"I made it clear that she"s not to hurt you or your business." Jerry rubbed my back. "She swore she"d back off." He stared down at me. "Are you sure she"s responsible-"
"d.a.m.n it, Jerry. Are you under a spell or something? She called to gloat. And then what about this gift box?" I tapped a present I"d received the day before. A voodoo doll. Cliche much? Of course it looked like me, though she"d padded the hips until I looked deformed. It was riddled with pins. b.i.t.c.h. "Did I send it to myself?"
"No, of course not. She laughs at those. Calls them tourist trinkets. They don"t mean a thing. She"s just pulling your chain. Don"t let her play mind games with you." He pulled me close again. "Come on. Let"s go. Try to have some fun. And I won"t meet with her again. Obviously her word means nothing. I"m not sure I can think straight when I"m around her."
I stiffened and pushed back. "That cinches it. I want a face-to-face with her."
"Glory, you and Mel in the same room? A recipe for disaster. She won"t back down and you"ll probably lose it." Jerry wouldn"t let me go. "You aren"t the kind of person who can just rip out a throat and walk away."
"She"d probably taste like raw sewage anyway." I"d had a whiff of her when she"d spied on Jerry and me, lurked in the bushes outside his house. Stalker. She"d smelled like burned sugar, evil left too long on the stove. I really didn"t want to get close enough to her to touch her. Why didn"t she just crawl back to Miami and pick a man who wanted her?
"Let"s go. Our friends are probably already at the club. Your pal Israel Caine and Sienna Star are supposed to sing their new duet tonight." Jerry tugged me toward the back door.
"How do you know that? Are you and Ray or Rafe actually communicating?" I rested my hand on Jerry"s chest. This was unlikely. Jerry was jealous of both guys because he knew I"d had a special relationship with each of them. They were still my friends, but had been more than that in the past. I"d made it clear to both of them that I was with Jerry now.
"Richard told me. He and Flo get a newsletter from the club with the coming attractions. I"m surprised you didn"t get it." Jerry pulled open the back door, pausing to check out the security like he always did. "Come on. We don"t have much time. Caine doesn"t float my boat, but I know he does yours."
"You got that right." I laughed when I saw his face. "Oh, come on. We both enjoy good music. I"m way behind on e-mail or I"d have seen the newsletter myself and dragged you there." I grabbed his hand and we hurried down the alley toward N-V, the club my former bodyguard Rafe now owned. It wasn"t far and the shifter stationed at the door waved us in ahead of the line at the door. We settled at a table with my best bud Florence da Vinci and her husband Richard Mainwaring. We ordered synthetic blood with alcohol, stocked here for us by Rafe, and settled back to watch the show.
"Amica, how are you doing? Any more disastros in your shop?" Flo leaned in to whisper.
"Nightly. That b.i.t.c.h won"t give up." I told her about the mice and she shuddered.
"That could ruin your business. I know I would never go back to a place where I saw topi." Flo patted my shoulder.
"Me either." I sniffed the air. "What perfume are you wearing, Flo?"
"Nothing. Ricardo says it destroys his defense. He needs to smell the enemy coming." She stroked her husband"s arm. "He takes very good care of me."
"I bet she"s lurking around here right now. Following us." I glanced around. If he were a woman, Jerry would have pictures of her on his phone, but I"d never seen him snap a photo. Too bad.
"No!" Flo grabbed Richard. "Ricardo! Glory says the b.i.t.c.h is here."
"Where?" He leaned forward. "Blade, do you see her?"
Jerry stood and scanned the crowded balcony. "Not up here." He sniffed the air. "There"s a faint whiff...I"m going downstairs to check it out. Richard, you stay here with the ladies."
"No, we"re all going." I got up.
"Here? Puttana!" Flo glanced around the narrow balcony. "We will make that creature sorry she bothers our Glory."
"Don"t taunt her, Flo." I squeezed Flo"s hand. "She"s got some mean tricks up her sleeve. I told you."
"Mice, falling shelves. Child"s play." Flo"s eyes gleamed. "I say we can take whatever she dishes out. Mi credi?"
"Sure." I smiled at her, feeling better than I had in days. The band was taking the stage, the people on the dance floor surging forward as we headed for the stairs. It was Ray"s band and I knew the guys from a time when I"d pretended to be engaged to the rocker. Publicity stunt. I"d been Ray"s mentor right after he"d been turned vampire. Had even been his date to the Grammys. It had been a magical night. I could use another one about now.
"I heard Ray and Sienna are a couple now." Flo studied me for a reaction as we stopped on the stairs.
"I"m glad. He needed someone." I saw Jerry and Richard waiting for us.
"No sign of her." Jerry held out his hand. "Let"s just enjoy the show. I can get us closer to the stage. Follow me." He rubbed the back of my neck. "Are you okay?"
"Sure. Did you know Ray and Sienna are together and not just to sing?" I stayed close to him as we eased around the crowd and the lights dimmed.
"Glad to hear it. Keeps him away from you." Jerry kissed my cheek. "But he"s stupid to pick a mortal. He"ll screw it up, mark my words."
"Hush, Jer, they"re getting ready to start." Very afraid he was right, I slipped my arm around his waist as we found a spot close to the stage. Ray was reckless, impulsive and a fairly new vampire. Sleeping with a mortal could have consequences and none of them were good. The house lights went dark except for spotlights on Ray at the piano and Sienna leaning against it. They started singing and you could have heard a mouse squeak in the huge club. The song was beautiful, the lyrics haunting. The way the two sang to each other, it was clear this love song had meaning for both of them.
Jerry turned me into his arms and we danced, making the song ours too. I was sure all the lovers in the audience felt the same way. He held me against him, his hands sliding down to rest on my b.u.t.t as we moved slowly. I lay my cheek on his chest, my fingers delving into his hair while I breathed him in. We were together and no b.i.t.c.h from h.e.l.l was going to pull us apart. If Mel was nearby, she could just watch and see how much we loved each other. I was sorry when the song ended.
"Wow. Meraviglioso! It makes me want to take you home and ravish you, Ricardo." Next to us, Flo kissed Richard on the lips. "What do you think, Glory?"
"Oh, yeah." I sighed, struggling to come back to earth. For a few moments it had been great just to dance and forget everyone but Jerry. I squeezed his hand. Ray and Sienna jumped up to sing together again. They put their arms around each other, b.u.mping hips as they danced and sang a rock song this time. It was high-energy and fun.
"You okay?" Jerry said softly into my ear.
"Sure." I turned and ran my hand over his jaw. "Flo"s right. That song put me in the mood to make love to you. What do you think?"
"I could handle that." He grinned and pulled me toward the door. "We"re out of here." He nodded to Richard.
"Right behind you." Richard hauled a giggling Flo up into his arms and followed us. "Caine has a hit on his hands."
"Ricardo, put me down." She hit his shoulder. "You are embarra.s.sing me."
"These kids think it"s funny. Look at them." He grinned and nodded. Sure enough, his stunt helped clear a path for us to the front door. Once, I thought I caught a whiff of that sweet, nasty smell again but I never saw anyone fitting Mel"s description. Then we were outside, the fresh October air a welcome relief after the crowd inside.
"See you later." Richard set Flo on her feet then hurried her toward his car, ignoring her protests about manners. He had a look that promised a pa.s.sionate night for them both.
"Well, now what?" I grinned at Jerry. "You know I have a roommate." And she was a terror. No way was I dragging my man home to that.
"Come home with me. They don"t need you in the shop again tonight, do they?" He pulled me toward his car parked down the street.
"Not unless Mel unleashes another invasion. Roaches maybe?" I shuddered then patted my pocket. "I"ve got my cell."
"Let"s go." He glanced around. "If that woman knows what"s good for her, she"ll leave you alone. This isn"t the way to win my heart." He helped me into his convertible, then settled in, hitting a b.u.t.ton to let the top down before steering into traffic. The cool air felt good and I let the wind blow my worries away.
"I still don"t understand how you ever got involved with a woman like Melisandra Du Monde." My comment made Jerry"s hands tighten on the steering wheel. We were stopped at a red light.
"She is a strong woman and there is something about her..." He punched a b.u.t.ton and the CD player came on. Trying to distract me? I punched it back off.
"Come on, Jerry, try to explain. This is important to me." I twisted under my seat belt to face him.
"Right. So can you explain why Israel Caine has your panties in a twist every time you see him?" He gave me a knowing nod, like he"d made a point, before he stepped on the gas.
"I guess so. He has musical talent and I"m a sucker for that. He"s handsome, tall, has those piercing blue eyes that make a woman feel-"
"Enough. I really don"t want to hear a catalog of Caine"s fine qualities. Mel got to me. She has a way of looking at a man that makes him feel powerful. Like he"s a s.e.x G.o.d."
"I swear you"re blushing." And I swear I was getting p.i.s.sed. Well, I"d asked for it.
"You make me feel that way too, Gloriana." He reached out and snagged my hand. "I have always wanted to protect you because you make me feel like I"m invincible. It"s something a man needs-to be wanted, looked up to." He kissed my knuckles. "You and Mel have more in common than you know. But you"re two sides of a coin. You"re the good side. I discovered too late that she"s the bad one."
"Oh, gosh, Jer." I glanced around and realized we were in his neighborhood, almost to his house. "This is bizarre and yet I understand what you"re saying. It"s like when a man makes me feel that I"m the most desirable woman in the world." I pulled our joined hands to my lips and ran my tongue across his knuckles. "You always do that to me."
"But I don"t just see you as a s.e.x object. I hope you know that." He pulled the car up in front of the garage and hit a b.u.t.ton on the remote. He turned to face me as we waited for the door to open. "You are much more to me than a way to get my rocks off."
"Back at you." I smiled and popped off my seat belt, leaning over to kiss him. I crawled right over the console to make sure I could reach his mouth and give it my full attention. The steering wheel cut into my back but I didn"t care.
"Let"s put the car away and go upstairs." He gently lifted me off of him and drove the car into the garage.
I let him pull me out of the car and then followed him to the house. The garage door came down and we stepped into the kitchen. The house was quiet and smelled faintly of the cleaning supplies his housekeeper used. It was rea.s.suring. At least Mel hadn"t managed to come here yet.
Jerry lifted me into his arms and was about to carry me upstairs to his bedroom when my cell phone buzzed in my pocket.
"Oh, no!"
"Ignore it." He leaned down to kiss me then strode toward the staircase.
The buzzing was insistent before the call went to voice mail. I gently shoved at Jerry"s chest when he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Let me check the message. I told them not to call unless it was an emergency in the shop."
"Go ahead." He set me on my feet. "I"ll be upstairs in my office checking e-mail. Come and get me when you"re done."
"Count on it." I jerked my phone out of my pocket. The voice mail was from a number I didn"t recognize. I hit play and pulled the phone to my ear.
"If you want our lover to live, you will meet me tonight. Be in the alley behind your shop in thirty minutes. Believe me, I would rather put a stake through his heart than see him with you forever more."
I recognized the voice instantly, smooth yet determined. So I"d finally get a face-to-face with Melisandra. Now I"d have to make up something to tell Jerry, because he"d never let me meet her alone if he knew about it. I looked up the stairs toward his office. d.a.m.n. I really wanted to forget this woman"s demands and enjoy an evening in Jerry"s arms. But she was just crazy enough to kill him rather than let me have him.
Did I really believe my man couldn"t handle her? I leaned against the banister, suddenly weak in the knees. Maybe he could but I wasn"t willing to take that chance. I"d almost lost Jerry recently and it had been the worst time of my life. No way was I going to risk that again. Who knew what kind of tricks a voodoo priestess had up her sleeve?
So I put on my game face and headed up. I hadn"t told Jerry but I"d had strange pains in my body in the exact spots where those pins had been in the voodoo doll in the nights before it had arrived. Crazy? Or was this woman more powerful than we realized? Lying to Jerry was nothing new even though I hated it. Saying good-bye to him? I just hoped it wasn"t a permanent thing this time.
I was on high alert when I flew into the alley behind my shop. The smell hit me immediately. It was bad enough that Mugs and m.u.f.fins was baking at this time of night, but added to the sugary m.u.f.fin scent was that overpowering reek of evil. Melisandra was waiting for me.
"You must be Gloriana St. Clair." The husky voice came out of the darkness near my parked car. I heard the click of high heels as a woman strolled into the light. A breeze brought the unmistakable evidence that she was mortal. She trailed her hand over the trunk, the smile on her face making me shiver.
"I don"t have to ask who you are, skulking here in the dark." I"d hoped Jerry had been exaggerating but she was beautiful, her dusky skin the color of milk chocolate. Her long black hair tumbled to her shoulders and her unusual gray green eyes, framed by long lashes, examined me like she could see right down to my soul. I straightened my own shoulders when all I wanted to do was shift again and head back to Jerry"s arms.
"Yes, I am Melisandra Du Monde. I"ve been wanting to meet you for a long time, Gloriana. Gloriana. Ah, yes, the most interesting Gloriana." My name had become a chant. She gestured with her right hand, her scarlet nails gathering air around her.
I stepped back before I could stop myself when that air swirled and darkened around her. Witchcraft. I recognized it and quit breathing, sure inhaling it would sear my lungs and either muddle my senses or make me pa.s.s out. I glanced around, almost expecting some familiar demons to pop out from behind the cars to sing backup for her.
Hey, I was no ordinary vampire. I could take her. Malicious tricks or not, she could die. I couldn"t. I smiled.
"I"ve seen your handiwork in my shop, Mel. Do you really think those stunts are going to help your cause with Jerry? So far you"ve just p.i.s.sed him off on my behalf." I couldn"t help noticing her voluptuous figure under a sharp black business suit that came from a well-known designer. She would have fit right in at a conference table in any Fortune 500 company. She was just Jerry"s type, with full b.r.e.a.s.t.s and generous hips. Only her eyes betrayed the crazy beneath her professional demeanor. "He really doesn"t like to see me upset."
"Ah. Were you? Upset?" She blew on her palm, and dust peppered my face, making my eyes burn. "Glad to hear it."
"Didn"t you hear me?" I blinked to clear my vision, refusing to rub my eyes which stung like a son of a b.i.t.c.h. "Your dirty tricks are alienating Jerry."
"He"ll get over it." She smiled. "When we are back together, Jeremiah will forget all about you. I have ways to ensure it. I know what he likes, you see."
"Get a grip on reality. He kicked you to the curb a long time ago. Where"s your pride, woman?" Taunting her probably wasn"t my best move, but I really didn"t like being reminded that she"d had Jerry in her bed. I was trying not to lose my cool and jump her, rip out that beautiful hair and pound her head against the concrete. That would make me feel better but would probably give her the out-of-control reaction she was hoping for. I drew on every reserve I had and stared at her, trying for cold and disdainful.
"Did he tell you how we met, Gloriana?" She leaned against my car, drawing a line with her nail on the trunk.
"No." I wanted to hear this.
"I had rented a ballroom at his hotel in Miami. It was a sellout. People pay small fortunes to hear me speak, get motivated." She smiled, her red lipstick perfect. All of her makeup was perfect. d.a.m.n.
"I can"t imagine. What do they say? A sucker is born every minute?"
"I am worth every penny. As a life coach. People hear me and they are reborn. They leave my seminars and become successful, do great things." She flicked a disdainful look at the back door to my shop. "Some people are satisfied with a little life. My clients are not. Check out my Web site. Read the testimonials."
"You know nothing about me or my life." Why didn"t I just rip out her throat now? But that would make me as evil as she was. And then there was that cold, malignant wall surrounding her. I"d be stained by it, my soul tarnished, if I gave in to my urge to kill her.
"You have worked your vampire wiles on my Jeremiah. But I will put an end to that. Then he will realize that I am his soul mate. The only woman to make him truly happy." She ran a fingertip down her throat. "You should see him when he drinks my blood, Gloriana. The pleasure, the pa.s.sion-"
"Shut the h.e.l.l up!" I vibrated with the need to tear her apart. Her smile was so sure, triumphant. Had Jerry actually kissed that mouth? I wanted to retch, or launch myself across the alley and obliterate her face so that she"d never kiss anyone, ever again.
No.
I forced a laugh. "Seriously? Don"t you realize vampires will do and say anything to get mortal blood? Jerry played you, b.i.t.c.h. Used you as a donor and then moved on." I took a step toward her. "You were handy when he was in Miami, but that"s over. He"s l.u.s.ty, I can attest to that. Obviously you were easy." I gave her my own cold smile. She didn"t take it well, her teeth snapping together. If she"d been a vampire, she would have been snarling, her fangs down. "Now he"s got his number one lover back. Me. You are old news, Mel. He"s throwing you out with the trash."
"Old news? I"m not the one with hundreds of years invested in a failed relationship, Gloriana. Pobrecita." The air around her swirled and pushed at me, frigid and menacing. "You are a bad habit that Jeremiah needs to break. But once you are gone, he will be all mine."
"Get a grip. Jerry"s not some trophy you can pa.s.s around, the prize in your p.i.s.sing contest. He"s a man who knows what he wants and it"s not you. Now why don"t you go back where you came from? Find some other man to terrorize." I shoved at her creepy air and met resistance. I hated that I was even arguing with her, sounding desperate. d.a.m.n it.
"You"d like that, wouldn"t you? For me to just leave him to you?" She raised her arms and howling creatures appeared around her. Spirits? Ghosts? Whatever, they gave me the creeps. "As long as you are between me and happiness, Gloriana St. Clair, you will never have peace of your own. This I vow." She muttered an incantation and the restless things around her wailed louder, rising and falling as she got more agitated. They zipped past me, tearing at my hair and s.n.a.t.c.hing at my clothes.
Okay, I admit it. I hit at them like they were real and got nothing but air. It was all I could do not to dematerialize, just vanish the h.e.l.l out of there. I reminded myself that I was dealing with nothing more than a mortal playing with the dead. Yeah, dead. How much could they really hurt me? The ghosts I"d dealt with before had been benign, helpful. But the chilled air brushing against me when one of those howling creatures darted past made me jump in spite of myself.
"All right, you want to play hardball? It"s on." I showed fang. "I don"t think you know who you"re messing with."
"We will see." She threw her arms wide and my ears rang as her followers screeched a final time, twirling into some kind of otherworldly dust devil before they disappeared. "He will be mine, Gloriana. It is decided."
Decided? I couldn"t stand it. I threw myself at her, finally giving in to my hatred. I landed on empty concrete. She"d disappeared, just poofed. I jumped up and took a quick look around. She must have had an escape route figured out because she was really gone, nothing left of her but that stench of bad news.
I leaned against the back door into the shop, my stomach doing a pitch and roll as I hit the code for security and practically fell into the storeroom. I needed a bottle of synthetic blood. The first gulp helped; the second felt even better. A voodoo priestess. What next? I should know better than to ask that question.
t.i.tles by Gerry Bartlett.
REAL VAMPIRES HAVE CURVES.