Keystone (Crossbreed #1)(65)

Claude and I waited outside, laughing at the idea of a Vampire showering in a truck stop. Sometimes those doors didn’t come with locks, and they definitely didn’t have doors on the open showers.

When he returned all squeaky clean, it was hard to find something to tease him about. He’d groomed his hair back, and the grey V-neck T-shirt was a size too small, clinging to his wet body, and Christian didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. I was used to seeing his hair disheveled. The way it looked now, it made him look almost debonair, and I wasn’t sure how it was possible for hair to have that kind of power.

“Those aren’t your jeans,” I said, glancing down at the dark denims that fit his ass better than I should have noticed.

He gave me a dark smile. “I charmed a man who looked my size.”

“You stole another man’s pants?” I laughed, picking up stride. “You have no idea where those pants have been.”

“I’m sure wherever they’ve been, it’s a sight better than where mine spent the past twenty-four hours.”

A damp chill hung in the air, and while there wasn’t any fog, there were halos around the yellow lampposts along the street. We reached a Breed club called Flavors, and I glanced up at the sign. All the letters were green except for the L.

“I’ve never been here before.” I warily searched the crowd inside. There were too many unfamiliar faces.

Breed faces.

I didn’t spend a lot of time hanging out in Breed establishments unless I was looking for my next target or trying to hustle a meal. Humans didn’t put up with that kind of thing; you couldn’t just walk up to a table, sit down, and start up a conversation without them calling the manager. I preferred bars since they were open to the public, and that meant humans were allowed. Of course, in the Breed district the regulars always found a way to bully the humans out of there so they’d never return. Most clubs were exclusively Breed since they had the option to be a private establishment, and the doormen kept everyone out except for those on the guest list.

Only there was no guest list. It was just a legitimate reason to keep the humans standing in line.

Front and center was an oval-shaped bar, colorfully lit and busy with patrons. Music was playing, but not obnoxiously loud. Each side of the room had seating areas with boxy modern chairs that could fit two. They were arranged in groups of four surrounding a black table, and numerous pillars and short walls broke up the openness. The walls had colorful accent lights, and nothing about this place was uninteresting. I’d never been to Vegas, but this was how I’d imagined it.

Immortal roulette, anyone?

A crowd gathered near one of the bartenders, who tossed a bottle in the air and caught it behind his back. A few people erupted in applause, and he theatrically filled a row of shot glasses with a bright green liquid. We headed toward the rear of the club, and I made a quick scan of the place. The hall in the center appeared to lead to the restrooms, but Claude veered left through an open doorway that led to a game room.

I spotted a group of familiar faces near a dartboard on the far left wall.

“Someone looks spiffy,” Wyatt said with a snort, noticing Christian’s uncharacteristic attire. “All things considered.”

Christian joined the group up ahead.

I sat down at a square table, Gem on my right. “Niko’s playing darts?”

She glanced over at him, her radiant smile being the true gem about her features. “Just wait until you see him in action. Watch this.”

Niko drew back his arm, his left hand extended in front of him. With a clean toss, the dart sailed through the air and struck the bull’s-eye.

Shepherd slammed his fist on the table, tipping over a beer bottle. A cigarette was dangling from his mouth, and he looked like he wanted to beat someone senseless as he dug some bills out of his wallet.

“Pay up, buttercup,” Wyatt said, collecting the money.

I gripped Gem’s wrist. “How did he do that?”

She scooted her chair closer. “Your guess is as good as mine. Shepherd always bets against him. He thinks the odds are in his favor that Niko will eventually miss, but he never does. I never get tired of watching him do it.” Her eyes sparkled with admiration when Niko turned his attention our way.

“Is that a can of apple juice?” I asked, pointing at her beverage.

She lifted it with two fingers and swished it. “I don’t drink alcohol. Can I just say for the record that what you did back at the cemetery was epic?”

I peered over her shoulder to where Viktor was sitting. He clinked his glass against Christian’s, and they fell into casual conversation.

Niko joined us, running his hands along the table until he reached the chair to my left. I noticed he had a few thin braids mixed into his hair.

“Be right back,” Gem said. “I promised someone a hug.”

She tiptoed behind Christian and wrapped her arms around him from behind. It amused me that Gem went through the motions of sneaking up on a Vampire. Christian patted her hand and quickly shrank out of her embrace. Undeterred, the violet-haired pixie took a seat next to Blue.

I turned to Niko, twirling a lock of my hair. “How can you tell the difference between men and women? Or can you?”

He rested his forearms on the table, eyes downcast. “Their energy is different. I can’t explain it.”