She called her place Mugs and Muffins. I'd heard more than one customer call it
Jugs
and Muffins. One look at Diana and you know why.
“What're y'all doing over here?” Diana's wide-eyed gaze was fixed on Blade. Well, he did stand out. He slid his broadsword back in its scabbard and bowed in her direction.
“Jeremy Blade, madam, at your service.” He looked around the room. “Do you know everyone else here?”
I really wanted to smack him. For being here. For looking like a Highland throwback. For moving closer to Di and eyeing her “jugs” appreciatively.
Diana knew a great marketing tool when she saw one. She and her waitresses wore low-cut spandex tops over lacy edged bras in contrasting colors. I had to admire her entrepreneurial spirit. And hate her Dolly Parton-sized attributes. Tonight they were showcased in black lycra with just a hint of pink lace.
“Gee, Jerry, this isn't a soiree at the castle.” I think I could have stripped naked and Blade wouldn't have been able to tear his gaze from Di's assets.
“She's got you there, Blade.” Damian laughed as he flipped the deadbolts again. Of course he'd read my mind. Men love female rivalry and pray for a cat fight. Can you tell I'm down on men?
“Be nice, Damian.” Diana looked around. “Sure, I know everyone else here. So what's up, Glory? I have customers who are waiting to get into this shop. Not that I'm complaining. They're drinking my coffee while they wait for y'all to open again.”
“An incident, Diana. You know about Brent Westwood?” Damian slung his arm around her.
“Hands off, hot stuff.” Diana lifted Damian's hand off her shoulder and smiled sweetly. There was obviously a story there.
Damian frowned and moved closer to me. I shook my head and he stuck his hands in his pockets.
“Sure I know about Westwood. I've got that vampirekillin' lowlife's picture right next to my cash register.” She looked at me and ignored Damian. “Why? What about him?”
“He was here. He left this.” Blade handed her Westwood's card.
“Oh, my God!” She leaned against Blade and fanned her cheeks with the card. “So close!”
I swear, if Diana swooned, I was leaving her on the floor. She rallied and winked at me as Blade helped her into a chair.
“Are you all right?” Damian moved in until she put up her hand like a stop sign.
“I'm fine, sugar. As you would see if you checked a little higher.” Diana looked at me and rolled her eyes. Of course Blade stayed close, positioned for a good view of that pink lace bra. He'd always had an appreciation for a full-figured woman. Diana was just his type. Fine. I
did not
care.
“But what I don't understand”âDiana looked at the card againâ“is why he would warn whoever his target was that he was hunting them.”
“Me, Diana, he left the card for me.” Derek shot to his feet. “I've got to call Freddy. Maybe it's time for us to move on. Blade's right. Running is the answer. If this guy got MacTavish, screw it. I don't stand a chance.” Derek pulled out his cell phone and hit the speed dial. He moved to the back of the store and started talking rapidly.
“Running is not the answer. I never said that.” Blade ground out the words.
“No, that would be cowardly.” Damian jingled the change in his pockets. “Does Blade look cowardly to you, Diana?”
“No, indeed.” Di smiled and gave Blade a look that made him puff out his chest. You had to give the girl credit, she had both men eating out of the palm of her hand. I should take lessons. Not.
“He probably left the card to put us on the alert. Westwood likes the hunt. Here, we're sitting ducks. No sport in that.” I saw Blade nod, his face solemn. He was probably reliving the night he'd lost Mac. I started to move closer when Damian stepped between us.
“You should close this shop, Gloriana. Why present such an easy target?” Damian put his hand on my shoulder.
“This shop pays my bills, Damian.” I shrugged and he moved his hand. “Can we get back to Westwood?”
“But if this sorry so-and-so's got some kind of new technology, how are we going to fight that?” Diana said this to me.
“Mortals.” I was getting really tired of men. Was everything a competition? This danger should unite us. Vamps against Westwood. Damian nodded and even Blade looked thoughtful.
“Mortals?” Diana looked puzzled. Could she actually be a vamp who didn't read minds? I suddenly wanted to hug her.
“We need mortals to get close to Westwood and find out how he can tell if we're vampire. Then we can try to counteract whatever he's got.” Not all vamps are comfortable around mortals, but Diana's coffee shop swarmed with them. “You know any who might help us?”
“I've got some mortals I do business with from time to time.” Diana glanced toward her shop. “Tony Crapetta is over there right now drinking one of my special grande triple mocha lattes. You know him, Damian.”
“How is a man who likes sissy drinks going to be of help in this situation?” Blade had just stepped in it, big time.
“Sissy drinks?” Diana looked him up and down. “If you weren't a freak prehistoric vampire, you'd probably kill to taste my triple mocha latte.”
Well, that love affair was over. And if Blade didn't get rid of that broadsword, I was going to find a wooden hanger and test my vamp strength.
“She's right, Blade. I do know Tony Crapetta. He's got connections that could help us.” Damian moved out of the way when Diana stood and walked toward the door.
“I don't like using mortals.” Blade frowned.
Damian sneered. “Quit being all muscle and no brain, Blade.”
“By God!” There went the hand to the broadsword again.
“I've had enough of this. Can you get Tony to come over here, Di? Does he know you're vampire?” I stopped her at the door.
“He knows. He saw me change once. I could have wiped his memory, but I decided he might be useful. He knows about Damian, too.” She smiled at Damian. “That was before we split.”
“You broke my heart, you mean.” Damian put his hand over his alleged heart. “But she's right about Tony. He's done a few jobs for me too. And he knows I'll rip his throat out if he crosses me.”
“He's scared to death of vampires, but also thinks it's cool to work for them. A groupie.” Diana shook her head. “I told him I wouldn't use him for feeding as long as he kept our secret. But you should see what he wears around his neck. In case I get overcome by bloodlust.” She winked. “I don't have the heart to tell him I satisfy my thirst with a canned drink.”
Derek had come out of the back room, still looking shaky.
“Are you going home?” I guessed I was losing my employee already. Too bad. I had a feeling Derek would be a great salesman.
He nodded. “Frederick is coming to pick me up. Sorry, Glory.”
“That's okay. You've had a scare. Like I just told the gang here, I think we're safe in the shop. This Westwood character warned you for a reason. He probably plans to stalk you.” I had to swallow. “Or me. For sport.”
“Brave, Gloriana.” Damian gave Blade a look. “What a woman.”
Brave or stupid? Whichever, I wasn't going to just run or roll over and play . . . dead. I pushed down the urge to cry, maybe against one of the broad strong masculine chests so readily available. I hadn't survived this long, much of it on my own, by being a wimp.
“I'm reopening. I'm not going to let Westwood scare me away.” I looked at Derek. “No offense, Derek.”
“You're right. What's wrong with me? I'm not usually such a coward.” He ran his hands through his hair, then threw back his shoulders and got a combative gleam in his eyes. “I love my life here. I don't
want
to start over, damn it.”
I turned to Blade and Damian. “Why don't you get Diana's mortal and take him upstairs? See if he has any ideas on how we can get the scoop on Westwood's technology. Valdez and I will stay down here and run the shop.”
“I don't like it. Come upstairs with us.” Blade put his hand on my shoulder.
“No. And can't you change into a pair of jeans or something? That outfit screams âStake me.' ” I looked around the store. Vintage jeans would be a big seller. And old band touring T-shirts. Freddy had left his zoot suits, but I didn't see that as much of an improvement over a plaid and a kilt as far as maintaining a low profile went.
“Come to my castle, Blade. I have something for you to wear. As Gloriana wants, we must call a truce between us.”
Damian gave me an admiring look. If he just hadn't been such a jackass last night. Nope. Couldn't even think about that.
“Jerry, Damian is willing to be civilized, are you?” I touched his hand and waited until he finally loosened his grip on that sword with his other hand.
“Aye. Civilized. But we can meet here.”
“The castle. You need clothes and I have cash there to give Tony. He'll want some money up front to help us. Westwood shot at Florence. I'll pay anything to get that bastard. ” Damian unlocked the door. “Go get Crapetta, Diana. Tell him I'll make it worth his while.”
“Yeah, money talks with Tony.” Diana smiled at me. “You're really opening?”
“Why not?” I flipped over the sign. “I've got my guard dog and hopefully customers will swarm around me. Westwood can probably buy himself out of a lot, but I bet he doesn't want to get the law on his back.”
I looked outside, but everything seemed fairly normal for this time of night. A good thing since my tough talk was just that. Talk. God, Westwood had been here. Close enough to take my picture. And what was he going to do with that? Somehow I didn't think he was into scrapbooking.
“See? No sign of Westwood with his bow and arrow.”
It was quiet. Too quiet. I glanced at Derek and he jumped up to turn on the radio, an oldies station. Elvis sang “Heartbreak Hotel.” It figured.
“I'm open. Go. Plan. Let me know what you decide.” I actually batted my eyelashes at both men. “I'm so glad I've got such big strong men to take care of me.”
Derek snorted, turning it into a cough when both Damian and Blade gave him a dirty look.
“I'll stay here with her. When Freddy gets here, I'll send him to the castle. He can help you guys plan.” Derek stood next to me. “Glory's right. Westwood could have already taken us out here if that was his game. Leaving the card ramps things up a notch. He's done the ambush gig, maybe he wants his 'prey' ”âDerek shudderedâ“to
know
it's being hunted.”
“You're creeping me out, Derek.” I squeezed his arm and felt it trembling. “I, for one, am not âprey.' I say we hunt the hunter.” If I kept saying the right things, maybe I could stave off the major meltdown I had coming to me. At least until I was alone in my bedroom with the covers over my head and my dog between me and the bad guys. I lifted my chin and gave the group my Glory-the-brave glare.
“Hunt the hunter. I like that.” Damian smiled at me. “Our new motto.”
“And if Westwood wants the chase, he'll get one. We're going to work on defense too.” More tough talk. I was on a roll. Blade moved closer, tuned in as always to my distress.
“It's not going to be easy. He's got that hunter mentality, Glory, and unlimited resources. Checking surveillance tapes, we saw that he'd been in the casino with his equipment at least five times before he took his shot. He stalked us and waited until we were outside. Mac was caught off guard and didn't have time to shape-shift.” He touched my shoulder until I looked up at him. “You know that's how Florence saved herself last night.”
“I know. I'll try. Really.” Didn't Yoda in
Star Wars
say there is no try? But
doing
absolutely stymies me. I'd think what I wanted to be, just like Blade had tried to teach me. But then I'd feel just the beginning of some kind of change and freeze. I don't
want
to change. It creeps me out. But I can't deny that it's a vamp's best defense mechanism.
Di was back with a man in tow and quickly introduced everyone Tony didn't already know. I don't know what I expected, but Tony Crapetta wasn't it. He was a small man draped in gold chains, a large cross visible on his hairy chest where he'd left his pale blue nylon shirt unbuttoned way too low.
His eyes lit up when he saw my zoot suits. “I didn't know you had men's clothes in here. You got any leisure suits?
Saturday Night Fever,
baby.” He tapped his chest. “Disco King.”
“Gee, sorry, Tony. Not yet. But we'll keep our eyes open. Check back with us.” Derek didn't laugh but I could tell he was thinking the Disco King thing was a stretch. More like “Disco Duck.”
“I didn't bring you over here to shop, Tony, darlin'.” Diana flipped the sign to Closed again. “Glory, you and I are going to be in on this. I told the people next door to get free refills. You'll reopen in thirty minutes.”
“You will be in on it, lass. But Sabatini's right. We'll need some things from the castle.” Jerry walked up to Tony and looked him over. “We expect discretion, Crapetta.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Blade.” Tony fingered his cross. “Mr. Sabatini here can tell you I don't flap my yap.” He was wide-eyed, but forged ahead. “Miss Diana tells me you've got a job for me.”
“Right.” Damian pulled Tony out the door. “Let's go to my house. I'll lay everything out for you there.”
Diana made a sound of protest as Blade, Damian and Tony climbed into the vamp-mobile.