The dog sniffed but turned around and headed for the door. He put on a pitiful show, head down, limping.
“Wrong leg, puppy.” I gave Blade a dirty look. “Can you cut the dog some slack, Jerry? He
saved
me.”
“Right. And I'm grateful, of course.” Blade crouched in front of me again and took my hands. “But about this note. Think, lass. Did you tell anyone about our conversation the other night?”
“You think
I'm
the leak?” I shoved him away and stood. Amazing how I could go from incredible to dumb as dirt in a heartbeat. The room spun for a moment so I held on to the chair. “What about Mara? Maybe she's a blabbermouth. Or did
you
say something to someone?”
“Of course not. I don't know what to think.” Blade ran a hand through his hair. He was letting it grow and it reached his collar. The natural curl was probably annoying him, but it was very appealing to a susceptible woman. Which I was
not
at the moment.
“It would be nice if, just once, you'd realize I'm not an idiot.” It felt good to get
that
off my chest.
“Lass, of course you're no' an idiot.” Scottish Blade put his hands on my shoulders. Okay, maybe I'm a little susceptible. But I hate it when he tries to
charm
me.
“Knock it off, Jerry. Speak American.” I lifted Jerry's hands off my shoulders.
“I'm sorry, Gloriana.” He looked down at the note again.
He obviously didn't have a clue how to handle me after all these years. And how cool was that?
“The question on the table is how could Westwood know such a detail? Spaghetti, right?”
“Right. The three of us were alone here. Along with Valdez.” Blade looked around the shop, like he'd see a spy hiding behind the counter.
“Westwood's a technology freak.” I could see the bookshelf next to the counter. “Bugs! Oh, my God. How stupid. We've got bugs!” I would have smacked myself in the forehead, but I was more than a little unsteady.
“Sit down, Gloriana. You're obviously still upset.” Blade tried to guide me back to the chair. “Call an exterminator tomorrow.”
“Look up there, on the top of the book shelf.” I stayed put. I wasn't going to be
guided
anywhere. “There's a spider. It ran when I tried to spray it, but I bet it's back and looking right at us.”
“Fine. I know you hate spiders. I'll kill it.” Blade grabbed a book.
“No! Grab it. I don't think it's real. I just realized, I've never seen a single web around here.”
“Sit down, lass. You've had a rough night.”
“Oh, great. Now I'm an idiot again.” I walked over to the shelf. Oh, God, what if this was a real spider? I shuddered but slapped my hand over it before it could get away. Hard metal or plastic crunched under my palm.
“Hah! Here's your spy.” I dropped it into Blade's hand.
“What the bloody hell is this?”
Nineteen
"A bug, Jerry. The surveillance type. A mini version of the spies in the sky you have in your casino.” At last my hours spent at the poker tables in Vegas were paying off.
“By God, I think you're right.” He set it on the counter. “It moved?”
“It must have motion sensors. Damn Westwood and his technology. I thought it was a real spider. It's probably still working.” I grabbed it and stuck it in a drawer, then headed for the storeroom. “Here's another one. I sprayed the hell out of this one. I hope I stopped it.” I pointed at the roach.
“Son of a bitch!” Blade grabbed it and stared at it for a moment. “Cutting edge technology. Mini cameras and microphones. ” He held it up. “Westwood, if you're listening, this is your fate.” He dropped it to the floor and ground it under the heel of his boot. “Damn it! I should have expected this. The bastard owns the kinds of companies that make this shit.” He stomped the bug again, then picked it up and threw it against the wall.
I stepped up behind him and wrapped my arms around his lean waist. I could feel his tension. There's nothing sexier than a strong vampire in a fury. And this one wore cowboy boots, black leather. A Scottish cowboy. To please me? He turned. His arms went around me and his eyes darkened.
I was too wiped out to resent the mind reading or to bask in the glow of Blade's interest. Of course he could just be revved up in general and I was getting the fallout. Sometimes I think too much.
“I need to get Valdez upstairs. He's got a box of Twinkies up there with his name on it.” That earned me a woof and Valdez stood and stretched before trotting to my side. I reluctantly backed away from Jerry.
“Wait. Someone planted these bugs. And there may be more.” Blade prowled around the room. “Valdez, you look low, I'll look high. Anything that might be a small camera or microphone.”
“You're wasting your time, Jerry. We need a professional to come in and sweep for bugs.”
Blade stopped examining a shelving unit to look at me. “Sweep? How do you know about such things?”
“I watch cop shows, Jerry. Bring one of your security experts from Lake Charles here. He'll know what to do.”
“But who could have planted them? Westwood himself? He was in here.”
“True.” I looked around. “But not in the storeroom. I had Valdez locked in there, remember?”
“I shoulda knocked that damned door down.”
Valdez sat and looked back at his leg.
“Next time, I take Westwood down or die trying.”
I shuddered. “I don't want anyone dying on my account. It's bad enough you took an arrow for me.” I still got queasy remembering. The arrow embedded in his flesh. The blood. And now this . . . invasion. Damn it. How long had Westwood been spying on us? What had he seen and heard?
“All in the line of duty, right, Boss?”
Valdez looked at Blade.
Jerry finally gave Valdez an approving look. “Above and beyond the call of duty. Well done.”
Valdez wagged his tail and pressed up against me. I needed his warmth. This near miss had chilled me to the bone.
“
I'm
the one who should have taken out Westwood. Hell, I'd seen his picture. I should have recognized him.”
“You weren't expecting him to be so bold, Gloriana. And Derek didn't recognize him either.” Jerry put his hand on my shoulder.
“He won't slip by me a second time.” I felt violated and sorely pissed. I had an idea who might have planted the bugs, played with them, even talked to them. Tomorrow night I was getting some answers.
“Tomorrow night? What's happening tomorrow night?” Jerry squeezed my shoulder. “Your shop is closed, isn't it?”
“Yes, it's closed.” Of course Blade was still reading my mind. “Now hush. This place isn't secure.” I pulled open the drawer and grabbed the bug. “I'm going to stomp this one too.”
“No. Give it to me.” He wrapped it in one of my plastic bags and stuck it in his pocket. “I want my security guy to check it out. I'll have him here tomorrow. Give me a key and I'll make sure this place is swept clean before nightfall.”
“Good. Spidey there might have some little friends.” I sighed, suddenly exhausted. “Let's go upstairs.” No way could my apartment be bugged. Ryan had only been in there once, for less than five minutes and never alone.
“Ryan?” Jerry waited until we were outside and I was locking the shop door. I handed him the key.
“I've got an extra key upstairs. Come on up and I'll tell you my suspicions. To be on the safe side, get a locksmith to come tomorrow too. We need to change the lock on the shop.”
Valdez, Jerry and I were silent as we trooped upstairs. When we were inside and Valdez was chin deep in Twinkies, I sat on the love seat.
“Lacy and I are planning a little intervention with Ryan tomorrow night.” I looked at Blade. Big mistake. He was so focused on me that for a moment I lost my train of thought. “I'll let you know if I find out anything useful.”
“This Ryan works for you. You think he could be our spy?” Blade grabbed my hand. “I should be there. You'll take no chances, lass.”
“I'm more than able to handle Ryan. Let me take care of this, Jerry. And Valdez will be there with us.” I turned to give the dog a look. “You can't deny he's bound to tell you everything that goes down. It's his deal.” And what a pain in the butt that was. Jerry still held my hand. Okay, so I was glad he was here. He could make me feel safer than anyone else ever had.
“What happened earlier, Jerry? Did your man inside show up for your meeting?”
“No, he didn't. And his phone was out of service when I tried to call.”
“Obviously Westwood got to him. Or maybe he was a plant, to learn your plans.” Call
CSI,
I was on a roll with my investigative skills. A little late, though. We'd been spied on, betrayed. It was a miracle Westwood hadn't succeeded tonight. Jerry jumped to his feet.
“If my contact wanted my plans, he would have shown up tonight.” Jerry looked as pissed as I felt, fired up again and pacing.
“Maybe the guy chickened out when it came to meeting a real semi-live vampire face-to-face.”
“Semi-live?” Jerry stopped in front of me and pulled me up against him. “Does this feel semi-live to you?”
As an ego boost, Jerry's bulging jeans were proof I still did it for him. You think it's freaky that we could even think about sex at a time like this? Hey, vamps are sensual creatures. All the vamps I've ever met have an unusually active libido. And Jerry and I are no exception.
Now about those bulging jeans . . . I looked at Valdez, but he'd turned to stare out the window at the street, obviously ordered to give us privacy.
I leaned against Jerry for a moment. “You're obviously way more than
semi
-live, Jerry, but it's close to dawn. I'm ready to curl up in my own bed.”
Blade ran his hands down my back to pull me flush against him. “I could curl up with you.”
I wrapped my arms around him and breathed in eau de Blade. Tempting. He was still palling around with Mara but I doubted he saw her as any more than his best friend's widow. And I sure couldn't blame Jerry if Mara had her eye on Scottish vamp husband number two. I was really drained from the whole hellacious night, but when his arms tightened around me, I knew I wanted him in my bed.
I tugged him toward my bedroom. “Valdez, you set for the night?”
Valdez turned around.
“Sure, Blondie.”
Jerry gave the dog a look before he followed me. I shut the bedroom door and leaned against it. Jerry glanced at the double bed, unmade of course.
“Pillow-top mattress.”
“Excellent.”
“I should change the sheets.” I pushed away from the door.
“Don't bother.” He pulled me into his arms and laid his cheek on my hair. “We've slept on far worse.”
I reached up and traced his firm lips. “I remember a cave once. With furs on the hard stone floor and neither of us complaining.” We'd been new to each other then. Never sated. We'd ridden his father's lands to where Jerry had arranged to give us privacy. God knows there was none in Castle Campbell.
I unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off his broad shoulders. I don't think I'll ever tire of exploring his solid strength.
“And our first. Against the door in your dressing room at the Globe.” He pulled my T-shirt up and off, then dropped a kiss on the swell of my breast. “Not my finest moment.”
I blinked back sudden tears. He remembered our first time. I'd sure never forget it. God, I'd been so wild for him. He'd shown me pleasure I'd never dreamed existed. And then he'd used his fangs . . . I shivered, remembering.
“They took the cost of that ripped bodice out of my pay, you know.” I smiled and circled his nipple with my fingertip.
“I was in a bit of a hurry. In all things.” Jerry stared down at me, suddenly solemn. “I know you've regretted becoming vampire for me, Gloriana.”
I laid my hand over his lips. “No regrets. You gave me eternity, Jerry. In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty fond of modern conveniences.”
“Such as?” He ran his thumbs up my neck.
“Mercedes convertibles.” I kissed his smooth chest.
“I knew you wanted that car.” He grinned, ripping open the Kevlar bra. It hit the carpet.
“It's a sexmobile, who wouldn't want it?” I dragged my fangs across his shoulder and up to the vein pulsing in his neck. Forget the car. I wanted to taste him. He moved his head just a bit, enough to tell me not yet.
“What else do you like?” He trotted out an evil grin I recognized.
He was a mind reader, he knew damned well what I likedâ him, inside me, taking me hard against the bedroom door. I shook my head. Now who was moving too fast? He rubbed a leisurely spiral around my aching nipples. Okay, slow could work too.
“Cell phones.” Thunk. His belt hit the floor.
“You can call me in your mind and I will always answer you, Gloriana.” My jeans pooled around my ankles and I kicked them away.
“Zippers.” I pushed down his and stroked the erection straining his white cotton briefs. Yeah, ancient Scottish vampire wears Jockey shorts. Progress.
“I'll not argue with that one.”
“Hot showers.”
“I've always liked you”âhe slid his hand inside my black lace pantiesâ“wet.”
I flushed from my head to my toes, then shoved his jeans and briefs down until they were around his ankles. I dropped to my knees in front of him.
“There's much to be said for ancient pleasures.” He groaned, his fingers in my hair.