“He told me.” Kira turned and watched Charis throw a stack of clothes on a chair. “She came in with you. You want me to tell her we don’t treat the merchandise that way? She’s got a five hundred dollar Chanel jacket on the floor.”
“I’ll handle her. She’s my sister.” I could see Charis was going to take some work. She was used to snapping on outfits with her goddess magic. What the hell was she doing messing with the clothes from here?
“She’s a pig. Look at that.” Kira stalked over and rescued a silk scarf before Charis stepped on it. “Lady, please respect the clothing here. Most of it is old and well-loved. It would be a shame for you to ruin it for someone else.”
“Excuse me? Glory, are you going to let this clerk talk to me that way?” Charis hung a silver chain around her neck. “Father will pay for anything I want, you know.”
“How? Did he leave you a credit card?” I walked over to stand beside Kira. “Honestly, Charis, Kira’s right.” I smiled at my clerk. “I couldn’t have said it better myself. Respect the clothes. Until I see the color of Dad’s money, you can’t take anything upstairs with you.”
“Well, what’s the fun of bringing me down here then?” Charis looked mulish, especially when she saw that Alesha had a pair of jeans and a white shirt in her hands. “But you’ll dress the hired help?”
“You bet I will. Kira, this is Alesha. She can have whatever she wants and put it on my tab.” I led Alesha to an empty fitting room. “Try those on and let’s see how they fit.” I glanced at the tags then pulled her dress tight around her. “You may need a smaller size. I had no idea you were so tiny under that baggy dress.”
“I was looking for ten, you said, Glory.” Alesha was obviously excited. “I will put these on then come show you. If you approve, then I want them.”
“Boring. Jeans and a white shirt. At least pick a color.” Charis plucked a blue cotton blouse from the rack. “Take this in there. It’s a medium. Should fit. Glory will want you to have more than one top anyway. Right, Sis?”
“Of course.” I was surprised that Charis was willing to help but then maybe she was like me and got off to shopping, even if it was for someone else. “Charis, go ahead and pick something for yourself. I’m sure Dad will be good for it. I’ll have to talk to him about billing options anyway. If we go to New York.”
Kira grabbed my arm. “What’s this? You’re leaving again? You sure you own this place? You have any idea what we’ve been through without you here? The complications it caused?”
“I’m sorry but it looks like you dealt very well with my absence. Thank you for your part in it.” I lifted her hand off of me. At least she’d retracted her claws this time. “Oh, look. Your customers have made selections. Why don’t you write them up?” I showed the tip of my fangs, making it clear that was all she was getting from me. “Now.”
“Sure, play the ‘v’ card. Meet me in the alley later and I’ll show you how a proud black woman turns into a panther.” She had leaned in and I was sure no one heard her but me. With a hint of a snarl, she stalked over to the register. Then she turned on the charm for the customers, laughing and taking the clothes from the women who had emerged from the dressing rooms.
“Wow. I heard that.” Charis was wide-eyed. “Shape-shifter.”
“Say that louder. I’m not sure the mortals heard you.” I frowned. “And, no, not the Chanel jacket. Not until I’m sure Dad’s going to be that generous. Pick something under a hundred dollars.”
“I doubt he’ll deny me anything, since he’s just driven my mother insane, but go ahead, be a bitch.” Charis pouted. She thrust the jacket into my hands and flounced around the store. “Forget it. I can make my own jacket.” To my horror, she snapped one on.
I looked around and sighed in relief when I realized the mortals were too busy signing credit card receipts and laughing about their purchases to have noticed. I snatched Charis by the arm and dragged her back toward the dressing rooms.
“This bitch can send you home you know. Behave in front of the mortals.”
“Sorry.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Guess I can’t do anything right.” She sank down in the chair I kept for the people who waited while a friend or loved one tried on clothes.
“Glory, what do you think?” Alesha stepped out of the dressing room.
“You’re getting there. Comfortable?” She nodded, looking shy and a little overwhelmed. Pretty too. The white shirt fit perfectly but I could tell she needed a good bra. Olympus was behind in a lot of ways, including outfitting the handmaidens. The servants were mortal and didn’t have any magical powers. I assumed what they wore was provided by whoever owned them. The jeans were baggy in the butt and I found a pair in a size eight for her to try. “Back you go. I want to see you in the blue shirt next.” In a few moments she was out again.
“I like this look but do you think I am too bold?” She twirled in front of the mirror. Then she gasped. “Oh! You are standing behind me, but…” She glanced around. “Does your kind not reflect?”
“No, we don’t. It makes it hard to do makeup but I manage. I’ve had years of practice.” I saw Charis was up again and had slipped the silver necklace she’d liked into her pocket. Brat. Now she was shoplifting. I was tempted to call her on it, but the bells on the door signaled we had more customers coming in.
“Glory, I told my guy you were home and he insisted we come by.” Lacy was followed closely by Rafe.
“Blondie, where the hell have you been?” Rafael Valdez, my one-time bodyguard and one of my best friends, pulled me into his arms. “You have any idea how worried we were?”
“I’m getting the picture.” I felt a push when Kira brushed past me as she escorted her customers out the door. “I’m sorry. I was basically a prisoner.” I inhaled and knew we were finally alone in the shop. No more mortal customers except for Alesha. “Kira, put up the closed sign.”
“Really?” She raised an eyebrow. “We never close except on Sundays and Mondays.”
“I am still the boss, last I checked.”
“Yes. Was that December? January?” Kira locked the door and turned the sign.
Rafe said something to Kira in a foreign language and she flushed then answered him in the same language. They were soon practically yelling at each other and I was beginning to think they were going to exchange blows when Rafe grabbed her by the neck and gave her a quick hug.
“Ignore them. They do that all the time. Whatever the language is, I don’t know it.” Lacy bit her lip. “Both of them have a temper. Kira’s is the worst. But I don’t know what I would have done without her the last few months. We needed the help.”
“Yes, I’m sure you did. I just saw how great she is with customers.” I smiled at Rafe. “Congratulations, Papa. A baby on the way. That’s huge.”
His grin said it all. He wrapped his arms around Lacy. “Isn’t it? I never thought I’d have a family but now I can’t wait.”
Lacy snuggled into him. “He’ll be a fantastic father. But his hours are ridiculous. I’m trying to get him to sell the club or at least hire a competent manager. With me working days and him working nights, we hardly see each other.”
“Seems like you saw each other enough.” Kira patted Lacy’s rounded stomach. Then she laughed. “Just wait till Rafael’s grandfather meets you and sees that.”
“Don’t start, Kira.” Rafe muttered something in that language of theirs and she gestured at him in a way that I had no trouble interpreting.
“When is the baby due?” I sighed, thinking about a baby. My dreams of having my own had been ruined so recently. Damn my mother. And I was supposed to get into wedding plans with her by my side?
“This spring.” Lacy hummed when Rafe stroked her stomach. “I’m so big already. I’m afraid it’s more than one. Which wouldn’t be unusual in my family.”
“We’re thinking of asking Ian MacDonald to do an ultrasound. I know he did one once when you were possessed by that demon.” Rafe couldn’t seem
to keep his hands off of Lacy.
“Yes, he has the equipment or maybe he rented it. You should ask him. You’ll need a good doctor when the time comes anyway and he’s the closest thing we’ve got to one for paranormals here.” I liked the way Rafe was holding onto Lacy. He looked happy.
“Wait a minute. Aren’t you going to introduce me to these people, Glory?” Charis came up beside me. She’d been busy trying to stuff small pieces of jewelry into her jacket pocket. She’d even had the nerve to put a purse strap over her shoulder. Had she snapped it on? No, I saw one of my price tags tucked into the side pocket. Little thief.
“Rafe, Lacy, Kira, this is my sister Charis. Charis, you heard that Kira is a shape-shifter, well, so is Rafe. Lacy is a were-cat.” I waited for my sister’s reaction.
“Cool. Can you do some shifting? Now? I’d love to see that.” She sat on the stool next to the counter. “Does it hurt? Tingle? I heard Kira say she was a panther. Black I guess. Rafe, what do you turn into?”
“Charis, you are being politically incorrect.” I jerked the purse off her shoulder and reached into her pocket. “If you don’t want to be sent back upstairs, and I mean way upstairs, you’ll shut up.”
“Oh, let the girl ask her questions.” Kira seemed amused. “Come out back, light fingers. I’ll show you my panther. Can’t do it here. We’ve got picture windows. Wouldn’t want the people walking by on Sixth Street to get scared, now would we?” Her smile would make most people shiver.
“No, that’s okay. I’m good.” Charis lost her attitude.
“Kira’s right. We can’t shift here.” Rafe shook his head. “I can be whatever I want, Charis. It doesn’t exactly hurt, though I’ll admit to a tingle or two.” He laughed. “Glory, where and when did you pick up a sister?”
“Olympus. You can all come upstairs after I have a few days to get settled and I’ll tell you about it.” I turned when I felt Alesha behind me. I introduced her then sent her back to pick out more things.
“You’re getting carried away, Glory. It’s like you forget she’s a servant.” Charis was pouting.
“Make that a sweater, a jacket, a scarf and three pairs of shoes, Alesha.” I stared at my sister. “Say another word and she’ll own that necklace in your pocket.”
Charis clamped her lips shut.
“I can see you have your hands full. We’ll leave you to it.” Rafe pulled Lacy toward the door. “Is Blade all right? Lacy said he was hurt somehow.”
“He’s fine now. You know vampires. Once we finally arrived home and he got some blood, he was soon back to normal. I expect he’ll show up here any minute.” I looked out the plate glass window. Of course there was no sign of him. “He’s not too happy about some things that happened up there. It didn’t help that my mother instigated the entire thing right before the wedding. He still doesn’t know we have Charis staying with us either.”
Charis grabbed my arm, her look of distress one of the first genuine emotions I’d seen her display. “Will he make me leave?”
“We’ll talk about it later.” I walked Rafe and Lacy to the door and unlocked it, turning the sign to show we were open again.
Rafe kissed my cheek. “I’m glad you’re back.” He looked over my head. “Kira, quit giving her a hard time. She can fire your butt, you know. You seem to like this job.”
“I know.” Kira waved. “Look, there’s someone trying to get in. Would you two lovebirds go home now? Lacy worked all day. She’s exhausted. Take care of her, Rafael.”
“I plan to.” He smiled down at Lacy. “Foot rub?”
“Oh, you do know how to get to me, don’t you?” Lacy sighed. “Good night, Glory. Glad you’re back.”
I waved them off, a little surprised that seeing Rafe happy with someone else didn’t give me even a twinge, then I turned to Kira. “Can you handle things by yourself while I help Alesha and Charis?”
“No problem, boss.” She saluted then greeted a new customer. “I’ve been doing it for months.”
I ignored the jab and pointed to my back room. “Come on, Charis. Talk to me.”
“Answer me. Do you think Jerry will want me to leave?” Charis jumped off her stool and followed close behind me. “I’ll behave, I promise. Just don’t make me leave, Glory. Olympus will be unbearable. The gossip…”
“What about your fiancé? Surely he will want you to come back.” I closed the door so that we couldn’t be heard by the customers who’d come into the shop.
“His family called off the match.” She leaned against the door. “They didn’t like the gossip my mother caused and then there’s the worry that,” She bit her lip. “Well, I just hope insanity isn’t hereditary.”
“Charis!” I started toward her but she wasn’t about to let me hug her.
“I’m dealing with it. But maybe not like I should.” She shrugged. “I know I can be a bitch. But what do you expect? This place is strange. So far I’ve been cooped up in your apartment with bloodsuckers and a handmaiden who doesn’t know her place.”
Well, that had been honest anyway. I sat on the wooden table and stared at her. “Here’s the deal. I won’t make you leave if you get your act together. But I might have to put you somewhere else for a while.” I sighed. Where was the question. “Don’t worry. I know how Olympus is. I’m not that mean unless you push the wrong buttons.”
“But pushing buttons is how I amuse myself.” Charis grinned. Incorrigible.
I ignored the attitude and jerked open the door. I went to help my overwhelmed housekeeper who couldn’t seem to make a decision. Charis decided to get involved, probably to earn points with me, and tried to talk Alesha into high-heeled boots. The thought of Alesha scrubbing toilets in five inch platforms put a smile on my face.
Too bad I lost it when a man walked in who was about to ruin my night.
Chapter 15
“Miguel.” I nodded and left the shoe section to greet him. We were friends, sort of.
“I overheard your clerk tell Rafael at the club that you were back. I trust the shop meets with your approval.” Miguel looked around. “We had an agreement before you disappeared. I have kept my end of it.”
“Agreement?” I had to think for a moment. “Oh, yes, you were going to provide security if I needed it. Lacy didn’t mention…”
“She didn’t have a clue. There was an incident while you were gone.”
“What kind of incident?” I dragged him into my back room. Miguel was a former hit man. For him an incident could be anything from a full on gang war to a minor skirmish with a homeless man in the park across the street. When we were alone, I looked at his amused smile.
“Don’t just stand there like you think it’s funny. Spill.” I collapsed on a chair.
“A couple of rogue vampires looking to make a name for themselves had heard the gossip that one of us owned this shop. They had plans to make trouble.” Miguel shrugged, like running off rogue vampires was all in a night’s work for him. Actually, I knew it probably was.
“They won’t be back?” I pressed a hand to my queasy stomach. What might have happened while I was gone? And I hadn’t given the shop a second’s thought. Lacy, my other clerks, any of them might have been hurt or killed.
“You can count on it. They are spreading the word that this store is protected. No one will bother your place again.” His dark eyes had hardened and he looked dangerous. I was glad he was on my side now.
“Thanks, Miguel. I guess I owe you.” As soon as I said it, I regretted it. His slow smile made me shiver.
“Of course you do. That’s why I’m here. I want answers, Gloriana. Where have you been? Olympus? Did you find out anything?” He took my arm and I was standing in front of him before I knew it. “Do my powers come from there?”
“I was a little busy. Didn’t have time to bring up your name.” I knew I needed to get out into the shop and pulled away to open the door in time to see Charis dump some items on the checkout counter. She leaned against it and gave Miguel a look of
interest when he came out to stand beside me.
“You expect me to believe that?” He scanned the room, clearly dismissing Charis as of little importance. Then he focused on Alesha who smiled shyly at him.
“You have no idea what happened to me up there.” I faced him, poking him in the chest with a fingertip. “Seriously, I went through hell, Jerry too.”
“Calm down. I’m sorry if it wasn’t a pleasure trip but I still need answers.” He took my finger and flung it away from him. “You understand that, don’t you?”
“Yes. You just might not like them. That’s all.” I sighed and looked around. Mortals in the shop were either in the dressing rooms or too far away to hear us. “Listen. You know that’s where your special powers must come from, just like mine do. Let me introduce you to some people.”
“You can’t put me off. We aren’t done.” He did follow me though.
“I know. Humor me for a minute.” I stopped in front of Charis. “This is my friend,” I almost stumbled over that word, “Miguel Cisneros. Miguel, Charis is my sister and behind her is my housekeeper, Alesha. We’ll have to work on last names for them.”
“How do you do?” Charis held out her hand, running her eyes up and down Miguel like she’d inspect a fine race horse. “Last name? I’ve never had to bother with one before. In Olympus it is enough to state your father’s name. Charis, daughter of Mars.”
Miguel took her hand briefly, his eyebrows lifting before he released it. Knowing Charis, she’d probably zapped him with some power just to show off.
“Alesha Melanos.” Alesha nodded her head. “I have always had a last name though no one on Olympus bothered to learn it.” She smiled at me. “It is one I am proud of.”
“Good to know. Jerry will have to get you both identification. Charis, while you’re here, you’ll have to pick a last name to use. Think about it.”
(Glory St Clair 11) Real Vampires Say Read My Hips Page 26