Real Vampires Get Lucky by Gerry Bartlett Page A

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.
    "Tell her the truth, Lucky."
    "Okay, okay. She saved my life, Brit. I gave her the purse. In gratitude. I'd be dead if she hadn't found me bleeding out in the alley. Honest. Let her go."
    An astonished Brittany glanced over her shoulder. "Are you kidding me? You gave up your Birkin bag? Willingly? " I saw my chance. I hadn't watched ESPN wrestling with Valdez just for the muscular male bodies, writhing in next to nothing. I used my legs in a scissor kick to throw Brittany off balance as I grabbed her wrist and squeezed. I jumped up and tossed the stake halfway down the block, ready to finish her.
    "Ow! Son of a-" Brittany was flat on her face, Valdez on her like a dog-skin rug. "Oof. Get off me." She raised her head and sniffed. "Rafael?"
    "Who wants to know?" Valdez put a paw on her injured wrist and she yelped.
    "Rafe, baby, it's me, Beth." She had tears in her big blue eyes.
    Valdez leaned down and dragged his nose through her really gorgeous blond mane. "Holy shit." He leaped off her, knocking me on my butt.
    "Hey!" I stomped on her injured wrist again when it looked like she was going to get up. She screamed and stopped struggling.
    "Stop! It's Brittany!"
    "Stop! It's Beth!"
    I kept my foot where it was and faced the chorus. "I don't care if it's Santa Claus. She just tried to stake me." I could see Valdez was thinking about a head butt. "Don't even. I'm not letting her up until I get some explanations." Lucky made some threatening gestures with her generic hobo bag. "Lucky, you should be with me on this. Where the hell was your 'bodyguard' when you were almost killed?"
    "Yeah, Brittany, where were you? A vampire, not this one, tore open my throat and left me for dead."
    "I . . . I don't remember. One minute I was checking out this alley . . ." She looked at