by Emma Shade
Drinking in public and carting drinks on the sidewalk was odd to me, because it was frowned upon in Indiana. Nonetheless, alcohol booths sprout up to line the strip with talented bartenders. Gawking at one now throwing the bottle in the air with an amazing spiral, I pictured Sam in his place doing the same.
I pushed back the thoughts of Sam and everything out of my mind. I missed him like crazy, but ignoring the memories of my best friend’s death and everyone I left behind alleviated the pain. Well, that, and consuming an enormous amount of alcohol helped too.
Two days ago, Paige and I boarded a plane to Las Vegas, Nevada for our first mission together. Supposedly a vampire who owned a small casino, broke the rules by making his progenies into escorts. That’s not the problem. The problem was this man took the “suitors” forcing them into an illegal blood trade. Who knew that specific types of blood would be sought after by certain clientele? From the way Paige explained it, it’s similar to the drug and prostitution rings. A vampire using humans against their will? I know, cliché. To top it all off, the guy even kidnapped men and woman to make them into his little blood sucking whores. A vampire pimp. The humor was not lost on me.
Paige spoke to a tall man on the edge of the sidewalk. She’d dressed the part for sin city. Her coppery, red hair straightened to fall below her shoulders, a short black mini skirt, black leather high heeled boots, and a tight black lace top showing her midriff. The man she conversed with wore a black suit and tie, eyes roaming her body. His long, dark hair reflected the lights around us. The vampire we searched for was spotted in the limo this man drove tonight. Luckily, he’d gotten away with his life. Unluckily, he had to deal with Paige.
“So you didn’t see anything out of the ordinary? Pfft. You expect me to believe the shit spewing out of your mouth?” Paige put a hand on her hip and huffed, “You’re lying.”
The limo driver held up his hands. “Hey, crazy lady, I didn’t see nothing. The partition was up the whole time. A man got in, asked me to drive to pick up some friends, and then two men and a woman got in. I dropped them off a few blocks from here. They gave me a huge tip. That’s all I know. Okay?”
“Whatever. Get the hell out of here, you piece of shit.”
The guy’s eyes focused on Paige’s breasts, his feet scuffing back and forth on the sidewalk. “Say, what are you up to later? I could take you for a ride in the limo.”
Eyebrows raised, she sneered, “I’m not interested in any kind of a ride you’d offer. Now, or ever.”
“Bitch,” he mumbled. Getting back into the sleek black limo, he slammed the door and swerved away from the curb.
“I’ll show you a bitch!” Paige screamed, flipping off the retreating tail lights.
“I think he’s gone now.”
“I should’ve kicked his ass. But no-o-oo, you wanted to keep it civilized.”
“Paige, don’t start. You’re already getting on my nerves and the night just started.”
Shaking her head, Paige started in the direction of our hotel. “We aren’t getting anywhere like this. Hell, we don’t even know what the guy looks like besides a vague description from Jeremy.”
I scrambled to keep up with her. “So what do we do now?”
“We need bait.” She stopped suddenly, forcing me to stumble into her back. “That’s it. We’re grabbing some of those dirty cards from the guys along the strip. Then start calling them to see if the escorts would be willing to date a woman. Maybe this guy will show up. ”
“Paige, more than likely they’d do anything for the right amount of money. With hundreds of escort companies, we’d be searching for weeks. That’s not going to work. We need to spend some time in the casinos this guy supposedly owns.”
“That’s it!” Paige cried, spinning around to grab my shoulders. “Jeremy gave us unlimited funds while we’re here. We need to drop some cash like a high roller. That’ll get the owners attention.”
A mischievous grin split my face. The plan hadn’t sounded half bad. “Are you saying we blow Jeremy’s money on gambling and drinking?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. He did say use whatever means necessary, right?”
Laughing, I grabbed her arm to drag her towards the first casino. “Let’s withdraw some money and gamble.”
*****
After a ginormous amount of money was transferred and withdrawn, we made our way to Luxor first. Sphinx and Egyptian pharaoh statues lined the entrance. Slot machines whistled, chimed, and beckoned gamblers to insert just one more dollar. Waitresses walked around in scantily clad outfits, tray in hand, offering to fetch drinks. Multiple conversations buzzed around us in a dull roar, blending in with the sound of laughter and poker chips clinking on nearby tables.
Unfortunately, even with the glitz and glam of Vegas, I sucked at gambling. Sitting down at the slot machines, after giving up on blackjack, I slid in a hundred dollar bill into Lucky Duck slots.
“You suck at cards,” Paige said, sitting on the leather seat beside me.
“Yeah, no shit. Hoping my luck at slots isn’t as bad.”
She placed our drink order with the waitress, and slid a twenty in the machine next to mine. “Apparently the guy doesn’t own Luxor. Where to after this round of drinks?”
“Not a clue.” I shrugged, pressed max bet, and watched the colorful clovers, diamonds, and ducks rotate on the screen.
“There are four hotels this guy could potentially own. He can’t own one of the well-known casinos. The vampire is way too dicey to run the high end places. It has to be the two on the outskirts of the strip.”
“That leaves Desert Sands and Indigo. So where to first?” I asked, pressed the button, and hoped this time I might see some sort of winnings.
Paige winked, and replied, “First we get slobbery drunk, hit a dance club, and worry about it tomorrow.”
I sighed in exasperation. No matter how much I protested, she’d drag me along with her plan. The last thing I wanted to do was go to a dance club. It would just remind me of home.
CHAPTER TWO
The next morning, I woke with one hell of a hangover. Paige snored in the queen-sized bed beside mine. True to her word, we partied like rock stars last night. After downing shot after shot, I hadn’t remembered much of the night. Just flashes here and there. The club wasn’t much different than Ashton’s except for the location and clientele. Seeing something that reminded me of my past resulted in way too much alcohol consumption. I was paying the piper now.
Crawling out of bed, I stumbled to the bathroom still dressed in last night’s clothes. The reflection stared back at me in the mirror exposed baggy eyes, smeared makeup, and a pale face. I used the facilities, trying my best not to empty my stomach in the tiny hotel trash can beside the toilet as I peed.
“God, I need to stop drinking,” I groaned, laying my head on the cool tile wall next to the toilet.
“No you don’t. I love drunk Lily,” Paige said, propped up against the doorjamb.
“Paige!” Trying to cover what may be on display from the toilet, I stared at her open mouthed. “Don’t you give anyone privacy?”
She shrugged, walked into the restroom to use the mirror, and removed the crusted mascara under her eyes with her finger. “You should’ve closed the door.”
“Can you at least give me two minutes to wipe?”
“Two minutes,” Paige replied, tapping her watch. “We’ve got to get a move on if we’re going to check out those casinos today.”
“I need to shower before...” But I hadn’t been able to finish my sentence. She’d already travelled out the bathroom and closed the door.
If anyone could test my patience, it was Paige. The redhead knew every single button to press to make me batty. Especially when she voiced her opinion about my decision to leave everything and everyone behind. At least I had my cat Jinx, even if I couldn’t be with him. The furry shit lived the highlife in our apartment, and we’d even hired a cat sitter. How crazy is that?
We’d rented an apartment in San Diego under aliases. My credit cards, debit cards, and ID were back in the apartment under lock and key. Currently, I only had my identification under my new name. Which I hated. Paige had her say in my fake name and I could’ve killed her.
At least I got a few days break before we left. Now, even though I really do love Paige, we’re stuck in Las Vegas for who knows how long. And to top it all off, I hadn’t been able to push out everyone I left behind, no matter how much alcohol I poured into my mouth. Ashton, Blake, and Carlotta flashed through occasionally. Of course, Sam’s death replayed in my head like a broken record.
*****
Showered and clean, Paige and I ate breakfast in a hurry. By the time we hit the strip, it was already late afternoon.
Dressed in ripped skinny jeans tucked into knee high boots and a provocative top, I trailed beside Paige. Sunglasses covering my aching eyes, I squinted against the bright sunlight. My boots clacked against the concrete as we walked, each step resonating inside my eardrums, which still rang from the deafening music from last night.
Honestly, I don’t know what she expected to find in the middle of the day. But just because vampires could come out at any time, hadn’t meant this guy would. Casinos were the busiest at night. Vampires, just like humans, needed sleep too. Just not as much.
“Paige,” I asked, “what are we expecting to find here?
She narrowed her eyes, and said with a hushed tone, “You need to start using our fake names in public. You don’t know who could be around that knew our names. Besides, we are in one of the most popular cities in the world. If anyone spots one of us, we’re in trouble. Don’t you know the meaning of undercover?”
“Please, like anyone who knows our names wouldn’t recognize us anyway. We’ve been gone for about two months. I doubt they would even know where to start.”
“I know you’re not that dense. Be real.”
Pulling a face at her, I muttered, “Good Lord, they couldn’t even find Alistair.”
“That may be. However, I’m pretty sure Alistair traveled out of the country for a very long time. He hadn’t reappeared until several years after Jeremy discovered me. Just don’t discount the cunning nature of Ashton and Blake. I promise you that Ashton has a hunting party out looking for you right now. Blake’s probably helping anyway he can.”
I frowned. “Why would you think that? They probably hate me for leaving. Besides, I doubt they’d figure out where we are anyway.”
Paige shook her head with a laugh. “Do you forget who Ashton is? He’s the fucking leader over the vampires in the United States. Or did you forget that? Ashton’s got eyes all over.”
I stopped in my tracks with a shocked gasp. I had forgotten about that. He never seemed to be controlling anyone, though. Ashton, to me, owned a dance club and wanted to be my vampire version of a husband. Ashton, when angry, was a force to be reckoned with, and he had to be downright pissed that I left. When somebody is desperate enough, they’ll use any means necessary to find the person they love. And that person happened to be me. “Holy shit.”
“I told you we should’ve died your hair, or at least cut it,” Paige said, and stopped in front of me with her hand on her hips. “Think about it at least. They’ll be looking for a girl with dark hair.”
“I’m not dying my hair. Or cutting it. I don’t look good as a blonde.”
“You think it’s going to be easy to keep you from getting spotted? Jeremy and Alistair even agree with me. Hell, we could use temporary hair color even. Maybe a deep red, because blonde would not work unless we bleached it. Maybe some highlights.”
Of course I’d be easy to spot. Especially if a picture was circling with me in it. “What about you? Doesn’t anyone from your past want to find you?”
“Everyone I knew from my past is dead.”
Baulking at her deadpan expression, my mind ran a million miles a minute at the coldness behind her statement. Had she killed them during her out-of-control power days? I didn’t want to ever be in that position, even though it could happen if a war broke out on my behalf. I worried my lip. “You think I should do some temporary hair color? Will it wash out?”
Her brows went up in disbelief. “You’ve never died your hair?”
I shook my head. I’d always been too scared to cut off my hair or even visit the salon for highlights. As the traffic whooshed by us from the street and travelers snapped pictures of the unique buildings, I glanced around in thought. Sooner or later, Ashton might find me if I wasn’t going to do anything to change my appearance. Had I wanted him to? That thought haunted me more than I wanted to admit.
“Okay. Maybe we should use some temporary dye while we’re here,” I agreed.
Paige’s lips edged into a sly grin. She rubbed her hands together in glee. “You’re in luck, buttercup. I brought some with us.”
*****
Paige cleaned the temporary hair dye out of the bathroom sink of our hotel. My hair was colored, blow dried, and curled. The girl staring back at me in the mirror was still me, but the hair wasn’t. My dark locks were now replaced with a deep burgundy shade with fire engine red highlights. Not only was I thankful it would wash out in about two weeks, it also showed just how copper tinted Paige’s hair really was.
“I don’t like it,” I stated, frowning back at myself in the reflection.
“You don’t have to like it, Lily. It’s just for a temporary disguise. I wish you would agree to color contacts too,” Paige replied, using a cloth to dry the vanity.
“My eyes would look fake in blue. Green isn’t much of a change, and neither is a dark brown. What about you? You’re red hair is pretty obvious.”
She waived her hand around the air. “I’m getting ready to use some dye too, but the color is a surprise. I seriously think you should consider contacts.”
“I’m not wearing contacts, Paige. It won’t make a difference anyways. I died my hair. What more do you want?”
“You know what I think?” she asked, hurling the washcloth on the floor. “I have a feeling, deep down inside, you want to be found. You silently regret this decision to leave. Even though Sam’s dead, you didn’t really want to leave the rest of them. Your demented way to grieve is going to come back and bite you in the ass. You wanna know why? Because you’ve killed off every single part of your emotions from the rest of the world. So now, when they finally come out, it’s going to be a disastrous blow out. Mourning doesn’t make you weak, Lily. It lets you heal so you can be stronger for living through it.”
I hadn’t had time to grieve for Sam. Falling apart wasn’t an option. These veiled emotions behind a thick, impenetrable wall I’d built around my heart was the only way I was able to smile.
I faced Paige with a coldhearted expression. “You don’t know anything about me, Paige. I’ve cried enough tears for Sam. He doesn’t need to be remembered with tears, but with strength. I will not, now or ever, let anyone be hurt because of me.”
Paige’s mouth curved into the shape of an O. “I get it now. You think you’re to blame for all this. Your sister, Sam, and now by staying away from everyone, nobody else might get hurt. Or worse. Die.”
“Shut up,” I growled, and marched into the hotel room to snatch the clothes off the bed.
“Lily, you can’t blame yourself damn it. I know how you...”
I cut her off with a scowl. “I said shut up, Paige. I don’t want to hear your sudden devoted wisdom.”
“Fine,” she conceded, and waived a finger in my face. “But let me say something before you decide to cut me off again. You can’t stop bad things from happening. Fate is the only bitch who can. And trust me, she’s been after my ass from the beginning.” She threw open the hotel room door, letting it bang against the rubber stopper. Turning to look at me, her furious eyes narrowed as she fumed, “You can’t stop fate, Lily. Nobody can.”
The door slammed behind her as it closed, shaking the mirrored closet doors. Sitting on the bed, I
slid my new cell phone into my hands. It wasn’t registered to my real name, but one of the many aliases Jeremy had. My fingers hovered over the keys, tempted to check my personal Facebook. Or worse, to call somebody. I knew the number was supposedly blocked and untraceable. However, nothing is fool proof. Even though we temporarily lived in California, the phone was registered in New York. I don’t understand how all this worked. Hell, I barely understood what this mysterious group of people actually did.
Paige was right. By agreeing to leave with Jeremy Morrow, the leader and now my boss, I jumped in blindly. It was an out. To run from the heartache. My jumbled nerves and maniacal emotions forced me into something that may not have been the smartest decision of my life. But there was no turning back. I’d made my bed, so to speak.
Nonetheless, it was the best thing for me at the time. I couldn’t go back and face the group of people who loved me. The ones I’d left without saying goodbye. To visit Sam’s grave and cry. He’d want me to move on with my life. That’s what I told myself every day. It didn’t ease the pain, but I hadn’t had the heart to be troubled by the past.
Getting dressed, I threw on a bit of makeup and took a deep breath. Time to suck it up and meet Paige. When we found this vampire, whose evil mastermind may behind the reports of missing men and women all over the country, I’d show him just what I’m made of. It wouldn’t be killing Con again, but close enough.
CHAPTER THREE
