Real Vampires Know Size Matters (20 page)

“Wow. Seriously? You’d have to be good to sing with those two.” The woman walked with Aggie toward the dressing room. “That show’s a sellout. But I heard they may be adding another one at midnight. Know anything about that?”

I felt a presence at my back. “Rafe. Are you adding a midnight show? Can I get a ticket?”

“Have you ever needed one?” He rested his hand on my shoulder. “Yes, I’m in talks with Nate about a midnight show. Agents. He’s being tough with the negotiation but I think we’ll have a deal. You definitely have to come. Get Flo and Richard to come too. Even Damian. I’ll reserve a table for you guys. The usual spot.”

“I wish Jerry . . .” I sighed. “Well, maybe he’ll be back and this Mel thing will be over by then.” I turned to the customer. “This is the owner of N-V. Give her the scoop, Rafe.”

He smiled at June. “Midnight show is in the works. Check our Web site for ticket info. News really soon.”

“Is it a costume party? Halloween night at N-V?” June looked Rafe over and clearly liked what she saw.

“Yes, there will be a contest too. Big prizes. Buy one here. This shop has the best costumes in town.” He glanced at his watch. “I hate to break this up, Glory, but I need to get over there. Nate is meeting me.”

“Don’t you think I could just stay here?” I watched June rush over to the costume rack. She glanced back at Rafe then grabbed a naughty pirate girl outfit. I could tell from here that it was going to be too small, though maybe that was the look she was going for—too tight and skimpy.

“No, I promised Blade I’d stick close. Come with me. It should be worth it just to watch what happens when Sienna drags Aggie in there to sing with Ray and the band.” Rafe grinned.

“You are so right.” I looked up in time to see Aggie come out in the green dress. I had to admit, it was the right look. I nodded and she squealed and rushed over to hug me.

“Thanks, Glo. I’m wearing it to N-V right now.” She handed me the tag. Obviously she’d counted on winning that decision. “Can Megan hold my old clothes behind the counter for me?” She thrust the bundle into my hands.

“Guess so. Good luck tonight. I’ll see you later.” I watched her scurry to the back room where Sienna and Danny waited.

“She did look good.” Rafe hadn’t missed the amount of cleavage she was showing.

“On my dime.” I walked over to the counter and told Megan what to do with Aggie’s clothing. After a brief conference to make sure the shop was in good hands, Rafe and I headed to N-V. Sienna waved us off, still interested in shopping. Now she had Danny to help her with any paparazzi who might show up, and obviously she wanted Ray to have to wait for her. More games. This night had already worn me out and I figured there was more excitement yet to come.

The club was busy of course. I was glad for Rafe’s sake. He’d been able to buy out his partner recently and it was all his now. He headed for his office and I trailed along. Sienna and Aggie were supposed to stop by the office before they went up to the practice room. I wanted to go over some guidelines with Danny. The bodyguard claimed to be familiar with vampires, but had never taken on a new one before. I had to be sure he had a handle on how Sienna might react around mortals during these early nights after her transition. Rafe opened his office door and we found Nate and Ray had beat us there.

“Glory, good to see you. Valdez.” Ray jumped up from where he’d been lounging in Rafe’s desk chair and managed to catch me in a hug. I turned my face when he tried to kiss me.

“Not happening, Ray.” I pushed him away. “Hi, Nate. How’s it going?”

“All right, I guess. Ray’s been telling me about what happened with Sienna. I’m sorry about that.” Nate stood next to the desk and came close to hug me.

I was happy to let
him
kiss me on the cheek. Nathan Burke had been nothing but understanding since he’d found out about his best friend’s “condition.” If you could call being turned vampire a condition. Anyway, Nate was a brilliant manager and had helped out with the logistics of keeping Ray’s career on track when everything had to be done at night. He’d also served as a mortal blood donor in an emergency. Now we were asking him to help Sienna with her career too. Was it too much?

“He’s going to do it. As a favor to me.” Ray stayed next to me. “Come on, Glory. You know it was an accident. Are you ever going to forgive me?”

“Give me some time, Ray. I have Sienna living with me, a constant reminder of your inability to restrain yourself. It’s not a good way to forgive and forget.” I pushed past him and settled into a chair. “Sienna’s going to ask you to do her a favor tonight. Granting it might help my attitude toward you.”

“What is it?” Ray sat in the chair next to me. We both ignored Rafe and Nathan, who had started going through some paperwork. Probably those contracts for the extra performance. I hoped the bombshell I was about to drop wouldn’t affect Rafe’s big Halloween special.

“You know who else I have crammed into my tiny apartment?” I spotted a fridge in the corner of Rafe’s office and jumped up to check it out. Hah! Rafe had put a couple of bottles of my favorite synthetic blood in there. I glanced at Ray and he nodded so I handed him one.

“Penny’s not back in town, is she?” Ray twisted off the cap and took a swallow.

“No, she’ll be here for Christmas. Guess again.” I opened my own drink. “Forget guessing. It’s Aggie. I’m stuck with our favorite Siren.”

“How’d you get so lucky?” Ray put his hand on my knee. “Kick her out. You don’t need to be puttin’ up with her shit.”

I gave him a brief rundown of Aggie’s problem with Ian. “I’m trying to get her out of there and tonight’s the first step. She’s been working off her debt but it will take years. Now she’s got a chance to make some real money. Singing. It will make that debt disappear a lot faster.” I took a drink.

“She does have a great voice. Good looks too.” Ray smiled. “Pity the people who have to deal with her though.”

“She can behave if she knows it will get her what she wants, Ray.” I let his hand stay where it was, even though he had started rubbing my leg, his hand slipping under the edge of my dress. I’d worn a blue one, a gift from my mother, and he was eyeing the low neckline. I’d put it on for Jerry. Rafe glanced over his shoulder at the two of us and frowned.

“Ray, Glory’s with Blade now.” Rafe just had to say it.

“Bet that makes your tail droop, Valdez.” Ray grinned. “I’m having a nice talk with our gal. Tend to your papers. Nate, I want a bonus if we go to standing room only on the extra show.”

“Asshole,” Rafe muttered then went back to the negotiations.

Nate laughed and made a note on the papers. “Got it, bud.”

“Ray, Sienna’s bringing Aggie with her to the club.”

“No shit. Why?” He set his bottle on the floor. “Are those two actually hitting it off? Has Sin lost her mind?”

“It’s possible, Ray. You ruined her life when you made her vampire against her will. Or at least that’s her take on it. Remember what that’s like? How waking up vampire can mess you up?” I took a swallow of my drink. “She’s lost, grasping at anything that makes her feel in control. She and Aggie sang together and liked the sound. Now Sienna’s got an idea—”

“Don’t tell me—” He jumped to his feet, knocking over the half-empty bottle of synthetic. The red liquid spread across the hardwood floor. Rafe cursed and grabbed a wad of paper towels from the bathroom next to his office.

“Meet your new backup singer, Ray.” Sienna swept in through the door Rafe had left open.

“Over my dead body.” Ray grabbed the empty bottle. Surely he wasn’t thinking of using it as a weapon. I turned him to stone before he could make another move.

“That can be arranged.” Sienna touched his cheek. For once Aggie showed good sense and didn’t say a word. “Oh, Glory. Can you show me this trick? I kind of like Ray when he can’t shoot off his mouth.” She made it worse by punching him in the stomach.

“Hey. Stop it!” I glanced at Ray. Of course he couldn’t even wince, still a statue. Sienna ignored me. She was in Ray’s face, stabbing a black-painted fingernail into his chest.

“You have no idea how much I hate you. If I say Aggie sings with us, she sings.” She poked him twice for emphasis. “Hell, if I want her to headline, she’ll be front and center.” Poke. “You
owe
me, Ray. And don’t you forget it.” One more poke then she kneed him, right in his family jewels.

“Oh, my God!” I couldn’t stand it. I froze Sienna and let Ray go. I had to stop using this power whenever it was convenient. Not only was it unfair, but look what it had done. Ray dropped like a rock, moaning and holding himself as he went to the fetal position.

“Son of a bitch!” he gasped. “I don’t know who to blame here. Sienna, damn it!” His fangs were down and I stepped back when he glared at me. “Glory, don’t you ever, I mean
ever
do that to me again.” Ray closed his eyes, his knees tucked against his chest as he cursed.

“I’m sorry, Ray. I had no idea . . .” I glanced at Rafe. He just shook his head. He and Nate looked pained, obviously members of the “guy” club and full of sympathy for Ray, who still couldn’t stand.

I jumped in front of Sienna and poked
her
. “Listen to me, Sienna. What you just did was wrong on so many levels. I know you’re mad at Ray, but to hit him when he can’t defend himself is unfair.” I stopped. Hadn’t he drained her blood when she’d been unconscious? I stepped over to Ray and nudged him with my foot. “Get up.”

“Man, that was fast. Sympathy gone already?” He used the chair next to him to get to his feet, though it wasn’t without a moan. “What now?”

“She’s right. If she wants Aggie to sing with you guys, then you have to let her.” I looked toward the door, trying to communicate to the former Siren that now would be a good time to try a little humility. She actually did look embarrassed, her cheeks pink and her eyes down, like maybe she wasn’t going to be her usual
I’m all that
Aggie.

“Give her a chance, Ray. Listen to her sing with Sienna. They sounded really good together at my place.” I touched Sienna, hoping she’d heard me and would come out of her freeze with the right attitude.

“Jeez, but I hate that statue thing you do, Glory. Not that I don’t want to learn it.” Sienna brushed at her hair, sneezed and shivered.

“I can’t teach it to you. It’s an inherited skill. From Olympus.” I was really glad few people had it. All eyes were on me and several people in the room would have turned me to stone in a heartbeat and left me there to stew for a good long while if given the chance. “Sorry.” I gave them all a repentant look. No one was buying it.

“I get it. If I had it, I’d use it too. Especially around here.” Sienna wheeled on Ray, who still looked ready to throw up. “Hell, I
am
sorry. I won’t hit you again, Ray. But I still haven’t forgiven you.”

“Okay. Fine.” Ray frowned at Aggie. “I still haven’t forgiven Aggie either. You don’t know what she put Glory and me through, Sin. Obviously Glory has the memory of a gnat or she just doesn’t give a shit what people do to her. Me? I remember every bit of your torture, Aggie. You’d better sing like a fuckin’ angel. That’s all I’m sayin’.”

“You’ll let me do it?” Aggie’s face lit up in a grin. “Just wait. I still have my song, Ray, my beautiful Siren’s voice. It doesn’t work to enchant men anymore, but it’s pretty damned good, isn’t it, Sin?”

“I’ll say.” Sienna walked over to lean against Rafe’s desk. “Nate, did Ray tell you my management problem?” She wasn’t smiling. “I had to call Ethan this evening and tell him I was thinking about making a change.” Tears filled her eyes. “You have no idea how hard that was. The man’s stuck with me through two stints in rehab. And”—she gulped—“he was so nice on the phone. Just said he’d be happy to help whoever I chose to replace him.” Big sniffle. “He’s such a classy guy.”

“I’m sorry, Sienna.” Nate put a hand on her shoulder. “Yes, Ray told me everything. I know Ethan. You’re right. He’s top-drawer. I’ll give him a call. No need to fire him. We’ll work together. Coordinate. I can’t take on your full load anyway. Ethan can handle most of your business and all I’ll need to cover is your scheduling. Since Ray went vamp, I’ve gotten pretty good at figuring out how to make everything happen after dark.” He smiled at Sienna. “No one will ever suspect a vampire is on their books. Not even Ethan. Leave it to me.”

“Thanks, Nate. That’s seriously a huge relief.” Sienna headed over to the door where she linked arms with Aggie. “Now let’s get upstairs and show Ray how you’ll fit in with the band, Ag. Prepare to be amazed, Israel.”

“Huh.” Ray rolled his eyes. “Glory, come with us. I need moral support.”

It was my turn to roll my eyes. “No thanks. I have my own problems to deal with. You guys go ahead.” I sat back down and pulled out my phone. I needed some ingredients and had an idea where I might be able to find them. I opened my voodoo book then hit speed dial, ignoring Ray’s grumbling as he left the room.

Maybe this wasn’t the best idea in the world, but I was desperate. If Mel still wanted Jerry, I had to do something to kill her interest and the potion was my best bet. If I had to deal with the devil to make that happen, so be it.

Ten

When
the man answered, I got right down to business. “Hey, Ian, do you have any, um,
Periplaneta americana
? I need some. Two to be exact. Crushed. Though I guess whole ones would work and I could pound them out myself.”

He laughed. I mean, big guffaws. I could picture him wiping away tears he was so overcome.

“Hey, what’s so funny? Is it something gross? Tell me. Do you have it or not? I’m making a potion and that’s an ingredient.”

“Glory, Glory, Glory. Yes, I’m sure I could scrounge up a couple. And I’d love to watch you crush them. Need anything else?” He was still chuckling. Obviously there was a joke here I was missing.

“Yes, it’s a long list.”

“Then come on over.” He started laughing again. “I can’t wait to see what else goes into this, um, potion. What does it do? Or dare I ask?”

“Stop it. Obviously I pronounced it wrong or it’s the name of an extinct dinosaur.” I had to wait while he went into another fit of hysterics at my expense. Honestly, for a usually dour Scot, Ian was being downright out of control.