Freak Show (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7)(31)

“I’m ok,” he tried to reassure me, wincing when I ran a hand over his ribs. Grasping my hand, he rose, pulling me up with him. “I just need to get dressed and chill for a minute. Can you get me a Scotch?”

“You want a drink? Shaz, you could have a concussion. Or worse.” I turned to Arys who stood protectively nearby. “You should try to heal him.”

“No,” Shaz said. He pulled his pants on, grimacing as he moved. “I’m fine. Really. We heal fast. It’s all good.”

I saw the truth in his eyes, the unspoken words. He wasn’t ready for Arys to touch him like that, with the rush of power. I didn’t want to accept that his previous addiction would prevent him from receiving much needed help. Avoiding the rush couldn’t possibly be more important than his life.

“It would be best to stop the bleeding.” Arys advised, ignoring the warning look Shaz shot him. “Don’t forget where you are, pup. In a place like this, you’re a delicacy.”

“I’ll take my chances.” Turning his back on us, Shaz cleaned his wounds with the towel.

We couldn’t force him to do a damn thing. Rather than push the subject, I ordered him a damn Scotch. He cleaned up reasonably well other than the brutal facial injuries and the blood spatters that stained his platinum hair. Back in his suit, collar open, he exuded an air of disaffected cool. He was too calm for someone who had just killed without reason.

I exchanged a look with Arys who shook his head and shrugged. What had just happened deeply disturbed me.

After a few quiet minutes of sipping his Scotch, Shaz surveyed the room and said, “Well since we’re here, we might as well party.”

Chapter Eight

I gaped at him, questioning his sanity. “What the f**k, Shaz? Did you get your brain rattled in there?”

“I just fought for my life. Now I want to celebrate the fact that I’m still standing here.” Shaz turned to flag down another waitress.

“What you need to be doing right now is healing,” I insisted. “And resting. In bed, after a hot shower.”

His jade-green gaze swung back to me, and a mischievous smile graced his lips. “Will you play nurse for me?”

Before I could answer, Jenner strolled up. His expression was guarded, unreadable. “You got lucky,” he said to Shaz, taking in his injuries with interest. “Congratulations.”

“It had nothing to do with luck.” Shaz leveled his gaze at the haughty vampire, challenging him with a look. “You think you know werewolves? Well, you don’t know me.”

Jenner nodded approvingly, and he offered Shaz a hand. “You proved yourself to be the better wolf. I applaud your integrity. Let me know if you’re ever in need of a change of scenery. I’ll have a job for you.” I wouldn’t have thought a vampire more arrogant than Arys could exist. Yet, here he was.

“You’re assuming you’ll still be in charge of this place in the future. How cute,” I quipped. It might have been bad form to taunt the vampire who’d promised to cast me in his theatre of bloodlust and melodrama, but I’d tired of his showboating.

“You wanna make a move on my territory, Alexa?” Jenner stepped up close, forcing me to crane my neck to meet his gaze. “After you grace my stage, you’ll be begging to be one of my girls.”

“I won’t be the one begging.” It was a promise I intended to keep. Jenner would be sorry he’d won that poker game.

When I didn’t call my power or so much as nudge him, Jenner backed off. This was fun for him, his pathetic attempt at playing with Arys’s toys as a means of revenge. One thing about vampires, they never got over anything. They had too much time to dwell on past wrongs.

“The midnight show gets the biggest crowd. They’ll be getting a treat tonight.” Jenner waved over a waitress who set down her tray and slid into his arms. He swept her hair aside and kissed her neck. She quickly fell under his influence, grinding her pelvis against him.

I turned away before he bit her. It wouldn’t be long until the clock struck twelve. That didn’t leave me a lot of time to ensure Shaz was really alright and decide what to do about Jenner. I wasn’t going to play the swooning victim for him.

Jenner offered the wrist of the waitress to Arys who declined. He wanted to taste her though. I could see it all over him.

“You’re not doing to Alexa what we saw you do on stage earlier,” Arys said, warning in his tone. “I’ll call it quits on this game of yours and kill you right here.”

A frown creased Jenner’s brow. Dragging his tongue over the matching punctures he’d given the waitress, he mumbled against her skin. “Why no, of course not. Every vampire that tastes her blood seems to die or become pathetically addicted to her.” His head snapped up quickly then, and he pinned me with a hungry stare. “Too bad. I’ll have to watch the two of you together instead.”

“Excuse me?” The numbing effects of the alcohol wore off quickly at that sobering remark. It took effort to look Jenner in the eyes rather than ogle the crimson drop sliding down the waitress’s neck.

“Arys Knight united with his other half after all this time…yeah that’s something I want to see in action. I imagine a witness can come away from that quite affected.” Having finished with his nibble, Jenner gave the waitress a light pat on the behind and sent her on her way.