Real Vampires Have More to Love (25 page)

“I had no idea you helped.” I would have hugged them both, but I knew they were nothing but cool air and a vision. “Thanks so much.”

“Proved somethin’ to us, I tell ya.” Harvey put his arm around Emmie’s waist.

“What’s that?” I glanced down at the dresses and wondered if a good dry cleaner could salvage any of them.

“Look at us, Glory.” Emmie’s voice was suddenly quieter.

I looked. “You’re fading out. What’s up?”

“We finally got the message.” Harvey pulled Emmie tighter against him. “When I first laid eyes on this little gal all those years ago, right in this here building, I knew she was the one for me.”

“Oh, Harvey. I knew it too. I was just stubborn enough to make you court me proper for two years before I’d say yes.” Emmie’s eyes sparkled, and she sniffed. She wasn’t wearing the cowgirl costume she’d been wearing when Harvey had accidentally run over her in his pickup truck. Now she had on a beautiful wedding gown, a fifties-style satin that must have been what she’d worn on their wedding day. She looked about twenty, and her gray hair was a soft brown.

“And we were happy for many a year.” Harvey kissed her cheek. His overalls were gone and so were about thirty pounds. He had on a black suit and a white shirt with a black western tie. Wedding suit. “If I just coulda given you children ...”

“Hush now. I was happy. Didn’t need no kids. You were a handful, and that’s a fact.” Tears ran down her face. “I’ve always loved you, Harvey Nutt. Always will.”

Now I was crying. Because the more they talked, the more they faded out.

“We’re leavin’ ya, Glory. Finally goin’ upstairs now that we’ve figured things out.” Emmie took a blue bandanna from Harvey and dabbed at her wet cheeks. “Be happy, girl. I hope ya find a good man ya want to keep by yer side forever. But iffen ya don’t, well, be safe and take care of yourself.”

“And stay away from them demons!” Harvey shouted. But it was hard to hear him. Because he and Emmie Lou were winking out.

I blinked and rubbed my eyes, then realized I was truly alone in the back room. I looked down and saw a blue and white bandanna on the floor. When I picked it up, it was still damp from Emmie Lou’s tears.

That did it. I lay my head on the table and sobbed like my heart was breaking. And maybe it was. To have a love like that . . .

“Babe? Glory? What the hell is wrong?”

I looked up. One of the men in my life. A good one? Maybe.
The
good one? Probably not.

Fourteen

“Ray?” I mopped at my eyes with that bandanna.

“Tell me, what’s wrong?” He pulled me up to face him.

“The Nutts are gone.” I sniffed and tried to make myself presentable. I hadn’t seen Israel Caine in ages, and now I had to face him with a red nose and swollen eyes.

“You can’t eat nuts anyway. Why’re you crying about that?” He smiled and pushed my hair back from my face. “Get a grip.”

“No, I mean Harvey and Emmie Lou Nutt, my resident ghosts. They made up after fighting for decades, and now they’re finally on their way to Heaven. They’ll never haunt my shop again.” I choked back a sob, still sad but realizing that was pretty selfish of me.

“That’s a good thing. Can’t have creepy stuff like that scaring the customers.” Ray looked down at the ruined dresses on the table. “Whoa, what happened here? Looks like motor oil.”

“Long story.” I wasn’t about to share my run-in with a demon. He and Rafe already had issues. If he knew Rafe had brought a demon into my life . . . “My ghosts left my customers alone as long as they were good people. The Nutts hated vamp hunters and were a big help when Westwood was after me.” Now maybe this was something Ray would like to hear about.

“Okay, fine. Good ghosts.” He looked around the back room. “So where’s your knight in shining armor?”

“Which one?” I smiled, wondering if Ray was jealous. I have and always will be a fangirl for this hot rock star.

“I was thinking Blade, but maybe you have the dog panting after you now too.” Ray tried to put his arm around me, but I slipped out of reach.

“Rafe’s a shape-shifter, not a dog. I love dogs, by the way, but now he’s staying in human form and he’s my roommate. When you sing at his club, you’ll have to treat him with respect, Ray.” I kept some distance between us. “Where’s your new girlfriend, the vampire who, as you so delicately put it, popped your cherry?”

“That was a temporary thing. We’ve moved on. Sienna came with me to check out the music festival.”

“Oh? You and Sienna—” Sienna Star was another singer, and they’d had a hit together but nothing more as far as I knew.

“Not together, though the tabloids think so, especially since our duet went platinum.” Ray came close and ran a finger down the vee of my blouse. “I’m still available if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No, I’m not asking. Guess who’s still alive and kicking. No. Guess who’s undead and annoying as hell.” I moved out of reach again.

“I’ll bite.” Ray grinned and showed fang. “Who?”

“Brent Westwood.” This time
I
grinned as I waited to see his reaction.

“No way. I saw you take him out with his own crossbow.” Ray sat on the stool.

“The ever-helpful Greg Kaplan, drug pusher and EV, turned him, and he’s now one of those evil vampires he hated so much. Don’t you love it?” I sat in the chair on the other side of the room. I really didn’t want Ray too close to me, if he picked up on smells like Richard and Flo had . . .

“I say let’s get a stake and put that creep out of his misery.” Ray was right in front of me and pulling me into his arms before I could stop him. “He almost killed you, Glory.”

“He’s over that urge. Now he just wants me to help him get his billions back. Trust me, I’m going to make him pay through the nose before I think about taking the bastard out again.” I watched Ray’s face and knew the moment he figured out my scent.

“Son of a bitch!” He shoved me back and put a good five feet between us. “You’re having sex with that damned shifter.”

“Now, Ray.” I could see he was furious. With me, with Rafe, even with himself.

“All those weeks I played the fool, begging you to sleep with me. ‘Oh, no, Ray, I can’t. I’m saving myself for Jerry.’ Damn it to everlasting hell.” He picked up the wooden stool and threw it at the steel back door where it shattered with a crash.

“Ray, I didn’t plan it. It just happened. I’ve known Rafe for five years. We’ve lived together. He’s saved my life.” I shut up when I saw this was futile and sounding desperate. I held out my hand. “Ray.”

“Don’t touch me. Not unless you plan to strip off and fuck me right here and now.” Ray’s face was hard, and I’d never seen him look so cold or sound so bitter and heartless.

Something sick and twisted inside me reared its head and shouted,
“Wow!”

“You want me, Rock Star?” I slid my panties down my legs and kicked them across the room, then cleared the table and jumped on it. “Come and get me.” I grinned and spread my legs. “What are you waiting for?” I hiked my skirt in case he wasn’t clear on the “get me” part.

“Glory, what the hell is this?” Ray stared at me like I was a stranger.

That look brought me down to earth. What the hell
was
I doing? I sat up and swiped at stupid tears.

“Missed your chance.” I pulled down my skirt and hopped down. “Besides, that would only prove that I care about your feelings enough to help you get even with Rafe. If you’re keeping score.” I dropped back into my chair. Dear God, but I’d almost made a huge mistake. What was the matter with me? Ray still looked at me like I’d lost my mind. He wouldn’t be wrong. “You want me to do it out of pity, Ray?”

“What the hell? If I didn’t think you’d hate me later, I’d be inside you right now.” Ray picked up the pieces of the stool and slammed them on the table. “How could you sleep with that shifter, Glory? I thought you were in love with Blade, so I could kind of respect that. Where is the Scot, by the way?”

“Out of town.” I probably shouldn’t have said it. It only gave Ray ammunition.

“Excellent. So how long has this affair been going on? Were you two going at it the whole time Valdez was playing bodyguard?” Ray shook his head. “Never thought I’d feel sorry for Blade, but this may do it. Dumb bastard was paying the shifter’s salary, big bucks from what I understand, and the V-man was getting a little somethin’ somethin’ from you on the side as well. Pretty good job, I’d say.”

“It wasn’t like that, Ray. When you and I were together, Rafe and I had never . . .” I sighed. “Hell, why am I explaining myself to you? You think I’m a slut? Fine. I guess that’s all I am to you. I’m sorry I’ve hurt your feelings, but who I sleep with is really none of your concern.”

“Right. I’m just the fool who came here because you asked me to.” Ray picked up the broken stool leg, which looked very much like a stake, and I shuddered. “The idiot who agreed to sing in your lover’s club. As a favor to you.”

“They’re paying you. And wait till you meet his partner, Nadia. She’s just your type. Beautiful with a world of experience.” I stalked over and jerked the piece of wood out of his hand. “You’re making me nervous.”

“What? Afraid I’ll stake you in a fit of jealousy?” Ray shook his head. “The hell of it, Glory girl, is that I
am
jealous. And as much as I’m hurting, I’d never hurt
you
.” His expression promised pain of another kind.

“Ray, you’re scaring me.” He was. Not for myself. I knew he wouldn’t lay a hand on a woman. Had always known it. But there was a violence simmering inside him now that I’d never seen before. It made his bright blue eyes into laser beams that were almost painful to stare into, but I couldn’t look away.

He wasn’t the fledgling vampire, who’d needed me to guide him, anymore. This man had come into his power and knew it. He could be dangerous but leashed it now. Barely. Insanely, part of me was turned on by it and still wanted to jump his bones. I backed up, to give myself space.

“Jump his bones.”
I swear I heard a voice in my head saying it.

“The person I’d like to ram that piece of wood through isn’t you, sweet thing. It’s that damned shifter. That dog who’s tasted you”—Ray jerked me into his arms—“seen you naked and made you scream his name when you came.” He nuzzled my neck, his fangs scratching across my jugular. “He did make you come, didn’t he, babe? Because if he didn’t—”

“Stop it, Ray.” I shoved him away, my heart pounding, the makeshift stake shaking in my hand. “I can’t do this, play this twisted game.”

“Oh, yes, you can.”
I told my inner bad girl to shut the hell up.

“It’s not a game to me.” Ray’s eyes dimmed. “I was never playing with you. That’s the hell of it.”

My heart stalled at the pure misery in that confession, and for a moment I wanted to soothe him and kiss away his pain. Couldn’t do it because something in me wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop at just a kiss. I bit my trembling lip.

“I’m sorry, Ray. All I can tell you is to remember you’re a professional. Sing in Rafe’s club. Sing for Flo’s wedding. Do whatever you need to at the music festival, but forget about anything we once had going.”

“We never had anything going, Glory.” Ray jerked the stake from my fingers as easily as if I hadn’t gripped it tightly. “That’s the problem. I played things too safe with you. Like I would with a human female. Obviously I didn’t have a clue how to deal with an ancient vampire.” He smiled and walked to the back door, turning the dead bolt. “But I’m going to find out. Maybe this Nadia will give me some pointers. Then I’ll be back. Because for some reason, maybe because you aren’t easy to get, you fascinate me. And now that I know you can be unfaithful to Blade? All bets are off.” He tossed the stake onto the table. “See you around.” He stepped outside and closed the door.

I shivered, tempted. Wrong. I rubbed my forehead. Concussion. Hearing voices now. Could things get any worse? The phone rang again. Guess so. Blade. I had to answer it this time. At least he couldn’t smell me from Florida. My cheeks went hot with guilt as I punched the button to answer the call.

“Hey, Jerry.”

“Gloriana! Why the hell haven’t you been answering your phone? Are you all right?” Jerry sounded truly worried. Which just made me feel even worse.

“I’m fine. Lost my phone. Finally found it tonight. Sorry if you were concerned.” How easily I lied. Had I always been this glib? This manipulative?

“Everything all right there?” His voice was quiet, as if there might be someone else in the room with him.

“Sure. How’s your business coming?” I picked the stake up off the table. I was saving it. You never knew when one could come in handy. I might use it on my own forehead if this voice didn’t shut up.

“It’s a mess here. I’m interviewing new managers right now. Then Richard called me.”

“Oh?” I dropped the wood with a thud.