Real Vampires Get Lucky (22 page)

"Did Mark and Joey leave without us?" The girls had come out of their dressing rooms, obviously anxious to show off the gowns they'd tried on.

"I think they went for coffee next door. I had some coupons for free drinks." I searched the counter and came up with two more for Mugs and Muffins. "Those gowns look great on you. New Year's Eve is coming up. Why not surprise the guys?"

"Good idea." The girls hurried back into the dressing rooms, and I sagged against the counter.

"Naughty Mag." Mara twitched her hips and a charm bracelet I'd had on display near the poodle skirts fell to the floor. "I'll see if I can hurry her along. And tell her to suggest to the guys that they just had coffee."

"God, Jerry, please get them out of here. And why the hell didn't you back me up with your mother?"

"I'm sorry, Glory. But I want you two to get along. If I made a scene here . . ." He ran a hand through his hair. "Damn it, I thought that this might give you a chance to show off how successful you've become. That you and Ma might actually come to respect each other." He turned when Mag emerged from her dressing room with the two students. They were pale but seemingly none the worse for wear.

They were talking about the coffee they'd had while one of them paid for his book. They decided to go back to the coffee shop to wait for the girls and left before their girlfriends came out to pay for their dresses.

"I must say, Gloriana. There are advantages to being a shopkeeper in a town like this." Mag carefully dabbed at her lips with a hanky, her cheeks pink. "You have quite a nice setup here. Though why you bother drinking the synthetic with such a nice supply of the fresh is a puzzle to me."

I was speechless. Yes, really. Well, until Mara tried to ease toward the door, her pockets bulging.

"Ahem." I put a hand on her shoulder. "Didn't you see a few things you liked?" Mara gave me a dirty look. "Here?"

A new customer came in, so I decided to send Mara a mental message.
"Do I have to do a strip search?"
Mara stiffened, then pulled the teddy, a sweater, black leather gloves, a silk scarf and three hankies out of her pockets.

"Jeremiah, dear, would you be so kind as to charge these for me? Mara, let me give them to you for Christmas." Mag never looked my way, though she had to know about Mara's light fingers.

Jerry merely nodded, obviously glad to get the women out of the shop. They were almost out the door when Diana and Damian came in.

"Lady Campbell, I had no idea you were in town." Damian bowed and kissed a blushing Mag's hand. "My sister will be delighted. Hello, Mara."

Diana hit him with her elbow. "Introduce me, Damian."

"Certainly. Lady Campbell, please allow me to introduce Diana Marchand. She owns Mugs and Muffins, the charming little coffee shop next door."

"Oh, Lady Campbell, I'm so honored to meet you. Jerry's mother, of course." Diana flushed, and, gag me, curtsied. Mag was actually pleased as she glanced at me to see if I noticed how at least one person here knew how to accord her the proper respect. Of course Diana's respect was slightly tarnished by the fact that her Jugs, I mean Mugs and Muffins T-shirt barely contained her ample chest.

"Hi, Mara." Diana had already met Mara and knew she had her sights set on Blade. Since Diana's
my
friend, her greeting was rather cool. Mara was so busy pilfering costume jewelry she didn't even bother to look up.

"The reason we came by is that Diana and I are hosting a party at the castle." Damian's smile included everyone in the room, even my new clerk Jasmine, whom he'd met exactly once. Fortunately all the mortals had left the store. "A Winter Solstice Ball." You've got to understand that winter solstice is huge in the vampire world. The longest night of the year. Naturally it's party time. I've been to some really great winter solstice blowouts over the years, quite a few of them with Jerry. I'd just turned to him when Mara dropped the crystal necklace she'd decided not to steal and grabbed Jerry's arm.

"My first winter solstice without Mac!" Oh, great. Here came the hanky. "You
will
escort your mother and me to the ball, won't you, Jeremiah?"

Jerry gave me a desperate look. "I thought you and Ma might be going to Paris, Mara. And if I go to a party, I'll take Gloriana, of course."

Score! I wanted to take a victory lap around the shop. Instead I wrapped an arm around Jerry's waist. "It sounds like fun. Costumes?"

"Of course. And a band for dancing." Diana dared approach Mag. "We're calling it A Night at the Movies. Everyone should come dressed as a character from a movie they love. I think themes just add to the fun, don't you, Lady Campbell?"

"I suppose. If it's done in good taste." Mag eyed Diana's T-shirt like she was doubtful the owner of a coffee shop had a clue what good taste was.

"Oh, I'm letting Damian guide me." She smiled and put her hand on his arm. "And then there's Prince Igor of Transylvania. I've persuaded him to come for the ball by making it a fund-raiser for one of his favorite charities. He said after the party he'll go on to Paris for the Countess von Repsdorf's Christmas open house. Perhaps you can do the same." Diana sighed. "I swear the aristocracy of Europe is so special. Y'all lead such glamorous lives."

Mag smiled. "Why, my dear, it can be positively exhausting. But your little soiree sounds charming. And if Igor will be here . . ."

"He promised. I got an e-mail from him just last night." Diana grinned at me. "Did you know that he owns a company that makes synthetic blood? It's a new one. Bloodthirsty."

"I love that brand! It's even better than Fangtastic." I could see Mag's disapproval. "Those booths in back are dressing rooms, Mag. Not privacy spaces for draining my customers."

"You didn't!" Diana gasped.

"Vampires need to go to the source, not settle for nonsense like this Bloodthirsty," Mag sniffed. "I find it hard to believe Igor is involved in such an enterprise. He owns many companies, but this sounds common." Mag glanced at me, like that was about what she'd expect from a mere shopkeeper.

"Ma, I think we should go." Even Jerry had noticed Mara's interest in filling her shopping bag with extras. "Glory, would you bill me for any extra items that"-he glanced at Mara-"you know."

"Sure, Jerry. And call me later. We'll talk about costumes." I removed Mara's hand from an earring display and walked her to the door. "Perhaps we should go as Romeo and Juliet."

Mag gasped. "Really, Gloriana, don't you know that couple came to a bad end?"

Diana to the rescue. "Lady Campbell, I'm sure you have excellent taste. What would you suggest for appropriate costumes?

Damian and I have been trying to decide what to wear. Not that we're a couple. Just good friends supporting one of Prince Igor's worthy causes." She held the door for Mag, winking at me just before the door closed. Diana lost points with Mag though, just outside. I heard Diana squeal and sounds of a scuffle. Apparently Randolph had stuck his head out of Mag's tote, and Diana thought rats had invaded the building. You can understand how the owner of a food establishment would want to rid the area of such a pest. Diana's pretty wicked with a purse and her right arm. Fortunately, Randolph's immortal, with remarkable healing powers. But Diana will have to grovel some to get back into Mag's good graces. I breathed a sigh of relief when the Campbell party finally drove off. At least the end result didn't seem too bad. Winter Solstice Ball first, Paris next. And Jerry and I could celebrate his birthday privately. Just the way we liked it. With visions of Mother Campbell flying like a bat out of hell (literally) across the Atlantic, I headed upstairs an hour before dawn and sacked out early. A good thing I got an extra hour's rest, because I was sure going to need it. Thirteen

When I woke up at sunset, I knew something was off. For one thing Valdez was grinning at me from the foot of the bed. He's usually not all that cheerful after a day of guard duty. Not that I figure he's awake all day. But he likes me to
think
he's suffering on some kind of high alert from dawn to dusk.

"She's really done it this time."

"Who?"

"Lucky. Who else has been a pain in your backside since the moment we found her?"

"What did she do?" I sat up and pushed my hair out of my eyes. That's when I realized I wasn't alone in the bed. "Holy crap! Who the hell is this?"

"Don't know."

"Dead or alive?"

"In between. I don't think he's dangerous right now or I'd have already chewed his ass."
And what an ass. Muscular, tanned and toned to perfection. Male, very male. This was a guy who obviously had a private beach or a pool somewhere and loved the sun. Long legs with a pair of slim feet attached that shouldn't have crawled into my bed without a wash. But back to that ass . . . And up to a trim waist, broad shoulders and a tangle of black hair worn longer than most guys I know. I couldn't see his face. He was sprawled out and turned away from me, that beautiful hair in the way. I started to just crawl over there and take a peek. Hmm. Not just yet.

"How did he get here? I know I went to bed alone." I sniffed. Definitely vampire and vaguely familiar in a creepy, gag-me sort of way. "Vampires don't sleepwalk. And he'd have fried anyway unless he came from somewhere in the building." That undead thing, you know.

"I told ya, this is Lucky's doin'. A special delivery."
Valdez jumped off the bed and picked up an envelope with his teeth. He dropped it in my lap.
"Here's a love note to go with it."

"Screw that. Lucky's not going to just dump a body in my bed and get away with it." A hot body, but that was beside the point. I tore my eyes away from those world-class buns and ripped open the envelope. Hotel stationery and, oh, clever, a few droplets of blood as decoration. I showed it to Valdez.

"Is Lucky a cliché or what?"

"Just read it, Glory."
Valdez settled on the foot of the bed again.
"Her goons had him all wrapped up in some kind of special
silver thermal material. Sun resistant. Said they got it at a sporting goods store. Seemed real proud that they'd thought of
it. Dumb jocks."
Valdez snorted.

"Not so dumb. It worked, didn't it?" I was back to bum staring.

"Yeah, well, they brought him in. Stripped off his clothes, what there were of them, tossed them in the living room, then
dumped the guy in bed with you. I gave them hell. I did. One will be walking with a limp, I promise you that. But it was two
against one. No, make that three. Beth was with them. Not that she did much but wring her hands and try to talk them out
of it."

"Beth, you mean Brittany." I gave Valdez a hard look. "And you two used to be together?"

"Yeah, well. Ancient history. She dumped me. But she was just following Lucky's orders this time. I didn't want to get her
fired. Remember, Glory, she's a working stiff just like I am. She already made one mistake when Lucky got attacked, so
she's got to be careful. She was sticking her neck out by making an effort to stop this."

"Sounds like she just made another mistake if she took off and left Lucky unguarded to come over here with the goons."

"Oh, there are more goons. Four in all. Old man Carvarelli sent a damned army to watch over his little girl."
Valdez nudged the letter.
"You ever gonna read this thing?"

"Yeah, yeah." I was steamed. "How cowardly can you get? Sending me a 'package' after I'm dead to the world." Well, naked-guy package. Maybe Lucky thought she was doing me a favor, assuming Naked Guy woke up happy to be here. I looked down at the letter again. Blood. Not a good sign.

"Okay, I'll read this out loud, and we'll both see what we're up against. 'Dear Glory.' " At least she was finally consistently remembering my name. " 'I'm sure you'll recognize Israel Caine.' " I looked up at Valdez. We both jumped to the other side of the bed. I grabbed that dark hair and pulled it aside. "Holy shit, it really
is
him."

"Flo's going to go ape wild."

"
I'm
going to go ape wild." I sighed, then sighed again. Now that I had a clue, I noticed his trademark tattoos, a star of David on his right bicep, a Celtic cross on his left. Not only was I hooked on his music, but I'd read about the world-famous rock star in a fanzine. Israeli mother, father who was Jewish too but had emigrated to Ireland and started passing himself off as Irish. Parents always at odds with each other. His dad had been a singer himself, out on tour when baby Ray (his nickname) had been born in Dublin.

Mom had gotten even with Dad by hanging the name on him and having a rabbi on hand with the whole circumcision thing before Daddy was even told the baby'd been born. Messy divorce followed. At least that's what the magazine claimed. I fought the urge to smooth the tangle of hair, imagining the little boy in the middle of parental wars.

Israel Caine, Ray to his friends. The guy was every woman's fantasy. Including mine. He sang sexy love songs like he was singing just to you, making love to you with his music. Flo and I were absolutely addicted. When we'd heard he was giving a concert here in Austin, we'd gone nuts. That concert was-oh, shit-tonight!

"Okay, I can handle this. Israel Caine is in my bed. Fine. He'll wake up, run out of here, and I'll never see him again. Where's my camera phone? We should get a picture of this."

"Yeah. Strip off and we can pretend you did the big nasty with him. Torment Flo with it when she gets home."
Valdez jumped off the bed, then on again. He was almost as excited as I was. I figure he's a fan too, despite all his whining when we play the CDs over and over.

Okay, I'm one sick puppy because I actually considered it, posing, pretending we'd-I froze, then fell over, burying my nose in Ray's silky hair.

"Glory, cut the crap and read the letter."

"No, Valdez, you don't get it." Oh, God, this was a disaster. No, worse. I put my hand on Ray's back, tears in my eyes. Lucky had a lot to answer for. Israel Caine was an institution, for God's sake, worshiped by millions of women, especially when he sang a slow love song. Even men loved his hard-hitting rock and strong, masculine vibe.