"What do you think?" Lucky did a saunter around the dressing area, carefully arranging a black shawl over her shoulders. Her long black skirt swished around her ankles, and she flashed her fangs. "Do I look like a real vampire now?"
"Why don't you say that a little louder? I don't think they heard you next door at Mugs and Muffins." I noticed Lucky had decided to go for the Prada pumps even though the cute little red bow on the black suede kind of ruined the effect she was going for.
"I know you and your friends don't dress vampire. But I kind of groove on the whole dangerous female thing. Like that vampire in the mural on your wall." Lucky growled and flashed fang.
"We don't look vampire because there's no such thing as a stereotypical vampire. We come in all shapes, sizes and ages." I didn't know whether to be happy or sad that there were no mortal customers in the store at five thirty in the morning. My shop is open twenty-four hours a day, five days a week, closed Sundays and Mondays. Hey, it's a novelty and fits into the Sixth Street lifestyle in Austin. We're surrounded by clubs, stuck between a twenty-four-hour coffee shop and a tattoo parlor. The Tatt-ler had just opened last week, and Blade had gone in actually hoping to buy a London newspaper. Imagine his surprise when they'd offered him a discount on a nice snarling tiger for his upper thigh. Cute female tattoo artist. I hate her. Anyway, I work most of the night shifts myself. My vampire customers love the fact that we're open when they need us to be. But even they weren't here right now. Just me and my gaggle of "friends." It was like a paranormal sitcom, currently without the laugh track.
"Look, Lucky. I'm tired. I really don't want to go into this right now. Trust me, it's a security issue. We blend with the crowd so that misguided fools who think we're all demons from hell won't come after us with pointy stakes."
"Yeah, yeah, I get that. But Etienne's promised to take me hunting." Lucky smiled and linked arms with him. "If I'm going to be stuck this way, I'm going to do a hell of a lot more than drink fake blood from a bottle."
"Not tonight you're not." Not ever if I had anything to say about it. And I should, shouldn't I? I mean, I'd made this fang-flashing vamp. If she accidentally killed someone, I'd be responsible, indirectly anyway. And what was it with Lucky and men anyway?
First Damian, then Blade, now it was on to Etienne. She was determined to hook up with a vampire. I wondered if she was this fast and loose before her transformation. To be honest, I'd been the one to fill her head with the whole "vampire lovers can't be beat" idea. Naturally she was eager to test that theory herself.
Etienne though, we didn't know jack about him. I gave him a stern look.
"Yes, Miss Gloriana? You wish me to leave?"
Etienne, at least, seemed to have figured out who was calling the shots here. I gave him a grateful smile.
"Of course not. It's almost dawn. I'm prepared to offer you a safe place to sleep. In the closet in the back room. But only if you respect my wishes regarding Lucky."
"You can't just shove a man into a closet." Lucky grabbed Etienne's arm. "Or order me around."
"I don't mind, Lucky. Really. I'm grateful to be out of the weather. Thank you, Gloriana. You are very kind." Etienne patted Lucky's hand. "Tomorrow night. We feed together. Patience, ma petite. You have forever to learn what you need to know." I gritted my teeth. "Whatever. Lucky, you and Brittany can double up in Flo's room. Just pray she's staying at Richard's again tonight."
I tuned out Lucky's whining and decided it was more urgent to see if Lacy recognized Greg Kaplan from the photos in the phone. Back at the register, I scrolled through them until I came to the one with Greg in the picture.
"Here, Lacy. Check out the guy sitting on the ground. Is he the one who attacked you?" Lacy grabbed the phone and her eyes widened. "No. But I see the guy. The one at what looks like a pulpit. That guy standing next to Freddy, Derek's partner. Oh my gosh, he's the one who tried to take me out."
Nine
"You've got to be kidding me." I sat down hard. Oops. Next time I'd check to see if there was a chair behind me.
"Glory, are you okay?" Lacy hovered. Valdez and Brittany exchanged looks like they were trying not to laugh their asses off. Etienne and Lucky hadn't bothered to join the party, thank God. They were still next to the dressing rooms, Etienne serving as Lucky's "mirror" as she tried on black shawls. At least my inventory didn't include black lipstick and nail polish. Though the local Goths who liked to hang out at my shop had been pressing me to carry it.
I waved away Lacy's concern. "I'm fine. I just can't believe Simon Destiny himself came down from on high to attack you."
"I believe it." Valdez settled next to me on the floor. "You really pissed him off out at the compound. He promised to leave you and your friends alone, but I bet he figured your business was fair game."
"What's going on here? Gloriana, are you all right?"
I looked up to see Jerry frowning down at me. I'd been so busy worrying that Simon might use his demon's magical powers to come after someone during the day I hadn't even heard the door open.
"I'm fine. Just tired. We were getting ready to come upstairs."
Jerry looked around. His eyes narrowed when he saw Brittany. "Who's this?""Lucky's long lost bodyguard. Valdez knows her."
"And vouches for her?"
"Didn't say that." Valdez earned a hate-filled glare from Brittany. "But I doubt she took out Lucky. What's her motive?"
"Exactly!" Lucky came up with Etienne in tow. "Brit's been with the family for years. She's like a sister to me. Right, Brit?"
"Sure." Brittany nudged Valdez with her foot when he did a doggy version of a chuckle. I figure bodyguards never feel exactly like family members. There's the whole paycheck thing. Not to mention the enormous life or death responsibility.
"And this is?" Jerry pulled me to my feet and put a proprietary arm around me while he gave Etienne the once-over. It felt pretty good to be claimed. I leaned against him.
"Etienne Delacroix." Etienne stuck out his hand. "You must be Jeremy Blade, Gloriana's friend. Lucky was just telling me something about the vampires she's met since she had her, um, accident."
"It wasn't an accident. It was an attack. And anyone we don't know to be innocent is automatically a suspect." Jerry didn't shake hands. Instead he reached for one of the knives I knew he had hidden in his waistband as if he'd like nothing better than to whittle some truth out of the new guy.
"You have doubts about me, monsieur? Read my mind. Put me under what your Gloriana so charmingly calls the whammy. You will see that I have spent the past weeks and my last dollars at the Energy Vampire headquarters trying to buy a little sunshine." Etienne laughed bitterly. "More fool I. Go ahead. Take your best shot. I've nothing to hide."
"You think I won't?" Jerry grabbed Etienne's arm and seemed disappointed when the man didn't put up a struggle.
"He's drained dry, Jerry. He gave up his power to the EVs." I gave Etienne a sympathetic look; I'd had a near miss with that kind of thing myself. "I told him he could sleep in the back room for today."
"Lacy, how do you feel about that?" Jerry didn't release Etienne yet.
"I figure he'll be dead to the world. No biggie."
"Lock him in anyway, Lacy." I smiled at Etienne. He just shrugged and smiled back.
"What about the rest of you?" Jerry wasn't smiling.
"They're coming upstairs. I figure Brittany and Lucky can double up in Flo's room."
"Florence came home. She and Richard had a fight. She's reorganizing her shoes." Jerry finally let go of Etienne.
"Oh. That's terrible." Not the fight. Flo loves a good fight. And apparently excels at the kiss-and-make-up stage. No, the terrible part was the thought of another shoe inventory. Picture centuries worth of shoes. Which must be dealt with properly. Sometimes alphabetically, sometimes by color. Oh, and then there are the seasons. And of course every shoe must be stuffed with archival tissue and carefully inspected for damage. Once there had been a nasty scuff on one of her treasured Ferragamos. Trust me, you don't want to be around during one of Flo's shoe inventories.
"Come home with me, Gloriana. Lucky and Brittany can take your room. Valdez, you stay with them upstairs to keep an eye on things."
"Wait a minute, boss." Valdez knew exactly what he was in for.
"Maybe we should get a hotel room." Lucky had already picked up on a vibe here. She glanced at Brittany.
"No time. It's less than an hour until sunrise, Lucky. You've got to start paying attention to these things, hon, or you'll get caught in a bind." Brittany looked down at Valdez. "Maybe Rafe can give me some pointers on my new gig, bodyguard to a vampire. That is, if you're sure your father hasn't fired my ass."
"No, I told you, he doesn't think you had anything to do with the attack. He'll be glad you're still alive. When we get upstairs I'd better call him and let him know we found you and tell him what happened."
"Fine. Better head out then." I was more than happy to take off with Jerry. Usually I balk at letting him order my life, but this plan suited me perfectly. I couldn't wait to leave this menagerie behind and soon did exactly that.
"Thank you for rescuing me." I lay back in the leather seat of Jerry's Mercedes convertible and just relaxed for the first time in what seemed like days. Blade drove with the easy confidence that he did everything. Actually it was my Mercedes. But I'm pretty stubborn about accepting expensive gifts from Jerry. Now if he'd bought me my own red Birkin bag . . .
"I'm sure Florence will handle things if any of them cause problems. Or interfere with the shoe inventory." Jerry grinned at me. "I wish it wasn't so close to dawn. You're looking very sexy tonight, Gloriana."