"There you go. Sounds like we need to double your guard." Will exchanged looks with Valdez. Probably sending him a silent mental message that he'd cook for the pup, if Will came back as my guard again. Valdez will do anything for a good meal. Even accept another dog into the family.

"Well, gee, you don't have to sound so damned happy about it." I sent Valdez my own mental message that there'd be generic dog food all around if Will came back.

"But maybe I won't have to work after all." Will moved closer to Lucky. "Your family know you're vampire now? How's the old man going to take the news?" He nodded toward Lucky's cell phone. "What's it worth to you to be the one who tells him? Or would you rather I break the news?"

"Daddy knows and he's thrilled. Now the company will live on forever." Lucky smiled at Blade. "I'm going to make damned sure my father takes Blade's offer. Then I send in the clowns to work on you, Kilpatrick. Or would you like me to call your father for you? Maybe he'll bail you out. I'm sure he'd like to have his ring back."

"It's not his ring, it's mine. He gave it to me centuries ago." Will looked like a sullen child. "How the hell am I supposed to come up with that kind of cash so soon?"

"Try Prince Igor of Transylvania. He's always had a soft spot for a sob story." Jerry leaned against the door, his arms across his chest.

"I've gone to that particular well too many times. He said he'd have to tell my parents next time. For my own good. What a crock."

"Prince Igor of Transylvania? For real? He's a vampire?" Lucky tapped into her BlackBerry. "I don't have him in my records."

"You wouldn't. He's old money. But he's always doing fund-raisers, for his many charities." Flo frowned at Will. "You should be ashamed asking Igor for money. He is kind and helps many deserving people who are down on their luck. But a gambler. Pah! You should suffer the penalty for stupidity."

I kept my mouth shut, glad I'd never spilled my guts to Flo about my own gambling problem.

"According to my records, Kilpatrick, you've had this debt for over a year. You think we don't realize you've been dodging us? I don't care where you get the money, just pay up." Lucky sat and leaned down to pull off a boot and rub her foot. "Flo, these boots are cute, but they hurt like hell."

"I know, Luciana, why do you think I passed them on to you?" Flo laughed and shook her head. "Richard, I want to go out. I've had enough of William's issues. And I'm, um, thirsty. I want a little more than a bottle of Fangtastic." She looked at Lucky. "Come with us. I'll give you a lesson in being vampire. We're very careful. The mortals never know they've been touched."

"No way!" I grabbed Lucky when she shoved on the boot and hopped to her feet. "You and I are going shopping." I checked out my clock. "Well, the mall's closed, but you can come down to the shop. Meet Derek, who's working tonight, and see if there's something down there you'd like to wear." I glanced down at her feet. "I've got a pair of barely worn Prada pumps in your size." Lucky looked torn. Shopping? Or taking her new fangs out for a test drive? She sighed and glanced at Flo. "Rain check? I need something of my own to wear and Prada . . ."

"Say no more, girlfriend. We do it another night." Flo pulled Richard toward the door. "Jeremiah, quit frowning at William and let us out. He's a big boy and made his own mess. Now he must deal with it." Flo tugged on Richard's hand. "Come, lover, I'm sure Glory will e-mail you those names. As soon as we've fed, we'll go by your place and see if we recognize any of them." I had to give Flo credit. She knew her man. Richard never had been fond of the synthetic stuff. He followed her with barely a nod of good-bye to the rest of us. I stalked into the bedroom and grabbed my laptop. My printer was in a corner next to the TV. I plugged it in and got busy checking my e-mail. In moments I had the list in front of me. I figure my eyes widened because suddenly Jerry was right behind my left shoulder.

"Who is it? Do you see a name you know?"

Lucky hovered nearby. "There are a dozen names there, but not all of them are known to be in the Austin area. Kilpatrick's on there and I'm not ruling him out." Lucky got a fierce look. "We always collect a debt. Papa's got enforcers all over the world. Just let anyone try to take out cousin Alfonso in Thailand. Or Maria in Paris." She suddenly welled up and collapsed on the sofa. "They wouldn't have ended up bleeding out in an alley. I am such a failure."

"Now, Lucky." I liked my new vampire much better in kick-butt mode. "You were ambushed. Your bodyguard flaked out." I looked around and realized Will and Lacy had taken advantage of the distraction and left. I hoped he didn't decide to run and take Lacy with him.

"I thought my bodyguard was my friend. How could she leave me there to die?" A fat tear streaked down Lucky's cheek.

"Maybe she didn't leave voluntarily."

"Then we have to find her." Lucky looked up, her eyes wet and her nose pink. Waterproof mascara. I was definitely checking out the brand.

"Gloriana, give me the list. Who's on it?"

I thrust it at Jerry. "You'll see. I recognize at least one name. Greg Kaplan. The creep who almost got me drained by the Energy Vampires."

Lucky got up and headed for the door. "I need to get out of here. I want to look for Brittany." Jerry glanced up from the list. "Gloriana, you're not-"

"I'm going with her. We'll be in the shop if you need us." I ignored Jerry's grumble. "Work on that list." I walked up to him and slid my arms around his waist. "If you're still here when we get back . . ." I pulled down his head and whispered an interesting proposition in his ear.

"I'll be here." He snugged me closer and gave me a long and satisfying kiss. "Be careful, lass. Valdez, stay close."

"You got it, boss." Valdez dropped his leash at my feet.

"We'll all be careful." I held on to the leash, but didn't bother to clip it on. It was just for show anyway. I pulled Lucky out the door. She stopped at the top of the stairs.

"You guys seem pretty tight." She glanced back at my apartment.

"Tight. Loose. Jerry made me. Just like I made you, Lucky. So we feel bound to each other."

"Excuse me?" Lucky ran down the stairs. "I'm not bound to you. I'm my own woman. And now that I'm vampire . . ." She concentrated, then grinned. Her new fangs were a dazzling white. "I figure I don't need anyone or anything." She tried to open the outside door, then looked down at the keypad. "Except maybe the code to get out of here."

"In a minute." I put my hand on Valdez's head. I could tell he was bursting to spout off to Lucky about how not ready she was to take on the world. "I'll just say this one more time. There's a lot you don't know yet. About your powers or lack of. About the predators out there who live to take a vampire fang as a trophy." Now that erased her megawatt smile. "And about how to keep safe and below the mortal radar. It's all about survival, Miss Not-So-Lucky. I've managed to stick around for over four hundred years so maybe, just maybe, I know a thing or two about it. Ya think?"

I waited a beat or two. Finally she looked sheepish and nodded. "Okay, okay, I get it." She glanced up the stairs again. "Besides." Here came the grin again. "No way am I risking my new life before I've had a chance to try a vampire lover."

"That's as good a reason as any. So listen and learn." I reached over and punched in the code. "Trust me, Lucky. There's nothing like sex with a vampire male, especially an ancient one. Mortals never quite, um, measure up after you've had a vampire ring your bell."

"Do I have to hear this?" Valdez was through the door as soon as I pulled it open. "Wait here. I'm checking out the area." Lucky tried to head out after him and I stopped her with an arm across the door. "Wait. Let Valdez do his thing."

"You take orders from your dog?" Lucky tried unsuccessfully to shove my arm out of the way.

"Just like you listened to your bodyguard. You did listen to her, didn't you?"

"Yeah, yeah, point taken." Lucky sighed. "Brit was really careful. She didn't want me to meet in the alley at all. We had a big fight about it. And now-"

"And now we try to find her." I heard Valdez shout the all clear in my mind. "Let's go."

"We should walk around the block if you want to check out the alley. If we go through the shop, you'll be stuck." Valdez nodded toward the large shop windows.

I could see a few customers looking through racks of clothes and Derek helping a woman pick out a porcelain figurine. I itched to go in and see the day's totals and maybe boost a sale or two in the clothing department. But Lucky was already halfway down the block. I made sure no one was looking, then put on a burst of vamp speed to catch up with her.

"You should have good night vision now, Lucky. Check it out." We turned the corner, and I noticed the security lights at the end of the alley were still out.

"Wow, you're right. It's like I've got headlights."

Valdez trotted a few feet ahead of us, head down, tail up.

"I-" Something hit me right between my shoulder blades and I went down hard. "What the-" Snarls, curses, some mine, some Valdez's, none Lucky's, flew as I rolled and got ready to kick some ass. I gasped when a stake pricked my chest through my black sweater set.

"Nobody move or this bitch dies."

"I'm not moving." Not even to drag some cold night air into my lungs.

"Brittany!" Lucky appeared next to the woman who was poking me with what felt like a giant spear. "Stop! This is Glory. She saved me."

"She stole your purse." Poke. Poke. "I saw her carrying it." Poke. Brittany, six feet of womanly curves and flowing blond hair, seemed to be gathering steam for the death strike. "Run, Lucky. Grab your purse and take off while I finish this bitch." Lucky, ungrateful bitch herself, was obviously thinking this one over.