No amount of pleading, arguing or threatening would sway Arys. I did everything short of throttling him. Jenner’s demand that we leave had only encouraged Arys. Wild horses couldn’t drag him away now.
We started at Caesars, deciding it was a good place to get warmed up. Blackjack barely held Arys’s interest. Neither the buffet of human treats nor the inviting poker tables caught his attention. Whatever had gone on between him and Jenner, it ran deep. I kept hoping for some clue or answer to pop up from the recesses of my subconscious, but my curiosity remained unsatisfied. I had a sneaking suspicion that would soon change.
The Wicked Kiss was closer than I expected. It was just off The Strip, down a side street. It was big, much bigger than my club back home. However, it was smaller than the other buildings in the area, which allowed it to blend in among them. The exterior of the building had a glassy appearance, reflecting back the street before it, ensuring nobody could see inside.
“Wow,” Jez gazed at the vampire club and casino with a mix of awe and intrigue. “This place has got to be at least six times the size of your club, Lex.”
“There’s more. Underground.” Arys led the way to the door. He reached to take my hand, pulling me into step beside him. A united front.
The door opened as we approached. A big, bald vampire who looked like he had never smiled a day in his life greeted us. He stopped us in the lobby, demanding our names. I was itching with curiosity, straining to see past him into the club beyond. The Vegas sounds of slot machines, music and voices spilled out toward us.
Sloane was visible, smiling like she was in a cosmetics commercial for youth serum. She was working the room, chatting up patrons and ensuring the blood and money kept flowing. What a good little hostess she was.
“You’re not on the list,” the doorman grunted. “Can’t let you in without verification from the boss.” He pulled a phone from his pocket and began dialing.
Maybe it was just me but having to phone in our arrival really stole the drama from this whole thing. It was hardly worth the risk. Sloane’s gaze landed on us, and her eyes widened in alarm. She cleared the distance with inhuman speed.
“Arys, Alexa, hello! I’m so glad you decided to grace us with your presence,” Sloane gushed with false enthusiasm that was so good an outsider would never have guessed she was faking it. Taking the phone from the doorman’s hand, she ended the call and shook her head. “No need to bother Jenner. These are my guests.”
She shoved the phone back into his hand and motioned for us to follow her. The skirt of her thigh length white dress hugged her behind as she walked. I couldn’t figure out how it stayed in place without flashing a glimpse of her ass.
Jez’s small gasp echoed my own. It was bigger inside than it had appeared. The luxurious quality of it smacked of cheap illusion yet remained stunning. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling in the center of the room. The carpet was a deep, luscious red, and so firm that, as we walked, our heels did not sink in. A bar lined the full length of the wall to the right. Waitresses in skimpy outfits hurried back and forth with trays laden with drinks.
A stage at the back immediately drew my attention. Half a dozen showgirls danced in lingerie, feathered fans and headpieces popping with bright colors. Vampires, every single one of them. Several male vampires worked the room, dressed to the nines, seducing human women while the ladies on stage brought the men to their knees.
The red carpet wound its way through the casino and past small round tables and a series of private booths in the corners that were not tables at all but small sofa-like beds instead. The essence of sex hung on the air like the place had been built upon it. It rolled over me, a dizzying fog of erotic energy that stole my breath.
“What the hell are you doing here, Arys?” Sloane demanded, her eyes flashing angrily. “You just can’t leave things alone, can you?”
“No, he can’t,” Shaz quipped, though his attention had been captured by our surroundings. “Heaven forbid his manhood be somehow threatened.”
Arys scowled but ignored Shaz’s comment, addressing Sloane instead. “Well, you know me. Naturally, I was curious. I had to see for myself why Jenner is so desperate to get rid of me.”
“No, you can’t be here. Just go.” Placing her hands on Arys’s chest, Sloane gave him a shove. “Hurry up, before he finds out.”
He caught her wrists and pushed her back. “Where is Jenner, Sloane?”
“He’s busy getting ready for a performance. Which is why you should leave now while you still can.” She made as if to grab him again, and he warded her off with a raised hand that crackled with blue sparks.
“Take us to him, or I’ll find him myself.” Arys exuded a deadly calm. He was taking this all the way.