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Six

I met Ray back in the suite just a few minutes before dawn

"Did you tell Campbell about MacDonald?" Ray sat on the side of the bed and slipped off his loafers

"No The tio and began to write a note for Nathan about the scale

"You afraid of his reaction?" Ray got up to pull off his T-shirt He tossed it on the closet floor

"I’ht Jerry had arranged a ro on the roof I wasn’t about to spoil it" I finished the note "Where should I put this so I’ll be sure Nate sees it toht up to the suite and put in a private place so I can weigh myself every day"

"Good idea I wouldn’t trust MacDonald’s scale either" Ray headed for the bathroo to shower Put it on top of the TV remote Nate starts every day with CNN and the stock h on the scale in the hotel gyreed with Ian’s scale Two and a half pounds in one night, Ray!" I laughed "But then I got paranoid and wondered if ether" I felt a flush heat o"

"No, I see what you ht to be suspicious If Blade and MacDonald are old eneame than you know, Glory I say we’re sht?"

"You should always have a paranorot up and kicked off ets a whiff of you in LA and a turf war could start We have no idea who’s in charge here I know the Austin scene pretty well, but we should probably ask Da in with Va waves We need to assure the powers that be that we’re well behaved and find out the secret handshake around here"

"You’re kidding Sounds like organized cri"

"In a way" I liot perher up And if he goes after Blade, he’d better be careful or he’ll have the big, bad va, bad way"

"Good to know" Ray watchedjeans, and barefoot, he was too sexy to ignore, but I made the effort Valdez and Brittany were out on the balcony having a quiet conversation so ere alone for a change "You looked really excited after drinking from Trina, Glory Flushed, totally turned on Must have been so like that So I really wasn’t surprised when it actually worked like Ian said it would" I looked down at the note "This is silly A waste of money The hotel scales should be okay"

Ray walked over and put the note on top of the reet the scale For your peace ofourNo discussion I want to see the bill" I followed Ray into the bedrooirl It’s outrageous I can afford it and you can’t You’ve saved my life more than once Call it payback and that’s that" He stepped closer and put his finger on my chin "Get thatDawn’s coown and drink Ian’s potion so we can go to bed"

Ray slipped past ue But if the treatment was as expensive as he said, I probably couldn’t afford it I put my hand on his bare back

"Thanks, Ray This means a lot I don’t kno I’ll ever repay you"

He turned and smiled "Just be happy If this deal with Ian works out, thenNohere’s your tonic?"

"In the bag on the nightstand" I ignored Ray’s daylight coe that fantasy I picked up the bag and pulled out the two bottles One said drink before sleeping The entire contents? Apparently I twisted off the top and sniffed, then wrinkled my nose

"What does it smell like? Not blood?"

"No, some kind of herbs Or fruit I don’t know Take a whiff" I held the bottle out to Ray