Ray had a point. I'd been worrying about seeing Simon again in his natural habitat. And convincing him that Ray and I were really together after I'd obviously been with Jerry ever since I'd arrived in Austin. An "engagement" would certainly do the trick.
"This is a pretty serious decision, Ray. You got other women out there who are going to get their feelings hurt when they read about this in the tabloids?"
"Naw. I've been playing the field. Especially lately. On the road way too much. And I'm not much into marriage myself. Never even been engaged. Not after that time I almost proposed in New York. You know the one I mean."
"The unlucky time with Lucky. Sure." Lucky was the woman who'd turned Ray vampire. Good thing he hadn't married her. Obviously Ray'd been reading my mind again. I should block my thoughts around him. Shouldn't have taught him to read them in the first place. "Are you serious? You'll do this?"
"I think it will make you safer and this guy will be forever grateful. Watch and learn."
"Hey, photo guy. I just got here with my lady. Wake up and get the latest on Israel Caine." Ray snapped his fingers and the reporter suddenly came alive.
"Caine! Give me a quote! Where have you been tonight?" The man began taking pictures.
"You're one lucky bastard 'cause Glory and I just went ring shopping. You're going to get details and pictures no one else will." Ray got down on one knee and looked up at me. "Gloriana St. Clair will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? I love you more than I've ever loved any woman. I want to write songs about you for the rest of my life." I thought the reporter was going to pass out. I was going to be lying on the concrete right next to him. Ray's blue eyes glinted in the glow from the street light and he sounded so sincere that I almost believed this was real. I found my eyes welling and my lips trembling.
"Answer him, lady." The reporter hopped around us, trying for new angles, different shots. "Yes or no, either way it's a hell of a story."
I hadn't been an actress back in the day for nothing. I smiled down at him. "I love you too, Ray. Of course I'll marry you." After he slid the plastic ring on my finger, I dragged him up and threw my arms around him. The big kiss that followed was probably the money shot. We were both just doing it for the camera of course. Uh-huh.
"Wow! This is big. Thanks!"
"Now I carry you over the threshold." Ray swung me up into his arms then carried me into my shop. Bri looked up, did a double take, then got busy distracting a customer who was checking out vintage hats.
"I think you're supposed to wait for the honeymoon for the threshold bit." I stared up at Ray when he shut the door in the reporter's face. "And I really wish you hadn't done that. They'll probably put that butt shot on the front page."
"It's a hell of a butt." He patted it as he headed to the back room and set me on the large oak table then turned to close the door to the rest of the shop.
"I hope we don't regret that. I didn't think it through. What's Jerry going to say? I need to call him. Explain."
"Can't say I care. What I do care about is that we didn't get to finish what we started down the street." Ray pushed up to the table. He stood between my legs, his eyes hot. "I want to drink from you. Watching you feed You were on fire out there, Glory, filled with bloodlust. I want some of that."
"Ray, we were acting. I" I couldn't look away from him as I fell back, Ray on top of me.
"Come here, vampies. I want to know how you're doing. RIGHT NOW."
"Nooooo." Ray and I looked at each other, then at the back door.
Chapter Eleven
First Ray climbed off of me, then he helped me to sit up. Forget resisting. Believe me, Ray tried. He was a man with a mission. And I wasn't exactly throwing up stop signs either. But Aggie's grating voice chanted inside our heads, urging us to get out of there. I grabbed the case of Twinkies I'd picked up for Aggie.
"What the hell is that?"
"Our mistress craves sweets. I don't know about you, but I don't want to see her in a bad mood."
"No shit." Ray grabbed the box. "My car's in the alley. No sense taking on the paparazzi out front again." Outside, Ray hit the remote and we climbed into his black Escalade. We didn't say much. Too frustrated. So, driving just over the speed limit, Ray took the most direct route back to his house. We had about an hour before dawn. Which was the only good thing I could think of about this demand to go see the Siren. The meeting would have to be brief. Ray parked in the circular drive and we both were almost running as we hit the elevator down to the boat dock. Stupid, but it was a compulsion. Aggie wasn't on the boat.
"Come on out to my little retreat on the lake. I have a surprise for you. Just follow your noses. Can't miss it."
"Does she realize we'll fry if we're out after dawn?"
"She'd better think about that next time. Circe probably wouldn't give her credit for our charred bits if that happened." I helped Ray throw off the ropes tying the boat to the dock. The roar of the engine probably didn't endear him to his sleeping neighbors.
"But we still have time. What the hell does she think we have to report? The very thought of an Aggie surprise makes me want to throw up."
"Yeah." Ray stowed the Twinkies in the locker under the bench seat, then steered the boat away from the shore. "I'm feeling her guiding me. I guess I just follow my instincts. Hang on, Glory. I'm opening her up." He hit the throttle and we practically hydroplaned across the water. I grabbed for the railing and prayed. What fun if I bounced off the damned boat and disappeared into Lake Travis. Fish and other assorted creepy crawlies would nibble on me until Ray finally found me, if he ever did. Sure, in an emergency I could shape-shift. But you have no idea how much I hate that. Being fish bait would almost be better.
"I'm making a sharp right. Don't let go."
"No worries there." I'd never loosen my death grip. Finally I saw a pile of rocks ahead and what looked like an island. Ray slowed down and coasted into an inlet surrounded by boulders. Aggie sat on a huge rock. She waved a claw.
"Just leave the boat there and swim ashore. I have something to show you. You bring my snacks?" Aggie was grinning. Bad sign. Aggie pleased scared the hell out of me. "Don't worry about the boat, it's not going anywhere. One of my powers."
"Good to know. Yeah, we've got Twinkies. That what you want?" Ray turned off the motor. Aggie's cackle of glee was our answer.
"Put on a life vest, Glory. They're next to Aggie's treats under the bench seat. I'll pull you to shore and you'll have to hold the Twinkies up out of the water. I know you're not crazy about swimming."
"This will be fun. I'm not too good at swimming either." I grabbed the vest from the locker in the back of the boat. Not only do I hate swimming, I hated the whole idea of getting wet again. At least I'd changed out of my leather pants, but if I had to cut off another pair of jeans I glanced at Aggie, juggling rocks like she didn't have a care in the world. Right now jeans were the least of my worries.
We climbed down the ladder at the back of the boat, Ray catching me when I jumped into the icy water. He towed me to the sandy area below Aggie's perch, then we stared up at her.
"Okay, we're here, your Sirenness. What's the big surprise?" I shivered. Wind, cold water, wet hair dripping down the back of my neck. Still January. Still winter. Damn. Even a vampire isn't totally impervious to physical misery.
"Hand me those cakes. Yum." She ripped open the carton. "While I chow down go look. I made a nice little hidey-hole for when you bring me your vampires. In fact now you only have to bring me Casanova and one more." Aggie grinned. Oh, those teeth.
"Why?" Ray and I ran over the rocks in the direction she pointed. This could not be good news. Sure enough, Will Kilpatrick stood in a cave with iron bars across the entrance.
"Glory! Ray! Thank God! Get me the hell out of here. That freak ambushed me when I went out for a smoke." Will's red hair was wild, his beard two days old. He'd obviously had no chance against Aggie. That freeze thing.
"Didn't I tell you not to go outside?" I looked at Ray. "But I also told Aggie not to touch our friends. Damn it."
"Now, vampies, I see William here as a little insurance policy. A bird in hand so to speak." Aggie waddled up behind us, a Twinkie in each hand and a smear of cream on her snout. Of course I'd smelled her coming. "Foolish boy. He tried to sweet talk me into letting him go. He can't sing worth a damn, Israel. Not like you, dear one."
"Aggie, you made a deal with us. We've still got more than two weeks. Let the man go. You don't need insurance. Look how quickly we got here when you called." Ray waited until she'd polished off another cake then took her claw in his hand. I had to admire his guts. I wouldn't voluntarily touch that sea urchin on a dare.
"You had no choice. But I needed to report some progress to Circe. She was very happy to know I already had one birdie. With two more on a string." Aggie stroked Ray's face with the back of her other claw. "I wish it wasn't so near dawn. I could use a love song right now."
"And I could use some fair play." I stomped my foot, my tennis shoe squishing. "Release Will this instant."
"Issuing orders, Glory? How'd you like to join him in lockup?" Aggie's snout quivered and smoke puffed from her ears. "I could let Israel handle the procurement for me."
"No, Aggie, this is Glory's turf. I don't know squat about Austin vampires. And this Casanova deal's really screwed things up. I'm new at this game. Glory's the one that's got the best shot at getting him for you." Ray hummed a bit from one of his hits.
"You've been listening to Sienna and me practice, haven't you?"