"Don't start putting ideas in Penny's head, Nate. Come on up and tell me about Ray's crisis." I helped Penny unload the rest of the cat paraphernalia and we trouped up the stairs.
Once Boogie was in the apartment, we let him loose and he ran to hide under my bed. We settled in the living room and Penny was all big eyes and curiosity.
"Who's Ray?" she asked first.
"Israel Caine. Nathan's his best friend and manager. I was Ray's mentor too. And, for a while, we pretended to be engaged, for the media." I grabbed a bottle of synthetic and one of the beers Rafe had left in my fridge. I handed the beer to Nate, who opened it gratefully.
"Are you telling me that Israel Caine, the rock star, the legend, is a vampire?" Penny was on the edge of her chair.
"Unfortunately." Nate took a deep swallow of his beer and sighed. "He's really into the synthetic with alcohol now that he's discovered it."
"I was afraid that would happen." I glanced at Penny. Might as well tell her the rest. "Ray was close to having to go to rehab for alcoholism when he was turned. Being a vampire was no more his choice than it was yours. He earned his fangs in an act of revenge by a woman who thought he deserved to lose daylight."
"As revenge, she got it right. He's still brooding about it. Getting suicidal again. Really into the daylight drug and I'm afraid he's going to fall down drunk outside some morning and just fry." Nate took another gulp of beer. "I've hired people to watch him, just in case."
"Oh, Nate." I was beside him on the couch and I put my hand on his knee. "This has got to be killing you."
"I was hoping you'd help me snap him out of it." Nate gave me a sad smile. "You know he loves you. Still."
"Doubt it. We really didn't part well the last time he made a move on me." I'd laid it out pretty clearly that I was either all for Jerry or even Rafe before I'd take a chance on a rocker with Ray's history of love 'em and leave 'em.
"I know you're not going to go back to him as his woman or anything like that." Nate grimaced. "Ray shared some of what went down with you. One night when he was bombed it came pouring out. I don't think he remembers telling me or he'd be embarrassed. Anyway, you always had a way of making him remember what he has to live for." Nate looked at Penny. "You guys have forever. But if you've lost what you value most, I guess that's not such a good deal, is it?"
Penny sniffed. "No, it isn't. I'm still trying to figure this out. How am I going to handle it when my parents die? My friends? Hell, I have a twin sister. Glory won't even let me clue her in yet about this freakin' change I've gone through."
"Listen to Glory." Nate put his hand on mine and squeezed. "She's been through a lot. She knows. I saw her handle Ray when I couldn't and he's been my best friend since grade school."
"I want to help him, Nate. Seriously. But how? Last I knew he was with Nadia and having a fine old time learning the ropes and chains and you name it of her freaky sex-perience." I eased my hand from his. "He's been living here in town and hasn't even called me, even though we're supposed to be friends."
"Nadia got tired of Ray's drinking and dumped him. I told you, he's out of control. Won't rehearse. Isn't writing the songs we need for the new album. Told the band to take a break so they're about to head out. He's pushing everyone away. You're not the only one." Nate shook his head. "Here's the worst. He even talked to Ian MacDonald about coming here to Austin. Ray offered to be the guinea pig if Ian would move his lab so they could work to make the daylight drug last all day. I think Ian's going to come check out the city."
"No way." I jumped up. This was bad. Definitely suicidal.
"What's this daylight drug?" Penny just had to ask.
I'd been so into the Ray thing I'd almost forgotten she was in the room. "It's a drug that will let vampires stay awake long enough to watch the sun rise. Out of direct sunlight, of course. You