by Jana Denardo
The crowd thickened, and a pounding drumbeat took up residence in his bones. Even before he heard the hissing of gas jets, Arrigo swore under his breath. Not the goddamn Mirage Volcano. A mass of humanity gnarled the sidewalk, most of them with their phones and tablets held in front of their faces, as if they would ever watch the video they took. He reined in the desire to start knocking people out of his way. As the heat from the volcano show, fit for Vulcan himself, licked his skin, the presence of the other vampire pulled away from his senses. Shoving harder through the pack of tourists, Arrigo lost the sense of the other entirely.
Cursing, he broke free of the crowd and pelted down the less occupied sidewalk, regaining a sense of his prey. He poured on the speed, nearly colliding with a group of drunks. The psychic sense strengthened, then suddenly ripped away and was gone. He stopped, staring at the taillights of a taxi, realizing whoever it was had gotten away. Strains of music dragged his attention to the water dancing to Sinatra’s “My Way” in front of the Bellagio. It was an amazing thing. Neptune would probably approve. He only thought of his long-dead gods from time to time, even with Caesar’s Palace in his face all the time. He suspected Caesar might approve of the opulence. They would not approve of him losing his prey.
Hearing a cry, Arrigo turned, nearly getting knocked aside as people pushed forward. A group of barely legals had clustered around another young woman who rested on the bench. They were trying to rouse her. Jogging over to see if he could help, Arrigo caught the tang of blood. He gently elbowed one of the girls aside when she didn’t heed his request to move aside. That was the problem with being perpetually twenty. His face lacked authority.
Arrigo touched her neck, feeling for a pulse. His fingers came away sticky with blood, making his fangs ache. He scarcely managed to keep them from peeking out. She was dead. He cocked her head to the side and caught sight of punctures lining her throat.
Swearing in his earliest tongue, Arrigo stepped back. “You need to call 911.”
Eleni, or another rogue because he couldn’t count that out, had been close. Too close. He could see the Veer Towers from there. This kill was practically on his doorstop. Did she know where he called home? Could it be a coincidence? For that matter, did it mean her servant wasn’t actually a servant? Could they be looking for an older vampire? Eleni did prefer her own kind.
He needed to make a call to the council and advise them. Arrigo glanced back up at his home, then decided he couldn’t go there, at least not straightaway in case he was being observed. If the servant was human, he’d have to be close. If he was a vampire, he wasn’t close enough for Arrigo to sense his presence. If where the girl was left wasn’t coincidence, he didn’t want to lead them to his home. He wondered if he’d get a call from Shani because of how close this murder was to the ones at the bar. He placed a call to Michael. There might be enough of a trace scent the werewolf could follow. It was better than nothing.
EXHAUSTION SUCKED at Luc’s feet as he dragged himself home, sure his brother had tied dumbbells to his sneakers when Luc wasn’t looking. It had been down to him to close the bar. Da had gone home after the afternoon shift, and Henri had been supposed to help him with closing. Instead, Henri had taken off with his idiot friends, leaving Luc all the final work.
He didn’t mind so much. His brother made things miserable when he did stick around. What Luc hated was the long walk home; block after hot block where no tourist dared to venture. At least it wasn’t muggy like it had been back home in the swamp, though Luc might have preferred that. Gators he understood. The creeps who lurked on the streets at this time of night could be up to anything. He assumed anyone he did see on his way home meant him harm; safer that way.
He scowled at the light on in the living room when he climbed the rickety wooden steps to their crappy rental home. What was anyone doing up after two in the morning? Was his da waiting for him or had he passed out in front of the TV again? Luc hoped for in front of the TV because if Da was awake, it meant nothing good for him. He wished he had gone anywhere but there, but it would be worse if he didn’t come home.
He let himself in and locked the door quickly. This was exactly the type of neighborhood where push-in robberies were commonplace, not that anyone had anything worth the stealing. Luc toed off his worn sneakers. He’d rather keep them on so he could make a quick exit if need be, but his father would get pissed if he tracked dirt in. He couldn’t think of why it mattered. The desert sand and grime got everywhere.
When he tried to creep past the living room, hoping his father was asleep on the couch, Luc froze. His father wasn’t alone. Henri and his idiot friend, Travis, beers in hand, were with him. His da jerked his hand at Luc, beckoning him. Luc knew better than to pretend he hadn’t seen.
“What’s up, Da?”
“Sit your ass down.”
Luc sat on the floor since there wasn’t an open chair. That was probably what Da wanted. He couldn’t get up off the floor fast if they decided they wanted to hit on him. “Is something wrong?”
“Henri’s been telling me you’re real friendly with that guy at the bar who came with the Chinese girl. You know, the one who showed back up with the redhead.” He narrowed his eyes. “Seems he’s a rich friend.”
Luc’s gut flipped over. He didn’t know where this was going, but it couldn’t be anywhere good. “No, ain’t how it is. There is a guy with some money who’s come to the bar. I’ve spoken to him. Yeah, he did happen to be in the restaurant that time when Henri and these guys were there. It wasn’t like I arranged to meet him.” At least that wasn’t a lie. God, what if Henri had followed him to Taabu’s? He couldn’t imagine Henri had, and it wasn’t as if he knew Arrigo worked there. He couldn’t possibly know what they had done in the office.
“A man like that doesn’t hang around for no reason. You know where he lives, don’t you?” Da looked wickedly alive.
Luc thought he could see where this was going. “Uh-uh.” He hoped he pulled off that half-truth. He knew where, but not exactly where in the Veer Arrigo lived. Besides, it would have no end of security, but he didn’t want his family even knowing that much. “Why would I? Think about it. Why in the hell would a rich guy be friends with me? I ain’t got nothing he wants.”
“We figured he was drilling your ass.” Travis laughed at him, wriggling his hips on the chair.
“He better be paying the little faggot if he is,” Henri growled.
“Shut up, both of you,” his da said. “We’re trying to talk Luc into helping us, not insult him.”
“It’s nothing like that.” Luc’s heart raced. He didn’t stand a chance if all three of them decided to beat on him, so he stood, ready to run. “Look, I don’t know him well. I don’t know where he is, and I don’t know what you want from me. You didn’t let me go out with the girls either time they’ve asked.”
“We’re not done.” Da jabbed a finger at the floor.
Luc didn’t park it. “Seriously, where is this going?”
“You’re getting us into that house. I don’t care how you have to do it,” his father replied.
“No, I’m not. This is insane. I ain’t going to rob someone. I don’t know where he lives, and I’m not going to find out for you.”
His father bounced to his feet faster than a man his age and size should have been able. Luc braced to get hit, but instead, his father rested his hand on Luc’s head. “Do you want all of us working in Risner’s bar forever? You get us in there, we get a good haul, we get our own place, and we’re set. We could go back home to Louisiana. You want that, right? I know you do. You can help us all.”
Jesus, did his da really think this was a good thing? “I’ll try.” He would tell Arrigo and help him set a trap. That could be his way out of this. If his father and brother were locked away, then he’d be free. It should work pretty easily.
Da grinned and patted his shoulder. “That’s my boy. I knew you could be trusted.”
“Yeah, I’ll do my best.” Lu
c took the opportunity to escape to his room. Henri and Travis laughed liked jackals. Luc ignored them. He’d have to work out how to keep his family happy while he was trying to find Arrigo’s place. He could hope Arrigo wouldn’t blame Luc and hate him for this. No, he would make this work out, get them caught somehow. This could be a good thing.
Chapter Twenty
“CAN I ask you something?” Hanako glanced back at the diner she and Siobhan had just left.
After not finding the person stalking Taabu the day before nor tracing who killed the woman outside the Bellagio, Arrigo had opted to stay with Taabu while she worked in the shop, leaving Siobhan and Hanako to check on Luc’s side of town. Arrigo had argued having them go to Luc’s would cause less trouble for him.
The cheese fries she had split with Hanako sat heavy in Siobhan’s stomach, making her wish she’d picked a different thing to share while they kept an eye on Lily.
“Sure,” she replied as they walked down the street toward the Alibi. Siobhan had wondered why Arrigo hadn’t mentioned Luc to the cops when he told Shani and the other detectives which friends to watch over, but upon spotting the Alibi, she wondered less. No doubt he didn’t want the cops down there. It would probably only make more trouble for Luc with his family.
“Is it me or is Arrigo a little odd?”
Siobhan laughed. “He would protest he is completely normal, but most people find our kind a little odd. It’s hard to hold centuries of memories in your head and not get a little eccentric.” She glanced around to see if anyone was within earshot. Outside of two bikers arguing in the Alibi’s shoddy micro parking lot, no one was around. “Have you worked with a lot of vampires before, Hanako?”
She shook her head. “No. Most of them don’t like sunny southern California. To be honest, I was shocked to learn any of them lived in Vegas.”
“The sun is a bit much here, but believe it or not, there are several local vampires. It’s a tourist mecca for our kind. Any city with a thriving nightlife usually is. There are probably more in LA than you know. Have you worked with Craig out there for a long time?” Siobhan doubted it. Hanako couldn’t have been more than twenty-nine.
“Long enough,” came her bitter reply. Hanako tugged her T-shirt down. Siobhan noticed she had dressed more conservatively this time. Not every type of witch performed well in a fight. Some had more defensive magic. Maybe Hanako didn’t want any trouble she didn’t need.
Siobhan waited to see if she had any more to say, but Hanako walked faster, ducking into the Alibi. Siobhan followed her in. It seemed to be a slow night, a few guys playing pool on a battered table and some drinkers who looked like they had been rooted at the bar for years. Behind the bar stood two young men who shared the same generous mouth and bright blue eyes. On one the mouth and eyes were hard, filled with cruelty and on the other, soft, gentle, positively waifish. Siobhan had thought that when she saw the picture of Luc, but in person it was even more striking. No wonder Arrigo had trouble resisting those big eyes.
Henri spotted them first. Well, she assumed it was Henri with the hard eyes. He was too young to be the father. He curled his lips into a nasty sneer when he noticed Hanako. She cranked up her swagger as she made her way to the bar. Henri pointedly put himself between them and Luc. Hanako ignored him, wiggling her fingers at Luc.
“I was hoping you would be off tonight,” Hanako said.
“He’s not. He’s on till closing,” Henri growled, leaning against the bar. “So you can order or leave.”
Hanako gave him a look that screamed she was so bored, Siobhan nearly laughed. “Want to wait, Siobhan?”
Siobhan reached out to Luc, who muscled his way past his brother and smiled at her. His eyes danced. He had to be as curious about her as she was about him. “Think you’ll be up for some fun with me and Hanako tonight?”
“Is his boyfriend going to be there?” Henri shoved Luc away from the pitted bar.
“He means our boyfriend.” Hanako hip bumped Siobhan, sliding an arm around her.
“I think Arrigo is all tied up tonight,” Siobhan said. “It would just be us three.”
“This one is tied up too. You ladies will have to find something else to do, or at least until closing time. I can’t spare him tonight,” Luc’s father said.
“That’s too bad,” Hanako said. “We were hoping to have a little fun. Luc’s always good for that.”
When Luc’s father narrowed his eyes, Siobhan suspected that was the wrong play. He’d probably know if Luc went out often with them or anyone for that matter.
She tried to soothe it over. “Then maybe he’d like to get us some beers while we wait.”
“I don’t think there’s anything here you’d like,” Henri said.
Luc’s head snapped around, his eyes widening. “Henri?”
“Your friends have no business here while you’re working,” Henri replied.
“Your friends are always here. Why can’t mine be?” Luc looked his father.
“Henri, enough. Luc’s friends can stay if they want, or they can come back for him later. You get to have your friends, Luc gets to have his,” their father said.
“Thanks, Da.” Luc smiled, but Henri glared. The look he gave Siobhan and Hanako suggested he’d gladly corner them somewhere and probably try to rape them. She wondered if Arrigo had pegged Henri as an even bigger danger than Luc’s father.
Siobhan barely resisted the urge to reach over and drag Henri across the bar and break him. “It’s going to be hours, isn’t it, Luc?” she asked, and at his nod, she added, “Why don’t we go for now. When you do get off and want to come hang out, we’ll be at the Ghost Bar in the Palms Casino. Nothing beats the view from over fifty stories high.” Siobhan pointed skyward.
Henri snorted. “As if he could afford to get past the door in a place like that.”
“Oh, he won’t have to worry about that. I take care of my friends.” Siobhan gave him an even bigger smile.
Luc ran a hand through his blond curls, seeming almost sheepish. “Thanks, ladies.”
“Just text us one way or the other, okay?”
Luc pulled his flip phone out of a threadbare pocket. “It don’t text good. I’ll call.”
“Okay.” She leaned close and whispered, “Call Arrigo,” as she knew Luc didn’t have her number, and it would blow the charade if she gave it to him now.
“Yeah, hey, you got a picture of Arrigo’s crazy ex? I wanted a better look.”
Puzzled since she knew they’d given him the pictures, Siobhan brought up the picture of Eleni and her sketch of the Renfield, but he only got a moment to look at them.
“Time to get back to work.” His father jerked a thumb at a drunk at the other end of the bar, and Luc sighed.
Siobhan locked arms with Hanako, tugging her along. She could feel Henri’s eyes on her as they retreated. They didn’t speak until they were two blocks down, heading for their car.
“That went badly. There is no way we can keep an eye on Luc like this,” Siobhan grumbled. “And Arrigo doesn’t seem to fare any better.”
“They sure don’t want Luc to have any outside contact.” Hanako glanced back at the bar. “I’d have suggested Michael keeping an eye on him without pretending to be a friend, but it’d be a mistake. I didn’t see any African-Americans in there, did you?”
“Nope. Wouldn’t surprise me if it’s a White Supremacist hangout.” Siobhan sighed, fishing out her car keys. “I’ll check with Arrigo to see if he has any friends who could fit in here without raising attention. I didn’t see any signs of Eleni if nothing else.”
“Do you want to watch the building for a while?” Hanako asked.
Siobhan shook her head. “Eleni knows me too. I wouldn’t have come down here if we weren’t so worried about what might happen to those in the diner. So far there’re no signs Eleni knows I’m around. It would probably be better to keep it that way.”
“That’s going to be a problem. You’re staying with Arrigo.”
LUC WANTED nothing more than to collapse in his bed after a quick shower to get rid of the smell of alcohol and backed-up toilet clinging to him. Henri had been pissed after those two women showed up. Luc didn’t get it. Henri and Da hated the very idea he might be gay. Shouldn’t they cheer two hot chicks coming on to him where everyone could see? Was it that Arrigo’s friends were obviously too good for Luc? Were they jealous? Didn’t they realize that if he was close to Arrigo’s friends, he was one step closer to getting into Arrigo’s house like they wanted? Nah, Henri was too dumb for that, but that would explain why Da hadn’t cared too much about him going off with those women after his shift ended. His phone’s shitty battery hadn’t held its charge again so he called Arrigo’s phone from the bar’s phone after closing up but it went to voicemail. He told him he wouldn’t be going out with Siobhan and trusted she had filled him in on why Luc would be calling.
Henri had taken off with Travis before closing. Luc had returned home alone. Da had gone somewhere with his buddy, Mr. Risner. He didn’t even want to think about what they could be doing at two in the morning. Luc wished he had the energy to go to the Ghost Bar with the girls, but he pretty much knew they had been talking it up in front of his relatives. They had to know he wasn’t getting in there looking like he did, halfway to hobo. Luc wished he had been brave enough to try, but that was asking for a beating.
When Luc let himself inside, he knew something was wrong. The lights were on in his room. Scowling, he stalked back there. It had to be his brother. No one would bother robbing this dump unless they were trying to pull the copper wire out of the walls. Luc’s breath caught at what was left of his room. What little he had was strewn across the bed. Henri had a few of Luc’s CDs in his hands. He grinned over at Luc, then tossed them like Frisbees.
