Real Vampires Don't Diet (48 page)

"What if I peg the dog there? Bet his blood would get you going." He swung his crossbow to aim it at Valdez and I could see his finger tightening on the trigger.

I didn't think, just sprang, leaping the thirty feet between us before Westwood could
get
off the shot. I didn't have time to savor the look of shock on his face as I jerked the crossbow from his hands and aimed it at his heart.

"Big mistake, Westwood, threatening my friends." I felt Brittany, Ray and Valdez at my back, but none of them touched me. I guess they realized this was my fight.

"You and your friends are dead, vampire." Westwood laughed, obviously a few cans short of a six-pack. "You don't think I was stupid enough to come alone, do you?"

"Maybe you didn't start out alone, but you are now." The voice coming out of the dark was smug. "Sorry, asshole, but your backup guys were easy takedowns. Just like you're gonna be. Take him, Glory."

I didn't think I could do it. Just kill a mortal in cold blood like that. I saw the necklace around Brent Westwood's neck with more than a dozen pairs of fangs. One set had belonged to MacTavish, a man I'd admired. Still I hesitated. Westwood obviously sensed it and suddenly tried to grab my hand. When he screamed, I realized I'd pulled the trigger.

"You got him, Glory!" Drac's cackle of triumph made me shudder.

I handed someone the crossbow and turned my face into Ray's chest. I was glad Westwood was finally dead, but wasn't sticking around for a victory dance. I heard Drac, Benny and Luke talking about the reward Blade had offered.

"Think he'll give it to you, Glory?" Benny wanted to know.

"I'm not interested." Somehow Ray had gotten me a few feet away from the body sprawled on the ground. "If you guys can clean up the, uh, scene, you can have whatever Jerry's offering." Jerry. Yes, I needed to see him. Ray's arms tightened around me and I realized he'd read my thoughts.

"Come on, Glory. It's been a rough night. Let's go. We've got only about an hour until the sun comes up." Ray carefully kept me away from Dracula's celebration. The smell of fresh blood did have my fangs down, but my stomach heaved. I felt Valdez's warm presence beside me and dug my fingers into his fur. Maybe I should be dancing around Westwood's remains. Instead, my legs felt limp and I stumbled. Ray swung me up and into his arms.

"Brittany, can you make sure"

"Yeah, boss, but send Drac's girlfriend if you can. Lily? She'll know what to do about cleaning up this mess. The car's that way, just a hundred yards or so down that hill, then up again. Can't miss it. She's there with Blade." I closed my eyes, tired to the bone.

"Come on, Glory girl. I think you're in shock. Valdez, you know where we're going. Lead the way." Ray carried me and I was glad to let him. I heard splashing and realized he was wading through water. The low-water crossing. Almost there. I finally opened my eyes and saw the SUV and Jerry standing there. Lily stood beside him.

"You can put me down now, Ray. Thanks. I guess I
was
in shock. That whole thing was pretty intense." I kissed his cheek.

"Anytime you need me, babe. I'm here." Ray eased me to my feet.

I turned and Jerry was right there.

"What happened? You look"

"Please don't finish that sentence. It'll only make me feel worse." I reached up and patted his cheek, then looked at his daughter.

"Lily, Drac and his crew have hit the jackpot. Brittany's with them. Valdez, would you take Lily back to the scene?"

"Sure thing, Blondie."
Valdez bumped against me.
"You okay note? You scared the hell out of me."

"Yep. We're survivors, aren't we? I guess I'd better quit calling you puppy." I smiled and, out of habit, rubbed his ear.

"I don't mind. It grew on me."
He wagged his tail and loped off. Lily gave me a searching look, then hurried after him. It didn't take long to bring Jerry up to speed. He cursed, gathered me into his arms, and I think I even saw his eyes gleam. My Scotsman close to tears? Impossible. Must have been the moonlight. Finally, I could tell he wanted to go see Westwood for himself, but I made it clear that I'd seen enough of that horror show. He wasn't about to leave meespecially alone with Ray.

"Hey, give me the car keys. I'll drive Glory home. You can shift for yourself. Right, Blade?" Ray was all for taking the car and
me
himself. Valdez and Brittany were back, glad to leave clean up duties in Lily's experienced hands.

"Never mind. I'll hear all about it from Dracula tomorrow night." Jerry helped me into the car.

"Ray and Brittany are going to need a safe place to stay tonight, Jerry." I knew it would take a while to get arrangements made.

"My place is pretty small."

Ray grinned. "We've slept together before, Glory. No big deal. Right, Blade?"

"Forget it. Come to my house. I have spare rooms. All of you come to my house. Get in the car." Jerry opened the back door.

"Glory and I sleep together and it
is
a big deal. Right, Glory?" He winked at me. Yep,
Jerry
winked. Don't you love male competition?

"I'm in shock. So I think I'll just sit here and keep my mouth shut." I picked up my purse from the floor board and handed Ray my cell phone. "Ray, call Nate and let him know you're okay. Have him call your parents. If they see on the news that your house burned down, they'll worry themselves sick. And
get
him to call Barry too. To prepare a press release. Just that we got out all right and we're staying with friends."

"Look at you, Glory. Thinking like a rock star's fiancee every minute." Ray reached between the seats and squeezed my shoulder.

"She won't be your fiancee for long, Caine. You're about to be dumped on your rock-star ass." Jerry started the car and backed out of the driveway.

"If she does it right after my house burned down, she'll look like a heartless bitch. The tabloids will have a field day." Ray punched in some numbers. "Hey, Nate. You get Sienna home okay? Good. Listen. Bad news" I tuned out the rest of the conversation and turned to Jerry as he headed home. "You know Ray's right. I can't break off the engagement right now. It should wait a while. At least until he's set up in a new place."

"And how long will that take?" Jerry frowned and reached over to wipe what was probably mud from my cheek. "I'm stopping at your apartment. You need some dry clothes. But hurry. The sun will be coming up soon."

"Not long. Ray was leasing. Nate found the last place fairly fast. Then he had to get the black-out shades installed in the master bedroom."

"Be quicker to let him sleep in a closet." Jerry took my hand and laid it on his thigh.

"We have to stay together at least until after the Grammys." Ray handed me my cell phone. "You
are
going to the Grammys with me, aren't you, Glory?"

Okay, I admit this was a big deal for me. How cool to go to the biggest music-awards event of the year as Ray's fiancee. And of course Jerry saw my reaction.

"She wants to go. And wear a fancy dress that you'll pay for, Caine."

I looked at Jerry. Yeah, that's why I loved the guy. Sometimes he actually paid attention at the right times.

"Of course." Ray grinned. "We'll have to spend about a week in L.A. That's why I'd given my mortal bodyguards this week off. So they'd be ready for the marathon of that week. Good thing they weren't there tonight." He shook his head. "Hey, good news, though. Now that West wood's out of the picture, Glory won't need her own bodyguard."

"Forget it, Caine."
Valdez spoke from the third seat, which he shared with Brittany.
"Where Glory goes, I go. There are
other dangers besides Westwood, L.A.'s full of creeps."
Valdez managed to slap a paw on Ray's shoulder.
"So's Austin."
He smiled at me, and for the first time I noticed that even his dog face had dimples.

Blade pulled up in front of my shop. It was close to dawn and he would barely have time to get back to his house. I knew what we should do and made the decision.

"I'm getting out and staying here. Jerry, you take Ray to your house. Brittany, you and Valdez come with me. Jerry, I'll see you and Ray tomorrow night. If we don't hear from Will and Aggie, somebody's going to have to fly to Aggie's cave and find out what happened with the Circe/Storm God deal."

"Glory, wait." Jerry jumped out while Brittany and Valdez were climbing out of the car. Ray didn't bother to argue. I figure he was as tired as the rest of us and knew he could count on clean clothes at Jerry's.

I stopped wearily in front of my shop, for once not even caring that there were a couple of customers inside and that Lacy was

making a sale.

"Don't you dare kiss me out here, Jerry. Paparazzi could be hiding in the bushes and I don't need any more bad press." I backed up until I was next to the security code box and punched in numbers. Valdez and Brittany waited until I was safely inside, then came in with me. Jerry pushed in before I could close the door.

"Now can I kiss you?" He smiled down at me.

"You'd better." I reached for him, needing to feel his mouth on mine. It had been one of the longest nights of my life. He smelled like smoke and I'm sure I smelled like that and lake water too. Neither of us cared. I held on to him for a moment and just absorbed his strength because mine seemed to have seeped out on a slope next to the lake when I'd gotten way too familiar with a crossbow.

"Hurry home and don't let the sun catch you." I hugged him, then pushed him out the door. "See you tomorrow. And don't kill Ray between now and then."

"No promises there." He smiled and strutted, yes, strutted to the car. Ray was up front, totally ignoring him. Oh, yes, they made a fine-looking pair. But I knew which one owned my heart.

I headed up the stairs, two shifters waiting for me patiently. They could shower after I slept, so I hurriedly got rid of all my stenches and dropped like a rock into bed.

Chapter Twenty-One

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"I know you said no more food in your shop, Glory, but these are by way of an apology." Ellen laid the plastic bin on the counter. "I realize those last cookies were horrible. Because I was so worried about Tina."

"Why?" I lifted the lid and inhaled. Blueberry, white chocolate chunk cookies. Heavenly. I slipped one out and surreptitiously dropped it into Valdez's mouth. Because you knew he'd followed Ellen to the counter and parked himself beside me when he'd seen the tub she was carrying.

"Oh, she'd been working out of town. I hadn't heard word one from her for over a week." Ellen sighed. "But she's back now. Got her old job back. She's even dating an accountant at work. It's weird though." She leaned over. "Stop that! Glory, your dog is trying to bite the lid off the cookie container."

"Oh, bad dog!" I grabbed the carton and stuck it in a drawer. "Well, as long as Tina's happy What's weird about that?" She was lucky to be alive. I was actually surprised Simon had kept his word.

"She's lost all interest in Israel Caine. Won't even help me with your MySpace page." Ellen sighed. "She's boring!"

"Lots of mothers wish they could say that, Ellen." I looked up when the bells over the door signaled a new arrival. Flo hurried inside with two bags from Nordstroms. No one had ever called my best friend boring.