“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 standingright 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.”
