Real Vampires Don't Wear Size Six (23 page)

I pushed away from him. “I get that, but how many years should I give you? Two or three hundred?” I knew my smile was rueful as I kicked off my high heels and walked toward the bedroom. “Any word from Ray?”

“He’s asleep now, finally resting.” Jerry followed me. “Not sure I’d bother him. I took him another bottle of synthetic about an hour ago. He had the shakes and obviously was in the throes of some night terrors. Mortals call them delirium tremens. I looked up alcohol withdrawal on the Internet.”

I turned and caught Jerry’s grimace. “Seriously? You’ve been taking care of him?”

Jerry shrugged, obviously almost embarrassed. “Never thought I’d feel sorry for the bastard, but this might do it. He’s got a rough road ahead. But clearly he needs to find another bed. This apartment is getting too crowded.” He gestured at the couch. “Sit. You want a bottle of synthetic?”

“Sure, why not? Thanks. Not sure I can kick Ray out yet though. Not until he’s over this stage. I still feel like his mentor, you know. And the paparazzi are lurking out there, waiting for a photo op.” I sat on the couch, resisting the urge to check on Ray myself. Jerry had actually taken care of everything. I smiled at him as he brought me the cold drink, poured into a goblet. Nice.

“Then I’ll move him back to the couch before it’s time for us to go to bed.” Jerry sat close beside me and slipped his arm around me.

“I got something started tonight to satisfy the demons. Freddy’s been reaching out to his father. You can imagine how that’s freaked out CiCi. We’re going to see if Simon is actually interested in defecting. If so, we need to find out how to take out his goddess. That would end the EVs permanently. Then they can all sign over to Lucifer’s team. I’m sure the demons have some incentives to offer them. I called Rafe and told him about it.”

“All right. You brought it up. Let’s talk about this demon thing.” Jerry lost his smile. “How are they forcing you to work for them?”

I realized Jerry had gotten the shorthand version of what Rafe and I were doing. The full story wasn’t going to go over well. And that was an understatement. “They can’t force a good person to do the Devil’s handiwork.”

“Then you’re out of it. Simply refuse and walk away. Let the shifter take care of Destiny and his goddess. Hell, Glory, you remember what it was like out there. No way are you getting anywhere near that cesspool again.” Jerry snugged me closer.

“I can’t abandon Rafe, Jerry.” I knew he was going to hate this. “He can’t refuse them. He used his demonic powers when I told him I wouldn’t sleep with him again. Flew off the handle.”

“Not against you.” Jerry’s arms tightened around me. “I’ve seen what the man can do. You wouldn’t be here right now if he did.”

“He burned a bush. That’s all. It was freaky at the time, but I know in my heart that Rafe would never hurt me.” I touched Jerry’s tight jaw. “Take my word for that.”

“So he’s got to get them Destiny. Let him. It’s none of your business.” Jerry grabbed my hand. “You’re risking your immortal soul trucking with those creatures.”

“No, I’m not. I’m only making sure an evil person gets what he so richly deserves.” I knew I’d never persuade Jerry to cut Rafe some slack. “And helping someone I care about at the same time. Let it go, Jerry. I’m doing this.”

“It’s insane. You know you can’t trust these demons. They’ll do anything to seduce you to their side.” Jerry looked really worried. “We don’t have any guarantees we’ll live forever, Gloriana. Call me old-fashioned, but I always fancied seeing you in Heaven after this life was over.”

“Oh, Jerry, of course we’ll see each other there.” I kissed his lips. “They’ve tried to get to me already and I laughed in their faces. I won’t be tempted, no matter what they dangle in front of me.” I shivered and looked around. Had I just waved a red cape in front of a bull? I braced myself in case Spyte and Caryon made a sudden appearance. When nothing happened, I relaxed.

“Then I’ll do whatever I can to help you, Gloriana. The sooner this is done, the better. You want Simon Destiny? Just tell me what I can do. I’ve wanted to bring the man down for a long time.” Jerry grinned. “And if we can speed up the process? Even better.”

“God, Jerry. You realize the risk? I mean . . .” I grabbed him and kissed him until we were both breathing hard. “Thank you, Jerry. I love you.” I gave him a leisurely kiss this time that made me wish Ray wasn’t in my bed. When we finally parted, we were both smiling.

“What’s this?” Jerry looked down as Boogie strolled into the room.

“Penny’s cat. Isn’t he sweet?” I reached down and lifted him into my lap. “Poor baby. Did you hide under Penny’s bed when all that horrible fighting was going on?” I glanced at Jerry. “It will never happen again.” I stroked the cat’s fur.

“I like cats.” Jerry reached for the cat and rubbed him between the ears. The cat rewarded him with a loud purr.

“Good to know.” I put the cat back on the floor. “I guess Penny fed him. Her sister came into the shop today. Penny wants to tell her she’s a vampire but it’s going to be a problem. I can see—”

The door crashed open and a wild-eyed Penny ran into the room. She dropped her laptop case on the floor, turned and threw the dead bolts.

“What is it? What’s the matter?” I jumped up and grabbed her shoulders. She was shaking.

“I just did the most amazing thing!” She looked down. “Oh, no! I dropped my laptop.” She picked it up, slid it out of the canvas bag and quickly turned it on. “Okay, no harm done.”

“Penny! You ran in here like the hounds of hell were after you.” I glanced at Jerry. “And, trust me, I know that’s possible. What happened?”

“Well, you remember on the hilltop? When those demons had us?”

“Sure, who could forget?” I could feel Jerry’s eyes boring into my back. I turned to look at him. “One of their tricks. You know how Aggie turns people to stone? Demons do it too. Rafe and I were statues.”

“Yeah, and I was learning to shape-shift. Rafe and Glory were teaching me when the demons came along.” Penny paced into the kitchen, clearly agitated, and I heard the fridge open and close. She came out with a bottle of synthetic and twisted off the cap. She took a gulp, then a breath.

“Anyway, at one point I shifted into a white mouse, just like the lab rats we use for our experiments.” Her eyes filled with tears and she blinked rapidly, then took another chug from her bottle.

“Penny’s a chemistry major, doctor of something.” I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was clearly jazzed and positively beautiful with her eyes alight and her energy seeming to fill the room.

“I specialize in genetic engineering among other things. I’m working on a post-doc.” She waved her hand. “The thing is I had an epiphany.”

“About?” I sat on the arm of the couch. Her energy was wearing me out as she paced the perimeter of the room.

“Those rats, Glory! What had I been doing to those rats? Experimenting, causing mutations, giving them diseases!” Tears overflowed and ran down her cheeks. “God, I couldn’t stand it.”

I grabbed her hand to get her to stop. “Of course not. But you were trying to find cures. For mortals. It’s what scientists do.”

“But I can’t do it anymore. Not after I knew what it was like from the rat’s point of view. I was tiny, defenseless.” Sob. “That demon just tossed me from one hand to the other like I was a thing to him, of no consequence.” Another sob. “Then I went into the lab tonight and saw all those cages with all those sweet faces peering up at me.” She dropped her head to my shoulder, unable to speak.

I patted her back and looked at Jerry. “Of course it would be impossible to do that anymore. I understand. Maybe you can change to a different kind of research. Use plants or—” I shut up. What the hell did I know about science?

She raised her head and grabbed a tissue from a box by the computer. Guess this wasn’t the first crying jag to come up over the rat question. She blew her nose and the beauty thing vanished.

“Forget the research. I had to do something to save them. To keep them from any more pain.” She tossed that soggy tissue and grabbed a fresh one.

“Save them?” I stepped back from her. “What did you do, Penny?”

“Well, first I disabled the security cameras.” She smiled at Jerry. “I’m really good at that kind of thing and I don’t want to be booted out of the program for theft, you know?”

“Certainly not.” Jerry nodded. “Good to know you’re skilled at security.”

“Thanks. Anyway”—she wiped her cheeks—“I got a traveling cage and started filling it. It took three cages to get them all. A couple were too sick and I, I had to put them down.” She took a shaky breath. “That was so hard, but the merciful thing to do. I wasn’t going to allow them to suffer another minute for science.”

I shook my head. I was no scientist and never wanted to be one. “So where are these rats now, Penny?”

“Well, I knew I had to be careful. These are domesticated white rats. Where could I take them that they’d be safe and cared for? And the university would find them if I just dropped them off at the local animal shelter. They’d demand them back.”

“Yes, they would.” Jerry spoke up. “I imagine they have identifying marks on them, don’t they?”

“Yes, of course. They’re tagged. That’s important when you’re running controlled experiments.”

“So where are they, Penny?” I was very afraid I knew the answer.

Suddenly slumping and trying to put on a shy and supplicating façade, she looked at me.

“Oh, no, you didn’t.” I leaped over the couch and grabbed Boogie. “Your cat and I cannot live with a dozen white rats.”

“Actually it’s more like fifty-three.” Penny’s face was flushed.

“Fifty-three?” From the doorway, Ray’s voice was strong, his laughter the first sign that he might live through withdrawal. “Oh, Glory, and you thought
I
was a handful as a fledgling.”

Jerry actually helped Penny drag three cages of white rats upstairs. Boogie and I retreated to my bedroom and closed the door. Sorry, but I just couldn’t see cute and rat in the same sentence. I made Penny promise to keep them in her room. Which was going to be a squeeze. Too bad.

“She’s going to have to buy more cages,” Jerry announced once he coaxed me out of my bedroom.

“I can smell them from here. Boogie’s pacing in front of her door, just looking for an opportunity to get in. Some fun, eh, Glory?” Ray patted my knee. He and Jerry were sitting on either side of me on the couch.

“The council is definitely compensating me for this. I’m calling Damian.” I pulled my cell out of my purse.

“No! You can’t. He won’t understand and the fewer people who know about this, the better.” Penny walked into the living room with Boogie in her arms. “I’ll find a home for them. With one of the animal rights groups. Just give me time.” She smiled and put the cat in my lap. “A few days.”

“What’s going to happen to your research?” I petted the cat while Jerry stared at Ray’s arm on my knee. “Stop it, Ray.” Jerry looked afraid to move, but his fangs were showing when he gave Ray a “grope her and die” look. Ray just grinned.

“It’s ruined.” Penny slumped into one of the chairs. “But that’s okay. I’m vampire now. A whole new life. Don’t know what I’m going to tell my folks though. They were picturing a Nobel Prize in my future. A cure for some obscure disease.”

“Tell them you decided to join the animal rights thing. Saw the light.” Ray grinned at her and threw his arm across the back of the couch to play with my hair. “Or maybe I can hook you up with my pal Ian. He’ll be here this week. I convinced him to check out Austin. You’d dig his research. He’s going to make it possible for us to walk in daylight someday.”

“Glory mentioned that.” Penny leaned forward. “It’s true then that he’s a chemist? She said this daylight thing was temporary though.”

“Right now it is.” Ray winced when Jerry gripped his wrist. “Okay, she’s yours. I get it.” He removed his arm. “But Ian is a genius. I bet he could use a good assistant. I’ll arrange a meeting for you.”

“Not a good idea.” Jerry glared at Ray. “Never trust a MacDonald, Penny. They’re double-dealing cattle thieves.”

“Oh, well, then. Penny, listen to the man. Guard your cattle when you meet Ian.” Ray chuckled. “Did you just
hear
yourself, Blade?”

“Stop baiting him, Ray.” I patted Jerry’s knee. “Jerry has his reasons for mistrusting Ian. There’s an age-old feud going between the families. But also, Ian is tricky. I don’t exactly trust him either and his diet drug gave me weird side effects.”

“But he’s brilliant. You said it yourself.” Penny stood and walked to the breakfast room and her computer. “First, I’m finding a home for the rats. I can’t take the smell and it’s not healthy for them either, it’s so overcrowded. I’m not sure where I’d find enough cages for them at this time of night though.”

“I know where to go.” Jerry got up and headed for the door. “Come with me, Penny. We’ll take my SUV and get what you need.” He turned and pinned Ray with a hard look. “Can I trust you to behave?”

“Really, Jerry, what kind of question is that?” I stood and marched to the door. “You can trust
me
. That’s all you need to know. Now thanks for helping Penny.” I kissed his cheek and watched them both head down the stairs. I knew he’d been trying, but as a “work in progress” he had a long way to go.

I shut the door and turned to Ray. “How are you feeling?”

“Not so hot.” He stretched out on the couch. In low-slung jeans and nothing else, he was still a sight to make a girl drool. “I was putting on a good show, wasn’t I? Didn’t want Blade to know how bad I felt, it’s a guy thing. Though he was actually pretty decent to me before you got home.”

“Yes, you’re obviously a good actor. Jerry doesn’t bother to mask his feelings, the jealous ones anyway. But, like you, if he’s in pain, he’d rather die than let on he’s less than a hundred percent.” I leaned down and touched his forehead under the silky hair that had fallen into his bright blue eyes. “You’re very cold to the touch. Have you fed today? The Bulgarian brew has real blood in it. I’ll bring you some.”