She splashed out on a taxi—there was no choice, was there?—and soon she was at the river crossing that led to the island where the complex stood. She was pushed around by other clubbers, some of them already drunk, as she boarded the ferry. It was a relief to get off the crowded vessel and step onto the other side of the river. From there, it was a short walk. Once she reached the venue, she walked along the wall that surrounded the place. There were various gates in the wall, leading to different zones. She stood straight, plastering a smile to her face as she walked through the entrance that led to Oasis. As she waited in the queue, she cast an eye over the customers around her. There were a lot of single men and women out—if she got in early enough, she should be able to pull at least two or three customers tonight.
She was always on her best behavior when she came to this place and had done nothing that might get her noticed by security. The venue had devices all over the place that scanned beings for STDs, and it recently introduced an entry stamp that looked and felt like that of any other club, but pressed a 24-hour contraceptive into the customer’s wrist. She was always careful to use protection with customers, because she couldn’t pick up anything that might get her banned from Eclipse. This place was her only way out of Manhattan. By the time she reached the entrance, her mind was already calculating the money she might make tonight.
One of the guards in a black uniform glanced at her clothes. “You’ve been here before, lady?”
She straightened her back, pretending to be offended. “I’m a regular customer. You don’t recognize me?”
“You look familiar…what are you doing here tonight?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve come for a cooking lesson. What do you think I’m here for?” The guard next to him sniggered. “Now. Are you going to let me in or should I speak to your management about the way you’re treating regular customers? It’s bad enough waiting in the queue this long without you people delaying with your silly questions—”
Her voice was loud enough for the clubbers behind her to hear. “Come on, man,” a woman shouted from the queue. “Some of us want to get in there tonight.”
The guard was a newbie, because he was so flustered, he let her through. Anyone with more experience might have picked up on her nerves.
Two supernaturals sat behind the counter. She couldn’t fault their professionalism as they checked her ticket and stamped her wrist—when the female glanced at her dress, it was the only sign that they’d noticed she didn’t belong at a place like this. A few minutes later, Alyssa was on the middle landing of Oasis, among the pulsing music and grinding bodies. As always, the zone was overflowing, the three dance floors—one on the ground floor and two suspended—already packed. Three DJs entertained the crowd, while dancers showed off their moves from stages suspended from the walls.
She moved forward to lean over the rail, glancing between the ground floor dance area and the other two landings, where there were bars and restaurants. The people here had nothing more on their minds than having fun, and for a moment, longing rose inside her. For once, if only she could come to a place like this just to enjoy it. She shoved that idea away and concentrated on why she was here. If she got out of Manhattan, that would be more than enough.
Her eyes searched the section she was in, but many clubbers had already hooked up. She turned back and walked through the door to take the stairway to the landing upstairs. There was no point going to the lower one, because that was where the customers who connected on the dance floor tended to head to, to get warmed up on the sofas before deciding whether to invest in a room. On the upper landing, her gaze landed on a middle-aged man sat at a table alone, dressed as if he’d just come from the office, his short beard showing signs of gray. As out of place as she was. Perfect. She didn’t waste time and went straight over. “Mind if I join you?” she mouthed over the music.
He looked as if she’d just announced he’d won the lottery, standing so fast that his chair fell over. He pointed at the seat opposite, and once she’d sat, he picked up his chair. When he spoke, she had to read his lips to make out what he was saying. Can I get you a drink?
The last thing she wanted was someone from security working out what they were talking about. She pulled out her mobile and entered some text on it before she flashed the screen at him. No thanks. No point wasting time on drinks. You come here often?
He grinned, doing the same with his device. I was having a shit time before you turned up. Wanna go somewhere we can talk?
She wasn’t about to waste precious hours trying to figure out if he was up for paying for it. I had something else on my mind. But I charge. Subtlety didn’t get girls like her very far.
That grin disappeared, and for a moment, she wondered if she’d been a bit too hasty. But then he flashed his mobile again. Where?
If he wanted to save money, they’d have to cross back over the river and go to a motel, but she intended to service more than one customer tonight, and didn’t fancy her chances of getting back in to this venue. So she entered the details of Eclipse’s hotel instead. The rooms there were luxurious, but they could be rented by the hour…when she held her mobile out, the guy frowned at its screen. Shit…she was about to mention going to a motel when he stood and held his hand out. She was already bracing herself for the experience as they walked out of the zone, but kept a smile fixed to her face, so they would appear like any other couple that had hooked up here.
She only hoped she made some decent money tonight. A few more months of making extra cash at Oasis, and she’d be able to get out of this hellhole.
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DEMON’S SOUL is now available for purchase. This paranormal romance is intended for mature audiences, with steamy sex scenes, a happily ever after and no cliffhangers.
Marked By The Alpha (Blood Moon Book 1) Page 16
