"You could have tried. And not succeeded." Richard grinned.
Valdez stopped pacing around the room. "Glad you are all so cool with this. But forget it. An EV visit is not going to happen. Are you crazy? You can't go out there like it's a freakin' vacation. I won't allow Glory within a mile of that cesspool of insanity. And Simon's word on anything is not worth shit."
"Sorry, pal, I know you just want to protect me, but you're not my keeper. I go where I please. You're staying here, I'm going." That declaration of independence got Valdez's attention. He planted himself between Ray and me.
"Caine, you act like you care about Glory. Put your foot down. Don't let her go. Blade would never allow it if he were here."
"Blade orders her around?" Ray looked from Valdez to me. "No wonder she never married him."
"That tears it. I've watched you grope her, kiss her and, God damn it, talk about drinking from her. Now you're putting down Blade?" Valdez snarled and lunged at Ray. I threw myself between them and took a hard hit on the forearm. I landed on the coffee table and reduced it to a pile of sticks.
"Glory!"
I lay in the ruins of my table waiting for the dizziness to pass while three vampires and a shape-shifter in canine form screamed at each other, placing blame and blows anywhere they could reach. I closed my eyes when I heard glass shatter and actually hoped it was one of my Israel Caine collectibles. I think it had been Ray's fist that had hit me in the arm. Accidentally, of course. He'd be horrified when he realized it. So would Valdez. Damn them both and their excess testosterone. The action seemed to be dying down when I pulled a table leg out from under me and a crumpled copy of Cosmo. Well hell. I hadn't read the twenty tips for the ultimate orgasm yet and the page was ripped. Finally I lifted my sweater and watched blood ooze from a cut on my side.
"Hello? Would someone get me a towel? I don't want to bleed on the carpet. I might lose my security deposit."
"No, mia arnica, my brother owns this worthless building. He wouldn't dare keep your deposit." Flo cradled my head in her lap. "These men. They are stupido. Fighting. It solves nothing. We are going out to the EV place and we are getting that bastard Simon Destiny for your Siren." Flo sniffed. "Look at you. You are hurt. And, insano, but your blood smells squisito. We are vampires. No?"
"Yes. And I'm sorry I upset you." All that Italian. Flo must really be worried about me. "I'll be fine. I just fed before I came up. I'm drinking from mortals now. Totally fallen off the synthetic wagon." I caught a drop of blood and sniffed. "Yeah, not bad. Where are the guys?"
"Israel tried to go to you, but my man says no, he must not touch. He and Valdez have done enough hurt to you. Ricardo took them to the roof to kick their butts into some sense." Flo sighed. "I don't say that right but you know what I mean. Let me help you up and into the bathroom. You can clean up. Change clothes. Why you wear such things? Damp, tight and ripped in the back."
"The damned Siren keeps making me jump into the lake. Blame Valdez for the rip." I let Flo help me undress and get into the shower. I was too battered to even care that she saw my thighs. My tiny former roomie doesn't have thighs, damn her. Anyway, a hot shower did me a lot of good. By the time I got out, the men were back in the living room, the remains of the coffee table had disappeared and things were, on the surface at least, back to normal.
"Sorry, Glory." Valdez trotted up to me, his head down. "Report me to Blade. He II probably fire my ass. Deserve it."
"Forget it, V Just don't attack Ray again. We're going to do what we have to now. Don't get in our way." I liked the way that sounded. Assertive. I turned to Ray. "Well? You apologizing too?"
"Of course. I'm really sorry you got in the middle of that. How are you feeling?" He gave me a careful hug.
"I'll be okay. But you and Valdez owe me a coffee table and a new copy of Cosmo."
"Done. I'll give you a credit card, and you can order whatever you want." He shot Valdez a stern look. "The dog and I don't agree on a lot of things. I guess it was bound to come to a head sometime."
"Just not in my living room next time, okay?" I walked over to a chair and sat down with a sigh. "Good thing the healing sleep will take care of this. Right now I'm a mass of aches and pains."
"Do you need to feed again, Glory?" Flo looked at Richard. "We can bring you someone."
"What? Vampires have delivery and takeout?" Ray sat in the other chair.
"Use your imagination, Caine." Richard had obviously had enough from a new vampire. "Florence, finish explaining to them how to protect thoughts. When you two get out to the EV compound, you're going to have to be especially careful. One slipup, and Destiny will know about your plan to lure him to Caine's house for the Siren."
"Yes, you're right. The few times I've been around him, Simon blasted right through any blocks when I tried to keep my thoughts from him." I shuddered, remembering. "Just like Aggie does. Hell, she can read my thoughts and Ray's from the lake. Right now if she's tuned in." A pain hit me and I winced. "Guess she's always tuned in."
"Maybe this won't work with your Siren, but will work with Simon." Flo leaned forward. "A while ago, when I was pretending to be dutiful, all you could see in my mind were my silly, sad thoughts. That's because I was forcing them to fill my head." She turned to Ray. "Israel, it would probably be easy for you to load your head with your music. Anytime you're around an Energy Vampire, not just Simon, you should concentrate on singing inside your head. So when they try to read your mind, they'll think
'Oh, he's a stupid singer with nothing in his empty head but his songs.' "
"Am I supposed to have something else in there?" Ray grinned, obviously really liking the idea and glad to be off the topic of his fight with Valdez.
"I could think about my wardrobe. My shoes, my clothes, reorganizing my closet or my inventory. Simon would expect it of me. Because of the shop if nothing else." I rubbed my healing side. It still stung, but was already better.
"You've got it, cara. If you're careful that way, Simon won't sneak into your thoughts and figure out your plan. He'll think you just want the sunlight. And, Israel"Flo flushed"I know you'll love it. I remember your music videos when you sang on your island in the Caribbean or on your boat. You loved the sun."
"You guys are serious about this sunlight thing? Were really going to get to see the sun out there?" Ray looked excited by the idea.
"That's the rumor. Flo, did you see the rooms? Valdez?" I couldn't deny sunlight would do it for me too.
"When I was out there, I didn't see anything but a cage and a giant machine trying to suck the life out of me." Valdez collapsed by the door. "But why ask me? I 'm a bodyguard. I don't count. I just follow orders." Oh, great. He was sulking. I felt bad laying down the law like I did, but he simply couldn't go out there with us. And I wasn't staying away on his say so. The only bright side to our stalemate was that Valdez had admitted he couldn't communicate with Blade while he was in Europe. It was too far away for their mental link to work.
"I saw one of the rooms." Flo grabbed Richard's hand. "It was like Tuscany where we summered when I was a child. Very golden and warm, ready for a picnic in a meadow. Fantastico. Too bad we couldn't have our wedding out there, Ricardo. Is very romantic." Flo sighed. "Anyway, there are several rooms for the sunlight. Simon bragged about them. One will be perfect for you, Israel. It's like a beach in the Caribbean."
Ray leaned forward, his eyes bright. "Tell me more. I'd kill to lay out on a beach again and just soak up the sun." We all jumped when there was a knock on the door.
"Must be my brother. Let him in, Glory." Flo and Richard exchanged glances, but their thoughts were definitely blocked. I still couldn't get over how calm she was about his whole Casanova sacrifice thing. I glanced through the peephole and saw Damian's handsome face. He wasn't smiling for a change. Okay, so at least he was taking this seriously. I threw the dead bolts and let him in.
"Hi, Damian."
"Cara, you look What happened to your beautiful hair?"
I touched the frizzy mess I'd made the mistake of trying to blow dry. "This is what happens when you back talk a goddess."
"Poor Glory." He gathered me into his arms and kissed my cheek. "And you've been worried about me." One of his hands strayed down to my left hip. "Charming."
Suddenly I had Ray on one side and Valdez on the other.
"Let her go, Casanova." Ray practically jerked me out of Damian's arms.
"Careful, macho man. I've been wounded, no thanks to you." I smiled at Damian. "Why the heck aren't you and"I glanced at Flo"your sister worried about you?"
"Because I am caught. Eh, mia sorella?"
"Sl, mio fratello." Flo leaned against Richard. "I didn't want you to walk me down the aisle anyway. You are too pretty. Now" She sniffled and Richard pressed a white handkerchief into her hand.
"No! Surely we can figure something out!" I felt a hot poker stab my brain. "Stop it, Aggie!" I grabbed my head. "Ow! Oh God!
She's killing me!"
"What is it?" Damian reached for me, but backed off when Valdez growled and showed all his teeth.
"Aggie can hear our thoughts. Even from out by the lake. She's reminding Glory and"Ray winced"me that we'd better cooperate. Circe wants you. Are you saying you're willing to go to hell for us?"
"No. This goddess wants Casanova." Damian locked eyes with Flo. "I have a shameful secret. I bring ruin on my family. Of course Florence doesn't want me at her wedding."
