“Don’t. Even. Twitch,” he said, low and deadly. When Laurel froze, Saber slanted a hard look at Ike. “Do you control her, or do I exterminate her here and now?”
Ike divided his black gaze between Saber and me, his thin lips clamped into a white line. With an audible hiss of breath, he finally spoke to Laurel.
“Go to my office and wait,” he commanded.
Saber hesitated, then eased back, but kept his weapon steady on her heart until Laurel rose and streaked down the hall and up the stairs. Even then, he didn’t relax. He stood guard, weapon trained on the partially open stairwell.
“I will not forget this display of force in my territory,” Ike growled.
“I’m not forgetting it either,” Saber snapped. “One more violation, and you cross Laurel off your roster of nestmates.”
“Laurel may have an unruly temper, but she is correct in her suspicions. The Princess Vampire seeks to take over my nest.”
I unclenched my fists and shook my head at him. “Ike, Ike, Ike. Let me make this perfectly clear. I wouldn’t take your nest or your territory if you handed it to me on a platinum platter.”
“And yet the comic conveys a different message when he calls you those names. Royalness, Highness, Magnificence.”
“Weren’t you paying attention out there? He didn’t just call me those names, he created jokes out of them. He’s mocking his own past as a court jester.”
Ike narrowed his eyes as if weighing the truth of what I said. “He did not seek to plant the idea that my vampires should swear loyalty to you?”
“Hardly. That was part of the act, not a plot.”
“Still, I will not allow him to perform at Hot Blooded again.”
“Allow him?” I laughed. “Ike, Jo-Jo’s booked in Vegas. You won’t be able to afford him again. Now, are we done?”
The connecting door to the club opened then, and Jo-Jo stuck his head in.
“Oh, hey, am I interrupting?”
Ike pursed his lips, but waved Jo-Jo in.
“Vince and his wife are leaving,” Jo-Jo said, eyeing Saber as he holstered his weapon. “Are you ready to go, PC, or do you want to stay awhile?”
“PC?” Ike echoed. “Does that not mean politically correct?”
“Well, yeah, but it’s also short for Princess Ci.”
I rolled my eyes. “Give it a rest, Jo-Jo.”
“Why?” he asked, looking genuinely confused.
“Never mind,” I said as the club door opened again.
This time Donita slipped into the hall. She blinked to see us standing there but recovered quickly when Ike held out his hand to her.
“Do you know where Laurel is?” Donita asked him.
“She is in my office.”
“Oh. Can you send her down? I need you to sign Jo-Jo’s check, and, uh—”
“It would be better if she were not present?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
“It is no matter.”
Ike turned his head toward the stairs, and I knew he sent Laurel the mind message to go to the bar by the front staircase. Scary how I read not only his intention but clearly saw the images he projected without even trying. I so did not want to be in Ike’s head. In a moment, we all heard Laurel’s footsteps above us, a stomping, petulant child. Donita kissed Ike’s cheek. “Thanks. I’ve already written the check and recorded it. You just need to sign it.”
Ike inclined his head. “Jo-Jo, would you care to accompany me to collect your fee?”
I didn’t like Ike’s tone, but Jo-Jo nodded. “Lead on.”
When Ike and Jo-Jo reached the top of the stairs, Donita leaned in close to us.
“Mr. Saber,” she said softly, “could I talk with you for a moment outside? I need to be sure that we’re private.”
Saber arched a brow at me.
“Go on. I’ll see if Jo-Jo left anything in the dressing room.”
I slipped into what looked like a break room for the employees. A few chairs and a worn couch crowded the space, but it seemed clean. A bathroom was to the right, so I peered in there. Jo-Jo didn’t seem to have left anything, but I heard voices through an air vent. From the cadence, one of the voices was Ike’s.
I did what any snoop would do. I turned on my vamp hearing and eavesdropped.
“. . . I will kill you,” Ike said. “Do you understand?”
“I’m poking fun at my life as a vampire, not yours. Why should you care?” Jo-Jo countered. “Besides, I know who the real power is behind you, Ike. If you don’t want to find yourself permanently replaced, back off.”
“You dare to threaten me?” Ike roared.
“I dare. I know what your silent partner is like, and I know who’s been kissing up to him. You’d do well to take care of that nice Donita and leave me, the Princess Francesca, and all those she cares for alone.” Footsteps tracked overhead and a door opened.
“Watch your back, Ike.”
I got a flash of Ike’s fear in my head, and jerked back from the vent to see my own astonished expression reflected in the medicine cabinet mirror.