Vampire Beach: High Stakes (7 page)

‘Neither did we,’ Belle said.

‘You didn’t?’ Paige’s smile faltered.

‘Nope. It must be something they only do for the penthouse suites,’ Sienna said. ‘You lucky girl.’

Paige’s dark eyes went straight to Zach. ‘Did you have a bottle in your suite?’

Zach shook his head. ‘I wish.’

‘So it was just me?’ Paige asked, her voice worried. ‘That’s weird.’

‘Hey, don’t question it,’ Brad advised her. ‘It’s not like they can take it back.’

‘Zach, is the steak here any good?’ Erin asked. ‘I’m in the mood for a nice, juicy ribeye.’

‘I’d go with
the filet
, actually,’ Zach replied. ‘Is everyone having steak? Shall I order up some drinks too? Still or sparkling? And maybe a bottle of wine …?’

Everyone started talking at once, figuring out what to order, but Jason’s gaze stayed on Paige. She was staring off into space, her brow furrowed. Even when Max returned with some kind of green, fizzy drink, she only managed a wan smile.

Something’s worrying her
, Jason thought.

‘Paige? What are you getting?’ Sienna asked.

‘Hmm?’ Paige snapped out of her reverie and smiled at her sister. ‘Um, the risotto with truffle sauce. You know I can’t resist a good truffle.’

She was back to normal, Jason could see. But it was an act. There was something brittle about Paige’s smile, and he found himself thinking of her reaction to the white roses the night before. She’d acted weird then, and she was acting weird now. When the waiter reached over to take her menu, Paige jumped in surprise, shooting him a fast, suspicious look.

I’m wrong
, Jason realized, watching her.
It’s not that something is worrying Paige, it’s that something is
scaring
her!

But in a hotel like this, where every single person seemed to be treating Paige like a queen, what could there possibly be for her to fear?

‘
WHERE SHOULD WE
go first?’ Paige asked as Jason polished off his last bite of cheesecake. ‘Clubbing or gambling?’

‘Maybe we should find Zach,’ Erin suggested. ‘It seems kind of rude not to hang out with him after he paid for this incredible dinner.’ Zach had shot off right after his steak, heading for a poker game at which he’d arranged a seat.

‘Oh, don’t worry about him,’ Brad replied. ‘Anyone who leaves before dessert doesn’t deserve friends.’

‘Yeah, even if it
is
dessert that he paid for,’ Van Dyke joked.

‘I heard there’s an amazing DJ at the club in Paris,’ Maggie put in.

‘Paige is sick of Paris,’ Jason said.

Sienna’s sister turned to him, eyebrow raised. ‘That’s right,’ she said. ‘I am. I vote for that new place. What’s it called?’

‘Intervention,’ Brad said.

Paige nodded, and as the others kept on talking, Sienna leant in to whisper in Jason’s ear. ‘Thanks for stepping in. I don’t know what Paige’s deal is with Paris, but she’s pretty down on it. Even in hotel form.’

Suddenly Adam stood up. ‘Everybody excuse me, if you would. I’m not going clubbing or gambling, so I’ll say goodnight.’

‘Oh, no,’ Belle protested. ‘You did not come to Vegas to go to bed early.’

‘Who said I was going to bed? I’m getting my camera and going out,’ Adam told her. ‘I feel the need to shoot some footage. Sin City beckons.’

‘Yes, and it beckons us to Intervention,’ Paige told him. ‘Believe me, there will be plenty of footage there.’

‘Yeah, but it will just look like some expensive movie, with all kinds of beautiful people,’ Adam complained. ‘I want reality. I mean,
my
reality, not
your
reality which is basically the expensive movie reality.’

‘So what’s your reality?’ Jason asked.

‘I want to shoot the seedy underbelly of the neon beast that is Las Vegas,’ Adam said.

They all stared at him for a moment.

‘That is so
not
your reality,’ Van Dyke said.

‘I know, but it will make a great movie.’ Adam loosened his E.T. tie. ‘And I’m never going to see
the
seedy underbelly hanging out with you guys.’

‘But Adam, I was going to find you an actual showgirl to hook up with,’ Belle said. ‘That’s my mission for this week.’

‘It will just have to wait. Art before romance.’ He gave her a wink and headed out.

‘All right, no more deserters,’ Paige said. ‘We’re going to Intervention. Now.’ She stood up and strode out of the restaurant, and Jason and his friends followed her like baby ducklings.

Paige led them through the center of the Rouge et Noir Casino, and Jason couldn’t help noticing how many heads turned as she passed. Well, as she and Sienna passed. Each Devereux girl alone was enough to grab attention, but together, they were heart-stopping.

Paige held up her hand. ‘Detour,’ she called, veering off the main artery through the casino and winding her way through the poker tables. ‘Let’s tell our darling dinner host where we’re going.’

Zach sat at one of the tables, intent on the game in front of him. As they watched, he slid a stack of chips forward to place his bet.

‘He just bet 3,000 dollars!’ Maggie gasped.

‘That’s hard core,’ Van Dyke said.

Erin gazed at Zach. ‘We better not distract him,’ she said. ‘If he’s on a streak, we should leave him to it.’

‘You’re right,’ Paige agreed. ‘You have to respect a streak!’

Intervention was in the next hotel over, and they were able to take the monorail system right there. Within five minutes, Jason found himself standing in line outside a darkened door, watching as two humongous bouncers let in a few people now and then, and told most of the others to leave. The word ‘Intervention’ was written in hot pink neon on the wall over their heads, casting a rosy glow over everything.

‘This is so cool,’ Belle said, standing on the tips of her toes. ‘This place has only been open for a month, and already it’s in all the gossip magazines.’

‘Is that a good thing?’ Jason asked.

‘Sure, it means all the prettiest girls in town will be here hoping to get their picture taken,’ Brad replied. ‘That’s always a good thing.’

‘Yeah, same goes for the hottest guys,’ Erin agreed.

Jason glanced at the line and then at the bouncers. ‘This place is packed. Even with our fake IDs I don’t think we’re getting in,’ he murmured to Sienna.

Sienna smiled. ‘Don’t worry. Paige is here,’ she said.

When they got to the front of the line, Paige gave the bouncers her flirtiest smile. ‘Hi, boys. Long night?’

One of them took a moment to check her out, and Jason noticed that Paige was suddenly about twice as
beautiful
as she usually looked.
She tones it down in her everyday life
, he thought.
This is what she
really
looks like
. Jason knew that all of the vampires were incredibly beautiful, supernaturally beautiful, in fact, and that to fit in with regular people they adjusted their appearances slightly. But with no adjustments, they were stunning, and right now, Paige was practically glowing.

The other bouncer didn’t seem as impressed. ‘The club’s pretty full. We have to be choosy.’

‘But you’ll let
me
in, won’t you?’ Paige asked, letting her full lips pout a tiny bit. She grabbed Sienna’s hand and pulled her up to the bouncers. ‘And my baby sister.’

The bouncers gazed at Sienna in her red dress. At the two Devereux girls together.

‘She has her heart set on hearing DJ Wink,’ Paige continued. ‘I know you’re not going to disappoint her.’

The bouncers exchanged a glance. ‘Wink isn’t spinning here tonight,’ the first one said.

Paige raised her eyebrows. ‘That’s not what I heard. He told me he was going to be here at midnight. He doesn’t lie.’

‘You’re a friend of his?’ the other bouncer asked.

Paige winked. ‘Well, he likes to think so, but I keep him guessing.’

The bouncers chuckled. ‘How many people did you bring?’ the first one asked.

‘These eight.’ She waved toward Jason and his friends.

‘OK.’ The bouncer stepped back and held the door open for her. ‘If you’re a friend of Wink’s, you’re welcome. VIP area is straight back and to the right.’

‘Aren’t they going to card us?’ Jason asked.

‘Shh,’ Sienna ordered. ‘Just come with me.’ She grabbed his hand and pulled him right past the two big guys. They didn’t even glance at him.

‘Sisters. Jeez,’ the first bouncer was saying. ‘Think they’re single?’

‘Man, we’re not in their league,’ the other one replied. ‘Hell, we’re not even playing the same sport!’

Jason hid a smile as he left them behind. If only Adam had been here to catch that line on film.

‘How did you know DJ Wink was planning to be here?’ Brad asked Paige. ‘Do you really know him?’

‘Nope. I tipped the concierge at the hotel to let me know the word on the street.’ Paige grinned.

The VIP area was a group of couches separated from the rest of the club on three sides by a curving waterfall. Jason and Sienna settled onto one of the couches with their backs to the water, and looked out over the club. There had to be a hundred people writhing about on the huge industrial dance floor, and
a
hundred more waiting in line at the neon-pink bar.

‘That’s cool,’ Jason commented. ‘There’s actually neon inside the bar.’

‘Look around, there’s neon everywhere,’ Sienna replied.

She was right. Lines of multi-colored neon snaked through the walls, across the ceiling, and under their feet. The whole place looked as if it was constructed of some kind of heavy, clear plastic, and the neon was embedded within. Now that Jason took a closer look, he could see lines of blue and purple neon peeking through the water of the waterfall, and a rim of green neon along the floor all around the VIP area.

‘Drinks?’ asked a waiter wearing black leather pants – and nothing else.

‘Champagne,’ Paige replied immediately. ‘Your best.’ She reached out and tucked a fifty dollar bill into his waistband.

The waiter grinned and moved off.

‘Paige! He’s not a stripper!’ Maggie exclaimed, scandalized.

‘Even if he’s dressed like one. Kind of,’ Van Dyke added.

Paige shrugged. ‘The important thing is that he’ll totally take care of us.’ She leapt up. ‘I’m going to dance.’ Without another word, she was gone. A minute
later,
she appeared on the dance floor, shaking her booty with abandon.

‘That looks fun,’ Brad said. ‘I’m going with her.’

‘I feel like a soda so I’m hitting the bar,’ Erin announced. ‘Wanna come, Belle?’

‘Sure.’ The two girls headed off, winding their way through the crowd.

By the time the waiter showed up with the champagne, Jason and Sienna were the only ones there to enjoy it. Van Dyke and Maggie had joined a game of ‘I Never’ with a group of wealthy fraternity brothers taking up another table in the VIP section.

Jason poured a flute of champagne for Sienna and one for himself. ‘To spring break,’ he said. ‘May everyone have a great time and forget their worries.’

‘I’ll drink to that.’ Sienna clinked her glass against his and took a sip. ‘Want to dance?’

‘No,’ Jason said. ‘I finally have you alone. I want to make the most of it.’ He pulled her to him for a kiss. She tasted like champagne and smelled like flowers. He lost himself in Sienna, and lost track of time.

After a while, Paige came back to the table and ordered another bottle of bubbly along with a trayful of sodas. Brad brought a few girls into the VIP section and settled himself on a couch with them. Jason had a feeling Brad was going to feed, but he didn’t pay
much
attention. He was pretty buzzed on champagne and Sienna.

Maggie and Van Dyke were making out on another couch, and Erin and Belle were out on the dance floor. Paige joined the ‘I Never’ game with the frat brothers, one of whom was quickly drinking himself into a stupor. Jason was vaguely aware of the big bouncers coming to drag the dude out and put him in a cab.

‘I wonder where Adam is,’ he heard Belle say a while later.

Reluctantly, Jason pulled himself away from Sienna and turned to see that Belle and Erin had finished dancing and were back in the VIP area.

‘What time is it?’ Jason asked.

‘Almost two,’ Belle told him.

‘Not that you two care,’ Erin teased. ‘You should’ve just spent the night in the hotel!’

‘Sorry,’ Sienna said sheepishly. ‘I guess maybe we could go dance now.’

A roar of laughter came from the other table. ‘That’s two!’ Paige cried, throwing her arms up in triumph as one of the frat guys fell to the floor with a smile on his face. Paige snapped her fingers. ‘Waiter boy! Can you get the bouncers to send my friend here home?’

‘What are you doing, Paige?’ Jason called.

‘Drinking these guys under the table,’ Paige called
back.
‘They bet me I couldn’t keep up because I’m a girl.’ She grinned at the three brothers still sitting with her. ‘But it’s two down, three to go!’