I watched him, sure that no other man would ever make me feel the way this one did. He cherished me, pampered me and put up with my faults and had for over four hundred years.
“I love you, Jeremiah Campbell.” I ran into his arms, suddenly overcome with the need to hold him again.
“Why, Gloriana, is there something wrong? You seem a little upset.” He held me close, brushing my hair back from my face. “Am I being too controlling, taking over the apartment planning? I know you hate it when I ignore your wishes.”
“No, no! You’ve been wonderful. You’re more than I deserve.” Stupid tears. Where had they come from? He loved me and he’d proved it over and over again. So why did I feel like he’d come to his senses any moment now? It was a good thing I’d named a date only a month away. He’d have no time to examine our relationship and run away screaming from his near miss.
“There you go again. Where is that damned kitchen utensil?” He popped my butt with his bare hand. “Maybe you did get off to the hitting then. Since you seem determined to provoke me.” He lifted my chin. “You are the only woman I want. The only woman I am willing to spend eternity with. Are you clear on that?”
“Yes.” I blinked and, instead of a blur, his handsome face came into focus. “I’ll try to get over this insecurity. But I’ve had it a long, long time. And I come with baggage. A mother who is a goddess from Olympus.”
“Some men would think that’s a bonus. She gave you some fine skills, didn’t she?”
“Hah! She’ll be the mother-in-law from hell, mark my words.” I rubbed his cheek, a little rough from his evening beard, with my thumb. “I’m warning you, Jer. She’s going to be trouble. Worse than your mother will be.”
“I can handle her.” He smiled and ran his hand down my back. “At least she hasn’t produced a father for you yet. That could a real problem. He might not like the fact that I’ve taken over four hundred years to make an honest woman of you.”
“I’ve always been an honest woman.” I slipped away from him and began pulling on my clothes. “I don’t need a wedding ring to prove that.”
“Here we go. And just when I thought we’d reached a fine understanding.” Jerry waited until I was fully dressed then unlocked the door. “Is it safe to open this?”
“Sure. Let the workers see who was screeching her pleasure a few minutes ago. No embarrassment here.” I rolled my eyes then strutted out the door. Jerry grabbed me around the waist and jerked me to him.
“Never be embarrassed to be a passionate woman, Gloriana. And my woman at that.” He kissed my lips, catching me trying to bite back a grin.
“Easy for you to say. You want them to think you’re a stud who makes your ‘woman’ scream every time you do her.” I popped him on his taut butt. “Arrogant ass.”
He laughed, his eyes bright. He looked more relaxed than I’d seen him in a long, long time. It made me want to pull him back into that room and go another round. Make him scream.
“Vixen. Come, look over this place and tell me what to make bigger and what to change.”
I looked down at his zipper. “There are some things that could always be bigger. But I’ll let that go.” I squealed when he pinched my butt. “Don’t change a thing, Jer. Not a thing.”
Laughing we began our tour. I linked arms with him, flushing every time I caught a worker giving me the eye. So this was what it felt like to be happy. Could it last? I didn’t dare start analyzing it. Right now I planned to just live in the moment, my biggest worry that I had a mere month to plan the wedding I’d always dreamed of. I needed reinforcements and I knew just who to call.
Chapter Two
“It is impossible. The wedding of your dreams in a month?” My best friend, Florence Da Vinci, threw up her hands. “You don’t even have a dress.”
“I know. It’ll be a challenge too. I won’t wear white. Makes me look fat.” Of course Flo glowed in that color. Tonight she wore winter white head to toe. I’d have looked like a giant snowball in her bulky sweater, and there was no way I’d ever cram my thighs into a pair of skinny jeans.
“You are not fat. You have generous curves. Eh?” Flo stomped around my vintage clothing shop, muttering in Italian.
“Thanks. I like to see it that way. Luckily, the man in my life is ancient and likes a full figure.” I didn’t need to understand the language to know Flo hated everything in here. We had agreed to disagree a long time ago. I loved to give old clothes a new home. She liked everything that touched her body to be brand new when she bought it.
She stopped her Italian tirade and faced me, hands on hips that were a tiny size six. “I hope you’re not planning to wear a used wedding dress. No, I won’t allow it. We must buy you something wonderful and new. My treat. A wedding present.”
“No, that’s too much. Besides, I like vintage. I’m sure I can find--”
She cut me off with a gesture. “I will. Don’t make me fight with you. We have no time for this.” She obviously considered the matter settled. “Now, moving on. Something borrowed, something blue. I loan you some diamond earrings. Or maybe a necklace and you wear the sapphires I gave you for the blue.”
Oh, yes. The earrings had been my “engagement” present. She was generous, a great friend, but I was beginning to feel like Flo’s favorite charity case. My good jewelry consisted of the ring on my finger, those earrings she’d given me and a fake Rolex that needed a new battery. When she started in on my underwear, I became determined to stop Flo’s monologue. I was not poor, damn it. I could buy my own freaking thong.
“No, say nothing. I can see you are going to make me unhappy.” She wagged a finger in my face. “I can and will buy your dress.” Her eyes glistened as she grabbed my shoulders. “Look at me. I do this. For our friendship. You have done plenty for me, amica. I return the favor. Sí?”
“I have no idea what I’ve done for you, but let’s stick with the dress. Okay?” I hugged her. “Maybe I should wear black just to see the look on Mag’s face when I walk down the aisle. Of course she’ll be in mourning anyway. This wedding is her worst nightmare coming true.”
“Jeremiah’s parents? They will be here?” Flo studied me, trying to gauge my reaction to that.
“Jerry says they wouldn’t miss it. I hope that doesn’t mean Mag is planning to jump up when the minister asks if anyone has a reason why we shouldn’t be wed.” I laughed like I thought this was ridiculous. If only. Jer’s mother had hated me on sight, and hundreds of years hadn’t changed her first opinion. I was a lowly actress, not good enough for her high-born son.
“She wouldn’t dare. Jeremiah would never forgive her. Am I right?” She linked her arm through mine. “I promise to stuff a bouquet in her mouth if she tries it. What do you think?”
“Sounds like a plan.” I looked around. A few customers had taken an interest in our conversation. “It’s early. Why don’t we hit the mall and see if we can find something there that catches my eye.”
“The mall? For a wedding dress?” Flo shuddered. “We need to fly to New York. Talk to a designer. Oh, I can’t believe you left me with so little time.”
“Jerry’s impatient. He’s waited a long, long, long time for me to say yes.” I dragged her to the door and outside. “Humor me. We can at least look. I won’t let you spend a fortune anyway. And help me brainstorm where we should have this wingding.”
“Wing what?” Flo looked confused.
“Never mind.” I hit the remote on my car that I’d left at the curb in front of the shop. “I mean the ceremony and reception. I want it to be special. Your wedding was perfect. But I can’t do the same thing.” I jumped in my car and got it started.
“Damian wouldn’t mind. His hilltop makes a beautiful setting, no?” Flo slammed the passenger door and checked her lipstick in the mirror on the visor.
“Of course. But I bet he’s already planning the Winter Solstice Ball there. He never misses a year.”
“Yes, my brother is very busy. I talked him into m
aking the ball a masked costume party this year. I want to wear the necklace I got in Paris. You remember it?” Flo fussed with her seatbelt, making sure it didn’t wrinkle her sweater. “I know I wore it on Halloween, but now it’s my favorite piece. I must go as Marie again.”
“Marie Antoinette? It was her necklace you had to sneak past customs when you flew from Paris?” Flo had gotten into some kind of hassle over the vintage piece. I could barely remember it. I’d had my own issues then. Jerry had had amnesia, and we’d been worried about how he’d react to his first plane ride when he was mentally stuck in the fifteenth century. He’d freaked out of course. Good times.
“That’s the one. Don’t you remember how beautiful it was?”
“Yes, sure. Gorgeous. I can’t believe it really belonged to Marie Antoinette.” Actually I’d been too wrapped up in keeping a burly Highlander from jumping out of a plane without a parachute at ten thousand feet to give it a good look. Then Halloween had been full of complications too. My life. Was it too much to hope that I could have a wonderful wedding go off without a hitch?
“Of course it did. I remember her wearing it. Sapphires the size of my thumbnail. Squisito!” Flo sighed. “Such a wonderful time. Too bad for Marie of course. I could have helped her escape. Turned her. But she was a silly chit. It amused her to have us around, of course. But to become a vampire? The thought revolted her. More than a guillotine? Pah!”
I shuddered. Flo had seen so much history. Of course so had I. I loved modern times and rarely looked back. “Costumes. See? Another thing to worry about. Have the invitations gone out yet?” I slammed on the brakes when a car zipped into the parking place I’d been aiming for. “Crap. I’ve got to do that too. Wedding invitations. But I have to nail down a place and time first. This is impossible.”
“You can always elope.” Flo looked behind us when a car honked. She let loose with some Italian and a hand gesture. “Kidding. Don’t you dare. Like you say, you and Jeremiah have waited a long time, hundreds of years. So we celebrate. Big time. All of your friends will help you. Don’t worry about it. Now promise you will listen to me in this mall. You are not fat. You are beautiful. No black. Too much like a funeral. No?”
“Okay. Just no white either.” In the end the perfect dress was red. We found it in a high-end boutique, the only kind my pal would consider entering. Red was even a traditional color for a bride, if I’d been Chinese like the savvy salesgirl who’d waited on us. I didn’t care what rationale we used. I felt good in the dress. It had the low neckline I loved and Flo approved. We bought it and some strappy sandals that worked with it. By the time we left the mall, the parking lot was emptying and we’d racked up a big bill. I didn’t want to think how much. One thing crossed off my endless to-do list. We headed to N-V, the club my former bodyguard Rafe Valdez owned. Jerry and Richard were meeting us there.
We stopped by Flo’s car and put our finds in her trunk. She was convinced I’d show the dress to Jerry otherwise, definitely unlucky before the wedding. Then I found a parking spot not too far down the block on Sixth Street and we headed for the door. We were about to go in when a man stepped out of the shadows. I recognized him immediately.
“Come. We have made our men wait long enough.” Flo ignored the man who was suddenly at my elbow.
“Flo, have you met Miguel Cisneros?” I made the introductions, surprised when Flo didn’t do her usual flirting when meeting a handsome man.
“I know him. Ricardo has told me who and what he is. Come, Glory. We go inside now.” Flo ignored Miguel’s smile and his outstretched hand. There was a short line but the doorman knew us both and had waved us in.
I saw by Miguel’s suddenly serious face that I had better meet with him now, before I headed inside. He’d helped me once when I’d needed him and we had a deal. Guess it was time for me to hold up my end of the bargain. “I’ll be in soon, Flo. Tell Jerry I’m in the bathroom fixing my hair or something.” I grabbed her arm. “Don’t mention Miguel.”
“Keeping secrets from your fiancé already? Is it because you know you shouldn’t be alone with him?” Flo had yet to speak to Miguel directly. “This is not a good idea.” She actually tried to pull me to the door. “He is dangerous. Come inside.”
I jerked my arm free. “My business with Miguel is my business. Now please leave me to it. If you want to tell Jer, go ahead. I’ll deal with the fall-out.” I gave her a warning look. Friends covered for friends and she knew it.
“Fine. I lie for you.” She looked Miguel up and down. “You harm so much as a hair on Glory’s head and I hunt you down like the dog you are and end you. Entiendes?”
“Tough talk, chiquita.” Miguel wore a threatening face that made me put some space between us. I had forgotten for a minute just how dangerous he could be. “What have I ever done to you?”
“My husband has told me you are an assassin.” Flo looked Miguel over. “I have had dealings with your kind before. My friend is good, clean. You are not fit to be in her company.” Flo put her hand over mine. “Glory, you want me to stay?”
Miguel laughed at that. “Seriously? Are you going to protect Gloriana from big bad me?” He kept chuckling. “I’d like to see you try.” He held his hands out to his sides. “Give it your best shot.”
Flo rattled off something in Spanish that made Miguel’s dark eyes harden. Then she glanced around at the crowd of mortals who had quit talking and were interested in our conversation.
“Would you two cool it? Flo, Miguel and I are, um,” I searched for the right word, “friends. So go on inside and meet the guys. I’ll be perfectly fine.” I glanced meaningfully at the mortals who were openly gawking at us.
“You have been warned, perro sucio.” She glared at Miguel then flounced inside, the tap of her high heels punctuating her threat.
“What did she call you?” I pulled Miguel over to the alley nearby to get away from our audience.
“A filthy dog. Is that fair? I swear I showered before I came here tonight.” Miguel grinned, obviously unfazed by the insult, and thrust his hands in his pockets. More than one girl in line sighed. He wore tight black jeans that hugged his taut butt and a matching cotton tee with a worn black leather jacket hanging open over it. Probably to blend into the night. He had the exotic looks of his Aztec ancestors and a body made for sin. I was immune for some reason, but most women weren’t.
“Flo is my best friend and she was just being protective. I’ll talk to her. Now, what do you want?”
“We had a deal, remember, Glory? I helped you when you had a little problem a while ago. Now it’s time for some payback.” He leaned against the brick wall, pretending to be casual, but I knew better. Despite the careless grin earlier, he was tense and I wondered what was up.
“Our deal.” I so did not need this now. “You ready to do your part? You said you wanted to be accepted here in Austin. Join our straight society. That’s going to be tough with your hard reputation, Miguel. Obviously people like Flo, the very people who have to accept you, think you’re still working as a hit man.” I shivered, and it wasn’t from the chill. I wore a cute gray fleece jacket that I’d picked up on sale. Besides, vamps don’t feel cold like humans do, and Austin’s December night was mild. No, it was the idea that this man inches from me had killed dozens, maybe hundreds, of people for money that made me shudder.
“I’ve given it up. But you’re right, my rep lingers and I still get calls. Got one just this week. That’s really why I’m here.” He glanced around and urged me deeper into the alley, away from prying eyes and interested mortals. “I’m doing you a favor. Though after that scene just now, I’m thinking taking the job might be doing the world a favor.”
I was getting a really bad vibe from him. Not that he’d hurt me, but still… “Wait a minute. A hit? You got called for a hit? Miguel, you turned it down, didn’t you?” I know, I’m supposed to be a bad ass vampire. But it was spooky in this dark, damp alley that smelled of garbage and rats. Miguel was standing close too.
And I couldn’t forget Flo’s reaction. I had some skills, but he’d shown me before that his were just as good, maybe even better. I could try de-materializing and was about to do it when Miguel grabbed my arm. Smart. He’d anchored me, and I wasn’t going anywhere. “How’d you know where to find me anyway?”
“This is one of your regular hangouts, isn’t it? You’re pretty predictable, Glory. Lucky for you the job wasn’t about you. You’d be easy to hit.” He smiled like he had all the answers.
“Then who the hell was it? I don’t want to play games here, Miguel. Jerry’s waiting for me.” I admit I was getting more spooked by the second. A hit. Jerry’s mother wouldn’t hesitate to hire someone if she could be sure her son would never find out… She must be panicking now, thinking about me wedding the heir to Clan Campbell. She’d tried to take me out herself centuries ago. Flo was right though, she wouldn’t risk alienating Jer now. But if she could arrange an “accident”…
“I can see what you’re thinking. If anyone calls for a hit on you, I’ll let you know. Just like I’m doing you the courtesy of dropping this information on you now. I told you, I’m out of the business.” He leaned against the brick wall, pulled out a skinny cigar, and lit up. He took a deep draw, his dark eyes gleaming as he made me wait. “But I knew if I didn’t accept this job, someone else would.”
“Wait. You took the hit? Who are you going to kill, Miguel?” I grabbed his jacket. “Tell me before I beat it out of you.” I probed his mind but he’d blocked it. Bastard. His shit-eating grin meant he was enjoying making me sweat.
“Your feisty little Italian buddy.”
“Flo?” I fell back against the opposite wall. “What? Why?”
“She’s a bitch but that’s not why.” He drew on his cigar and blew a smoke ring, watching it drift up toward the night sky. “Apparently she owns a piece of jewelry that someone sold her by mistake. There’s a family that claims it’s theirs. They contacted her. Demanded it back. Even agreed to reimburse her for her expenses. She’s refused to give it up. Got pretty nasty about it. So they’ve decided to get it back the hard way.”
Real Vampires Take a Bite Out of Christmas Page 2