So, he definitely wasn’t an asshole. In fact, he was nicer than she initially believed. She could almost feel her heart melting as he opened the envelope.
Dante removed a white sheet of paper and read the address and sentence neatly printed on it. “It looks like we’re going to Quincy.”
Chapter Ten
Cassidy had no idea what to make of the solid iron door directly across from them. Dante’s chest brushed her arm as he stood close to her. From the second they exited the taxi, he’d stayed within inches of her as his gaze continuously took in their surroundings. He vibrated with tension as he scanned the streets.
This run-down business district of Quincy wasn’t as quiet as she would have expected for a weeknight. Most of the businesses on the street were already closed for the night… or maybe for the decade. Though they were the only ones on this street, groups of people walked past on the cross street a couple of hundred feet away from them.
There were only two dim streetlights on either end of their street, but they did little to illuminate the area. None of the people who passed glanced their way as they rushed home or toward more populated areas where the fun was just getting started.
Here, it looked as if the fun died with King Tut.
“I don’t like this,” Dante said. “I should get you out of here.”
“We’ve come this far, and there hasn’t been anything dangerous yet.”
Still, she couldn’t help feeling apprehensive about what lay beyond the door. Had Opal set them up? Would the door open to reveal a dozen Savages waiting to pounce on them?
Cassidy restrained a shudder. If he believed she was scared, he would take her away, and she refused to let him do this alone. However, for the first time, she was scared by what they might discover.
“Do you know why Opal said there’s only one party in town now?” he asked.
“I’m assuming it’s because of the growing number of Savages and the threat they pose.”
“What threat is that?”
“The Savages have been working for years to grow their numbers by capturing humans and vampires, turning them, and starving them until they turn into Savages. They were quiet for a while, and we believed things might stay that way with only the occasional Savage attack, but last year, they started amping up their game again.”
She’d nearly lost her sister Willow last year because of it. “My sister Willow is a member of the Alliance, and my sister Vicky is mated to a hunter.”
“She’s mated to a hunter?” Clora had told him about hunters. “I thought they were determined to kill us.”
Cassidy gave him a small smile. “They were once, but things have changed.”
“So, they’re on our side now?”
“Some of them.”
“Interesting. And what do you mean by mated? Is that something vampires or hunters do?”
“Vampires have soul mates. When they find the person or vamp they’re meant to spend forever with, they form a bond with them through blood and sex. The bond is unbreakable. If a mate dies, then the remaining vamp either goes crazy or kills themselves. The connection between mates is often instantaneous and eternal.”
Dante’s eyebrows shot up at this revelation, and he glanced at the door. This probably wasn’t the best place to have this conversation, but he was fascinated by everything she was revealing to him.
He studied her more closely as he pondered her words. Was that why he felt so connected to her? He contemplated his intense reaction to her, his jealousy, and the need to keep her protected, but he didn’t know the answer.
It was a question he would figure out with time, but now he had another one. “What is the Alliance?”
“For centuries, hunters and a group of purebred vampires worked to destroy Savages. Except, the hunters didn’t realize there were some good vamps too and killed any vampire they came across. They’ve since learned the truth and banded together with those vampires to fight the Savages.
“Last year, the battle with the Savages started getting crazy again after it was relatively calm for four years. However, things have remained relatively quiet in Boston for the past five years. There’s been an occasional attack, and we’ve seen some Savages around, but I’ve never seen any of the demons they’re working with. I’m sure the Savages are going to start getting a lot more active again.”
And probably soon, she thought. As much as she loved the city, she didn’t know how much longer she could stay here. Unlike Willow, she wasn’t a fighter. The idea of killing made her blood run cold. She loved living her dream and wasn’t ready to return home, but it was only a matter of time before the Savages returned in full force to Boston.
Julian had started working with the Alliance doing computer stuff. He tried to explain what he was doing to her, but she felt her eyes glaze over as he talked. Kyle once mentioned joining the Alliance, but he hadn’t fully matured yet. She hoped when that time came, he didn’t join them; she already had two sisters on the front lines, she preferred her twin wasn’t there too.
“The demons they’re working with?” Dante asked. “What demons?”
“The ones who started the vampire and hunter lines, or at least I’m assuming they’re the same one. Who knows? They could be different ones. It’s been a few weeks since I talked to Willow and Vicky, but if they know the answer to that, I’m not sure they would tell me since I’m not a member of the Alliance. They live somewhere outside the city; I’m not sure where. That’s a secret, but I think it's nearby. Still, we barely see them.”
That was an understatement. The last time she got the chance to talk to Willow, the conversation lasted two minutes before her sister had to help her mate Declan with something. She managed to get together with Vicky and her nephew Wyatt for lunch last month, but it was super short, and she’d only had a couple of brief conversations with Vicky since then.
“So that is probably why Opal is only having one party at a time now. A large group of vampires and humans gathered in one place would be a prime target for Savages if they ever learned its location,” Cassidy said. “Opal is probably trying to keep that from happening by lessening the number of parties and moving it more often.”
Dante’s nostrils flared as he gazed from her to the door and back again. He had to get her out of here. “We’re leaving.”
“No,” she said. “If Opal shut down most of her parties, then she’s aware of the problem with the Savages and trying to keep her patrons safe. I’m sure they have security measures in place. Besides, we’ve come this far, and we’re not turning back now.”
“I never would have brought you here if I’d known about that.”
“Savages are a problem everywhere. It’s impossible to stay hidden from them.”
“But you can mitigate the amount of risk you put yourself in by leaving here.”
Cassidy folded her arms over her chest as she stared at him. “I already have two older brothers trying to keep me locked in a cage in this city; I don’t need someone else doing it too, so please stop.”
“Two older brothers?”
“Kyle and Julian. The other vamp who comes into the bar with his mate, Aida, is my brother Julian. He entered before you left last night.”
Now that vamp’s animosity toward him made a lot more sense, as did his ease with entering the bar and being around Kyle and Cassidy. “How many brothers do you have?”
“Five. And I have four sisters.”
“Damn. Are there any more of them in the city?”
Cassidy grinned at him. “No, but they do visit on occasion.”
When Dante ran a hand through his hair, Cassidy used his distraction to bang on the door.
“What are you doing?” Dante hissed.
A little bolt of electricity ran down her arm when he gripped her wrist to pull her hand away from the door. Despite her annoyance over him thinking she was some fragile thing, she couldn’t stop her body’s reaction to him.
Dante inadvertently drew her c
loser as he pulled her back a step. Her scent and warmth enveloped him as he drew her against his side. A metal slat in the door slid open, and a set of brown eyes peered out at them.
Cassidy bit her lip to keep from laughing as the man behind the door brought to mind the man standing guard at the gate to the Emerald City. She half expected this guy to start shouting at them, “Who rang that bell?”
Instead, he demanded in a gruff voice that held the faintest hint of a New York accent, “What?”
Dante edged forward until he stood protectively in front of Cassidy. He recalled the words below the address on the paper. “Opal said it was time for tea.”
He felt like an idiot saying the words, or more like a little kid playing spy, but the man grunted and closed the small window. Dante didn’t want Cassidy anywhere near this place, but it was too late to take her from here now.
The second the door swung open, Cassidy prepared herself for the stench of rot, but the only scents wafting out were those of liquor, blood, and sex. She wasn’t used to those last two scents from Addy’s, but she had a feeling they were normal for these places.
She wasn’t exactly eager to learn what lay on the other side of the door, but Cassidy kept her discomfort to herself. If Dante sensed her dread over stepping inside, he’d take her away, and she would not let a little uneasiness get in her way of helping with this. She’d spent most of her life sheltered and was tired of it. Even if they walked into a giant orgy, she would help him bring Julie home.
“I don’t smell any Savages,” she whispered to Dante.
“Would you be able to smell them out here?”
“Yes. It’s a stench you don’t forget, and you can’t miss it.”
“Are you coming in or not?” the man behind the door demanded gruffly.
“We’re coming,” Cassidy said.
Her eyes widened on the man behind the door. He did not resemble the guard at the gate of Emerald City. The massive man’s shoulders were broad as a bull’s, and his hands could crush a basketball. He removed a cloth from his pocket to wipe away the sweat beading across his forehead and causing his brown skin to glisten.
Cassidy’s breath sucked in as they fully entered the building and the heat of the packed room hit her like a punch to the gut. It was at least twenty degrees warmer inside the building than outside. No wonder the bouncer was sweating; she was considering removing her jacket and shirt. He was only a couple of inches taller, but the bouncer had a good hundred pounds on her.
She almost removed her jacket before recalling the stakes inside the pockets. She couldn’t have one fall out or be unable to get it if there was a problem. Nope, she had to suck up the fact she’d stepped into a sauna.
A sauna that was nothing like what she expected to discover here. She’d expected the place to be so dark only a vampire could see their way through it. She’d anticipated a haunted house setting with coffins in the corners, blood on the tables, and maybe an orgy in the back.
And though she wouldn’t be surprised to discover back rooms with orgies taking place, she was shocked to discover that shadows didn’t enshroud the building, blood wasn’t flowing everywhere, and no coffins were used as furniture. There were no windows.
Instead, the dimly lit room was no darker than Addy’s. In the center of the room was a cleared space. People and vamps packed the open dance space as the music flowed from the speakers in the corners.
While a lot of it didn’t seem hastily assembled, some of it did as the speakers were plugged into surge protectors whose cords ran across the floor to outlets in the wall. The bar was little more than plywood on top of concrete blocks with shelves full of liquor and blood. There were no taps, and she would bet the beer came from coolers stashed behind the bar.
Probably due to a vampire’s sensitive hearing, the music was quieter than it would be in a human club, but the bass still vibrated the glasses on the tables and booths set up throughout the cavernous room. Red candles, set in red glass jars, flickered on the tables. There weren’t any flashing lights, but vampires wouldn’t want them.
Inside, the smell of blood was more potent, and when she inspected a few of the glasses some of the vampire patrons were sipping, she saw they held red liquid. Her gaze went to the glass jugs set up behind the bar, and her stomach rumbled in response. She fed two days ago, but the scent of all the blood in this place was pricking her hunger.
About half the occupants were vamps and the other half humans. She didn’t know if any of the humans had been here before, but she doubted they would remember the events of this night. She hated that they were using them in such a way, but she suspected many of them came here willingly. However, she doubted any of them had truly believed in vampires.
Because of that, they were now dinner. Goose bumps broke out on her skin. She glanced over at Dante, who studied the room with cool detachment. Annoyingly, he didn’t seem as affected by the heat, despite still wearing his leather jacket. She was starting to feel like a wilting flower, and he didn’t have a drop of sweat on him.
“Do you want to leave?” he asked.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, it’s just—” She glanced around the room. “—it’s all so weird.”
Dante couldn’t help but agree. This was not something he would enjoy, but these humans put themselves here, and who was he to knock how others survived? At least these were willing victims and the vamps weren’t killing them.
“Where do we start?” Cassidy asked.
“The bartenders. Bartenders always know everything.”
Dante realized he was still holding her wrist, but he couldn’t bring himself to release it, especially not when there were already men turning to look at her. Instead, he drew her closer and his hand clasped hers.
He waited for her to release his hand, but her fingers entwined in his, and the little squeeze she gave it made his heart soar. After drawing her closer, they made their way through the patrons and toward the bar. He searched the crowd as they walked, but he didn’t see Julie anywhere.
When men and a few women turned to look at her, he shot them warning looks that caused most of them to turn away. However, a few braver and stupid souls didn’t bother.
Dante ground his teeth as he resisted punching one of the men in the face. Getting into a fight in here would only put her in danger, but the blood and his growing jealousy were causing the vampire part of him to be more on edge than ever before. Never had he contemplated killing someone because they couldn’t keep their eyes to themselves, but he’d gladly tear the throats out of more than a few vamps in this place.
Chapter Eleven
“What can I get you?” a pretty vamp with spiked blue hair inquired when they stepped up to the bar. They were the only customers at the bar as the rest of the crowd utilized the waiters and waitresses gliding through the tables.
Dante reluctantly released Cassidy’s hand, and she rested them on the bar as he turned to survey the crowd. No one was paying attention to them anymore as they focused on their prey for the night.
“What do you have?” Cassidy asked as she eyed the jugs of blood lining the wood-paneled wall.
“We have every blood type,” the woman said.
“But they all taste the same.”
“But AB is more difficult to come by.” When Cassidy continued to stare at her, the woman shrugged. “It’s a status thing. Do you want something or not?”
Though she was hungry, Cassidy couldn’t stomach the idea of standing here and sipping blood. “I’m good.”
“What about you, handsome?” the woman asked as she shifted her attention to Dante.
Cassidy buried her impulse to slap the woman. She was standing right here, and the woman was flirting with him like she didn’t exist.
“I’ll take a whiskey on the rocks,” he said.
“You got it,” the woman replied and walked away.
While she was gone, Dante pulled out Julie’s picture. Placing
it on the bar, he surveyed the crowd. Just because he didn’t see her here didn’t mean she wasn’t somewhere in this place.
From this angle, he could see two hallways on the other side of the room. He wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea of taking Cassidy down one of them, but he couldn’t leave here without investigating them.
When the bartender returned, he pushed the picture and twenty dollars toward her as she set his drink on the plywood. “Have you seen this girl? She’s human.”
The woman’s eyes flicked from him to the picture and back again. “Why are you looking for her?”
“Her mother has asked me to help find her.”
“And you are?”
“A friend of the family.”
The woman snorted and pushed the picture back toward him. “I haven’t seen her.”
Dante had been around enough criminals to know when someone was lying to him, and she was lying. Stepping closer to Cassidy, he rested his hand protectively on her waist while he pushed the picture back toward the woman.
“Take another look,” he said. “This girl needs help.”
The bartender held his gaze for a minute before her eyes returned to the picture. Her face remained distant as she studied Julie’s face.
“She’s only sixteen,” Cassidy said. “I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t the best decision-maker back then.”
The bartender’s mouth quirked in a smile. “I’m still not the best decision-maker.”
“But your choices didn’t get you killed.”
The bartender glanced at her. “They got me here.”
“You’re alive.”
The bartender held her gaze before looking at the photo again. Her features softened, and Cassidy held her breath as the woman pushed the picture back to Dante. Then her no-nonsense attitude returned.
“This is a place of anonymity,” she said in a clipped tone. “Our patrons come here because they expect their identities to remain secret.”
“I understand,” Dante said.
Relentless (Vampire Awakenings Book 11) Page 6