Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(5)

I wondered briefly if I could even wake Dev up. I seriously doubted it. Even if I could, there was no way I wanted him handling any kind of business in his current state. “I’m sorry, Roman, Dev is…not available and won’t be for the rest of the night. What’s the problem?”

A long sigh came over the line. “There’s some trouble with the VIP room. I have two parties insisting it is theirs for the evening. My records show that the Hansen party booked the room, but the others are very…persuasive.”

“You can’t just kick ’em out?” That would be my solution, but then I’m not known for my diplomacy.

“We tried. They said they wanted to talk to the owner.”

I found that intriguing. We employed some badass werewolves as bouncers. I wondered what the hell could be down there that the wolves couldn’t handle.

“All right. I’ll be right there.” Dev was a great believer in community property. He liked to share. He got part ownership of my boobs and I’d taken a share of the club. I hung up the phone. “The show’s going to have to wait, guys. There’s trouble downstairs.”

“Okay,” Neil said gamely. He helped Nim up. “Let’s go check it out.”

I pressed the button to the elevator that would take us down to Ether.

“Um, Z…” Neil pointed to the baby blue pajama bottoms that were covered in Hello Kitty faces. Other than that I had on a very nonprofessional white tank top and fuzzy socks.

“Hey, they’re pulling me off my comfy couch, they can put up with my style choices,” I said as we loaded ourselves on the elevator.

Nim was already bouncing to the music that thudded through Dev’s office as we got out of the elevator a moment later. “I really love the club. It’s so much better than the bingo parlors Arawn used to take me to.”

I shook my head, giving Neil a little look. We were always amused at Nim’s tales of her previous life with the Welsh Death Lord.

“Do you want a gun?” Neil gestured to the safe where Dev kept a couple of handguns. The armory was below in the back of the club.

I shook my head. That was a little overkill. “No, I’m just going to tell them to get the hell out. I don’t want a major scene.”

But as I opened the door that led to the club, I realized a major scene was going to be unavoidable. From the stairs, I could plainly see the VIP room and the group currently occupying it. I thought about shrinking back, locking the door, and heading back up to the penthouse as quietly as possible. But that was a useless dream.

From his place on the elegant leather sofa, Louis Marini was holding court. He was surrounded by vampires, but he only had eyes for one person. Me.

Marini waved me down with an imperious gesture of his hand.

“Shit,” Neil said beside me.

Shit was right. My time had just run out.





Chapter Two





“Tell the Hansen party we’ll refund their money,” I said to Roman, who was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.

“Absolutely.” He gave me a deferential nod, though I couldn’t miss the way he grinned as he took in my choice of wardrobe.

I regretted it now. Every time I’d met with the head of the Council, I’d been in full armor. Designer dresses, stilettos, and full hair and makeup. I felt very vulnerable now, like he was going to see a side of me I would rather keep to myself. “Offer them use of the VIP area for free sometime next week and again on Peter’s birthday.”

Roman nodded in agreement. He glanced over to the section of the club in dispute. “Is that who I think it is?”

“Oh, yes,” I said with a sigh. Roman had managed Dev’s club in Las Vegas during the last big vampire meeting there. He hadn’t had the misfortune to meet the vampires’ leader. “That’s Louis Marini, head of the Vampire Council. He’s possibly the oldest vampire still walking the earth. I take it they persuaded the wolves to not throw them out.”

Roman frowned. “They convinced my best two freaking bouncers to try to take the rest of the night off. They were just going to walk out in the middle of their shifts. It’s all right. I caught them. One of the waitresses is a pretty decent witch. She’s clearing them of the influence.”

“Just let them know to keep their distance. I doubt Marini will start a scene as long as he gets what he wants. I’ll handle it from here.” The last thing I wanted was someone getting hurt.

I watched the crowd part as Michael House walked toward us. Michael was a vampire who had risen on the battlefields of World War One. He was Daniel’s friend and an ally.

“Zoey,” Michael greeted me with a polite inclination of his head. “Mr. Marini requests the pleasure of your company. Won’t you please join us?”

I let Roman go back to work and moved close to Michael. The clean-cut vampire leaned forward. He would be intensely formal until he knew he was among friends.

“It’s all right, Michael,” I said, keeping my voice low. “You know Neil, and Nim is an ally.”

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t give you a heads up.” Michael smiled blandly, nodding his head. He was trying to make everything look merely friendly. Michael lived in the area, so it was natural we would be acquainted. He was supposed to be spying on Daniel for the Council, but Danny had brought him to our side several years ago. “They showed up on my doorstep at sundown and I only had a chance to get a call out to Justin.”