Real Vampires: Glory Does Vegas Bartlett, Gerry (good fiction books to read .txt) 📖

topless pictures to her mother if she doesn’t take him back.” I turned off the motor and ripped open his bag.

“That’s a loser move. Tell Dom. He could send him screaming into the night. You could too, Glory. Go vampire on the guy. Why don’t you?” Valdez gave me a searching look while I spread out his meal on the paper.

“I hate mesmerizing mortals and you know it.” I looked out the window. “I could use mind control to get him to leave Tiff alone but that seems unfair.”

“You keep trying to live like a mortal. That’s what’s unfair.” Valdez picked up a French fry with his tongue. “You’ll never be mortal again. You’re vampire. Embrace it. Use your powers, Glo. You don’t see Jerry hesitating to bring out the fangs or change when the need arises.”

“I’m not like Jeremiah.” I took apart his Big Mac and broke the meat into pieces he could manage easily. Inhaling his dinner was a good distraction from the challenge he’d posed. Too bad it left my deliberately slutty hairdo reeking of greasy fast food.

“Drifting along trying to be one of the girls seems like a waste to me.” He licked secret sauce off his nose. “You could help those girls if you’d just grow a pair.”

I laughed. “Dude, I’ll never grow a pair, thank the gods. Now eat so we can get to the club. Speaking of, have you learned anything about business while waiting in the break room? If you think you might want a club of your own, you should be listening to Mae and Manny.”

“Actually, yes. Mae is sharp. She’s always finding a new way to make money. You know she charges all of you to make your costumes. Now she’s selling costumes to other venues on the Strip. She’s also discovered this thing called eBay where she sells costumes all over the world.”

“No kidding!” I snatched a fry and sniffed then dared lick it. Salty deliciousness. I started the engine and finally threw that fry back in the bag.

“You know, I’m not so different from you, Glory. I do want to plan for my future.” He dipped his snout into the cup to slurp up some Coke. I’d seen him do it a hundred times. So far, he hadn’t mastered a straw. Too bad.

“I’ve got to make more money faster. That’s a real problem now.”

He looked up and dripped Coke on my worn upholstery. “No, the real problem is that you buy too much. Quit buying and start saving.”

“Not buying won’t increase my savings nearly enough. Besides, when I see something really special, like Donna’s Chanel bag? V, I’ve got to jump on it. She was willing to sell it for fifty bucks! I know can sell it for four hundred.” I stared out at the parking lot. “I wonder if Mae could help me sell it on eBay. For a cut. That would be the smart thing to do.”

“There you go. Ask her tonight.” He nodded, finally approving of something I said.

When we got to the club, Mae was busy fitting a costume on a new dancer. One of our regulars had been picked up by a club on the Strip. A producer from one of the big hotels had caught our show one night. Mary Ann had stood out because she was not only beautiful, but an excellent dancer who had bothered to practice her steps.

Donna came in fuming about it. “I’m just as good as that bitch. Why did she get the offer?” She threw down her leather jacket and sat next to Valdez so she could stroke his fur.

I didn’t know what to say. If the talent scout had come for the second show, he’d have seen Donna wobbling from her nightly shots of bourbon. I was trying to figure out how to say something tactfully when Mae shooed away the new dancer, Liza, and sat down next to Donna.

“Girlfriend, you drink too much.” Mae breathed, her nostrils flaring. “I smell it on you right now. That makes you clumsy in the dance. Do you deny it?”

Donna’s eyes filled. She looked away from Mae’s sharp gaze. “Leave me alone. The booze is the only way I can get up there and show my tits.”

“I don’t believe that.” Mae grabbed her chin and forced her to face her. “You are a strong woman. Yet you live with a man who did this to you.” She touched Donna’s chin and the tall redhead winced. “I see through your makeup. He beat you. I want to take my knife and fix that bastard. He won’t get a woman then. Hah!”

Valdez sat up with a growl. He stared at Donna, then gently laid his head on her knee. That did it, she burst into tears. She clutched his ear, then leaned against Mae’s shoulder.

“Oh, Mae!” Donna took the tissue Mae handed her. “I’m in too deep. I tried to leave him yesterday and got knocked down for my trouble.”

“I know people. We can arrange an accident.” Mae looked fierce.

Donna sat up. “No, you can’t! He works for the mob. There would be a war. I know who you’re talking about. Your people fighting his people?” She shook her head. “We can’t risk it.”

This got me to thinking. Valdez was right. It was time for me to use my powers. I put my arm around Donna.

“Friend, what do you really want? Lee? Or to leave him and start over without him?” I looked into her eyes while she thought about it. I knew whatever she said, the truth would be in her mind.

“I love the lifestyle, Glory. He’s great when he’s not mad, but scary too. The people he hangs around with…” she looked down at her hands, knotted in her lap. “If you knew what I know… you wouldn’t come near them.”

“I get it. But you just admitted he hit you when you tried to leave.” I squeezed her shoulders. “Do you have a plan if you leave?”

“Yes! Tiffany