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HAYLEY
The Bella Crew
I STAND IN the wardrobe of Alexander’s suite, staring at my reflection in the brightly lit vanity mirror. Garnet, Pearl, and Topaz hover in front of the rack of costumes. Those aren’t actually their real names, but the three sisters choose to keep their stage names all the time. Many of the performers do. Me, on the other hand? I can’t. It’d be too awful being Ruby all the time. She’s the one who deals with this madness. It helps playing a role and immersing myself in it, so it doesn’t haunt me when I take off my wig and become an unknown donor.
Mya struts into the wardrobe with Jasper, the only male performer invited to this private affair, and the two of them come up beside me. Mya grabs one of the tubes of red lipstick and smooths it over her full lips.
“We’re lucky Mr. Noble only invited a handful of his crewmembers—at least, that’s what Mistress Opal said. Looks like it will be one-on-one for mostly everyone. Jasper is only here as backup. No one wants a male tonight.” Mya smacks her lips together and winks at herself. “They’re all decent too. No one absolutely repulsive.”
I puff out a breath and comb my fingers through my pink wig, deciding not to change it. The last thing I need is for one of the vampires to think that just because I swap them out a couple times a day that they can ask me to take it off along with the rest of my clothes.
The long, colorful hair is what keeps my wild emotions at bay with my act. With it on, I’m always Ruby Vixen. And Ruby Vixen isn’t afraid of vampires or showing her skin. She’s not afraid to kiss strangers and let them bite her wherever they please. Tonight, Ruby is brave enough to suck a dick if she has to. Hayley—me—on the other hand? I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be tested and treated like Alexander’s baby doll that he shares with others. As long as I have my makeup, wig, and glittery costumes, I can survive anything. Ruby does things so I don’t have to. It’s what makes this life bearable.
“That’s good,” I muse, finalizing my makeup with the same red lipstick Mya used. I turn toward her and drape my arms over her shoulders, meeting her brown gaze. “You ready, Crystal?” I ask, using her stage name. “Do you want to lead the way or shall I?”
She crinkles her nose and kisses each of my cheeks. “How about together? Maybe we can get a pair of friends who want to hang out with us both.”
A girl can dream.
I hold out my hand to her. “Doesn’t hurt to try, right?”
Linking her fingers through mine, Mya mirrors my show smile and we walk hand-in-hand from the wardrobe and into Alexander’s massive bedroom suite. Music hums from the living area, and Mya spins next to me, making me laugh. The other girls stroll behind us while Jasper jogs ahead to open the door. His ass glitters with his sequined speedo tight enough to leave nothing to the imagination, but that’s the point. It’s why most of my costume consists of strings and sparkly rhinestones. Luckily, vampires prefer the temperature a bit warmer, so I’m never freezing my nipples off except on stage.
Alexander claps his hands in two quick successions, beaming us a smile as we enter the living area. I flit my gaze quickly around the room, trying to catch a glimpse of all the different men, but I’m too afraid to linger on any of them long enough to drink in. Giving anyone even a second of attention before it’s requested could cause problems.
“My baby dolls, why don’t you give our guests a little show by turning around?” Alexander says, twirling his finger. He wears an elegant black suit with a rhinestone-encrusted tie. Not stage-worthy for him, but bold enough to draw attention. His smile lights his face, hiding his emotions toward his guests. If I didn’t notice the silver sparkle of his vampire nature in his green eyes, I might think he was happy about this private party.
Mya playfully spins me and giggles, waiting for me to do the same to her. I can’t stop the laughter from bubbling out of my mouth. It feels so good to play around, even under the intense gazes of the six guest vampires.
“Gentlemen, pick your companion. Please remember that my girls are dear to me and must be treated as the gifts they are. Do not expect anything apart from their blood unless you plan to return the favor—if and only if they agree. Do you understand?”
Sawyer leans forward, the growl escaping his lips stealing my smile. “What do we look like? My inner circle knows how to treat a donor and a lady. You might think we’re fucking savages or some bullshit, but—”
“My apologies, Mr. Noble. It wasn’t my intent to offend you. It is in my nature to protect what belongs to me, and some assume that an invitation as such means more than a meal. That kind of expectation comes at a cost not many can afford and is not included in my gesture of hospitality.” Alexander remains expressionless with his words despite the obvious jab at Sawyer and his crew.
I expect a fight to break out between them, but Sawyer leans back on the couch and crosses his muscular arms over his chiseled chest. He dips his chin in silent agreement to Alexander’s terms.
“Good,” Alexander says, combing his fingers through his brown hair. “I will return in an hour after I handle some personal affairs. Please note that you are being monitored, and I expect you to sign the agreement that you will ensure no more of your men enters my hotel with the intent to cause harm. Next time, I won’t take things so lightly.”
Once again, no one responds to Alexander, and I realize that all of this is only for show. Anger burns inside me that he purposely let that bastard Walcott have his way in the casino when he’s powerful enough to handle a gang of assholes like the Bella Hotel crew, or whatever. Alexander owns this hotel and the one connected to it for a reason. He helped start the Vampire Uprising over a century ago, long before I was born.
With his power and influence, he helped bring La Vega to its intended glory. He, along with the other leaders on the Strip, turned a massive amount of humans into vampires, biting them with venom and letting them run wild with blood hunger. The act decimated humanity but made it more manageable for vampires to take control. It allowed them to wall in the big cities and start a new, better world before donors could destroy the place they must live for eternity. Vampires don’t die naturally, so I sort of get it, but I always wonder what the back-world was like. I wonder what it would be like if humans still controlled the world. I can’t even imagine what the city was like under the control of humans, though.
Half the hotels were destroyed in the chaos when vampires decided that the human population needed culling. There are no longer donors on the Strip at all, and vampires work for or play for blood from the running hotels’ gen. pop. that live within the hotels and are controlled by the most powerful leaders running La Vega. At least, that’s what Opal once said.
It’s strange to think of any other life, but from the old posters I once found with Mya as a teen, I know La Vega was once a city of lights, partying, gambling, and a vacation locale when it was still Las Vegas. Taking the city apart to rebuild it as La Vega was what really solidified the fact that humanity would never be the same. Opal swears it’s a good thing, but I can’t help wondering the truth of her words.
It takes the door to Alexander’s suite slamming shut to knock my thoughts from me. I hate the first few minutes of scrutiny from the guests the most because of the awkward silence that comes with vampires whispering too lowly for us to hear. It wasn’t until last year that I realized as much. I used to think Opal and Alexander could read minds. I once tried to think a response to them, and the two of them thought I was ignoring them because of it. Opal still doesn’t let me live that one down. She fought Alexander to save me from a beating because of my curiosity.
Trying to ignore the heavy silence, I close my eyes and listen to the soft music. I sway my hips and twist my hands in a way that accentuates my body by stretching my torso with my movements. The five of us girls make our way closer to the vampires, and I find myself dancing in front of Sawyer as if Mya and the others planned who was going with whom without consulting with me.
I spin in front of Sawyer and dip low, arching my back and seductively give him a view of me bent over.
“What did I say, Sawyer? She’s fucking hot, right?” The familiar voice snaps through me, tugging me back to the performance last night and the whole reason why I ended up in the damn birdcage on display. “The fucker was worth the sacrifice to have her within reach. She’s an amazing kisser.”
I can’t stop from turning around and meeting Knox’s gaze. He smirks at me and wiggles his fingers. My whole body buzzes at the reminder of our kiss, but no one comments about it. He noticed my reaction, though, because his eyes flash and his nostrils flare. A smile softens his beautiful features even more, and I break his stare before I find myself on his lap. That would be bad. He might already be possessive, and Alexander doesn’t tolerate that.
“If I didn’t agree, I’d fucking punch you in the dick for the bullshit you pulled, Knox.” No fucking way. Monroe’s voice draws my attention away from Knox and to him. He winks at me, shooting a mixture of emotions through me. “But damn it.” Wiggling his fingers, he motions for me to give him my attention. “Come here, little bird. I’d love to continue what we started in the lobby. I’ll keep these fuckers back.”
