by A. P. Jensen
Working in housekeeping was similar to running in sand every day. She examined herself in the mirror and admired her trim legs in the short dress. Housekeeping was a highly physical job and though she binged after work, she worked off the calories by hauling laundry, running up and down flights of stairs, making beds and cleaning toilets. She ran a hand over her butt where the fabric stretched taut and shrugged. She went back to the closet for shoes and raised her brows at the array of hooker heels. Obviously, Manny was a man who hated women since he only provided stilettos. Raven had never worn anything like this before. She leaned towards sensible and comfortable rather than extravagant and painful. She slipped on the heels and winced as her shoulder made its injury known to her- as if she could forget. Now she really wanted that margarita and she wanted to see how the women were dressed and what really went on in exclusive clubs.
“I don’t like this, Raven.”
Cain’s voice came from the other side of her bedroom door. She was dressed in an insanely expensive getup and being held hostage in Decadent by an assassin that could walk through walls. She fried some of her brain cells by sitting on a couch for an estimated twenty nine hours watching a TV show and she wanted to stretch her legs, drink alcohol and watch other people get drunk. Raven opened the door and glared at him. He changed out of his normal colorful shirts and now wore a black button up shirt with a blazer over it.
“I got dressed up so we’re going,” Raven snapped.
Cain’s eyes started on her glossy hair, moved down to the cobalt dress and ended at the wicked stilettos with tiny straps crisscrossed around her ankles. His eyes slowly moved up, over the dress again and met her eyes. The heat in his eyes caught her off guard. The easy camaraderie between them turned into something darker and way more personal. Something low in her belly clenched and she actually took half a step forward before she caught herself. She stumbled, broke eye contact and smoothed a hand over her dress.
“Manny went overboard,” Cain murmured.
She cleared her throat before she raised her eyes to his again. “Maybe you should’ve been more specific with him.”
“I told him to buy you a new wardrobe since you left everything behind.”
“He bought me more than I’ve ever owned.” She smiled at Cain. “Thanks, hubby.”
When she tried to go around him towards the staircase, he stepped in front of her, blocking her way. It was either shove him down the steps or stop. Nervous and uneasy, she met his gaze with a challenging one. With her stilettos, they were nearly the same height. She’d never had a man look at her the way Cain was- with desire and a shocking hint of hunger that made her feel dainty and weak in the knees. She’d been asked out before and been stood up each time. That was enough of a battering on her ego to give up on the male species. Most men dismissed her because she wasn’t trying to get their attention and now here was Cain, looking at her with eyes that said he wanted to do all kinds of naughty things to her.
“I really don’t think this is a good idea,” Cain said, voice pitched low.
His voice rubbed over her and goose bumps broke out over her skin. She stiffened because she was way more tempted than she should be.
“Do you have the voice hypnosis thing like Lo?”
He smiled. “No.”
“Oh.” She felt like an idiot.
“We can stay in.”
Did he move closer or had she?
“No. I want a margarita.”
She forced herself to think of a large margarita with salt on the rim and not about what his body must look like under his prim, preppy clothes. You’re from the other side of the track, she reminded herself.
“I can make you a margarita here.”
She looked away from him to the two story windows that looked out at the Strip in all its colorful glory. She knew the streets would be crowded with tourists and locals that were all looking for the same thing- adventure and fun. For once, she wanted the same thing. She had a golden ticket into the hottest club on the Strip. Maybe getting shot was giving her a new appreciation for life. How could she live in Vegas and never step foot in a club? It was pathetic and she really wanted that margarita.
“You’re dressed, I’m dressed. You have a gun, I’d like a gun,” she trailed off and raised her brows expectantly. “Lo wants us to come. One drink and if you think we’re about to be killed, we’ll come back up here, okay?”
He was silent for a long moment. “This isn’t smart.”
She pouted her lips and felt a definite zing when his eyes dropped to them. “Don’t be such a baby. Haven’t I been a good captive? You should reward me.”
His lips twitched. “With a margarita?”
“Bingo. Let’s go and watch the ho’s shake their asses in front of the rich guys.”
He held her arm as they walked down the staircase and before they headed out the door, he held up one white pill.
“I think the margarita will take care of my shoulder,” Raven said.
“You’re not a normal human. You can take the pill and alcohol. Just in case we need to make a run for it, I think you’re better off with your muscles loose.”
She wanted to argue with the ‘not a normal human’ comment. After all, she hadn’t shown any signs of having a super power, but she decided to take the pill without a fuss since that would get her down to the club quicker. Cain held up his hand in a signal for her to wait. She heeded his warning and watched as he walked through the closed front door of the penthouse. She closed her eyes for a moment.
“All clear,” he said.
She peeked one eye open, saw him standing in front of her, as soundless as a ghost. She tapped her stiletto for a few seconds before she opened the door and they walked out into the hallway.
“What does it feel like, going through a wall?” she asked in the elevator.
He shrugged. “It’s like walking under water. There’s resistance and you feel kind of disoriented, but you get used to it.”
“Cool.”
“It’s a handy power.”
“I’ll bet.”
The elevator dinged and they walked into the lobby of Decadent. Raven gawked like a country jack. She’d never seen anything of the hotel except for the guest rooms. The floor sparkled like diamonds and there was a huge waterfall in the middle of the lobby that misted over the guests that strutted by. The air smelled of oranges and there were huge flower arrangements bursting with color. In the corner was a monstrous Christmas tree filled with so many ornaments you couldn’t see the tree beneath it.
“It’s beautiful,” Raven breathed.
Cain curved an arm around her waist, jolting her. “Sin is this way.”
She let Cain lead her as they walked on the carpeted path between the slot machines where people gambled, smoke and drank. They passed beautiful restaurants that looked as if they were in Italy or France. They also passed by the spa, which smelled of eucalyptus. Raven heard the beat of music long before they reached Sin and wasn’t disappointed. There were red velvet ropes set up in front of the entrance and huge bouncers. A long line of people dressed as scantily as possible tried to bribe the bouncers who looked like a cross between Hulk Hogan and Men in Black. As they approached, Lo materialized between the bouncers and beckoned excitedly.
“What took you so long?” Lo demanded and ran an appreciative eye over Raven. “And who’s this?”
“She likes to throw knives, remember?” Cain said.
Lo looked confused. “What? Never mind, come in.”
Lo grabbed Raven’s hand, pulled her away from Cain and led her into the club. They walked through a dark hallway and came to a pair of heavy curtains that Lo pushed aside. Heavy bass pounded in her ears. In the middle of the club was a dance floor covered in writhing, jumping bodies. Colored lights blinked over the club, dazzling her eyes. Against the walls of the club on a raised dais were large booths, mostly set in shadow. These VIP tables were separated from the partiers by a metal railing manned by more menacing
bouncers. Celebrities, high rollers and the filthy rich watched the festivities while they sipped champagne and let their bodyguards stand like frozen statues in front of their booths. A bouncer let them pass into the VIP section and Lo led the way to a table crowded with people. Lo yelled over the music, pointing to each person while making introductions but Raven only caught snatches of what he was saying. Lo scooted into the booth beside a scantily clad woman in gold and pulled Raven in behind him. Cain pushed in beside her and she found herself sandwiched between the two cousins. She turned, putting her back to Lo’s and angled her body so she could see the dance floor, which put her chest up against Cain’s back since he faced away from her.
“Why did he want you to come if he has all these people here?” Raven yelled in Cain’s ear.
“Lo’s always ‘the more the merrier.’”
A waitress with the largest breasts Raven had ever seen approached with a gigantic margarita. It was exactly how Raven imagined it- neat with a healthy dose of salt on the rim. The waitress set a glass of amber liquid in front of Cain and obviously smelled money because she leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Cain shook his head and she pouted and stomped away on clear hooker heels. Her skirt was so short Raven saw her ass cheeks bounce.
“She has a great body,” Raven offered.
She took the margarita, shuddered when she licked the salt off the rim and sipped. Her body flushed with heat and she shivered against Cain.
“You’re a great protector.” Raven said and patted Cain on the head.
“The sooner you finish that drink, the sooner we’re out of here.”
She stuck her tongue out because he couldn’t see. Halfway through the drink, Raven felt very warm and free. She rested her chin on Cain’s shoulder, put one arm around his waist and felt the hard ridge of the gun under his jacket. He didn’t tense or try to push her hand away so she stayed that way, listening to the music. She couldn’t define the words but the beat was enough. She rocked her head from side to side, yelled lyrics here and there and fist pumped when a song she knew hit the speakers. Cain stayed like a steady rock in front of her and she felt safe and happy. Before Cain, her life had been so boring. She now had a gunshot wound but that wasn’t Cain’s fault. It was those bastards… the Battalion. Yup. They were bad men.
“Screw ‘um!” Raven yelled.
Cain turned his head to the side and looked at her. “You about done with that drink?”
“No!”
The same waitress brought another margarita and when Cain tried to interfere, Raven covered his mouth with her hand and thanked the waitress. Cain bit her hand and tipped the server who beamed. As Raven started in on her new margarita, other servers brought bottles of champagne and since their backs were touching, she felt the vibration of Lo’s voice as he sweet talked his ho. Raven felt pleasantly lightheaded and watched some of the dancers try to convince the bouncer to let them into the VIP section. Denied, a bunch of women came up to the railing and tried to entice those on the VIP tables by flashing them. Cain didn’t even blink. He stayed relaxed and calm as he nursed his drink and waited for her to finish.
At some point, Raven looked across the U shaped table at the other occupants who were drinking, talking or making out. She smiled goofily at them and most of them smiled or waved back. Nice people. She looked beyond their table to examine the rich and famous. Men with women young enough to be their daughters did illegal acts in the shadows while celebrities watched with their entourages. As her fuzzy gaze wandered, something in her went to attention when she focused on a table to the far left where it was so dark her eyes could barely make out what she was seeing.
Through the disorienting blinking lights, Raven made out five men dressed in black suits, white ties and sunglasses. They sat at a table, stock-still and every single one of them had their head turned in her direction. Her instincts shrieked and the arm around Cain tightened and went for his gun. His hand clamped on her wrist. He turned in a smooth movement so they were chest to chest. Cain’s face was shadowed but she had his undivided attention. He leaned down and to her astonishment, brushed his lips gently over hers. Her eyes went wide and she caught a glimpse of his wicked blue eyes before his mouth settled on hers. She felt the glide of his tongue and she caught the faint taste of whiskey. The hand Cain still held splayed on his lap and he drew designs on her forearm and palm, all the while leisurely kissing her. When he pulled back, she leaned towards him for more. He grinned, white teeth flashing in the light as he leaned forward and nibbled on her ear.
“They walked in fifteen minutes ago,” Cain said.
She jerked but his hand on her waist tightened, keeping her close so he could talk. The fingertip that drew patterns on her arm moved to her thigh. She shifted restlessly against him and heard him chuckle. In retaliation, she tip toed her fingers up his abdomen and felt him stiffen. She smiled and sensed the tension ratchet up from the other table. She wasn’t sure how she knew that their energy was changing as they readied to make a move. It was that same internal alarm she felt on Thanksgiving, that feeling of being watched and impending danger.
“You need to give me a gun,” she said into his ear. “They’re going to move.”
He didn’t question her warning. He pushed a gun into her hand beneath the table and bit her neck in warning. With her other hand, she cupped the back of his neck.
“We need to get everybody out of here,” Raven hollered.
“Call Lo.”
Since he didn’t release her to turn, she reached behind her and pinched Lo’s side. She felt him jump and then he leaned his head back until his hair meshed with hers. Although it looked as if Lo was elbowing into their make out session, Cain’s voice was clear and direct as he spoke to Lo.
“Battalion’s here. White ties. They’re gonna move,” Cain said.
Cain rose, pulling Raven up from the table. Since the dress fit like a second skin she slipped the gun between the stretchy material and her upper thigh. Her heartbeat doubled when the Battalion men got to their feet. Raven saw one of them reach into their coats and pull out a gun. A celebrity screamed and bodyguards and bouncers rushed forward. Lo got to his feet in a smooth move, put an arm around Raven and pulled her with him towards the Battalion men who were in a standoff with the bouncers who had their hands up. Lo pushed his way forward and she sensed the Battalion men’s surprise. Raven wanted to shove Lo away, but she knew Cain was behind her and he wouldn’t let it get out of control. The music still played and people on the dance floor were oblivious to the danger brewing in the VIP section as they laughed and drank their troubles away.
As she faced the Battalion men, she tried to make out their faces but it was impossible with the flashing light and most of their face covered by shades. She knew they were dangerous. She could feel the menace dripping off of them and she knew all their attention was directed on her.
“We don’t want any trouble, now, do we?” Lo drawled.
The man holding his gun wavered. Raven’s nails dug into his side but Lo didn’t flinch or waver. She wasn’t sure if he was sober enough to realize the danger they were in.
“Give us the girl,” the Battalion leader said.
The bodyguards and bouncers frowned and began to back off, sensing they were outclassed and didn’t want to be a part of this war.
“We’re having a good time. I haven’t had a break off from work in months and this is the first night I’m letting loose. Can you wait until tomorrow or something?” Lo said and Raven heard the whine in his voice.
“Lo,” Cain snapped from behind them.
“You know, I love Vegas. It’s 24/7 and no one judges you, no one cares who you screw. I’m not looking forward to going back to New York for work but I have to because of my old man. It sucks, you know?”
Raven found her eyelids drooping and her panic and anxiety began to drift away. She relaxed against Lo and smiled at the Battalion. She saw several of them grin back.
“Why doesn’t
everybody go back to their tables and order a drink on me, huh? What do you say?” Lo continued.
The gun slowly lowered. No one spoke as the bouncers and bodyguards went back to their posts. Raven thought she heard one guard report to his employer ‘screwing around.’ The Battalion men stayed put and Lo continued talking, smothering their thoughts with his silver tongue.
“If you want women, I can send them to you,” Lo offered cheerfully.
The man that Raven suspected was the leader of the group shook his head as if trying to clear his head.
“Want one woman,” he grunted.
“You can’t have this one,” Lo said lightly, squeezing Raven’s side. “She’s hooked up with my cousin and he doesn’t share.”
The men nodded and four of the Battalion men walked back to their table. Lo tightened his arm around Raven and directed her past their table and ignored the woman in the gold dress who asked him where he was going. They were halfway across the dance floor before she realized what Lo managed to do.
“Your power’s handy,” she said and let out a long breath.
Lo’s eyes moved over her face. “Cain wouldn’t be around you unless it was Council business. What’s your talent?”
“I don’t-.”
Cain tackled them from behind as a gunshot cut through the music. They hit the ground hard and the gun dug into her thigh. Raven rolled to the side as the dancer’s screamed and began to shove their way to the exit, nearly trampling them.
“Stubborn bastards,” Lo swore and pulled a small gun from his coat.
Raven snatched her gun as the Battalion men vaulted over the railing and rushed towards them. Realizing they were too close to shoot without possibly shooting an innocent bystander, she grabbed a beer bottle off a table. As Cain squared off with one of the suits, through the disorienting light, Raven was treated to a show of Cain’s skills. She watched him take down both men swiftly in a series of moves that were too quick for her to follow.
