Freak Show (8 page)

Shaz stared straight ahead, his chin propped in one hand and a beer bottle in the other. Rolling wolf eyes my way, he said, “It didn’t take the two of you long to make yourselves at home.”

I opened my mouth to reply and found I had nothing to say to that. He was right. Instead of muttering a half-assed defense, I eyed up the drink selection.

“When you get the itch, you scratch.” Arys shrugged. “That’s just the way it is, pup.”

Shaz glared darkly in response but said nothing. He shoved a glass toward me, and I sat next to him, accepting the whiskey. The tension was thick.

I braced myself for rejection and reached out to touch Shaz’s arm. “I never would have led you into that if I’d known what we were walking into. I’m sorry.”

He sighed and shook his head dismissively. “It’s fine. Don’t apologize.” He set the beer down and grabbed my hand. His wolf was strong, raging beneath the surface, spoiling for a fight. It worried me.

“I was starting to think we’d lost you. No more splitting up.” Jez shook a finger at me, her words slightly slurred. The empty cocktail glasses piled up in front of her were shocking. Just how long had we been in the den of debauchery?

“Yeah, I’m thinking that’s a good plan.” I gave her a critical once over. This friggin’ place was eating us all alive. “How many have you had, Jez?”

She tipped her head back and laughed uproariously as if I’d just told the world’s funniest joke. It stopped as fast as it had started. “This is Vegas, Alexa. Counting drinks is not allowed. You just keep ’em coming until you hit the floor.”

“Let’s start counting, ok? I don’t want to drag your unconscious ass out of here.” I reached across the table to slide the last full cocktail away from Jez. She moved fast, intercepting the motion with her cat reflexes. Nice to see she was still alert and reactive.

She shook a finger at me and took a large sip of booze. “I want to get my dance on. This crap is really not my idea of a good time.” She gestured erratically to the poker table with a grimace. “Come dance with me.”

I wasn’t leaving. I needed to see this poker game for myself. This kind of thing could be prone to shenanigans.

Arys gripped the back of the chair next to me. Instead of sitting down, he stood rigid, watching Jenner and Sloane’s approach. They sauntered over, beaming with self-satisfaction.

“Finished so soon?” Jenner asked with a sly grin. “I don’t recall your appetite being so easily sated, Arys.”

“No more games.” Arys shook his head, and his eyes blazed. “No more snide fucking comments. I’m done with it.”

“Oh, I see.” Jenner nodded knowingly. “You love the changes I’ve made to the place. And you hate that, huh? Figures. You always were the spoiled brother, unable to let me have my moment to shine.”

Arys huffed and shoved a hand through his hair. He stared at the floor as if unable to bring himself to look at the taunting vampire. A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Let’s just get this over with.”

With a snap of his fingers and a few orders barked at the nearest waitress, Jenner quickly had the table cleared and readied for a poker game. He took a seat and gestured for Arys to sit across from him, leaving the rest of us crowded around the side opposite the dealer.

I sat stiffly, studying each vampire in turn. They bickered over the trustworthiness of a dealer employed by Jenner. A snappy reminder from Shaz that shifters could smell a lie brought that argument to an end.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know a whole hell of a lot about poker. However, I did know enough to understand why Arys was so damn good at it. But was he better than a Las Vegas vampire who had as many years of experience playing the game?

Taking a sip, the whiskey burned, but it was smooth. Focusing on that, I tried not to entertain the fearful thought that whispered in the back of my mind,
What did Jenner have planned for me if Arys lost?

No matter what happened, my friends had my back. Shaz was hovering on the edge of wolf, ready to lose it the moment the time was right. Jez’s feline gaze was narrowed, watchful of the activity around us. Of course, that would have been a tad more reassuring if she hadn’t been well on her way to Margaritaville.

I struggled to focus. My head swam as I rode the blood high. A strange giggle escaped me. The power flowed through me, a constant force that drew my gaze hungrily to the mortal occupants of the table.

Then there was Jenner. With two cards in hand, he met my gaze and winked. Didn’t he know I could have him if I wanted to? The urge to lure him in was strong. It was a damn good thing that I’d left Kale back home. I would never have been able to stop myself from playing with him.

“This is like watching late night poker on TV, but better because I have a never ending supply of cocktails.” Jez cackled, throwing more liquor down her throat.

“You so need to be cut off,” I murmured softly, but her wildcat ears easily heard me.

“And you need to join the party. By the end of the night, this place will be yours.” She shoved a shooter across the table and raised one to match in cheers.

Jenner tossed his cards down, folding. The dealer gathered the cards while Arys slid the small pot close. So far so good, but this was still just the beginning.

“Are you hens going to cluck the whole time we’re playing?” Jenner asked, tossing more chips into the center. “Why don’t you go find a way to entertain yourselves?”

Arys bet a frightfully large amount as I tried not to choke on my whiskey. “Show the ladies some respect. They’ll be the ones kicking your ass when you lose this joke of a game.”

Cards were dealt, and bets were raised. The dealer revealed the first few cards, and I held my breath. Neither vampire folded. I grabbed the shot glass before me and downed it. Tequila. Immediately I thought of Willow. It was his favorite.

When the dealer revealed the fifth card without anyone folding, each vamp was forced to show his cards. Jenner’s flush beat Arys’s three of a kind, and I felt the color drain from my face as Jenner dragged a pile of chips to his side.

“Keep talking, Arys. Keep talking.” Jenner waved over a passing waitress and without a word, bit into her wrist. Not a drop hit the table. He licked the small wound, dragging his tongue over her vein. Then he gifted her with a slap on the ass and sent her on her way.

Arys never missed a beat as the poker game continued. More than once, he made a bet that could seriously compromise his chances of winning without blinking an eye. I, on the other hand, swallowed whiskey by the glass as I tried to drown my growing panic.

For a while, it felt like nothing was happening. Cocky opening bets became small cautious bets and bluffs to feel one another out. The tension was making me ill. Dragging it out like this was growing painful though neither vampire seemed to share my unease. Jez amused herself by silently feigning death by boredom every time someone folded or took a ridiculous amount of time to make a decision. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore either. I walked away from the table with her hot on my heels.

“Holy shit, could those two possibly be more intense?” She briskly rubbed her arms. “They’re totally ruining this trip for us. I knew we should have left your vampire at home.”

“Hey, don’t blame me for this. You’re the one who insisted on coming to Vegas.” My skin prickled as well, flush with goose bumps. Sitting between two powerful vampires in conflict wasn’t easy. “I wish they had just beat the hell out of one another. The waiting is killing me.”

Jez crooked a finger, beckoning to a passing waitress. A devilish smile lit up her face. This city was quickly bringing out the inner monster in all of us. “You know Arys wouldn’t play a game he couldn’t win,” she chided. “Have a little faith in him. His arrogance can be backed up with legit skill.”

“We can’t assume anything. There is always a chance he will lose. Then what? I join them?” I indicated the vampiress showgirls seducing human men with ease on the other side of the building.

With a brow raised in speculative interest, Jez eyed the scantily clad vampires. “I don’t think you’d be so lucky. Jenner’s idea of entertainment seems to involve an audience and theatrics.”

“He can kill me. There’s no way in hell I’m doing that.” My words came out in a hush. I couldn’t bring myself to go down that road right now.

“Think I can buy a lap dance without having to give up any blood?”

I followed Jez’s gaze to the redhead gyrating on a table. Annoyance struck me and I frowned. Then I shrugged it off, feeling like an ass. Jez shouldn’t have to suffer because of vampire business that didn’t involve her. She needed to cut loose and heal after a horrible loss.

“Only one way to find out.” I gave her a playful push. “Go ahead. Have fun and be careful. You know where to find me.”

Taking a little walk around the casino gave me a chance to ready myself to return to the poker table. It also gave me an excuse to call and check in on things back home.

I hit Kale’s number in the contact list and then drifted between slot machines, listening to it ring. An older couple shouted in glee as they won two hundred dollars. A solitary man a few machines down from them swore and punched the air before lighting a cigarette and puffing angrily away. He caught me watching and made a crude penis pulling gesture. Somehow I walked on without stuffing his head up his ass.

“Miss me already?” Kale purred into my ear. “Or just checking to make sure I’m still functioning on a semi-sane level?”

My breath caught, and I had a guilty sense of relief at the sound of his voice. “Maybe a little of both. Is that ok?”

The background noise grew quieter as I awaited his reply. “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.” I leaned against a slot machine and peered across the distance into the poker area. The thought of returning to that table filled me with dread.

Kale laughed, a light sound that was reminiscent of who he used to be. The sarcasm that followed reminded me how greatly he’d changed. “You mean Arys’s vampire family didn’t accept you with open arms? Color me shocked. So, how much trouble are you in?”

He could try all he liked to convince me that his love for me had twisted into something ugly during his time locked up by the FPA, but the fact that he bothered to ask told me otherwise. I allowed myself a small smile.

“I’m not sure yet,” I 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.”

“So you can taunt me into driving a stake through your heart?” I scoffed. “That’s not a game I want to keep playing. I think my chances of winning are better here.”

“Our game is far from over.” The promises hidden within Kale’s statement echoed across the distance between us.  

There was an awkward pause where neither of us spoke. I grasped for words, wondering why I’d thought this call would make me feel better. Somehow, I couldn’t accept that things between Kale and me were so irreparably damaged.

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

Before I could hang up Kale said, “Alexa…don’t get killed, ok? I like you with a heartbeat.”

The last bit was cryptic, spoken with a smile judging by the lilt to his tone. It sent a chill through me that left me staring at the phone long after he’d hung up.

I ambled up to the poker table, doing my best to take my sweet time. Only Shaz glanced up at my approach. The two vampires locked in card combat had eyes only for each other. Sloane had vacated, leaving the men without a voice of reason. I guess it would have to be me. Joy.

“So, what did I miss?” I slid into the chair beside Shaz, taking note of the amount of chips in each vampire’s possession. Things were not looking good.

“Besides some arrogant bets that didn’t pay off? Not much.” He stared pointedly at Arys who scowled. “He might be able to bluff a good game back home, but I think he’s met his match here.”

“It’s a game of strategy, pup. I know what I’m doing. Would you care to get in on this?” Arys asked snidely, his temper short.

Shaz ran a finger through the condensation on his beer bottle. He wore a bored expression. “Not at all. I’ll leave the stupid decisions in your hands. You’re doing a great job so far.” He followed up with a sarcastic thumbs up.

I studied him in small glances so he wouldn’t notice. He hadn’t been back long, but after a month in the wilderness, spending much of his time as wolf, Shaz had come back with some serious attitude. Of course, he’d always been confrontational with Arys.