Now that got his attention. “I never let down my guard.” Damian finally looked thoughtful. “But if you're right, which you're not, then Florence isn't safe with him.”
“She says he loves
her
. But the rest of us . . .”
“You seriously think he could be staking vampires with a cross? That he killed Trevor and Marguerite?” Damian shot to his feet. “And my sister is sleeping with him?”
“I don't know what to think. So far whoever's staking doesn't leave witnesses. We need proof and obviously we're not going to be able to read his mind.”
“No, I tried.” Damian began to pace. “He
is
powerful. You sure he won't hurt Florence?”
“I'm not sure of anything.” I was almost sorry I'd started this. I hadn't really learned anything new and now Damian was fired up. “Why did you come over tonight?”
That stopped him in his tracks. “Halloween. It's next week. I want you to come to my party.”
“I could use a party.”
“Of course you could. So many worries.” Damian moved closer and took my hand again. “And you could be my hostess. Some say that is an honor.”
An honor. Only Mr. Super Ego Damian Sabatini would say such a thing. I extricated my hand and put the coffee table between us. It was a wimpy move. I was blocking. My head ached, but it didn't kill me. I wasn't afraid of Damian's power over me, was I?
“I don't think so.”
He pouted until he saw it wasn't working. I've known way too many bad boys in my time to fall for their games. But the term “bedroom eyes” could have been invented for a guy like Damian.
“I promise you'll have a good time. I play Count Dracula and everyone comes in costume. Lots of mortals too, eager to donate a pint or two if you wish to feed from the real deal.”
I glanced at the two empty Bloody Merry cans on the table between us. It was taking more and more of the stuff to silence my inner beast. Which, sorry, but that's what it is. Not that I'm ashamed of it or anything. It's a fact I accepted a long time ago. Like my gambling addiction, I know that it'll never go away, but I don't have to give in to it.
“Sounds like a swell time, Damian, but I think I'll pass.”
“Mara and Jeremiah will be there. I already talked to her. She says Jeremiah will be wearing his kilt and, when I told her about the costume contest, she promised to blow us all away in something sexy.”
Manipulative bastard. Of course he wouldn't hesitate to use the old jealousy card. And of course it was working.
“You're kidding. You have a costume contest? Isn't that a little . . .”
“Juvenile?” Damian grinned. “Perhaps. I don't know about you, but my childhood didn't feature fun and games. I'm making up for it now.” He was on my side of the coffee table. “We'll play, Gloriana.”
“Play” was whispered in my ear and my imagination filled in the blanks. Have I mentioned that I've always had a soft spot for bad boys? And I wondered about Damian's childhood. I was pretty sure he and Flo came from privilege. Poor little rich kids? I figure we all came with some baggage.
“Let me think about it. The party. Not the hostess gig.” I patted his cheek. “That implies a relationship between us that doesn't exist.”
“Yet.” He took my hand and sucked one of my fingers into his mouth before I realized what he was up to.
I jerked my hand away and staggered when Valdez leaped between me and Damian.
“Did you call me, Blondie?”
Valdez growled at Damian.
“You go too far, dog,” Damian snarled.
“Calm down, both of you.” I kept my hand on Valdez's collar. “This is about the time of night Margie was killed. Why don't we go down to Diana's coffee shop and see if she's got any regular customers who might have seen something or someone that night?”
“Good idea, Blondie. Put on your Kevlar first.”
Valdez bumped me toward my bedroom door.
“Sabatini doesn't need to come with us.”
“Yes, I do.” Damian was eyeing my chest.
I wasn't wearing a bra, but the T-shirt was doing a pretty good job of hiding that fact. That's one reason I've always loved black. It hides a
lot
.
“I want to see this Kevlar that Flo told me about. She thinks it's ugly, but I want her to wear it too.”
Did I really want to parade in front of Damian in my Kevlar bra? Why not? I could handle Damian and I wanted Flo to wear one too. Maybe she'd actually listen to her brother if he agreed that it wasn't all that ugly. I had my second one now. It hadn't taken to dye, but Kim had discovered she could use fabric paint on it. I had to give her credit for imagination, even if my seamstress had gone a little nuts on this first experiment.
“Wait here and I'll put it on.” I gave Damian a stern look. “This isn't for your entertainment, Damian. This is a security issue.”
“I won't be entertained.” He grinned and crossed his heart. “I swear.”
I couldn't keep from grinning back. My inner slut was having a great time flirting with such a hottie. Of course I realized that if I hadn't been playing hard to get, Damian would have moved on long ago. He'd started this pursuit as a “Get Blade” maneuver. Now it was a “Get Glory to admit she wants me” deal. I wasn't admitting anything, but I did slap on some makeup while I was in my bedroom.
When I came out in my bra with my T-shirt over my arm, Valdez was staring at Damian. But Damian was staring at me. His mouth dropped open. “What is that all over your chest?”
Eighteen
I looked down ruefully. “Bull's-eyes. Can you believe it? My seamstress was making a little joke. I'd told her Blade threw knives at me and sometimes missed. She painted on targets.”
“And this Kevlar really repels knives and arrows?” He moved closer to touch the fabric. “It's not heavy. I thought it would be thick. Like chain mail.”
Valdez growled. “Valdez, stay by the door. That's an order. ” My dog subsided with a sniff. “Kevlar heavy? No, but that's a common misconception.” Interesting. I think Damian had served his own time as a warrior. He had the same look of concentration Blade had gotten when he'd examined my first Kevlar bra. This one was higher in front and it made me feel very safe. Safe from stakes anyway. Damian had his hands on the Velcro.
“Nope, that stays closed. What do you think? Is it too ugly for Flo?”
Damian traced the fabric above my breasts. “I like more of a plunge, but it's the woman underneath that matters. Keeping your heart safe.
That
is beautiful.”
Oh, gosh. Just when I'd figured Damian for an unredeemable jerk, he said something like that. Then his clever fingers stroked the bumps of my nipples.
“Cool it, Damian.” I backed up and ignored the shivers he'd started. “Do you think you can get Flo to wear one of these?”
“I'll try. Without the targets, of course.” He grinned, obviously happy he could make me back up. Not to mention, make my nipples stand at attention.
“You need to wear one too.”
He moved close again. “Ah, Gloriana. You
do
care.”
“Vamp to vamp. We all should wear one as long as Westwood is using us for target practice.” I held up my hand. “Look, but don't touch again, Sabatini. If you want a vest made, I can give you my seamstress's number. Call her and she'll fix you up.”
“Is Blade wearing one?” Damian actually backed off when I jerked my T-shirt over my head.
A sore subject. Of course he wasn't. These macho males. Impossible.
“Not yet. But he's thinking about it.” I grabbed my purse. “Let's hit the coffee shop. Ask around. Unless you've got other plans.”
“My other plans would be carrying you to your bed and showing you some more screaming orgasms. For real, this time.” He gave me his patented “I'm too sexy for my fangs” look.
“Then we're going downstairs.” I shoved past him and picked up Valdez's leash. “The three of us.”
“She doesn't want you in her bedroom, Sabatini.”
Valdez pressed himself against my legs while I clipped on the leash.
“I can speak for myself, Valdez.” I opened the door. “Let's go.”
Damian made an excuse and headed for parts unknown. He wasn't interested in any activity with me that didn't involve the mattress mambo. I've got rhythm and didn't doubt for a minute that I could dazzle Mr. Sabatini with some of my creative moves. But Damian was going to have to work a little, no, make that a lot, harder before he'd get on
my
dance card.
Diana was behind the counter when I got downstairs. Valdez settled at his usual post right outside the door after he'd given me the all clear for the dash from the front door to the coffee shop. First the coffee shop, then the grocery store. I still had the keys to the hearse and a list of things Flo needed, including a new bottle of nail polish remover. I could definitely rationalize using Damian's spare car.
“Hey, Glory.” Diana grabbed a can of Bloody Merry. “I was just going to take a break.”
“Good.” I looked around. Only two customers, both mortals, sat at tables. One was reading the newspaper, the other stared at a laptop screen.
“I'm here about the night Margie was”âI lowered my voiceâ“found out back.”
Diana gulped her drink, then sat at a vacant table as far away from the customers as she could get. “Horrible. Poor Kenneth.”
“I was thinking poor Margie. She was supposed to meet Kenneth here that night. Did you see her?”
Diana stared down at her can. “Can't say that I did.”
“Mind if I ask your customers if they saw her?”
“Are you playing detective?” Diana looked grim, which was appropriate under the circumstances.
“Blade and Kenneth are investigating, but I wanted to help.” I sat across from her. “I still think Richard Mainwaring might have done it.”
“Any proof?” Diana asked the question I'd been asking myself for days.
“No.” I shook my head. “But who besides another vampire would know Margie was one?”
“There are plenty of supernaturals who hang out around here who would have no trouble spotting a vamp. Shifters, werecats, a few others that I've gotten vibes from.” Diana set down her can. “Some are pretty edgy but Margie wasn't the kind of vamp who made enemies. Not like Trevor, who probably got careless, drank from the wrong person, place or thing, and didn't bother to cover his tracks.”
“It does seem likely that the same person staked both Trevor and Margie.” A fact that just confused the issue as far as I was concerned. “Did Trevor and Margie know each other?”
“Sure. They'd both been in Austin a while. Been to Damian's annual Halloween parties.”
“Speaking of, are you going this year?” Nothing like going from death to party talk. I've never claimed to be Miss Sensitivity.
“Wouldn't miss it.” Diana smiled. “You
have
to go. Damian throws an amazing party. And there's always a surprise.”
“What kind of surprise?” If it involved mind control, I was
so
not going there.
“Last year Damian had a magician saw him in half. I was hoping it was permanent, but no such luck.” She sighed. “But the year before he brought in wonderful flamenco dancers and a guitarist from Spain. Fabulous.”
“Somehow it doesn't seem right to party hearty so soon after Margie . . .”
Diana shrugged. “It's what we do, Glory. Life goes on.”
“Or not.” I couldn't shake the feeling that I should
do
something.
“Come on, Glory. Lighten up. Margie wouldn't expect anything else.” Diana patted my hand. “Besides, you'd only met her once. Why the fixation?”
“She was killed right behind our shops, Di. I'd be stupid not to be a little fixated with figuring out who did it and why. Knowledge is power and can help keep us safe.”
“Good point. Okay then. Maybe Westwood does the cross thing too.”
“I doubt it. He's really into hunting with his bow and arrows. ” I studied Diana's pale arms above her black bustier. “Your wound ever give you problems?”
“Nope. As you can see, it's as if it never happened.” Diana smiled. “Vamps rule. We help each other. That's why I don't think another vamp would kill his own.”
“Are you kidding me? Get real, Di. Vamps love, hate and get even if we're crossed. And with abilities that make us a hell of a lot more lethal than mere mortals.” Abilities that, short of shape-shifting, I was working on in my spare time.
“You're right, Glory.” Diana sipped her drink. “Kenneth's supposed to come by tonight. The poor guy's really lost without Margie. When he gets here, I'll ask about Margie's relationship with Mainwaring. I agree Mainwaring does seem a little intense.”
“See? I'm not crazy. Margie knew Richard from Paris. She might go with him willingly. And because he thinks we're demons from hell, he killed her.”
“That's quite a stretch.” Diana put down her can. “Margie was a nice woman who just happened to be vampire, not a demon from hell or anywhere near there. I've known plenty of reckless vamps who deserve a stake more than she did.”
“I give up then.” Like Damian had said. Back to square one. “So I guess Richard's probably not the killer. Flo says not. Damian says not.” I glanced toward the door. “Even Valdez says Richard didn't do it.”
“Well, if the dog vouches for him . . .” Diana got up. “
Someone
took her out and they're still out there somewhere. You got on your Kevlar under that T-shirt?”