Two women were throwing punches at each other. I had to roll my eyes. What could possibly be worth fighting about here? Shaz cast a glance my way. He seemed reluctant to get involved. With a sigh, I waved a hand in their direction and flung them apart. Jerking my thumb towards the door, I made it clear to Shaz that I’d like them tossed out. I wasn’t in the mood for this crap.
I’d wanted control of the notorious nightclub because it had such a shady reputation. Paranormal creatures and the stupid humans who sought to be close to them filled The Kiss. I’d assumed I could change the place, but really, it was changing me and not in a good way.
Josh was busy behind the bar so I headed back and helped myself. I caught myself looking between the whiskey bottle and a glass, wondering if the glass was worth the bother. The Kiss was going to turn me into a raging drunk in no time. I considered drinking from the bottle but poured the glass a little too full instead.
Time seemed to crawl by as I found an empty table and waited for Arys to return. Despite the hard liquor in my hand, my current reality was very sobering.
I sensed a strange vampire’s approach before he touched me. I sat up a little straighter in my chair, ready for him to reach for me. Without looking behind me, I grabbed his wrist before his hand could fall on my shoulder. My maneuver soon had him flat on his back blinking up at me in shock.
“What the hell do you want?” I glared down at him. The last thing I needed tonight was another vampire who felt he had something to prove.
His face contorted with pain as I twisted his arm. “Just looking for a playmate. Fuck! Let go of me!”
“Are you new or something? I don’t play here. I’m off-limits. All the time.” I released him, ready to kick his ass if he tried anything.
I analyzed his energy and decided he wasn’t a threat, just a ballsy vampire that thought I was on the menu. It didn’t happen so often now that most of them knew me.
“Alright, I got it.” He held his hands up in surrender as he backed away. “A simple ‘no thanks’ would have sufficed, you know.”
With a shrug, I waved him off. I had nothing more to say. I was anxious about what was up with Arys. Sitting still was almost impossible. I was restless. After finishing my drink, I took a slow walk around the inside of the building.
Shaz was in the front lobby with Arys. They were speaking quietly to one another, their heads close together. That set off a red flag for me. Arys caught me watching them. He held up a finger in that universal ‘one moment’ gesture before disappearing outside. I looked expectantly at Shaz, but he revealed nothing.
Now that I was tuned into it, something didn’t feel right. It wasn’t just the strange way Arys was loitering around The Kiss. The atmosphere within the nightclub felt off-balance, as if something were out of place. My senses honed in on that wariness, focusing until I could feel that vibration that didn’t fit in.
I hadn’t noticed it before. The metaphysical mojo in the building amounted to psychic noise. Something about the vibe was familiar, and I needed to pinpoint where or who it was. I followed the sensation.
It grew stronger as I drew closer to the doorway that led to the back rooms. It was probably coming from a vampire blood party that would give me the creeps, but I had to know for sure.
The vibe came from the room that Kale claimed as his own. I recognized Kale’s energy, but it felt residual as if he were no longer present. I didn’t want to acknowledge my suspicions, but I had to see.
Slowly, I approached the door. As I passed other rooms along the way, I shuddered when my senses picked up creepy, vampiric sounds, smells and sensations. A scream rang out, causing me to jump. Thankfully, it dissolved into a series of pleasurable moans.
My senses were on fire. I fought back the intrigue that surfaced within me. I couldn’t allow someone else’s blood- and sex-fest to distract me.
I stared at Kale’s door, knowing he wasn’t in there but certain that something was.
I moved fast, before I could chicken out. Trying the handle, I found it unlocked. I gave the door a shove and watched it swing open while I remained in the hallway. The strange mix of Kale’s high-strung energy and death greeted me with a slap in the face.
The bedside lamp was on, illuminating two bodies sprawled on the bed, a blonde and a brunette. Each was clad in next to nothing, and both had bloodied throats.
They hadn’t been dead long.
My stomach dropped, and I felt sick. Reality crushed the breath from me. Kale had been here recently. And, he was killing again.
Chapter Three
“Don’t look for Kale.” I barely let Jez get a word out. My hand shook as I gripped my cell phone tightly. “If you see him, you might want to be on your guard.”
“What’s going on?”
I leaned heavily against the door-frame of Kale’s room, staring at the corner of the bloodstained sheets. I couldn’t bring myself to look at the faces of Kale’s victims again.
“I’m not sure. All I know is that I’m staring at two dead women in his bed right now. He isn’t here.”
Jez’ voice held a note of fear. “Kale’s been killing? Oh … that’s not good.”