Prologue
Hollie Donaldson gritted her teeth, tossed her long, light-blonde hair over her shoulder, and glared at the huge beefcake who stood in front of her.
He was denying them entrance into Dark Skye, the number one nightclub in the city.
A place everyone and their mother wanted to get into.
Who the hell was he to say she couldn’t walk through those doors he was guarding as if it were the entrance to Heaven?
“Come on,” Jessica hissed, reaching out and latching onto her arm, her sharp nails digging into Hollie’s skin. “Let’s go.”
“No,” Hollie snapped, her blue eyes flashing in anger as she raised her hand and pointed a finger at the bouncer, her hot pink nail polish sparkling with glitter under the outside lights.
“We drove over two hours to come to this place for your birthday, and we are not leaving just because this douchebag thinks we aren’t good enough for his bougie establishment. ”
No way was she leaving. She’d heard rumors regarding this place.
Things about what went on in the dimly lit corners of the club run by the local vampire coven.
The promise of an intoxicating rush that roared through you after sharp fangs pierced your skin, that was like nothing you’d ever felt in your life, was the largest part of the allure.
She wanted to see what that was all about. Maybe not have those fangs actually touching her skin personally, but just call her a freaking voyeur. She needed to see what it was all about, even if she chose not to feel it herself.
The giant Neanderthal rose from where he was seated on a barstool in front of a very long line of people, a line that seemed to move back in unison the moment he stood.
Tattoos in black ink covered every inch of skin that was visible, and the veins on his forearms stood out when he clenched his hands into large fists as he glared at her.
Hollie noticed he even had letters tattooed on each finger.
One sported the word ‘SLAY’, the other ‘DEAD’.
What. The. Actual. Fuck?
Her heart skipped a beat, and then began to pound harder in her chest, but she refused to show her fear.
Crap. Can vampires scent emotions like shifters?
He took one threatening step toward her, so the tip of her finger came to rest on his overly huge chest, and let out a deep, menacing growl.
“You might want to take your friend’s advice, little girl.
Trust me, this is not a place you want to play, and I’m definitely not someone you want to fuck with. ”
A huff of laughter escaped Hollie as she placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side.
“Really? You think I’m afraid of you?” She narrowed her eyes at him, arching an eyebrow.
“I play where I want, when I want.” Okay, so maybe she was terrified right now, and perhaps she’d only been to a couple of bars since she turned twenty-one, but he didn’t have to know that.
“Not here, little girl.”
Hollie heard the crowd murmuring softly behind her and scented their nervousness, but she ignored them. She refused to bow down to the man, even if he had tattoos on his cleanly shaven head.
She had to admit to herself that on any other man, she might have found all of his art attractive. On him, it did nothing for her. The guy was just a dick.
“I’m not going anywhere until you can give me a good reason not to let us in.”
The bouncer bared just the tips of his fangs, his eyes turning a red hue for a brief moment, before he glanced over at Jessica. His nostrils flared, and he snarled, “Her kind is not welcome here.”
Jessica flinched, her emerald eyes filling with tears that Hollie caught a glimpse of before her bestie lowered her head.
A wave of anger washed over her, removing any fear she’d felt before, and she had to fight her lioness back.
Her cat was just plain furious and wanted to tear out the vampire’s throat for insinuating the woman who was like a sister to her was ‘less than’ anyone else standing in the long line.
“Her kind?” Hollie growled, keeping her voice low as she let her own fangs drop and her animal show in her dark blue eyes that were now ringed with a deep gold color.
“Just what kind might that be? A beautiful, strong, loyal woman? Someone with a huge heart who would do anything for anyone? Or maybe, a person who wouldn’t kick a–”
“What’s going on here?”
The cold, hard voice stopped Hollie’s tirade, and she looked over at the man who’d interrupted her. His dark eyes stared back, lacking any kind of emotion.
He was dressed all in black, with a burgundy tie and matching shoes.
Dark. Red. Shoes.
Hollie wasn’t sure if that was classy or just plain weird. Seriously, who wore burgundy dress shoes?
She let out a small huff. A vampire, that’s who. Of course they would wear the color of their favorite meal.
Blood.
The bouncer smirked, taking a step back and crossing his arms over his chest. “Mr. Griffin, I was just explaining to these ladies why they won’t be enjoying our bougie establishment tonight.”
“You were being a prick,” Hollie stated defiantly, her eyes on the man who was obviously a bigger threat.
He had an air of importance about him, even with his ugly ass shoes, that went with the deadly vibes radiating from him.
Serial killer vibes. “Denying us entrance because of my friend’s species, it isn’t right. ”
Mr. Griffin glanced over at Jessica, then back at Hollie, his expression never changing. “My club. My rules.”
“Well, your rules suck.”
“Leave. You’re holding up the line.” It was said with confidence, and Hollie wanted nothing more than to punch him in his condescending face. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to do that. She’d never been in a fight in her life.
She had claws, though. She was sure she could do some damage.
“And if I refuse?”
His eyes hardened even more, if that were possible. “Do you really want to find out?”
Holy Goddess above. The man was threatening her in front of everyone.
The majority of the people standing in line had moved back a few steps when the confrontation started, and most of them wouldn’t have heard the things being said, or Hollie wouldn’t have spoken so openly.
Most humans didn’t know about the paranormal world, and she wasn’t going to be the one to out them by saying something that could incriminate them.
However, the other shifters and vamps behind her would have heard, but no one said a word. They were either too intimidated or just really wanted the chance to go into the club. She and Jessica wouldn’t be getting any help from them.
Jessica moved closer to her, whispering, “Please, Hollie, let’s just go.”
Hollie held the stranger’s gaze for a long moment before she decided it might be best to back down this time.
Her lioness was going crazy, wanting to attack, but a shiver ran up Hollie’s spine at the utterly soulless eyes staring back at her.
She had a feeling that if she didn’t give in and leave now, they might not survive the night.
“Fine,” she said, holding her head high and raising her voice so others could hear as she glared at them, “we’ll go.
In the future, Mr. Griffin, perhaps you should put up a sign stating exactly who is and who is not allowed in your club, so others don’t stand out here for hours on end waiting for entrance into the place, only to be turned away because of your narrow-minded bigotry. ”
“Leave. Now.”
Grasping Jessica’s hand, she tore her gaze from the enraged vampire and turned away.
“You should think twice before you open your mouth, feline. You don’t want me for an enemy.”
Unable to stay silent, Hollie returned loudly, “Do you threaten all of your guests, or am I just the lucky one?”
“You are nothing to me. Nothing to anyone. You never have been, and now you never will be.”
A feeling of dread filled her at the veiled threat in his words.
He was right. She had no family, and Jessica was her only friend.
No one would miss her if she was suddenly gone tomorrow, and she had a feeling the bastard had taken a trip through her head and found that out.
Vampires had certain gifts that most other paranormals did not.
One was their ability to read minds. She’d thought she had hers shut down tight, but she must have been wrong.
Jessica, on the other hand, did have a family waiting at home for her. A powerful one who loved her fiercely. She would be protected. That was what mattered. As long as she was safe, Hollie could deal with whatever the asshole threw her way.
Gritting her teeth, Hollie stayed silent as she and Jessica made their way back to Hollie’s car.
It was a beat-up hatchback that had seen better days, but it was the only thing she could afford.
They’d had to park several blocks away, and the way was dimly lit.
Jessica jumped at every noise on their way, and Hollie had to stop herself from doing the same.
“Hollie,” Jessica whispered when they reached her vehicle, “you shouldn’t have done that. I saw the evil intent in that man’s eyes. I’ve been around it enough. He isn’t going to forget it. He’s going to come for us, and he isn’t going to stop until he finds us.”
“No,” Hollie said firmly, “he is going to come for me. Not you.”
“Not true. He’ll come for us both.”
Hollie squeezed the hand she still held, giving her friend a gentle smile. “Yes, it is, because you are going to be far away in your realm, with your family, where that bastard and his minions can’t find you.”
“No!” Jessica shook her head vehemently, “I’m not leaving you here all alone! I can’t do that! The only reason we’re here tonight is because of me.”
“That’s not true, and you know it,” Hollie said softly. “I wanted to see what the hype regarding Dark Skye was all about, too.”
“But we only came because of my birthday.” Tears slipped down Jessica’s cheeks as she begged, “Come with me! Please!”
Hollie shook her head sadly, leaning in to hug the one person who had ever worried about her, lightly rubbing her cheek against her friend’s.
Hollie’s own parents hadn’t even cared if she lived or died.
The second she turned eighteen, she’d been turned out of the only home she’d ever known, with just the clothes on her back and a thousand dollars to her name. Unwanted and unloved.
She’d survived that, and she would survive this.
“You know I can’t do that. I won’t be welcome in your realm.”
“My family will protect you!”
Hollie didn’t need the acrid stench that filled the air to tell her it was a lie.
They both knew it was. In all their years of friendship, she’d never once met a member of Jessica’s family.
Their king would kill Hollie on sight if she showed up in the demon realm.
He was just as prejudiced against other species as the owner of Dark Skye appeared to be against Jessica’s race.
Jessica suddenly stiffened, her eyes going wide in panic. “They’re coming.”
“Yes,” Hollie murmured, letting go of the demoness’s hand after giving it one last squeeze. “It’s time for you to go home, Jessie.”
“I can’t.”
“You can, and you will.”
She sensed the vamps were close, her lioness snarling a warning in her head. She had to get Jessica to leave, and she needed to get out of there fast.
Opening her car door, Hollie slipped inside. “Go, now, my friend. I’ll reach out to you when it’s safe.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” It was a vow she might not be able to keep, but if it made the demoness feel better, she would give it to her.
She watched as Jessica took a deep breath before looking around in fear. After one last glance at Hollie, her image began to shimmer, and then she was gone, leaving the slight scent of sulfur behind.
“Bossman said to track them down and eliminate them.”
The voices came to her in the dark night, a whisper that she never would have heard if she were human.
“What if they’re gone already?”
“We focus on the lioness. He wants her to suffer.”
Well, shit, that complicated things. There was no way she could go home now. They would easily find her there. She’d shown her ID to the bouncer before he’d seen Jessica with her. If he was halfway decent at his job, he would have noticed the town she lived in.
“How the hell are we supposed to find her? I don’t see them anywhere, and I’ve lost their scents.”
Scent? Vampires could track someone by scent, like a shifter?
That was something she hadn’t known. It was going to make things even more difficult.
“We have her address.”
Yep, this was definitely a shitshow now. They knew where she lived. The room she rented might be a dump, but it was her dump, and now she couldn’t even go back for her clothes.
And what about her job? It was boring as hell, and she hated it, but it was a paycheck. One she desperately needed.
Dammit, why did she have to have such a big mouth? This was all her fault, and she knew it, but she’d never been able to control herself when someone pissed her off like the bouncer had.
“We find her, torture her, and drain her dry. Boss’s orders.”
“Fuck yeah. Let’s have some fun.”
Terror filled her at not only the finality in the guy’s tone, but the fact that they were very close now.
While she may not be a coward, she also wasn’t stupid.
There was no way she was going to hang around to hear more.
Her life may not be the happy one she always wished she had, but she still valued it.
She wasn’t hanging around to let someone stick their fangs in her and steal it from her.
Slamming her door shut, because the stupid thing wouldn’t latch unless you did, Hollie started her car and pressed on the gas pedal, growling in frustration when it lurched forward and stopped. Letting out a low hiss of dismay, she started the piece of junk and stomped on the pedal again.
Luck was on her side this time, and the tires let out a loud squeal as she pulled away from the curb. Glancing into her rearview mirror, she waved at the two very pissed-off vampires chasing after her, before raising her middle finger with a grin.
It was a grin that left her face quickly as she made her way out of the city to the interstate, unsure which way to go. North or south? Which would be best to throw off the coven that she had no doubt would pursue her?
Deciding the only thing that mattered was getting as far away as possible, Hollie took the first on-ramp she saw and floored it, pushing her little car as fast as it would go.
She’d come up with a plan later. Right now, she just needed distance between her and the vamps of Dark Skye.