Freak Show (Alexa O'Brien Huntress Book 7)

by Lee, Trina M.

  “I’m so sorry,” Jez whispered, reaching to touch my hand. “I shouldn’t have assumed anything.”

  “No worries. It’s not your fault. It’s my mess.”

  “Wanna go back downstairs to drink and gamble? It’s not even dawn yet.”

  “No way,” Arys cut in. “You can’t go running around the hotel without me. It’s not safe.”

  My temper flared, and I pinned him with a deadly glare. The angry energy spilled from me. I had to make a conscious effort not to slap him with it. “Don’t start with that shit,” I warned, a growl lacing my words. “I didn’t come here to argue with you. I came for a good time with people I love. Don’t ruin it.”

  “I won’t let you put yourself in danger.” Arys was noncommittal, refusing to argue. He held up his hands as if to say he was done and that was the final word.

  “Then come with us,” I said. “There’s not a big sunlight risk inside the casino.”

  “And on that note,” Jez announced, “I’m going to go to my room and unpack a few things.”

  Storming from the living room, I rounded the corner to the bathroom where I splashed some cold water on my face and checked my cell phone for messages. There was a text from Kylarai making sure we’d made it safely. While I typed a quick reply, I sat on the edge of the tub, fuming.

  I wasn’t really pissed at Arys but myself. I’d created the situation with Shaz that made me insecure, and I’d secured so much power that I couldn’t even step into a city far from home without trouble from a damn vampire.

  Being angry was easier than being afraid, and I realized I was scared, dammit. The last time I’d encountered Harley’s vampires, a dear friend had died, and I’d had to fight to prove I was a force to be reckoned with. I wasn’t sure I could do that here in their home territory.

  Returning to the sink, I ran my fingers through my hair and took a few deep breaths. This trip was about having fun. I would not allow either Arys or his Vegas vampire family to ruin it for me. I was going to have a good time, goddammit, even if it killed me. Which it just might.

  When I opened the door, Arys was standing in the hall waiting for me. He held out a glass of whiskey, which I gratefully accepted. What could I say? He knew me well.

  “Sorry for being an asshole,” he said, pulling me close for a soft kiss. “You can take care of yourself. I know that. It’s just…Jenner doesn’t make empty threats. And he isn’t going to let us out of this city without rubbing my nose in the fact that he’s taken over Harley’s business. I’m sure he’s going to want a look at you.”

  “Of course.” I sipped the whiskey and made a face. “I’m really sick of Harley’s vampires looking at me like I’m some kind of fucking carnival prize.”

  “They won’t. Not for long anyway. Jenner won’t take it too far. He doesn’t have a personal stake in my connection to you the way Harley did. His biggest concern will be keeping us from taking what is rightfully ours.” Arys held me tight, his embrace possessive.

  I pulled back to look into his eyes. “Please tell me that’s not why you came here.”

  “It’s not. Not really.” Arys smirked, and I knew he was up to something. “I might let him think so though.”

  I groaned and pushed a lock of long, ash-blonde hair back from my face. “I don’t like the sound of that. We need to keep the peace while we’re here. There’s enough trouble waiting for us at home.”

  My gaze fell to the black dragon on my forearm. The demon mark ensured I could always be found by the demon that left it there. If I wanted to stay sane, having a few days away from Shya and his ridiculous demands was essential. I wasn’t keen on filling the void with vampire politics and power struggles.

  “Don’t worry about anything. You want to go gamble with Jez? Go for it. I’ll take the pup and do a little recon.” Wrapping his hand gently around my forearm to cover the demon mark, Arys guided me back to the living room.

  Jez was shoving my shoulder bag at me before I could change my mind. “We won’t be gone long,” I called to the guys as she dragged me toward the door. “Stay out of trouble. I mean it, Arys.”

  His laughter followed me out, and I frowned. Maybe I was paranoid, but I never felt good about leaving the two of them alone together. His sudden willingness to let me wander off without him smacked of some suspicious, clandestine activity, but I wasn’t about to question it. Not yet.

  “They’ll be fine,” Jez admonished, catching me staring back at the closed hotel door. “They’re grown men. And then some. I’m willing to bet we find more trouble than they do.”

  “Good Lord, I hope not. We’ve only been here a few hours.”

  “Then I’d say we’re already behind.” Jez linked her arm in mine and all but skipped her way to the elevator. I couldn’t help but smile. Her enthusiasm was infectious.

  We made our way to the casino where my senses were immediately overwhelmed. The noise hurt my sensitive wolf ears. Raised voices mingled with the clink of bottles and glasses, all topped off with the clang and ding of so many slot machines. I wasn’t sure what was worse, the sound or the smell. So many people crammed into one large windowless room gave off the pungent aroma of sweat, perfume and booze. Among other things.

  It took several minutes for me to adjust to the assault on my senses. Vegas may be a vampire’s city, but it was not wolf friendly. The beast inside rebelled at the thought of staying in this place. It was harsh and raw, too much for my forest-loving, earth-bound wolf.

  A glance at Jez revealed a wound up woman ready to gamble. For a werecat, she was completely unfazed in this environment. Perhaps it was the demon blood in her veins.

  “How exciting,” she gushed. “This city never sleeps. I missed it. I could totally live here.”

  “Not me. I couldn’t survive in a city like this.” I gazed about in wonder, finding each person more intriguing than the last. Vegas was many things, but you couldn’t say it wasn’t entertaining.

  My gaze closed in on a lady seated at a nearby slot machine. Dark circles lined her eyes. Her hair was in disarray, and her outfit was far from laundry fresh. A few machines over, an older couple, dressed to the nines in fancy evening wear, laughed and joked as they pumped coin after coin into a machine. Contrasting them with the other lady, I realized this place was an enigma.

  “What do you think, Lex? Are we high rollers tonight or what?” Jez eyed a small group of women giggling with drinks in hand, as she led me along.

  Raoul, my former lover and the wolf who turned me, had left me more than enough money in his will. It had taken me a long time to bring myself to touch any of it. However, I did not have enough to call myself a high roller, nor was I the type to take that kind of risk. I regularly faced vampires and demons that wanted to kill me; gambling with all the money in the world couldn’t replicate that level of danger.

  “Hell no.” I decided. “I’m a slot machine girl, myself.”

  “Seriously? Your man is a poker master, and you only play slots?” Jez shook her head and tsked at me. “Sad.”

  I followed her through the place, content to let her lead the way. A people-watcher could stay in this place round the clock and never run out of interesting things to see. The deeper we went into the casino, the more I felt like I was plunging into a human abyss. I scanned the crowd, feeling for anything present that wasn’t human. The energy in the casino was incredibly scattered, creating a loud noise inside my head. I struggled to shut it out to save my sanity.

  The demon seated at a nearby table was unexpected. He looked up as we passed, our eyes connected. For a split second, I saw through his human façade to the black-winged, black-eyed creature beneath. He looked us over, lingering on Jez. Then his gaze fell to the demon mark on my wrist, and he turned away.

  “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that demons enjoy this city,” I muttered.

  “Goes without saying, I’d think,” Jez quipped, pulling me along.

  Once we got caught up in the buzz of playing and even wo
n a few small jackpots, my tension eased, and I began to enjoy myself. Giggling like teenagers as we tossed back shooters; we became part of the room, just two more gamblers out to lose a crap load of dough. Despite our welcome wagon earlier, it felt damn good to unwind and leave my worries behind for a while.

  “If you’d like some time alone with Shaz this week, I’m sure I can lure your vampire down here to play some poker.” Jez pumped quarters into the machine, waiting while I pushed the button. Nothing. Another quarter.

  “Actually, that would be great. We haven’t had much time alone since he got home. It’s been awkward. Makes me wonder if it will ever feel right again.”

  “He’s had your back from the start, long before you and Arys made your connection. You just need some time together, a chance to remember what made you fall in love.” Jez handed me another shooter and smiled. “You’re damn lucky, you know, to have them both.”

  “Yeah,” I nodded, taking the shot and grimacing as it burned its way down to my stomach. “I know. But how realistic is it?”

  “What do you mean?” Pausing to gather our meager winnings, Jez gave me a critical once over.

  I shouldn’t say it, shouldn’t even think it. But she was one of my best friends, a girlfriend, the one person I could say it to. “Is it selfish of me to want them both? Because it feels like it is. It feels like—” I stopped short, struggling to get the words out. “It feels like it’s wrong. For Shaz. He deserves better. He deserves to be set free. Like Kale.”

  Jez turned to me, taking my hand in hers. “Take a look around you. Do it. Now.” She waited expectantly for me to look around the noisy casino. “This is not the place to make those decisions. This is a place to put that shit to bed and go wild. No serious crap. Save it for when you get home. And don’t bring Kale into this. That is a whole other fucked-up situation.”

  “Thanks.” I rolled my eyes and stuck some of our winnings back into the machine. I watched the little pictures flip by, waiting for them to stop and proclaim us losers. That didn’t happen. Instead, we hit a small jackpot and won five hundred bucks.

  “Now that’s what I’m talking about, baby!” Jez crowed with glee. “Now let’s take this five hundred and play some blackjack.”

  It didn’t take her long to settle at a table with two others. I hung back, content to watch. In no time, Jez was losing a little but winning more. Surrounded by noise and chaos, people getting off on the rush of the risk, she was clearly in her element.

  Sunrise was approaching. The casino may be void of windows and clocks, but I could feel it in my bones. I was beginning to tire, in need of a bath and some uninterrupted sleep. Jez didn’t appear to feel the same way.

  Right about that time, two idiots at the next table over started shouting about cheating. The dealer was trying unsuccessfully to calm the commotion. A fist was thrown, and blood spilled. That’s all it took to shatter my control and bring my bloodlust bubbling to the surface.

  I was suddenly aware of every heartbeat in the place. They pounded in my skull, reverberating through me in a discombobulated rhythm. So much blood, pumping through the veins of every human present. More than enough to bathe in. How many could I consume before security took me down?

  I shook my head, refusing to allow those thoughts to take hold. Not here. Not like this. Taking deep breaths was impossible due to the lack of fresh air. Breathing in the scent of smoke, liquor and lively humans was not going to help. Stay calm. You got this. But I didn’t. A little personal pep talk wasn’t going to give me the strength I needed. Security quickly dealt with the troublemakers. The bleeder was gone. Too late though. The damage was done.

  I grabbed Jez’s arm and leaned in close, whispering under my breath, “I’m leaving before I turn this place into a bloodbath.”

  Her head snapped up, and her eyes were huge. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “I wish.” I backed away, unable to be so close to the pureblooded Were. Only the knowledge that the blood was demon tainted kept me moving. After my stint on angel blood, no way in hell was I going to taste anything even remotely demon.

  “Lex, wait. You can’t go alone.” She dropped her cards and held up her hands to show the dealer she was out before rushing after me.

  “I feel so stupid for thinking I could come to a place like this and not totally lose my shit,” I growled, balling my hands into fists so tight my nails dug into my palm. I moved fast for the exit, finding with each step it felt farther away. No idiots designed these places.

  “What about Arys? Can he help?” Jez fell into step beside me, looking worried. She watched me closely, ready to tackle me if I gave her reason to.

  I laughed bitterly. “Yeah he can help me hunt and kill someone.”

  Jez grimaced and surveyed our busy surroundings. “What about my blood?”

  I stopped short, causing the waitress behind us to swerve to avoid a collision. I searched her emerald eyes. “You would do that for me? I don’t even know what to say to that. Thank you. Unfortunately, I don’t think I could if I wanted to. After what Falon’s blood did to me, I don’t think I should risk demon blood, even if it’s just half.”

  She nodded, and obvious relief swept over her. Couldn’t say I blamed her, though I would never forget that she offered. Her blood hadn’t harmed Kale, but why take the chance? Besides, she was a friend. Not food.

  “You can stay here if you want to keep playing,” I said, feeling guilty. I shouldn’t need my friends to babysit me.

  “I can’t let you wander the hotel alone like this. Come on; let’s get back to Arys so he can bring you down. Or whatever.”

  It was growing harder to form words. My focus scattered. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea for us to be locked in an elevator together right now.” I watched the green of her iris bleed across the whites of her eyes. She was ready, defensive.

  “It’s cool. You don’t have that insane undead strength yet. I think I can take you.” She forced a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

  Every person we passed was walking, talking food. I held myself on a tightly wound leash, knowing it would soon snap. I considered breaking into a run for the elevator. By the time we got there, I was perspiring from the effort it took to restrain myself. I wanted the sensation of my fangs sinking into flesh, the moment when the blood burst forth and the acrid scent of fear. The need for it made my stomach hurt.

  The elevator door opened, and a man stepped out. I lunged at him, instinct overriding sense. Jez caught me around the waist, dragging me away. Her grip was firm. She held tight until he had hurried away, muttering after him, “Sorry. Sometimes the party just never stops for this one.”

  She shoved me into the elevator, forcing me into a back corner. She hit the button for our floor but never took her eyes off me. “I sure hope you can deal with this shit, Alexa. It’s going to ruin the entire trip. We’ll have to lock you in the hotel room so you can’t run amok and terrorize the city.”

  I frowned, unable to find any humor in the visual she brought to mind. This trip was off to a shitty start so far. It was discouraging. I just wanted to have a little fun. Was that so wrong?

  I stared at the floor, trying to memorize the strange flower pattern on the carpet. The back wall was mirrored, and I avoided looking at myself. I didn’t want to see Arys’s blue eyes on me. So when I tired of the carpet, I stared at the screen near the ceiling instead, trying to focus on the running ads for various live shows.

  When the door opened, Jez went first, checking for anyone in the hall before allowing me out. We made it back to our room without incident. Ok, so that could have been far worse than it was.

  My relief was short lived. My senses blazed as I became keenly aware of the heavy vampire energy burning inside the suite. It wasn’t just Arys. Someone else was inside. My bloodlust was strong, but my fear was stronger.

  “Somebody is in there with the guys,” I said, my hand on the doorknob.

  We exchanged a look, ready to confront
the stranger inside. Jez slid the key card into the slot, and I shoved the door open. I strode into the suite, a mess of hunger and wariness. I took one step into the living room and stopped dead in my tracks.

  Arys sat in the middle of the couch, straddled by a buxom blonde.

  Chapter Three

  “What the fuck?” I was stunned, but anger quickly followed the shock.

  The blonde got to her feet, managing to look elegant and coy at the same time. Arys sprang off the couch as if he were on fire. Shaz sat as far away as he could get from both vampires without leaving the room. His expression was pensive but sour.

  “Alexa, this is Sloane. She’s one of Harley’s, like me. She just came by to say hello.” Arys stood between the tall, leggy vampiress and me as if he feared I might lunge for her. It was tempting. “She was just about to leave.”

  I stood with hands on my hips, glaring with a vengeance. “Save the crap. It sure didn’t look that way.”

  I knew who she was. I recognized her from Arys’s memories. She had played a significant role in his life. Having lured him in for Harley, one might say she was directly responsible for Arys’s conversion to vampire.

  Sloane shoved past Arys, extending a hand to me. A friendly smile lit up her face. “I’m Sloane. It’s so nice to finally meet Arys’s wolf. You are more beautiful than I was led to believe.”

  I stared at her hand, confused by her sugary sweet greeting. Was she for real? I was hesitant to take her hand, knowing she’d use the opportunity to taste my power. However, I was curious myself. I accepted her hand, boldly meeting her ocean blue gaze. Her energy hummed with that same tone I was coming to associate with Harley’s bloodline. It crawled into my palm, a strong, warm but neutral pulse of power. She wasn’t aggressive in any way, which made it especially hard not to send a little jolt into her.

  “May I ask why the hell you were practically dry humping my lover?” I asked, my smile brittle and forced.