Freddy and Derek couldn't wait to introduce me to my new neighbor. I've run across shape-shifters before. There'd been one werewolf who'd been a hunk in human form and more than tempting. But he kept pressuring me to shape-shift too. No, thank you, Wolfman. We'd parted ways. Talk about your ugly breakups.
"It's three frickin' thirty in the morning, guys. Is this building on fire?" A tall woman with red hair that would've made Clairol weep with envy stood between Freddy and Derek, poking them both in the chest with what looked to be lethal peach-frost fingernails. She wore a faded orange University of Texas T-shirt and plaid boxers. Her legs were a mile long and she looked like a model. I was prepared to hate her.
"Sorry, Lacy, we forgot you're a day person. Meet your new neighbor, Gloriana St. Clair. Then you can go back to bed. Glory, this is Lacy Devereau."
Lacy gave me the once over then swept the room, her eyes narrowing on Valdez, who'd leaped down to stand by my side. He growled and I grabbed his collar, though I knew from experience that if Valdez decided to bolt, he was gone.
"Back off, fur ball. I was here first." Lacy obviously wasn't talking to me.
"Yeah? Change, lady, and we'll see who owns this turf."
"Stop it, Valdez." I smiled and held out my other hand. "Please, forgive my, er, protector. He's got a love-hate thing with cats."
" A hate thing that says haul your skinny ass out of here." Valdez bared his teeth. Lacy laughed and shook my hand. "All bark. I've met his kind before. And, fur ball, you have no idea what my cat form looks like." She purred and bent down to look into his eyes. Whatever they said to each other inside their heads seemed to settle things for the moment.
" Let me go. It stinks in here. I'll be on your bed if you need me." Valdez looked up at me.
"Fine." I released him and watched him trot toward my new room. He paused in the doorway to glance over his shoulder and growl. Lacy growled back, her nails suddenly claws, and he sniffed and walked stiff-legged out of sight.
"Sorry about that, Lacy."
"Not to worry, Glory. Dogs are as important to me as a flea on my backside. He bites, I scratch him right out of existence. Which is what I told him a moment ago."
Hmm. Interesting neighbor. Could she read my mind? She smiled and nodded. Peachy. All I needed was another one.
"Damian said he's leasing the shop downstairs to you. An antique store?"
"Right. Vintage Vamp's Emporium."
"Cool. I've had some retail experience and"—she leaned forward—"I'm kind of an antique myself."
"You want a job?" This was good news. I needed a day worker and, despite her rather aggressive attitude with my dog, Lacy seemed like a competent person. I looked her over. She did have a skinny butt, so I still might hate her. And her skin. Creamy and absolutely glowing despite not a speck of makeup. Shouldn't werecats have whiskers or something?
"I need a job. I was working in the coffee bar at a local bookstore when this idiot told his buddy he'd just dumped a litter of kittens on the side of the freeway. He was laughing." She shuddered. "Those poor babies didn't stand a chance."
"Jerk."
"Exactly. So, oops, I dropped a latte in his lap."
"Hot latte, I hope." Kittens on the freeway. I can't tolerate cruelty to animals.
"You'd better believe it. But it got me fired."
"Too bad. I've always been an animal lover. Why do you think I keep a dog around?"
"You should switch to cats, Glory. Much more interesting. Not so slavishly devoted, of course." Time for a subject change. "Where are Freddy and Derek?" Not that it mattered. The U-Haul was empty and we'd already arranged for one of Derek's mortal friends to turn it in tomorrow.
"They hit it as soon as they introduced us. Probably bringing down their prey as we speak. Maybe you should join them while you've still got darkness." Lacy yawned and stretched. Yes, she did have a kind of cat persona going on.
"We don't call it prey. And I haven't fed that way in years." Obviously vamps and werecats have a different mind-set.
"Too bad." Lacy looked around the room. "So how about that job? I could use the money and I do know a thing or two about old stuff." She walked over to the pile of clothes Freddy had dropped onto a chair and picked up a vintage flapper dress.
"I had one of these. Cute." She looked at me, then down at her own willowy body. "I don't think we're the same size." I wish. "Exactly how antique are you?"
"Old enough to remember when women wore these." She pulled out a boned corset and wrapped it around her. "I'm sure a man invented this. I'd like to see one pull into a twenty-inch waist."
I was really liking Lacy. "You can work a register?"
"Of course." She tossed the corset back into the pile. "So do I have the job?"
"I'll give you a shot. I'm planning to be open twenty-four hours a day, Tuesday through Saturday. We'll have Sundays and Mondays off. Sound okay?""As long as you pay me enough, no problem. We can work out the details later." She yawned, a huge jaw cracker that showed some pretty impressive canines. "Sorry. I'm beat. Check with me when you wake up."
"Will do." I watched her stroll back into her own apartment and shut the door. Click. Click. Double dead bolts. Just like on my door. Nice.
The whole place was nice in a timeworn, shabby-chic kind of way. Having once been a warehouse it had high ceilings and wide hallways with great hardwood floors that creaked if you stepped just right. Someone had converted the top three floors into apartments back in the days when turquoise appliances had been the hot look. Now they were considered retro. I'd already filled a cabinet with junk food for Valdez. Now I lugged a case of Bloody Merry into the kitchen and lined up a dozen of them in the empty fridge. Some vamps drink it hot, but, after living in Vegas and the desert heat, I've decided I prefer it cold—not that it's such a tasty treat to begin with.
"Well, that does it for the kitchen."
"Glad to hear it. May I?" Damian lounged in the doorway. He nodded toward the Bloody Merry and I handed him one. We both popped tops then he held out his.
"A toast. To new beginnings." He had a wicked smile but I couldn't read his mind. Didn't matter. Whatever he was interested in beginning, was definitely interesting to me.
"To new beginnings." We both drank and I sighed. I was getting really sick of canned jugular juice.
"What do you think of your new place?" Damian followed me into the living room. The chairs were full of clothes so he sat next to me on the love seat.
"Love it." His thigh was right up against mine. Not that there was any danger of him being overcome with lust. I looked a fright, my hair a tangle and my faded "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" T-shirt clung in all the wrong places.
"You look great." He met my gaze and I felt his power. But I'd lived most of my life with a powerful vamp. I shrugged and looked away.
"Save the sweet talk, Damian. I'm not ready to rebound just yet."
"Blade." Damian put his can down on the marble-topped coffee table and took my hand. "I'm not going to tell you that he's not good enough for you. He's my friend. I know what kind of man he is. But maybe he's not the right man for you."
"And maybe you are?" I looked down at my hand resting in his. He was big, strong and masculine in a smooth sophisticated way. Very different from my Highlander who had broken men's necks with his bare hands. Damian seemed more slice and dice than rip and roar. Though Blade sliced and diced too, actually.
"Give me a chance. That's all I'm asking."
"Why? No other female vamps in Austin?" I couldn't believe this. I'm okay, but I'm no beauty queen. And I had two handsome men who wanted me? Pinch me.
"There are others. Right here in this building as a matter of fact." Damian dropped my hand and picked up his can to take a sip.
"That's handy. So why me?"
"Why not?" Damian smiled and looked deep into my eyes. I felt the pull and had to look away, fussing with my drink to avoid coming under his spell.
"Stop that. If you're serious about starting anything with me, never, ever try that mind control crap again." Damian put down his can and touched his chest over his heart. "Would I do that?" He laughed at my expression. "Of course I would."
"Play fair with me, Damian, or there will be no play at all."
Damian leaned back, stretched his arm along the back of the couch and began to toy with my hair.
"Relax, Gloriana, of course I'll respect your wishes. I am yours to command." Did I believe him? Maybe, maybe not, but he was my landlord so I backed off for the time being.
"Can we go down and see the shop now?" Time for a change of venue. I did want to see the place.
"Of course." He stood and walked to the door. "Get your keys."
Valdez stuck his head out of the bedroom. " You going somewhere, Blondie?"
"Just downstairs. I'll be okay with Damian."
Valdez snorted. " You sure?"
"Ask Blade if you don't believe me." I pulled open the door. Valdez just gave me a look and let us go.
"You don't have to listen to that dog, Gloriana." Damian had his hand on my elbow as we headed down the stairs.
"He makes me feel safe." I stopped and looked back at Damian. I decided to throw him a bone. Hunk. Interested. My landlord. Why not? "So do you."
Damian grinned. "Excellent. I'm making progress."
"Maybe." I started down the stairs again. "Tell me about this building and its occupants."
"My tenants are all special. Some nocturnals like us, others like your neighbor, shape-shifters who have a life during the day." I stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Your rent is ridiculously cheap. Blade isn't subsidizing me, is he?" I wouldn't put it past him. He always had his fingers in my pies. Look how he'd saddled me with Valdez.