Chapter 17
"I never got your name, Chapstick," the girl I was cleaning off said softly. I forced a smile.
"You never asked."
"And you never asked," she replied.
"You want the honest truth?"
She nodded.
"Well, I didn't care to know any of your names. I just want to work, save up, and disappear." I continued wiping her down, her brown eyes still pooled with tears, making them glisten like glossy brown toast drizzled with syrup.
"Understandable. You want to stay in your own lane. But I doubt we have a lane anymore. It's all taken over by the vamps."
"I don't care about them. I'm taking their money and disappearing.
Wherever my money takes me, that's where I'll stay.
But Las Vegas is flooded with them. I want to go to a small human town, where the bars, clubs, shops, and supermarkets are run by humans.
I hate to say this, and I never thought I would live to say it, but I miss humans. I miss us."
"I doubt there's any human town left."
"There are," I informed her. "The government has set up protections there. Many still exist. But it's expensive to live there; it feels like luxury living. It's like Dubai in the USA." I chuckled, meeting her gaze.
A tear finally fell from her eyes. "I want to go too."
"We all can, as long as you're human," I smirked.
She nodded, stifling a sniffle. "I hate it here. My mom is in the hospital, so I can't leave just yet." She let out a bitter laugh. "Don't you find it funny that not a single vamp is lying in those hospital beds, but humans are?"
"We are weak," I said with a thin smile. It was the harsh reality. I picked up the clothes. "Put these on; they won't fit perfectly since I'm smaller than you, but they're better than walking around naked."
She nodded.
"You'll just have to wait until you get home to wash your hair." I gestured to the blood matted in her bronze hair.
"Yeah. Thanks. You still haven't told me your name."
"Snow Bunny."
"Your real name."
"Xanthe."
"Cool name. Mine's Alley."
"Cool name too. I have to go back out there to serve these monsters their blood."
I made my way back up to the VIP section, sensing that some disaster awaited me or perhaps the two women I had been searching for all night.
The guys were still there, and their table appeared clean.
"Hey, Chapstick!" the same guy called out as I walked past.
"What?" I snapped, my eyes wide.
"Where are our drinks? The boss said we should get a new set." He smirked.
"Why doesn't the boss get it for you, huh?
" I retorted, strutting away. I served a couple at a nearby table, who tipped generously, and was on my way back down when I spotted Wade and Jager coming up the stairs.
Panic bulked through me, and I quickly hid my face behind the tray as I descended the steps, only for someone to lift me off the ground.
My heart raced as I realized I was being pulled back up into the VIP section.
One of them had grabbed me. I still hadn't figured out which one, with the tray pressed tightly against my flushed cheeks.
"Where were you trying to sneak off to, Snow Bunny?" Wade whispered, her lips brushing against the tray, making me blush even deeper.
"I'm not done working," I replied, trying to sound firm.
I was set down, but onto something hard. The tray was pulled from my hands, and I found myself face-to-face with Jager.
I quickly jumped up. "What can I get you?" I asked, taking note of their booth—just two tables down from the group of rude boys, whose eyes I could feel gunning into me.
"Why don't you relax with us for a moment? Take a break; those heels look like they're hurting your little feet, Snow Flakes." Jager's voice was sweet, almost like candy for the ears.
"Kiss my ass," I growled.
She smirked. "How much?"
I snorted. "Your order?"
Jager leaned over the table, her gaze fixed on me. "Tell me, Snow Princess. How much for a kiss on your ass? Name your price."
I realized that for them, everything revolved around naming a price, and they could get what they wanted. That's how they had lived for years.
"Blood wine and shots, coming right up," I said, ignoring her proposition. She leaned back, the purple lighting casting shadows on their faces, making them appear even more enigmatic.
"Do your thing, Snow Flakes. But when you come back, I hope the price is on the tip of those lips," she said.
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever," I mumbled.
"Come here," Jager commanded. I couldn't help but smile inside as she rummaged through her seemingly endless supply of cash.
She folded a few bills and leaned forward, slipping the money into the side of my skirt.
Her hand lingered, palming my ass cheeks.
"So damn full," she remarked, her words slipping through her fangs.
Jager pulled out some cash from her pocket and tucked it into my bosom. "I'm a breast type of woman," she whispered.
As I walked back down, one of the guys grabbed me. I yelped. "Money!" one of the men shouted, as if he had just discovered it for the first time. He clawed at the cash nestled in my bosom and at my side.
"Give it back!" I sneered, struggling against the many hands that roamed over my body in a disgusting manner.
"Your little friend spilled our drink, and we want our money back," he said, holding me down in his lap.
"Let me go!" I elbowed him, but it felt like hitting steel. Their skin was hard and durable; humans never stood a chance against them.
He pushed me off, and I stumbled to the ground. Jager and I locked eyes, and she began to rise. I quickly regained my footing.
"You fucking idiots!" I yelled, reaching for my money.
"Is there a problem here, boys?" Jager asked, leaning against the side of the booth.
"She made her friend spill our drink, and now we have to clean our own table," he complained.
I grinned. "You're rich, right? So there's no need to take my money!" I lunged for the cash, but he kept extending his hand further and further away. No matter how much I shook him, he wouldn't budge.
Jager wrapped her arms around my waist. "Let me handle this."
"Go get our drinks, Snow Princess. I've got this," she whispered.
"I want my fucking tip! It's mine!"
"I'll double it all. Just get our drinks, and I'll take care of this, I promise," she assured me gently.
"Fuck you! Fuck all of you!" I growled, pointing at everyone, including Jager.