by Jill Myles
I ignored the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. Uriel had seemed so nice, almost cuddly. “But he said he just wanted me to check things out. That’s all.” It sounded pretty lame even to my ears, and I sighed. “Maybe you’re wrong. Maybe they don’t do these kinds of things.”
“Are you kidding?” She stared at me in amazement. “I’ve known several succubi that have had their existence ended because of angel interference. And I’m pretty sure none of them went upstairs, despite all the gun-running they did for their angel pals.” Remy hauled me back up the staircase behind her. “Face it, kid. When it comes to the major leagues, the best thing you can do is stick to the minors and keep your nose clean.”
“Got it,” I replied meekly, allowing her to drag me into my room. “What are we doing?”
She headed straight for my closet and thrust the doors open. “Dressing you for the part. If you’re going to go ‘hang out with a few vampires,’ you’ll need to dress in something sexier than a sweater set.”
I sat down on the edge of my bed, watching her. “Um, I don’t think I want to go anymore, if that’s all right.”
Remy shook her head. “I’m afraid you don’t have a choice. You gave that up the moment you let that angel put his lips on you.”
I scowled. “Well, don’t pick out something superslutty. If I’m going by myself, I want to at least be comfortable and somewhat normal seeming.”
She tossed a glittery red corset top at me. “You’ll wear what I give you, and who says I’ll let you go in alone?”
My eyes widened. “But I thought you don’t like hanging out with vampires. You have them warded and stuff.”
She shrugged and pulled a hanger out of my closet. “Doesn’t mean that I’ll let you walk into the lions’ den alone. Oh ew, why’d we buy these pants?” Remy tossed them to the floor. “Where are the leather skirts? We need something short and tight.”
“Back of the closet,” I said. “And thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Thank me when we’re done,” she pronounced. “Now, let’s get you all slutted up for the vamps. They like their women with a lot of skin showing. Lucky for you, we’ve got some mighty fine choices here. How do you feel about cutoffs?”
“I think I feel sick,” I mumbled.
CHAPTER TWELVE
A short time later, I was fiddling with the knobs of the A/C in Remy’s BMW and scowled at her. “I can’t believe we’re going out dressed like this.”
“Believe it, girlfriend. What’s wrong with what you’re wearing? You look like a woman out to get a man, which is precisely our goal.”
“I look like a streetwalker.”
“Well, as long as you don’t look like a librarian.”
I was pretty sure that was a jab at my museum job, but I decided to take the high road and say nothing. I didn’t want Remy to bail on me and leave me heading to the vampire club alone.
Remy sped down the expressway, bobbing her head in time to an old Duran Duran song. It was blissfully quiet for all of two minutes. Then she glanced over at me. “You weren’t going to snag anyone’s attention in your old getup.”
She just couldn’t let it drop, could she? I didn’t care if she was right or not. I slouched lower in my seat, staring out the window. “Whatever.” I tugged at the hem of my skirt as she crossed three lanes and exited. The corset wasn’t so bad, but the skirt was really bugging me. “I think you can see my underwear when I sit down in this thing.”
“You’re wearing underwear? Who told you to do that?”
I smacked her arm. “Very funny.”
“Hey,” she protested. “Trying to turn into the parking lot here.” She pointed at the long trail of cars streaming outside what looked to be a busy nightclub. There was a line outside the door that wrapped around the building, and I could hear the thumping bass from inside the car with the windows rolled up.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I’m not much of a club goer, and the thought of having to do some Scooby-Doo-style sleuthing in a club full of vampires scared the crap out of me.
“No, this is a terrible idea.” Remy screeched to a halt in front of the valet parking. “But you started it, so we need to finish it.”
“Great,” I said, getting out of the car. “Next time I try to do the right thing, smack me in the head, will you?”
“I can do that.” Remy grinned and slammed her door shut. She held the keys aloft and jiggled them to the waiting parking attendants. “Who wants to take extraspecial care of my car for me?”
I watched in amazement as three guys leapt to take the keys from her. Remy smiled wickedly and held them out to a thin, slightly nerdish man with thick glasses. He gave her an adoring look. “We’ll take great care of it, Miss Summore.”
Either Remy was more famous than I thought, or she was on a familiar basis with the club employees. It bugged me either way. I trotted up to her and grabbed her arm. “I thought you said you didn’t associate with vampires?”
“I try not to, but it still happens.” She gave a tiny shrug. “Hazard of the business. It’s not working with them that’s a problem. It’s the whole ‘double-agent’ thing you’re trying to pull.” She put her hand through the crook of my arm and strolled to the door, past the line of people waiting to get in. “Now, do me a favor and keep quiet while we’re in here. Let me do the talking, all right?”
“Got it.” I glanced back at the line and wondered how long they’d been waiting. If I had been in that line and someone pushed to the front, I’d have raised hell. As it was, the women shot us dirty looks, but the men … well, they didn’t seem to mind at all. I caught one checking out my ass in my short skirt and I gave it another tug with my free hand, positive that my thong was showing under the hem.
The bouncer was a giant of a man, his shaven head covered in complex barbed-wire tattoos. Earrings studded his ear all the way up; he wore an old Metallica T-shirt and the biggest pair of boots this side of Kentucky. He was easily a foot taller than me, and I was no shrimp at 5 foot 7.
He also lit up like a Christmas tree as soon as he set eyes on Remy. “Miss Summore,” he said, awed. “What an unexpected treat. How are you?”
Remy walked up to the giant and patted him on the cheek. “Couldn’t be better, Dingo. It’s sweet of you to ask about me.” She flashed him her best sultry gaze, laying the charm on thick.
Dingo unchained the velvet rope blocking off the door and blushed crimson. “I could never forget you, Miss Summore. Do come in.”
“Cover charge?” She tilted her head and looked at him expectantly.
“None for you. Never for you.” His voice was openly worshipful. “Stamp?” He held up a stamp pad.
Remy nodded. “Tonight’s one of those nights, I think. Stamp me and my friend here.” She gestured to me.
I seemed to register on Dingo’s radar for the first time, and his gaze darkened. “Miss Remy, she’s not on the list. I can’t stamp her without approv-”
“Dingo, darling,” Remy chided. “She’s an out-of-towner and a close friend of you-know-who’s. Be a dear and let her in. I assure you, everything will be fine.” She placed her hand on his arm in entreaty. “She’s a good friend of mine. Isn’t she pretty?”
I supposed that was my cue to turn on the charm. I smiled, thinking I probably looked more like a deer in headlights than a seductive babe. “Hi, Dingo,” I squeaked. “I hate to impose-”
My words cut off in a yelp as Remy’s heel stomped down on the toe of my shoe. Okay, bad route to go. I could see Dingo’s eyes darkening even more, and he was starting to look like a rabid dog. A really huge one. I changed tactics. “I promise I won’t leave Remy’s side all night. Though I wouldn’t mind getting to know you better, if you had a few minutes for me.” I winked, laying it on thick, too.
Both Remy and Dingo looked at me in surprise, and I wondered if I’d said something wrong.
“Any friend of Miss Summore’s is a friend of mine,” Dingo said at last, unable
to take his eyes off me. I was a little unnerved at that. Yeah, I’d probably gone and said the wrong thing again. I held out my hand for the stamp and tried to look confident.
The stamper pressed against the back of both of our hands, but nothing showed up on my skin when I looked at it. Remy winked at Dingo and wiggled her fingers at him. “See you later, darling, and thank you.”
He nodded and bowed. “Of course, Miss Remy. You and your lovely friend have a good evening, and come out and see Dingo if you get bored.” Lust-filled eyes followed me in the club.
I tugged at my skirt hem again as I followed Remy through the double doors and into the antechamber where coats were checked and people came out to lounge. Another bouncer stood at the door before us, and the music was even louder.
As soon as the door behind us slammed shut, I leaned in to Remy. “What did I say back there?”
She burst into laughter. “Usually when a girl offers to spend some solo time with a bouncer, it’s a blowjob to get into the club.”
My eyes nearly bugged out of my face.
“Midnight’s a very exclusive club.” She giggled. “And since you’re already in the door, he must assume that you really like him.”
I resisted the urge to punch her. “You should have told me. And what’s with the name Dingo, anyway?”
She shrugged. “I never bothered to ask. Some things you just don’t want to know.”
Amen to that.
Remy led me past the second bouncer without stopping and then we were enveloped in the smoky, throbbing atmosphere of the club. Her hand grasped mine and she leaned in to shout in my ear, “Stick close to me. We’re not staying in here.”
“Sounds good to me.” I had always found clubs obnoxious and overly boisterous, and Midnight was no exception. Tables were crammed into every dark corner of the room; the outskirts of the dance floor were cluttered with chairs and people drinking and talking. The dance floor was lit up with a multitude of colored lights, and bodies pulsed and writhed before the DJ booth, pressed against each other in a frenzied crush. The scent of sweat in the air touched my nostrils, and as I watched moist skin pressed against skin, I felt the kiss on my forehead flare.
Remy headed straight for the bar, which suited me just fine since I could use a drink or three, and dragged me to the last two bar stools. Two men sat in the seats already, but that didn’t deter her in the slightest. She leaned in and tapped the man closest to her on the shoulder. “Excuse me.”
The man turned, an ugly look on his face as if he was about to tear whoever it was behind him a new one for disturbing him. His expression changed the moment he laid eyes on Remy, clad in her leather bodysuit, her silky black hair tied into a waist-length ponytail. “Hey, gorgeous,” he breathed. “What can I do you for?”
She rewarded him with a catlike smile. “You and your friend can give us your seats at the bar. We’ll talk about … favors … later.”
His eyes slid over to me and bugged out. I’m sure we were quite a sight-two super babes slumming in a trashy bar, dressed like we were on the prowl. His gaze looked me up and down and then focused on my boobs, most likely due to the fact that the corset hiked them up to my chin. “Your friend is nice,” he said to Remy, unable to look beyond my torso.
“Her friend has a face,” I snapped.
Remy squeezed my hand painfully, reminding me that we were supposed to infiltrate the crowd. I forced a tight smile and managed a strangled “Cutie” at the end of my sentence.
By now we had his friend’s interest, and he was as scary as the first guy. Both looked like they could bench press a bus.
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Remy?” I leaned close so the men couldn’t hear our conversation. “I mean, they could be serial killers looking to pick up their newest victims. Or what if they’re rapists? They could tackle us, drag us into an alley, and have their way with us, and you’re flirting with them!”
Remy eyed the two men in a decidedly lascivious fashion. “It might suck, but it wouldn’t be rape. You’d be willing after about one second.”
I gasped, affronted. “Oh my God! You are such a bitch someti-”
She grabbed my face and planted her lips onto mine.
I heard the men around us suck in their breaths moments before my hormones kicked into overtime.
It was weird, having a woman kiss me. I mean, Remy was a great kisser, but the entire thing was just … odd compared to a guy. Her lips were soft, her kiss more delicate than other ones I received. I could feel the Itch starting to blast through my body. My forehead blazed for a moment with a painfully bright flare, and then just like that, the Itch disappeared.
Pleased beyond words with that result, I was still speechless when Remy broke off the kiss and smiled to the two men. “So, what do you say? Can we have the seats or not?”
I’ve never seen men stumble out of their chairs so fast. One bar stool was knocked over in their haste and quickly straightened again.
Remy smiled at the two men, looking pleased as could be. “Thanks, boys.” She put her hand around my waist and steered me toward the chair.
I sat, my forehead still throbbing. “What did you do that for?” I scowled and tugged at my skirt.
“For starters, it got the desired result, didn’t it?” Remy looked unconcerned as she flagged down the bartender. “And it shut you up, which was an added bonus.”
“You’re a sick woman, you know that?”
“What’s the old saying? Takes one to know one?”
She had me there. I decided to change the subject. “So aren’t we supposed to be finding some vampires around here?”
Remy shot me a look that could kill. “Don’t make me kiss you again.”
I clamped my jaw shut and crossed my arms over my chest, doing my best to ignore the two creeps loitering behind us, waiting for either me or Remy to turn around.
The bartender came over, his face getting the same glazed look on it the moment he laid eyes on her. I’ll say one thing for being a succubus: sex will get you everywhere.
“What can I get for you, miss?” He shot a look at me as well, his eyes resting on-you guessed it-my cleavage.
I sighed. I’d never thought the day would come when I hoped for a guy who didn’t think I was sexy.
“A Bloody Mary for myself and my friend here.” Remy smiled at the bartender and placed her hand on my arm.
Ugh. “Remy, I hate tomato juice-”
She gave me another dirty look. “Two Bloody Marys.”
The bartender asked, “Got a stamp?”
Remy held the back of her hand out to him. “Of course.”
To my surprise, he took her hand in his own and sniffed her skin gently, then released it. I wondered what they’d stamped us with. It seemed that I’d almost fucked up the super-secret code, but how was I supposed to know? I held my hand out as well. “Me, too.”
He gave my hand a sniff, then nodded. “Be right back.” The bartender walked to the far end of the bar, motioning over another bouncer and talking to him.
Remy turned in her bar stool and faced me. “You really suck at hints, you know that? Do me a favor and keep your mouth shut for five minutes, all right?”
Feeling rather sulky, I made a face at her. “Fine. I won’t say anything at all.”
Relief splashed across her face. “Perfect.”
Oh, I was so going back to my apartment after this.
The bartender returned after a moment and placed two drinks before us. “As requested, your drinks.” He cast a meaningful look at Remy, then walked away.
That was weird. I picked up my drink and sniffed it. It smelled like tomato juice. I hoped I wasn’t supposed to drink it as part of the signal.
Behind me, someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around just as a large hand clamped over my bare shoulder. It was yet another bouncer, if the black T-shirt and huge arms were any indication. He had a unibrow that would have made a mobster jealous and shoulders that you could probably build a
house on. “Come with me, ladies.”
This whole process was starting to scare me. I gave Remy an uncertain look so she would know how nervous I was. She looked as cool as a cucumber.
“Of course,” she said, and downed her drink in one long gulp. I heard a collective intake of breath behind her from the men.
I took her lead and choked mine down as well, gagging on the taste. “Ready here.”
The bouncer escorted us through the crowd to the far end of the bar, where a door marked “Emergency Exit” was covered in bathroom graffiti. “Through here.”
Since I’d been pushed to the front of our little pack, I opened the door and stepped into darkness.
I heard the door slam behind me, and the sound of the music was immediately muffled into a low throbbing. I felt Remy move next to me and I reached for her hand. She gave my fingers a reassuring squeeze and didn’t move, so I stood still as well, my heart hammering in my throat.
A tiny flame lit up the room, and the end of a cigarette flared into life, bright orange in the choking darkness. “What brings you two ladies to Midnight?”
The voice was masculine, with an inflection that I couldn’t put a name to. Urbane and smooth, it rolled across the darkness, and I felt the angel mark flare on my forehead again. Jeezus, he must have a really nice voice.
“We’re interior decorators, looking for a few good contacts, and we were told this was the place to come.” Remy’s voice slid through the darkness.
“Sure you are, Remy,” he said, his voice marginally closer than before. I heard the sound of a long pull on the cigarette and boots thumping on the floor as he walked. “Who’s your friend?”
“Her name is Jackie.”
“She doesn’t have a tongue in her mouth?” The man’s voice sounded amused. “That must be how she’s managed to stay friends with you for so long.”