“Thanks. Eye strain. Too much time on the computer. But the dissertation's due in a few months.” He took a shaky breath and sat on the stool, obviously still wobbly. Him, not the stool. “What kind of accident?”
“I turned and you just walked into this lovely work of art.” I pressed the statue I'd used as a weapon into his trembling hands. “Fortunately the piece is undamaged. I don't want to think what
could
have happened.”
“Oh . . . good.” He stared at the bronze, his thumb absentmindedly stroking the curve of the woman's voluptuous hip. “It's beautiful.”
“It's yours. In apology. I'm so, so sorry.” I looked into his eyes. Yep. I could read his mind now that I stopped long enough to check. He was still a little dazed. Headache. Confusion. The statue. Wished he had a girlfriend with that kind of figure. Sally didn't have curves, she had angles. But she gave the bestâ
“Larry!” I'd just read way too much. I do hate to intrude that way.
“Uh, the mural . . . ?”
“Of course you can use the mural for your dissertation. Come back during the day.”
When I'm not here.
“I'll leave word to give you full access.” I kept a hand under his elbow and walked him to the door, then reached to flip open the dead bolt.
“I can't acceptâ”
“Nonsense.” I grabbed a piece of bubble wrap and a bag and had the statue back in his hands before he knew which way was up. “Here. Take it, please. It's the least I can do after wounding you.” I checked in on his scattered thoughts. The man needed aspirin. He looked down and picked up the paint brush and stuck it in his pocket again. Sally's paint brush. He was supposed to stop by her place with it. Now he couldn't wait to show her the statue. It was erotic. Maybe it would inspire her to give him aâ
“Larry! Maybe you should go home. Take an aspirin or two.”
“Yeah, sure, Ms. St. Clair. Thanks. Really.” Larry pulled open the door and took a deep breath of cold air. His head didn't hurt so bad that he couldn't get up for one of Sally's world class blâ
“Bye, Larry. Take care of yourself.”
He hurried out the door before I could change my mind. He knew just where he'd put the statue. Right next to his Erté print. Blah, blah, blah, more art stuff. I slammed the door shut and leaned against it. Way too much information. And who knew academic types thought below their belts just like macho vamps did?
“Glad that's over.” I smiled at the dogs. “Whoa. I've got to relax. I can't believe I did that.”
“Uh, Glory.” Will wagged his tail. “There's a woman hiding under the bench in one of the fitting rooms. She ran in there when you turned into a psycho bitch.” Will did a dog version of a chuckle, half bark, half snort.
“Just do the whammy on her, Glory. She was looking at that black velvet coat over there when the shit hit the fan.”
Valdez trotted to the curtain and nudged it aside with his nose.
“You mean when I hit Larry.” I pulled the wild-eyed, trembling woman out from under the bench. She had on worn jeans and a pink sweater that was only slightly less fuzzy than her over-processed hair. I stared into her pale blue eyes until she was under then led her to the rack where the velvet coat still hung. I looked into her eyes again.
“You're happy you found the velvet coat you were looking for. And even happier that it's on sale, half price.” I reached up and touched one of her split ends. “You'll use the money you saved to get your hair done by a professional.” The woman nodded. “Now shop.”
The woman smiled and pulled the coat off the rack. “This is just what I was looking for. And half price!” She brought it to the counter and dug in her purse for her wallet. “You know a good hair dresser?” She nodded toward my shoulder length curls. “I'd love a new look before I go home with my new boyfriend at Thanksgiving.” She made a face. “Meeting his parents.”
I pulled out a business card. “Here, tell Reza that Glory sent you.” Reza's a werecat buddy of Lacy's who had a beauty shop a few blocks away. “Good luck with the parents.”
I smiled as the woman left and more customers came in. Business was booming, thank God.
I was really glad to see Lacy at midnight. She usually didn't work at night, but when I'd told her about Flo and the meeting at Freddy's, she'd insisted I let her fill in for me.
Now to deal with Flo. I wanted her to go to the meeting with me and GET A CLUE about what she was mixed up in with Simon. I hurried up the stairs, the dogs at my heels. I could hear the television even before I opened the door. And laughter. Flo's merry tinkle and a deeper laugh.
I stopped in front of the door, scared that I was about to meet Simon Destiny. Would my dogs be strong enough to keep me from being dragged away into his den of drug dealing tummy-suckers?
But it was just Damian sitting beside his sister, laughing at an old
Seinfeld
episode. The one where Jerry and Elaine make a vow of abstinence. They were even worse at abstinence than I was. It was a good episode and if I didn't have the meeting to go to, I would have enjoyed sinking down on the couch with a cold glass of Fangtastic in my hand and laughing out loud with them.
“Meeting tonight. Are you going, Flo?” I kept my purse slung over my shoulder. “We need to leave in five minutes or less.”
Damian grabbed the remote from Flo and the TV went dark and silent.
“Stop it, Damian. We're just getting to the best part. I want to see who caves first.”
“Forget caving, Florence. Glory and I want to talk to you. About your involvement with Simon.” Damian pulled his sister to her feet. “Look at me,
cara
.”
“Relax, Damian. Simon's fine. I'm fine. I already told Glory that.”
“And did Glory tell you the EVs sent a man for her? That he threatened her?”
“Well, I don't know that he actually threatened me.” Sometimes I'm stupidly honest. “But Greg wanted me to come with him to the EV headquarters. He's been stalking me. Giving me those headaches. Remember?”
“Greg. Yes, I have met such a one. A drone. Pay him no attention.” Flo smiled. “He has no power so he looks for powerful ones to bring to Simon. But Simon would never have him take someone against their will.” Flo looked at Damian. “You two are getting worked up for nothing.”
“The EVs are drug dealers, Florence. I don't consider that nothing.”
“Now, Damian”âFlo patted his cheekâ“I remember that you tried the Vampire Viagra yourself before it was called by that silly name. We bought some from Juan Carlos in Madrid. It was not so bad, no? I had my lover El Greco and you.” Flo grinned. “I think you had a harem back then.”
“Merely six or seven . . .” Damian shook his head. “I hated the drug. I was like a bull, mating any female who would bend over for me.”
“And is that such a bad thing?” Florence actually laughed, while I just stood there with my mouth open. Damian is nothing if not suave and sophisticated, especially when it came to seduction. The VV must have really done a number on him to turn him into a rutting beast.
“Come to the meeting with us, Flo. With the area vampires. About Westwood and about the EVs.”
“What? Are we forming a posse? Will you run them out of town?” Flo frowned and picked up her purse. “I'm not interested in your meeting. And as for Westwood, if you want him terminated, you should talk to Simon. I think he could arrange anything.”
And Flo was out the door. Damian and I just looked at each other.
“She's out of control.”
“She's always out of control.” Damian threw the remote control on the couch. “Let's go. I told Richard I would drive you to the meeting. The dogs too. I brought the big Mercedes. ” He looked down at Valdez. “You two will ride in the back and you'd better not put paw prints on my leather seats.”
“Then don't park next to a puddle.”
Valdez sniffed and followed me out the door.
“I'm worried about Flo, Glory. She's way more into this guy than she usually is.”
“I know.” I turned and locked the door after the four of us were in the hall. “But what can we do about it? She's an adult. And she didn't ask for our interference.”
“She didn't ask, but she's going to get it.” Damian ran down the stairs. “And if it takes a posse to get rid of the EVs, then that's what we'll have. Vigilante justice.”
“Obviously you weren't watching
Seinfeld
all night.”
“Nope. Flo's got a thing for Brad Pitt. Says Simon reminds her of him. She couldn't find the movie she wanted so we started with
Legends of the Fall
.” Damian turned and grinned at me. “Did the posse thing give us away?”
“You know it.”
Seventeen
Over a dozen vampires crowded into Freddy and CiCi's living room. Damian had dropped the dogs and me off in front while he'd gone in search of a parking place. The house was near enough to the University of Texas that, even at 1:00 a.m., the street was lined with cars. Music and laughter from a house three doors down probably meant students lived there.
There was no music
or
laughter coming from Freddy's house, but plenty of loud conversation. That stopped when I entered the room, trailed by Will and Valdez.
“What?” I checked out the crowd. CiCi looked distressed. Derek and Freddy amused. The silent majority accusing. Or was I being paranoid? I grabbed a Baccarat crystal goblet of Fangtastic from a silver tray and sniffed appreciatively. AB negative, my favorite.
“There she goes again. I told you I saw fangs.” Darren, the professor type Valdez had saved from the fire, pointed at me. “Run it again, Derek. You'll see.”
I gingerly touched my tongue to one of my fangs. “So? I'm among . . . friends. If I can't show fang here, where?”
“TV, Glory. The station's Web site has your segment up.” Derek gestured toward his laptop set up on the dining room table visible through an archway. “Fang, honey, on TV and on the Internet. We all saw it.”
“And that painting!” A female vamp I'd met a few times before was obviously upset. I'm terrible with names, but I remembered her hair, desperately in need of a trim. I mean, the hippie, “hair down to your butt” look was so over.
“What about the painting? My customers love it.” I took a sip and sighed. Times like these, I thought about hooking up with a rich vampire (okay, a rich vampire like Blade) and letting him actually take care of me. Imagine AB neg every night.
“A
vampire
painting, Glory.” Another woman, a friend this time, Diana from Mugs and Muffins, chimed in. “I love Flo, but how could you let her paint vampires on your wall? Why not just post a sign? âStake me.' ”
“It's art. Decoration for the shop. No one takes it seriously. Hey, aren't we here to discuss the EVs?”
“Glory's right.” Freddy looked at Derek. “We're here because the EVs have invaded Austin.”
“That's an exaggeration, isn't it, Frederick?” An older vamp who obviously didn't care that he was playing into the stereotype, stepped forward, one hand in the pocket of his black velvet blazer. He could have been Bela Lugosi's twin with his dead white skin and slicked back hair. He must have left his cape in the car. “There are only a dozen EVs. Hardly an invading horde.”
“A dozen or one. What they represent is a danger to all of us. And they have plenty of followers.” Freddy glanced at his mother. What was up with CiCi anyway? She'd sunk into a chair, her hand shaking as she drained her goblet.
“What's an EV?” Diana, bless her, hadn't been clued in. It was nice not to be the dumbest blonde in the room for a change.
“Energy Vampires.” CiCi shuddered. “They take a vampire's power and use it for the most unspeakableâ”
“Vampire Viagra. Can you believe it?” I should have known Will had been quiet long enough.
Diana laughed, obviously thinking this was a huge joke. But a quick glance around the room made it clear the majority of the vamps knew exactly who and what EVs were and what their main product could do.
“Seriously, Di.” I took pity on her. “Flo's involved with their leader, Simon Destiny.”
“Simon!” CiCi gasped. “Frederick, you didn't tell me Simon was here.” She put her hand to her throat and, even across the room, I could see the frantic pounding of her pulse. She was really agitated. Vamp's hearts usually thump along at about half mortal speed.
“No, Mother, I didn't. Even if he moved in next door, neither of us needs to see him.” Frederick made a vamp move to his mother's side and held onto her hand.
“But he's your father.” Richard spoke from the doorway.
Oh, boy. Talk about your bombshells. I met Richard's gaze. Forget reading his mind. Everywhere I looked vamps' minds snapped shut, tight as the lid on a coffin.
"EVs can reproduce?” Diana was determined to be the voice of ignorance. “Is Freddy an Energy Vampire?”
"EVs must be born vampires. Just like”âCiCi glanced downâ“Will here.” CiCi held onto Freddy's hand, her knuckles white. “Their special gifts, if you want to call it that, are secrets handed down to members of what they call a council. They're very selective in who they invite to join and limit their membership to twelve.”
“
The Dirty Dozen.”
Oh, great, now Valdez felt compelled to speak.
“But, CiCi, I'm sure you didn't know . . .” I hated the accusing looks she was getting. CiCi's like a mother to me, the kind I wish I'd had but never did.
“Simon enchanted me. Our affair was brief, very intense. I knew he was vampire. That was part of his allure, of course.” Nods all around. CiCi visibly calmed herself. “I became pregnant. Simon was delighted. Any child of his would be vampire some day. I was merely a convenience for Simon, a worthy vessel.” CiCi's mouth had a bitter twist. “I was supposed to be honored and happy to give him my child to raise.”