"Need an ambulance?"
"No!" I pulled Greg to his feet. "My boyfriend was playing a joke on me." Oh, God, another car was stopping. Well, what did I expect at seven o'clock at night on a residential street not far from one of Austin's freeways? I thought about the whammy, but, as more cars slowed in both directions, I had to admit the crowd was more than I could handle alone.
"Greg, come on. Back me up here."
He just grinned and limped around, collecting a business card from a lawyer and another from a financial advisor in case this
"incident" resulted in a big settlement.
"What happened to the baseball bat?" The first man who'd stopped just wouldn't move on.
"Yeah, honey." Greg threw an arm around me. "Tell our Good Samaritan about your special bat." He tried to wrestle it from me and we had a little tug-of-war that ended when I stomped on Greg's foot.
I laughed and showed the crowd the point. "This is what happens when you leave your autographed Hank Aaron bat lying on the den floor in the middle of the night. I got out the chain saw and put a nice pencil point on this puppy."
"Oh, man." This earned Greg some sympathetic looks. The first man muttered something about canceling his membership to his online dating service and climbed back into his SUV after waving everyone else off. As soon as he drove away, I jumped in my car and slammed the door in Greg's face. Too bad Greg wasn't giving up. He stood in my path until I finally had to unlock the passenger door and let him in so traffic could move around us.
I kept the bat in my lap, ready and willing to make use of it. Greg didn't act scared, which was just plain stupid on his part. I wouldn't hesitate to skewer him like one of those corn dogs Emmie Lou had told me about at the Texas State Fair. I couldn't stop thinking about all the things I could do with a million dollars, and I'd bet my double Ds Greg had attacked Lucky. His name had been on that debtor list. Of course, I would have to prove Greg had done it-or he could confess. Hmm. Worth a shot.
"What do you want, Greg?"
"I figure I owe you an apology. I'm sorry I tried to get you involved with the EVs."
"Involved? It was a little more than that. That's like comparing a death blow to a love tap." I wasn't about to list all his sins against me and my dog. Poor Valdez had really had a rough time.
"Now, now. No need to overdramatize the thing. Though you always were the little actress, weren't you?"
"You're not winning points here, Greg."
"Sorry. I'm upset. I need to get away from the EVs and I'm looking for a job. I know you have a lot of contacts in Austin. I was hoping you'd hook me up with something." He actually had the nerve to wink. "Or someone."
"You've got to be kidding me. You almost got me killed. You owe me a hell of a lot more than an apology. And the only thing I'm interested in hooking you up with is the business end of this bat."
"Hey, baby. That's a little harsh. You were never in any real danger. Besides, you were crazy about me once upon a time."
"If I ever loved you, I sure don't remember it." Don't ask. It was last century, the sixties and he was really cute in a Paul McCartney kind of way.
"Yeah, well, I had my reasons for wiping your memories back then. But this is a new century. A fresh start. And I've got some hot information for you. I figure we could work a little trade."
"I can't imagine what you could possibly know that could help me."
"Your buddy Frederick von Repsdorf has been hanging around the EV compound."
"Old news." I waved my hand. "I'm sure Freddy's got his reasons. We can't pick our parents, you know."
"How about this?" Greg moved closer. "Someone tried to take out your store clerk recently. Know who did it?"
"Yes. King weasel-face Simon Destiny." I shrugged, still quite the actress. "Can't you come up with anything original? I've got a houseguest, Lucky Carver, sometimes known as Carvarelli. What do you know about her?" Ah. That got a reaction. Greg looked like he'd been jabbed by the business end of my bat.
"There's a Carvarelli in town?"
"Yeah. And she's a new vampire." I never took my eyes off Greg. If he thought he'd killed Lucky, now was when he'd really react. But instead he just looked worried. Like the fact that she was in town was the big deal. "She doesn't have enough power yet to interest the EVs, but she might be a good customer for the Vampire Viagra. She's got plenty of money and you know how these new vampires like to experiment. Maybe I could set up a meeting for you. Do you pay commission if I get you a new customer?" Like I'd ever traffic in drugs. But Greg sure did.
"No! Don't even mention you know me." Greg leaned forward.
I aimed the pointy end of the bat at him and nudged him back.
"Why not? You owe her family money?"
"What if I do? So do half the vamps, weres and shifters in town. I bet you do too." He started to open the glove box, and I rapped his knuckles.
"Stay out of there. I never borrowed from anybody. I just maxed out my plastic." Dumb luck on my part. I had hung out with mortals in Vegas, where my gambling habit had gotten me in trouble. I hadn't known about the Carvarellis or I might have dug my own hole with loan sharks.
Greg snorted. "Yeah, right. They probably turned you down because you didn't have the kind of collateral they wanted." He ran his hand along the Mercedes' dashboard. "But maybe now you do."
"Forget me. Maybe you thought to get out of debt by taking out the debt collector. Did you rip out Lucky's throat the other night?
In my alley?"
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. You said she's a vampire. Obviously she healed."
"No, she didn't. I healed her and turned her vampire myself."
Greg stared at me. "No shit."
"Yeah, maybe not my smartest move."
"Are you kidding? You saved a Carvarelli. This could be your big break. Or is old man Carvarelli steamed? Did he blame you for making his daughter into a freak like us?"
"No, nothing like that. He kind of grooves on the immortality thing. But whoever tried to kill her could take another shot. Now that pisses him off. And since I made her vampire, I feel kind of responsible for Lucky."
"Damn, Glory. You never did know how to take advantage of your opportunities. What you got is a Carvarelli eternally and I do mean eternally grateful to you." Greg fondled the gearshift. "Nice wheels. Lucky set you up with this? Or was it Blade? You're really doing well these days. Why can't you have a little sympathy for an old friend?"
"Maybe that old friend left Lucky for dead practically on my doorstep."
"I'm not stupid. Killing Lucky wouldn't wipe out my debt, only wipe out me. Old man Carvarelli would hunt me down and stake me personally if I took out his daughter." Greg shook his head, then snagged my wallet from my purse.
"Hey, put that back." I poked him with the bat. "I'm not rich. The car is a loaner, from Blade." Greg flipped open my wallet, ignoring the blood dripping from the gouge in his side. "Thirty-three dollars and a generic Visa card. Not even Platinum. I bet it has one of those low loser limits." He tossed the wallet back inside.
"You'd be right. I screwed up my credit when I was in Vegas. Did a stint with Gamblers Anonymous."
"You and I are a lot alike, Glory. Not rich like Simon or Blade. We have to make our own way in this world. We should help each other. I could show you how to turn this Lucky thing to your advantage."
"Yeah, I'm really anxious to work with you, Greg. Especially after you tried to turn me into an EV sacrifice." I poked him again. This time he flinched. Think I should feel guilty? If he tried, he could be healed before I could reapply my lipstick. But to impress me, he moaned with pain and held up a bloodstained hand. "God, when did you become so cruel?" Then he put his other hand on my shoulder. "Look at me, Glory. Is old man Carvarelli offering a reward for whoever tried to take out his daughter?"
Damn it, I felt Greg trying the whammy on me. It was one of his old tricks. I blinked and blinked again, but blurted out the truth before I could stop myself.
"A million dollars."
"Hot damn. Now that's what I'm talking about. Let's work together. Fifty. Fifty. You got any ideas?"
"Sure. You're suspect number one." I looked away from him before I told him anything else. Like my current social security number, my bank balance or that the limit on my Visa was actually pretty healthy at the moment.
"I'm not that stupid, Gloriana. I'm going to nose around. See what I can find out. You and that dog of yours keep an eye out for suspicious characters." Greg sounded like he was now running the show. I wasn't about to let him go around me on this and steal my reward.
"Lucky's father expects to deal with me on this reward thing. But definitely check out the EV compound. You think Simon could owe Lucky's family money?"
"No way. The EVs are rolling in it. You have any idea how much they rake in with their Vampire Viagra?" Greg got a dreamy look.
"I don't mind telling you I've been tempted to put my hand in the till, but that would be suicide for sure."
"I'm not agreeing to anything, not officially, but if you come to me with something concrete that leads to figuring out who attacked Lucky, maybe I'll consider a split."
Greg grinned. "Fair enough. You will be hearing from me." And, in typical Greg fashion, he opened the car door, morphed into a bat and flew away.
I sighed, then realized Greg had switched off the heat. It was still snowing and clearly below freezing. And neither of us had so much as shivered. Sometimes it's pretty neat being a vampire.
Then the phone beeped. Text message. So much for peace on earth.
"U STIFFED ME. NOW UL PAY. $5000 OR C UR-SELF ON THE NEWS. 24 HOURS. DETAILS LATER." What? My blackmailer didn't like the coffee at Mugs and Muffins? And details? Yeah, I needed details. Like where the hell I was supposed to get that kind of money. I ground my teeth, then threw the car into drive. I had to figure out who was behind this. If this freak kept adding zeros like they were nothing . . . Well, it was time for drastic action. I parked and headed into the shop to find Valdez in a huddle in the back room with Etienne. Derek worked the front.