She laughed, and I joined in, but unease slithered over me, cooling my skin.
I glanced at the entrance to the casino as we passed it, and Aimée drew open the door of the nightclub. Everything inside was sleek and modern, with black and steel and neon pulsing lights highlighting the location of the bar and dark booths.
Aimée had been right—the bass thumped right through the floor and into my feet, and I wanted to dance from the moment we walked in. My body swayed a little, and Aimée glanced at me approvingly.
“Drink first?” She tilted her head toward the bar, and I nodded as I took in all the people filling the space.
The nightclub practically vibrated with their energy, which made a lot of sense of the name. The bar was packed, too, but Aimée worked her way to the front of the crowd, never letting go of my hand as she made the move to be next in line look almost effortless. She greeted the bartender by name, and he nodded at her. Then he glanced at me, and his nostrils flared slightly.
“This is Leia.” Aimée moved her hand to my shoulder. “Nicky’s friend,” she added, her tone full of meaning.
Suddenly I had more than one bartender offering me drinks, and several shot glasses lined the bar in front of me. The staff almost fell over themselves and each other in their attempts to be helpful and provide me with anything I might want.
“What are they doing?” I moved closer to Aimée so I could talk directly into her ear.
She lifted an eyebrow. “They know who you are,” she said, like that was important.
And maybe the fact Nic shared my bed every night made me important here, but that was a little weird.
“Let’s go find somewhere to sit.” But no sooner had Aimée spoken than a guy with a suit appeared in front of her, and she followed him to a roped off staircase. The private table on the balcony on the second floor was quieter than the main area, but it was fantastic for watching all the people. So many colors… So many shades of fun and glamorous and even desperate.
“Are they human?” I glanced out at the familiar mating rituals of drink buying and dancing closer in among the crush than was usually socially acceptable.
“Most of the customers are.” She rolled her eyes. “Nicky loves emptying the bank accounts of humans… And they seem to love giving him their money. Casino, nightclub. I’m sure he could make money out of a torture chamber, to be honest. The staff, though…” She grinned. “They’re handpicked and all loyal to Nicky.”
I spotted Jason against the back wall, part blending into the shadows, as his gaze roved the crowd of people. I followed the direction of where he was looking, trying to find out what had caught his attention.
“But some vampires come here?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes, I guess. Nicky doesn’t like casual pick-ups from here, though. We have other places where we can find donors.”
I shuddered. I hadn’t even considered vampire feeding habits in connection with a nightclub. Perhaps that was what Jason was doing down there—discouraging hunting inside. I lifted my hand to my neck, not even noticing what I’d done until Aimée grinned.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure Nicky will make an exception for himself if the mood strikes the two of you.”
My cheeks heated and Aimée grabbed my hands.
“Come on. Dancing. We’re not just going to watch everyone else have fun all night.”
I smiled because we’d definitely come out here more for Aimée tonight than for me.
“Let’s hit the dance floor. The guys here are going to love you.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, but I glanced around.
I’d feel better if I had some idea where Nic’s office was, if I knew how to get to him. But Aimée tugged my hands and drew me forward as her head tipped back and she laughed, and I grinned in response, her happiness at being here contagious.
Once on the dance floor, movement was effortless, and I danced with anyone available, sometimes catching sight of Jason through the shifting crowd or even Kyle. Gradually, the crowd around me seemed to thin, until I was dancing exclusively with women.
“Oof!” Aimée bumped against me. “I didn’t expect to get so warm.”
I glanced at my arm, at the thin sheen of sweat on my skin, and I lifted my hair from the back of my neck to try to cool myself a little as I flicked my tongue over my lips.
“Drink?” Aimée yelled the word into my ear, and I nodded.
“Bathroom,” I replied, and Aimee nodded toward a hallway close to the bar.
“They’re down there, but I’ll be able to see the entrance at all times, and I know Jason is here watching out for you too.”
I nodded and freed myself from the crowd. But as soon as I walked into the luxurious bathroom that smelled of almonds and honey layered with expensive perfumes, fingers wrapped around my throat and a weight pressed against my back. I stumbled forward, clawing at the hands squeezing off my air.
“You bitch.” A familiar voice hissed in my ear.
Valérie. I struggled harder, trying to dislodge her from my back.
“How dare you walk around the casino and here smelling like Nic?” She shook me, and a garbled sound escaped my lips as fear gripped me. “You weaken him.”
Nic. Suddenly, he was in my thoughts, and it was like I could feel him, his presence calming me, almost like I could imagine his touch and his voice low in my ear.
“Not so clever without one of your vampire guard, are you?” She was laughing now as her fingers tightened again.
Another flash of panic obliterated my thoughts—I’d been held like this before, and I couldn’t get away.
“I should drink you dry,” Valérie growled in my ear. “See what makes you so special. Maybe I’d be special then too.”I struggled again, but she was too strong. I couldn’t move her weight. I was just a human trapped by a vampire. Again.The bathroom door banged open behind us, cracking against the wall hard enough to leave a dent. Aimée rushed in, letting out a bloodcurdling roar before Valérie’s head rolled across the floor in front of me, her blue eyes open wide, her perfectly styled blonde hair coming loose from the chignon.13NicI nodded as Sebastian pointed to the tract of bayou land on the map we’d spread out over the desk. “Well, it’s closer than I intended to advance in one move, but—”I stopped, the rest of my words suddenly caught in my throat as I struggled to breathe for a moment.“Nic?” Seb’s eyes widened. “You okay?”Kyle stepped forward. “You don’t look so good. Sit down. I’ll get Jason.”“Leia,” I hissed. “It’s Leia.” I shook my head, trying to dislodge the fear obsc
I touched his shoulder as I walked by. “Thank you, Jason.”“Anything for you and my queen,” he murmured before opening the bathroom door to allow me to carry Leia through.She remained quiet, although she twined her arms around my neck as her body relaxed against mine.I hurried through the nightclub and out of the back door, finding Jenkins already waiting in the alley, the engine to the limo purring as he waited. He jumped out and scurried around to open the door so I could lower Leia to the seat. I leaned over to buckle her in then closed the door to follow Jenkins back around the car and climb in beside her.I let my hand lie on the seat between us, hoping that this time she might accept it. Not like the ride home after Sebastian’s attack on her.Fuck. I shook my head and looked out of the window. Everyone wanted to hurt her or kill her. And it was because she was mine and too fair, too fragile, too human.I had to turn her. For her own safety and because I…I couldn’t keep coming
We’d turned into my driveway and were approaching the house. “We’re both lucky she was there,” I said.I couldn’t have forgiven myself if something had happened to Leia on one of my properties while I’d been upstairs looking to advance a war. Territory and politics and revenge weren’t as important as Leia’s life, and that warning, that reminder, had nearly come too late.I brought her hand to my lips. “I’ll take you up to bed so you can sleep.”She nodded.Jenkins drew the car to a stop. “I’ll dispose of this—” He waved his hand regally around the car. “This evidence, sir.”I half chuckled. Chef’s hurt feelings or hot kitchen temper were really the last things on my mind, but there was no good reason to annoy him. “Thank you.”I helped Leia from the car, and lifted her against my chest again.“I can walk, you know.” But her protest was lackluster, and I grinned.“I might never let you walk again. I’ll just carry you all the time, everywhere. Just like this.”She laughed. “I think that
I swirled my tongue around her clit before sucking it into my mouth, and she rewarded me with a gasp and her fingernails against my scalp as her legs curved over my shoulders and her heels pressed against my back. I grinned against her before plunging my tongue inside her and stroking her with my thumb.“Nic.” She breathed out my name again. Once, twice, until it seemed to be all she could say as she moved against me and I stroked her over and over with my tongue, fully focused on her pleasure as I sucked her into my mouth and toyed gently with the most sensitive part of her.I kissed her through an orgasm, my fang grazing dangerously against her as I grinned and she cried out again, and then I lapped softly as she relaxed and moaned, becoming little more than Jell-O on the bed.I kissed the insides of her thighs again as I drew away, and I finished undressing her before tucking her under the comforter and joining her, drawing her against me as we both lay naked in her bed. She fell a
His groan reverberated right through me, and he drew away, his chest heaving with each breath. “You’re so difficult to resist.”“Then don’t…” I lifted an eyebrow, but he grinned and shook his head.“You need to eat, just like you needed to relax and sleep last night. And I need to let you do that.”“Such a gentleman,” I teased, but gratitude almost lost against the irritation inside me, because morning sex sounded pretty fucking good, actually, regardless of what Nic thought I needed. “But I am completely available to meet all your needs, too.”I pushed the blanket from myself in a bold reveal then groaned at a sharp knock at the door.“Raincheck?” Nic grinned as he tossed a T-shirt toward me and I slipped it on. “It’s Aimée,” he murmured, and I nodded, knowing better than to ask how he knew.Vampire hearing, vampire sense of smell. Vampire telepathy for all I knew. Something that gave him a superpower, anyway.He wandered back to the door, still wrapped in the ridiculous throw, and h
“There’s an easy way to do that, though, Nic,” Aimée said softly, and I held up my hand.“I don’t think I need to know the details.” Seeing Aimée behead Valerie had been plenty enough violence for me. I didn’t need to find out what sort of violence Nic could enact to ensure my safety going forward.Nic flashed another grin, this one strained after he frowned at Aimée. “Kyle will handle the details. He usually seems to enjoy those.”He crossed the room and dropped a soft kiss to my forehead as I wound my arms around his neck.“I’ll miss you,” I whispered to Nic, and Aimée gave my shoulder a gentle shove.“But my brother won’t watch old British comedy movies with you and laugh at all the right parts, I’m sure. Four Weddings, or Bridget Jones?” She didn’t wait for my reply. “Both? I can also offer popcorn.”“Bye. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Nic spoke from the door, his voice low before he slipped away.Aimée shook her head. “I have no idea what you’ve done to my brother, but I’ve nev
He gestured at the other screen, the one with the paused footage on. We’d just watched Valérie in conversation with the guys in the shot, and shortly after they’d started smashing glasses and chairs over each other.“But you were there to watch Leia. Not to prevent other people from killing themselves and each other.”“It was too much for the regular bouncers to handle. Innocents were being hurt.” Kyle shifted his stance to at-ease, his unblinking gaze somewhere over my left shoulder.Rage roared through me, more at the thought of Leia in danger than at my men, and I stood with a bellow, shoving everything off my desk. My computer crashed to the floor and the screen went black. A paperweight rolled to the corner of the room, and files spilled their contents over the floor.I never should have agreed to Leia and Aimée attending the nightclub. I slammed my fist through the sheetrock. There was too much risk for her in my world. A mirror cracked as I ripped it from the wall, and I shredd
“Nic.”“I’m heading toward you now. I won’t be long.” I watched the speedo needle climb.“Nic.”“Yes?” I forced myself to focus.“It’s not me. I’m not hurt. I’m fine.”But something was still wrong. I wasn’t imagining that. “Then what is it?” I didn’t slow down. The urgency to get home still existed. Maybe she was injured somehow.“It’s Dad. The rehab center called. He’s missing.”Oh, thank fuck. For a moment, I took my foot off the gas and coasted as relief coursed through me. It was only Jean. Jean was the problem, which was still a problem, only not as urgent.“What do you mean, missing?” Had he run away, broken our deal?“That’s the thing.” She sucked in a breath. “They don’t know what’s going on. They only know he didn’t show up to today’s meetings. They don’t know when he left or why. And all of his shit is still there. He didn’t take anything.”I flicked the turn signal and slowed to make my turn. “Nothing?” That didn’t sound right. “I mean, if he was leaving, sure, travel ligh