“Kohl.”
His name brought him back to the present. “Yeah?”
“Find her. Tonight.”
The beast stretched its wings as Kohl clenched his jaw and nodded.
Chapter 4
Current Day
The Caves looked different in the daylight, more like an old trading post than an exclusive nightclub. But Devon knew firsthand that looks could be deceiving, and its innocent appearance was part of its disguise. It blended in with the rest of the ramshackle buildings interspersed throughout the area, and didn’t call attention to itself.
She got out of the car and locked her purse inside, shoving the keys in the front pocket of her hoodie. The wind whipped her hair around her face, along with a few stray raindrops, but it looked like the weather would continue to hold.
The entry was locked, so she walked the perimeter of the building until she found the back door, her sneakers crunching on the gravel. Looking around, she saw a camera perched high up in the corner of the eaves, and another in a scraggly tree behind her, facing the door. She was certain there must be more she would never find, probably hidden within the groups of prickly pear cactus and wired into the telephone poles.
Or, maybe not. Maybe they just had ordinary cameras.
She studied the barren landscape, even more so now that it was winter. The tree with the broken branch, that cluster of cactus—it all felt way too familiar to her, and she wracked her brain as to why. But the only thing she managed to resurrect was her headache. Besides, she would’ve had no reason to be back here.
Convinced she was imagining things in her efforts to remember, she tried the door, and to her surprise, it was unlocked.
Devon paused before she walked in. She had no idea why she was there, or what she’d expected to find inside. But something had drawn her back to this place, and she always trusted her instincts, even if it cost her—her job, her reputation, her relationship, her life.
Yeah, it didn’t always work out easily or the way she would’ve hoped. But at least she could live with herself, even if it was still in Texas. The last place she’d ever thought she’d live. It was too hot, and too cold. And too…Texas. Though Austin actually wasn’t that bad. She liked it a lot more than Dallas.
A calm determination filled her as she stared at her hand on the knob, and she yanked the door open. She wasn’t worried about the cameras. It wasn’t like she was breaking in. The door was left unlocked. If they didn’t want just anyone walking in there, then they needed to take better precautions.
She also wasn’t worried about anyone being there. Well, at least she didn’t think anyone would be there. Not unless the vampires employed humans to clean up during the day while they slept. And if that was the case, she’d just tell whoever was working that she’d lost her cell phone, which was inside her purse back in the car, so her story would sound legit.
Mind made up, she went inside, letting the door bang shut loudly behind her. “Hello?” The familiar smells of booze, sweaty bodies, and the acrid stench from the smoke machines stroked her memory a little more.
Something had happened here last night. She was sure of it. And she had the creepiest feeling that it hadn’t been sweaty dancing and sweatier sex in the bathroom.
“Hello?” she called out again, but no one responded or came running to see who the hell had walked in their back door. Devon wandered down the hall, passing the bathrooms and a door that actually was locked—the office, maybe—and came out just to the right of the bar. The dance floor spread out before her, lit only by a single light above the bar.
Devon studied that light, and the bar area beneath it. She remembered the bartenders. Both muscled and tatted up. Both brunette. One short with spiky hair, and maybe Korean. But the other guy—the tall one with the dark hair and the short beard who’d made her drink—he’d been watching her the entire night. Staring, really. And with such intensity that it still made her skin tingle just thinking about it.
Devon had actually kind of hoped it was because of an actual interest in her, and not because of her notorious past. Parasupe thought the supernatural creatures they monitored weren’t aware of their activities. But Devon knew that was all a bunch of bullshit. They had to be aware. They weren’t stupid. And most of them, the vampires especially, had a keen intelligence and charisma about them that was near irresistible. It practically oozed from this new vampire. It was why she’d pushed her way up to his side of the bar, even though the other side had been less crowded. Sex was something she hadn’t had in so long, she didn’t even care if it was that good. However, she would bet good money that the big guy behind the bar would be fucking awesome at sex. Real, raw, dirty, earthy sex. Because there wasn’t one thing about him that didn’t scream sexy dominance, simmering beneath the surface. And she would’ve given just about anything to have that boil over onto her.
But she’d been wrong. He hadn’t been interested in her as a woman. He’d just felt sorry for her. Which, sadly, she had to admit was a better reaction than she normally got. A wave of melancholy and missed opportunities washed over her, and she turned away from the bar.
To her left, across the open dance floor, chairs were stacked on top of shiny round tables, and another light was on in the far corner. The lingering scent of bleach hit her nose, and she was impressed with the cleanliness of the place. Of course, it wouldn’t last long. People were horribly inconsiderate about the messes they made in places like this, especially when they were drinking.
Walking around the bar, she saw another hallway leading toward the back. “Hello?” she called as she headed down it. Oddly enough, there were no offices or bathrooms, just an empty hallway leading to a door. Which was strange, because she was positive there was only one back door that led outside—the one she’d just come in.
As she approached, she noticed a pad off to the side. One that looked like it read finger or palm prints. A deadlock bolted the door above the latch.
Something was down there. Something the vampires definitely didn’t want anyone to find. Their den, perhaps?
Knowing there was no way she was getting in there, and not really convinced she wanted to go through that door even if she could, Devon turned to leave. She didn’t know what the hell had made her come here, but she obviously wasn’t getting any answers today. The place was spotless and empty. No one was around. Maybe she could come back tonight, though. Now that she’d been inside once, she hoped it wouldn’t be a problem to get in again.
She heard the latch click right before the door opened behind her.
Devon spun around to find the bartender from last night. The hot one. The one who’d been watching her. She froze, surprised to see him awake in the middle of the day, and unsure of what to say.
He gave her his back, closing the door behind him and resetting the combination lock before he turned around. “We’re closed,” he said, not unkindly.
