Freak Show (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7)(44)

I kept my pace steady, hurried but not erratic. Leading him off the street into one of the casinos would give me a chance to confront him with fewer witnesses. Weaving my way through slot machines, my pulse pounded in anticipation of when he would jump me.

When his meaty hand came down on my shoulder, I was ready. I grabbed his wrist and jerked him forward, bending so he went over my back and hit the floor in front of me. I was on him fast, a knee on his chest and a clawed hand around his throat.

“I’m happy to see you don’t really know as much about me as you think you do,” I growled. “Where the f**k is Jez?”

“The leopard?” He grunted as my claws pierced his flesh. “Hell if I know. You both went down from the wolfsbane, and I didn’t stick around to find out what happened next.”

“Don’t f**king lie to me. I will kill you right here. I don’t give a damn how many cameras see me do it.”

“I’m not lying. I tried to stop you from interfering in business that doesn’t concern you. That’s all.” He clutched my arm in a desperate attempt to dislodge it from around his neck.

“And Jenner and Arys? Where were they taken?”

Roscoe’s lips formed a thin white line, and he shook his head as much as he was able. He offered me nothing.

Fine. I could do this the hard way. I thrust a surge of fury-driven energy deep inside him, focusing on his cold, dead heart. And then I squeezed until blood filled his eyes and pooled in his mouth.

“Are you willing to die to keep that secret?” I asked, a cold smile tugging at my lips. “This just gets easier every time I do it. You’re about two seconds from being a pile of dust.”

A strangled cry escaped him. “The desert.” He coughed and spat blood. “They’ll be staked down in the desert for sunrise.”

The blood drained from my face, and my breath came faster. “Get up, nice and slow. You’re going to take me to them.”

I let Roscoe up, releasing my hold on him. He wiped the blood from his eyes and mouth with the back of his sleeve, glaring angrily. “I don’t know where they are. You’re on your own.”

“Why would you sell Jenner out like that? What happened to being his right hand?”

With a shrug of his wide shoulders, Roscoe pinned me with a fierce stare. “Survival of the fittest, I suppose. He wanted to pull out of the blood ring, but Harley started that ring decades ago. It wasn’t about to die off because Jenner didn’t want to play dirty anymore. I had to make the choice that best suited my needs.”

I wanted so badly to plunge the Dragon Claw into his guts and watch the horror and shock flash across his face when he realized he was dead. However, it was a big weapon, too big to flash inside the casino.

My phone rang, the vibration in my bag alerting me to it. I made the mistake of going for it, giving Roscoe his chance to bolt. He slammed his elbow into my face, and I dropped to my knees. He was gone before I could regain my focus.

Chapter Eleven

It was Briggs.

“Hey, O’Brien I have a trace for you. We only picked up data on one phone. The other two are offline, possibly destroyed. The one we found is registered to a Jezebel St. Claire out of Edmonton.”

“Yeah,” I gasped, holding my battered nose. A few scarlet drops stained my palm. “What’s the address?”

“Fremont Street. At The Golden Nugget. I’ll keep trying on those other two. Can’t promise anything though.”

So Jez was here. Roscoe had lied. Next time I saw him, he was getting acquainted with the Dragon Claw. “Thanks, Briggs. I appreciate this. I know you didn’t have to do it.”

“Are you ok?” He asked upon hearing the pain in my voice.

“Just took an elbow to the nose, actually. But I’m fine, thanks. Call me if you find anything else.”

There was hesitation on the line. Instead of hanging up, Briggs tentatively said, “You know, O’Brien, we may be able to offer assistance. Just say the word.”

I chuckled in spite of everything. “I’m not quite desperate enough to take you up on that. But I’ll keep it in mind.”

“You do that.”

Vampire politics were difficult enough. The last thing I wanted or needed was the Feds getting further into my business than they already were. Briggs had a hard-on for supernatural info. He’d take anything he could get. But he wouldn’t be getting it from me.

Evidently, Briggs believed I could be recruited to the predominantly human government organization, most likely because he had so easily recruited my younger sister, Juliet. I had seen enough of the FPA to know I was safer with the demons.

By the time I made it to The Golden Nugget, my lungs were heaving. I sprinted down floor after floor looking for Jez. Sensing vampires came easier. I could feel every vampire in the city if I concentrated hard enough. However, I was still able to pick out that earthy Were vibe when close enough.

Human. That’s all I could feel and smell. With a flurry of choice curse words, I continued up to the next floor. That’s when the heady scent of wildcat tickled my nose. I knocked on the door and waited. No one answered. I studied the lock, feeling less than confident. Jez wasn’t alone in there. I could feel the vampire with her.

I’d used my telekinetic abilities to manipulate locks before, but never had I tried it on a hotel room key card lock. Kicking the door down would have been easier. Taking a deep breath, I steeled my nerves and focused my energy on the lock. It wouldn’t give. I banged a fist on the door in frustration. Then I tried again. No deal.