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The Organization taught that the statue was the vampire’s innate self-realization of how far they’d fallen and their wish to return to Heaven. Leah doubted the vampires built a statue to illustrate their shortcomings.
It was difficult to believe this was the Devil’s City when the architecture itself spoke of a reverence no mere human could achieve. Having spent most of her life in a room the size of a prison cell, this wide, open space reflected the one thing she’d always craved.
Freedom.
Suddenly, everything darkened. They had descended past the lobby to the underground. Leah’s heart constricted at the loss of the view, but she composed herself at once, pulling on the mask she’d used all these years struggling through life.
She asked in a calm and noncommittal voice, “Where’re we going?”
“We’re going to meet Mr. Blackmore.”
Was that a hint of smugness in his tone?
“Really?” There was no hiding her surprise. Julian Blackmore was the city’s mayor. In Vegas, he was the law. If you broke them or crossed him, you’d be lucky if he decided to just kill you.
He was also in the top ten of the Organization’s Hit List. She hadn’t expected to meet him. Dmitri had hoped, but even he hadn’t been certain she’d have the chance. Still, she had been briefed on Blackmore and memorized what little material the Organization had on him.
Clement grinned at her speechlessness. “Mr. Blackmore is always interested in meeting new members of his staff, especially one as pretty as yourself, Miss Davis.”
Leah ignored the once-over Clement gave her, his heated eyes settling on her breasts. If he thought he could unsettle her with his suggestive looks, then he was wrong. Growing up in the Compound, she was used to men looking at her like that.
After sleeping with Dmitri, she had nothing to lose. At least being Dmitri’s lover these years meant she had influenced him to protect the other girls in the Compound from unsolicited attention.
Before her mind could wander off into that unpleasant territory, she returned Clement’s smirk. Flipping her hair back from her face, she said, “It’d be an honor to meet the legendary Julian Blackmore.”
That was not what Clement had expected, but he was getting good at hiding his emotions. There was a brief flicker of surprise. If she hadn’t been looking, she’d have missed it.
“I wonder if you’ll say the same when you see him.”
Before Leah could ask what he meant, the elevator stopped. The hallway was devoid of embellishments, as though whoever had decorated the rest of the Tower had forgotten this part of the building. The white walls reminded her of the lifeless hallways of the Compound. She felt like she’d traded one prison for another.
She caught Clement’s mysterious smile as he turned away. He was quiet as he led the way, but nervous excitement rolled off him in waves. Wherever he was taking her was nowhere she wanted to be, yet she had no choice but to follow him. Apprehension formed a tight knot in the pit of her stomach, like the times when Dmitri called her to his bedroom.
Leah shook the memory away. No point thinking about Dmitri and his sexual appetite or worrying about the other girls she’d left behind. She was in the middle of the vampire city, about to meet Julian Blackmore, for God’s sake!
If she was lucky and the implant the Organization had placed in her brain worked, Blackmore shouldn’t be able to read her mind, learn who she truly worked for, and then torture her for information before killing her.
With her heart in her throat, Leah followed Clement through a door that slid open after reading Clement’s fingerprint. A single light in the ceiling lit the shadowy room, which was about thirty feet long and ten feet wide and also devoid of decorations. Three other beings, shrouded in darkness, stood before a glass wall, looking into the other side.
One turned around. Leah couldn’t make out the details of his face in the dimness, but she couldn’t miss the force of his gaze, nor the immense power working on bending her to his will. In that moment, she knew that he, along with the two beside him, were vampires.
They were much older than Clement. Power was a living thing in the room. It wrapped around her, trying to penetrate the depths of her mind. She resisted the urge to get on her hands and knees and crawl to them.
The darkness was a reprieve. If she saw their faces, resisting them would be impossible.
“Clement, you made it. Julian’s just getting started,” said the vampire who was looking at her. His silken voice caressed her skin like the hands of a lover, stroking her body to arousal.
Leah gritted her teeth. She refused to crawl. She lifted her chin and hoped the vampire could see her glare that said, “Fuck you.”
“Great. I didn’t want to miss it.” Clement’s excitement made him sound like a young boy about to open his birthday present.
With immense effort, Leah recalled her training in resisting the vampire lure, stiffened her spine, and sauntered to the glass wall. On the other side was a clearing the size of a football field about two stories below her. Raised seats, meant for spectators but currently empty, circled the field.
It was an underground stadium.
Leah bit back a gasp. None of the Organization’s materials on Vegas had mentioned an underground cavern of any sort. The Organization knew so little about this city. They were lucky Leah had landed this position. Even if she were to die in a few minutes, costing them all they had invested in her, they’d still have learned something new.
“They’re starting.” Clement’s face was glued to the glass, another eager human gesture betraying his younger age.
