Rafe grinned and ripped my gold sweater off and over my head in a smooth move that made me shiver. His admiring look and clever touches when he saw my cream silk bra made me do more than shiver. Okay, so maybe Rafe was more than a friend with good taste and an excellent memory. We definitely had chemistry and he had a libido to match mine.
As I playfully snatched that blue sweater and tugged it on, he pulled me to him again and told me about his club and what had been going on there. I was interested. We were both business owners and struggling to get things going in a new town. We had a lot in common and I was as comfortable with Rafe as I was with Jerry. More comfortable, actually. Because I didn't ever have to worry that Rafe would try to order me around or control me. Hmm.
Well, maybe that wasn't entirely accurate. Rafe could be pretty bossy when he was in protective mode. As usual, I was letting chemistry cloud my judgment. I put some space between us and pulled on those shades again.
"Got to go, Rafe."
"Me too. If I didn't have to be back at the club, I'd go with you. Have to admit, I'm curious about Caine and this breakdown. I thought he'd gotten a handle on the vampire experience." Rafe walked with me to the back door.
"So did I. But then I spilled the beans about the synthetic blood with alcohol and his old dependencies came into play. I felt guilty about telling him at first, but that stuff was served to him at Flo's wedding anyway, so it was only a matter of time before he found out about it."
"Right. You aren't that guy's keeper, Glo. This mentor thing has to have an expiration date." Rafe had always made it clear he didn't like my relationship with Ray.
"He's my friend too, Rafe. I care what happens to him." I sighed. "Anyway, alcohol can bring on depression. It definitely made Ray think about what he's lost." I stopped next to my car. I wasn't about to shape-shift out to the park. It was a beautiful spring night and I wanted to drive out there with the top down.
"The sun. I remember. Your friend Caine was all about the sun. Even owned an island in the Caribbean, didn't he?" Rafe opened my car door for me and watched me fasten my seat belt.
"Guess he still does." I smiled and touched Rafe's hand. "You and I will have to get together tomorrow night and talk over this deal with Simon. You know he wanted to recruit me into the Energy Vampires. I guess we could use that to make contact. Some would consider the invitation to join a real honor."
"But I bet you already told him where to stick that invite, didn't you?" Rafe frowned. "Think he'd believe in your sudden interest?"
"Maybe. But the father-son angle is our best bet. I want to talk to Freddy and see how he feels about his father. If there's a chance for them to have a relationship away from the Energy Vampires, then that would be a powerful motivator for Simon to switch sides." I sighed. "If Simon has a natural father's instincts. Who knows?"
"Can't say I'm crazy about the idea of you and Simon within a hundred miles of each other." Rafe leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips. "But I was desperate to get your tail out of a sling tonight."
"Great image, Rafael." I started the car. "Just promise me that none of this slips around Penny. My fledgling is mixed up enough as it is. I'll just tell her the demons went back to hell after I refused to work with them."
"She's pretty smart. Won't be easy fooling her." Rafe watched me lower my convertible top with the flip of a switch.
"She's got lots of school work coming up. I hope she'll be too busy to notice what we're up to." I grabbed Rafe's hand. "Ray's trying to get Ian MacDonald to come to town. When Penny saw my computer mirror, she was intrigued by the guy who invented it. Can you imagine if she and Ian got together?"
"I'm afraid to. Didn't you tell me she's into chemistry too?"
"Yes, they'd be quite a pair." I heard the click that meant the top was secured and I was good to go. "We can worry about that if it happens. Got to run. Call me tomorrow?"
"Sure. Be careful around Caine." Rafe slapped the car hood as I backed out. "A drunk vampire is unpredictable as hell."
Unpredictable as hell. I'd just had a demo of how unpredictable hell could be and it didn't exactly encourage me. When I got to Zilker Park and realized I'd be one of a cast of thousands, I wondered if driving had been such a great idea. I parked in the darkest area I could find, near some trees, and shifted so I could fly up close to the stage and spot Nathan. A local band was opening for Ray and had the crowd dancing and pushing toward the stage.
Just as I saw Nate talking to the members of Ray's band, the local musicians came to a loud and successful conclusion if the roars of the crowd were any indication. Lights came up, along with an announcement that there would be a brief intermission before Ray and his band performed. I found a spot to shift back and strolled up to Nate, my shades firmly in place.
"Hey, look, it's Glory. Long time no see, babe." I was wrapped in strong arms, then passed around among the guys in the band. I sure didn't mind it. They were all good-looking and nice when they weren't high. Which none of them were tonight I was happy to notice. No sign of Ray. Finally I was left with Nate.
"Great to see all of you. Break a leg or whatever." I waved them off as they went to gather their instruments before the performance started.
"Glory, am I glad to see you." Nate grabbed my arm. "Come with me." He hustled me toward an RV parked at the curb near the back of the stage. The area had been cordoned off and few vehicles other than the large trucks that had hauled in the sound equipment had been allowed to park there. Beefy security guards kept the curious away.
"Where's Ray?" I looked around but didn't see him. I did, though, seem to sense another vampire in the area.
"He's in there. And he's not alone." Nate frowned and knocked on the door.
"Go 'way." Ray's voice. Though it was slurred, I'd know it anywhere.
"Ray, let me in." I banged on the door with my fist. "It's almost time for you to go on."
The door was flung open. "Glory, babe! Come in and join the party." Ray swayed in the doorway. He wore his favorite black silk boxers and nothing else. He frowned when he saw Nate beside me. "Hey, buddy. Best stay outside." He shook his head. "Fangers only, you dig?"
Nate gave me a look. "You okay with that?"
"Sure. Go take care of band business." I squeezed his hand. "How long before he needs to take the stage?"
"Thirty minutes, max." Nate backed away from the doorway. "Be careful, Glory." He finally looked at Ray, his best friend. "Damn it, Ray, pull yourself together." Then he turned and walked away.
"What's he pissed about?" Ray pulled me inside the cramped trailer. "Come meet Tiffany. Tiff, this is Glory, my mentor."
"Hey." The woman lounging on the small bunk at the end of the bed wore less than Ray and didn't bother to cover herself.
I nodded, trying not to stare at her perfect breasts on display or her slim hips, which were clad in nothing but a scrap of black lace.
"Ray, we need to talk. Tiffany, would you excuse us? Maybe Nate can find you a good spot to watch the concert." I managed a smile.
"Fine." Tiffany began to gather her clothes, which included a very brief skirt, tiny top and a pair of five-inch heels. In less time than it took Ray to refill his glass, she was dressed and at the door. "Later, Ray."
"You bet." He met her at the door, squeezed her perfect ass, then watched her step outside. He turned and frowned at me. "So what's this about? I don't usually let someone else run my women off like that." He took a deep swallow of what I could tell by the smell was the synthetic that had alcohol in it.
"Your drinking." I moved closer and grabbed his glass, throwing it into the small stainless steel sink. "Damn it, Ray, what the hell are you thinking? You've got a concert in less than half an hour and you can barely stand."
I swear Ray growled at me, but seemed to catch himself. He looked down at the floor, then at me. We were almost toe to toe. He reached out and grabbed me around the waist then yanked me to him.
"I'm standing. And I'm sober enough to take you that way too. What do you say, Glory? You did it with the shifter. How about trying it on with me?" He leaned in, sliding his fangs along my throat when I jerked my face away.
"Stop it! You really think I want you in this condition? You're staggering drunk." I shoved at him and he proved me right, grabbing hold of the counter next to him before crashing into the small table that was bolted to the floor. Discarded glasses flew everywhere and shattered. He finally landed on the padded banquette next to the table, a scowl on his face.
"No need to get mean about it. Just say no. I can take it. I took it before." He tried to pull himself up to a sitting position and it took three efforts before he made it. "What the fuck?"
"You're trashed, Ray. Obviously you've been drinking since the sun went down." I stood next to him and finally gave in to the urge to smooth his hair back from his forehead. He looked lost and confused.
"Help me up. I can shower. That'll get me sober. I've got to go on in a few." He licked his lips and I saw him eyeing the bottles stashed next to the sink.
"Nothing else to drink." I helped him to his feet, ignoring the totally hot body he exposed when he shucked his shorts and stepped into the tiny shower stall next to the kitchen. He turned on the cold water and stood under the spray, his face directly under the showerhead. He swayed there for a good five minutes. It obviously wasn't doing much for him and I finally reached in and turned off the water, helping him wrap a towel around his waist. I rubbed another towel through his long dark hair, then handed him a comb. He barely bothered to run it through and he usually tied it back anyway.