Real Vampires Get Lucky (36 page)

"No. But that guy came back. The one who was asking questions about you before. The first one. I was right. He was from Mr. Carvarelli. He gave me a wad of cash to stay late so you could take a meeting with Mr. C." Lacy looked out the front window.

"They'll be back any minute. They came in a huge black stretch limo."

"Lacy, calm down." I felt as jumpy as she looked. Lucky's father here. A mob boss who had the power to make me rich or put a stake through my heart. There were four customers in the shop in various stages of decision making. One was actually on her way to the register. I gestured to Valdez to follow me to the back room and closed the door.

"You know he's not going to let me get into the limo with you, don't you?" I collapsed in a chair.

"Then don't go, Blondie. You can bet he's going to have his bodyguards with him."

"No, I'll make that a condition. We meet one-on-one."

"Like he'll let you set terms."

"I saved his precious daughter's life. He's grateful."

"Now that we know his precious daughter, maybe he wishes we'd let her bleed out."
Valdez paced restlessly.
"I don't like it.
You should call Blade. You think Carvarelli's people found out who attacked Lucky?"

"That would be a good thing." Even if it cost me money. Let the Carvarellis handle their own enemies. I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and stuck the purse in a drawer. No text from my blackmailer. I thought he might have wanted a farewell swipe at me. No message from Derek either. Too bad. If I could deliver a name to Lucky's father that might actually pan out, then maybe he'd hand me a check.

There was a voice mail from Jerry confirming what time he'd pick me up for the ball tomorrow night. He was meeting with the architect about the new house tonight. That message made me smile. A few naughty words about our hot tub on the hilltop. Yeah, I'm easily distracted. I snapped the cell phone shut and slipped it into my pocket.

"You gonna call him back?"
Of course Valdez had listened in.

"No, I'll handle this meeting. But don't do anything crazy, Valdez. I've got a shop full of customers. And I noticed Mugs and Muffins is busy too. Remember, you're just a dog. Nothing extra as far as they're concerned." I threw open the door.

"Woof." Valdez almost knocked me over on his way to the front door.

"Glory, this is, um, Mr., well, he wants to talk to you." Lacy was in the middle of writing out a sales receipt and gestured at a tall man in a neat black business suit.

He didn't look like a gangster. She'd described him before as a fairly harmless type. But she must not have stared into his cool gray eyes. They weren't missing a single detail as they scraped over me. I suddenly wanted to run back upstairs and wipe off some of that taupe eye shadow I'd gone so nuts over.

"I'm Glory St. Clair." I smiled but didn't offer my hand. Instead, I scanned the shop to make sure a customer didn't need me. I wanted this guy to know my priorities.

"Ms. St. Clair, Mr. Carvarelli hopes that you'll join him in the car outside for a brief discussion. If you wish, you may bring your escort." He nodded at Valdez. "And we'll not move from in front of the store." Lacy finished her sale, then rushed back to help a woman who was trying to carry two long evening gowns into a dressing room without dragging them across the floor.

"We're kind of busy now. This really isn't a convenient time." I took a stack of vintage books from a woman and began to write up a sales receipt. "
Nancy Drew
!" I gave her a smile. "A classic."

"I'm buying them for my granddaughter. I read them all when I was a kid."

"I'm sure she'll love them."

Black Suit eased behind the counter next to me. "Mr. C. will only be in town tonight. If you wish, I'll stay here and assist your clerk." He manufactured a smile. "Not handle your money, of course." He slid the books into a bag. "But do whatever else I can. I assure you, Mr. C. will be brief. He knows your time is valuable." He handed the bag to the customer. "My daughter is eight. Maybe I should get her one of these. Not violent, are they?"

I kept a straight face while I counted out change. And tried to talk myself into getting into that car. Ridiculous. I'm a badass, bloodsucking vampire. Lucky's father was an old man who was even allowing me to bring Valdez with me. What was the worst that could happen? I found out when another black-suited man who obviously worked out more than Black Suit number one opened the limo door.

Lucky was with her father. A pouting, tear-stained, angry Lucky slouched in one corner of the leather seat and seemed to dare me to say more than hi and bye to her father.

Yes, he was old, but still had some good years left I'd say. He exuded power like some vampires exude evil. In fact he reminded me of a mortal Simon Destiny. Except Mr. Carvarelli was deeply tanned with the furrows of a man who'd spent a lot of time squinting into the sun, probably deep-sea fishing while he visited his laundered money in the Caymans. Hey, I watch
The Sopranos
. I wouldn't want to cross Old Man Carvarelli and thanked the gods once again that I'd never heard of his loan company when I'd been deep in the throes of my addiction in Vegas.

"Miss Gloriana." He smiled. "I knew I had to meet the woman who saved my little girl's life."

"Papa-"

He held up his hand and Lucky's mouth snapped shut.

"You did a remarkable thing. Remarkable. Will you tell me how you found her that night?"

"Glory
-
"

This time I held up
my
hand.

Valdez snapped his yap. I wasn't about to be upstaged by my bodyguard, even if I did feel like I was in a bad off-Broadway production of
The Godfather
.

"I'm afraid the details would distress you, sir. But it was obvious to me that a vampire had ripped open Lucky's throat and left her for dead. When I came upon her body, she was about to breathe her last." Oh, jeez. Breathe her last? I was so far off Broadway, I was in Peoria.

"It happened right here, in the alley behind my shop." As if on cue, we all turned our heads to look at my pride and joy. Now, decorated for Christmas with colored lights and with a bustling crowd in front of it, the shop was way too cheery for it to seem possible that a grisly death scene had happened right behind it. I shuddered and turned back to face Lucky's father.

"Such a coincidence. The timing of your arrival." Mr. Carvarelli reached out and took Lucky's hand. "I have sent a large donation to the Church. A very large donation. Said many prayers. Have a whole convent in Vermont praying several times a day for you, Gloriana. It's truly a miracle that you found my daughter."

I was embarrassed at the thought of legions of nuns on their knees on my behalf, but I forged ahead. "Well, I wasn't exactly the right vampire for the job. I'd never turned anyone before. I was scared and really didn't want to make any new vampires." I narrowed my eyes on Lucky. "I don't think it's right to do that. But this, well, this was an emergency."

"So you went against your personal beliefs to save my Luciana." I saw Lucky wince and looked down. Mr. C. had dropped her hand.

"I couldn't just let her die. I got someone on my cell who told me what to do. Then I carried her upstairs and took care of her." Mr. Carvarelli sighed. "You are a good person, Gloriana. And how does my daughter repay you? She leaves another vampire in your bed. A famous man who she felt betrayed her."

Lucky burst into a spate of Italian. That earned her a slap and a few sharp words.

Valdez and I just sat there, afraid to move.

"My daughter also thinks being a vampire is 'cool.' She has a new vampire bodyguard who is also her lover. She dresses like one of those silly people who
pretend
to drink blood and she is seen around town near your store with her followers, actually biting them where anyone can see her. Even returning to where she is almost killed.
Stupido!
" He turned to Lucky and said a few more choice words in Italian, then he mopped his flushed face with a handkerchief.

"Excuse me, Gloriana. I should not let you witness my family problems. But I say these things to let you know I am aware that all of these actions by my daughter may be causing difficulties for you. Yes?"

"Yes." I was really warming up to Mr. C., though any man who slaps a woman is bad news in my book. Obviously Lucky has reasons for the way she acts.

"I think we will find out who arranged this attack on Luciana very soon. If you are the first to give me the name, the reward is yours. But I will also grant you a boon. I will put my daughter's future in your hands." He looked at her, then at me.

"It seems Luciana likes Austin. She wishes to stay here and take the southwest region for her papa's business. But I wonder if that will suit you, Gloriana."

I gave that a full one second's thought. Lucky in Austin? No way in hell. I wouldn't look at her and threw up a block because I knew she'd be trying to send me all kinds of mental messages from promises to threats if I'd go along with her on this.

"I tell you something, Mr. C., if I may call you that." He nodded. "Well, Mr. C., your daughter is smart and has a lot of potential. If she would listen to people with experience like her bodyguard Etienne, she might even turn out to be a vampire I could be proud to have made. But right now?" I shook my head. "You'd be doing me a huge favor if you sent her as far away from Austin as possible."

Mr. Carvarelli chuckled. "Very wise of you, my dear." He picked up my hand and kissed it, his lips cool and dry. Then he turned and pinned Lucky with a hard look when she made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snarl. "It will be taken care of. Now, if you'd like to get out of the car, Gloriana, I know you're anxious to get back to your business." He tapped his ear, and I realized that what I'd thought was a hearing aid was actually a Bluetooth phone receiver.

"My associate tells me you have many very excited customers in your shop." He looked at Lucky again with narrowed eyes. "I wonder why they would be asking to meet the vampire."

"Papa, I don't-"

He lifted his hand, and Lucky shut her mouth again.

"Yes, well, I'd better get in there. Good-bye." Valdez and I jumped out as soon as the door opened.

"Ms. St. Clair, here are Mr. Carvarelli's private numbers." The gray-eyed man pressed a card into my hand. He surveyed the area in front of my shop, which was positively teeming with people. I pulled my coat up to cover my face. "Be careful. I'm not speaking out of turn when I say any involvement with the Carvarellis can change your fortunes." He gave me a slight smile. "Forever." The front door of the idling limo opened. "If you ever need anything, anywhere in the world, use those numbers. Mr. Carvarelli never forgets a debt. And that goes both ways."

He jumped into the limo, and it sped off. I looked at Valdez, both of us bursting to discuss the last few minutes. But we were surrounded by the early evening holiday crowd and more Goths than anything else. I steeled myself for what was to come and pushed inside. Lacy obviously needed help and Jasmine hadn't arrived yet to back us up.

The Saturday night before Christmas. With any luck, some of these curiosity seekers might actually buy something. Now that I knew Lucky was leaving town, I could really look forward to the ball tomorrow night. I gave Valdez a look and pushed inside the shop.

"Oh, my God! There she is! The vampire!"

"Ha! Ha! Is that why you're here?" I grabbed a box I'd hidden behind the counter. "You must have seen the video on YouTube."

"Yeah. Cool video. Let's see those fangs. Glory. Right?" A man held up his camera and began snapping pictures. I refused to inhale, even though there were some pretty delicious blood types circulating near me. I opened a plastic-wrapped package, then tossed one to Lacy.

"Give me a minute." I bent down and slipped the fake fangs into my mouth. They'd been popular sellers before Halloween. I'd remembered them after we'd told Nathan about Ray being turned vampire. Lacy grinned at me, her fake fangs glinting in the light.

"How do I look, boss?"

"Great. All we need is the fake blood, and we could do another death scene right now."

"Oh, man. Told ya." One couple headed for the door just as my least favorite TV personality came in.

"Forget vampires. This is a cute shop, and I see a dress I want to try on." A woman dragged the man with the camera over to a dress rack.

"Donna Mitchell, Channel Six News. Gloriana St. Clair, are those fangs in your mouth?" The news reporter for the local TV station signaled to her cameraman to start shooting, and the camera's record light came on.

I slipped out the fakes and dropped them on the counter. "Sorry to disappoint you, Donna, but I'm just taking advantage of some guerrilla marketing to boost sales during the holidays. I assume you saw my YouTube stunt. That
is
why you're here again." I turned to Lacy. "Lacy, grab that bucket of pig's blood out of the back. We'll do a reenactment. Where would you like to shoot, Donna? In front of the mural again? We're thinking of putting in a flat screen on that wall over there. Run the video all the time; make some others. We'd love to have one of yours."

The reporter frowned and poked the fakes with a gloved fingertip. "Damn. No way am I giving this dinky shop any more free publicity. Cut, Lyle. We're out of here. There's a cat up a tree near the capitol building."

"Waste of time."

"Did that dog just say something?" Donna stopped and stared down at Valdez.

I laughed. "Been hitting the eggnog at the office party, Donna? Go chase your kitty story. Sorry to disappoint you, but the only vampire here is the one painted on the wall. Oh, and Merry Christmas."

"Whatever." The reporter stomped out of the door, pushing Goths out of her way as she went. I tossed the fangs back in the box.

"Hey, what about that video?"

"You need another victim? Bite
me
, Glory."

There was some pushing and shoving, and Valdez moved in front of me. I winked at the crowd. "Maybe next time, fellas. For now, this is strictly a no-bite zone." I put on my shopkeeper's smile and began ringing up sales. The night of the Winter Solstice Ball was cold and clear and perfect. I threw a black velvet cloak around my shoulders as Jerry helped me out of the Mercedes in front of Damian's castle on the hill. Leave it to Damian to find a perfect replica of a castle, though with all the modern amenities and without the drafts, in central Austin. He had an excellent security force, one of whom was parking our car while we strolled up to the well-lit terrace. Valdez trotted by our sides until we got there, when Jerry told him to stay alert but to only come if one of us called him. Obviously my dog was already on the lookout for Brittany. Heaters were placed strategically around the open area, and guests were encouraged to keep the party circulating indoors and out. A band played next to the flagstone terrace, and several couples swayed to the music under the starlit sky.