“Get a grip on reality. He kicked you to the curb a long time ago. Where’s your pride, woman?” Taunting her probably wasn’t my best move, but I really didn’t like being reminded that she’d had Jerry in her bed. I was trying not to lose my cool and jump her, rip out that beautiful hair and pound her head against the concrete. That would make me feel better but would probably give her the out-of-control reaction she was hoping for. I drew on every reserve I had and stared at her, trying for cold and disdainful.
“Did he tell you how we met, Gloriana?” She leaned against my car, drawing a line with her nail on the trunk.
“No.” I wanted to hear this.
“I had rented a ballroom at his hotel in Miami. It was a sellout. People pay small fortunes to hear me speak, get motivated.” She smiled, her red lipstick perfect. All of her makeup was perfect. Damn.
“I can’t imagine. What do they say? A sucker is born every minute?”
“I am worth every penny. As a life coach. People hear me speak and they are reborn. They leave my seminars and become successful, do great things.” She flicked a disdainful look at the back door to my shop. “Some people are satisfied with a little life. My clients are not. Check out my Web site. Read the testimonials.”
“You know nothing about me or my life.” Why didn’t I just rip out her throat now? But that would make me as evil as she was. And then there was that cold, malignant wall surrounding her. I’d be stained by it, my soul tarnished, if I gave in to my urge to kill her.
“You have worked your vampire wiles on my Jeremiah. But I will put an end to that. Then he will realize that I am his soul mate. The only woman to make him truly happy.” She ran a fingertip down her throat. “You should see him when he drinks my blood, Gloriana. The pleasure, the passion—”
“Shut the hell up!” I vibrated with the need to tear her apart. Her smile was so sure, triumphant. Had Jerry actually kissed that mouth? I wanted to retch, or launch myself across the alley and obliterate her face so that she’d never kiss anyone, ever again.
No.
I forced a laugh. “Seriously? Don’t you realize vampires will do and say anything to get mortal blood? Jerry played you, bitch. Used you as a donor and then moved on.” I took a step toward her. “You were handy when he was in Miami, but that’s over. He’s lusty, I can attest to that. Obviously you were easy.” I gave her my own cold smile. She didn’t take it well, her teeth snapping together. If she’d been a vampire, she would have been snarling, her fangs down. “Now he’s got his number-one lover back. Me. You are old news, Mel. He’s throwing you out with the trash.”
“Old news? I’m not the one with hundreds of years invested in a failed relationship, Gloriana. Pobresita.” The air around her swirled and pushed at me, frigid and menacing. “You are a bad habit that Jeremiah needs to break. But once you are gone, he will be all mine.”
“Get a grip. Jerry’s not some trophy you can pass around, the prize in your pissing contest. He’s a man who knows what he wants and it’s not you. Now, why don’t you go back where you came from? Find some other man to terrorize.” I shoved at her creepy air and met resistance. I hated that I was even arguing with her, sounding desperate. Damn it.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? For me to just leave him to you?” She raised her arms and howling creatures appeared around her. Spirits? Ghosts? Whatever, they gave me the creeps. “As long as you are between me and happiness, Gloriana St. Clair, you will never have peace of your own. This I vow.” She muttered an incantation and the restless things around her wailed louder, rising and falling as she got more agitated. They zipped past me, tearing at my hair and snatching at my clothes.
Okay, I admit it. I hit at them like they were real and got nothing but air. It was all I could do not to dematerialize, just vanish the hell out of there. I reminded myself that I was dealing with nothing more than a mortal playing with the dead. Yeah, dead. How much could they really hurt me? The ghosts I’d dealt with before had been benign, helpful. But the chilled air brushing against me when one of those howling creatures darted past made me jump in spite of myself.
“All right, you want to play hardball? It’s on.” I showed fang. “I don’t think you know who you’re messing with.”
“We will see.” She threw her arms wide and my ears rang as her followers screeched a final time, twirling into some kind of otherworldly dust devil before they disappeared. “He will be mine, Gloriana. It is decided.”
Decided? I couldn’t stand it. I threw myself at her, finally giving in to my hatred. I landed on empty concrete. She’d disappeared, just poofed. I jumped up and took a quick look around. She must have had an escape route figured out because she was really gone, nothing left of her but that stench of bad news.
I leaned against the back door into the shop, my stomach doing a pitch and roll as I hit the code for security and practically fell into the storeroom. I needed a bottle of synthetic blood. The first gulp helped, the second felt even better. A voodoo priestess. What next? I should know better than to ask that question.
Two
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I was almost afraid to answer it. Here it came. Cosmic payback. Caller ID made me feel a little better.
“Ray? That duet tonight was amazing.” I smiled as I said it. A good memory to wipe out the bad.
“Glory, babe. I’m in a shitload of trouble here.” Ray’s voice shook and I could have sworn he sobbed. I sank down in my one chair in the back room.
“What is it?”
“It’s Sienna. We came back to my place after the concert. Hit the sheets, had some fun and then I did the whammy on her so I could drink her blood. You know, my idea of a nightcap these days.” He sniffed.
“Ray, what the hell happened?” I gripped my phone so hard the pink sparkles on the case cut into my palm.
“I drank too much blood, Glo. I can’t wake up Sienna. I think, I think she’s dead. Come out here, Glory. Quick. Help me.” He took a shuddery breath. “I might be able to save her if I turn her vampire but I can’t do it alone.”
“I’m on my way.” I stuck my phone in my pocket and threw open the back door, barely taking the time to lock it again. If Sienna was already dead, we were too late. If she had a little life left in her . . . I shifted and flew into the night sky. Either way, Ray and I were in a hell of a mess. And I’d thought voodoo was my biggest problem.
• • •
I landed next to Ray’s front door. One of his bodyguards, Will, met me and let me in immediately. I knew all of them, thanks to my history with the rocker. Will Kilpatrick was a Scot, and knew me better than most.
“He’s really shook up, Glory. They’re in the master bedroom. I tried to help him, but he insisted we wait for you.” Will stayed right on my heels as I ran through the house.
“What do you think? Is there hope for her?” I hesitated in front of the closed door, dread making my stomach churn.
“Maybe. But you never know. We should have done something right away. But Ray wouldn’t hear of it. Had to call you.” Will reached around me and opened the door. “Good luck. You need me, give a shout. I don’t have to tell you what this means if the girl doesn’t make it, do I?”
“Either way, Ray’s really screwed up this time.” I took a breath of courage and ran into the room. It was bathed in moonlight, the centerpiece of the large room a king-size bed with black satin sheets in a tangle, the dark comforter in a heap on the floor at the foot. Ray jumped up, his eyes wild as he dragged me over to where Sienna lay in the middle of the bed.
“I think she’s got a faint pulse but I can’t rouse her.” He jammed my finger against her pale throat. “Feel. Isn’t there a heartbeat?”
“Ray, calm down.” I could see that she wasn’t breathing but that didn’t mean she was dead. I concentrated, listening for that subtle thump that meant her heart still beat. Yes, she was in there somewhere but didn’t have long.
“God, Glory, I never meant for this to happen.” He hovered over me, his hand on my back as I leaned closer, trying to feel for a whisper of breath.
“Bring me a mirror, Ray. I think she may be breathing after all. Hurry.” I reached out and he slapped a silver hand mirror into it. Sienna’s. Ray would never own a feminine piece like this. I held it over her nose and got just a bit of cloud. “Good news. She’s not gone yet, but there’s no way to avoid it. We have to give her blood.”
“Can we take her to the hospital? Or give her some synthetic? Or is this it? Will we have to turn her?” Ray sagged onto the side of the bed, his shoulders drooping. “I swore I’d never do this. Never turn another person. Not after what was done to me.”
“We don’t have a choice, Ray. Look at her. I can almost see her soul leaving her body.” I leaned down and put my head to her chest. “Her heart’s starting to skip beats. We can’t take the time to get her to the hospital for a real transfusion, and synthetic won’t save her.”
“How do you know?” He picked up Sienna’s hand then shuddered. “She’s so damned cold.”
“Synthetic isn’t real blood. It can keep us going, but a human’s not equipped to metabolize it.” I was quoting one of the vampire doctors I knew. “You want me to do it?”
“Please. I’m sorry, but I just can’t.” He wouldn’t let go of her hand. “Save her, Glory. I hope to hell this is the right thing to do.”
“Me too. Right or wrong, I don’t see an alternative.” I picked up her other wrist. First step, drain her completely. I’d done this once before, when I’d come across a woman bleeding out in my alley. It had turned out I’d have been doing myself, Ray and the world in general a favor if I’d left Lucky Carver to die. Instead I’d played Good Samaritan and saved her skinny ass. At least I knew Sienna for a decent person who deserved to live.