Real Vampires Get Lucky (24 page)

I pushed the bottle into his hand. "Drink it all, then lie back and let it work. It's a blood substitute." Ray spewed Bloodthirsty all over my bed.

"Hey, now I'm going to have to wash all my bedding!" I jumped up and grabbed more towels.

"Blood." Ray did a bob and weave and finally fell over. Lights out.

"That went well."

"You couldn't have kept your mouth shut just a little longer?"

"Nope."
Valdez gave me a doggy grin.
"A man's got to have
some
fun."
I started stripping sheets, rolling Ray over, gawking at his package and that twinkling diamond before throwing a fresh blanket over him. Hey, a woman's got to have some fun too.

By the time Ray came to, I was dressed and ready to go to the concert, but didn't see how he was ever going to make it.

"What time is it?" He sat up, surprisingly alert.

"Eight thirty."

"Shit! I've got to get out of here. I've got a concert . . ." He rubbed the top of his head, making his beautiful hair wild. "I'm supposed to be onstage in an hour and a half." He jumped up, staggered and held on to the wall until he finally made it to the living room. He saw his shorts and T-shirt and managed to get into them, then collapsed on the couch.

"I don't think you're in any shape to go anywhere."

"I don't miss concerts, woman, or vampire, or whatever the hell you are." Ray gave me a narrow-eyed look. "I don't believe in this vampire shit, but let's say I'm playing along. Give me some of that crap you drink and a phone. This drink, it's not made from, uh, human blood, is it?"

"No, of course not. It's a synthetic." Okay, I know this sounds wimpy, but I threw him my cell and hurried into the kitchen to grab a bottle of Bloodthirsty. I wanted him to do the concert. It was a sellout. He'd let down thousands of fans, not to mention Flo and me if he didn't do it. But if he thought he was just going to waltz right out of here . . .

"Nathan. Yeah, yeah, save the lecture. I'm okay. I hooked up with a new girl last night. I know. Stupid, but what can I say? I
know
we're cutting it close. She's gonna give you the address. Have a limo here as soon as you can get here and bring my stage clothes." He paused and nodded to me to take the cap off the Bloodthirsty. "Just hurry. We'll talk later." He passed the phone to me. "Give him your address and any directions he might need to get here from the Irwin Center." I spouted off the necessary then shut the phone. Call me crazy, but then I flipped it open again. Took a video of Ray drinking Bloodthirsty on my sofa in his shorts and T-shirt. Sat beside him and tried to get the two of us in a shot. I glanced at Valdez, but didn't think he could hold the phone with his mouth or a paw. Damn. Ray just drank, like he was used to crazy women wanting a picture with him. Of course he was.

"How long do you think it will take him to get here?"

"About ten minutes unless traffic's bad." I kept watching Ray. He didn't look much better. I was afraid the Bloodthirsty wasn't doing it for him.

"I'll wait downstairs. Can't say it was a pleasure, lady."

Valdez planted himself in front of the door. "
That's not the way this is going to work, Caine."

"I don't talk to hallucinations." Ray turned to look at me. "Get your dog out of my way."

"Talk to
me
, then. You don't have a clue what you're in for, Ray. I know you don't want to accept what you are. We can discuss the details later. But you're not stepping a foot outside of this apartment without me." I put my hands on my hips, then figured there was no point in emphasizing my worst feature, so I dropped them and settled for a hard stare.

"I don't take orders from a mother f-"

"Stop right there, asshole!"
Valdez showed every tooth in his head and then some.
"Show some respect. Gloriana is a lady
and you will treat her as such, understand?"

"What?" Ray turned to look at me. "You're a f-freakin' vampire, but I can't drop the F-bomb around you?" I smiled, rather pleased by Valdez's standards. Hey, I come from an earlier time, and Blade has always respected me. It's kind of nice.

"You heard me."
Valdez moved closer, to make no doubt in Ray's mind what he'd bite first if provoked.

"If you think-"

I'd heard enough. I moved in front of Ray and looked him in the eyes. I put him under the whammy and told him to sit on the couch until I could decide how to handle this concert. Good timing, because the door opened and Flo and Richard walked in just then.

"Glory, we must hurry if we are to get good seats!" She suddenly grabbed Richard's arm and tottered on her four-inch heels. "
Dio
mio!
Ricardo, I told you that man on Congress Avenue had drunk too many Scotches. I am drunk. I am seeing my dream lover on our couch." She put her hand on Valdez's head. "Help me to my room, doggy. I need a quick lie down before the concert."

"It's him, Flo." I grinned and sat beside Ray. I put my hand on his thigh just because I could.

"No, impossible. I'm seeing the most delicious man in the world in his underpants in our living room." Flo sighed and reached out. When she actually touched Israel's knee, she shrieked and lost the battle of the four-inch heels. Richard caught her just before she hit the floor.

"Israel Caine here? In our little apartment?" Flo licked her lips. "How do I look? The wind was blowing, and I know my lipstick is gone."

"You look beautiful. But I thought
I
was your dream lover." Richard frowned.

"Don't be jealous, Ricardo." Flo stroked Ray's hair. "Israel Caine is all fantasy." She turned and slid her arms around Richard's waist. "You are my real lover."

"That's more like it." He nodded toward Ray. "Whammy?"

"Yes. Ray's had a rough twenty-four hours. He's one of us now, thanks to Lucky."

"Vampire? She turned him
vampire
?" Flo collapsed in a chair and began muttering invectives in Italian. "I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Ray will live forever, but he'll never see the sun again. Remember that video for 'Cry for You'?"

"God, yes. He was standing on the deck of his boat, the
Forever Yours
. He was so beautiful. The sun on his face. And the way he sang. It was almost like a prophecy." I sighed and Flo had tears on her cheeks. Richard and Valdez made gagging noises. "Oh, come on. It was amazing. You put on that video, Richard, then see what Flo does to you in bed. It's a total turn-on for a woman." Now that got the men thinking.

We heard a horn honk downstairs.

"That's got to be Ray's limo."

Richard pulled the drapes aside. "That's what it looks like."

"Okay, we've got to make him take us with him to the concert, and he's got to keep us with him and come home with us afterward, and before dawn. I'm not letting him fry. Lucky's made him my responsibility, and I'm taking it seriously." I sure didn't want him escaping and then ending up facing the sun somewhere. The very thought of Ray coming to such a horrible end made me feel weak.

"It's too soon for him to go through a strenuous concert on only a bottle of synthetic." Richard picked up the empty Bloodthirsty.

"New brand?"

"Yes, a bribe from Will."

Flo got up and squeezed in on Ray's other side. "Oh, to be this close to him." She leaned in and sniffed. "I don't think Lucky made him."

"Actually Etienne did it. He's signed on with Lucky and even promised Glory he'd steer Lucky right."
Valdez snorted.
"You
see what that means to him."
Valdez prowled in front of the door.
"You know they're not going to let me into the Irwin
Center. If you're really going to the concert, take Richard and Flo with you."

"Of course we're all going, but Caine's going to have to feed first." Richard looked from Flo to me. "Glory, tell him what you want him to do, including feed from you, then snap him out of it. Only aged vampire blood will make him strong enough to get through tonight."

So I told Ray that he would introduce me as his new girlfriend. That he would do his concert as planned and that he would come back to the apartment with me before sunrise. Then I told him to snap out of it.

The horn honked downstairs as Ray rubbed his eyes and looked around. "Well, who's this?"

"I'm Florence da Vinci, a huge fan, Ray." Flo put her hand on his chest, practically drooling. "And Glory's roommate."

"You're not . . ."

"Vampire?" Flo smiled, showing the fangs she was so proud of. "Of course, darling." She waved her hand toward Richard. "All of us here are except Valdez, of course. He's something else special." She blew my dog a kiss. "Welcome."

"Yeah, right. I still say this is all bullshit." Ray looked at Valdez. "Or am I allowed to say that?"

"I'll let you know when you screw up, man."

The horn honked again. "I've got to go." Ray tried to stand, but fell back again. "What the hell's wrong with me?"

"You're weak. You need to feed. The synthetic you had can't give you enough energy to make it through the concert tonight." I smiled slightly. "Flo and I really are huge fans. We've watched your videos and seen how you sing, dance and move all over the stage. You have to be in top form. There's only one thing that can give you the boost you need to give that kind of performance."

"So what is it? Give it to me. Quit wasting time. I'm running late." Ray tried to get up again. No go. "Hurry. I've never canceled a gig yet and I'm not going to tonight."

"You have to drink from another vampire. Here." I pushed back my hair and offered my neck. No way was I going to settle for an impersonal wrist. Ray's lips on my skin, his fangs sinking into my jugular. I shivered just thinking about it.

"Wait. I'm older than you are, Glory. My blood is much richer." Flo grabbed Ray's arm and wrenched him toward her. She tossed back her long black hair and offered her own ivory neck.

"Excuse me? Who found him in her bed tonight?" I gave Flo a cold look. She might be my best friend, but best friends don't poach.

"I know every word on his
Reunion
album and you know that was the one that didn't even go platinum."

"Cat fight. Richard, you want to put a bag of popcorn in the microwave?"
Valdez settled in front of the couch.
"Think they'll
start ripping each other's clothes off?"

"We can only hope."

Flo and I glared at the men, then at each other.

"Lucky gave him to
me
."

"How do you know?"

"She left me a letter."

"Let me see."

"You always said you couldn't read."

"I lied."

"Ladies, I can't do this."

I pried Flo's nails out of my right wrist. Ouch. "Listen, Ray, if you're worried you can't perform, I'll be glad to show you how." Flo snarled. "You insult his manhood? Israel will never drink from you now." She gave him a high-voltage, full-fang smile. "Don't worry, Israel. Your instincts will take over. Come closer. Breathe in the scent of my very old, very rich blood. You will
want
to drink from me. Your fangs will descend and you will
need
to taste me. It's a natural thing, you'll see." Richard made a low rumbling sound, and I wondered if it was just going to be Flo and me in this fight.

"No, seriously. I can't do it. No way. No how."

We both stared at Ray.

"Why can't you drink from us?" I noticed Ray had gotten even paler and seemed on the verge of passing out again.

"I'm a vegetarian."

Fifteen

"This is ridiculous." Richard pulled back the coffee table and sat on it, facing Israel. He grabbed Ray's chin. "Look at me, Caine." Bright blue eyes stared into bright blue eyes. Richard put his wrist up to Ray's lips. "Drink." Ray opened his mouth, his pretty new fangs descended and he latched on.

"Isn't he amazing?" Flo's eyelashes fluttered, and I figured she'd talked Lucky out of some of her tear-proof mascara.

"Israel?" I looked at him swallowing as fast as he could. There went the commitment to avoiding all things from animals.

"No, my darling Richard." She reached out to run her fingers through his white blond hair. "My man." He gave her a hungry look. "And don't you forget it."

Downstairs all hell was breaking loose. Pounding on the front door, yelling and now sirens coming down Sixth Street.

"That should do it; we've got to go." I could see Ray's cheeks were pink. I hated to admit it, but Richard obviously had a lot more power than I did. "Give him his marching orders, Richard, and let's get out of here." Richard grabbed Ray's face again. "Caine. You're done. Now we go downstairs. You're going with your new girlfriend and her friends. You'll perform your concert as usual, then come back to Glory's place. Understand?"

"Yes. Glory?"

"I'm right here, Ray." I reached out and pulled Ray to his feet. Bare feet. Silk boxers. T-shirt. This would be fun. We had to go downstairs and open the door; by now his people and probably a crowd had gathered outside. Hopefully the paparazzi hadn't gotten wind of the fact that Israel Caine was in the building. And the sirens had pulled to a stop right in front, if the strobe lights flashing around the edges of the drapes were any indication.

"Just go, Glory. And be careful. I'll be here when you get back."
Valdez was obviously peeved that he'd be left out of the action, but there was no way to get him into a rock concert inside the Irwin Center on the University of Texas campus. So we all trooped down the stairs. And stopped to take a steadying breath. Israel was now lucid and cursing everything from stubbing his toe to freaks who thought they were vampires. He wasn't exactly acting like my lover. But that would have to change once the door opened.

"Calm down, Ray. Work with us here."

"Okay. I get it. Now get this. Here's how we handle things. Glory, you're my new flavor of the month." He shook his head at the look on my face. "Sorry, babe, but that's what the tabloids call them. I don't. I just play along. I don't have time to explain now. Just stay close to me backstage. Don't get in the way. All of you keep your cell phones off or you'll have hell to pay. Nathan Burke's my right-hand man and my best friend. Obey him." He turned to Flo and Richard. "What are your names?"