“Look, just leave Shaz alone. Help me clean up, and you can rub my total failure in my face later.”
I turned away from Arys. People packed the dance floor as if nothing had disrupted them. Newcomers made their way through the lobby into the main part of the club. I had to get this body moved.
Arys swept past me, lifting her easily in his arms and retreating through the rear exit. I caught his eye and nodded my thanks. Ok, so things weren’t going as planned, but they could be worse. Right?
Chapter Two
Voicemail … again. I didn’t bother leaving a message. I wondered if Kale wasn’t actively avoiding my calls. Foreboding gripped my insides and left me ice-cold. I didn’t generally worry about him – if anyone could take care of himself, it was Kale – but something was different this time, all wrong.
Taking a deep breath, I kicked a rock across the parking lot. It was the only sound other than the muffled noise from inside. I needed some air. Escaping outside alone did little to restore my sanity. The Wicked Kiss was one hell of a pain in my ass.
I stared at the back entrance, a plain metal door that led into the back hall where the creepy little rooms were. Vampires brought their meals, er, willing victims in there for a little frisky fun, and Lord knows what else, during a feed. Too many victims had entered those rooms as humans but left as vampires. Taking over The Kiss stopped that, but it hadn’t done much to curb the rest of the mindless chaos.
I didn’t want to go back in there. Couldn’t someone else do it? That someone was refusing to answer his damn phone. With a snarl and a few choice curse words, I yanked the door open and re-entered the nightclub from hell.
I hurried down the back hall, resisting the urge to break into a full-out run. The hall was heavy with the energy oozing from the occupied rooms. The delicious sexual energy, occasionally tinged with fear, drew me like a moth to a flame. Months ago, I would have drooled like a starved dog scenting fresh meat. I had more control than that now, but it still teased my hunger.
A pained whimper caught my attention. It wasn’t unusual to hear cries and shrieks back here. Still, I checked it out. I listened closely, and when I heard a man’s voice moan, “More,” I was out of there. Clearly, he wasn’t fighting for his life.
I jerked back from the door, wishing I would shudder or feel disgust. But, I’d known the intoxicating and powerful bite of a vampire or two, so all I felt was an unbidden rush of pleasure as my pulse raced.
My hate for the place resurfaced, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. Re-emerging into the club area, that feeling only grew. For the most part, things were back to normal. The dead body was gone, and patrons were drinking and dancing as if nothing had happened.
Arys leaned against the bar, grinning from ear to ear. A woman with bright pink hair sipped a beer and smiled up at him. Oh please. For a vampire that frowned upon the willing victim scenario, he sure was eating up his wannabe victim’s attention.
With a scowl, I bypassed the line at the bar and tapped my fingernails on the counter. “Jack Daniels on the rocks.”
Without a word the bartender, Josh, slid a glass to me with more than one shot. I thanked him and moved where I could watch everyone. A long swig of the strong whiskey was heavenly. I tried to abstain from booze at The Kiss, but tonight had pushed me past the point of caring. I needed this drink.
I was done. Whatever else happened tonight wasn’t my concern, and I wasn’t going to do a damn thing about it. The whole damned place could burn down for all I cared.
Jez sidled up to me with a knowing look. “Not worth the trouble, is it?”
“Not even close.”
The whiskey burned its way down my throat. A warm tingle started in my stomach and grew to encompass my whole body. That’s the stuff.
I glanced in Arys’s direction, annoyed at myself for the ugly envy that picked at me. It didn’t bother me that he flirted shamelessly with some random human female. It bothered me that he was letting her throw herself at him, knowing she was hoping to end up in one of those back rooms with him.
“She’s just food.” Jez followed my gaze to where Arys and his new fan were chatting up a storm. “You know that’s all he’s thinking. She’s drooling over his damn fine body, and he’s thinking about bleeding her.”
“I know. I think that’s the problem. I know how Arys works. I just don’t want to see him in action. Not in here.”
Everything about Arys screamed sex, so I didn’t blame any woman for drooling over him. I couldn’t even blame him for taking advantage of it. The man literally fed off it. Now, because of our bond, so did I. Still, I was a little raw from seeing Arys and his sire with a victim.
“I tried Kale again.” I steered the conversation in a new direction. I didn’t want to focus on Arys being … well … Arys. “He isn’t answering. I’m starting to think he’s avoiding me.”
“He hasn’t been answering my calls, either.” Jez shrugged. “I don’t want to over-analyze this, but I have a sick feeling in my gut.”
“You’re not the only one.”
“I’m going to take off. I think I’ll stop by the office and see if he’s there. Try not to lose your mind. In fact, maybe you should take off, too. You look like you’re ready to snap.”
I mustered a smile. “Thanks. I might just do that. Let me know if you talk to Kale.”
I watched Jez’s leopard-golden head disappear out the door. She was right. Why did I bother keeping watch here? It obviously didn’t stop people from getting killed, and it drove me crazy. There were other things I could be doing, should be doing, like hunting down the scum that were slaughtering innocents in cold blood.
I could feel Arys’s eyes on me. The sudden heavy weight that made me feel like I was in the spotlight. Stubbornly, I wanted to resist the urge to turn and meet his midnight gaze, but I couldn’t. I turned to find him standing near the bar alone. The girl with the pink hair was in the lineup for a drink, talking on her cell phone.
Arys crooked his finger and beckoned me over. The sly smile and sexy wink that accompanied the gesture made me weak in the knees. Damn him. Arrogant, deadly and oh so fine, I hated that I couldn’t resist him.
I sauntered over to him, ditching my empty glass at a nearby table on the way. “Being here makes me want to hurt people.”
“You’re speaking my language.” Arys slid an arm around my waist and pulled me close. “What about her?” He indicated the pink haired woman. “Me and you. She could be ours. Do you want her?”
I wasn’t surprised that he wanted her, but I was surprised that he wanted me to join him. Both vampire and werewolf power flowed through my veins, so tearing her throat out was in my nature.
Instead, I swallowed hard and shook my head.
“No. She’s all yours. I can’t stop you from killing, but I can’t let you do it here.”
He raised a dark brow as if he wasn’t sure if I was serious. “No problem. No killing here. Just as well. This place is for amateurs.” He reached to grasp a strand of my black-tipped blonde hair, twirling it around his finger. “Hey, are you okay?”
I found genuine concern in his eyes, and I stroked a finger down the side of his face. “I’m fine, just ready for this night to be over.”
A soft kiss had me melting in his embrace. The silver ring in his bottom lip was cold against my tongue. His cologne teased me. Everything about him set me on fire. After being involved for almost a year, every touch gave me butterflies as if it were the very first.
Dipping his finger below the waist of my jeans, Arys tugged on my g-string and murmured, “Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to tag team that one with me? Last chance.”
I laughed and slapped him playfully. “Cut it out.”
“But, she’s totally asking for it. How can you resist? How can you expect me to resist?”
“I don’t expect you to. Just use a little … discretion.”
His chuckle sent a shiver down my spine. He grabbed me tightly and nuzzled my ne
ck, grazing my skin with his fangs. The jolt of energy that shot straight to my groin caused me to gasp.
“I can feel it inside you.” His whispered words came hot against my skin. “The pent-up aggression. The need to unleash and feed that hunger. Your wolf is frustrated.”
I sighed and leaned into him. He wasn’t wrong. I should know better than to let the wolf get frisky. It could affect Arys in a pretty ugly way due to our bond. “I’ll be fine. I just need to go home and relax.”
“You need to stop living in denial. This place is no good for you. You should let Kale deal with it. This isn’t your world.”
“It is now.” I studied Arys closely, curious. “This isn’t your world either. You hate it here. So, what’s with all the recent visits?”
Arys shrugged and let his gaze wander around the bar. “Well, you’re here. Where else would I be?”
“No, really. I know you, Arys. You’ve been in here a lot lately. That’s not like you. What’s up?” This was the fourth night in a row that he’d appeared in The Kiss, and I was getting suspicious.
I felt the shift in him as his energy grew defensive. His eyes were still scanning the building, and I began to grow uneasy. What the hell was he hiding from me?
I glanced around, nervous at what I was sensing from Arys. The crowd was starting to thin as most of the vampires lured victims to a more secluded place. Two vampires in a corner booth had a young woman between them. One of them fed from her wrist while the other kissed her deeply. A lone witch at a different table oozed black energy that made my skin crawl. Otherwise, nothing struck me as out-of-place.
Arys pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “I don’t want to talk about it here. Later. I promise. I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be right back.”
I was dying to know what had Arys so worried, and patience was not a virtue that I possessed. However, if I could just get through the rest of the night without any further incident, I’d consider it a successful evening.
No sooner had I formed that thought than a loud crash drew my attention to a fight on the dance floor. I couldn’t even pretend to be surprised. Since taking over The Kiss, I’d seen just about everything.
Two women were throwing punches at each other. I had to roll my eyes. What could possibly be worth fighting about here? Shaz cast a glance my way. He seemed reluctant to get involved. With a sigh, I waved a hand in their direction and flung them apart. Jerking my thumb towards the door, I made it clear to Shaz that I’d like them tossed out. I wasn’t in the mood for this crap.
I’d wanted control of the notorious nightclub because it had such a shady reputation. Paranormal creatures and the stupid humans who sought to be close to them filled The Kiss. I’d assumed I could change the place, but really, it was changing me and not in a good way.
Josh was busy behind the bar so I headed back and helped myself. I caught myself looking between the whiskey bottle and a glass, wondering if the glass was worth the bother. The Kiss was going to turn me into a raging drunk in no time. I considered drinking from the bottle but poured the glass a little too full instead.
Time seemed to crawl by as I found an empty table and waited for Arys to return. Despite the hard liquor in my hand, my current reality was very sobering.
I sensed a strange vampire’s approach before he touched me. I sat up a little straighter in my chair, ready for him to reach for me. Without looking behind me, I grabbed his wrist before his hand could fall on my shoulder. My maneuver soon had him flat on his back blinking up at me in shock.
“What the hell do you want?” I glared down at him. The last thing I needed tonight was another vampire who felt he had something to prove.
His face contorted with pain as I twisted his arm. “Just looking for a playmate. Fuck! Let go of me!”
“Are you new or something? I don’t play here. I’m off-limits. All the time.” I released him, ready to kick his ass if he tried anything.
I analyzed his energy and decided he wasn’t a threat, just a ballsy vampire that thought I was on the menu. It didn’t happen so often now that most of them knew me.
“Alright, I got it.” He held his hands up in surrender as he backed away. “A simple ‘no thanks’ would have sufficed, you know.”
With a shrug, I waved him off. I had nothing more to say. I was anxious about what was up with Arys. Sitting still was almost impossible. I was restless. After finishing my drink, I took a slow walk around the inside of the building.
Shaz was in the front lobby with Arys. They were speaking quietly to one another, their heads close together. That set off a red flag for me. Arys caught me watching them. He held up a finger in that universal ‘one moment’ gesture before disappearing outside. I looked expectantly at Shaz, but he revealed nothing.
Now that I was tuned into it, something didn’t feel right. It wasn’t just the strange way Arys was loitering around The Kiss. The atmosphere within the nightclub felt off-balance, as if something were out of place. My senses honed in on that wariness, focusing until I could feel that vibration that didn’t fit in.
I hadn’t noticed it before. The metaphysical mojo in the building amounted to psychic noise. Something about the vibe was familiar, and I needed to pinpoint where or who it was. I followed the sensation.
It grew stronger as I drew closer to the doorway that led to the back rooms. It was probably coming from a vampire blood party that would give me the creeps, but I had to know for sure.
The vibe came from the room that Kale claimed as his own. I recognized Kale’s energy, but it felt residual as if he were no longer present. I didn’t want to acknowledge my suspicions, but I had to see.
Slowly, I approached the door. As I passed other rooms along the way, I shuddered when my senses picked up creepy, vampiric sounds, smells and sensations. A scream rang out, causing me to jump. Thankfully, it dissolved into a series of pleasurable moans.
My senses were on fire. I fought back the intrigue that surfaced within me. I couldn’t allow someone else’s blood- and sex-fest to distract me.
I stared at Kale’s door, knowing he wasn’t in there but certain that something was.
I moved fast, before I could chicken out. Trying the handle, I found it unlocked. I gave the door a shove and watched it swing open while I remained in the hallway. The strange mix of Kale’s high-strung energy and death greeted me with a slap in the face.
The bedside lamp was on, illuminating two bodies sprawled on the bed, a blonde and a brunette. Each was clad in next to nothing, and both had bloodied throats.
They hadn’t been dead long.
My stomach dropped, and I felt sick. Reality crushed the breath from me. Kale had been here recently. And, he was killing again.
Chapter Three
“Don’t look for Kale.” I barely let Jez get a word out. My hand shook as I gripped my cell phone tightly. “If you see him, you might want to be on your guard.”
“What’s going on?”
I leaned heavily against the door-frame of Kale’s room, staring at the corner of the bloodstained sheets. I couldn’t bring myself to look at the faces of Kale’s victims again.
“I’m not sure. All I know is that I’m staring at two dead women in his bed right now. He isn’t here.”
Jez’s voice held a note of fear. “Kale’s been killing? Oh … that’s not good.”
“That’s putting it lightly.”
“I’ll stay alert, but it’ll be sunrise in a few hours. I imagine wherever he is, he’ll be heading home soon.”
I swallowed hard and glanced up and down the empty hallway. “Unless he comes back here.”
“Maybe you should leave, Lex. You know how he gets around you. If he’s all fucked up, he’ll be unpredictable and dangerous.”
“Call me if you see him. Otherwise, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
I turned quickly when I felt Arys approach. He wore a frown and hummed with an anxious energy. His attention was immediately drawn to Kale’s room, and I cr
inged.
“You must be so impressed.” He grinned. “Isn’t this exactly the kind of thing you told me I couldn’t do here?”
“Laugh it up.” I gave him my best fake, bitter laugh.
Arys surveyed the interior of the room with a nonchalance that only increased my discomfort. “So Kale’s acting like a vampire again. It’s about time. But, you should tell him not to leave his dead whores lying around like this. It’s bad for business.”
“I know how much you must love this, but please, let me deal with it before you rub it in my face. I get it, ok? I made a huge mistake thinking I could change anything around here. Ha fucking ha!”
“Lighten up, Alexa. Don’t be so uptight about this place. It is what it is.” His voice dropped, and he pulled me close. “Look, I want you to take off right away. Go home. Shaz, too. I’ll meet you there in an hour or so.”
The sudden change in his tone and mood scared me. “Why? Where are you going to be?”
“I will explain everything when I get to your place. Just go. And, please don’t decide to be stubborn right now.” The worry in his eyes was the only thing that kept me from protesting.
“Alright. I’ll head home right away. But, you’d better have a damn good reason for pulling the stubborn card.”
“I do.” Emotion filled his tender kiss. With a gentle touch, he stroked a hand down the side of my face, and I knew from that gesture more than any other that something awful was happening.
I watched him retreat back down the hall and through the doorway into the front of the club. I hated having to wait for answers. But, I trusted Arys so I’d do my best to be patient. In the meantime, I would head on home.
I was contemplating what to do about Kale’s leftovers when the rear entry at the far end of the hall opened and in strode the vampire himself. I turned to face him with a glare, hoping it didn’t waver when a wave of his dark energy washed over me. Worse than touching a live-wire, the jolt that went through me felt like I’d just been hit by lightning.
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