Real Vampires Have More to Love (3 page)

“You’re the bride. You want Ray, I’ll get him for you.” I winced when Flo hugged me a little too enthusiastically. “Easy there, girlfriend. And wait, I have conditions.” Gee, I was on a roll laying down the law, now wasn’t I? But I’d spent several hundred years being the doormat for everyone else to walk on. Those days were over, thank you very much.

“Conditions?” Flo stepped back and gave me a probing look. I blocked her of course. No way was I letting her stroll through
my
thoughts. Not when she never let me see hers.

“The purple dress. Lose the puffed sleeves. Or go back to the black. And this is the last change. Swear it.” I grabbed her shoulders. “Seriously, Flo. I don’t know how you’re managing to get these dresses anyway, but decide already. Concentrate on the important stuff like—”

“The bachelorette party you’ll be giving me!” Flo hugged me again, more gently this time. For someone who’d never been touchy-feely—with women anyway—Flo was being positively mushy.

“You’re kidding. Right? What do I know about stuff like that?” I knew enough to not want any part of it. Male strippers. Too much alcohol. I’d seen movies. Watched TV.

“Hah! I see it in your eyes. You know what to do. Get some hunky men to dance for us. Gather all my girlfriends and we’ll party all night. It’ll be fun.” Flo danced around the room. “Maybe you can have it in Rafael’s new club.”

I bit back a snarky comment. Flo had no girlfriends other than me. She was scraping together
my
friends to get a bridal party. Even the Siren who’d threatened to send me to hell recently was on the list to wear purple. My BFF was all about men and had never bothered to cultivate girlfriends until she and I had bonded over great shoes and designer handbags. I sighed and shook my head.

“Fine, I’ll throw something together. At least there won’t be alcohol involved. How bad could it be?” I had three weeks. Maybe Rafe’s club would be open. Hopefully he’d let me do it after hours and wouldn’t charge me. But with a new partner in the picture . . . And male dancers? Maybe a desperate student—

“Glory, not all of my bridesmaids are vampires, you know. Of course you’ll serve alcohol. And some of those special treats the EVs make for vampires to eat. Don’t worry about cost. I’ll pay. I know you can’t afford this.”

“That’s not fair.” I realized it was the truth, though. Flo liked everything first-class. I had a coach budget.

“Life isn’t fair,
mia amica
. This is my fantasy. So I pay. You be hostess. Send me the bills. We’ll have a blast.” She grinned and picked up her cell phone. “Now I call and order the dresses. When they arrive, I’ll get the seamstress to rip off the sleeves. Yes?”

“Yes. Now I’m running to the store. Rafe doesn’t wear underwear. I’m buying him some. And bigger towels.” I slung my purse over my shoulder, wishing I’d snagged his credit card.

“Whoa. This is interesting.” Flo nabbed me just as I reached the back door. “I get a picture of you and Rafe, that’s our Valdez, eh? And him with no underwear. He’s a fine-looking human now, isn’t he?”

“Sure. You were a better roommate. He cooks, Flo. Tortures me with great smells, then struts around in a tiny towel.” I leaned in. “He’s a friend. That’s all. But I know how to appreciate a great male body, just like you do.”

“Oh, yes. Tell me.” Flo licked her lips. “I’m married, not blind.”

“He’s built. With these cute little dimples . . .” I sighed. “I’m buying him underwear. So he’ll quit flashing his butt at me.”

Flo arched an eyebrow. “So. A friend who flashes you. Seems he wants you to notice him. And not in just a friendly way.
Sì?
”

“Maybe. But I can’t deal with it right now. I’ve got Blade coming to town, thanks to Richard. And Ray to talk to, thanks to you.” I couldn’t help it, I grinned. “Now I’m supposed to consider Rafe as a potential more-than-friend? I just can’t.” Well, I could, but that would make me a megaslut, now wouldn’t it? I jerked open the back door. “I’ve got to go. Tell Lacy I’ll be back in an hour.”

“Right. And do you know Rafael’s size,
mia amica
?”

I grinned. “Thirty-two waist, but otherwise? Extra large, girlfriend, extra large.” I heard her laughter as I shut the door. My aging Suburban sat parked in the alley in its usual spot. I had a fifty-fifty chance that it would start. Past time I traded it in and got a more reliable car, but that budget . . .

I was a foot away from it when I realized I wasn’t alone. I smelled . . . human. Two humans were nearby. I whipped around, suddenly on high alert. Without a bodyguard I had to be smart. A hell of a lot of bad things had happened in this alley. I stuck my key in the door and jerked it to unlock the old car.

I could hear them breathing as they came closer. Damn this lock. It finally gave, and I wrenched the door open and leaped inside. Overreacting? Maybe, but I slammed it shut and locked myself in anyway. Good thing. The woman dressed in black from head to toe who stepped out of the shadows didn’t look friendly. Neither did the large man who stood behind her. In fact, they both had the “Death to all vampires” glare down pat. I stuck the key in the ignition and turned. Nothing but clicks. I slapped the steering wheel. Unreliable hunk of junk.

The woman’s fist in a black leather glove hit my side window. I admit it. I cringed.

“What the hell? I’m calling 911. Go away.” I pulled my cell out of my purse and made a show out of dialing. Not that I would really call the police. Vamps avoid law enforcement.

“I don’t think you’d do that, Glory St. Clair.” She was pale with dark hair tucked into her black baseball cap. Her black leather coat was long and expensive, and I wasted a few seconds calculating the value if I had it in my shop to sell. Nice. Italian. Small size. Too small for me, that was for sure. She had black jeans tucked into equally expensive black leather boots. Okay, so the woman knew how to dress. How did she know my name, and what the hell did she want with me? Bonus question: Why did she have a sumo wrestler with her as backup?

“Who are you? What do you want?” I yelled through the closed window. “Glory who? Never heard of her.”

“I’m Vivien Westwood. And I know you killed my father. You were dumb enough to leave witnesses alive to tell the tale. Now I’m here to get revenge.” She snarled. Perfect teeth, of course, but I wasn’t exactly shaking in my own Gucci knockoff brown leather boots.

Come on, vampire versus human in cute outfit? Even Sumo Guy, who looked like he could bench press my Suburban, would be an easy takedown. I blamed my earlier panic totally on the men in my life treating me like a helpless female. Naturally I’d fall apart at the first sign of trouble. Trouble? Yeah, that crossbow Viv had tucked against her side definitely qualified. So did the stake her buddy pulled out of his pocket.

Damn. Westwood’s daughter. The billionaire techno-freak had had a thing about vampires. He’d really hated me and had stalked me until we’d had the last fatal showdown where I’d killed him with a crossbow a lot like the one his daughter was toting. Self-defense. No jury would have convicted me. Of course a grieving family member wouldn’t care about that. I looked her over. Vivien didn’t exactly look grief stricken.

“I’m sorry for your loss, but I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” No way was I admitting anything.

“You’re a freak. My father wanted to wipe out your kind from the face of the earth. I’m taking over where he left off.”

“My kind? A shop owner with great taste?” I shook my head. “Get a grip, lady. You’ve got the wrong freak.”

Viv wasn’t listening. She nodded at her pal. “Sean, knock out this window.”

“No!” I scooted over to the other side as the Hulk reached in his belt for what looked like a sledge hammer. I jerked open the passenger door and put on vamp speed to get out of there. I felt a sting and realized the bitch had shot at me and scored a hit. Damn. I didn’t slow down, just leaped over a Dumpster, hearing a clang as Vivien smacked the side of it with what I bet was one of those wooden arrows. I didn’t stop, just kept going, grateful for the dark as I ran around the corner and kept going until I found a deserted side street.

My vamp speed paid off, and I’d left my pursuers far behind. To be on the safe side, I jumped up into an old oak tree and straddled a branch. Then I reached back and pulled a wooden arrow from my shoulder. Ouch. Yep, just like her father, Brent Westwood, had used. Rafe had taken one like it in the hip in the same alley. Wooden tip so if it had hit my heart, I’d be history. Nice legacy, Brent. The nut hadn’t fallen far from the tree. I took a moment to thank a higher power that Vivien obviously hadn’t had target practice lately.

The bark was digging into my backside, and I felt like I was going to hurl if I thought too much about how close I’d come to ending my eternal life. Scoping out the area, I climbed down then took off my jacket, frowning at the hole ripped into the red wool. The sweater underneath was probably ruined too. I could tell I was already healing since wood wounds itch like a son of a bitch. Another Westwood. I could hardly believe it.

Underwear and beach towels would have to wait for another night since strolling into a discount store with blood stains wasn’t exactly a low-profile move. I cautiously made my way home, keeping my eyes open for a woman and a not-so-jolly giant, both dressed in black. Geez. Just when I thought my biggest worries were puff sleeves and buff roommates . . .

 

My blood matched my jacket, but that didn’t fool the vampires in the crowd. One whiff and it was fangs down and eyebrows raised for everyone in the back room of my shop.

“You’ve been bleeding.” Richard had arrived while I’d been playing hide-and-seek.

“Yeah, well, I had a run-in in the alley. Still not my favorite place to park.” I shrugged out of my jacket, studied the hole, then tossed the thing into the nearest trash can.

“Gloriana, did I hear Richard correctly?” Jeremy Blade, real name Jeremiah Campbell III, stood in the doorway. The storeroom door was ajar, but it took vamp hearing to pick up on our conversation above the oldies station blaring in the shop.

“Hi, Jerry.” I was ridiculously glad to see him and realized I was grinning like a kid at Christmas. “The wedding’s still weeks away. I’m surprised to see you.”

“Don’t change the subject. Were you or were you not bleeding?” He frowned, looking strong and handsome in a navy sweater and jeans.

“Yes. Westwood’s got a daughter. She was going for the revenge thing with her daddy’s crossbow. She got off a lucky shot. No big deal.” I tried to scratch the wound that was driving me crazy as it healed, but couldn’t quite reach it.

“No big deal?” He marched over to my side and grabbed my shoulders, turning me so he could look at my back. I felt him jerk up my sweater.

“Hey! We have an audience!”

“Don’t mind me.” Richard sounded amused, until I heard him grunt. I imagined Flo had either stomped on his foot or tested her right hook. “I’m going out to the shop. Florence, darling, wasn’t there a piece of jewelry out there you fancied?”

“Yes. And I think you’re going to buy it for me.” Flo stopped to pat my arm. “Are you all right, Glory?”

“I told you, I’m fine.” I winked. “Though I did lose some blood. I feel a little weak. I need to sit down.”

“Damn it, Gloriana, this is what comes from going about without a bodyguard.” Jerry eased me into a chair as Flo headed out of the room behind Richard and closed the door.

“Relax, Jerry. I handled the Westwood chick. But if you want to help me, please scratch where I was hit. It’s itching like crazy.” I sighed and closed my eyes when he did just that.

“You said you’re feeling weak. Do you need to feed from me?” Jerry pulled up another chair and sat close beside me.

I inhaled and felt my fangs go on Jerry alert. No one did it for me like Jerry did. He’d made me, was part of me. I craved him like plants crave the sun. And of course I loved him too. I leaned against him, refusing to take advantage of his kindness. We hadn’t parted on the best of terms. My fault. I wasn’t about to step backward a few hundred years into the whole Jerry dependency thing. Though it was so tempting it hurt.

“No, I’m okay. But thanks.” I smiled at him. “It’s good to see you, Jerry. Why
are
you here? It’s too soon for the wedding. And last I knew you had duties in Los Angeles. Family obligations.”

“My brother is handling them. I had business to take care of here.” Jerry slid his arm around me. “And I didn’t like where we left things. I was worried about you.”

“I told you I could stand on my own two feet, and I’m doing it. Financially and every other way.” Defensive much? Oh, well.

“Tonight’s not a very good example of that.” He gently scratched my healing wound. “She could have killed you.”

My stomach rolled over. It was the truth. And a bodyguard would have been a welcome diversion. As a dog, Valdez had always been front and center when I’d been attacked before, throwing himself between me and danger. I swallowed, my mouth dry and my itchy back suddenly much more than a minor annoyance. It was a freakin’ warning. That the woman would be out there, waiting for another chance.

“Let me hire another bodyguard for you, Gloriana.”

As usual, Jerry had read my mind. And was willing to ride to my rescue.

“No. It’s not right. Just because you made me, doesn’t mean you have to be stuck with me forever. Other vamps make fledglings and let them go. You’ve got to do the same.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Are you comparing yourself to a mere fledgling? You think you’re the only vampire I’ve created? I can think of a dozen off the top of my head.” Jerry stood and walked around the small room. He stopped at the trash can and picked out the red jacket I’d tossed away.

I stared at him with an open mouth. Wasn’t he the one for dropping bombshells. “Since when do you create other vampires?”

“When I was young, I thought I was the next best thing to God, giving people immortality.” He thrust his hand through the hole in my jacket. “Not guaranteed though, is it?”