"So you went against your personal beliefs to save my Luciana." I saw Lucky wince and looked down. Mr. C. had dropped her hand.
"I couldn't just let her die. I got someone on my cell who told me what to do. Then I carried her upstairs and took care of her." Mr. Carvarelli sighed. "You are a good person, Gloriana. And how does my daughter repay you? She leaves another vampire in your bed. A famous man who she felt betrayed her."
Lucky burst into a spate of Italian. That earned her a slap and a few sharp words.
Valdez and I just sat there, afraid to move.
"My daughter also thinks being a vampire is 'cool.' She has a new vampire bodyguard who is also her lover. She dresses like one of those silly people who pretend to drink blood and she is seen around town near your store with her followers, actually biting them where anyone can see her. Even returning to where she is almost killed. Stupido! " He turned to Lucky and said a few more choice words in Italian, then he mopped his flushed face with a handkerchief.
"Excuse me, Gloriana. I should not let you witness my family problems. But I say these things to let you know I am aware that all of these actions by my daughter may be causing difficulties for you. Yes?"
"Yes." I was really warming up to Mr. C., though any man who slaps a woman is bad news in my book. Obviously Lucky has reasons for the way she acts.
"I think we will find out who arranged this attack on Luciana very soon. If you are the first to give me the name, the reward is yours. But I will also grant you a boon. I will put my daughter's future in your hands." He looked at her, then at me.
"It seems Luciana likes Austin. She wishes to stay here and take the southwest region for her papa's business. But I wonder if that will suit you, Gloriana."
I gave that a full one second's thought. Lucky in Austin? No way in hell. I wouldn't look at her and threw up a block because I knew she'd be trying to send me all kinds of mental messages from promises to threats if I'd go along with her on this.
"I tell you something, Mr. C., if I may call you that." He nodded. "Well, Mr. C., your daughter is smart and has a lot of potential. If she would listen to people with experience like her bodyguard Etienne, she might even turn out to be a vampire I could be proud to have made. But right now?" I shook my head. "You'd be doing me a huge favor if you sent her as far away from Austin as possible."
Mr. Carvarelli chuckled. "Very wise of you, my dear." He picked up my hand and kissed it, his lips cool and dry. Then he turned and pinned Lucky with a hard look when she made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snarl. "It will be taken care of. Now, if you'd like to get out of the car, Gloriana, I know you're anxious to get back to your business." He tapped his ear, and I realized that what I'd thought was a hearing aid was actually a Bluetooth phone receiver.
"My associate tells me you have many very excited customers in your shop." He looked at Lucky again with narrowed eyes. "I wonder why they would be asking to meet the vampire."
"Papa, I don't-"
He lifted his hand, and Lucky shut her mouth again.
"Yes, well, I'd better get in there. Good-bye." Valdez and I jumped out as soon as the door opened.
"Ms. St. Clair, here are Mr. Carvarelli's private numbers." The gray-eyed man pressed a card into my hand. He surveyed the area in front of my shop, which was positively teeming with people. I pulled my coat up to cover my face. "Be careful. I'm not speaking out of turn when I say any involvement with the Carvarellis can change your fortunes." He gave me a slight smile. "Forever." The front door of the idling limo opened. "If you ever need anything, anywhere in the world, use those numbers. Mr. Carvarelli never forgets a debt. And that goes both ways."
He jumped into the limo, and it sped off. I looked at Valdez, both of us bursting to discuss the last few minutes. But we were surrounded by the early evening holiday crowd and more Goths than anything else. I steeled myself for what was to come and pushed inside. Lacy obviously needed help and Jasmine hadn't arrived yet to back us up.
The Saturday night before Christmas. With any luck, some of these curiosity seekers might actually buy something. Now that I knew Lucky was leaving town, I could really look forward to the ball tomorrow night. I gave Valdez a look and pushed inside the shop.
"Oh, my God! There she is! The vampire!"
"Ha! Ha! Is that why you're here?" I grabbed a box I'd hidden behind the counter. "You must have seen the video on YouTube."
"Yeah. Cool video. Let's see those fangs. Glory. Right?" A man held up his camera and began snapping pictures. I refused to inhale, even though there were some pretty delicious blood types circulating near me. I opened a plastic-wrapped package, then tossed one to Lacy.
"Give me a minute." I bent down and slipped the fake fangs into my mouth. They'd been popular sellers before Halloween. I'd remembered them after we'd told Nathan about Ray being turned vampire. Lacy grinned at me, her fake fangs glinting in the light.
"How do I look, boss?"
"Great. All we need is the fake blood, and we could do another death scene right now."
"Oh, man. Told ya." One couple headed for the door just as my least favorite TV personality came in.
"Forget vampires. This is a cute shop, and I see a dress I want to try on." A woman dragged the man with the camera over to a dress rack.
"Donna Mitchell, Channel Six News. Gloriana St. Clair, are those fangs in your mouth?" The news reporter for the local TV station signaled to her cameraman to start shooting, and the camera's record light came on.
I slipped out the fakes and dropped them on the counter. "Sorry to disappoint you, Donna, but I'm just taking advantage of some guerrilla marketing to boost sales during the holidays. I assume you saw my YouTube stunt. That is why you're here again." I turned to Lacy. "Lacy, grab that bucket of pig's blood out of the back. We'll do a reenactment. Where would you like to shoot, Donna? In front of the mural again? We're thinking of putting in a flat screen on that wall over there. Run the video all the time; make some others. We'd love to have one of yours."
The reporter frowned and poked the fakes with a gloved fingertip. "Damn. No way am I giving this dinky shop any more free publicity. Cut, Lyle. We're out of here. There's a cat up a tree near the capitol building."
"Waste of time."
"Did that dog just say something?" Donna stopped and stared down at Valdez.
I laughed. "Been hitting the eggnog at the office party, Donna? Go chase your kitty story. Sorry to disappoint you, but the only vampire here is the one painted on the wall. Oh, and Merry Christmas."
"Whatever." The reporter stomped out of the door, pushing Goths out of her way as she went. I tossed the fangs back in the box.
"Hey, what about that video?"
"You need another victim? Bite me, Glory."
There was some pushing and shoving, and Valdez moved in front of me. I winked at the crowd. "Maybe next time, fellas. For now, this is strictly a no-bite zone." I put on my shopkeeper's smile and began ringing up sales. The night of the Winter Solstice Ball was cold and clear and perfect. I threw a black velvet cloak around my shoulders as Jerry helped me out of the Mercedes in front of Damian's castle on the hill. Leave it to Damian to find a perfect replica of a castle, though with all the modern amenities and without the drafts, in central Austin. He had an excellent security force, one of whom was parking our car while we strolled up to the well-lit terrace. Valdez trotted by our sides until we got there, when Jerry told him to stay alert but to only come if one of us called him. Obviously my dog was already on the lookout for Brittany. Heaters were placed strategically around the open area, and guests were encouraged to keep the party circulating indoors and out. A band played next to the flagstone terrace, and several couples swayed to the music under the starlit sky.
"Very romantic." I smiled at Jerry. He'd worn his plaid as I'd suggested and looked a treat. Security had required a hurried discussion on headsets about his broadsword, but Damian's okay had allowed it in.
Jerry reached down and pulled open my cloak. "Now this is romantic. I admit I know next to nothing about any of those space movies, but this princess was obviously hot stuff."
I grinned and did an undulation to show off my harem outfit. "She was held prisoner in this."
"Obviously the man had designs on her body." Jerry pulled me to the dance floor, depositing my wrap on a table on the way. "Let me keep you warm, Gloriana." He fitted me to him, one hand low on my hips. "Warm enough?" He smoothly guided us across the floor.
"Perfect. Have you been taking dance lessons?"
He smiled and executed another neat little move. "I may have. Someone told me a man these days should be able to do more than shuffle his feet."
"Jeremiah Campbell!" I leaned back and looked up at him. "I told you that very thing decades ago."
"Well, perhaps I finally listened."
I wasn't going to ask. I threw up a block. Had Mara been giving him dancing lessons in his living room? I'd been so busy in the shop I hadn't seen him for three nights in a row. Oh, we'd talked on the phone, but briefly and not even naughty fun stuff, like what are you wearing.
"Why are you frowning? Am I doing it wrong?" Damn if he didn't try to dip me.
"No, Jerry, you're doing wonderfully. I'm thirsty. Knowing Damian, he's found some exotic new synthetic for us to try. And I want to find Prince Igor and give him a donation for his charity."
Jerry smiled. "Not necessary, Glory. I made a donation in both our names already." I stopped on the edge of the dance floor. "I can afford to donate to an orphanage, Jerry. Thanks just the same."
"I didn't mean-"
"I've had a good holiday season." And my YouTube groupies had actually turned out to be big spenders once they'd gotten over their initial disappointment. "I know my pitiful little donation won't matter much, but allow me some pride, okay?" I walked over to the silver fountain in the living room and sniffed. A nice quality B negative. I filled a crystal cup and took a sip. Was I being too sensitive? I felt Jerry's warm hand on my shoulder. When would I quit thinking it necessary to dress like I had to be Miss Sex Pot and settle for warm and cozy? I smiled wryly. Yeah, yeah, I know myself. Probably never when there's a good-looking man around.
