Sunset to Sunrise (4 page)

Who needed rest? I’d happily binge my way through each night. I left him there in the brush between two houses, his throat a mess that would never be identified as vampire by anyone other than possibly the FPA. Fuck ’em.

When I reached The Wicked Kiss, I had to do a double take. The line to get in spilled out of the lobby into the parking lot. The club was always busy, but it was rarely overflowing. Apparently word had spread that the king and queen were out of town. Everyone wanted to come out and play while the power players were away.

I shoved my way inside, ignoring protests and rude remarks from those thinking I was jumping the line. If they didn’t know who I was, then they must be newbies. I paused in the entry to gape at the jam-packed club.

“Don’t go over capacity,” I instructed Justin, one of the few vampires Alexa and I both trusted to man the door. “Double check IDs. I don’t want any minors sneaking in.”

“You got it,” the big man replied, suddenly swarmed by a group of drunken, giggling women.

I left him to fend them off as they caressed his muscular arms and cooed words of wasted endearment. Poor bastard.

I didn’t generally enjoy it this busy. However, I wasn’t about to complain about the improvement in selection. Tonight would be a donor night. No kill. One was enough. I ignored the contemptuous laughter that echoed in my conscience. It had ceased shaming me long ago. Now it merely mocked.

The scent of human blood was thick. As more of them piled through the front door, I found myself itching to sample them all. There was no aroma like that of blood still within the vein, pumping through the heart, ready to be spilled at just the right moment.

I almost forgot to look for Scar and his buddy amidst the crowd. In a sea of potential victims, I was like a starving man at an all you can eat buffet. Except for the starving part. No matter. I was always hungry for a little nip.

“Your eyes are absolutely stunning.” A petite blonde gazed up at me in wonder. Clutched in her hand was a glass of whiskey. “I bet you hear that a lot.”

“Thank you.” The reasons why I didn’t want her were many. Being blonde was enough to squash any interest I might have had in her. I just couldn’t do it. I tried for a smile and a polite nod before moving on.

The little minx intercepted me, placing herself firmly in my path. “I know who you are, the things they say about you. I’ve got to say, it’s intriguing.”

This was amusing. “And just what is it that they are saying?”

“It’s just…” She sipped her drink and gave a nervous laugh. The smell of whiskey turned my stomach. Good Lord why did she have to be drinking Alexa’s drink? “My friend Lauren said that nobody has been able to make her feel the way you did. I thought that maybe if you didn’t already have someone for tonight…I mean, I’m available.” An embarrassed blush reddened her cheeks. Her courage was both admirable and stupid. She had no idea what she was asking for.

“Well, tell Lauren that I appreciate her positive review. I’m afraid tonight isn’t good for me, but I guarantee you there is somebody here who would happily take you to their room. Have a nice night.”

I moved to go around her and again she tried to block me. My patience was wearing thin. If she was so insistent on tempting death in my bed, she might get more than she was looking for.

“Please, Kale,” she said, going so far as to lay a hand on my leather clad arm. “It’s my first time here. I’d love for it to be you.”

With more force than intended, I gave her a shove out of my personal space. Her desperation stank, and I had no hunger for what she was offering. Not in the way she hoped I would.

“Listen, sweetheart,” I snarled. “You don’t know what you’re asking for. The women that come to my bed don’t always leave alive. Now find somebody else. Tell Lauren she’s lucky to be alive. I don’t make such a good playmate these days.”

I didn’t look back, not even when she called me a fucking asshole. Needing an escape from the growing crowd, I found a place in the shadows near the back hall entry where I could survey the room.

For a brief moment, I regretted killing the brunette from the previous night. She was shy, until she wasn’t. Then she was a willing slave, all too happy to get on her knees for me. Ah well. Too late now.

At first glance, The Wicked Kiss made it seem like every vampire in town was present. Far from it. In a city and surrounding area of about a million people, a few hundred vampires blended in easily. It was not at all common for them to congregate in the same place. It was a surprisingly rare few that made a habit of killing nightly, even fewer that threatened exposure. Less than half of the city’s vampire population frequented the nightclub, though from the looks of it, more of them would if Alexa wasn’t always lurking about.

I spotted Scar’s friend from last night near the stage where the werewolf-led band, Crimson Sin, performed. They were the only band in town willing to play here regularly.

Making my way over to him proved trying. More than one woman found a way to cross my path. It hadn’t always been this way. I wasn’t the kind of guy women threw themselves at. The real kicker was that I could now have any woman I wanted. Any except for the one I did want.

“Where’s your friend?” I asked, interrupting the vampire in his attempt to convince a woman to give him a nibble. “I’d like to talk to him.”

The guy scowled, annoyed at my intrusion. “He’s not here. What’s this about?”

“If I’m going to help you guys, I need more information first. Where can I find him?”

“Look, pal, we don’t actually need your help. Bringing in outsiders isn’t really our thing. Ya know? How about we forget the entire conversation?” Turning his back on me, he dismissed me as if I were no longer standing there.

Unwilling to play games with the juvenile idiot, I grabbed him by the back of the neck and slammed him against the side of the stage. His face crushed into it, and he flailed about in an attempt to dislodge my grip.

“I don’t like to repeat myself,” I said, leaning in close so as not to be heard. The band was loud, but vampire hearing was top notch. “Tell me how many of you there are and where I can find the others.”

He resisted, pressing his lips into a tight, thin line. I shoved his head harder against the stage, willing to shatter his skull if that was what it took. A push of power coaxed a squeal from him.

“I’m waiting.” I feigned a yawn. A little more power and his head would explode. I wouldn’t get any answers out of him then, but that was ok with me.

“Twelve,” he shouted, stinking of desperation. “Just like he said. That’s including me and Phillip. We’ve been meeting at that big ass cemetery in the middle of town.”

“That’s kind of cliché, isn’t it? You guys have been watching too much paranormal TV.”

“Naw, the place is perfect. Nobody goes there except the caretakers. At night the place is empty.” He finally stopped struggling, realizing it was safer to be calm and complacent. “I knew Phillip should’ve kept his mouth shut. You’re gonna blow everything.”

I chuckled, finding it both sad and amusing that this pitiful creature was a vampire. “So you gather there and then what? Plot against the rulers of the city? What else?”

“Nothing. That’s it. I swear. Get off me, man.”

My fist was buried in his chest cavity before I knew what I was doing. Punching through his back to his heart, I grasped the slimy thing and wrenched it free. He fell to the floor, a pile of dust.

A few shocked cries went up from those nearby, but for the most part, nobody noticed. I was considering a quick trip over to the graveyard he’d mentioned when the vibration of my phone in my pocket caught my attention.

It was Alexa. Seeing her number on the display filled me with a twisted combination of excitement and dread.

“Miss me already?” I teased, skipping the hello and getting straight to the point. She was calling to check up on me as if I were a child. “Or just checking to make sure I’m still functioning on a semi-sane level?”

“Maybe a little of both. Is that ok?” Her response warmed me against my will. She sounded tired despite having been gone only a day.

I moved toward the back hall to escape the noise. “You’re a masochist, Alexa. How is Vegas treating you so far?”

“Vegas is fabulous. The vampires, however, are a serious pain in the ass.” She was being elusive. It was worrisome.

I laughed, hoping to lighten the mood. My next comment came out more snide than intended. “You mean Arys’s vampire family didn’t accept you with open arms? Color me shocked. So, how much trouble are you in?”

“I’m not sure yet,” she said with a bitter laugh. “I’ll let you know when the poker game deciding my fate is over.”

“Nothing says love quite like using your lady as a poker bet. Classy. And to think, you could be here instead. With me.” I don’t know why I said it. My mouth moved independently of my brain, and I regretted it immediately.

“So you can taunt me into driving a stake through your heart? That’s not a game I want to keep playing. I think my chances of winning are better here.” The sound of slot machines was loud in the background, reminding me of the distance between us.

“Our game is far from over.”

A strained silence fell. My promise hung on the line. It was too late to take it back. I couldn’t pretend that I didn’t mean it. I did. Every damn word.

“Anyway,” she stammered. “I just wanted to make sure things were all good there. So have a good night and, um, try not to kill anybody.”

I couldn’t let her hang up without reminding her what she meant to me. “Alexa…don’t get killed, ok? I like you with a heartbeat.”

It was quite possibly one of the stupidest things I’d ever said to her. It was also true. I dreaded the day when her heart would cease to beat, when she would truly be a vampire. Her power over me would grow, and the woman I had fallen in love with would be consumed by the darkness.

I slumped against the wall, feeling oppressed by the swarm of emotions that had surfaced with one brief phone call. Why couldn’t I escape her? This was a question I’d begun to ask myself on a nightly basis. Clearly I had no answer.

Knowing at that very moment Arys was gambling with Alexa’s life, I hated him more than I ever had. He did deserve to die. And yet, she did not deserve to suffer through such a thing.

I was conflicted. What kind of man gambles with the life of the woman he loves? The woman bound to him beyond life and death. A selfish piece of shit of a man, that’s what kind.

Killing him would destroy her emotionally. It would plunge her deeper into the darkness than she’d ever been. But it would save her from being used like a fucking poker chip in one of his warped games. He didn’t deserve her. Yet, he had her. When they say life isn’t fair, whoever they are, they weren’t fucking kidding.

I shook my head and refocused on the task at hand. Phillip would have to forgive me for the loss of his friend. I could make it up to him by delivering Arys Knight as promised.

Worrying about Alexa was pointless. Despite the many ways she found to get herself into trouble, she had a tendency to pull through the worst of messes. Still, in a city like Las Vegas, the odds were stacked against her.

I returned to the painfully loud nightclub and searched the bar for Willow. As expected, there he was, seated near the end with a row of tequila shots lined up in front of him.

“I think Alexa might be in trouble.” That’s all it took to get his attention. He turned to me, expectant, so I went on. “She just called me. Said something about a poker game deciding her fate. Can you drop in on her?”

“Only if I have an exact location. Do you know where she is?”

“No. Fuck me, I should’ve asked.” My hands clenched into fists. It was one of the worst feelings ever, to know she might be in trouble and that I was powerless to do a damn thing.

Willow studied me, lacking the level of concern I currently experienced. “Give her an hour or two, then call her back. If she needs me, I’ll be there in a heartbeat.”

“She could be dead by then.”

“She won’t be.” The weight of Willow’s gaze grew unbearable. I didn’t like the way he was looking at me. “Look, Kale, I know you’re worried about her, but you know Alexa. It’s going to take a lot to take that woman out. Probably a lot more than the Vegas vampires can throw at her.”

Sudden fury had me seething. I wanted to slap the drink out of his hand. He wasn’t taking this seriously enough. Like flipping a switch, I cooled, thinking that maybe he was right. I nodded and backed away, mumbling an apology when I bumped into someone.

Mood swings were a bitch. They were never a good sign.

Swinging from one extreme to the other was rather taxing though maybe not as taxing as putting up with this goddamn nightclub. A glance around gave me several reasons to be glad Alexa wasn’t there. The party was raging and not in an entirely legal way. There was a couple screwing on the dance floor. He bent his lady over and plowed her while everyone watched. When had that started?

My boots stuck to the floor as I walked. There had to be as much liquor spilled on the floor as there was racing through the blood of the patrons.

Shouts drew attention as a fight broke out. About the same time, I detected the scent of freshly spilled blood. Somebody was feeding in the public area, breaking Alexa’s number one rule. I too enjoyed breaking that rule.

I had a choice; I could put a stop to the illicit activity or join in. It wasn’t much of a choice at all.

Gliding through the crowd, I moved like a shadow among them, barely there at all. A dark haired beauty caught my eye. She danced alone, despite the many would be suitors who attempted to get an invite into her personal space.

I watched her from a respectful distance, waiting for her to sense my gaze upon her. She looked up, like I knew she would, and waved me over.

Some nights, that’s all it took. A look. Much to the dismay of another vampire ogling her, she slipped eagerly into my arms. Closing my eyes, I savored her scent. Perfume mixed with wine and the subtle but unmistakable womanly aroma that was all her own. It had me itching to sink my fangs.