Freak Show (4 page)

“I’ve got to talk to the others about our visit to The Wicked Kiss. Enjoy your bath.” He ignored my snarky remark but paused to add, “You may want to do some shopping. I want you dressed to kill.”

He left swiftly, closing the bathroom door behind him before I could protest his latest bout of insanity. I squashed the urge to grab a towel and go after him. Screw it. If Arys was going to raise hell, then I might as well enjoy a hot bath first.

* * * *

“You don’t have to come with us. Really. Don’t feel obligated.” I stood in front of the bathroom mirror the following evening, digging through my makeup bag. Jez was beside me, doing the same. There was more than enough counter space for the both of us.

“Are you kidding? I’m not missing out on a chance to see how Sin City does a club like The Wicked Kiss.” Jez swept mascara onto her long lashes. Her hair was bound up high on her head in a towel. “Aren’t you the least bit curious?”

I lined my eyes with black liner, creating a dramatic cat-eye effect. I paused to paw through my bag, looking for my favorite pale silver shadow. “No, I’m pretty much just scared. I think Arys is letting his history with these vampires cloud his judgment. I’m not sure what I dread more, meeting Jenner or seeing what goes on in his club. Harley was using that place in a blood ring operation. Some twisted shit.”

Jez carefully applied her trademark red lipstick, pursing her lips to inspect her handy work. “Isn’t Harley’s stuff technically yours now? I mean, you killed him.”

“Some might say that.” I was hesitant to claim anything of Harley’s as mine. I’d gotten my share. “I don’t want it though. My hands are full as it is.”

“Better make sure the new owner knows that.”

“I intend to, when I’m not doing damage control for Arys. He’s stubborn, but this time he’s taken it to a whole new level.” I finished my makeup, refusing when Jez tried to force me to wear red lipstick as well. She thought it went with everything at any time of day. It wouldn’t surprise me if she wore it with PJs as well.

To appease her, I agreed to a light pink lip-gloss that smelled like candy. She huffed at me like the snooty cat she sometimes was but relented. After layering my lashes in volumizing mascara, I stared at my hair and shrugged.

“Leave it down,” Jez suggested, eyeing me through the mirror. “It’s so long and beautiful. It looks really bad ass down.”

“Thanks.” I pulled a brush through the tangled ash blonde mess until it lay smooth against my back. “Sometimes I think about hacking it all off and dying it black.” Since trimming off the black tips I used to have, I hadn’t added any color to it.

“Oh God, don’t do that.” Jez was aghast. “That’s too drastic. And I don’t have to be a shrink to tell you what that kind of sudden change often means.”

“That I’m in need of control and can find it only in insignificant things like my hair style because I’m too neurotic to keep my shit together.” I smiled, but I wasn’t joking.

“Yeah, exactly that.” She turned to face me, a serious light in her green eyes. “Please don’t go off the rails on me, Alexa. I can’t lose another friend like that.”

I reached to touch her hand, a brief but poignant connection. “I won’t. I promise.”

She was thinking about Kale Sinclair, our friend and my one time lover. The three of us had been a tight knit group for several years. Recently, that had unraveled, primarily because of Kale’s inability to maintain his sanity. Five hundred years of vampire hell could do that to a person.

“You know I’m always here for you, right? No matter what.” Pulling me into a hug, Jez held tight. She hummed with pent up emotion that sought to escape her restraint.

“I know.” I breathed in her earthy Were scent. It was comforting. “I love you, Jezzy.”

Things had been tough for us both lately. She had lost the woman she loved. We had both lost Kale to his delusions. Worst of all, we’d lost our illusions: safety, peace, self-contentment. Gone. All of it.

“Ok, enough sappy shit.” Jez pulled away and tugged the towel off, letting her damp golden locks tumble over her shoulders. “Should I flat iron or let it curl naturally?”

“Curls, definitely. I can never understand why women with curls straighten their hair.” I studied my poker straight tresses. I was more than a little envious of Jez’s gorgeous curls.

“Go get dressed,” she commanded, grabbing the blow dryer. “Your boys will hit the floor when they see what you bought.”

I still couldn’t believe I’d let her talk me into buying the body-hugging dress. The bodice was a black corset that made my breasts look photoshopped. The skirt was fairy style, cut into black and white jagged edges that fell halfway down my thigh. It had looked pretty damn good in the dressing room before I bought it.

Now I wasn’t so sure. I brought it from the bedroom into the bathroom so Jez could help me lace up the back. “I don’t know about this. Maybe I should have bought pants.”

“Don’t start. Insecurity is not allowed for Arys Knight’s queen,” she snickered, tying the lacing securely but allowing me room to breathe properly. “I still think the red lipstick would top it all off. Think about it.”

I ran a hand down the tight bodice to the skirt, reveling in the soft material. It was a knockout dress for sure. I felt good in it, sexy. As I gazed at my reflection, the insecurities began to fall away. I hoped this was what Arys had in mind when he said dressed to kill.

“No red lips,” I said, grabbing my choker from the counter top.

I knew better than to walk into a place like The Wicked Kiss with a bare throat, especially one I didn’t run. The choker was black velvet with an oval moonstone hanging from the center. I had found it in my friend Brogan’s magic shop.

“Stilettos?” Jez tried, returning to the hair dryer.

“Not a chance.” I spritzed on some French vanilla perfume and left the bathroom to fetch my boots from the bedroom. They were black leather and almost knee high. The three-inch heels were perfect, not as dangerously high as Jez would prefer but enough to add height to my petite five foot one frame.

I took a deep breath and left the bedroom, glad that the minibar was outside the door. I poured a few shots of vodka into a glass and stood in the small hallway listening to Arys and Shaz talk in the living room.

“And you’re sure we’re going to walk out of there in one piece?” Shaz asked, his tone heavy with concern. “The guy told us to get our asses on a plane out of here, and you really think going to his club is the best response to that?”

“Of course,” came Arys’s self-assured reply. “Jenner’s bark has always been worse than his bite. Threats are his way of throwing his power around, making sure I know my place in his city.”

“And do you?”

“What do you think, pup?”

Shaz chuckled. “You don’t want to know what I think.”

“Jenner was Harley’s favorite after I left. He wants to make sure I remember that. There’s nothing more to it.” Arys sounded confident. Too confident.

I rounded the corner, drink in hand. “Harley had a favorite other than you? Great. So this is a case of spoiled sibling rivalry.”

Both men looked up at my appearance, and their jaws dropped almost simultaneously. I hid a smile, enjoying their shared reaction.

Arys’s blue gaze traveled over me, lingering on my thighs and then my covered throat. “I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted to bleed you as bad as I do right now.” His lip curled in a sexy smirk, sending a tingle through me.

“That’s a compliment, right?” I teased though I was keenly aware of the hunger lurking in his stare.

“You’re smokin’ hot, Lex.” Shaz wore a predatory expression of desire that made my stomach flip. “But you could be wearing sweats with no makeup, and you’d still be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

An irrational urge to cry overcame me. I didn’t. I just wanted to. I also wanted to run across the room and fling myself into Shaz’s arms. It wasn’t that we didn’t touch. We did. It was that there was something missing. I wanted so desperately to rekindle our spark.

“Thank you, Shaz,” I said with a slight blush. “You both look pretty damn fine yourselves.”

They were each wearing a black suit, both of them slightly casual with no tie and an open collar. Shaz’s platinum hair lay neatly, falling over his forehead. Arys’s hair was tousled as always. I couldn’t help but eat up the eye candy. It was rare that I saw either of them break from their usual casual attire. My mind wandered down a naughty path as I remembered what it felt like to be naked and writhing between them.

“So this is a big deal, huh?” I asked, swirling the vodka in my glass.

Arys shrugged, unwilling to let on how serious he was taking Jenner’s threat. “Not so big. Just old friends reacquainting.”

“What about this?” I held up the arm bearing the black dragon. “Should I cover it somehow?”

“No, leave it. As shitty as that mark is, it does have its advantages.”

Unfortunately, that was true. Those who knew what it was were often reluctant to harm the one who bore it. They feared the wrath of the demon. Anyone who killed me would likely end up taking my debt as their own. Soon, however, this mark would become more of a hindrance than a help.

The worst part was that Arys had one too. Shya had put it on his back where Arys easily hid it from everyone but me. I had to see it in private moments, the one time we should be free of all that shit. But no, Shya had made sure he was never far from our thoughts.

Less than ten minutes later, Jez appeared, a golden vision in white leather. The halter-style dress clung to her like a second skin. It covered her behind but not much else, making her legs look longer than usual. Sky-high stilettos completed the look. Her curls bounced as she sashayed in.

“Can I be you?” I joked. “Just for a day. I want to know what it feels like to be that tall.”

“It’s the heels, baby,” she replied with a wink.

“You look runway fabulous.” I downed the rest of my drink and set the glass on the table.

Arys snickered, a low, evil sound. “Good enough to eat.”

“Watch it, vampire.” Jez wagged a finger at him in warning. “I’m flattered, really, but you’re just not pretty enough for me.”

Arys laughed but didn’t reply. Nobody could out-snark Jez. Not even him. He rose from his seat on the couch and motioned toward the door in a grand sweeping gesture. “Everybody ready?”

I met Shaz’s eyes across the room, and we shared a look. The two of us together had killed Harley. Two vampires had come after us, believing we were their ticket to claiming Harley’s power. They had failed. If there were to be backlash for any of that, it would be tonight.

“Sure.” I nodded. For the first time all evening a hint of apprehension crept in. “Walk into a place where we’re not welcome, and I may be wanted for the murder of the former owner…what are we waiting for?”

Chapter Four

No amount of pleading, arguing or threatening would sway Arys. I did everything short of throttling him. Jenner’s demand that we leave had only encouraged Arys. Wild horses couldn’t drag him away now.

We started at Caesars, deciding it was a good place to get warmed up. Blackjack barely held Arys’s interest. Neither the buffet of human treats nor the inviting poker tables caught his attention. Whatever had gone on between him and Jenner, it ran deep. I kept hoping for some clue or answer to pop up from the recesses of my subconscious, but my curiosity remained unsatisfied. I had a sneaking suspicion that would soon change.

The Wicked Kiss was closer than I expected. It was just off The Strip, down a side street. It was big, much bigger than my club back home. However, it was smaller than the other buildings in the area, which allowed it to blend in among them. The exterior of the building had a glassy appearance, reflecting back the street before it, ensuring nobody could see inside.

“Wow,” Jez gazed at the vampire club and casino with a mix of awe and intrigue. “This place has got to be at least six times the size of your club, Lex.”

“There’s more. Underground.” Arys led the way to the door. He reached to take my hand, pulling me into step beside him. A united front.

The door opened as we approached. A big, bald vampire who looked like he had never smiled a day in his life greeted us. He stopped us in the lobby, demanding our names. I was itching with curiosity, straining to see past him into the club beyond. The Vegas sounds of slot machines, music and voices spilled out toward us.

Sloane was visible, smiling like she was in a cosmetics commercial for youth serum. She was working the room, chatting up patrons and ensuring the blood and money kept flowing. What a good little hostess she was.

“You’re not on the list,” the doorman grunted. “Can’t let you in without verification from the boss.” He pulled a phone from his pocket and began dialing.

Maybe it was just me but having to phone in our arrival really stole the drama from this whole thing. It was hardly worth the risk. Sloane’s gaze landed on us, and her eyes widened in alarm. She cleared the distance with inhuman speed.

“Arys, Alexa, hello! I’m so glad you decided to grace us with your presence,” Sloane gushed with false enthusiasm that was so good an outsider would never have guessed she was faking it. Taking the phone from the doorman’s hand, she ended the call and shook her head. “No need to bother Jenner. These are my guests.”

She shoved the phone back into his hand and motioned for us to follow her. The skirt of her thigh length white dress hugged her behind as she walked. I couldn’t figure out how it stayed in place without flashing a glimpse of her ass.

Jez’s small gasp echoed my own. It was bigger inside than it had appeared. The luxurious quality of it smacked of cheap illusion yet remained stunning. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling in the center of the room. The carpet was a deep, luscious red, and so firm that, as we walked, our heels did not sink in. A bar lined the full length of the wall to the right. Waitresses in skimpy outfits hurried back and forth with trays laden with drinks.

A stage at the back immediately drew my attention. Half a dozen showgirls danced in lingerie, feathered fans and headpieces popping with bright colors. Vampires, every single one of them. Several male vampires worked the room, dressed to the nines, seducing human women while the ladies on stage brought the men to their knees.

The red carpet wound its way through the casino and past small round tables and a series of private booths in the corners that were not tables at all but small sofa-like beds instead. The essence of sex hung on the air like the place had been built upon it. It rolled over me, a dizzying fog of erotic energy that stole my breath.

“What the hell are you doing here, Arys?” Sloane demanded, her eyes flashing angrily. “You just can’t leave things alone, can you?”

“No, he can’t,” Shaz quipped, though his attention had been captured by our surroundings. “Heaven forbid his manhood be somehow threatened.”

Arys scowled but ignored Shaz’s comment, addressing Sloane instead. “Well, you know me. Naturally, I was curious. I had to see for myself why Jenner is so desperate to get rid of me.”

“No, you can’t be here. Just go.” Placing her hands on Arys’s chest, Sloane gave him a shove. “Hurry up, before he finds out.”

He caught her wrists and pushed her back. “Where is Jenner, Sloane?”

“He’s busy getting ready for a performance. Which is why you should leave now while you still can.” She made as if to grab him again, and he warded her off with a raised hand that crackled with blue sparks.

“Take us to him, or I’ll find him myself.” Arys exuded a deadly calm. He was taking this all the way.

“Alright, alright!” she shouted, then glanced around frantically to make sure nobody was listening. “I’ll take you to him. Just please settle the hell down. He really is busy at the moment. That’s not a lie.”

“That’s fine.” Arys surveyed the club, a mischievous grin adorning his handsome face. “I have plenty of time. Why don’t you give us the grand tour? I’m sure Alexa would love to see it.”

Sloane pouted as if we were crashing her party. Her extreme unease mirrored my own. Accepting defeat, she turned to lead us through the maze of tables. “As you can see,” she said between gritted teeth. “This is the main floor where our guests enjoy entertainment, gamble and meet with their prospective dates for the evening. I’ll show you the second floor.”

We followed her through the crowded room, to the grand spiral staircase in the back left corner. Pale pink lights adorned each stair, lighting the way up. We passed a couple coming down, a female vampire and her male human toy. Bites covered his neck, and he wore an expression of confused joy.

I couldn’t help but sneak a peek at Shaz. Not so long ago, he had been one of those lost in the pleasure of the vampire’s bite. I hoped he was strong enough to resist this place. I hoped that I was too.

“As I’m sure you can see, the second floor is where our private rooms are. The club operates twenty-four hours so this floor is always busy.” Sloane sauntered down the hall like the proud madam she was.

There was vampire security at each end of the hall. My skin prickled as the atmospheric energy marched over and through me. The scent of blood and sex tainted the air. It caused something low in me to tighten with arousal. I sent a panicked glance Arys’s way, finding him watching me intently.

The doors had little gold name plaques stating such things as “Lady Angelina” or “Sir Antonio.” And there were so many of them. I was willing to bet the inside of each room was far more lavish than at my own club. My club was beginning to look like a real dump compared to this place.

Returning to the main floor, Sloane led us to a well-concealed elevator hidden beneath the staircase. To access it, she produced a swipe card from within the bosom of her dress. The door opened, and we all stepped into the small metal container.

“Last chance to change your mind,” Sloane offered, holding a finger over the elevator buttons. When Arys stubbornly shook his head, she gave an exasperated sigh and punched the down button. “Oh Arys, you will never change. You’re still a conceited ass.”

His laughter filled the small space. “Guilty.”

For the first time since we arrived, I began to feel the telltale signs of trepidation. Arys was unmoved, showing no concern for whatever we were descending into. Jez and I exchanged a look and a shrug. I grasped my power, my fingers humming with readiness. I didn’t give a damn who felt it.

The elevator stopped, and we entered an entirely different kind of party. The heavy vampire and werewolf energy overwhelmed me. The place reeked of it. The supernatural made up a lot of the crowd, though there was a heavy human presence as well.

The red carpet continued, but the entertainment had changed. The room was smaller than the main floor upstairs, leading me to believe we weren’t seeing all of it. I would have looked around for a door or hallway, but the MMA-style ring in the center of the room captured my attention.

The crowd gathered around, shouting and cheering. The noise faded into the background as I realized what was taking place. Two wolves circled one another inside the cage. Lips peeled back in a deadly snarl, they lunged, meeting one another in the middle. The snap of jaws was audible over the crowd. The wolves went hard at one another, and the blood sprayed.

I was disgusted. Shaz and Jez wore matching expressions of shock and distaste. Arys watched with disinterest. I half expected him to feign a yawn and check his imaginary watch. This wasn’t a surprise to him.

“What the fuck is this?” I turned my angry glare on Sloane, letting her see the wolf behind my eyes. My beast was not happy to be here.

“It’s exactly what people come to this city for,” she replied coolly. “Not every high roller is content to sit in the casino and play cards. Some of them come here for a taste of something a bit wilder.”

“It’s vile,” Jez said, flashing cat eyes at Sloane.

“It’s business.” Sloane’s flippant retort incited my wolf’s rage.

Shaz was quiet, but the wolf eyes he was sporting indicated how he really felt. It was impossible not to react while two werewolves were tearing each other apart for the entertainment of humans and vampires. It took all of the self-control I possessed to keep from lashing out. Acting rashly would land my ass inside that ring; I was sure of it. So I fought back the surge of power that threated to burst forth.

“Is this supposed to impress us?” Arys asked, looking bored. “So you’ve replaced the screaming blood ring victims with wolves. Why so smug?”

Sloane grew defensive. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “You know how I felt about the blood ring Harley was running here. It was sick. You thought so too. When Harley died, Jenner put a stop to that. This is a business, and we need to turn a profit.”

“I see. So you’re proud of yourself for having a hand in that,” Arys observed, his tone bitter. “But we both know Jenner will do anything for the right piece of pussy.”

The tension between them was thick. Sloane held her head high and marched across the room, expecting us to follow. Arys chuckled, happy with himself for getting under her skin.

“What the hell was that about?” I grabbed his arm, forcing him to meet my eyes. “I want to walk out of here alive, Arys.”

“No worries, my love. Nobody here is stupid enough to lay a hand on you.” With an arm around my shoulders, he guided me along, down the hall where Sloane had disappeared.

“Seriously?” Jez piped up. “Do we really want to keep following this crazy bitch?”

I sure as hell didn’t. I was ready to leave without ever seeing another inch of this place. Instead, we followed the vampire.

She was waiting for us at a door that opened into a small theatre. “Jenner will be performing in just a few minutes. Please, Arys, don’t make an ass of yourself.”

“Can’t make any promises,” he said.

Row upon row of ascending seats filled the theatre. She led us to the front row, issued a final warning to Arys and left. Many of the seats were already full. People sat talking quietly among themselves, waiting for the show to start.

Front and center was a well-lit stage. It was currently empty. The sounds of the angry wolf fight next door were gone. It had to be soundproofed down here. That did nothing to ease my growing apprehension.

Arys took the aisle seat. I sat next to him with Jez on my other side and Shaz next to her. Two waitresses made their way through the aisles, passing out drinks. To the mortals they handed out glasses of white wine. Arys, a few others and I received a glass of scarlet liquid that could only be one thing.

I tried to pass my glass back, but Arys stopped me with a hand on my arm. “Keep it. You might wish later that you had.”

“What is going on here?” I demanded, unable to resist the urge to smell the contents of the wine glass. Human blood, fresh from the vein.

“I don’t know. I guess we’re about to see a show.” Arys sat back, relaxed and waiting. Intrigue shone in his dark-blue eyes.

Shaz sat stiffly, surveying our surroundings. His energy was scattered. I could feel the frustration of his wolf. “If this little show involves werewolves, I’m taking Alexa and getting the fuck out of here.” He gripped his wine so tight I expected the glass to shatter. “After what happened with Claire and Maxwell, I don’t feel so great about this. The wolf fight next door doesn’t help.”