“She’s going to be trouble.” Rafe picked her up and heaved her over his shoulder. He bumped into a chair which fell over with a crash.
“No kidding.” I flinched when Megan stepped into the storeroom to see what the commotion was about. She stared wide-eyed and speechless at Sienna, a limp accessory that Rafe adjusted as he reached for the back doorknob. I shrugged, not ready to explain too much though I was sure she’d heard everything. Damned paranormal hearing.
“It’s a shame, Megan. These rock stars. Blame Sienna’s erratic behavior on something she must have taken. I hope she hasn’t fallen off the wagon again.” I knew Megan could smell her, had figured out Sienna was now vampire. But this raving about letting vampires be known to the world was the worst kind of betrayal of our kind.
“Glory, are you sure? I heard her. Rule the world? That’s crazy talk.” Megan followed us to the door that led to the alley. “You are going to nip this in the bud, aren’t you? Because first it’s the vamps, then the shifters can’t be far behind. I’ll report her to the vampire council myself if I think she’s a danger.”
“No, no, I’ve got this. Sienna’s staying with me. I’m mentoring her and giving her the four-one-one on the life. Trust me. She’s still really new but I’ll get her under control.” I tried for a confident smile. “I know you’ll keep her crazy outburst our secret. She had no idea what she was saying. When she understands how outnumbered we are, she’ll cool it with the going public thing.”
Megan held the door while Rafe checked the alley then made a beeline for the door into the apartments and hit the code to open it.
“She’d better. You’ve had enough trouble with the few vampire hunters who have figured out you guys exist. I remember how it was when that fellow Westwood was after you. Nightmare.” Megan shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. “Thank God the cats are still a secret. But make vamps common knowledge and there’d be stake kiosks popping up in malls everywhere before you know it.”
“Thanks for that image, Megan.” I hurried after Rafe. “Lock this door behind us. If anyone asks, Sienna shopped and left, going out the back to avoid the paparazzi. You have no idea where she’s staying.”
“Got it. Just take care of this. None of us, my cat family, the other paranormals, want to go public. We like our life in the shadows. It’s the only safe place.” She jumped when car lights appeared at the end of the alley. “Hurry, you may have company.”
“Call if you need me.” I darted inside and locked the door into the apartments behind me, arming the security system with a shaking finger. First Jerry was out of pocket and now Sienna had gone off the rails. How much more could I take? My phone rang. A number I didn’t recognize. I couldn’t afford to ignore any calls.
“Hello?”
“Glory, it’s Cait. Bart and I are sitting outside Jeremiah’s house. He’s not answering his phone and the house is dark. Do you know where he is? Is he with you?”
Cait, Caitlin Campbell, Jerry’s sister. I’d forgotten she and her new boyfriend, Dr. Bartholomew O’Connor, were arriving from Scotland tonight. They’d arranged to pick up a rental car at the airport and meet us at Jerry’s house. But with everything going on . . .
“No. I’m sorry. Of course you’re supposed to stay with Jerry. He keeps a key in the birdhouse, behind the garage.”
“I see it. You’ve got to be kidding me. I have to shift or climb that pole?” Cait said a few choice words in one of the many foreign languages she knew.
“It seemed like a good idea at the time.” I laughed at the idea of Cait shimmying up the pole. “Do the bird thing then push it out to Bart on the ground with your beak.”
“Oh, thanks. Like I couldn’t figure that out. Stay on the line. I’m making Bart shift because he just laughed at me.”
“I’m sorry, Cait. Let yourself in the back door. I’m sure Jerry’ll be sorry he missed you, but make yourself at home. Hopefully he’ll be there soon.” I trudged up the stairs and saw my apartment door standing open. Guess Rafe still had one of my keys and had let himself in. He’d dumped Sienna on the couch, where she stared vacant-eyed at the ceiling.
“Cait?”
“I’ve got it. Bart pushed it out but it’s got bird poop on it. Oh, but my brother’s never going to hear the end of this. Where did you say he went?”
“I didn’t. He took off, said he had an errand, and that’s the last I heard from him. I’d say come over here but I have a full house at the moment.” I tried not to groan at the thought of cramming two more into my tiny apartment. Vamps don’t like to use hotels, problems with housekeeping during the daily death sleep.
“Is something wrong, Glory? You don’t sound right. You did say Jerry got his memory back, didn’t you?” Cait sounded distracted and I heard water running. Washing bird poop off that key I guess.
“Oh, his memory’s fine and he was looking forward to your visit.” I gestured when Rafe glanced at me with a question in his eyes. He finally just sat in a chair and waited for me to get off the phone. “There are some things going on though, Cait. I’ll explain tomorrow night. I imagine you and Bart would like to get settled. Rest up after your flight. I heard Bart flew you here in his own plane.”
“Yes, that’s right. We had a layover in Miami, did a bit of sightseeing, then came on here. He’s an excellent pilot. Okay, we’re going in.”
“Great. Explore Jer’s house. He has a couple of guest rooms. Pick out one or two, however many you need, and unpack. Hopefully he’ll get there before dawn.” I sighed. “If I hear from him, I’ll have him call you. Okay?”
“Wait a minute. You said there are things going on. Glory, I don’t like the sound of that.” Cait murmured something to Bart. “Is Jeremiah in danger, Glory?”
“He may be. Look, it’s a woman who wants him for herself. She’s being a pain but I doubt she’d hurt him. It’s me she’s after.” I realized Rafe had moved closer and laid his hand on my back, comforting me. “But I am worried about him. He took off earlier, looking for her. To tell her to quit hassling me. I expected to hear from him before now, to tell me how she took that ultimatum. Not well, I’m sure. She’s extremely jealous but, like I said, I can’t believe she’d hurt him.”
“Well, she should be jealous. Of course Jeremiah is in love with you. I can’t imagine him with another woman.” Cait said something to Bart. “What do you need? We want to help. We can search, stay here and call if he shows up, whatever you think best. Just tell us what to do.”
“Thanks, Caitie.” Tears filled my eyes. I did count her as a good friend. “Thank Bart too. Just stay there and make Jerry call me when he shows up. I’m worried sick. This woman is into voodoo. I have no idea what she might be doing to him when she hears what he has to say. He was determined to break it off with her.”
“Glory, it’s Bart. Voodoo? I know something about that. I studied in the Caribbean for a while. It’s an interesting practice but can be dangerous in the wrong hands.” Bart had taken Cait’s phone. Vamp hearing. Of course he’d been listening to our conversation. “Do you have any idea if she’s used any spells on Jerry?”
“He doesn’t think so, but then he seems almost addicted to her blood. He doesn’t have a problem when he’s not around her, but when he’s near . . . I don’t know. She’s done some things to his hotel in Miami, caused problems, accidents. To get him to go there. That’s her base of operations. He won’t tell me details but he can’t seem to stay away from her when he gets close enough to smell her blood.” I gripped the phone hard, my hand hurting from the crystal case that bit into my palm. I kept seeing Jerry at Mel’s vein. Such an intimate act. Sexual with the right person.
“Glory, you still there?”
“Barely. Does that sound like a spell to you, Bart?”
“Certainly could be. Have you met her? What can you tell me about her?”
I told him all I knew, even about the recent breakin during the day. He was as horrified as I’d been.
“This woman sounds very proficient in the arts. You’re right to take her threats seriously. It’s possible Jerry is under a spell of some kind. Let me do some research. What’s her name?”
I could almost visualize Bart taking out his ever-present notebook. He was old school, preferring pen and paper to a tablet computer.
“Melisandra Du Monde.” The very name made me sick and I finally sat in a chair, taking the bottle of synthetic Rafe handed me. “If she’s put Jerry under some kind of spell . . . Oh, God. I don’t want to think about that. Thanks, Bart. I could use some help. I’m also reaching out to a voodoo queen in New Orleans. I’m hoping she has some ideas about how to shut this woman down.”
“It’s worth a try, though there are different kinds of voodoo. I’ll see what I can dig up on Ms. Du Monde. Maybe I can find out which practice she’s likely to use. Don’t give up, Glory. Cait and I are here for you. Now she wants to talk to you again.”
“Glory, Bart’s right. We’ve got your back. You need anything, call or text. Okay?”
“Thanks. Now I’ve got something going on here. Talk to you tomorrow night.” I ended the call and took a deep swallow of my drink.
“Blade’s sister is here?” Rafe sat in the chair opposite me.
“Yes, with her boyfriend, a doctor. Smart man, and I just found out he knows about voodoo. That’ll come in handy. Bart tried to help Jerry in Scotland when Jer first got amnesia.”
“Good to know.” Rafe glanced at Sienna. “First things first. What are we going to do about her?”
“I’ll wake her up and then she’s going to have to get a freaking clue.” I leaned forward. “Damn it, Rafe. I don’t need this right now. I’m worried about Jerry, about myself for that matter, and now she thinks we ought to go public? No way in hell.”