“I can’t hand this off to someone else. I’ll figure out a way to do it myself.” Rafe tore his gaze from Sienna long enough to take a breath and stare at a spot between us.
“You have a club to run. And, frankly, I can’t afford your rates.” I knew he was expensive, I’d seen the bill he’d sent to Jerry.
“As if I’d charge you, Glory.” He grabbed my hand before I could stop him. “Seriously, this is messed up. How Blade got involved with a nut-job like this woman is bad enough, but to put you in danger . . .” He squeezed my fingers, focused on me now. “I’m going to have a talk with him.”
“No, Rafe. You two don’t talk and you know it. That conversation will end up in a fight.” I laid my other hand on his chest. His heart was thumping, fast. And he was so warm, shifter warm.
“I’ll leave you two to thrash this out, but, Rafe?” Sienna stopped with her hand on the doorknob. “I can afford to pay you. We need security. Whether this woman is an issue or not. I’ll need it when I go out on the road again too. Maybe you can hook me up with some guys you trust to be my new security team.” She looked down at her toes, curled under. “I’m still figuring things out but I’m not letting Ray take my career away from me. I’ll be back onstage no matter what I have to do.”
“Good for you.” Rafe smiled at her. “Glory can help. She’s figured out how to live among mortals for centuries. Blending, she calls it. It’ll be tougher for you because you’re a public figure, but even that asshole Ray Caine has managed it for the past year. That should show you it’s possible.”
“Yeah. If he can do it, I can. I can’t believe we sang together at the Grammys.” Sienna glanced at me. “He was vampire then, Glory?”
“Sure was. And you didn’t have a clue, did you?”
“No, just got pissed because of his weird rehearsal schedule. And you know the label went along with it. Is Chip?” She shook her head. “Naw. Now I’m thinking everyone, even the label’s owner, is a vampire. How stupid is that?” She looked down at herself. “What do you think, Rafe? Is this the costume I should wear on Halloween? We’re singing at your club. Or we’re supposed to. Ray and I. Not sure I can stand to be onstage with him again.”
“Publicity has gone out. You’re committed. I’ve got your signed contract. Of course you can do it.” Rafe let go of my hand and stepped toward her. “And wear that costume. Let Caine see what he lost by being a stupid jerk. Used you as his blood donor, didn’t he?”
“Yeah. And lost control. Typical addict behavior.” She shuddered. “Damn, I’m going to have to watch myself. Stay away from mortal boyfriends.” Her eyes filled and Rafe settled his hands on her narrow shoulders. I thought for a moment that he was going to pull her close and my stomach did a three-sixty. Stupid. I had no right to be jealous.
“If you learned nothing else from this fiasco, it’s that mortal bedmates are the wrong play. Look what happened to you. Stick to paranormals who can hold their own around you.” He nodded toward me. “Have a long talk with Glory about the joys of paranormal sex.” He grinned and winked. “Hard to beat, right, sweetheart?”
“Shut up, Rafe.” I felt my cheeks go hot. “Sienna, you look great. Buy it. I’ll give you a discount.”
“Thanks.” She winked at me. “Paranormal sex. Oh, yeah. I want all the details.” She brushed a fingertip down Rafe’s black tee with the red N-V logo. “But a demo would be even better.”
Rafe cleared his throat. “Slow down, Sin.” He glanced at me. “How long you been a vampire?”
“Twenty-four hours, more or less.” She smiled. “And I’m not a fan of slow unless it’s—” She leaned close and whispered in his ear.
Rafe actually flushed. “Oh, yeah, I hear you. If I hadn’t just told my girlfriend I was all in, I’d be up for that.” He stepped back from her with a grin. “But just now the timing’s off.” He turned to me. “Guarding you again, Glory. Not sure how that’s going to go over with my girl either. But I’ll handle it.”
“Oh, no, Rafe! Maybe you shouldn’t—” I knew Lacy wouldn’t be happy that he was riding to my rescue again. Of course he’d be there when I was dead. Lights out. Maybe Lacy would be cool with that.
“It’s okay. She lives across the hall from you. She can keep me company when you’re out during the day.” Rafe shrugged. “If she can’t handle that, then maybe we aren’t meant to be, you know?”
“No, I don’t. I can talk to her.” I really didn’t want to make his love life fall apart. I’d caused him enough pain in the past. And Lacy was my day manager. I didn’t want to alienate her either. This had been a bad idea all the way around.
“Stay out of it. I’m doing this, no arguments.” He didn’t smile, suddenly all business. “Now, Sienna, get dressed. Glory, does Blade know you called me?”
“Um, no.” I pulled my cell out of my pocket, dreading the conversation. “He was going to see Mel. To try to get her to back off.”
“Well, how’s that worked so far?” He watched Sienna strut into the bathroom with a twitch of her hips then shook his head as she shut the door with a finger wave.
“It hasn’t. I’m calling him now.” I tried and my call went straight to voice mail.
“I don’t like it, Rafe. Jer always answers.”
He frowned. “Has it occurred to you that this woman may get tired of Blade’s rejection?” He put his hand on top of mine that was holding the phone.
“Seriously? Oh, God. Maybe Jerry is the one who needs the bodyguard.” I looked down at the phone and tried his number again. No answer. A woman scorned. Maybe I wasn’t her only target.
Five
“We’ll worry about Blade later.” Rafe glanced at his watch when Sienna emerged from the bathroom back in her own clothes. “Wind up this transaction then let’s head up to your place. I want to look around. See if there are signs of a breakin. You said she got in yesterday, during the day?”
“Yes. I think so. Otherwise how could she manage to tamper with my laptop camera, the one I use for a mirror? Fill it with freakin’ bees?” I followed Sienna out to the register. “Megan, give Miss Star a twenty percent discount on this outfit.”
“Sure.” Megan took the two pieces and carefully wrapped them in tissue paper. She gushed over Sienna, running her credit card then asking for an autograph after she signed the receipt.
“Do we have to hurry back upstairs?” Sienna glanced around. “I see a few other things I might want to buy. My mother collects vintage jewelry. It’s never too early to shop for Christmas.” She grabbed my arm. “Oh, my God. My mom and dad. I’ll have to tell . . .” She squeezed until I yelped.
“Hey, you’re hurting me. Relax. We’ll figure things out.”
“I don’t think so. I’ll never get old and they will.” Tears filled her eyes. “How can I handle that?”
“Sienna, I honestly don’t know.” I patted her hand, realizing she was right to be upset and I didn’t know how to make her feel better. I’d been through this with Ray but it wasn’t any easier the second time around. “Take this change one step at a time. You can come back here tomorrow night. Shop some more. And we’ll talk. About what to tell your family. Right now Rafe’s right. We need to go back up and let him assess the situation. Dawn is only a couple of hours away.” Which worried me. Why wasn’t Jerry answering his phone? Had he found Mel? What were they doing? Or worse, what was she doing to him?
“I know I’m freaking out, but I can’t seem to relax.” She glanced out the plate glass window. “And check it, paparazzi. Those people who were here earlier must have taken a picture and posted it online. That’s all it takes to get those creeps to crawl out from under their rocks.”
“We’ll go out the back. The door into the apartments is just a few steps from there.” Rafe grabbed Sienna’s bag and hustled us toward the storeroom. “Hurry and we can beat them there.”
“Maybe I should face them, say something.” Sienna held on to the counter, halting our progress.
“Like what, Sienna?” I again had that feeling, my instincts warning me that she was up to something I wouldn’t like.
“Give them a scoop. Tell them Ray isn’t what he seems, the bastard. That would teach him to suck a woman’s blood when she’s basically unconscious.” Her eyes flashed and her fangs were down.
I darted glances everywhere. No customers inside but I saw flashes that meant the photographers outside were trying to get a picture through the window. Luckily my new Halloween displays, spiderwebs and all, and the lighting would keep them from getting a clear shot.
“Stop it! Are you crazy?” I dragged her into the back room, Rafe helping. “You will not start rumors that could out all of us. We fly under the radar and it’s going to stay that way.”
“Why? I think it’s cool that we’re superstrong and run and jump better than Olympic athletes. And that shape-shifting thing? Totally awesome.” She jerked her arm out of my grip. “We could rule the world, Glo. Staying hidden in the shadows is nuts. Think of the lost opportunities. Why I’d have millions more fans who’d come hear me sing just on the off chance that I’d show fang or jump off the stage and bite one of them.” She laughed. Laughed!
“Shut the hell up. You have no idea what you’re saying. I’ve been on the sharp end of a stake, stalked by a vampire hunter. Trust me, there’s no way we’re going public.” When she started to argue, there was no help for it. I grabbed her chin and looked into her eyes. In a moment she was mesmerized and staring into space.