“Yes, you’re right.” I held out my hand. “I’ll never forget how you were there for me tonight. Mi amica. That’s what you call me. You’re the best.”

“You will not make me cry.” Flo sniffled then gave Rafe an assessing look. “You will be a gentleman, eh? She has been through too much. Help her get clean and dry and put to bed. Give her some of your blood if she wants. That’s all. Capite?”

“I get it, Flo.” Rafe kissed the top of my head. “No hanky-panky. I’m not the asshole Achelous was. Glory’s beat. Traumatized. I’m not about to make some stupid move on her now.”

“Hey, I’m here you know. And if I want him to climb into my bed for more than a snooze, that’s on me.” I winked at Flo, though I knew that was the last complication I needed right now. “Good night, Flo.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow night. If you want me to cancel my trip to Paris, say the word.” She also sent me a mental message not to do anything foolish with Rafe.

“No, take your trip. And quit worrying about me. I’m going to survive. I’ve managed things so far. Maybe I can get Laurie to give me Circe’s phone number. Find out how I can get rid of this Siren whammy.”

“Not sure I’d do that, Glory.” Rafe smiled down at me. “It’s come in handy for you over the years. Bought you protection at least.”

“I’m leaving. This isn’t something for her to talk about now, Rafael. Get her in the shower, dry her off, feed her. Now, good night.” Flo stalked out of the apartment and closed the door.

“We have our orders.” Rafe carried me into the bathroom. He carefully set me on the closed toilet and pulled my ruined red sweater off over my head. Then he reached back and turned on the water in the tub since it took a while to heat up.

“I’m not sure these jeans will come off. They were snug when they were dry.” I got the button open and the zipper down. “That damned Achelous. To deliberately give me wide hips. How mean can you get?”

“They aren’t wide. They’re perfect.” Rafe lifted one hip and managed to slide the jeans and my panties down then did the same with the other. He was very careful when he had to pull them off over my wounded feet. Still, I hissed when the stiff fabric rubbed against them.

“Thanks, Rafe.” I reached behind me to unclasp my bra. He was being very clinical about undressing me, for which I was grateful. I knew he still wanted me; I could see the bulge in his own wet jeans.

“Wait.” He wrapped a towel around me. “I’m thinking you can’t get in this tub with your feet like this. It will be agony.”

I glanced at the filling tub then down at my feet. “God, you’re right. The very thought of that hot water touching them…”

“I’m carrying you to bed and feeding you first.” He turned off the water then started to lift me in his arms again.

“Wait. Take off your shirt. It’s soaked and you can dry off. I’ve got one of your old T-shirts in my dresser drawer.”

“Right.” He jerked off the shirt then picked me up and carried me to bed. He laid me down gently then disappeared into the bathroom again. When he came out he was wearing only a towel around his lean hips. “Give me another minute and I’ll throw my jeans into the dryer.”

“Good idea.” I lay back and closed my eyes, so exhausted I couldn’t have put logical thoughts together if I’d tried.

“I’m back. Did you doze off?”

“Guess so.” I felt the bed sag as Rafe sat beside me.

“Drink from me, Glory. You’ve got to get those feet healed. You also have bruises on your shoulders.”

“I’ve got a killer headache too.” Killer. Oh, God. I looked away from Rafe.

“Stop. You are not that person. Not like Aggie.” Rafe gently turned my chin so that I faced him. “That bastard really did a number on you, in more ways than one.”

“Understatement. The way he and Circe manipulated all of us. Like Jerry said.” Rafe’s mouth tightened at the mention of Jerry’s name. I reached up to trace those lines. “I’m sorry. You’re also one of my victims. Do you hate that?”

“Never.” He leaned down and kissed me carefully on the lips. “Drink from me. At least heal before you try to reason any of this out.” He pulled my arms around his neck and offered his throat.

I was powerless to resist as I slid my lips along his jaw to the sweet spot where I could hear his blood pumping and smell the richness calling to me. Rafe was right. I had to feed and he had just what I needed.

“Thanks, Rafe. You know I love you, don’t you?” I didn’t give him time to answer before I took his vein. Sank into him with a sigh. It was bliss and I felt the power surge instantly. I knew my feet were healing and strength flowed into me as my headache evaporated. Rafe’s blood had that special something, his own shifter essence that made me want to drink forever but I knew I was going to have to pull away soon.

“Well, I see I needn’t have worried, Gloriana.”

I jerked away from Rafe, his arm steady around me as I grabbed at my slipping towel.

“Jerry! You came back.” I didn’t stop Rafe as he stood, his own towel not doing much to disguise the fact that our closeness hadn’t left him unmoved.

“Like a fool.” Jerry stood in the bedroom doorway, his fists clenched. He’d changed clothes and was nice and dry. It almost made me mad to realize that had been his first priority.

“What do you mean?” I sat up and grabbed the sheet to better cover myself with. “Rafe was feeding me. You saw my feet. I needed blood to heal. Are you standing there jumping to conclusions or will you listen to the facts?”

“What difference does it make, Gloriana? I am powerless to resist you. Whatever you tell me, whatever you do, I will come back to you. Always.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t know how to take what we just heard out there by the lake. I tried to stay away from here just now. But I kept seeing you lying there on that terrace, hurt.” He swept his eyes over Rafe. “I should have known one of your other victims would be here for you.”

“That’s enough, Blade.” Rafe stepped forward.

“No, let him get this off his chest.” I wiggled my toes and realized my feet were healed enough for me to get up. I dragged the sheet around me and stood next to Rafe. “You’re both my victims, I get that and I hate it. Whatever you need to do, Jerry. Do it. I won’t hold it against you.” Even though my heart was breaking at the look on his face.

“I need time. And space. To think about this tale the Storm God told us. I’m going home.” Jerry stared at me, searching my face. For what? Signs that I wanted him to stay? I kept my face carefully neutral, refusing to work any womanly wiles on him.

“Home? And where would that be? You’ve been a nomad for the last few decades.” My energy for bravado leached out of me and I dropped to the edge of the bed.

“Castle Campbell. My roots, you could say. Leave me alone for a while, Gloriana, and I’ll see if I can do the same for you.”

“Dramatic much, Blade?” Rafe shook his head. “Give the woman a break. Clearly none of this is her fault. You sound like you’re punishing her.”

“Bugger off, Valdez. You’re so eager to be her lapdog, have at it.” Jerry stepped into the room and grabbed me by my shoulders. He jerked me to my feet and kissed me. It was an angry kiss, a seeking kiss and a farewell kiss all in one. I didn’t fight it, just leaned into it. Even tried to hold on to him and send him mental messages not to go, that we could work it out. But too soon he thrust me at Rafe and stormed out of the room.

“I’m sorry, Glory. Sorry the man is such a hardheaded Scot.” Rafe caught me as I staggered.

“Hardheaded? Yes. But also hurt, disappointed. I…” I had nothing else to say. And neither did Rafe as he settled me in bed again. He tenderly covered me with my floral comforter.

“Are you going to be all right?”

“I have no idea, Rafe. No idea at all.” I closed my eyes and wished it was time for my death sleep. Death. A nice solution to what seemed like insurmountable problems and, yes, so deliciously permanent.

Thirteen

A couple of weeks went by. My life was actually getting back to normal. Hah! As if I knew what normal looked like. I couldn’t get a handle on my new identity for one thing. Gloriana the Siren turned vampire had to be careful even waiting on a male customer. I felt like I should wear a surgical mask so I wouldn’t spread my fatal attraction. It would have helped with my red cheeks too. I laid foundation and cover stick on with a trowel and still looked like I’d spent too long under a sunlamp.

Rafe, of course, wanted to be there for me. I had to gently remind him of his promise to move on with his life. He didn’t take it well. Which meant I tried to avoid him. No N-V for me. Translation: no social life. Fine. I wasn’t up for fun anyway. Even a cell phone commercial about dropped calls could make me weepy.

I decided my best move was to throw myself into my business. Flo had headed to Paris on schedule with Richard mad at me again. Seems I was the one who always got his wife in danger. I couldn’t blame him for his attitude and wouldn’t be surprised if he kept them over there on one pretext or another for months.

I missed having a best friend around and Penny was a poor substitute. She never had been all that interested in fashion and even let me pick out her wardrobe—something Flo would never have allowed. That shopping spree was fun for about five minutes then I had nothing else to do in my spare time. Jenny might have been a good companion for shopping and had even started hanging around the shop. But she watched me like she wanted to catch me with my fangs down. Her endless questions about the vampire lifestyle were getting on my last nerve. I was very afraid she was thinking about a pair of fangs as a college graduation present.

I rattled around in my empty apartment, rearranging furniture and overdosing on reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I think Jenny would have been on board with joining me but her football games and sorority mixers were a conflict during Buffy.