Freak Show (7 page)

Jenner’s words rang in my ears, but I had to replay it a few times in my head to be sure I’d heard his insane declaration correctly. The silence was deafening. A tirade lurked on the tip of my tongue as every dirty word I wanted to say came to mind.

“You’ve lost your fucking mind.” The atmosphere pulsed with Arys’s vehement declaration.

“You’ve clearly forgotten how we do things in Sin City. Either play to win or admit defeat and walk away.”

“I always win. You should know that by now.” A growl laced Arys’s words, an echo of my wolf that lurked in him. It was a remnant of my wolf that was, at times, a little too real for Arys to control.

Arys smacked Jenner with a jolt of energy that sparked with gold and blue. It was just enough to knock Jenner back a few feet. That was all it took to incite a violent reaction. The next shot landed along with a punch. Arys staggered back from the blow, his jaw bruised. His eyes were solid blue wolf when he lunged at Jenner. 

The two of them grappled with both power and fists. They knocked over the chair Jenner had been sitting on before crashing into a small side table. A flurry of curses and uttered threats filled the air.

“My God, you guys, stop it!” Sloane shrieked, her voice shrill. “You’re acting like spoiled children.” With a wave of her hand, she lashed out at them in an attempt to pull them apart, but they carried on as if she’d never touched them.

The musky scent of vampire blood tickled my nose. Each of them was bleeding at this point, never ceasing in their assault of one another. Clearly, their issues went deeper than Arys’s return to the city.

“You’re a motherfucking traitor, Sindarys! You owe us.” Jenner’s use of Arys’s full name shouldn’t have been surprising. It reminded me that there were people who knew him from long ago. He had several lifetimes with these vampires, long before me.

“If I owe you anything, it’s an ass-kicking that finally puts you in your place.” With a tug on the power flowing between us, Arys flung a potentially deadly psi ball.

Either uncanny skill or dumb luck allowed Jenner to deflect the shot. He sent it crashing into the wall where it blew open a basketball-sized hole. Drywall and paint chips rained down in a pile of dust on the carpet.

I was done waiting. They were going to kill each other. I focused hard on both vampires and, with a flick of my wrist, flung them apart. Arys tumbled over the sofa opposite me and hit the floor while Jenner grunted as he slid down the wall next to the gaping hole.

“Now both of you just calm the fuck down. Don’t make me hit you again.” My words ended on a growl. Power thrummed through me. Looking back and forth between the two cocky vampires, I dared them to call my bluff.

Jenner regained his footing but remained where he was, leaning against the damaged wall. A slow grin lit up his face. Damn vampires. It took a lot more than a slap of power to intimidate or control them. He was going to test my limits severely before this night was through; I could feel it.

“Oh, please do,” he invited, going so far as to beckon with a finger. “If that’s a taste of how you’d kill me, I can safely say I will die with a smile and a hard on.”

“You’re a pig.” My lip curled in disgust. Though I might not say so aloud, Jenner and Arys were a lot alike in their smarmy conceit. I expected a comment like that from Arys; from him it was laughable, but from Jenner it was just gross.

“And you’re a little wolf playing vampire. It’s cute, really. But ultimately pointless. You’re not one of us.” A deadly glare replaced Jenner’s grin, and he advanced on me with slow, careful steps.

Arys was at my side, fingers alight with a golden-blue fire. “You’re right, Jenner. Alexa is not one of us. She’s more than we are. Why else would she have been able to kill Harley? You’ll be next if you continue this nonsense.”

“I’d like to make it clear that Harley is the one who taught me how to kill him,” I said. “You may want to chew on that for a bit.”

“Are you implying that my sire wanted you to kill him?” Jenner’s voice rose to a thunderous volume. “You think he wanted a hybrid mutation like you to take over his business? Not a chance in hell. You won’t make it out of town without paying for what you did to him.”

“I’m not implying a damn thing. Harley knew what he was risking by getting close to me. Do you?” I spoke through clenched teeth, finding it hard to hold the wolf back. I wanted to claw Jenner’s eyes out.

Sloane placed herself in front of Jenner. She touched his face, bringing his gaze to hers. “Jenner, be reasonable. Arys has never shown an interest in running Vegas. But he’s here for whatever reason. Maybe he can help us. Maybe if he knew—”

“Shut your damn fool mouth,” Jenner hissed. Grabbing her arm, he gave her a teeth-rattling shake. “I don’t need Arys to ride in here on his fucking high horse and save the day. My business is my business.”

Arys and I exchanged a look. Sloane was resistant, struggling against Jenner as she looked to Arys for help.

“It’s not only your business, Jenner.” Sloane jerked free of him and turned to us, a desperate plea in her eyes. “We’re in trouble, Arys. Since Harley’s death, things have gotten so bad. It’s the blood ring. We want out, and they won’t let us go—”

The crack of Jenner’s hand against her face was startling. She hit the floor fast and hard. A curse fell from her lips. In a blur of speed she was up, seething with fangs bared. But she didn’t say another word. Instead, she fled the room.

Everything happened fast then. Arys and Jenner were in each other’s face again, their shouts echoing through the room. The power level rose to the point of giving me a smashing headache. Jenner met Arys’s demand for an explanation with his own demands for blood and retribution. Shaz moved back a safe distance but was ready to jump in. The vampire pissing contest spiraled out of control.

Roscoe spoke up, his voice gruff but commanding, even amid the noise. “You’re brothers. There is no reason for this animosity.”

“Our brotherhood ended long ago.” Jenner’s nostrils flared, and he huffed. “I have no love left for the one who went out of his way to take everything from me.”

Yep, pissing contest. I somehow fought back the urge to roll my eyes. I couldn’t even begin to pretend to understand men, let alone men who were also monsters. Times like this, I thought maybe Jez had the better deal. No male bullshit.

“Hey, it wasn’t me who slept with your fiancée the night you were engaged,” Arys replied with a bitter laugh. “That was Maxwell.”

“No, you’re the one who married her instead, before you killed her, you son of a bitch.” Jenner dropped that bomb as if he’d been waiting a very long time to utter the words. It spoke volumes in regards to the hatred he carried like a flaming torch for Arys.

My jaw dropped. A memory slammed into me like a bullet train, a swarm of images that left me shaken and breathless. I had seen the photographic proof of Jenner’s claim. A year ago, one of Arys’s spurned lovers had sought to have him killed. She showed me the photo of Arys and his young blonde bride. I’d never had the guts to question him further on that. Now I didn’t have to.

I stumbled back a few steps, my hand going to my head as I struggled to see the room before me. Being forced to relive Arys’s memories as if I were there was a torment like no other. I always saw through his eyes, feeling what he felt. He had fallen for Jenner’s bride to be because she reminded him of the woman he had so recently begun to dream about, a woman destiny claimed he would never unite with.

“Alexa? Are you ok?” Shaz shook me, lightly slapping my face.

Laughter rang in my ears. With girlish giggles, she gazed up at Arys, batting her eyes. Within six months of their marriage, he had already decided it was over. Rather than ease his pain, she had made it worse.

Blood sprayed and laughter became screams. Arys’s slaughter was vicious, a frantic attempt to rid himself of a woman he was destined to long for but never know. To rid himself of me.

The memory faded, though the scent of blood and fear lingered inside me. Remnants of the vampire’s violence brought forth my wolf with a snarl. My four fangs filled my mouth, two on the top and bottom. Fists clenched, my claws sliced the palms of my hands.

“I’m fine,” I whispered, waving away Shaz’s concern. I was keenly aware of everyone’s eyes on me. It took great effort not to let my gaze fall accusingly upon Arys.

Jenner was eyeing me up, nodding in silent appraisal. “I want both wolves. One for Harley, the other for the woman I loved and lost to you.”

“Not a chance in hell,” Arys fired back.

“Then you’ve made your choice.” Jenner lunged, but Roscoe was just suddenly there, shoving him back. His large stature made his presence heavy, looming.

He gave both vampires a shove, creating more distance between them. I stayed close to Arys, ready to slap him with a psi ball if necessary. I couldn’t let him start a war that would have every vampire in the building on our asses. We’d never make it out alive.

“There’s gotta be a better way to handle this,” Roscoe insisted. A rough edge to his tone made me think he was more than just a yes man. “I’m not going to stand by while the two of you throw down. Be reasonable.”

Roscoe shared a look with Jenner, and something passed between the two of them. Jenner appeared reluctant, glancing uncertainly around the room. His vehemence was palpable. Vengeance guided him now. Such a demanding force wouldn’t often be denied.

Holding my breath, I waited anxiously to see where this was going. I was dying to shout an, “I told you so,” at Arys. Coming here had been idiocy.

“Alright, fine,” Jenner finally relented, oozing self-satisfaction. “No violent display of power. Let’s make it a little more interesting. Cards. You and me, Arys. Let’s play some poker. It is Vegas after all.”

The intrigue, which lit up Arys’s eyes with a devilish blue spark, set off warning bells in my head. “What are the stakes?” he asked, and I knew then he was going for it.

My stomach clenched. This wasn’t exactly a better alternative to beating the hell out of one another. Meeting the eyes of my white wolf, I saw my concern reflected back at me.

“If you win, you and your companions can walk out of here unharmed. You’ll be free to go about the city as you please.” Jenner beamed as if his offer was too good to refuse. Then he gleefully dropped the bomb that stole my voice. “If I win, I make your wolves part of the entertainment.”

Chapter Six

“Is that the best you can do?” Arys raised a dark brow and shook his head. He was going to give it to Jenner now, or so I thought. Imagine my surprise when instead he added, “Let’s revise that somewhat. If I win, not only do I walk free and clear of here, but I take control of the club.”

I gaped at him, trying to process the total lunacy coming out of his mouth. “Are you serious?”

“Come on, Arys. What the fuck?” Shaz was on his feet, having reached his limit.

Arys shushed us both with a hand, never taking his eyes off Jenner. I had a sinking feeling that Arys’s ego was about to make a deal I’d regret. Jenner’s stony silence had all of us fixed on him, waiting. Roscoe shrugged as if to say Arys had every right to make his own demands.

“Deal.” Jenner extended a hand to Arys. “You must be awfully confident in your abilities to so easily agree to a bet that puts your precious Alexa on the line.”

“I never say no to a good poker game. Especially one I know I can win.” With a smile that oozed conceit, Arys grasped the other vampire’s hand. They shook, so simply sealing a deal that put Shaz and me on the line.

I wanted to be stunned, but I knew my twin flame well. This was very much in his nature. The fact that I didn’t agree with his choice meant nothing. It was just another conflict of many that we would have.

“Is this for real?” Jez piped up, regarding the vampires present with the wary distrust of a cat feeling cornered.

“Selfish fucking vampire,” Shaz muttered, his fists clenched and knuckles white. “I’m not even surprised anymore by your willingness to sell us out.”

“Settle down, pup. Everything is under control. I’ve got this.” Arys dismissed Shaz with a look, but in my mind he pleaded, ‘Trust me.’

I didn’t. Not this time. Too much was left to chance, this could go all wrong too many ways. And far too much delight danced on Jenner’s smug face. I had no response. What could I say to the man who had just gambled with my life?

“Oh God, do I ever need a drink,” I muttered. Running a hand through my hair in exasperation, I headed for the door with every intention of appeasing that need.

Jez was quick to join me in my escape. “Right there with ya.”

“Wonderful idea,” said Jenner. “Why don’t we all take a few minutes to do that? I could go for a drink myself. Roscoe, get a private table ready for us. Keep the blood and booze flowing.” Crooking his finger in invitation, he added, “You’re here now, Arys. You made that choice. So you might as well enjoy the place.”

Arys caught up to me, taking my hand in his and holding tight when I attempted to shake him off. It was growing increasingly hard to rein in my temper. Showing Jenner a united front was going to be tough when all I wanted to do was bitch slap Arys upside the head.

“Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered in my ear. “No matter what happens here tonight, we both need to be at full strength. No arguments.”

“We? I didn’t hear anything about you being forced into this circus of maniacs.” I was bitter, and he knew it. It was evident in the way he gripped my hand tighter, silently pleading with me to give him the benefit of the doubt.

His voice in my head was soft, a gentle touch that conveyed more than words spoken aloud. ‘You killed the one vampire who was stronger than every vampire in this city. I trust that you will be able to handle Jenner, whether I win or lose.’

‘Losing is an option? What the hell were you thinking?’

‘I can’t walk away from his challenge, Alexa. I hope you understand. You know I’d never let anything happen to you.’

This was his family, his entire history. I had no choice but to understand, even though I didn’t. I had to put my faith in Arys’s uncanny ability to kick some serious ass at poker and hope for the best.

Jenner swept past us. “Don’t sully yourself with the humans upstairs. The den has all you need. Come, let me show you the changes I’ve made.” He fully expected that we’d follow.

I sighed and glanced at each of my companions in turn. Before I could proclaim my intent to tell Jenner to shove it, Arys dragged me along behind the conceited vamp.

‘He has no idea what we are going to do to him.’ Arys’s voice echoed through my mind. He was seething and doing his best to keep from unleashing his wrath.

‘We? Wanna fill me in?’ I didn’t like the sound of this.

We walked as a group through the theatre and back through the fight room. Roscoe said something about having someone set up a table before he disappeared, leaving us alone with Jenner. The two wolves in the cage were going hard. Their snaps and snarls were audible despite the cheers from the crowd. There was blood on the air.

I looked longingly at the elevator door as we passed, wishing we could leave. Wishing we had never come. I caught Shaz’s eye, worried about what was to come. He mustered a small smile and a half-hearted shrug. He was fearless.

‘I knew this would happen if we came to this city,’ Arys continued. ‘It had to eventually. It’s ours. Rightfully, it belongs to us.’

‘I don’t want it.’ I didn’t. Arys had to know that. He was letting his personal feelings affect his decisions. There was no way he really wanted to run a city like Vegas. ‘I’ll never live here, Arys. It’s not home.’

A muscle twitched in his jaw, but he didn’t answer. Sure, I was his other half, but that didn’t mean I was going to take over an entire city just to prove a point to Jenner. They were like brothers, sired by the same vampire, battling for supremacy. I didn’t want any part in that. Of course, if anything happened to Shaz, I would make Jenner sorry he’d ever met me.

We crossed through the fight room to a solid metal door on the other side. Jenner punched in a security code, and it opened. Immediately, a rush of erotic energy overwhelmed me. It hit me like a punch in the stomach.

“I think you’ll find the den to be more inviting than it used to be,” Jenner announced with a snake-like smile. “Perhaps your friends will want to play.”

He ushered us in and let the heavy door close. I took one look at the den of sin, and panic surged forth. I wasn’t surprised by what was going on, but I was horrified because I knew what it was going to do to Shaz and to me.

An orgy of vampires and humans was taking place. Naked bodies covered a large circle shaped bed in the center of the room. They spilled off onto the floor, too lost in their search for pleasure to care. Sloane was happily basking in their midst. Groans and cries from so many created an eerie melody. The scent of sweat and blood mingled with the sex-soaked energy, attacking every one of my weaknesses at once. I turned wide eyes to Shaz, fearful of what I might find.

His expression was pained. After becoming addicted to the rush of a vampire’s bite and the pull of power that goes with it, Shaz had faced the hard road of going clean. However, that didn’t mean the temptation was gone. The beat of his heart grew rapid. For the first time since we’d arrived at The Wicked Kiss, Shaz was having a strong reaction.

Yet again, so was I. All I saw when I looked at him was a man that I could fuck and bleed. The influence in the room was intense and demanding. I had already fought so hard to deny the bloodlust. Now it swallowed me whole.

“Alexa, don’t.” Arys grabbed my arm with both hands before I could lunge at Shaz.

My white wolf stood there staring at me with pupils so huge his eyes were black. He shook his head, and his breath came fast. He backed toward the door, unable to tear his gaze away from the obscene scenario.

Jez latched onto Shaz’s arm, holding him tight as she dragged him to the door. Jenner’s satisfied laughter followed them out.

“I apologize,” he chuckled. “I didn’t realize he was so easily affected.”

“He’s a former blood whore, Jenner. Have some class.” Even as Arys uttered the command, he too was falling under the hypnotic spell. As his pupils dilated, stimulated by many hungers, his eyes darkened. His arms tightened possessively around me.

Jenner ignored Arys, choosing instead to join Sloane in the mass of bodies. He buried his face in her cleavage and reached beneath her skirt. In moments, they had a naked woman on the bed between them. She was terrible at staying mad, though I had let my anger melt away at the touch of a vampire lover too.

I didn’t want to watch, but I couldn’t look away. The den itself wasn’t all that large. A dozen or more people engaged in bloodletting and orgasms. It was a feast of body and power, one that would give even the strongest vampire a high that would last for hours, maybe even days.

“I can’t…” My head spun as I fought the bloodlust. No use. The fight drained from me.

“It’s ok. I’m right here.” With his lips pressed to my ear, Arys slid a hand up my bare arm to touch the choker hiding my throat. He held me close, murmuring words that were supposed to calm me but only stoked the fire burning between us.

“I’m not participating in this.” I had enough sanity left to state my refusal.

Relief crashed through me when Arys whispered his agreement. “Follow my lead.”

He gravitated closer to a group of three humping their brains out on the floor at the foot of the bed. There was a small ripple of power as he reached out to them. Almost immediately, one of the two men turned to look at us. His eyes were glazed and somewhat unfocused. He was in deep.

Without speaking, he reached for me, and Arys intercepted him. Gazing deep into the man’s vacant eyes, he said, “You’re going to bleed for us now. And you’re going to love it.”

Arys didn’t wait for a response. He bit into the man’s wrist and shoved it toward me before moving on to plunge fangs into his throat. Our victim groaned, and his knees buckled. We followed him down to the carpet, kneeling beside him.

I pressed my lips to the vampire bite and gasped when the scarlet nectar hit my tongue. Straight from the vein, warm and flavored with his sexual desire, it was exactly what I needed to get through the rest of this night. I pulled his sensual energy into me, devouring it as I sucked at the bloody wound.

The only thing that could have taken me to greater heights was if Arys had been buried inside me. Sensing my need, he stroked a hand through my hair, his fingers entangled in my blonde tresses. Feasting on the wildly erotic storm of energy was exhilarating. I’d never experienced anything quite like it. So many people, both human and vampire, each of them giving off a heady rush of desire, it was a high unlike any other I’d known thus far. I fell through the clouds, plummeting in a free fall, never to land. Freedom.

Our victim twitched between us, crying out. I felt the approach of his climax. Though we never touched him anywhere else, he was reacting to a touch that was deeper and a thousand times more intimate.

I dropped his wrist and sucked in a deep breath. My heart thundered in my ears so I had to strain to hear anything else. Shoving away from the bleeding, writhing man, I fell on my butt in my haste to put distance between us.

Power surged through me, seeking an outlet. I was all fangs and claws, unable to fight back the wolf while the vampire side of me ruled. The good news was that if things got ugly with Jenner later, I’d be primed and ready to blow.

My vision swam as I tried to focus. Jenner and Sloane were a blur along with the many bodies surrounding them. He had his face buried between her thighs while she sucked ferociously at their victim’s neck. I’d seen more than enough of Jenner’s sexcapades for one night. I watched with a combination of intrigue and apprehension when Arys lifted his head and his crazed blue eyes landed on me. Abandoning the man we’d just fed on, he crossed the short distance to where I sat on the floor, bewildered.

He hovered over me on hands and knees. I gazed up at him, trembling in anticipation. His kiss was electric, a passionate claiming of my mouth. I clung to him, excited when he grabbed my arm and bared the soft inside of my wrist.

Arys bit gently at my flesh, a small bite that left me wanting more. A sound that was both pain and pleasure spilled from me. I ached for him, needing so much more than I was receiving. This was not the place for that.

Unfortunately, this was exactly the place for that, just not for me. As I held tight to my dark vampire, soaring on clouds while he tasted my blood, I lost myself. The euphoria claimed me, and I fell hard. I had to enjoy it while I could. Eventually the rush would fade, and I’d have to come back down to earth where reality would bitch slap me as it so often did. 

* * * *

We found Shaz and Jez seated at a back corner poker table in the casino upstairs. Both full and empty glasses and bottles littered the table. In the center sat a deck of cards with The Wicked Kiss logo on the back. They had certainly managed to keep busy in our absence.