Blonde & Blue (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #4)
Trina M. Lee
Chapter One
I watched them flock to the dance floor with drinks in hand, a sea of bodies crushed together in a swarm of sexual heat and forbidden desire. The majority of the patrons were human, like usual. But, The Wicked Kiss wouldn’t be what it was without the regular turnover of vampire clientele, not to mention whatever else wandered in.
Cymbals crashed as the music came to a crescendo, drawing my gaze to the stage and the burlesque dancers that seduced the crowd. Live entertainment was a relatively new addition to the club, which had recently undergone a bit of a makeover. After killing Harley Kayson, my vampire lover’s sire, and taking over the club, I’d been forced to look around and accept the cold hard fact that I ran a whorehouse for vampires. There was no way to sugar-coat it. Just call me, “Madam.”
Of course, that didn’t mean I had to run a blood whorehouse that looked tacky and cheap. The first chance I got, I made changes, a much-needed therapy. The décor, the entertainment, the security, I’d overhauled everything in my attempt to wipe out any trace of the former owner. To take The Kiss from trashy to classy, hardwood replaced the carpet. A delicious blend of dark colors replaced the garish mix-and-match disaster. Replacing the DJ with a live band and adding the dancers two nights a week had been a key factor in changing the atmosphere of the place. Re-launching The Wicked Kiss had taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears, literally. But, this was worth it, sorta.
“Easy pickings,” Jez observed between sips of her bright pink cocktail. “I can see why this appeals to some vampires. Seems like it would take a lot of the fun out of it, though. No thrill of the hunt.”
I agreed completely. The rush of the hunt was almost better than the kill itself.
Jez and I weren’t vampires. Well, Jez wasn’t. I had more than my share of vampire power, thanks to Arys, but I wasn’t one, at least not until I died. As Weres, a leopard and wolf respectively, Jez and I desired the hunt. While some vampires shared that need, the bloodlust ruled them.
A few people came through the front entry, and I automatically looked up in scrutiny. I thoroughly trusted everyone working security, especially my mate, Shaz. However, a vampire tried to stake me a couple of months back, and I was a little leery of the patrons.
That had been an odd twist. I’d never been as scared as I was with that stake piercing the flesh just over my heart. The vampire had been pretty clear on his intentions. He believed that someone like me shouldn’t exist. I had power that included that of both the wolf and the vampire. It made me more than each of them. Clearly, some people were threatened by that. I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder a little more than I used to.
“So where’s Kale?” Jez sucked the last of her drink through a cocktail straw, making a slurping sound worse than nails on a chalkboard. “Isn’t he usually here, partaking of the goods?”
“Yes, usually. I don’t know where he is. It’s been a few days since I’ve seen him.”
Kale legally owned The Wicked Kiss due to some string pulling on my end. He’d been a regular patron of the club longer than I cared to think about. When I’d killed Harley, I’d arranged for Kale to take over ownership with me as a silent partner.
“Strange. I haven’t seen him lately, either. I wonder what he’s been up to.” Jez mused, suspicion in her eyes.
Thankfully, Kale’s absence didn’t affect The Wicked Kiss too drastically. Like a living, breathing entity, it would continue to operate regardless of who was present.
A flash of platinum blond hair moving through the crowd caught my eye, Shaz; every other man in the building paled in comparison to him. With blue jeans and a black staff t-shirt that showed off his delicious build, he was casual but damn sexy.
“Lex, a vampire that Shawn doesn’t recognize is trying to get in. He seems sketchy. I don’t like him.” Shaz awaited my decision, looking down at me with jade green eyes that sparkled with the wolf within. Just twenty-four, he was still so youthful, but he held wisdom far beyond his years.
“Kale’s not here to check him out. Tell him to come back another time. Let me know if he makes trouble.”
“Yes,” Jez added with a sly smile. “I have a pointy little friend that I’d love to use tonight. It’s been a while.”
Shaz smirked at her. “I hope that means what I think it means.”
“That depends on what you think, I guess.” Jez winked and waved over a passing waitress for another drink.