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“When you get there, send an alert to the other girls. I’ll be up as soon as I can.” Opal sets me on my feet. “Remember, keep your head down. Don’t look at anyone. And hurry.”
I don’t make it far. The man from earlier cuts me off and aims a gun, stopping me in my tracks. I scramble backward and into Opal’s arms. She automatically shifts me behind her protectively and hisses. Blood peppers his forehead, and a streak runs into his beard. I panic in fear. What if he hurt a donor? What if he hurts me?
“Please, don’t hurt us. We’re just getting out of the way,” I say, regretting my words immediately as Opal hisses in my ear.
“I warned you, and you rejected my offer by ignoring me. We have rules, and since you’re on the casino floor, you gotta go with the others.” The man waves his gun, motioning in the direction of the check-in lobby.
“Why are you doing this?” I ask, meeting the man’s dark eyes, the brown turning gold with the flash of silver lighting his gaze. “Just let us go.”
Again, Opal warns me with a hiss. “Ruby, stop. I will handle this.”
Growling, he points his gun at her. “Shut the fuck up. I’m talking to the donor. Unlike with you bastards around here, I prefer to hear them speak freely.”
My eyes widen, but I don’t respond. Neither does Opal.
“Go on, little bird. Beg me one more time to let you go,” he teases, a quirk stretching his smirk.
I know I shouldn’t give in and instead obey Opal, but my mouth disagrees and refuses to remain shut. “Please, I couldn’t accept your offer. But now we can. Please, let us go.”
“Sorry, ladies. I can’t do that now. I don’t want any fucker to question my allegiance if I tell them to let you by. You lost your chance two minutes ago, little bird. Not to mention you disrespected me by calling for help. The invitation was only for donors. Your mistress will cause problems for us, and we might need her.” The man wags his eyebrows, enjoying this too much. Not because of me but because he seems to enjoy pissing Opal off. Keeping his gaze locked on mine, he adds, “I didn’t want to have to do this, so don’t hold it against me. Your master needs a message from the Bella Crew.”
Opal tenses, standing tall, not letting the man intimidate her. “Tell him your goddamn self and keep us out of it. You don’t need us. At least let my donor go. She’s a target.”
He sucks in air through his teeth, pretending to think about it. “No can do.” Aiming the gun toward the ceiling, he fires, startling us and making those guests nearby scramble and run to hide. “I think I like her too much. Don’t worry your possessive little head, though. I’ll protect her. Now walk your ass back to concierge. If you’re lucky, maybe you won’t be chosen as retribution for the act against the Bella Crew.”
My heart beats wildly, threatening to spill onto the floor. Opal holds her hand out to me and pulls me into her side, draping her arm over my shoulders. My bare feet slap against the pristine tiles, glittering under the crystal chandeliers over a long check-in counter.
At least a dozen vampires in all different styles of clothing aim various weapons at several of Alexander’s security personnel. I don’t understand how some of the most powerful vampires in this hotel could be cornered by men who look like they belong in the backrow at the club. The wealthy covens are immediately recognizable with the way they carry themselves, dress, and have their own security following them around. Whoever this supposed crew is, I don’t even think they belong to the same coven or maybe not one at all.
Opal struts past a few vampires who catcall and whistle, trying to get her attention. She puts up with just as much bullshit as a female donor does, but she can handle herself. If she couldn’t, Alexander would’ve never put her in the position to care for us, which he considers one of his biggest assets.
“What does Asshole Aris have that turns you into his obedient little bitch?” one of the guys asks Opal. “I have something that you’ll enjoy more.”
I catch sight of the vampire grabbing his junk through his pants as if offering to fuck Opal could sway her into turning against Alexander. I’ve never in my life seen her persuaded by cock, and I highly doubt she’ll start now.
Opal stops and confronts the guy, pulling a blade from a hidden sheath in her jacket. “I guarantee my toy collection is far superior over that pathetic excuse for a dick you are so embarrassingly proud of. Now speak to me like that again, and you’ll be on your hands and knees with your ass out and ready to take my fucking monster cock strap-on. Do you understand?”
The guy releases a guttural noise, charging forward. Opal reacts and sweeps his feet out from under him before kicking him in the ass with her heel. Stepping onto his back, she threatens to impale him with her sharp stiletto, and I tighten my jaw, stopping my mouth from smiling. Because damn. I’ve never been so impressed in my life. Opal takes shit from no one and isn’t second in command to Alexander just because. I’ve never been prouder to be one of Opal’s gems in my life.
I sometimes imagine what our lives would be like if it were Opal in complete control around here and not Alexander. He doesn’t mistreat us often as long as we behave, follow orders, and bring in the wealth and power he needs to protect us, but he’s an asshole. I fear him deeply in my bones more than I don’t. Opal has never done anything except push us to our limits to prove that we’re capable of things we hadn’t realized. She rewards us while Alexander takes on the role of the punisher.
“Someone stop this bitch!” the guy yells, trying to reach up to grab Opal’s foot.
A gunshot booms through the air, startling me. A tall, wicked-looking vampire with long black hair, a thick, muscular build with biceps bigger than my thighs, and a strange face tattoo I’ve only seen on the Strip dwellers who venture into the casino during the day, created by what Opal says is some sort of special UV ink that lasts a couple years on a vampire’s skin and not like the tattoos given to each of us to mark us as property of Alexander Aris.
I rarely remember even having one as it was done in white ink on my lower back in a small swirling heart design. I was younger too, just turning a teen. Alexander instilled how important it was because when I grew boobs and started looking more like a woman, life in general became a bigger threat.
Why it’s hidden never made sense with his reasoning, but I couldn’t question it. Everyone has them with a lifetime contract. It could be far worse—I mean, this asshole looks like a baby tried to draw a tree or something on his cheek and around his eye to his forehead. I consider myself lucky that mine looks like a teensy pretty scar.
“You know help comes at a price, Beau,” the freaky vampire says, waving his gun. “What do you have to offer?”
The vampire growls and flashes his fangs. “I’ll give you a fucking month of free work, Walcott. Just get this bitch off before she tries to fuck me with her heel.”
Smiling, Walcott aims his gun at Opal. “As much as I want to see a woman like you put Beau in his place, I put my men first. So, you have five seconds to get in one last kick. If you fail to let him go after that, I will shoot you.”
Opal leers and lifts her stiletto, only to stomp it right into the guy’s ass, piercing his butt cheek through his jeans. He howls and swears, rolling over, but Walcott doesn’t do anything but give Opal a smirk as she click-clacks a few feet away, tugging me with her.
“Go stand with the others,” Walcott says, motioning to the group of vampires by the counter.
