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Freddy and Derek couldn’t wait to introduce hbor I’ve run across shape-shifters before There’d been one ho’d been a hunk in hu me to shape-shift too No, thank you, Wolfly breakups

"It’s three frickin’ thirty in theon fire?" A tall woman with red hair that would’ve made Clairol ith envy stood between Freddy and Derek, poking them both in the chest hat looked to be lethal peach-frost fingernails She wore a faded orange University of Texas T-shirt and plaid boxers Her legs were aand she looked like a ot you’re a day person Meet your new neighbor, Gloriana St Clair Then you can go back to bed Glory, this is Lacy Devereau"

Lacy gaveon Valdez, who’d leaped down to stand by h I knew froone

"Back off, fur ball I was here first" Lacy obviously wasn’t talking to e, lady, and we’ll see ns this turf"

"Stop it, Valdez" I sivewith cats"

" A hate thing that says haul your skinny ass out of here" Valdez bared his teeth Lacy laughed and shook my hand "All bark I’ve met his kind before And, fur ball, you have no idea what my cat form looks like" She purred and bent down to look into his eyes Whatever they said to each other inside their heads seeo It stinks in here I’ll be on your bed if you need me" Valdez looked up at me

"Fine" I released him and watched hilance over his shoulder and growl Lacy growled back, her nails suddenly claws, and he sniffed and walked stiff-legged out of sight

"Sorry about that, Lacy"

"Not to worry, Glory Dogs are as important to ht out of existence Which is what I told hihbor Could she read my mind? She smiled and nodded Peachy All I needed was another one

"Da the shop downstairs to you An antique store?"

"Right Vintage Vamp’s Emporium"

"Cool I’ve had some retail experience and"--she leaned forward--"I’ood news I needed a day worker and, despite her rather aggressive attitude with , Lacy seemed like a competent person I looked her over She did have a skinny butt, so I stilldespite not a speck of ?

"I need a job I orking in the coffee bar at a local bookstore when this idiot told his buddy he’d just dumped a litter of kittens on the side of the freeway He was laughing" She shuddered "Those poor babies didn’t stand a chance"

"Jerk"

"Exactly So, oops, I dropped a latte in his lap"

"Hot latte, I hope" Kittens on the freeway I can’t tolerate cruelty to aniot me fired"

"Too bad I’ve always been an ani around?"

"You should switch to cats, Glory MuchNot so slavishly devoted, of course" Tie "Where are Freddy and Derek?" Not that it ed for one of Derek’s mortal friends to turn it in tomorrow

"They hit it as soon as they introduced us Probably bringing down their prey as we speak Maybe you should join theot darkness" Lacy yawned and stretched Yes, she did have a kind of cat persona going on

"We don’t call it prey And I haven’t fed that way in years" Obviously vamps and werecats have a different mind-set

"Too bad" Lacy looked around the room "So how about that job? I could use theor two about old stuff" She walked over to the pile of clothes Freddy had dropped onto a chair and picked up a vintage flapper dress

"I had one of these Cute" She looked at me, then down at her oy body "I don’t think we’re the sah to remember omen wore these" She pulled out a boned corset and wrapped it around her "I’m sure a man invented this I’d like to see one pull into a twenty-inch waist"

I was really liking Lacy "You can work a register?"

"Of course" She tossed the corset back into the pile "So do I have the job?"

"I’ll give you a shot I’h Saturday We’ll have Sundays and Mondays off Sound okay?"

"As long as you pay h, no problee jaw cracker that showed some pretty impressive canines "Sorry I’m beat Check with me when you wake up"

"Will do" I watched her stroll back into her own apartment and shut the door Click Click Double dead bolts Just like on my door Nice