When the dealer revealed the fifth card without anyone folding, each vamp was forced to show his cards. Jenner’s flush beat Arys’s three of a kind, and I felt the color drain from my face as Jenner dragged a pile of chips to his side.
“Keep talking, Arys. Keep talking.” Jenner waved over a passing waitress and without a word, bit into her wrist. Not a drop hit the table. He licked the small wound, dragging his tongue over her vein. Then he gifted her with a slap on the ass and sent her on her way.
Arys never missed a beat as the poker game continued. More than once, he made a bet that could seriously compromise his chances of winning without blinking an eye. I, on the other hand, swallowed whiskey by the glass as I tried to drown my growing panic.
For a while, it felt like nothing was happening. Cocky opening bets became small cautious bets and bluffs to feel one another out. The tension was making me ill. Dragging it out like this was growing painful though neither vampire seemed to share my unease. Jez amused herself by silently feigning death by boredom every time someone folded or took a ridiculous amount of time to make a decision. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore either. I walked away from the table with her hot on my heels.
“Holy shit, could those two possibly be more intense?” She briskly rubbed her arms. “They’re totally ruining this trip for us. I knew we should have left your vampire at home.”
“Hey, don’t blame me for this. You’re the one who insisted on coming to Vegas.” My skin prickled as well, flush with goose bumps. Sitting between two powerful vampires in conflict wasn’t easy. “I wish they had just beat the hell out of one another. The waiting is killing me.”
Jez crooked a finger, beckoning to a passing waitress. A devilish smile lit up her face. This city was quickly bringing out the inner monster in all of us. “You know Arys wouldn’t play a game he couldn’t win,” she chided. “Have a little faith in him. His arrogance can be backed up with legit skill.”
“We can’t assume anything. There is always a chance he will lose. Then what? I join them?” I indicated the vampiress showgirls seducing human men with ease on the other side of the building.
With a brow raised in speculative interest, Jez eyed the scantily clad vampires. “I don’t think you’d be so lucky. Jenner’s idea of entertainment seems to involve an audience and theatrics.”
“He can kill me. There’s no way in hell I’m doing that.” My words came out in a hush. I couldn’t bring myself to go down that road right now.
“Think I can buy a lap dance without having to give up any blood?”
I followed Jez’s gaze to the redhead gyrating on a table. Annoyance struck me and I frowned. Then I shrugged it off, feeling like an ass. Jez shouldn’t have to suffer because of vampire business that didn’t involve her. She needed to cut loose and heal after a horrible loss.
“Only one way to find out.” I gave her a playful push. “Go ahead. Have fun and be careful. You know where to find me.”
Taking a little walk around the casino gave me a chance to ready myself to return to the poker table. It also gave me an excuse to call and check in on things back home.
I hit Kale’s number in the contact list and then drifted between slot machines, listening to it ring. An older couple shouted in glee as they won two hundred dollars. A solitary man a few machines down from them swore and punched the air before lighting a cigarette and puffing angrily away. He caught me watching and made a crude penis pulling gesture. Somehow I walked on without stuffing his head up his ass.
“Miss me already?” Kale purred into my ear. “Or just checking to make sure I’m still functioning on a semi-sane level?”
My breath caught, and I had a guilty sense of relief at the sound of his voice. “Maybe a little of both. Is that ok?”
The background noise grew quieter as I awaited his reply. “You’re a masochist, Alexa. How is Vegas treating you so far?”
“Vegas is fabulous. The vampires, however, are a serious pain in the ass.” I leaned against a slot machine and peered across the distance into the poker area. The thought of returning to that table filled me with dread.
Kale laughed, a light sound that was reminiscent of who he used to be. The sarcasm that followed reminded me how greatly he’d changed. “You mean Arys’s vampire family didn’t accept you with open arms? Color me shocked. So, how much trouble are you in?”
He could try all he liked to convince me that his love for me had twisted into something ugly during his time locked up by the FPA, but the fact that he bothered to ask told me otherwise. I allowed myself a small smile.
“I’m not sure yet,” I said with a bitter laugh. “I’ll let you know when the poker game deciding my fate is over.”
“Nothing says love quite like using your lady as a poker bet. Classy. And to think, you could be here instead. With me.”