I tucked the bill in my fanny pack. “Thank you.” I turned to go, wobbling a little in my high heels.
“Gloriana.” He grabbed my arm. “Wait. Did I just insult you? With that tip?”
I looked down at his hand. He’d read my mind. “Let me go or one of the bouncers will come ask you to leave.” I did feel insulted. Stupid. This happened all the time. Men looked at my curves, gave me a big tip and maybe asked me what time I got off work. I usually joked with them and took their money while refusing to promise them anything.
Jerry let me go. “Answer me. Did I make you feel cheap?”
“I am cheap, Jeremiah. I always was. That’s the truth. I’ve learned to live with it. Have you?” I sniffed, suddenly fighting the urge to cry. What on earth was the matter with me? I looked around and realized no one needed me. I was on my own for the moment.
“You are not and have never been cheap. Where in the hell did you get such an idea?” He stood right behind me, speaking softly in my ear. I could feel him almost touching me. “I love you. I hold you in the highest esteem, Gloriana. Why are you acting this way?”
“I’m sorry. Sit down, Jerry. Drink your drink. I’ll see you later. At your hotel. We’ll talk then.” I hurried to the bar, away from him. Words. He always spoke the right words. But there was a saying…actions speak louder. He would go back to New Orleans and squire around a beautiful woman, sleep with her and not think of me at all. It was what I deserved. Damn my pride, my whatever you wanted to call it. I was not mad at him, not really. I was mad at myself. I kept pushing him away. Could I really be surprised when he got lonely? While I… I slammed my tray on the bar and stalked into the break room.
“Valdez, we’re leaving early. I want to go home and change clothes before we meet Jerry at his hotel. That sound like a plan?” I jerked my purse out of my locker.
“Sure, Glory. Whatever you want.” He trotted next to me as I threw open the door to the parking lot. “Something wrong?”
I stopped when I saw who was standing next to my car. “Now there is. It was just a matter of time. Look who’s waiting for us.”
“Yes, my dear. Time for payback. Hope the favor proves worth it.” Davenport tipped his hat. “Get in the car. I’d rather not discuss this in a parking lot.”
“I’d rather not discuss this at all.” I slid into the driver’s seat. My life had literally gone to hell.
26
“ I can’t take you home. What if my roommate is there?” I started the car while Davenport slid into the passenger seat. Valdez was already in the back seat, chin on my shoulder for moral support.
“I’ve been keeping track of your roommate situation. Dear Misty is now shacked up with her new boyfriend. The one she met at a Gamblers Anonymous meeting, thanks to me. Your new roomie, the beautiful Connie, is at work in the Tropicana gift shop. She won’t get off for another hour. Drive, Gloriana.” Davenport looked smug after he’d recited this.
“I hate you.” I backed out of my parking spot. “Why can’t you just tell me what you want me to do for you? Get it over with.”
“You’re supposed to hate me. The more hate, the better my credit down below.” He preened, pulling down the visor and making a face when he realized this old rust bucket didn’t have a mirror there. “I like to drag out the dread. Makes you queasy, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, damn you.” I drove home, determined to ignore him. He chattered about the weather which had cooled for a change, the crowd we were drawing at the Velvet Slipper, and what he’d seen of the dances I’d staged.
“You seem to have a talent for choreography. At least when it concerns booby shakes and booty quakes.” Davenport laughed. “Oh, Glory, this will be such fun. You are going to absolutely despise what you’re going to have to do for me.” He clapped his hands.
I didn’t doubt it. It wasn’t fair that evil came wrapped in such a pretty package. Tonight, he looked especially handsome in a tailored suit that must have cost a fortune. It was a light gray and he wore a red tie and white shirt with it. He had added some snazzy tinted glasses this time. He could have passed for a Wall Street banker or a billionaire in Vegas for a meeting. I knew him for a demon who delighted in bringing the pain. He should have sprouted horns from his three-hundred-dollar haircut.
We finally arrived at the apartment complex and I shut off the engine. “Do we really have to go upstairs? I hate to taint the place with your stench of evil. Connie is bound to pick up on it when she gets home.”
“That’s part of the fun. You’ll have to explain it to her, dear Glory.” Davenport climbed out of the car. “This is a real beater. Too bad you can’t afford better.”
“Quit the torture, demon. Finish so she can get on with her life.” Valdez jumped onto the pavement when I opened his door. “You don’t have to gloat.”
“Oh, but I do.” Davenport waved his hand and a nearby trash can caught fire. “I don’t need to hear from you, sir. You have betrayed your heritage. The less said the better.” He waved his hand again and the fire sputtered out, leaving the stench of burnt garbage and a streak of smoke in the night sky.
I stared at my bodyguard. More hints that Valdez had secrets. I’d like to ask questions but I had bigger worries right now. I led the way upstairs and opened the door. To my relief there were no surprises waiting for me. I settled on the couch, Davenport in the chair across from me.
“I’m waiting. What do I have to do to pay you back for getting Misty off the hook? You paid her debts and she isn’t even tempted to gamble.” I realized my foot had started shaking. I couldn’t deny that had been a huge favor. What would it take to make this demon go away?
“The blood tasting is coming up.” Davenport leaned forward.
I couldn’t help it, I gasped. “You aren’t going to ruin that, are you? You have any idea how long Dom has worked on it? How important it is to him?”
“That makes this even more delicious, my dear.” Davenport rubbed his hands together and sparks flew.
“You want me to do something to ruin the night for Dom?” I felt like throwing up. I couldn’t imagine being the agent of Dom’s downfall. After months of planning and hearing about how this was going to make his fortune, I felt almost as invested in the success of this tasting event as Dom was.
“What? What do you want me to do?” I dug a hand in his fur after Valdez jumped up on the couch next to me.
“I can see this is very upsetting for you. I admit, I’m surprised. You really shouldn’t be that attached to Dominic.” Davenport got up and paced the room. “Now? Why I am delighted. I may have to do some more thinking. It was going to be a simple bait and switch. Bring in the wrong synthetics, I believe you call them. Add a little something to make a few vampires sick, that sort of thing. But now I’m wondering if I can devise something more dramatic. Turn up the heat on the scenario I had planned.” He walked a circuit around the small room, clearly contemplating disaster after disaster.
“Bait and switch. You wanted me to substitute something like, I don’t know, my cheap Juicz instead of the high dollar synthetic in their glasses? Make them think this was all a hoax? Not worth their time?” This would kill Dom’s business. “What did Dom do to deserve this?”
“He’s always on my list. You don’t need to know why. But you’re right. Who would that punish? Not you, dear one. Except that you’d feel sorry for your new friend. It would cost you your job. I like that.” Davenport ignored Valdez who had jumped to the floor and was tracking him step by step as he walked the floor. “Get away from me, you furry pain in my ass. You smell like cheese puffs.” He waved him away with a sneer. “You want me to tell Glory why you are not the perfect guard dog she thinks you are?”
“Shut up. Leave her alone. That favor you did for her was easy for a demon like you. Didn’t even make you break a sweat, did it? Now take off and go back to Hell where you belong.” Valdez sat in front of me, his back brushing my legs. His body vibrated with anger.
“You’re irri
tating me, fur face. Mind your own business.” Davenport sat across from us again and leaned forward. His eyes glowed red.
Valdez pushed against me so hard, I shoved at him. “Hey, careful. You want to break my legs?”
“Sorry.” He eased off but never took his eyes away from Davenport’s. “Listen to me. Glory is my business. I’m charged with keeping her safe and I take it seriously.” Valdez growled with such menace that I shivered.
“And I am charged with stealing her soul. Watch me work.” Davenport lifted his gaze to mine and studied me until I squirmed, very uneasy under his solemn regard. It didn’t help that his eyes glowed red. “Tell me, Gloriana St. Clair. What is it you value most?”
Before I could stop myself, one word popped into my head. I didn’t say it, but Davenport lit up like one of the neon signs on the Strip.
“Thank you, Glory!” He clapped his hands. “That’s exactly what I needed. Now to get to work.” He jumped up and practically skipped to the door in his Gucci loafers. “I’ll be in touch. Not to worry. You are perfectly safe. For now. But I can’t make any promises about that other one. Know who I mean?” He cackled, like a creepy figure in a haunted house, then opened the door and left.
“Oh, gods, what have I done?” I was shaking as I looked at Valdez. “I didn’t want to do it but you know what I thought when he asked that question, don’t you?”
“What do you value most?” Valdez went to the door and nosed the deadbolt lock into place. “Yours isn’t a what, it’s a who. Jeremiah. You thought his name, of course.” He snorted. “I have never known a woman so ridiculously in love with a man. Have you no pride?” He stalked back to face me. “He cheats on you, Glory. All the time. You know that.”
“Yes, I do. So what? He says it’s meaningless sex and I believe that. What I feel for Jeremiah? It’s not blind love, Valdez. It’s much more complicated than that. Quit making me sound like a fool.” I took a steadying breath and got off the couch.
I needed a shower and a change of clothes. I was supposed to meet Jerry at the hotel and time was ticking away on our night. We’d have sex. Meaningless? Not to me. How did he feel about it? I didn’t want to go down that road. I didn’t dare start analyzing our relationship too deeply. Maybe I needed to spend a night with him without sex. We could talk, catch up on how we’d been. But then he’d touch me and I knew I had no will to resist.
“What is it you feel for him then?” Valdez blocked my way down the hall. “Please take a moment and explain it to me. I respect you, I do. So, when I see you acting like this about a man, it makes me,” he shook his head, “I don’t know, a little crazy. Because you’re weak around him.”
“Weak!” Now I was mad.
“Yeah, weak. You pay lip service to the idea of independence but when Jeremiah crooks his finger, you’re like Misty or Donna, who are always looking for the next man to take care of them. Even Odette! It’s the only way they know how to live.”
“Stop it. You’re not being fair. I’m here, aren’t I?” I didn’t know why I was bothering to defend myself but this wasn’t fair. “I don’t follow him around. Notice that? I’m working on my independence because what I feel for Jeremiah is not just love or lust, Valdez. Yes, he’s the most important thing in my life. Why wouldn’t he be? He’s why I’m still here instead of dead and gone. I could have been planted in a grave somewhere in England centuries ago.”
“Fine. He made you vampire. You’re grateful.” Valdez snorted. “I think four hundred years is long enough to prove you appreciate the gift.”
“Of course, it is. But do you get that I’m also loyal? Jeremiah’s gift of immortality is a rare thing. He didn’t give it lightly. I know for a fact he doesn’t go around turning other mortals into vampires. Then there’s this: He not only gave me eternity but he’s always insisted on making sure I’m safe. For centuries! Most sires certainly don’t do that. Valdez, you’re here because of how Jerry cares for me. Can you understand how big that is?” I didn’t like having to explain myself and shouldn’t have to do it. Saying it out loud, though, made me realize what I owed Jerry.
“I understand that he wants you with him forever. Not entirely unselfish of him, is it? He provides a guard who reports to him about your whereabouts and lets him know who you’re involved with. Try to break that tie and see what happens. I know for a fact you can’t afford my services. I’m sorry, but that’s the sad truth.” Valdez moved out of my way. “You found that out for yourself just recently, didn’t you?”
I couldn’t argue with him. I’d learned that even a budget shape-shifter like Dennis and his roommates hired was way beyond my own budget. The thought of being vulnerable during my death sleep without someone to watch over me was so terrifying, my stomach burned at the thought.
Valdez finally shook his head. “Oh, go to him. Do your thing. I know you love him. But at times I’ve seen something else in your eyes. You hate him too. For making you feel like a fool when you hear about his other women. Are you ever going to cut him loose, Glory? Or is that idea a nonstarter?”
“Stay out of this, V.” I stopped in the bedroom and grabbed my robe then faced him in the hall. “I don’t say this very often, but remember your place. I’m not going to let you tell me what I should do about Jerry. Remember who signs your paycheck.”
“Fine. But you will expect me to help with this demon shit, won’t you? And I’m sure you want me to keep Jerry out of the loop on that. Funny, but that lengthy contract I signed only said I’m to keep your body safe. Where your soul goes? That’s not my problem.” He turned his back on me. “I’m returning to my place. Wake me up when you’re ready to leave. I need a nap. This job has the worst hours you can imagine.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “That’s why I’m paid the big bucks.”
I watched him settle on the couch and close his eyes. I felt horrible, ungrateful. He deserved better. He was right. Not only was I going to need his help with this demon, but I demanded his loyalty. We kept things from Jerry all the time when I knew Valdez was paid to tell my sire everything . I should apologize but I was operating on my last nerve, not only thinking about the night ahead but how to deal with a demon who held all the power as far as I could see.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.” Jeremiah pulled me into his arms as soon as he opened the door to his hotel suite. “It’s late.”
I wiggled away from him before he could kiss me. “Sorry. I had work then a visitor dropped by. I got here as soon as I could.” I said hello to Sherie, Jerry’s bodyguard. Now it seemed strange that he’d picked a beautiful woman as his guard. “Do you use Sherie as your guard in New Orleans?”
“No, I don’t. Well, not often. Why?” Jeremiah followed me into the living room.
“I’ve heard you’ve been seen with some beautiful women in New Orleans.” I walked out on the balcony to look at the view of the Strip. It was a cool, clear night. How I wished I had the nerve to fly away, soar above the clouds. I closed my eyes and imagined it, concentrated. But no wings sprouted. I was a failure. Once again.
“Gloriana?” He stood next to me. “Do you have a question for me?”
“Why bother?” I faced him. “I know you have sex with other women. You make no secret of it.”
“I have told you before, it means nothing to me.” He was smart enough to keep his hands on the iron railing. “Usually, it’s their blood that draws me to them. If I must bed them to get it, so be it.” He stared into the darkness, not meeting my gaze. “I don’t love them.”
“Must bed them. How awful for you.” I heard my bitterness and didn’t care. I hoped he realized how much he hurt me. No, we weren’t married. But what difference did that make? This centuries-long tie surely meant something. Valdez was right that Jerry providing security all these years was keeping me close to my sire.
My sire. He was so much more than that. Now I was worried about him. Davenport planned to hurt me through Jerry. How? When?
“Gloriana, look at me.” He h
ad turned to face me. Now he put a hand on my shoulder. “What do you want from me? If you won’t come be with me, I don’t know what to think. Should I live like a monk? Would that make you happy?”
“Yes.” I touched his dear face. “Live like a monk except when you are with me. Know no woman but me. That’s my dearest wish.” I stroked his cheek and could feel the tension there. “But I realize that’s asking too much.”
“I have willpower. If I knew you would soon be joining me, I could do that.” He kissed my palm. “Give me a timeline, my love. I am not an animal with no self-control.”
“A timeline.” I sighed. I knew how much money I needed to have now, thanks to Karla and her mentoring. I was looking at years, I was afraid, before I had enough saved to establish a business with any chance of success.
“I know you are saving for your business. Many businesses start with a loan. I would be happy—” He stopped when I put my fingers over his mouth.
“No loan. You have done more than enough for me over the years. I know now how much it costs just to have Valdez with me.” I replaced my fingers with a kiss. “It is all too much, Jerry.”
“I can afford it and knowing you are safe is worth every penny.” He pulled me closer. “Are we finished talking yet? I would love to send our shifters downstairs and greet you properly.”
I resisted when he tried to move us into the living room. “I realize how lucky I am, Jeremiah. That you keep coming back to me. I appreciate how patient you’re being. I know it’s been a trial.”
He kept his arms around me. “I will keep coming back, Gloriana. I can’t seem to help myself.”
“Four hundred years.” I stared into his eyes. “Some might say I have bewitched you.”
“Honestly, Gloriana, you and I have always fit together like two halves of a whole. Why? Only God knows.” He didn’t look away, just let me see his truth. “What I have with you, I have with no other.” He held out his hand. “I told you I am not an animal. Well, that’s not true. In some ways, I am one. I crave the relief I get from sex. It’s merely of the flesh, Gloriana. My heart and mind are not involved.” He took my hand and squeezed it. “Remember where I come from. I was a warrior in a time when I had to fight to survive. Everything I did was physical.”
Real Vampires: Glory Does Vegas Page 29
