Blonde & Blue (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #4)(5)

“You need to stop living in denial. This place is no good for you. You should let Kale deal with it. This isn’t your world.”

“It is now.” I studied Arys closely, curious. “This isn’t your world either. You hate it here. So, what’s with all the recent visits?”

Arys shrugged and let his gaze wander around the bar. “Well, you’re here. Where else would I be?”

“No, really. I know you, Arys. You’ve been in here a lot lately. That’s not like you. What’s up?” This was the fourth night in a row that he’d appeared in The Kiss, and I was getting suspicious.

I felt the shift in him as his energy grew defensive. His eyes were still scanning the building, and I began to grow uneasy. What the hell was he hiding from me?

I glanced around, nervous at what I was sensing from Arys. The crowd was starting to thin as most of the vampires lured victims to a more secluded place. Two vampires in a corner booth had a young woman between them. One of them fed from her wrist while the other kissed her deeply. A lone witch at a different table oozed black energy that made my skin crawl. Otherwise, nothing struck me as out-of-place.

Arys pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “I don’t want to talk about it here. Later. I promise. I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be right back.”

I was dying to know what had Arys so worried, and patience was not a virtue that I possessed. However, if I could just get through the rest of the night without any further incident, I’d consider it a successful evening.

No sooner had I formed that thought than a loud crash drew my attention to a fight on the dance floor. I couldn’t even pretend to be surprised. Since taking over The Kiss, I’d seen just about everything.

Two women were throwing punches at each other. I had to roll my eyes. What could possibly be worth fighting about here? Shaz cast a glance my way. He seemed reluctant to get involved. With a sigh, I waved a hand in their direction and flung them apart. Jerking my thumb towards the door, I made it clear to Shaz that I’d like them tossed out. I wasn’t in the mood for this crap.

I’d wanted control of the notorious nightclub because it had such a shady reputation. Paranormal creatures and the stupid humans who sought to be close to them filled The Kiss. I’d assumed I could change the place, but really, it was changing me and not in a good way.

Josh was busy behind the bar so I headed back and helped myself. I caught myself looking between the whiskey bottle and a glass, wondering if the glass was worth the bother. The Kiss was going to turn me into a raging drunk in no time. I considered drinking from the bottle but poured the glass a little too full instead.

Time seemed to crawl by as I found an empty table and waited for Arys to return. Despite the hard liquor in my hand, my current reality was very sobering.

I sensed a strange vampire’s approach before he touched me. I sat up a little straighter in my chair, ready for him to reach for me. Without looking behind me, I grabbed his wrist before his hand could fall on my shoulder. My maneuver soon had him flat on his back blinking up at me in shock.

“What the hell do you want?” I glared down at him. The last thing I needed tonight was another vampire who felt he had something to prove.

His face contorted with pain as I twisted his arm. “Just looking for a playmate. Fuck! Let go of me!”

“Are you new or something? I don’t play here. I’m off-limits. All the time.” I released him, ready to kick his ass if he tried anything.

I analyzed his energy and decided he wasn’t a threat, just a ballsy vampire that thought I was on the menu. It didn’t happen so often now that most of them knew me.

“Alright, I got it.” He held his hands up in surrender as he backed away. “A simple ‘no thanks’ would have sufficed, you know.”

With a shrug, I waved him off. I had nothing more to say. I was anxious about what was up with Arys. Sitting still was almost impossible. I was restless. After finishing my drink, I took a slow walk around the inside of the building.

Shaz was in the front lobby with Arys. They were speaking quietly to one another, their heads close together. That set off a red flag for me. Arys caught me watching them. He held up a finger in that universal ‘one moment’ gesture before disappearing outside. I looked expectantly at Shaz, but he revealed nothing.

Now that I was tuned into it, something didn’t feel right. It wasn’t just the strange way Arys was loitering around The Kiss. The atmosphere within the nightclub felt off-balance, as if something were out of place. My senses honed in on that wariness, focusing until I could feel that vibration that didn’t fit in.

I hadn’t noticed it before. The metaphysical mojo in the building amounted to psychic noise. Something about the vibe was familiar, and I needed to pinpoint where or who it was. I followed the sensation.

It grew stronger as I drew closer to the doorway that led to the back rooms. It was probably coming from a vampire blood party that would give me the creeps, but I had to know for sure.

The vibe came from the room that Kale claimed as his own. I recognized Kale’s energy, but it felt residual as if he were no longer present. I didn’t want to acknowledge my suspicions, but I had to see.

Slowly, I approached the door. As I passed other rooms along the way, I shuddered when my senses picked up creepy, vampiric sounds, smells and sensations. A scream rang out, causing me to jump. Thankfully, it dissolved into a series of pleasurable moans.