Freak Show (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7)(75)

“A girl or a drink?” I asked. It was Jez after all.

Her response was lost in the noise as the fountain lights came on. People chattered excitedly and held up smartphones to take video footage. God Bless the USA played over loud speakers, creating a sense of unity among all gathered, regardless of home country. It was nice.

I crammed in against the railing with everyone else. The fountain waters went so high. The Bellagio was gorgeous lit up in the background with the fabulous Caesars Palace just across the street to the right.

For the first time ever, I felt like a tourist, and I loved it. The fountain spray was cool against my skin, a brief reprieve of the desert heat. I watched with as much childlike glee as the next person as the water leaped as high as the Bellagio itself.

“Beautiful,” I whispered to myself. That moment in time was something special and maybe even a little magical, which made me wish I could capture the feeling and keep it forever.

“There’s nothing quite like it.” With a knowing grin, Arys slipped his arms around me from behind. “It’s one of my favorite places in all the world. That sounds childish, doesn’t it?”

“It does.” I laughed and leaned back into his embrace. “But I get it. I really do.”

The song ended. The fountain waters fell quiet, and the small lake lay peaceful once again. The crowd began to disperse, and the chatter kicked up a notch. As Arys tugged me away, onward to Caesars, I cast a wistful glance back at the dark water.

Jez stopped to take a photo with some showgirls. Her smile stretched from ear to ear as she snuggled up to the sparkly ladies. It was so simple, to pretend to be one of them. Human. Sometimes it was necessary too, for the good of our own mental health.

The crush of the crowd crossing the pedway to the hotel was as chaotic as it had been the last time I’d crossed. Above the din, I could hear the voice of the guy selling water on the end.

Stepping back into Caesars meant a shot of cold air conditioning in the face. I welcomed it. What I did not welcome was the unfortunate reminder that human life would never be for me. A bride with a handful of flowers cheerfully pranced through the lobby on the arm of her groom. Their friends followed, all dressed to the nines in wedding attire. My gaze went to Shaz who was also watching the happy couple. What was he thinking?

He caught me looking and forced a tight smile. It was still hard to accept, even after so many years. That would never be us.

The Poker Room was loud and busy, much like every other part of the casino. Men and women surrounded the tables and wore very stern expressions.

Jenner sat at one table, alone. In a suit that hid his tattoos, he looked suave, almost sexy. Shaz and Jez excused themselves, leaving the vampire talk to the vampires.

“We’re going to watch some dancing girls,” Jez said with a wink. “Come find us when you’re done with the politics.”

I sat across from Jenner, letting Arys take a seat in the middle. I decided to buy into the game. Why should they have all the gambling fun? I’d seen enough of poker to know it was a game of chance but also of strategy. No reason I couldn’t hold my own.

“Now, what could be so important that you dragged me over here?” Jenner inquired, peeking at his cards before looking at each of us in turn.

I shot a questioning look to Arys. These casinos were under heavy watch. Could we talk freely about such things here?

“Alexa killed Linden about an hour ago,” Arys said brazenly, answering my question. “Is that important enough? We fly out at midnight. I thought it was worth sharing with you first. It changes things.”

Jenner was silent. Not only did I have no idea how good his hand was, I had no idea what he was thinking. His poker face was exceptional.

A peek at my own cards revealed an ace and the two of clubs. Folding never crossed my mind. It would be like giving in before I knew what kind of chance I stood. So, when Jenner raised the pot to five grand, I sucked in a deep breath but matched the bet.

“Linden’s dead? Good job.” His icy gaze swept over me in appraisal. Clearly, someone was still harboring a grudge. Couldn’t say I blamed him. “So what now?”

The dealer laid the first three cards on the table, and Arys immediately folded. Big baby.

“Now we take apart the rest of the blood ring before it can recover from the loss. That will be your job. Think you can handle it?” Arys and Jenner shared a look. Something unspoken passed between them.

I was feeling good about my cards so I continued to stay in the game. Big mistake. The dealer laid the last two down, and my certainty changed as Jenner’s straight beat my three of a kind. Crap.

“Don’t you think it would be easier to take over the blood ring rather than disband it?” Jenner suggested, pulling my chips into his pile, shooting me a smarmy smile as he did so. “At least if we control it, we can make changes. Such as, no more kids.”

I chewed my bottom lip, an anxious habit I’d never been able to break. He did have a point, it just sounded so sketchy.

“The only way I’m going to agree to that is if we take it even further,” I said, peeking at the new cards I’d been dealt. “No innocents at all.”

The lady dealing had the best poker face of us all. She went through the motions of her job without reacting to our conversation. Either she didn’t care, or she knew better than to get involved.

Jenner scoffed. “You clearly don’t understand how supply and demand works. That’s asking too much.”