“That was quite a speech. Bottom line, Caine’s not coming after me?” Lucky gave me a good, long look. “Decent, though skinny jeans would have been better.”

“I hate skinny jeans.” Because I couldn’t get them up past my thighs without a struggle. “Besides, my fashion choices are not on the agenda. Let’s get this over with. Did you go see Ian?” I headed to the kitchen for a bottle of synthetic.

“Yes, he’s testing my blood. Hot guy. He’ll know tomorrow night if we’re a match. I don’t see why we wouldn’t be.” She sighed and nodded toward my bottle. “You going to offer me one of those?”

“Not hardly.” I showed her the label.

She wrinkled her nose. “Gah. I only drink premium brands anyway. Now tell me more about this Siren thing. Any powers go along with the blood?”

“Don’t know. Wouldn’t tell you if I did.”

“Talking to Ray really got a bug up your butt, didn’t it?” Lucky sniffed.

I just sipped my drink and decided to test one of my so-called powers. I reached out with my mind. Of course Lucky’s thoughts were blocked. I tried to punch through that block and bam! I made it. I saw her startled look as I read that she was bored in Austin and needed to get back to New York. Ian had made a pass and she’d played it coy. Now she was aggravated and confused. Siren magic or Lucky as usual?

“What the hell did you just do?” She aimed a shaky finger at me.

“Pushed through your mental block. How’d you like it?” I grinned and set my bottle on the coffee table. “Ta da! Siren power.”

“I don’t believe you. What was I thinking?” She grabbed her tablet out of her purse and turned it on.

“For one thing, when Ian made a pass at you, you didn’t know if it was the Siren thing or if he was really attracted to you. It pissed you off.” I crossed my legs like this was no big deal.

“I’ll be damned.” Lucky tapped in notes.

“Maybe it’s from my Siren blood. Or it could be a holdover from when I had a demon inside me. My life’s been a nonstop party since you’ve been gone, Lucky.”

She crossed herself. “A demon? I hope you got rid of it.”

“Let’s get down to business, Lucky.” I stood and loomed over her, clearly startling her. “Yes, you probably have Siren blood and I don’t give a damn if you do. Because I swore to Ray that I would not, under any circumstances, help you. And I will definitely not take money from you. Capite?”

“What did you just say to me?” Lucky jumped to her feet.

“The deal is off.” I pulled her check out of my purse and ripped it in half. “Forget it. I won’t mentor you. Not for any amount of money. Ray’s friendship means too much to me.”

“We have a contract.” Her face turned red and she fisted her hands. Was she actually going to get violent about this? I zipped across the room in a vamp move as I read her thoughts. No, she wasn’t, but her “boys” were about to.

“You know what you can do with your contract and it won’t do you any good to call in the troops. I have a weapon now that will make them useless.” I smiled and leaned against the wall next to the kitchen.

“Oh, yeah? I’d like to see that.” Lucky stalked over to jerk open the door. “Get in here. We’ve got a deadbeat. Show her how we deal with those.”

“You got it, boss.” Bodyguard number one, who could have been a poster boy for steroid use and a bench press championship, ambled toward me. I had him frozen in place before he’d taken two steps.

“What the—” Lucky glanced at her second guy. “Get her.”

The second bodyguard nudged his partner then, obviously puzzled by his lack of response, shrugged one massive shoulder and started toward me. I let him get pretty close, playing with him, before I turned him to stone.

“How’d you like that demo, Lucky? Impressive, isn’t it?” I dusted off my hands, like I’d just finished a messy piece of work. I strolled around the men to admire what I’d done. “When I thaw them, I want you to take them and get the hell out of here.”

“Hold it. That statue trick. Is that because of the Siren blood? You think I could do it?” Lucky grabbed her purse, going for that damned tablet again.

“Maybe, though it could have come from the demon.” I grinned when Lucky dropped her purse and crossed herself again. “I’ve even had personal business with Lucifer. Seems he took a shine to me.” I glanced at my wooden floor. “Maybe the Siren allure works on the Devil too.”

“Blasphemy! I won’t listen to this. But turning people into statues. I just bet a Siren can do it. I want to know how.” Lucky picked up her purse again.

“Then you’ll have to work with another Siren because I’m not telling you a damned thing.” I pointed at her men. “I’m counting to three then thawing these fireplugs. Take them and get out. Or do you want to become part of my decorating scheme too?”

“You wouldn’t.” Lucky narrowed her eyes.

“Wouldn’t I? Imagine being stuck where you stand, not able to even blink. I’ve been paralyzed like that more than once and it’s hell. Once I was on a boat and almost fell overboard.” Her eyes widened. “Yeah. Imagine going under water and you can’t do anything to save yourself.” I shivered, remembering. “How would you like a long walk off a short pier, Lucky?”

“We’re going. But this isn’t over. No one welches on a deal with Lucky Carver and gets away with it.” She threw her purse strap over her shoulder and opened the door. “Thaw ’em. I’m out of here.”

“Good. Just remember that I’m stronger than you are, Lucky. As your sire my blood is way more potent. You might think you can do what I can do, but I doubt it.” I thawed her men and she ordered them out to the hall when they cursed and started toward me like they were planning to take me apart.

“We’ll just see about that, won’t we?” Lucky huffed and puffed then strutted out the door and down the stairs.

I slammed the door and leaned against it. Trying to outbitch a bitch had plain worn me out. When there was a knock almost immediately, I admit I jumped.

“Glory, it’s Laurie. I waited until your company left. Are you okay in there?”

I threw open the door. “Yes, fine. But am I glad to see you.” I sagged against the door frame. “A few minutes ago I might have asked you to shift into your tiger. God, I hate that woman who just left. That was the infamous Lucky Carver.”

“Ray’s enemy. Glad I got a look at her.” Laurie looked thoughtful. “He told me you sired her. But the way she stomped out of here, I’d say there’s no love lost between you two.”

“Ray probably also shared how she turned him vampire against his will, then dumped him on me.” I paced the room, finally collapsing on the couch. “Sit. Can I get you anything?”

“I’d ask if you have any meat left but I know you don’t.” Laurie grinned. “I cleaned you out when I left.”

“You were welcome to it.” I sighed. “This Lucky thing. It’s a war now. She wanted me to act like her sire and teach her about Sirens. But I promised Ray I wouldn’t do it.” I put my feet on the coffee table, something I usually forbid anyone to do. At this point I could care less about my furniture. “Anyway, Lucky and I had a contract and I just broke it. To Lucky a contract is sacred so now she’s out for my blood.” I grimaced. “Well, you know what I mean.”

“Sure I do. Her type can’t stand to lose anything. She has to think she put something over on you.” Laurie got up and wandered into the kitchen. She came out with a pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream and a spoon. “May I?”

“Go ahead. I can’t eat it. Rafe’s not coming over now, so it’s up for grabs.” I rubbed my forehead. “When you left Ray was he still okay? Not rethinking that order for alcohol was he?”

“No, he was working on a new song, though this one wasn’t upbeat like what he had been playing. You learn quickly in that job to gauge Ray’s mood by the tunes that come out of there. This stuff you two are going through has brought him down. I won’t pretend he’s not struggling. The guards are all talking about it.” Laurie swallowed a spoonful of ice cream. “To change the subject—since you’re keeping away from Rafe, I guess that means he’s fair game.”

“Sure. But will it do any good? If he’s under a Siren’s spell, can he actually break free of it?” I was up again, collecting my empty bottle and going back for a new one. I glanced at Laurie. So she was going to make a run at Rafe. Why not? Like I’d noticed before, they’d be good together. And I had no right to be jealous. No right. “I need to talk to Aggie. Get some details. Of course the men she traps with her song never have an opportunity to pull free, they’re doomed.”

“Aggie would say each man dies with a smile on his face.” Laurie sighed. “Sirens are a different breed, Glory. You can ask Aggie for help, but I’m not sure what she’ll offer. They don’t have much heart.” She smiled. “Not like you. I got to know you well enough to see that Achelous had a good reason to toss you out of their club. You’re way too humane for that gang.”

“Well, thanks.” I smiled back. It was a relief to hear from someone objective.

“As for Rafe.” She took another bite of ice cream. “Time will tell, I guess.”

And time for a subject change. “What’s up with you and Circe, Laurie? That was quite a trick you pulled, bringing her to the meeting the other night. How’d you manage it?”

“I have my ways.” The were-tiger played with her spoon. “Circe and I have a connection. I knew she had some old issues with Achelous so when you told me what was going down, I called her, told her the deal. She was eager to get into it with us.”