Freak Show (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7)(67)

The glimpse of the blood ring I had seen was small, just a scratch on the surface of their evil. And it was more than enough for me. I couldn’t go home and let it keep happening, knowing there was more I could have done.

“I’m not changing The Wicked Kiss.” Jenner leaned back with arms crossed, daring me to disagree. “It took months to build that theatre down there and regardless of what you both might think, the people f**king love it.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. He was incredibly determined. Fierceness flashed in his ice-cold eyes. He would not be denied. “Whatever you want, Jenner,” I snickered. “Although there needs to be a few ground rules. Like no killing the people you take on stage.”

“I don’t kill them all.” His protest sounded too much like one I’d heard before.

I cast a glance between Jenner and Arys, rolling my eyes. “What about the wolf fights? To the death seems too harsh. They volunteer, and they leave alive.”

The stony mask that encompassed Jenner’s face was almost frightening. Void of emotion, he issued a silent challenge. “No deal,” he said. “I’m not compromising there.”

“What if I’m not giving you a choice?” I countered.

Arys broke in before I could decide to throw Jenner around. “This can be discussed later. What matters now is that we’re all on the same page as far as the blood ring is concerned.”

The venomous glare Jenner turned on Arys would have intimidated any other vampire. “I don’t suppose my opinion really holds any weight now, does it? Especially not now that he wants to see her. I might as well go back to Paris and start over.” Emanating waves of contempt, Jenner slumped in his seat.

I hadn’t thought vampires to be prone to pouting, but that twisted frown marring his face was definitely a pout. However, his words were far more interesting. “Who wants to see me?” Trepidation made my empty stomach lurch. I just wanted to go home. The sooner, the better.

“Hurst,” Arys answered, his jaw clenched as he tried to hide his concern. “He’s requested that you be brought to him. To talk.”

Harley’s maker wanted to see me? Oh, balls. That sucked.

“Nobody can go with you,” Arys went on. “He won’t allow it. But nobody’s forcing you either. It’s your call.”

I looked around the table at my family, those I’d come with and those that had been forced upon me. Jenner was the only one wearing an openly malicious grin. From the very little I had heard of this vampire, I didn’t get the feeling he intended to kill me. It seemed rather unlikely that he wanted to see me at all considering he chose to remove himself from the mortal world. When I gave the question over to instinct, I felt without a doubt that Hurst was someone worthy of my time. There had to be a reason he wanted to see me. I needed to know what that was.

“I’ll go. Then I want to get on a plane and go home before this city decides not to let me leave at all.”

Chapter Sixteen

The four of us sat around the table, having been abandoned by Jenner and Roscoe who understandably wanted very little to do with us at the moment. For the most part Jez ignored us, tapping out messages on her phone at record speed.

We had taken some time to talk about our plans for The Wicked Kiss Las Vegas, Sloane, and Linden, should he prove to be alive. We all understood that wiping out the blood ring would take time. Shaz had assured me every person from the warehouse had made it to safety. It was a small start but a significant one.

“You have to feed.” Arys squinted and braced himself for the blow back.

Instead of snarling at him like usual, I merely sighed and nodded. A healing could only do so much. The hunger burning in my gut demanded sustenance. “I know. Thanks for the reminder, Mom.” The snarky comment earned me a middle finger, and I smirked.

“I should come with, keep things under control.” Arys started to rise, but Shaz stopped him with a hand.

“No. It should be me. Lex can feed on me.”

My protests couldn’t come fast enough. I tripped over my tongue in my hurried attempt to deny his offer. “There are too many reasons why that’s not going to work. Don’t feel like you have to be part of that, Shaz.”

“But I do though. You need mortal blood. I’m the only mortal here you can bite without turning them wolf. And honestly, I kind of like that I have something you need that you can’t get from him.” He jerked a thumb toward Arys who raised a dark brow and shook his head.

“Can’t argue with that logic,” Jez said without looking up from her phone. I was touched by Shaz’s offer. There had once been a time when I could take blood from him without any trouble. Taking energy, however, might be tricky, and the two tended to go hand in hand.

“Are you sure?” I wasn’t about to insult him with an outright refusal. Shaz was capable of making his own decisions.

“Of course.”

I slapped a hand down on the table, making Jez jump. “Ok, then. Let’s do this before I chicken out.”

“You guys are so gonna do it,” Jez said in a singsong tone. “It’s about time too.”

Ignoring her, I stood and held a hand out to Shaz. The warmth of his hand in mine drew me to his wolfish scent of pine and forest with a hint of wolf musk. I suddenly could not wait to sink my teeth into that. The bloodlust was bearable still, though it was definitely making itself known. Leaving instructions for Arys to order me a medium rare steak and a salad, I ascended the stairs with Shaz, back up to the room I’d woken up in.