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No one gets the chance to agree with me, because a shock alarm blares, sending my head spinning. I clutch the wall and brace myself. We’ve all purposely exposed ourselves to every damn alarm on the Strip to keep us desensitized, and I’m fucking glad for it.
A thud sounds on the hotel door, and it shudders on the hinges. I slide my dagger from beneath my jacket and get ready to take out every last damn security personnel who thinks they could even stand a chance against me.
Rushing to the bathroom, Knox slips inside with Hayley, locking himself in with her. Monroe prepares beside me, waiting for the door to fling open. They’ll regret it. I can’t fucking wait for them to come in here.
Growls sound out on the other side of the door, and someone screams in pain. I glance to Monroe, wondering what the fuck is going on. Silence settles in the hallway outside the door. My chest heaves, and I clench my jaw in anticipation. What the fuck?
A light tap knocks on the door. “Mr. Noble? May I please come in?” Shit. Opal’s voice trickles through the door. “I’m alone and unarmed. I’m also aware that you have Hayley, so please open up. I don’t want to fight. I just want to see if she’s okay.”
“Opal?” Hayley’s soft voice whispers from beside me.
And damn it. There is no way I can tell Hayley to get back into the bathroom and let me handle this. It’s written all over her shower-damp face that she wants to see the second in line to the Aris Hotel.
If I tighten my jaw even more, I might break my back teeth. Glancing at Hayley, I ask, “Is it okay to let her in? I won’t if you ask me not to.”
Hayley frowns with my words. “She’s my caretaker. She didn’t know Alexander would act this way.”
“Fucking right, I didn’t,” Opal’s voice echoes through the wood, and the doorknob turns down as she opens it. She had the capability all along and asked for permission as a courtesy. She tucks away the device she used to pop open the extra door lock and stands with her arms at her sides. She claims she’s unarmed, but I’m sure she has something hidden on her. We both know she’s a smart and powerful woman. She wouldn’t carry the Aris Coven name if she wasn’t.
I don’t even have the chance to brace myself as Hayley rushes past me and jumps into Opal’s arms. Knox quietly growls under his breath, watching our girl hug the woman that lets Aris get away with far too much bullshit. Monroe whacks him and gets him to stop. Hayley obviously has an attachment to this woman regardless of our feelings and there is no way in hell that I will try to take that from her.
“God, my gem. I was so scared.” Opal touches Hayley’s damp hair, her eyes darting to mine as she realizes Hayley’s tresses have been cut. “Fuck. Did Alex do this to you?”
Hayley starts bawling, her pain and anguish flooding from her as she struggles to speak. Opal lifts her up and carries her into our room, letting the door shut behind the two of them. Knox and Monroe look to me for guidance, but I have no fucking clue what to do. Opal cries with Hayley like the two of them share the pain.
“I’m so sorry, Hayley. He knew better. He broke our agreement.” Opal strokes her hand down the length of Hayley’s back, smoothing her hand over the towel. “I knew the fucker did something when he left without saying anything to me.”
“He hurt me so bad,” Hayley cries, sounding child-like in Opal’s arms. This is the kind of bond I’ve seen between parents and children—never between a vampire and a donor—and I don’t even know what to make of it.
“I’m so sorry,” Opal whispers again. “I’ll take care of things, okay? I just want you to go back to your room and stay with the others. They’re worried about you too.”
“No.” The word escapes my mouth before I have a chance to think about what I’m saying.
Opal whips her attention to me. “Excuse me? Hayley is mine. You will not come in here and try to take her from me.”
Like fucking hell is she going to stop me.
Hayley shifts on her bare feet and holds out her hand, raising her palm at me. She turns to Opal next and touches her cheek. It’s the only thing that stops me from snatching Hayley away.
“Please, don’t fight.” Hayley peeks over at me. “I know you all are worried about me, but I trust Opal with my life. If you try to take me...I can’t go. Alexander will try to destroy you. Everyone knows I belong to this hotel, and he made it clear that he’ll destroy me.”
“He fucking beat the shit out of you. I don’t care if he tries to start a war. We’re not weak,” Knox says, his voice booming.
Hayley startles, and Opal wraps her arm around her protectively. “Knox, please. Alexander wants to use me against you. You can use that, can’t you?”
I groan and shake my head, wishing Hayley would stop talking in front of Opal. She isn’t our ally. She’s not even our friend. The only thing she is to me in this moment is an obstacle to get past.
“Not here, Hayley,” I murmur, trying to keep from scaring her.
She purses her lips. “We can trust her.”
Monroe shakes his head with a grimace. He steps closer a foot, ignoring the subtle hiss coming from Opal. Hayley might trust Opal, but for all we know, she is playing the good guy to balance out the bad guy that Aris is. It’s easy enough to manipulate humans, and the rest of our crew will riot if they even suspected we gave anything away to an enemy coven.
“They can’t, Hayley,” Opal says, flicking her gaze to mine. “They never will, but it doesn’t matter. It’s time for them to get their shit and leave. We hadn’t had these problems until they showed up, and I’m not losing any more of my gems. Whatever bullshit they’re up to, we’re not going to be a part of.”
Hayley knits her brows together. “Opal, please.”
Shaking her head, Opal says, “You need to tell them. They’re here because they have their eyes on you. Make them go.”
