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Of Claws & Chaos by M. Sinclair
Chapter One
Despite the hot desert temperature, a chill ran down my spine. The hairs on the nape of my neck rose. It’d been that way since I’d left my room at the Horseshoe Las Vegas hotel. Someone in the congested crowd on Las Vegas Boulevard this Halloween night was watching me. I scanned the Strip, the bright lights damn near blinding, for the culprit, the sensation confirming what I already knew.
I never should’ve come here.
Stan, my mentor and the closest thing I had to a father, always told me to trust my instincts. That if more people did, they’d avoid a lot of the bad shit that happened to them.
I hated being around this many people. Sweat pooled in my armpits, and every fiber of my being urged me to run away. I’d much rather be alone, wrestling with Stan or punching a damn beanbag instead of being out here in this.
A woman stumbled into me and spilled beer on the pig onesie costume I’d selected for the party. The liquid darkened the pink belly section, drenching me down to my underwear.
Lovely, now I was going to smell like sweat and stale yeast. This night was already a disaster, and I hadn’t even made it to the hotel yet. Instead, I was caught in a cement hell with lights that were too harsh to be comforting and people who reeked of body odor and alcohol bumping into me. My head screamed at me to get away.
Everywhere I looked, I sensed an impending doom that threatened to swallow me whole. The sensation had started as an inkling when I’d received a random golden ticket to a casino Halloween party in the mail. The invitation had been sent to Stan’s community gym as my address, which was correct … except no one but Stan and I knew that.
To add more pieces to the ever-growing puzzle, my friend Ember, who worked out at the gym, had received one too. She’d brought her best friend Isa along since they were inseparable. If it hadn’t been for their harassment, I wouldn’t have agreed to come. But they’d gotten Stan on me, informing him of what we’d received. He’d encouraged me to go, saying, “This might be the only opportunity you have to get out of Nashville for a few days. And hell, Ivy, it’s an all-expenses-paid trip.”
I’d caught a later flight than Ember and Isa and decided I wouldn’t stay in the hotel room at the casino, expenses paid or not, much to my friends’ displeasure. Growing up, I’d learned if something sounded too good to be true, it was. This was no exception.
Something inside me had screamed at me not to go while another part of me couldn’t wait. The “couldn’t wait” part scared me. Being rash and doing things out of the ordinary was how people got into trouble, and trouble was one thing I always avoided. I’d rather stay at the gym and teach kids how to defend themselves so they’d never get into trouble like I had.
The glistening gold doors of the Portal Resort and Casino caught my attention just as my phone dinged a special tone. I didn’t have to look to know who it was. Hell, she was the one who’d programmed her number and selected the ringtone when she’d pushed me to come.
Ember: Ho, where r u? Isa left me alone and drink. At farty bar.
My stomach clenched. A fucking farty bar? Not only was I somewhere I didn’t feel comfortable, but now I had to deal with a drunk Ember and stench. That would be fun.
Not bothering to answer since she probably wouldn’t be able to read the text anyway, I put the phone back into my pocket and removed my golden ticket, then forced myself to move forward. The hotel seemed almost familiar, though I couldn’t say why.
Taking a deep breath, I clutched the door handle, and that prickly sensation of being watched washed over me again. I used to get this sensation in foster homes right before something went horribly wrong.
My phone dinged with the same tone, and my heartbeat quickened. What if Ember was in trouble and this was her way of calling me for help?
Exhaling, I opened the door, stepped into the lobby—and stopped in my tracks. I’d never been in a place so beautiful. Metallic golden tiles that reflected the twinkling lights and dazzled my senses covered the high ceiling. The lobby was packed, everyone in costumes, laughing with drinks in hand.
I searched for someone to show my ticket to, but no one was there. Everyone was laughing and having a good time, and people walked in from behind me without pause. Maybe the ticket was for the food and room here, not the actual party? Either way, I was in. Now, I needed to find Ember and Isa.
I homed in on the woman behind the hotel reception desk, trying to ignore the gorgeous stained-glass pyramid behind her that separated us from the casino. If Ember was in trouble, I needed to find her.
As I approached, the young woman lifted a brow and smirked before hiding her reaction. She cleared her throat. “How can I help you?” Humor was woven through her tone.
If she thought I looked funny in a beer-stained pig onesie, I couldn’t wait to see her reaction to my question. Lifting my chin high to try to appear confident, I said, “I’m looking for the farty bar.” I waved my ticket in front of her face, wanting this interaction over with quickly.
“Excuse me?” She blinked and coughed to cover up her laughter. She hadn’t even blinked at my ticket.
Clearly, there was no farty bar. At least, that marginally improved the odds of this night not being a total disaster. “My friend is drunk and sent me a text.” I showed her the message.
“Oh.” She mashed her lips together. “She must mean the Fairy Bar. That’s the closest thing to it. It’s to the left, past the elevators. Go outside and follow the stone path.”
“Thanks.”
A few people glanced at me as I walked beneath an archway lined with glowing pink lights and past the elevators. A tall, stocky guy stood rigidly beside one elevator. His black suit, pressed and starched, made him look young. He was so still that I would’ve believed he was a wax statue if not for his warm cognac-brown eyes and thick hair, the rich color of tree bark.
When our gazes locked, a frigid chill of warning ran through me, and my legs almost gave out. His stare had my heart galloping against my ribs; it was the way a predator gleamed at its prey. Something was familiar about him, but that added to his creepy vibe.
Either this place was dangerous, or I was letting my paranoia get the best of me.
