"Are you? Really? Looks to me like I'm interrupting. I was dumb enough to think you might be in danger and needed my help. Obviously I was wrong." Jerry didn't take his eyes off Ray. "If you'd answered your phone this week, Gloriana, or checked your voice mail, you'd have known I was coming home tonight. But maybe you did know and didn't give a damn."
"Jerry, listen to me. I, uh"
"Don't bother. Valdez explained everything to me. What you've been up to while I've been gone." Jerry's jaw worked and I saw him swallow. His voice was rough when he finally spoke.
"Jerry" He held up his hand and I couldn't say another word even if I could have thought of one.
"Valdez. Yes, imagine my surprise when I arrived at your apartment to find your bodyguard had shifted into human form to enjoy a weekend off. Caught him shagging your lover's bodyguard on your couch. And where are the two bodies he and Brittany are supposed to be guarding? Only in the most dangerous place they could possibly be."
"Jerry, Jeremiah, I can explain. Later. When we're alone." I reached for him, but he moved away. "Not here, Jerry, there are hidden cameras. Things we can't let Simon overhear."
"I have no interest in being alone with you." Jerry turned his back on me as if I'd never spoken in his mind. "Well, Caine, are you man enough to come out of the damned pool or not?"
"I am. But I'd like to see Glory safely out of here first. I don't like the look in your eyes, Blade." Ray rested his elbows on the edge of the pool like he was in no hurry to start the coming fight. Or worried about the outcome. I wanted to bash Ray over the head with one of the potted palms until he came to his senses and ran for his life. Oh, God, was there any way to make this right? Jerry was hurt, furious and looking to kill someone. Lucky for me, Jerry still had enough of his old Scottish warrior's code that he'd never harm a woman or child no matter how they infuriated him. Unlucky for Ray, men were not only fair game, they were the target of choice.
Jerry could be so cold when he was enraged. I felt that chill now, like that iceberg I'd seen once when a ship I'd been on had passed too close to it. Yep, I'd so rather be sitting in a rowboat in the freezing North Atlantic than where I was right now.
"You think I'd hurt her? Physically?" Jerry still wouldn't look at me. "You don't know me. Gloriana does. Would I hit you, woman?"
Oh, how I wish he'd called me lass. "No, of course not. Jerry, please listen to me. Ray and I, uh, we're not, uh, serious. I mean, we haven't even set a date yet." I looked around. Damn. Of course there were hidden cameras. I sent another mental message.
"Jerry, we're pretending to be engaged, Ray and I were acting out for the surveillance cameras. I'm sure Simons watching us."
Finally Jerry swept his eyes over me, from my wet head to my bare toes, then back up to linger on my hands clutching my top and holding my robe together.
"I know what I saw, Gloriana. You're as good as naked and wearing his fucking ring! I'd say that's serious unless you're just playing the whore for him."
I gasped and tears filled my eyes. Never, never in all the years we'd been together had Jerry disrespected me. I'd been proud that he'd always treated me like a lady. Ray snarled and vaulted out of the pool. He hit Jerry in the middle of his back and the two men went down, their fangs out, their fists flying.
I knew better than to try to get between them. I threw open the door and screamed for help. Men came running from buildings on the grounds. I couldn't look when I heard flesh hitting flesh and smelled blood. I recognized first Ray's blood type, then Jerry's. I leaned against the building, tears streaming down my face as three burly guards ran inside and tried to pull the men apart. I heard one of them talking on a cell phone and soon two more men appeared. Finally, the five of them managed to separate Jerry and Ray.
I turned and saw Ray first. His ear was torn. He had cuts on his chest and his arms were bleeding profusely. Both his eyes were almost swollen shut and he was being held back by two men. He was still swearing and trying to get to Jerry. Jerry didn't say anything or struggle against the three men who held him. He just stood silently, his lip swollen, his shirt ripped open and his head bleeding where it must have hit something hard. Obviously he'd decided that I wasn't worth fighting over after all.
Simon hurried down the path, a serious look on his face. "What's going on here? Gloriana?"
"As you can see, Blade has returned from Europe. I guess he doesn't read tabloids because he didn't know that Ray and I are engaged. He didn't take the news well." I took a shuddering breath and made myself walk past Jerry to Ray's side. Oh, God, but that was the hardest ten steps I'd ever taken. I forced myself to fill my head with one of Ray's songs in case Simon was trying to read my mind.
"Blade, you attacked a paying guest. I'll have my men escort you off the premises. If you come here uninvited again, you'll be subject to grave penalties." Simon gestured toward the gold dome, visible above the trees. "I believe you've heard of our demon and her powers."
"I'm not scared of you or your demon." Jerry lifted his chin. "But I'll be happy to leave. There's nothing for me here."
"Jerry, I"
"Gloriana, don't waste your breath. I have nothing to say to you. Clearly my mother has had the right of it all these years and you have never been the woman for me." Jerry looked at the men who still held him. "Release me and I'll shift out of here. You won't be bothered by me again."
Simon studied Jerry and was obviously convinced he meant what he said. I didn't dare try to read Jerry's mind, sure what he was thinking would break my heart. Finally, Simon nodded. We all watched Jerry walk stiffly down the path to a clearing, then, with a cry of pure rage, shift into a blackbird and fly into the night.
"Mr. Caine, please let me bring you a donor with your favorite blood type. To speed your healing. What would you like?" Simon gestured and the guards melted into the woods.
"Nothing. I like to drink from Glory. She prefers AB negative. That's right, isn't it, babe?"
"Yes, but I don't feel like feeding now. Not from a mortal. Just bring us some synthetic of that type."
"Nonsense. I can have a carafe of the real thing brought to you and some glasses. You won't have to see the mortal at all." Simon snapped his fingers and a woman I hadn't noticed hurried away.
"Thanks. And we'll stay here until almost dawn, then go back to our room to sleep. I'm not going to let Blade ruin Ray's night in the sun." I rubbed Ray's chest where he'd obviously taken a really hard hit, the bruise darkening. "I'll heal everything for you, honey, as soon as I feed."
"Thanks, babe." Ray kept his arms around me.
"I'll leave you then. There's a phone next to the door. Press one if you need anything else. I'm sorry about this. I'll make sure there's a guard posted outside to keep you from being disturbed further." Simon turned on his heel and left. Ray waited until the woman had delivered a tray before he looked into my eyes. "Are you okay? Blade was really harsh with you. Or was that an act?"
"No act." I drank and nibbled on the chocolates Simon had included on the tray. I was so upset I was nauseated, but I was convinced the truffles would settle my stomach. And I did feel marginally better after the second one.
"I've never seen him so furious. And and he's lost his respect for me. After all these years." Tears rilled my eyes and ran down my cheeks. I leaned against Ray and pretended to be hugging him. Putting on a show. How could I do this for another twenty-four hours? With a broken heart?
" When we get back, Ray, I have to go see him to try to explain."
"You'd better give him time to cool off. You really hurt his pride. And what was that about his mother? Sounded like a slam to me." Ray pulled me back into his arms and we lay in the sunshine, his wounds healing from the blood he'd decided to drink from the goblets Simon had had delivered.
"It was. He knows I hate his mother. She's always called me a low-class climber." I sniffled and decided to hell with the pity party. Now I was mad. "Forget Jerry's pride. What about mine? He called me a whore. I may never forgive him for that."
Ray kissed my cheek. "If Blade were here, I'd beat the hell out of him all over again."
"No more fights, please." I smiled against his shoulder, pretty sure Ray had gotten the worst of it. " Have I told you how great you've been about this? I know I didn't treat you well, just hopping off of you like that when Jerry got here." Ray rubbed my back. " I get it. Blade had you first. But I'm still here, Glory. I'm still here." Time to talk out loud. "All right, Ray. Lay back and let me put my hands on you. I think I can heal that ear faster."
"Who cares about my ear? Did I tell you that son of a bitch kneed me in the groin?" Ray grinned.
"You are such a bad, bad man." I looked up to where I was pretty sure there was a camera. "How can I not love you?" I touched his ear and finally let him drink from me. As videos went, I'm sure this would be one for Simon's keeper shelf. Seminudity, violence and a little vampire fang action. Add some killing and this one would have it all. It was almost dawn when we got back to our suite. Richard and Flo were in the living room, curled up in front of the fire, the picture of a contented couple. They both jumped up when they saw Ray's face. Sure, it had almost healed, but he'd obviously been knocked around.
"What the hell happened to you?" Richard looked around, like for a weapon. "Simon?"
"Blade." Ray managed a shrug. "He got back in town and Valdez told him where we were. Caught Glory and me" He had his arm around me and snugged me closer. "Well, you can see that he didn't like what he saw. Couldn't handle the fact that we're getting married."
