“Damn right they would.” Ray ran a hand through his hair. It was the same gesture Jerry made when he was agitated. No, couldn’t think about him now.

“She was contacted by Ian about our blood. Since I sired her, she really does have my Siren blood. Some crone in Transylvania took one whiff and told her it’s special. Then Ian let her know there’s something hinky going on with her blood too. She’s desperate to get the goods on it.” I reached for Ray but he stepped back. “I feel like maybe I owe her an explanation.”

“Seriously? You owe that bitch something? I owe her too. A stake through her black heart.” Ray walked over to the piano and slammed the lid shut, the noise making me jump. “Damn it, Glory, if you help that woman, I will take it as a personal betrayal.” He wouldn’t look at me but stared out at the lake where a speedboat roared across the dark water.

“Ray.” I fought back the urge to cry. He was right. I couldn’t make any kind of deal with Lucky. I was tearing up her check. Letting her know I wasn’t honoring her stupid contract. What could she do about it? Do to me? Yes, she had thugs, but I wasn’t about to be intimidated into anything. I had powers now. And I’d go to the vampire council for help if I had to. They didn’t like loan sharks hanging out in Austin.

“So are you? Going to help Lucky?” Ray finally turned around and walked over to look me right in the eye.

“No. I can’t do that to you, Ray. I wish now I’d had a stake in my hands when she came to see me. She caught me off guard or I’d never…” I slid my arms around him and held on. “I’m so sorry. That I was tempted for even a moment to take her money.”

He shoved me away and stared at me. “She offered you money? Why? To be her mentor?”

“Something like that.” I wanted to cut off my own unruly tongue. Why had I said that?

“Why do you need money? Is the shop in trouble?” Ray kept his distance.

“No. It’s doing okay.” I wanted to be honest with him. I owed Ray that much. “I was, uh, thinking about going to Scotland.”

“Well, shit. Of course. To chase after Blade.” Ray’s bitter laugh pierced my heart. “Why the hell not? You afraid the Siren whammy isn’t strong enough to pull him back across an ocean and half a continent, Glory girl?” He stalked across the room and pulled out a bottle of synthetic blood from the small fridge in the bar. He drained it, then threw the bottle against the wall where it shattered. “Fuck. When will I ever learn?”

“That was before last night, Ray. I would never do that now. Not after we—”

“I get it. Now you’ve got the guilts. Can’t go crawling to Blade with me on your conscience.” Ray picked up his cell phone from the coffee table and hit speed dial. “I need a delivery. The special blend. Yeah, I’m sure. Don’t give me a speech, just do it.” He hung up and tossed the phone onto a cushioned chair. “Now, where were we?”

“What did you just do, Ray?” I ran over and grabbed his phone. I hit redial. “Who is this?”

“It’s Damian. Who is this?”

“Glory, Damian. What did Ray just order?” I knew Damian supplied many vampires with high-end synthetic blood, not the cheap stuff I ordered on the Internet.

“The blood with alcohol, Glory. I tried to talk him out of it.” Damian sighed. “I know his history. My sister asked me not to fill his orders again. But I am a businessman. You should understand.”

“Yes, I do. Go ahead. I’m not his mother.” I ended the call then threw the phone against the same wall the bottle had crashed against. “You fucking idiot! Is that language you understand?”

“Why, Glory, I believe that’s the first time I’ve heard you use that word.” Ray just grinned and sat on the couch like he didn’t care that he’d just shattered my heart along with that bottle. “Bet it won’t be the last. And, no, you’re not my mother. As last night proved, in spades.”

“Bastard. Fool. What do I have to do to get you to treat yourself right?” I sat beside him and buried my face in my skirt. His hand landed on my back.

“I don’t know. Kill Lucky for me?”

I jerked as if he’d taken a stake to me. I knew he wasn’t kidding. I sat up and faced him. “I don’t kill people. Not now.”

“Neither do I. Or I didn’t until now. But I wouldn’t shed a tear if Lucky fell on a stake.” Ray leaned back and stared at me, his eyes hard now with no sign of the lover in them. “Seriously, something needs to be done. Justice, that’s what I’m after. She can’t get away with what she did to me.”

“Yes, we could call it murder. She killed you, then brought you back to this life you hate so much.” I put my hand on his bare knee. At least he didn’t slap it away. “I told her that. Let her know I despised her for it.”

“Well, I’m sure that broke her heart.” Ray put his hand over mine and gripped it. “Damn it, Glory, you know she’s been gloating about it since then. That she stole my daylight. She knew exactly how important that part of my life was to me, even back then. We spent hours at the beach the summer I thought I was in love with her.” He shook his head. “I can use the excuse that I was young, a kid. But hooking up with Lucky Carver was the biggest mistake of my life.”

“You sure paid for it.” I hated for Ray to relive that mess with Lucky. And it was just the kind of trigger to get him back on the alcohol. Even one drink could start him on a spiral that could quickly get out of control. His buddy Nate and I had both done our best to watch him when he went on one of his benders before. But he was right—I wasn’t his mother. And Nate wasn’t his father.

Ray had to decide for himself that life was worth living. But with the alcohol in his system, he had no judgment. I kept imagining him staggering outside again when the sun came up. I squeezed his hand and let him see how terrified I was for him.

“You really don’t want me to get into the alcohol again, do you?” Ray pinned me with a sharp gaze.

“No, you can’t control it. You know as well as I do that you’re an addict. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it’s the truth as I see it.” I wasn’t about to break eye contact and was glad to see that he was really listening, not already thinking about the drink coming his way. Of course I read his mind, there was a lot riding on the next few moments. “You’re healthier and happier when you’re off the sauce. That song you’ve been working on? No way could you have produced genius like that under the influence.”

He closed his eyes, thinking I hoped. I cut him a break and left him to his thoughts. When he finally opened his eyes again I saw resignation and I put my hand on his leg again.

“Ray?”

“If I cancel that order, it’s because I want to, not because you told me to.” His mouth quirked, like he was trying not to smile. “You broke my phone.”

“You can borrow mine.” I grabbed my purse off the coffee table and dug my cell out. “Damian’s number is in there.” My hand shook as I held it out to him.

“How about a reward?” Ray glanced at the phone then at me, his eyes taking a leisurely path down my body. “For taking your advice?”

“That could be arranged.” I slid my hand up his bare leg and inside the hem of those shorts. I ran a fingertip along his firming interest in my proposition.

“Don’t suppose you’d play first?” His hand was now under my skirt where he discovered my lack of underwear.

“No way.” I hit speed dial for Damian. When he answered, I handed the phone to Ray.

“Cancel my order. Glory’s talked me out of it.” Ray grinned as he eased a finger inside me. “Yeah, she can be pretty persuasive.” He ended the call, tossed the phone aside and then covered my mouth with his.

I didn’t bother to think about what we were doing or whether this was right or wrong or consequences. With Ray I was all about wonderful feelings and the excitement of surprises. This time it was a slow sensual hum of my senses as Ray sang his way from one end of my body to the other.

I’d lost my own song. I hadn’t had time to really think about that. I’d once been able to sing as wonderfully as Aggie did. When she sang everyone stopped to listen and felt compelled to follow her. Like that old fairy tale where the mice trailed along behind the Pied Piper. As I listened to Ray’s hum of satisfaction while he played my body like a master, I tried to sing along in my mind. It was hopeless. I had no music in me. The miracle was that I still had any Siren magic at all. It made me wonder how that was possible. I needed to talk to Aggie. Sooner rather than later.

I almost quit thinking as Ray plucked the strings of my heart and love vibrated through me. It occurred to me that he wasn’t pressuring me to drink my blood. What did that mean? Ian said my blood was addictive, that it gave men a boost. Was Ray immune because he had enough of mine in him already?

I abandoned the puzzle as he moved over me with a grin. This man was so special. And he’d even forgiven me for consorting with his enemy. But Lucky was still out there to be dealt with. My last thought before I lost my mind completely was that I hoped I never saw her again.

Sixteen

Of course Lucky was waiting for me when I got home. Too much to hope that she wouldn’t be. She posted her bodyguards outside my door before turning to me with a knowing smirk.

“Geez. Look at you. Still in last night’s clothes and reeking of sex. Blade? Or Israel Caine?” She plopped into a chair. “Caine, of course. You had to go running over there to warn him that the big bad bitch is back, didn’t you?”

“He was hot to stake you, but I talked him down. Only because I didn’t want him to have a hassle with the vampire council here. They might not like him staking another vamp, even one who really deserves to die.” I headed into my bedroom and slammed my door. I was determined to change clothes, sick of feeling inferior in the fashion department around Lucky. I stripped off, pulling out fresh underwear and slipping into it in record time. Next I found my most expensive designer sweater, secondhand of course, and a flattering pair of black pants. When I felt ready I opened the door and walked back into the living room.