's through with me." I was not going to cry again. No point. I'd made a big mistake too. Jerry had caught me with my top down. He had a right to be mad. But we weren't exclusive and he'd said unforgivable things.
I
had a right to be mad. This circular argument had been running nonstop in my head every waking hour since the big showdown. I should take my pride, turn the car around and go home. Let Jerry come repossess it if he wanted it back.

"You still got a chance there, Blondie. Go. Grovel. If Blade didn't still love you, he wouldn't have gone off like that."
Valdez, mind reading as usual, looked over at me when we stopped at a red light.
"I mean, you weren't actually doing it with
Caine when he walked in, were you? "

"No! We didn't, haven't, done 'it.' I'm attracted. I admit it. He's Israel freakin' Caine. You know how I feel about Ray's music. There's something about actually being around the singer of the sexy songs" I accelerated when the light changed. "Hell, I'm getting off to the attention as a rocker's girlfriend too. I've got figure flaws and yet this incredibly hot man is making serious moves on me. Isn't even ashamed to pretend to be engaged to me. Oops." I slipped off my engagement ring and dropped it into my purse.

"Yeah, that would be cool. Walk into Blade's house wearing another guy's ring."
Valdez used his paw to lower the window then stuck his head out, the cold air blowing his fur around his face.
"I bet Blade really went ballistic when he saw that."

"Oh, yeah." I blocked my thoughts. I'd refused to tell Valdez the gory details of just how "ballistic" Jerry had gone. Not even Flo knew it all. Jerry's disdain for me had hurt too much. I pulled up in front of his house and saw the lights were on. Garage door was down so I didn't know if his car was there or not, but I sensed he was inside. I always knew when Jerry was near, and didn't that bring fresh tears to my eyes.

Was I insane to think he'd even let me in? My stomach knotted and I almost hit the accelerator and kept going. But I wasn't ready to give up on us and I had something I needed to say to Jerry.
If
he'd listen to me. So I turned off the engine, took a breath and looked over at Valdez.