Bloody Heretic (14 page)

    “
If we get captured I
’
m blaming you
and
him.”
A stack of socks on display went flying.

    “
Sometimes, Tim sees dead people,”
Gloria said. Alex and Jeanne looked at her. “
Seriously. And you
’
ll know when h
e does it too, cause he looks over your shoulder like in a bad horror movie. It
’
s terrifying.”
She shivered.

    “
Once, Adam let it slip that he slept with Clara Bow,”
Vic crossed her arms and scowled.

    “
Damn,”
Gloria said. “
That
’
s awesome.”

    “
No i
t
’
s not! How am I supposed to compete with Clara Bow?!”
She threw her arms up. Gloria looked to comment but let it slide. Everyone but Vic knew that Vic obviously had something that Adam loved, because there was no competing with the amount of women he ha
d
slept with.

    “
Don
’
t worry about it,
cherie
. Clara
’
s long gone and you
’
re here. No competition,”
she said instead.

    “
I wonder who all Ethan has slept with. After five hundred years, that
’
s got to be a lot right?”
Alex asked, concerned. They turned w
hen a
n
‘
ommph
’
sound came from behind them. They didn
’
t see anything though.

    “
Try eight hundred years worth. I thought thirty was bad for
a girl. His must be like twenty
thousand,”
Vic guessed. Jeanne
would have said more like fifty
thousand, but didn
’
t say anything. She scanned the racks for another dress to wear. Not only was wearing the same dress
twice
a serious faux pas, she had torched the one from last night anyway. Dom
’
s scent was all over it. She
’
d had to scrub herself
raw in the shower to get
the smell of him
off her skin. He
’
d needed a second shower after the night they
’
d had. She got tingles again just thinking about it. Christ, the man must have been denying himself for years, the way he just went, and went again. If she hadn
’
t been a Hybrid
she
’
d be walking funny today. A goofy smile played around her lips.

    “
What are you smiling about?”
Gloria asked. Jeanne looked up.

    “
Thinking about thanking the person who made my night last night,”
she said with a wicked smile.

    “
Would that in
volve di
sembowelment or flaying of
the skin?”
She asked.

    “
Why not both?”
She hedged and walked away. “
I
’
m not seeing what I
’
m looking for.”

    “
What
are
you looking for?”
Alex asked. She followed behind Jeanne.

    “
Something black and sexy. That
’
s about all I have in my head mapped out.”

    “
Black and sexy. Go,”
she pointed for the other girls to spread out.
They fanned out in search. Alex stayed behind, closing in behind Jeanne to whisper to her as they walked.

    “
So, how much of last night d
o you remember?”

    “
Only some. Why?”

    “
Did you happen to get any clue
s
to that problem we were trying to figure out?”
She asked. Jeanne couldn
’
t help the burst of laughter that boiled up. Alex looked at her expectantly.

    “
Oh, Mon Dieu
! Is he ever s
traight,”
she giggled. Alex clasped her by the arm.

    “
Tell me everything! What did he do?”
She shook her. Jeanne plucked her fingers off carefully.

    “
He just...It
’
s in the way he dances. He
’
s a very good dancer. I remember that much.”

    “
Liar!”
She
exclaimed, surprising Jeanne. “
That smile said a hell of a lot more than dancing. And being a good dancer is hardly a point in the Straight category.”
She glared into Jeanne
’
s eyes, trying to force the information out.

    “
Okay. I remember drinking from
the girls. He was very, oh, what
’
s the word. Seductive. He was very seductive.”
Alex didn
’
t look convinced.

   
“
I though
t
your memories of the drinking were
from being bespelled. How do you know they
’
re real?”

    “
They feel real. I have a reaction to i
t that can
’
t be faked. If you had ever been bespelled, you
’
d know how to tell the difference. I
’
m very good with mental control.”

    “
Not so good that you didn
’
t get bespelled,”
she pointed out. Jeanne wanted to slap the girl. Or Dom, as this was all his
fault. She never would have to pretend to be so weak minded if he hadn
’
t gotten himself crazy blood drunk and attacked her.
Of course she didn
’
t regret a minute of the “
attack”.

    “
Yes, well, that
’
s why I want to get this mission over as soon as possible
. Less stress for everyone involved.”
She picked up an off the shoulder number in purple and held it up. “
What about this?”

     “
I hate this style. It swallows your entire body. How can a guy see what
you
’
re
working with if it
’
s covered in all this hangy
material?”
She tugged on said
‘
hangy
’
material. “
And you said black.”

    “
I
’
m open to more options.”

    “
She says she
’
s open to more options,”
Alex called out to the girls. They held up their thumbs to say they heard. “
I say something similar to what yo
u wore last night but not too similar. Something like this.”
She held up a classy
backless dress in charcoal and black. Jeanne grabbed it from her.

    “
I like it. Tell the other
s
to bring me their choices. I
’
m heading to the dressing room.”

    “
Bring it
in, girls. Bring it in.”
She waved them over. “
She
’
s making her decision.”
Gloria and Vic came with their picks, at least four dresses each.

    “
And when he
’
s pissed he slams things. I
’
m like
‘
This is why we
’
ll never have nice things.
’”
Gloria was saying
as she walked up. She had gotten so worked that she had forgotten she was supposed to be hiding her relationship from Jeanne. She just smiled behind the dressing room door.

    “
Yeah? Ethan called me fat one time.”

    “
He didn
’
t!”
Vic exclaimed.
They th
rew the dresses over the top
of the doorway and continued to brag about their men
’
s worst faults
. It took less than five minutes to make her choice. She liked Alex
’
s black and charcoal dress. It showed a lot but said
‘
I
’
m elegant, and don
’
t fuck on the fir
st date
’
. Though, she clearly did. Giggles started escaping again. She
’
d have to learn to hide those better.

    “
So, what
’
s it going to be? Let
’
s see,”
Alex called out. Jeanne cracked the door open and showed them, twirling to give them the full effect. “
Yea! I win,”
Alex cheered. Vic and Gloria snorted at her.

    “
Are you picking anything up?”
She asked them. Vic held up a shimmery gold dress.

    “
For me. I
’
ve been eyeballing those gold strappy heels but I think that would be too much. I don
’
t want to
look like a Studio 54 reject.”

    “
Aww, I loved Studio 54,”
Jeanne said. Vic looked at her, horrified. “
What? It was a wild time.”
She turned back to the dressing room to change back into her jeans and Emily the St
range T
shirt.

    “
I never pegged you for a Disco lover,”
Vic called over the door.

    “
I never said I liked the music. I love
d
Studio 54. I
’
ll never forget the look on Burt Reynolds face when I turned him down.”
She laughed at the memory. “
He said
‘
I
’
ll show you things you
’
ve never seen before.
’
I said
‘
I
’
ve seen it all, from the Black Death to Elvis, what can you show me?
’”
She laughed some more. When she came out the girls were holding back
smiles. “
Go ahead and laugh. I did.”

    “
Oh, God. You turned down Burt Reynolds!
”
Vic doubled up. “
That
’
s either the smartest or the dumbest thing I
’
ve ever heard!”

    “
Smartest I
’
d say. He
’
d only have broken your heart.”
Gloria wiped a tear from her eye as she sucked in a breath. “
Oh, Jeanne, you
’
re a huge pain in my ass, but I miss
ed you.”
She pulled her in one armed and hugged her to her side. Jeanne decided then to let the girl have her stupid Mate. It was fun while it had lasted but she couldn
’
t deny the girl anymore. She
’
d tell her after the mission.

    “
I feel like if you guys
are getting new outfits, I want something new too. Give me a minute; I
’
m going to look around.”
Alex turned and headed off to look. 

    “
I almost wish I was going to the club, but Claude was right about me wanting to fight someone. I don
’
t find drugged
up Were
’
s in cages to be sexy.”
Gloria glared. Jeanne though it would be best to shake her up and let h
er loose whatever day they extracted the girls out.

    “
It is hard to ignore but the sex and blood helps,”
Jeanne said. Gloria looked at her. “
Well, it
does.”

    “
I
’
m ready.”
Alex came back carrying a white lace halter top dress and new shoes. They walked up to the counter, Gloria and Jeanne paid for Vic and Alex as the counter girl didn
’
t speak English and they didn
’
t speak Russian. In the back of Jean
ne
’
s mind she had been planning how best to accomplish all that she had set out to accomplish tonight and still keep Dom safe and unaware of his actions from the previous night. As they made their way back to the hotel, she decided it was best t
o keep Dom
with her or with the guys for the entirety of the night. Hopefully he didn
’
t mind being babysat.
The girls all got ready in Jeanne and Gloria
’
s room again. Some hair fixing, make up applying and some TV translating later they were all ready.