Sunset to Sunrise (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7.5)

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The party hadn’t stopped while I’d been locked away inside my room. When I emerged after sundown freshly showered in clean clothes, I found the club to be exactly the way I had left it. Vampires and victims littered the place. Clothing lay scattered about. I could barely take ten steps without stepping on somebody’s undergarments. Blood scented the air. The doors were not yet open to the public, which was a good thing considering my doormen were happily partaking in the blood orgy madness.

This wasn’t good. Eventually the FPA would discover what was going on here. If they shut the place down, I’d never hear the end of it.

“Justin.” I tapped the big guy on the shoulder, interrupting his enjoyment of two blondes that appeared to be twins. “Everyone needs to be cleared out. I want the place empty before we open. These people need to go home.”

He looked up with a malicious glint in his dark eyes. It took him a moment to focus on me there. Blood dripped from his mouth, and he licked it away with a grin.

“The boss lady isn’t back already, is she?” He asked.

“No. But she will be eventually. As much as I enjoy the club with a little extra entertainment, it’s going to land my ass in hot water. It’s got to stop.”

Justin didn’t look happy about it, but he nodded in agreement. “Just let me finish up here, and I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you. I’ll be in and out tonight. I have something to take care of.” I turned to go but paused, adding as an afterthought, “Don’t let anyone from the FPA in here tonight. Not even Alexa’s sister.”

I lingered to ensure things were getting done. The staff did a great job cleaning up empty glasses and bottles, mopping up and generally making the place look as close to normal as it ever did. Now if we could just keep it that way…

Phillip got my attention the minute he strode in through the backdoor. If he was here, that meant the rest of his band of merry men and women were without their fearless leader. Sitting ducks. I didn’t wait around to see if he stayed. Alexa wouldn’t be gone long. A week at best, though I didn’t find that likely. I needed to take care of this before she returned.

As I made my way across the parking lot to my car, a woman I didn’t recognize called my name from her place in the lineup waiting to get in. I gave a slight nod before getting in the car and slamming the door. Revving the engine, I tore out of the lot before she could pursue me.

Being a hell of a good lover earned me many female admirers. I wasn’t one to boast—the ladies did more than enough of that for me—however, throughout the years I had earned a reputation among them. At least, I had among the ones who had left my bed alive. It wasn’t all that flattering really. Having women throw themselves at me had at one time been an exciting stroke of the ego. Now it was tedious and shallow. They viewed me much the way I viewed them, as a fun means to an end. There was no risk of that when I killed.

I headed for the Clover Bar Cemetery. Dialing Rebecca’s number, I tapped a finger impatiently on the steering wheel. It would come as no surprise if she avoided my call or told me to fuck off. She was the easiest way to find out where the rebel group might be.

No answer. Just as I thought. I knew her regular haunts. I could track her down.

It was early yet. I expected the cemetery to be unoccupied, but it wasn’t. About a third of the vampires from the previous night were gathered. Easy enough.

A body lay on the ground. It appeared to be one of the local homeless. It didn’t matter much to me either way, but I knew a kill like that would piss off Alexa. She didn’t believe in hunting the helpless. I hoped that when she became one of us, that part of her would never change.

“What are you doing here?” Rebecca sneered at my arrival. “You think you can call me after all this time and pretend we’re old friends so you can get in on our action? Take a hike, Kale. You’re not welcome here.”

I shut her up with a flash of power that knocked her back several feet. She went down, grasping her chest. Without waiting for a reaction, I turned on the rest.

Pulling a stake from the inside pocket of my jacket, I plunged it into the heart of the vampire daring enough to take a run at me. In quick succession, I took out the rest until only Rebecca remained.

Standing over her, I stared down into her frightened eyes. “Tell the others that the plan is off. There will be no assassination attempt on Arys Knight.”