Only Vampires Cry Blood (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #3)(67)

“Arys doesn’t know. And, he’s not going to. Not until it’s already been done.” I took another bite of cake, paying extra close attention to how creamy and smooth it was as it virtually melted in my mouth. I didn’t take the time to appreciate things like this anymore. Such a shame.

“Wait,” Kylarai leaned forward on the table, her fork forgotten. “Isn’t there some risk to Arys by killing Harley? They’re bound. And more importantly, won’t he be super pissed?”

“It’s not going to take Arys out, too, if that’s what you mean. But, it’s highly likely that he’ll sense it the moment Harley goes. If he’s pissed, well, too bad. My every instinct tells me I have to do this. Arys stopped me once and regretted it. He’ll get over it. And, if he doesn’t, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”

Kylarai shook her head in disapproval, her brunette ponytail bouncing. “You’re in over your head, Lex. Harley owns The Wicked Kiss. What do you expect to happen with the nightclub? Not to mention the employees and clientele.”

“Well,” I drew the one word out, looking back and forth between the two of them.

“That’s where the money Raoul left to me comes in handy. It’s also where you come in Ky. If you’re willing.”

I explained my plan to have Kale take over as owner, with me as a silent partner.

Shaz nodded his approval while Kylarai continued to look grim.

“What do you want me to do?” She looked as if she expected me to drop a bomb on her.

“Nothing too drastic. Just hook me up with a lawyer that can make Kale’s take-over legal on paper.”

She pursed her lips and regarded me with a thoughtful expression. I waited patiently, my fork suspended in midair. I was hoping she could pull the legal strings. It was certainly not my domain of expertise.

“My office doesn’t handle that kind of thing.” With a sigh, she relented and added,

“But, there is this one guy, a werewolf, in the city. I met him once at a convention. I could ask him about it.”

I beamed at her, delighted. “That’s all I ask. Thank you, Ky. I really appreciate this.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t mention it. But, do you really think it’s a good idea to have Kale running that circus? He has enough issues, don’t you think?”

“I don’t think there is a better person for the job. He knows everything about that place. If anything, it will be good for him.” To Shaz I said, “I have a job for you, too, but it’s your call. When all is said and done, I’d like you to work some kind of security there.

I need people I can trust monitoring who and what is coming and going in that place.”

“Count on it. I have nothing keeping me at Lucy’s Lounge. And, I’m eager to get my hands dirty.” A devilish grin spread across his features, reminding me that the boy I once knew was long gone.

“Not too dirty, I hope.”

“So when do we do this? Take out Harley.”

Shaz looked far too eager, but I couldn’t really blame him. He had his reasons almost as much as I did.

“Tomorrow night. I want it done fast, before either he or Arys have a chance to find out I’m planning it. It’s not always easy to keep Arys out of my head. I don’t want to risk him blowing this.”

Silence fell as we all mulled it over. I shoved my plate away, too full and too anxious to take another bite.

Ky stood up and began clearing the table even though I tried to make her leave the dishes. “So, have you thought about what you will do if Arys is at the Kiss when you arrive, or if he shows up?”

I hesitated. I knew it was a possibility, but I hadn’t planned for it. Ky was right. That could f**k up the entire scenario. Before I could open my mouth to reply, Shaz gave a short laugh.

“I’ll run interference. Arys won’t be a problem.”

“Oh no.” I shook my head vehemently. “The two of you brawling is not going to help me kill Harley. Bad idea.”

“You can trust me, Lex. I won’t start anything that can get out of control. I’ll just throw a few distractions at him.”

“No. I need you. I’ll have Jez come along in case he shows up. That’ll go over much better.”

Shaz frowned. I knew he wanted to protest, but he dropped the subject altogether, much to my relief. The discussion quickly died down. There was little more to say on the issue.

When Kylarai suggested a run outside of town, my wolf practically leaped for joy.

Not only was it the best way to free both my body and mind, it also gave me a chance to sniff out Zoey. If I could track her down, I had every intention of finding out if I had it in me to get her back into a physical body.

* * * *

When the following night arrived, I was ready. I stared out the window, watching the sunset. I kept expecting the nerves to hit me, but I was rock steady. I’d woken up a few hours earlier ready to face the evening, maybe even a little eager. By the time this was over, Arys and I would finally discover where we stood with one another. I reached into the pocket of my tight black jeans, lightly toying with the keys to Raoul’s Jaguar. It had sat in the garage for several months. Tonight I would be driving it to The Wicked Kiss. It would enable me to arrive a little more incognito than my bold red Charger would. I didn’t want to announce my presence any sooner than necessary.