Blood Casino: Vampires & Vices No. 1

by Nina Walker

  He glowers at me. “Angel, did someone drop you on your head as a child?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You really think hiding out among vampires is a good idea?”

  “I don’t.” I swallow hard. “I know I could get a cheap hotel room in a seedy part of town and probably be safer there than in a vampire casino. And sure, maybe I should do that, but I needed to talk to you anyway and I figured you could help me for a night or two until I find a place to rent. You’ve got to have empty rooms available. This place is huge.”

  The elevator stops and the doors open to his gorgeous office. The last time I was here, I was terrified and angry, and now I’m just . . . tired. Adrian ushers me into a plush leather chair. Outside the river sparkles under the blue sky. He leans against his desk, studying me like he thinks I’m either courageous or stupid or both.

  “So do you have information on Leslie Tate?”

  I grimace. “I do.”

  “And?”

  “Mr. Tate has left the building.”

  “I assume he does that from time to time. During the daylight hours to avoid people like me, of course.” He glances out at the highly tinted windows and frowns. “Did you follow him somewhere, perhaps? Maybe somewhere interesting . . .”

  I follow his line of sight outside. It’s the afternoon, so it’s the time of day when he’s stuck indoors. When was the last time that this man was able to feel the sun on his face? No, I can’t think about those things. He’s not a man. He’s a monster.

  “Leslie Tate is gone,” I continue and Adrian’s eyes narrow into slits. “He left a hurried note on his desk saying that he had to leave us, and that he’s safe, but he doesn’t know when he’ll return. Oh, and he also told us to trust no one and that nothing is as it appears.” I release a slow breath. “So that was fun.”

  He growls, slamming his fist into his desk with a bang. I flinch and gape at the cracked oak finish.

  “And you’re probably wondering what this means for our blood oath?” He rakes a hand through his Greek god-like hair and levels his gaze on mine. There’s something so otherworldly about the fluidity of his movements; it reminds me who I’m dealing with, reminds me to be careful. He’s not human. And I’m nothing more than food.

  “There is that.” I sit up straighter.

  “The vow hasn’t changed. You will keep digging up what you can, and when I get what I need, I’ll release your mother from her addiction.”

  I’ll admit, I do like this situation better now that Tate is MIA, and I want to help my mother, but right now I have to think about getting a roof over my head and food into my belly. I hate Adrian, but the guy has more resources than anyone I know. When the time comes for him to compel Mom, maybe I can get him to get rid of her gangsters, too. In order to do that, I need to get on his good side.

  I need him to like me. Vampires can like humans, can’t they? I mean, some must like them enough to turn them. That’s not going to happen to me but maybe I can get him to think of me with something other than utter contempt.

  “Come.” He strides back to the elevator and we return to the lobby. He tries to hand off my raggedy bag to a bellman, but I refuse.

  “If you must carry that thing then fine, but let’s go, I have a meeting in an hour.”

  I smile, channeling all that pageantry in my blood. “So you’re going to help me?” I bat my eyelashes, feeling like a complete idiot. But hey, men like to save women and feel like we can’t survive without them. This is a universal and timeless fact about the opposite sex.

  He glances sidelong at me. “If your hunter friends know you’re staying here, they’re going to be mighty suspicious.”

  I frown. “Crap, you have a point.”

  “You can hide out here for a few nights until you find a place, but do not go out onto the casino floor, do not talk to any vampires––especially not my brother––and don’t let your people know about this arrangement.”

  Considering I snuck out of the Moreno’s house to come here, this secret is going to be difficult to keep from Felix, but I bite my tongue. Adrian doesn’t need to know about Felix. Something he said hits me as we stride toward another bank of elevators.

  “Your brother?” I try to imagine another man who looks like Adrian and my insides almost spontaneously combust. Is Adrian awful? Yes. Is he also the most attractive creature I’ve seen in real life? Also, yes. Take Greek-god features and add vampiric beauty and make him look mid-twenties forever? Genetic lottery.

  “You’ve met Hugo.”

  Eww, Hugo . . .

  “Hugo and I are sired by the same master which makes him my brother.”

  “Trust me.” I shiver. “Hugo is creepy on a cracker. I’ll stay as far away from him as possible.”

  “Creepy on a cracker? Can’t say I’ve heard that one before, Angel.” His eyes travel up and down my body. “But it’s not really him I’m worried about.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means if he knows I’m interested in you, it’s only going to make him more interested in you as well. You might try to stay away from him, but if he wants to find you, he will. His tracking skills are the best I’ve ever seen.”

  He’s expecting the reaction that I’m feeling, which is fear of Hugo, but what I give him instead surprises him. I waggle my eyebrows. “You’re interested in me, eh?”

  He laughs. The sound makes me smile. It’s stupid.

  We climb into the hotel elevator and zoom to the top floor. There is a small hallway and two hotel doors opposite each other.

  “This way.” Adrian uses a real key instead of a hotel card to open the door on the left. He stares at me for a long minute. “Can I trust you with a key?”

  I don’t know what to say so I nod. He shakes his head and mutters something about being foolish.

  My jaw actually drops open when we enter into what has to be the presidential penthouse suite. The room seems to take up an entire floor, similar to his massive office. But it doesn’t have the same businessman feel of the office. It’s not intimidating or mid-century or sharp angles. This place is warm. The floors are dark hardwoods with turkish rugs. The couches are plush and welcoming. The cream colored walls have beautiful paintings hung on them, many of which have to be famous. I don’t know much about art, but even I can recognize a Van Gogh when I see one. There’s a small kitchenette that looks untouched, a couple of closed doors, a mammoth-sized flatscreen television, a fireplace, and of course, a view of the city behind thick bulletproof darkly tinted glass.

  “If you’re staying in my hotel then you’ll need to stay close to me.” He saunters to the kitchenette, removes a blood bag from the refrigerator, and plops it into the microwave as if it’s the most normal thing in the world, as if he’s making a freaking Hot Pocket. I can only stare as I watch him prepare his meal. The microwave dings and I imagine him biting into the bag like I’ve seen Felix drink directly from the milk jug. I can picture the rivulets of crimson that might stream down his face and neck. Instead, he slices the top corner of the plastic and pours the blood into a black water bottle, sealing the lid. It appears so natural. He walks back toward the door to leave.

  “You can take whichever bedroom you prefer. Vampires don’t use them for sleep, anyway. But you should stay in here when you’re at The Alabaster if you’re not with me. Don’t go anywhere else. And let me or Kelli escort you to and from the hotel. You can call her using the phones in the bedrooms.” He retrieves a key and hands it to me. “You can have this, just in case you need to get in and Kelli or I aren’t available. Don’t try to make a copy. I plan to replace the locks once you leave anyway.”

  The weight of the gold key feels heavier than it should, like it’s attached to a million expectations. I shove it into my pocket. “Is it really so dangerous for me to be here? I’ve come to this casino many times to get my mom.”

  “It’s always been dangerous, Angel. Your virgin blood makes you more desirable to my kind and t
hey will seek you out. I may run a casino, but I’m not always a betting man. I need you alive to get use out of you.”

  He pushes open the door and steps into the hallway.

  Realization dawns on me. “Wait, is this your penthouse?”

  “Welcome home.” He chuckles.

  The door slams.

  Chapter 21

  My phone buzzes in my back pocket but I ignore it. Again. It’s probably Felix. He’s been texting me nonstop for the last twenty-four hours, trying to figure out where I’m staying so he can check on me. He’s all worried, but I can’t exactly tell him the whole truth. I texted back last night that I was safe at a hotel and that I’d see him on Monday at our “internship.” Apparently, that’s not a good enough explanation for sneaking out of Ayla’s bedroom window because he keeps sending follow ups that I don’t know how to answer. Meanwhile, the person I want to hear from––my mother––is totally MIA.

  I wipe a bead of sweat from my forehead and refocus on what I’m here at work to do: work! I load table fourteen’s order onto my arms and stroll out to deliver the food. I head over to my next table that was just sat by the hostess only to find Felix, Seth, and Kenton there waiting for me. Felix stares at me hard, his eyes roving over me like he’s looking for flesh wounds. Seth is unreadable. And Kenton already has his face stuck in the menu.

  “Hey . . . guys. I didn’t expect to see you here tonight. Can I start you off with some drinks?”

  “We’re here because you apparently forgot how to answer your phone.” Felix’s eyes narrow. “What’s going on with you, Eva?”

  “Would you recommend the ribs or the brisket?” Kenton interrupts.

  “Shut up, Kenton,” Felix growls.

  Kenton looks up with wide eyes. “What’s your problem, man? I’m hungry.” He flexes his right arm and kisses his bicep. “It takes a lot of food to fuel this body.”

  I laugh, Felix and Seth roll their eyes, and the tension dissipates. “Definitely the brisket. Ours is amazing. But save room for the pecan pie because it’s the best thing on our entire menu.”

  “That good, huh?” He waggles his eyebrows. “I’m not normally into sweets. You know I like it savory.”

  “Dude, don’t be gross.” Seth punches him in the arm but they laugh.

  “Trust me, Kenton. You want this pie.”

  “Hello?” Felix waves his hand in my face. “Can you please tell us what’s up with you? Why’d you ditch us yesterday?”

  “I’m at work, Felix.” I motion to the busy restaurant. “Can’t this wait?”

  Suspicion flashes behind his chocolate eyes, and I sigh. “Okay, fine. If you must know, I didn’t want to stay at your parent’s place because what if the people after my mom show up there looking for me? You saw what they did to my house. I love your mom and dad and can’t risk anything happening to them.”

  He folds his tan arms and I have to keep myself from staring. What is it about his manly arms that has me so attracted? He’s looking good today, but I’ve sworn myself off of the Felix-train. “Fair enough, but you could have told me that. We’d have helped you.”

  “Hotels are fine until I find a place,” I rush, catching the eye of my manager Eddie heading our way. “What was I supposed to do, crash at your party house?”

  I haven’t been inside his house but I have been with them when he dropped Seth off once since they’re roommates. The place looks like a typical off-campus party-house man-cave dump. I’d rather take my chances staying with Adrian, scary as it is.

  “You could’ve stayed in my room at the frat house,” Kenton says, his tone completely serious. “Plenty of girls do.” He waggles his eyebrows to break character.

  Seth gives him a sidelong glance and Felix looks about ready to rip his head off.

  “Hello, gentlemen.” Eddie approaches the table with that happy-go-lucky smile on his face, but I know this is his way of checking up on me. “Is everything okay over here?”

  “Yeah, we’re just having a debate about the menu.” Kenton grins ruefully. “Ribs or brisket? What say you?”

  “I’m normally a ribs man myself, but nobody makes brisket like Pops.” I smile at Eddie, mentally thanking him for saving me from this conversation.

  Kenton hands me the menu. “Great. I’ll take the brisket with a side of coleslaw and hush puppies. Oh, and a sweet tea and let’s finish it off with that pie.” He winks.

  The other guys order and I get back to work while Eddie hangs around for a few minutes to chat. Eddie sometimes has to do this for the servers. It’s his way of keeping us on task while also keeping the customers happy with his lively conversation and saving us from flirty or just overly chatty customers.

  Later, when the guys pay their check, they give me a big tip and ask if I’ll be needing a ride on Monday. I insist that I’m fine. I tell them not to worry, that I got it handled, and I’ll let them know when I need something. I’m an adult. I can take care of myself. But it’s not until they leave that I finally relax and get focused on my job. Being faced with that suspicion in Felix’s gaze, not to mention Seth’s unreadable intelligence, I know I need this money now more than ever. Adrian was right last night, I can’t stay at The Alabaster for long, and I can’t let the hunters figure out I’m there.

  I take the bus back to the casino even though I hate the bus. I get a little carsick each time because it’s way too hot and smelly and bouncy, but taking a taxi to and from work isn’t going to do me any favors when it comes to saving money and I’m not walking alone through these neighborhoods at night. At least there’s a reliable bus system. I have to be grateful for that. When I finally get off and walk into the lobby of the hotel, I veer away from the elevator bay and toward the casino floor. Adrian doesn’t want me out here, but I’m just going to take a quick peek to see if Mom’s gambling. She’s hiding out, so I’m guessing that includes staying away from The Alabaster Heart, but I also know my mother. She won’t be able to stay away for long, and I want to talk to her, to find out the full situation she’s gotten herself into. Maybe it’s not as bad as she says. Maybe I can help.

  I’ve still got on my little black shorts and t-shirt from work, and the AC bites at the exposed skin. I keep my head down, the curtain of black hair a pathetic disguise, and fold my arms in on myself. I do a quick once around the area where the tables are set up but don’t see her here. On one hand, I’m relieved she’s not here. On the other, I hope that doesn’t mean she’s on the riverboat. It is Saturday night, after all. And on the other, other hand, I’m just hoping she’s staying away from casinos and staying safe in general.

  But I really wish she’d return my calls. I’m on the verge of giving up.

  I also don’t see Adrian down here and the only vampire is the pit boss, who’s busy working. It’s fine. It’s not like someone is going to jump over the tables and bite me just because I’m a virgin which somehow makes my blood yummier. I recognize one of the regulars at the Texas Hold’em table and saunter over to his side, positioning my back to the dealer and keeping my head down. It’s a full table, a full casino really, and the music is annoyingly loud. Hopefully, I won’t get carded and sent away.

  “Hey,” I say casually to the guy, “you know my mother, right? Virginia Blackwood? She’s the petite redhead who’s at this table a lot.”

  He peers over at me from under bushy black and silver eyebrows. His eyes are red rimmed and his breath reeks of alcohol, which tells me he has more than one vice. The guy doesn’t stand a chance. He’ll probably be dead before the year’s end. “Sure, I know her.”

  “Have you seen her recently?”

  He ignores me for a minute to place a bet. I put a friendly smile on my face, waiting patiently, even though I’m far from patient right now.

  “Saw her a few days ago. What was it?” He thinks back. “That was Wednesday.”

  “Yeah.” I nod. “Me too. But I can’t find her and haven’t seen her since then. She said she’s staying with one of her casino buddies.
Do you know who that might be?”

  He doubles down on his bet and stares at the cards as the dealer finishes the hand. “Yes!” He pumps his fist and pulls his winnings toward his stack of chips.

  “Good job. You’re really good at this.” I’m trying to stroke his ego here, even though I know that he’s probably going to blow through those winnings before the night is out.

  He smiles for the first time and really looks at me, some of that alcoholic haze melting away. “Virgina has a lot of friends around here, not just me. I don’t know what to tell ya, kid.”

  “Thing is, I’m worried she might be in trouble and I really want to find her.”

  He stiffens. “In trouble? If she’s in trouble then keep me out of it.”

  Some friend.

  “Let’s say you needed to borrow money from someone around here. Who would that be?”

  Please don’t say vampires. Please don’t say vampires. Please don’t say vampires.

  He laughs. “Vampires.”

  I frown. “That’s what I was afraid of. I didn’t realize casinos were keen to give out loans.”

  “Not the casino.” he whispers and looks around, making sure nobody is listening in on us. “But there are others who have their little fangs mixed up with the mob, if you know what I mean.”

  I feel like sinking into the floor and disappearing. How am I supposed to handle vampires and the mob, especially if they’re working together? I don’t even know anything about mobsters beyond what they show in movies and television, but I do know that they are a law unto themselves and they’re not the kind of people my mom should’ve borrowed money from.

  “If you’re smart, kid,” he goes on, placing his next bet. “You’ll stay far away from your mom and her troubles. Let her deal with them. You don’t want to end up as collateral damage.”

  “Thanks.” I grimace and walk away, my heart strumming against my ribcage because I know he’s right. For as many times as I tell myself I’m going to give up on her, that I try to convince myself to do it, I also know it’ll never happen. I can’t. She’s the only family I have left, she’s my mom. Besides, I’m already in too deep to turn my back on her now.