“I did,” the guard assured him in dry tones. “Not that they were needed. Once word of your arrival spreads through Vegas we’ll be turning away potential guests.”
It was true. The last time he’d been in Vegas he’d caused a near riot when the hotel manager had tried to limit the number of guests who could enter his suite.
“And the female?” he asked.
He’d requested that a Nephilim be procured so he could feed before he performed the ancient ceremony. He would have to be at his maximum strength to call on the dead owner of the pendant. And then he would need to feed again when he was finished to help him regain his powers.
Jacob nodded his head. “I spoke to your brother before I left for the airport. One of the House guards was sent to collect her. They should arrive at your private suite before nightfall.”
“As efficient as ever, Jacob,” Tiege murmured.
Jacob shrugged. “That’s why I get paid the big bucks.”
“I thought it was because you had to deal with me,” Tiege drawled.
“There is that.”
Tiege gave a sharp burst of laughter. When he was a youth, he’d gone through a dozen different guards who’d all sworn he was a reckless hellion who was destined for an early grave. Only Jacob possessed the necessary nerve to accept Tiege’s love for danger.
Tiege polished off his drink and set the glass on the nearby table. The jet had already made a smooth takeoff, which meant he had nothing to do until they reached the States.
“If everything is in order, then I intend to get some rest,” he said, nodding his head in the direction of the stewardess who instantly turned to hurry toward the bedroom at the back of the plane. Tiege was confident he would find her stretched out naked on his bed. “Once I arrive, I plan on enjoying myself.”
“When don’t you?” Jacob demanded in sardonic tones.
Tiege smiled. “What’s the point of being an immortal demon if you don’t savor the pleasures this life has to offer?”
Jacob arched a silver brow. “Your brother would say the continuation of the family line.”
A vicious pain sliced through Tiege.
He understood his duty. Now that Petros had lost his betrothed, the House of Furia depended on him to continue the family line. But he wasn’t prepared to face that ugly truth.
Not yet.
Once he did he would have no choice but to accept that the golden days when his father was the ruthless Master of the House of Furia, and Petros and Portia were giddy with happiness, was at an end.
That was…unacceptable.
“Have you truly considered the horror of a posse of little Tieges running around?” he instead mocked.
“The mind boggles at the possibility.” As always, Jacob’s expression was unreadable. Yep. He truly would have made a perfect butler. “Of course, we can always hope they take after their mother.”
Tiege rolled his eyes as he headed to his bedroom and the waiting stewardess.
“Wake me before we land.”
~
Sloane entered the elegant Vegas hotel and edged her way around the twirling carousel. All around her, tourists scurried to reach the nearby casino or hit the streets to join the endless crowd that surged from one end of the Strip to the other.
Thankfully, her connection to the House of Furia meant that she didn’t have to fight her way to the reception desk. Instead she headed directly to the private office of the manager and pushed open the door.
There had to be some compensation for having to deal with Tiege, she silently acknowledged, stepping into the large office.
Instantly a middle-aged human rose to her feet. Dressed in a tailored jacket and pencil skirt, she perfectly fit the office.
Elegant, but subdued.
“Ah, Ms. Bellator, welcome,” the manager murmured. The two had met the year before when Sloane had been forced to travel to Vegas with a large amount of cash to pay for the damage done by one of her Master’s outrageous parties.
Most people in Vegas assumed that Tiege was some eccentric European royal who devoted his life to fast cars, fast women and expensive wine.
They weren’t entirely wrong.
They just didn’t know the whole “lethal Incubus” part.
“Has Mr. Furia arrived?” she asked.
The manager gave a dip of her head. “He has.”
“Is he in his suite?”
There was a brief hesitation before the woman managed to pin a smile to her lips. “I believe so.”
Sloane resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Obviously the party had already started. Dammit.
“I presume he’s not alone?” she said in dry tones.
The manager cleared her throat. “I believe he’s hosting a small gathering.”
Better known as a drunken orgy.
“I see.”
“Would you like me to call up and let him know that you’re here?”
Sloane shook her head. “Actually, I prefer to surprise him.”
The woman gave a nod of her head. “Very well.”
Sloane turned toward the door. She needed to speak with Tiege before he became too preoccupied with his…amusements.
“Have my bags taken to my rooms,” she commanded.