"Well, maybe not physically, Jer, but, no matter the size of my outside, I'm always the same inside you know." I frowned, hearing myself. Hello? When I was right, I was right.
"I could have told you that, Blade." Rafe just had to put his two cents in. He nodded at Jerry like get a clue.
"Don't start, Rafe." I sighed. "In that world, Hollywood, surrounded by so many glamorous stick-thin women? It was important to me. And, I admit it, ultracool. A dream come true." I sighed again. Too bad it hadn't lasted. I'd always consider Ian MacDonald a genius for creating a vampire diet drug that worked. But so temporary and so outrageously expensive. Ray had paid for it. Which reminded me. I could see that he'd shut my bedroom door. What was he up to in there? If he was hunting for my Blud-Lite . . .
"Regardless, she turned them down flat. Even though they gave her another incentive." Rafe smiled at me. "She can see herself in a mirror. Actually gets a reflection."
"I don't believe it." Jerry gripped my knee.
"Oh, believe it. I'll show you later." I sat up straight, effectively getting away from Jerry's hold. I was afraid this next bit of news was going to make him crazy. "Then they called in the big guns."
"How so?" Jerry looked from me to Rafe.
"Me. I owe hell a favor." Rafe shot me a look that said it wasn't too late for me to abandon him. I sent him a mental message that he could forget it. "For using my powers. So I'm charged with helping Glory work for Lucifer."
"No, by God!" Jerry jumped up, gripping Rafe by his shirt front.
"You think I want her working for demons?" Rafe shoved at Jerry and the sofa moved.
I jerked the coffee table out of the way. I'd already lost one to a fight in here and I really liked this one.
"Calm down, both of you. There's nothing we can do except work to fix this."
"All of this comes down to this damned demon." Jerry snarled at Rafe.
"You brought me here. Let me get to know Glory, love her. This is your damned fault, Scotsman." Rafe was livid and he threw a punch that landed with a sickening crunch on Jerry's nose. Blood spurted and I screamed.
"If you love Glory, then get these hellspawn away from her. Do something!" Jerry roared and charged, hitting Rafe solidly in the midsection and reducing my chair to kindling as they hit the floor.
"Stop it!" I kicked at both of them but they didn't even notice, too busy pummeling each other as blood sprayed the wooden floor and pieces of chair crunched under their bodies.
"Nice." Ray stood in the doorway, a bottle of Blud-Lite in his hand.
"Damn it!" If that didn't just make this whole thing worse.
"Glory, your cell is ringing." Penny came out of the bathroom, my cell phone in her hand. I guess I'd left it next to my makeup bag. The mirror in there was now my favorite place in the apartment.
Jerry and Rafe cursed and rolled toward me. I threw up my hands and stalked around the back of the couch. To hell with them. To hell with Ray too, who now leaned against the bathroom door, flirting with Penny. I grabbed my phone, shoved Penny toward her bedroom and Ray into the bathroom, then slammed the door. I finally answered the phone, though I could barely hear over the grunts, curses and crashes from the living room.
"Hello?"
"Glory? It's Erin. We've got an emergency in the shop. You'd better get down here."
"What kind of emergency? I've got a situation up here that's pretty bad at the moment." Damn it, there went my lamp. Jerry was paying for a new one. I was pretty sure he'd started this brawl with his attitude. Then Rafe's red eyes started heating up and I was afraid he was going to owe hell even more favors. I had to stop this, right now.
"Paparazzi. Seems you and Israel Caine are back together again if the fact that his SUV is parked behind this building is any indication. Which is way cool. But you know what happens. We're swamped. You went to that concert and someone got a picture of the two of you right after he did a header off the stage. Is he okay?" Erin sounded breathless. "Yes, ma'am, this is her shop. Oh, yes, I'll ring you up." I heard the rustle of fabric. A