Real Vampires Don't Wear Size Six (40 page)

“Sorry, Glory, but this goes in the bum. Like I said, these are common meds, but pretty strong doses. They’ll make you drowsy, but should take care of this reaction.” Ian frowned. “As for the swelling? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see if it goes down.” He gently rolled me over until he could see my hip, slid down my panty and injected the medicine before I could object to the familiarity. To tell the truth, I was in too much pain to care.

“Penny, why don’t you come into the other room and we’ll go through the symptoms you noticed as Gloriana presented them. She needs to rest.” Ian closed up his bag and led her toward the living room. “Ray, you’ll let me know if she shows any new signs of distress?”

“What? Any new signs?” Ray’s eyebrows went up. “I thought what you just did was supposed to fix her up.”

“So it was. But Gloriana never responds to any treatment as I expect, so I’ll trust you to keep a close eye on her.” Ian smiled at me. “Feeling any better yet?”

I smiled, surprised to realize I was. “Hmm. Yes, I think, um, well, maybe.” I looked over at Ray. “Come lie next to me. I’m worn-out and cold. Will you hold me?”

“Sure, babe. Whatever you want.” He kicked off his shoes and climbed in under the covers. “How’s the stomach?” He laid his hand over my tummy. “Still swollen, isn’t it?”

“Stupid me. Can’t anything be easy?” I sighed as he pulled me against him. “But chocolate cake, Ray. It was delicious.” I ran my hand over his cotton shirt. “You feel delicious too. Whatcha been doin’?”

“Are you okay?” He looked down at me. “You sound drunk. And I should know.”

“Just relaxed. Ian’s medicine is pretty good. Took the pain right away.” I slid my leg over Ray’s. “Now talk to me while I’m waiting for my tummy to shrink. Tell me what’s up. Besides Little Ray here.” I discovered the bulge behind Ray’s zipper. “Shame on you. I’m a sick woman.”

“I’m not the one making moves. And it’s Big Ray who’s happy to see you, nothing little about him.” Ray picked up my hand. “Lie still, woman. You should know a guy can’t always control his body.”

“Liar, liar, pants on fire.” I put my hand over my mouth. “Oops. Not mentioning fire or hell or any of that stuff. Don’t want the demons bugging me now.” I blinked when the room blurred. “Last night was a bad night, Ray.” I buried my face in his shirt and sobbed.

“What? What happened, Glory?” Ray stroked my hair.

“Lucifer tried to do something horrible to me. In, in the shower.” I couldn’t seem to stop crying as I poured out what happened. Why now? Why to Ray? Some part of me realized it was the medication working on me, loosening my inhibitions. But another part of me realized I needed to get this out and Ray had always been easy to talk to. I could trust him to get me and not judge. Or rush to take over and try to fix things.

I finally came to the end, cried out and drained. Ray rocked me against him, humming a sweet song in my ear that soothed me and lulled me into a calm I hadn’t felt since I’d fallen to the bottom of that bathtub. My own abyss.

“I’m sorry, Ray.” I lifted my head and looked at him.

“Sorry for what?” He kissed my damp cheeks. “Glory, Glory, Glory. I can’t believe you kicked Lucifer’s butt. Damn, girl.”

I smiled. “Yeah, I did, didn’t I?”

“Hell, yeah. I’d like to hear what he said to the guys down under when he came back smelling like he’d been dropped on his head in that girly shit.” He kissed my forehead, then pulled me close. He was putting a light spin on this, but I’d seen that this had hurt him, that he hurt
for
me. And easygoing Ray was struggling with the same rage that Jerry and Rafe felt. If we were fighting against normal men, the demons and Lucifer wouldn’t have stood a chance.

“I was lucky he decided I wasn’t worth his time after that.” I shuddered. “But I’m feeling better now. I needed to unload, I guess. If I fall apart with Jerry and Rafe, they . . .”

“I get it. They go all warrior on you, start looking for the nearest battlefield. Beating their chests and putting you behind them like you’re the helpless female.” Ray breathed into my hair. “Shit, right now I can relate. Would do me some good to hand that bastard a big dose of whoop-ass. Creeping into your shower, invading your privacy . . .”

“Yes, well, it’s over. Moving on.” I yawned.

“How is she?” Ian spoke from the doorway. “Any change?”

“Well, she’s woozy. I guess that’s from the shot. Pain’s gone.” Ray rubbed my back. “Still is, right?”

“All gone.” I lifted the sheet and looked down. “But my damned tummy is still poking out.” I sat up but the room spun so I fell back. “Ian, this is unacceptable. My stomach had better be flat, er, flatter, anyway, when I wake up tomorrow night or I’m suing! This has malpractice written all over it.”

I saw Penny’s eyes widen. “But I took the same thing, Glory, and I didn’t have any problems.”

“Yes. But you don’t have a boyfriend named Campbell. Truth now, Ian. Did you put something extra in my vial that you didn’t put in Penny’s?” I used Ray’s shoulder as I struggled to sit up again. Maybe paranoia was contagious or I’d been around Jerry too long.

“You know, somehow I knew this question might arise. So I took precautions.” Ian turned to Penny. “When I gave you the formula, Penny, how did you select the vials?”

“You had a bagful of samples. You told me to help myself. To take two, one for me and one for Glory. Any two I wanted. It was totally random.” Penny smiled at me. “So he couldn’t have rigged yours, Glory. No conspiracy possible.”

“Well, that’s a relief. Would hate to see that old feud start up again. Campbell versus MacDonald.” I leaned against Ray and he squeezed my shoulders. I’m sure he’d just loved hearing me call Jerry my boyfriend. “But you’re not off the hook. This is the second time you’ve made me sick, Ian, instead of delivering the benefit you promised.”

“Did you enjoy your meal, Gloriana?” Ian strode over to the bedside.

“Yes.” I looked up at him. “Well, as much as I could considering the beef was rubbery and the carrots were underdone. Not your fault.” I smiled at Penny. “Your mom doesn’t teach home ec, does she?”

“Are you kidding? The school board wouldn’t inflict her on future homemakers. Now come on, Glory, you know what Ian is asking.” Clearly Penny had a new idol and it wasn’t me.

“Fine. To tell the truth? If you could just perfect that damned formula, Ian, it would be worth its weight in gold.” I sagged against Ray. “Chocolate cake. Roast beef done right? Oh my God! And live forever too? Now there’s a vampire’s dream.”

“Don’t forget living in daylight.” Ray kissed my cheek.

“Right. You’re right, Ray. Keep working on that too, Ian.” I reached back to pat Ray’s cheek. I was definitely feeling drunk. But it was a happy drunk and I didn’t have it in me to be mad at Ian. Not now, anyway.

“Then give me a blood sample and I’ll try to figure out why my formulas give you problems. I promise to work on the food one first. Maybe I can get the kinks worked out and you can give it another shot.” Ian opened his bag again.

“Not a good idea, Ian. I think Glory’s been through enough.” Ray eased me back on the bed. “You don’t even know if your stomach will go down yet, Glory. You really want to try this again?”

“In the interest of science?” I glanced at Penny and she nodded. “I
would
like to know why I reacted weirdly and Penny didn’t. But I get freebies if you get answers, Ian, and you fix this so it’ll work on me without side effects.” I threw my arm out where Ian could reach it.

“Of course. And this should be the first project Penny works on if she comes on board as my assistant. Would that make you feel better, Gloriana? Ray?”

“It might. What do you say, Glory?”

I watched Ian take blood from the vein in my arm and I was suddenly thirsty. “Huh? I say someone get me something to drink.” I looked at Ray with a smile. “Ray? Come here, honey. You’ve got some rich and delicious blood wrapped in a pretty package.”

“Uh, I think I’ve got places to go, people to meet.” Penny backed out of the room.

“Me as well.” Ian closed his bag with a snap. “I’ll let you know the results, Gloriana. And Penny will let me know tomorrow if your stomach benefited from a day’s sleep.”

I glanced down at my swollen stomach. “Oh, yeah. Full report. Thanks for the shot. Definitely feeling no pain. Bye.” I reached for Ray and dragged him to me.

“You know you’re not going to do this.” Ray laughed as I fell on top of him. We both heard the hall door close and I realized we were alone. My fuzzy thinking might be from the drug Ian had injected in me, but there was nothing fuzzy about my raging thirst.

“Why not?” I slid my fangs along the front of his shirt, popping buttons as I went. I was headed to his jugular. I ran my hands over his smooth chest, not so drunk I didn’t appreciate the view. “You really don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all. Go ahead. Have at it. You’ve been generous enough with me. But I’ve got to warn you, my self-control is slipping. You are much too tempting in your silk panties and bare legs. And then I saw Ian push up your sweater to listen to your heart. Leopard-print bra. Don’t you know what that does to a man, Glory?”

“Good eye, Caine.” I grinned and lifted my sweater. “Wasn’t baiting a trap. Last one clean. I really need to do laundry.”

Ray groaned, rolled me off him and eased out of bed. “No, not happening. I’m getting you a bottle of synthetic and then I’m calling Blade.”

“What?” I managed to sit up on my own.

“You’re high. That shot of Ian’s did this to you and I seem to have found some sort of moral high ground since I got sober. It’s a bitch, but there it is.”

“Well, that’s a hell of a note.” I pulled down my sweater and covered my panties with the sheet.

“You said Blade was your boyfriend.
He
should be here taking care of you. So I’ll call him.” Ray picked up my cell from the nightstand. “Yep, he’s your number one. Enough said.”

“You’re being awfully noble, Ray. Can’t say it suits you. Where’s the bad boy when I need him?” I tried for a pout, but didn’t have the energy for it. Muscle relaxant. Sitting was too much and I fell back again.

“Well, maybe I’ll kick myself all the way home. But I know you, Glory girl, and you sure don’t want to wake up tomorrow night smelling of sex with me and not remember it.” Ray’s smile was wry, like maybe he was already wondering if he’d made the wrong call.

“No! That would be the worst. If, when, we ever . . . Well, I’d want to remember every second.” I couldn’t look away from his gleaming blue eyes.

“You just made my point. And I’m here to tell you that you’ll conk out soon and probably not remember much of what you did or said after Ian gave you that shot.” Ray hit speed dial on my phone. “Now lie back and close your eyes. Dream of me, if you want. But that’s all you’re getting.”

 

I didn’t dream. Didn’t wake up at all till the next night. My stomach was still swollen, damn it. Not as big as it had been right after my binge, but definitely showing the effects. Penny couldn’t wait to fill Ian in. I was wishing for a vamp Yellow Pages so I could find that malpractice lawyer. At least my tummy stayed quiet.

Jerry had slept the day away beside me but I let him know I needed to work and that I felt well enough to keep my appointment with Simon. Of course he’d wanted to be in on it. I knew Simon would take one whiff of a second vampire and never even knock on my back door. Jerry had to see that logic and gave in, reluctantly. So I headed down to the shop alone.

“Glory, did you forget that today is payday? Lacy said to tell you she’d call and see if her check might be ready later tonight.” Erin greeted me at the door. “I know you’ve been busy, with your new roommate and all, but, uh, I have to eat and pay rent, you know.”

I held up my hand. “I’ll get right on it, Erin. So I’ll be in the back room, taking care of it.” I headed straight there. I’d spoiled my clerks. Doing my bookkeeping on my day off, Monday, so that their weekly checks were waiting for them on Tuesday. Now I had to sit with time cards and payroll. Some fun. Somehow business hadn’t entered my mind after the hell-storm of the weekend.

I pulled out my records and sat with my laptop on the worktable, ready to knock this out. I only had five employees, two full-timers and three students who worked part-time. They were on the honor system and left their time cards in the back room for me. Lacy managed the day, Erin the night crew. I hired paranormals exclusively. It was the way we helped each other. I’d just signed the last check when I felt a presence on one of my shoulders.

“Finally. We didn’t want to interrupt you.” Emmie Lou sighed in my ear. “Figured it was good for you to get your work done.”

“Thanks. Let me run these out to Erin and then we can talk.” I stood as soon as Emmie flew up to join Harvey on his perch at the top of the shelving unit. I slipped the checks into envelopes, wrote the names on the fronts and then sealed them. I took them out to a busy Erin, then actually took the time to glance around the shop.

It looked pretty good. Stock was straight, though it was still on the skimpy side. There were several customers with clothing on their arms, obviously getting ready to try them on. And the vintage books were getting some interest from a pair of professor types. Best of all, no sign of Caryon or Spyte. That cheered me.

Because I still had these waves of depression, I’d guess you’d call it. One would hit every time I remembered how Lucifer had attacked me when I was naked and vulnerable. Damn him. Ha. Like that weak word was anything but a compliment to the creep.

Then to top things off, I’d had that stupid reaction to Ian’s potion. You can bet Jerry had been upset about that. Of course that had gotten me a lecture. Not a long one. Jerry figured out pretty fast that I was in no mood to hear how wrongheaded I’d been to try anything a MacDonald gave me. And he’d clearly still been reeling from the Lucifer invasion himself, treating me like I was made of glass. I took a breath, then finally walked back into the workroom.