Real Vampires Have Curves Read Free

ambush?” I shut up. If I knew Blade, he was already blaming himself for Mac’s death. He had a sense of responsibility a mile wide. Now he’d taken on Mac’s widow.
    â€œYou could call it that. He knew us well before we sensed the danger. And, God damn him, I couldn’t get close to Westwood. He’s developed new technology. The glasses and some kind of scanner, a vampire detector.”
    I hadn’t heard Blade this upset since he’d broken things off with his family. And don’t ask me to go into that now, it’s a long story.
    I was shaking and feeling sick again. A vamp detector. This was really, really bad news. I pride myself on my ability to blend in with mortals.
    â€œAre you telling me I could be outed by some kind of ray gun?”
    â€œMara and I saw his device. It looks like a cell phone, Gloriana. There’s no way to know if he’s scanning or not until he comes at you. And he’s harmless-looking. Average height, build. Check him out on the Internet and print out his picture. Show it to every vampire you know.” Blade spoke to someone in the room with him. Mara?
    â€œI will. As soon as I get to Freddy’s.”
    â€œGood. But, like I said, you still might not recognize him. He’s not roaming around in camouflage and a Mossy Oak cap. He wears those tinted glasses, but they’re ordinary too.” He was silent for a moment while my mind whirled.
    â€œDamn it, Gloriana, I need you here, where I can protect you.”
    I let that demand go for the moment. “How . . . how did he get Mac?” Garlic and crosses didn’t take us out like in some of those legends mortals groove on. But the stake thing was all too true. “I can’t see Mac standing still for anyone.”
    â€œHe didn’t. I told you Westwood is a hunter. He’s got a bow and arrows made of some exotic wood. Obviously he’s a crack shot. An inch or two off and we’d have dragged Mac out of there with us.” More conversation with someone else.
    â€œMara said those arrows smelled funny. She thinks they’re olive wood. Use that smell as a warning.”
    â€œHow did you get away?” Vampire hunting as sport. What next? Vamps stuffed and mounted? Oh, God.
    â€œWhen it was obvious Mac was lost to us, Mara and I got the hell out of there.”
    â€œI’m sorry. I loved Mac too. Poor Mara.” I wiped at my eyes.
    â€œYes, it’s hard. I’ll say it again. Be careful, Gloriana.” Blade sounded tired. Was he feeding? Centuries of caring for someone couldn’t just be turned off. Even though I’d certainly tried.
    â€œYou weren’t wounded, were you?”
    â€œSlightly. I healed.”
    Slightly. Which could be anything from a nick on the arm to a gut shot. No wonder he sounded tired. Vamps heal when they sleep but it takes a lot out of them.
    â€œWhere are you?” Of course Mara was with him and how sick to be jealous of a grieving widow. She was Blade’s friend. His beautiful friend. With the kind of flaming red hair and green eyes that any Scotsman would kill for. Certainly the Campbells loved her. And she was thin, of course. Next to her I’m an overblown English rose.
    â€œLake Charles. In Louisiana. I have a casino here. It’s just across the Texas border. Forget Austin. You will join us. I can protect you here. I’ve got state-of-the-art security and guards around the clock. Now that we know about Westwood, he won’t be able to get near us in the casino.”
    A casino. Why not just stake me now? I’d never told Blade about my little gambling problem and wasn’t about to now. Being under Blade’s protection . . . I’d never felt safer than when I was with him.
    But he hadn’t asked. He’d issued an order. And I quit following his orders over a century ago. Because I also tended to revert to a Glory I didn’t particularly like with Blade. Dependent,