“Vegas.”
“Las Vegas?” Aiden blurted.
“No, Donkey Vegas,” Brian retorted. “How many Vegas’s do you know?”
Aiden glowered at him and flipped him the finger before folding his arms over his chest. Paige fought a smile, not only did their exchange amuse her, but Brian’s words had also brought to mind Donkey Kong. Now all she could picture was a gorilla throwing barrels down a Vegas street.
“So it sounds like we’re going to Vegas then,” Ian said.
“Vegas it is,” she agreed. She turned her attention back to Brian. “I don’t know what you did to locate him, but whatever it was, is it the same way my father keeps finding me?”
“Not likely. There are few in this world who can do what I can.”
Ian lifted an eyebrow when Brian finally confirmed there was something different about him. “And what exactly is that?” he asked.
Brian flashed a smile as he shook his head. “That’s for me to know, not you.”
“Why didn’t you use it to find Tristan, when we were in Bermuda?” Ethan inquired.
“It was an island and we already knew he was there,” Brian drawled.
Ian shook his head, Ethan released a frustrated grunt, but no one tried to learn more, not even Ronan. “How does he keep finding me then?” Paige inquired.
“I know I lost him in those woods,” Ian said.
“I have no doubt you did,” Ronan replied to him before focusing on Paige. “He’s your father, there was already a bond there, maybe not a strong one, but it exists. He has fed from you more than once?” Ronan continued speaking when Paige’s hand fluttered to her scars and she nodded. “He has your scent then. Ian may have lost him in the woods, but he will have had an easier time finding your scent again than someone who hadn’t had as much interaction with you.”
“So he will find me again,” she said flatly.
“It could be tomorrow, decades or centuries, but he will most likely find you again if that is what he wants.”
Paige shuddered beside him, her hand wrapped around his arm. “We have to find him.”
“We do,” Ian confirmed.
* * *
She almost regretted agreeing to this when they arrived in the city. The bright lights blazed against her eyes, blinding her and making her head pound. It was night, but apparently she now had to wear her sunglasses at night. People would think either she had a massive hangover, was a complete d-bag, or just really liked the eighties song her mom used to play all the time. Either way, she was thankful for the thick, black sunglasses covering her eyes that Ian had purchased for her. Ian’s fingers brushed against hers on the seat, helping to soothe some of the tension mounting in her.
Beside her, Aiden rolled down the window, leaned out and inhaled deeply. His midnight hair blew back from his face as he let out a whoop of pleasure. Ducking back in, he turned to grin at her and Ian. A devilish light shone in his eyes as he shook back his tussled hair. “It smells like sin.”
“And what does sin smell like?” Ian inquired as he drove down the crowded streets.
“Oh, you know what sin smells like,” Aiden replied with a waggle of his eyebrows.
Ian glowered at him, Paige’s smile slipped away as jealousy burst forth in her. The force of it robbed her of her breath, for a brief moment red marred her vision as she glared back and forth between the brothers. Aiden’s eyes widened; he leaned away from her and became intently focused on the passing scenery once more. Ian plastered an innocent smile on his face and draped his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her against his side to kiss her temple.
“Ignore him, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” he whispered in her ear. His mind opened up to her, bathing her in love.
She knew how much he cared for her, but she still struggled to shake off the jealousy clawing at her. Taking a shuddery breath, she tried to relax against him, but her heightened vampire emotions were making it extremely difficult, if not impossible for her to do so. Her fangs tingled; Ian’s jaw looked extremely tempting to punch right now.
The only thing holding her back was how unreasonable the urge was. He’d done nothing wrong. She already knew about his past, but where it had caused the green eyed monster to only rear its head before, now it caused the whole damn monster to burst out of her like the scene from Alien. She could actually feel it eating at her belly.
Her teeth ground together; Ian pulled her closer when she began to shake. She uncurled her fingers and dug them into her thighs. “Easy,” he murmured.
Taking a deep breath, Paige forced herself to focus on the comforting heat and scent of him in an attempt to calm herself. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she whispered.
“You’re a new vampire, your emotions are enhanced. It’s going to take you some time to get used to them.”
“I know.” She couldn’t shake the rattling her system had taken. “Maybe I shouldn’t be around so many people.”
“You’ll do fine. We’ll keep you away from crowds…”
“In Vegas?” she blurted.
“We can turn back,” he offered, torn between if he wanted her to say yes or no. It wouldn’t end if they left now; he knew that. As soon as she felt secure enough, she would return to hunting for her father, and right now they had the upper hand. He had no idea how many vamps her father was traveling with, but he knew none of them were as powerful as the vampires with them.
This had to be over so they could start their life together, so she could finally know peace and security, but he wasn’t going to put her into a situation that made her feel uncomfortable or caused her to crack and attack someone. Neither of them would forgive themselves if such a thing happened.
“I can’t turn back, not now, not when I’m so close,” Paige replied. He could feel the easing in her mind as she regained control of herself. “He’s haunted my nightmares and been a constant looming presence for the past four years. I can’t live like that anymore.”
He’d tear her father limb from limb when they found him, and he’d enjoy every second of it. Bloodlust thrummed through his fangs; saliva rushed into his mouth. For the first time, he actually felt gleeful about the idea of killing someone. Apparently being mated had calmed him in some ways, but had brought sadistic urges to the forefront that he’d never experienced before. He shut part of his mind off to her, unwilling to let her see this violent side of him.
“As the guy who’s still in complete control, for now, can I make a suggestion?” Aiden asked.
Ian stopped at a red light and turned toward his brother. “What?”
“Now hopefully neither one of you crazy lovebirds jump on me for this one, but Paige can stay somewhere else while we… Well, maybe not you either,” he said with a pointed look at Ian. “The rest of us find him. We know what he looks like, and apparently Brian’s a vampire homing device; it shouldn’t be too difficult for us to locate your father and take him out.”
Ian could already feel Paige gearing up for a big old no, feel her mind rebelling against Aiden’s suggestion. Aiden’s idea had been reasonable, but he had to admit he wanted to be there when they found the man who had tried to kill Paige and tormented her so ruthlessly.
“If he sees me, he’ll come for me,” Paige said. “He may run from a group of male vampires.”
“But he won’t get far,” Aiden said.
“But someone might get hurt in the process. I trust myself around people more than I trust him. I can, and will, get through this.”
Ian hit the gas when the light turned green. They continued down the main thoroughfare, following the limo carrying David, Ethan, Emma, Ronan and Brian. David, Emma and Ethan had originally flown to California and been met at the airport by Ronan and Brian. From there they’d been driven into town by the car and driver Ronan had arranged for them. The driver was human, but Ronan had control of his mind, and he would remember none of this.
David and Ethan had no idea if Brian and Ronan had come fro
m California or flown into the airport also. Ian doubted Ronan would answer where they had originally come from if asked. They could have all fit into the limo, but he wanted to keep the pickup for a little longer; it had really started to grow on him. Besides, he knew it would be easier on Paige not to be around so many others right now.
“I love Elvis,” Paige said as they neared a wedding chapel advertising Elvis as the minister. Lights flashed on the billboard proclaiming the special being offered for the week. Images of Elvis flashing within the lights made it look as if he were actually dancing.
“Really?” Ian inquired. He could hear Teddy Bear playing as they stopped at another red light beside the chapel.
“Yeah. My mom loved music and she played everything, but Elvis was her favorite. When we were still moving around a lot, she took me to Graceland. It was bizarre in there, but really interesting, and I got so I liked him a lot more afterward.” Aiden looked at her as if she’d said she liked to eat dog poop for breakfast. “He’s really good,” she insisted. “Far better than your boy bands.”
“I do not listen to boy bands,” Aiden said with a playful wag of a finger in her face.
Paige rolled her eyes and laughingly pushed his finger away. She couldn’t help but smile at him, as for the first time in her life, she felt like she had an annoying little brother. “Anyway, Elvis is one of my favorites,” she continued.
“Favorite enough to be married in a chapel by him?” Aiden inquired.
“It’s the only way I ever pictured getting married,” she replied with a laugh.
Ian adjusted his hold on her so he could look down at her. “Are you serious?”
Paige’s foot began to tap along with the music. “Yeah. I never considered the possibility of getting married anyway, not since I was a teenager, but I always thought eloping to Vegas would be the way I’d go. Who doesn’t want to get married by Elvis?”
“Wayne Newton fans,” Aiden replied with a smile. “or anyone with taste.”
“Then just call me tasteless.”
“Oh, so that’s why you’re with this guy,” Aiden said with an expression of dawning realization and pointed toward Ian.
“Asshole,” Ian said and shoved his shoulder while Paige laughed.
She rose up to press a kiss against Ian’s cheek. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Ian glanced at the chapel again and then at her. He rested his lips briefly on the top of her head and inhaled her sweet scent. The apple aroma of her blood had faded away to be replaced with a mixture of his blood and hers he found far more tantalizing. They were forever entwined with each other.
The light turned green and they continued down the road. The limo pulled into the entrance of a large hotel and Ian followed behind. He ignored the raised brows of the valet eyeing the rusting pickup distastefully. Ian climbed out of the truck, handed over his keys, and gave the kid a twenty.
“I’ve called ahead and booked us rooms here,” Ronan adjusted the lapels of his sport coat as they joined him by the front door. “I have a friend here who will keep us off of all the cameras and flying under the radar in case shit hits the fan.”
“How do you know someone who works here?” Paige inquired.
“You live as many years as I do, and you’ll know someone almost everywhere,” Ronan replied. “And most of them owe me a favor.”
She didn’t doubt that for a second. Ian kept hold of her hand as they followed them into the main entrance of the hotel. Paige had to force herself not to gawk at the elaborate, arching entranceway done mostly in tones of red and gold. The ringing and rattling of slot machines echoed through the entryway, but she had a feeling she would barely be able to hear them if she were still human.
Emma stopped walking to admire the numerous photos of celebrities and entertainers lining the wall across from the check-in point. Most of them were in black and white and featured people Paige recognized. She smiled when she spotted Elvis’s signed photo near the top.
Behind the people and computers lined up on the elaborately carved, wooden reception desk, a full wall of glass reflected the lights and colors of the main lobby in a dizzying array that made her glad she was wearing sunglasses. Ronan approached a man in his mid-fifties with salt and pepper hair. Paige didn’t know how she knew it, but she recognized instantly that the man Ronan spoke with wasn’t human. The other guys gathered around Ronan to speak with the vampire behind the reception desk.
“Amazing.” Emma’s murmured word drew Paige’s attention away from the main desk and back to her.
Paige glanced at the mostly black and whites photos before turning away to admire the colors and intricate design of the moldings decorating the walls. Tilting her head back, a trickle of amazement went through her when she spotted the striking mural of fifties era Vegas above her. The colors were eye catching enough, but it was the artist’s intricate attention to detail that kept her riveted upon the old cars, signs, hotels, and clothing depicted in the mural. She could spend hours looking at it and still find something new within the work.
She felt Ian’s approach before he rested his hands on her shoulders. “Nice.”
“It’s beautiful,” she murmured.
“I’ll let you paint my ceiling when we finally get to see our new home.”
She laughed and turned to face him. “I’d prefer a wall. Whoever painted that mural had to have a major kink in the neck after.”
“Then you can paint my wall.” He brushed her hair behind her shoulder and slid his arms over them until the inside of his elbows rested near her ears. “Or you could paint me.”
The lascivious smile he gave her caused a quickening in her body. Her breasts tingled as they brushed against his chest. She would love to take some paint to his body, to swirl it over his chest, down across his abs, before going lower over his throbbing cock and heavy balls. She’d follow the direction of the paint with her tongue…
She hadn’t realized her eyes were following the direction of her thoughts until she felt his amusement and lust slithering through her mind. Her head shot up; she fought against the color staining her cheeks. His grin revealed all of his teeth as he took a step closer to her. “I think we’d both prefer it if you painted me.”
“I think so too,” she admitted.
He laughed and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Come on, let’s go check out our room.”
“Aren’t we going to look for him?” she asked, anxious to get this over with.
Ian shook his head. “No. Brian says he’s in the city, but he doesn’t know where, and the sun is coming up.”
“Crap,” Paige muttered, she’d forgotten her father wouldn’t be capable of walking about in the daytime. “He’ll be going to ground.”
“He will,” Ian agreed.
“Would it be easier if we found him while he was sleeping, or whatever it is he does during the day?”
“He could be in any of a thousand buildings in the area. We’ll have better odds of finding him at night, when he’s most likely hunting his prey.” Paige glanced at the doors; she knew he was right, but she was eager to get this over with. “Come on, we could both use some rest too.”
Paige leaned into his side as they walked out of the main lobby and stepped into the hallway before the elevators. The ringing slots and the crescendo of the voices in the casino became louder. She glanced down the long hall to the casino beyond. From here she could see the dim neon lights and the first row of slot machines.
A slew of zombie-like people sat before the slots. Their slack faces were highlighted by the splash of light pouring from the machines; she wondered if they stopped to go to the bathroom or continued to sit there. Then, one of them rose to their feet, and another one passed out on top of the buttons of the machine.
“I think I’m going to see what kind of excitement I can find,” Aiden said. “It is the city that never sleeps.”
“That’s New York,” Ethan told him.
“I think it’s b
oth,” Aiden replied. “But you know, what happens in Vegas…”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah we get it, you know city slogans. Just don’t get in any trouble,” Ian interrupted.
“I’ll join you.” Brian stepped away from the elevators. The two of them made their way down the hall to the adjoining casino, laughing as they went.
“Are those two friends?” David asked incredulously.
“I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Ethan muttered.
“Why?” Ronan inquired and turned to face them.
Paige couldn’t stop the small shiver that ran through her when those strangely colored eyes skipped over her. She’d felt his power as a human, now it radiated from him in vibrant waves that rattled her bones and caused her teeth to chatter. “Do you trust him?” she inquired.
“With my life.” A ripple of shock went through Ian and into the connection linking their minds at Ronan’s answer. “Annoying and lethal doesn’t equal untrustworthy. You feel the same way, or you wouldn’t call him when you feel he could help.”
Ethan bowed his head in agreement. “I’d like to kill him eighty-five percent of the time, he put us all in danger once. I don’t like him around Emma because of whatever it is he’s still involved with, but he is trustworthy.”
“He’s not involved in anything other than trying to keep our race safe. The same as me,” Ronan replied.
The elevator chimed, announcing its arrival before the doors opened. Paige crowded into the elevator with them. She felt like an ant compared to the group surrounding her; she couldn’t imagine what Emma felt like as she stood against Ethan’s side. Paige watched the floors tick by. When they hit the tenth floor, she began to question if the elevator’s weight capacity was right and if it would hold them. Maybe they weren’t close to the weight limit, but the power within the car made it feel as if there were twice as many people in it. The doors finally opened on floor twenty-nine.
Emma, Ethan, David, and Ronan stepped out, but Ian held her back when she went to follow them. “We’re on the next floor,” he told her.
Emma let out a little squeal when Ethan picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. “See you in the afternoon, late afternoon,” Ethan said as he walked down the hall with Emma laughing over his shoulder. Lifting her head, Emma gave them a little wave before disappearing into the room with him.
The Vampire Awakenings Bundle: Books 1-5 Page 109