Sunset to Sunrise (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7.5)(2)

I collapsed on the bed beside her, staring up at the ceiling. I could almost hear Alexa nagging me about killing inside the nightclub we both shared. She was a silent partner; her name appeared on none of the paperwork. So I would kill anywhere I damn well pleased.

The rush of the kill filled me with a sense of wonder. A pleasant tingle crept over me to encompass my entire body. A roar like waves on the ocean sounded in my ears. I felt weightless, like I floated above the bed. The high from the kill could never be replicated. This was the moment I existed for.

I enjoyed the myriad of sensations for a while, losing myself in a haze of sheer delight. All thought ceased as, for a few precious moments, I was set free of it all. Hunting and killing were the only things that kept me sane even as it drove me mad. A strange and twisted catch twenty-two.

I rolled out of bed long before I wanted to. Enjoying my high while lying next to a corpse wasn’t my idea of a great time. A glance at the brunette revealed a woman who had died with fear in her eyes. I couldn’t stand to look at her. It was over. Not my problem.

A shower in the adjoined bathroom cleansed me of her scent and blood. That was as clean as I’d ever get again. If anyone’s soul was tainted, it was mine.

I ran a comb through my short, wet hair, pushing the dark mess around on my head until it stayed put. My pupils were dilated like gaping black holes, making it impossible to tell that my eyes were in fact two different colors.

Those cursed brown and blue orbs had brought me much pain and judgment during my human life. Living in a time when such features were mistaken for signs of the devil, I’d endured much hell. Although all things considered, maybe my accusers hadn’t been so far off the mark.

After dressing in a dark shirt and black slacks, I slipped into my favorite jacket, a long, black leather duster. I’d swiped it from a victim leaving a Goth rock party several years ago. That might be tasteless, but the jacket was a worthy find.

Casting a look back at the dead woman in my bed, I lingered, waiting for some emotion to hit me. Guilt, sorrow, dread. Anything. I hadn’t felt much emotion in a while now. Tonight was no different.

With a shrug, I exited the room and locked the door behind me. The hallway outside my room was rife with sex-charged, bloodlust-driven energy. I was far from the only vampire here taking advantage of the humans smitten with us. Although, I likely was the only one with a lifeless body in my bed.

I strolled down the hall, basking in the freely given energy lining my path like a metaphysical red carpet. The sound of loud music and voices grew as I drew closer to the entry to the nightclub.

Pulling my phone from my pocket, I studied the time and briefly wondered if Alexa had landed safely in Las Vegas. Annoyed with myself, I scowled and shoved her from my thoughts.

The party was still going hard at The Wicked Kiss, despite it being past last call. The dance floor was littered with people unable to drag themselves away. There were more humans than vampires present, which was just the way we liked it.

My gaze fell upon Willow, the fallen angel with a penchant for tequila. I didn’t know him well, but I knew enough. He was a devoted friend to Alexa, and I suspected that he’d been involved in her life much longer than any of us knew.

“So how’s the poison tonight?” I asked, sliding onto the stool next to him.

Willow raised a tequila shooter and nodded in greeting. “As good as it gets. Which is pretty damn good as long as I don’t stop.”

I could relate to that. Already my gaze wandered the room, seeking another victim to keep this buzz going.

“Have you been here long?”

“Long enough to get drunk, sober up, and start again.” He gave me a knowing once over, lingering on my gaping pupils. “You too?”

“You could say that.” Something occurred to me, and I studied him extra hard. The fallen angel had faced down demons I could scarcely imagine. My stare had no effect on him. “Alexa didn’t send you in here to keep an eye on me, did she?”

He chuckled and slammed the shooter glass down on the bar before reaching for another. “Most definitely not. Does that strike you as the kind of thing she’d do? I’m pretty sure she trusts you more than that.”

I didn’t see the humor in my question. It was valid, all things considered. “Well, she did come in here to give me a talking to before she left. I just thought maybe she really expected me to burn the place down while she’s away.”

Willow was silent for a moment. He stared straight ahead at the shelves of booze behind the bar and chewed on a slice of lime. “You’re worried about her, huh?”

“I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

I had to give the angel credit. He was still on his game, fallen or not. I doubted that much slipped past him. We’d barely spoken, and yet he’d so easily read me. Silent, drunk and powerfully observant, he made me unbearably uncomfortable.

“Yeah, well, she’s going to run into trouble in that city. It may be Arys’s territory, but it isn’t hers. She belongs here.” How incredibly transparent was I? I was sure he could see right through me. Part of me recoiled at the idea, but in a way, it was nice to think that someone could.

“Alexa will be fine. It might be good for her. She needs a break from this city. And from Shya.” Willow’s tone conveyed more, but he had the grace to leave the rest unsaid.