Real Vampires Don't Wear Size Six (45 page)

I kissed his cheek. “Not at all. Thanks for coming. Your support meant everything to me.”

“Babe, you know I’ll always be there for you. And any way you want me.” He slid his hand down my back to pat my backside. “Just had to do that. Love to see Blade’s eyes throw one of his mental knives.”

“Always the bad boy.” I pulled him down for a kiss on the lips. “And don’t I love that.”

“Yes, you do.” He grinned and headed down the stairs.

“Freddy and Derek should be here soon. And our other guests.” CiCi smiled. “I’m so glad Simon has come to his senses at last. Now maybe Frederick can have a father to be proud of.”

“Uh, CiCi, Simon just made a deal with the Devil. Please be careful.” I felt Simon’s stare on me, but ignored him.

CiCi waved an elegant hand. “Of course,
cheri
. I have to admit, though, the worst of his evil was with those terrible Energy Vampires. To have given them up . . .” She gave him a serious look. “And for his son. Well, that is something for me to think about.”

“I appreciate your openmindedness, my dear.” Simon pulled her hand to his lips and she let him. “I would never cause harm to come to you or our son.”

“We will see. This time I am not so young and naïve.” CiCi eased her hand from his grasp. “We will move slowly.”

“Keep your eyes open, CiCi.” Jerry gave Simon a hard stare.

“Deal be damned. You aren’t suddenly a saint, Destiny. I’ll be watching you. So will Glory.” Rafe took a step toward Simon.

“Go ahead. All you’ll see is a man working to reunite his family, nothing more. Shall we go get a drink at the bar while we wait for our son?” Simon escorted CiCi with a solicitous hand at her elbow down the stairs.

“I feel like I just threw a good friend to a wolf. No, to a hellhound.” I sat at a table and picked up my neglected drink.

“No kidding. And he’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants.” Rafe glanced over the railing. “Oops, got something going downstairs that needs my attention.” He turned to me. “Thanks, you two. Damn that sounds inadequate. Guess I’m officially off the hook.”

“For now. I’m serious about that twelve-step program, Rafe. Get the anger under control. You can’t afford to draw attention like that from hell again.” I sighed as I sipped my drink. Jerry sat across from me and gulped his own synthetic.

“I get it. I’m serious. I need more self-control. No more outbursts. E-mail me some meeting places.” He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “I’ll send a guy over to fix your Sheetrock. Sorry about the hole in your wall.”

“Yes, well. I understood.” I rubbed his cheek with my thumb. “You care. I get that. And I love you for it. Now take care of business.” I realized the band was taking a break. “Sounds like you need to get the DJ going.”

“You’re right.” He turned and extended his hand to Jerry. “That was a stand-up thing you did for me. Putting yourself between me and the demons. Might have ended really badly. Thanks.”

Jerry shook his hand. “Did it for Glory. She seems to love you, though I don’t have a clue why. Guess she’s drawn to all types. Me, you, Caine.”

“Yes, I am.” I smiled, really liking that bit of wisdom from my guy. “Now hold that pose while I take a picture with my phone. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I wish I’d done it when Ray was still here. All three of you together. That would look great on my wall.”

Jerry and Rafe immediately pulled apart, both of them horrified, and Rafe shook his head. “No frickin’ way. Evidence like that could get me drummed out of the shifter community.”

I just laughed as Rafe ran down the stairs. Then I turned to Jerry. “Well, he said it, but I have to agree. That was one extraordinary thing you did tonight. Putting yourself in danger for him.”

Jerry reached across the table and took my hand. “No, I put myself in danger for
you
. Always will. Now, drink up. I’m going to dance with you, then take you back to your empty apartment and take advantage of this gratitude you’re glowing with.”

“Sounds like a plan, Jer. Sounds like a plan.” We danced until Flo and Richard arrived and let them know that the demons were gone and there would be no more problems from that quarter. I was relieved to see that Flo had never held a grudge, though it was tougher for Richard to forgive my part in drawing the demons to his “beloved.” We were all good by the time Damian showed up. He was glad to report that the council had forgiven me too. Penny’s progress had been duly noted and her job with Ian seen as an excellent move. I was given credit for all of it. Who knew that Ian MacDonald was acquainted with most of the movers and shakers of the vampire community in Austin? And he’d vouched for me. Jerry wasn’t happy that Ian’s word had held more sway than his in making the council forgive me.

 

Hours later, with dawn a few minutes away, I lay in Jerry’s arms, drowsy and, for once, feeling like everything was right in my world. I eased out of bed, determined to brush my teeth so I wouldn’t wake up with dragon breath. We’d left the bathroom light on and I squeezed toothpaste on my toothbrush before I remembered to look up.

I still had my reflection. Why? Why would the demons leave me with such a gift when I knew they despised me? Then I saw something shift in the mirror behind me and whirled, my heart dropping to my toes.

“Lucifer!” I backed against the sink, my toothbrush a sad excuse for a weapon. I smelled lavender and breathed through the urge to gag.

“Relax, Gloriana. You asked why the reflection?” He smiled, his perfect teeth gleaming in the light. How could something so evil be so beautiful?

“Yes, why?” I felt the cold porcelain sink against my thighs and wished I wore more than my black silk teddy.

Lucifer’s bright eyes gleamed but he didn’t come closer. “I want you to remember, Gloriana, every time you see yourself, what you could have had if you’d just been a little more, um, cooperative.” He flicked his gaze over me, stripping me no doubt. “Yes, those thighs could be trim, that waist tiny. But you won’t see a size six now, will you?”

I shook my head. “Go away! I will never be interested in anything you have to offer or anything from hell, period.”

Lucifer’s laugh sent chill bumps racing across my skin. “Really? We’ll see. Oh, yes, we’ll just see about that.”

As soon as he vanished, I threw my toothbrush into the sink and ran back to the bedroom, where I slid in beside Jerry.

“Gloriana? You okay? You’re shaking.”

“Just cold. Hold me?”

“Always, my love. Always.” He pulled me close, his arms around me, his legs entwined with mine.

I sighed and snuggled in, closing my eyes. A bad dream, surely that was all it had been. I was safe with the man I loved. A happy ending.

 

“Who’s there?” I said it without thinking, then realized there was someone inside my head, playing the old joke on me. I jumped up just as the dead bolts flipped and the door to my apartment crashed open.

“Your favorite nightmare, Glory St. Clair.” Alesa, a demon who could look gorgeous when she wasn’t showing her true nature leaned against the doorjamb, a grin on her face. Tonight, she wasn’t bothering to hide a thing and I shuddered.

“You’re not my favorite anything. Go back to hell where you belong.” I frantically glanced around for a weapon. I was at a serious disadvantage with wet polish on my toenails and a deep conditioner on my hair under a towel turban.

“I wouldn’t toss that polish remover if I were you. It won’t hurt me and it’ll do a real number on your hardwood floor.” Alesa sauntered into the room, morphing into her human form, which was a huge relief. Not that it meant she’d
act
human, but at least I didn’t have to stare at razor-sharp fangs or scaly snout and skin anymore. Total freak-out.

“What do you want?” I grabbed a nail file with a sharp pointy end. At least I could make her bleed. Oh, wait. Demon blood, black and oily. Infectious. Not a good idea. I’d learned that the hard way.

“That’s right, sugarplum. Don’t want to get my blood in you again, do you?” She smiled, reminding me that she could read my thoughts without breaking a sweat. She was still sporting those evil teeth. “Last time I got inside you, we did some serious partying.” She glanced down and patted her tummy. “Guess what? I got what I wanted out of it.”

I gawked. Oh, no. It couldn’t be. “Is that what I think it is? Say it isn’t—”

“A baby bump?” Alesa came closer and I could smell her sickeningly sweet scent, the burnt-sugar candy smell of hell gone terribly wrong. “Oh, yes. When you and Rafe made it, Gloriana, you
made
it, if you get my drift.”

“No, that’s impossible. I’m a vampire. I can’t have children. My equipment died when I died. When Jerry turned me.” I sank down on the couch, my hand over my own stomach. It had been one of those unforeseen consequences I hadn’t thought through at the time. I’d been young and so hopelessly in love with Jeremiah Campbell back in 1604 I hadn’t cared what I’d lose as long as I could live forever with him. Only later, when the lust had burned off a little had I realized my hope for children had disappeared along with my mortality. Tears blurred the room.

“Aw, dry up, kiddo. This is great news. In a way, this baby is part yours, you know. You were my hostess with the mostess while I got Rafe to give me what I wanted. I told him when I arrived here in Austin that I wanted his baby.” Alesa sank down on the couch next to me and I gagged at the smell this close. “And I got it.” She looked at me critically. “Quit breathing, dumbass. Vamps don’t have to inhale, you know. Geez, who has morning sickness here, anyway?”

“Sorry, I guess it was just . . .” I took a last shuddery breath. What was Rafe going to do? He hated Alesa and sure didn’t want a child by her. A demon child. Sure, he had some demon blood, but he didn’t want to perpetuate that. “I’ve got to call Rafe.”

“Sure you do. Call the man and give him the good news.” Alesa leaned back and rubbed her swollen stomach again. “Get him to bring in some food. I know better than to expect you to have anything here. Burgers, fries . . .” She glanced down. “Chocolate milk shakes for the little nipper.”

I began doing some mental calculations. It had been a tense spring, but a peaceful summer since I’d rid myself of Alesa. That bump was significant. “How far along are you?”

“Do the math, Glory. Six months. And I’m planning to stay right here until the little demon pops out. Won’t that be fun? We can be roomies.” She looked around, spotting my current roommate’s computer on the kitchen table. “You are living alone, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not. This won’t work, Alesa. I have a fledgling vampire living here with me. And I really don’t want her around you. She’s already met two of your cohorts from hell. That was two too many.” I grabbed my cell phone. I did need to call Rafe but I dreaded it. He was doing well with his new club. We’d settled into a nice friendship, though it was still a bit tense since I’d gone back to Jerry, my sire, my always lover. Oh, God, what would Jerry think of this situation? Nothing like reminding him that I’d slept with Rafe while Alesa possessed me.

I stopped with the phone in my hand and gave Alesa a narrow-eyed look. “Are you sure that’s how you got pregnant? While you were inside me? That really doesn’t make sense.”

“Sense? What world are you living in, vampire?” Alesa put her feet on my beautiful black lacquered coffee table. Nobody put their feet on that, especially not while wearing high heels, even if they were this season’s Prada.

I stalked over and lifted them off and pushed them over to my tired thrift-store sofa. I had a few pieces of nice, new furniture, courtesy of a fight Jerry and Rafe had had in my living room. They’d replaced the stuff they’d demolished and I was trying to keep the quality pieces in good shape. The sofa? I was saving up for a new one. Prada was actually an upgrade.

“Look. I’m not buying your story. I think you got yourself knocked up by someone else. Either after you left Austin or before you got here. Now head out. Take your tale to the real daddy. Or let Lucifer take care of you.”

Her lips trembled and her eyes filled with tears. “Lucifer? Are you kidding me? He won’t help. He’s furious with me. Because I came back to hell pregnant. He didn’t want me to ruin my figure. Doesn’t want brats running around down there either. It’s an adult playground, he says. Babies spoil the mood.” She wiped her wet cheeks. “Bastard. He couldn’t care less about
my
needs.”

“Yes, well, he’s the Devil, Alesa. What do you expect?” I almost felt sorry for her. Except she was such an evil person herself. What kind of mother would she be? And what kind of mother would want to bring up a child in hell anyway? I shuddered. “Who’s the real father, Alesa?”