“Good.” Dax released the shifter and smoothed his shirt. “Now we can get back to business.” He turned back to Branson. “I apologize for my apprentice. He hasn’t quite learned his place in this world yet.”
Branson eyed Leo. “Why should I let you in my club after that outburst?”
Leo stared at the bouncer for a moment then shifted his gaze to Dax.
“He probably wants an apology,” Dax said with an amused half smile.
“Yeah. An apology would be nice. And a twenty. I want to take my girl somewhere nice after work,” Branson said.
“With just a twenty?” Dax scoffed. “What are you gonna do, take her to the park and open up a box or two of wine?”
“Marrok is right,” Branson said with a nod. “Better make it a fifty.”
“Fuck,” Leo said, grimacing.
“Expensive lesson, kid,” Dax said.
“No fucking kidding.” Leo dug in his pocket and came up with thirty-two dollars. He held the bills out to Branson. “It’s all I got. Take it or leave it.”
“I’ll take it.” Branson turned to Dax and grinned. “Thanks, Marrok. Now I can upgrade to something with a cork.”
“Good for you, dude.” Dax glanced over his shoulder. “Come on, Leo. And keep your temper in check. You can’t afford to piss off another vamp.”
Leo shoved his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders, looking every bit like a sullen teenager.
16
Once Dax and Leo passed through the security screening, they paused for a moment, letting their vision adjust to the dark interior. Being that it was a vampire club, there weren’t any windows and the lights were adjusted for a soft glow.
Dax led the way across the room and nodded to the pretty redheaded vampire behind the bar. “Hey, Cassie. How’s it going?”
“Not too bad. But it’s early yet.” She swept her gaze over him, her eyes lingering on his chest before moving lower. She eyed his crotch and licked her lips, purposely trying to torture him. It didn’t work though. It never did. Vampires just weren’t his type. “You’re looking mighty fine today.”
“Thanks.” Dax smiley lazily at her, giving her the reaction he knew she was waiting for. “You’re not looking too bad yourself.”
“It’s the eternal-youth thing,” she said with a wink and turned her attention to Leo. “Now, what do we have here?”
“Cassie, this is Leo. He’s a friend of mine. Leo, this is Cassie. She’s the one who’s really in charge around here. Right, Cassie?”
She chuckled. “That’s right. This place would fall apart without me.” She swept the same seductive gaze over Leo and leaned across the counter, giving him a perfect view of her cleavage. “I’d really like to be in charge of this one for the night. What do you say, Leo? Are you game?”
The younger shifter’s gaze was locked on Cassie’s ample bosom as he shook his head.
“No?” Cassie asked in a mock shy tone as she ran one fingernail lightly down his forearm. “But just think of the things I could teach you. A young pup like you, so full of vigor and energy… Damn, it would be one hell of an evening.”
“Uh…” Leo swallowed thickly. “I um…”
Cassie threw her head back and laughed. “So young. What I wouldn’t do to get my fangs into you, handsome.”
Leo jerked back and shook his head, the seduction haze vanishing instantly. “No, thank you, ma’am. I’m not, um, available.”
Cassie pushed her bottom lip out in a little pout. “That’s too bad, Leo. I was looking for someone to make me purr.”
“I bet you were,” Dax said, rolling his eyes. “Give the kid a break, huh? We’re actually here on business.”
Cassie swept her gaze over Leo one more time and sighed. “Too bad. I like the green ones. They’re easier to train.”
“I’m not green,” Leo said, clearly offended.
“Sure, kid.” She smiled patiently at him. “If you say so.” Then she turned to Dax, her sex kitten demeanor vanishing as she straightened and eyed him with suspicion. “You said you’re here on business?”
“Yeah. I have questions about an incident.”
She rolled her eyes. “Who doesn’t?”
“So you admit that it’s usual for complaints to be filed against the management here?” Leo asked, his self-righteousness on full display.
“Dammit, Leo,” Dax said. “What did I tell you after the shitshow with Branson?”
“I—”
Dax growled. “Shut the fuck up. I’ve got this handled.”
The kid grimaced and took a step back, apparently finally getting the message his arrogant sideshow wasn’t welcome.
Cassie chuckled. “Got him on a short leash, don’t you?”
Dax ignored her question and asked, “Did you know Lacy Wallace? College age, human, claims to have worked here?”
“Lacy? Sure.” Cassie nodded. “Cute blonde. She was very into the vampire lifestyle. Poor thing was so clueless she even wore a vial of blood around her neck. Very Angelina Jolie.”
“She’s enthralled with vampires then? Some sort of vampire worship going on?” Dax pulled out a small notebook and flipped it open.
“Definitely. Girl wants to be a vamp so bad she can taste it. I’m pretty sure that’s the only reason Bella hired her. Most humans who aren’t into it don’t last long here.”
“What does that mean, ‘don’t last long?’” Leo asked.
Dax wasn’t happy his protégé wasn’t obeying orders, but it was a question he was going to ask himself, so he let it slide.
“They can’t handle it and they quit,” Cassie said, placing three shot glasses on the bar. “Vampires have their own code of conduct. We don’t really play by the regular rules of society.” Her lips curved back into that seductive smile. “We’re much less repressed.”
“So she was sexually harassed?” Leo asked.
“She? You mean Lacy?”
Leo nodded. “Yeah, Lacy.”
Cassie laughed and poured amber liquid into each of the shot glasses in front of her. “Boy, please. If anyone was doing the harassing, it was Lacy herself. I told you, she was relentless. She tried everything from flirting and charming, to seducing to get a vamp to turn her ass. It was embarrassing, to be honest. Finally Bella had to fire her because the customers were complaining.”
“Does Bella have documentation?” Dax asked. He believed Cassie. The vampire was a one hundred percent straight shooter. If she or anyone else had been pursuing or harassing Lacy, she would’ve just spit it out. Cassie was telling the truth when she said the vamps at the Red Door weren’t repressed in any way. Sexual innuendo was a way of life for them. None of them ever tried to hide it. And that’s why he fully believed that Lacy had been trying to get herself turned.
“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask her yourself?” Cassie jerked her head, indicating the vampire in question was behind them.
Dax turned and nodded at the gorgeous, dark-skinned vampire. She was striking with her perfect mahogany skin and dark hair so long it nearly reached her ass.
“Dax Marrok,” she said with a genuine smile. “What brings you by this lazy afternoon? I would’ve thought for sure you’d be out with that witch of yours searching for the fae couple.” Her expression darkened and she shook her head. “It’s a real tragedy what happened to them. And Pandora as well. Allcot is just beside himself.”
“Is he here? Have you heard from him?” Dax asked, more out of curiosity about where Phoebe might be rather than the Cryrique leader.
“No, no. I’m sure we won’t see him until he can bring Pandora home.” The vampire’s eyes moistened, and she blinked back real tears. It was a side of her Dax had never seen before. A welcome side. “I don’t know what I’ll do if anything happens to her. She’s like a sister to me.”
Leo’s mouth dropped open, and a look of shock filtered over his face as he stared at the lovely vampire.
“Jesus,” Cassie scoffed. “You’d think the pup had never seen a vamp cry before.”
“I… I guess I haven’t,” Leo said. “I’ve never really spoken to one outside of an altercation.”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “Figures. Don’t you think you’d be better served working off that energy in bed rather than trying to kick some vamp’s ass just because he’s different than you?”