Chapter 7
Natalia
It had all come down to this moment.
I took a deep breath, readying every muscle in my body for action. My fingers flexed, the blood flow returning to them now that I’d gotten my hands free of the ropes that had bound me. My heart continued to pound like a drum in my chest.
My father had called in every favor in the book to get me access to this place.
In order to smuggle me inside, he’d had to infiltrate the casino through their designated cleaning service, and even that hadn’t been a sure bet.
He’d only been able to get me access into the deeper sections of the hotel, mainly the washer and dryer rooms, as well as the laundry sorting rooms. It had been up to me to make my way from there into the attached kitchens.
When no one was looking, I had hidden in a supply closet until the place was deserted and I could sneak in through a vent at the back of the room.
I crawled through the air filtration systems until I broke into the holding cells where the trafficked women were being kept.
It had taken some time, but I’d been able to secure my sister.
I’d been so relieved to find her alive, unhurt, and in impressively good health. Her skin was glowing, and her eyes were bright. The Asamire had taken good care of her, or so it appeared.
Finding her was only half the battle. I’d still needed to get her out without any of the vampires finding out. There had been no time for us to catch up because I’d shuttled her out knowing that I only had so much of a window to get her to safety.
My father had discovered that the Wynn replaced the bedding they used in the hotel fairly regularly and last night had been one of the nights a truck would arrive to pick up the discarded sheets.
They packed them in big crates, but there had only been enough time to empty one so that she could fit inside.
I’d marked the crate with my father’s insignia and disguised myself as one of the custodial staff to make sure she got out without a hitch.
When I saw the truck drive away with her on it, it was a massive relief.
I knew then that she would be safely smuggled out and delivered into the hands of my father’s trusted allies and not any more vampires.
Now that she was safe, I could begin the second part of my mission.
I was going to destroy the Asamire clan. My father had a number of clients that were interested in taking their place here in the city and they had paid him very handsomely for the opportunity to destroy them from within. If I succeeded tonight, I would be set for a very long time.
Knowing that time was of the essence, I slipped back into her room moments before the door squeaked open, allowing a sliver of light to peek into the darkness. The guards checked in on the women every few hours, but they wouldn’t know that I’d taken my sister’s place.
The holding cells were luxurious compared to any I’d ever encountered before.
There were a few times in the past that I’d had to play the part of a criminal in order to take out a target that was already imprisoned, and this felt nothing like that.
The mattresses were really comfortable and the pillows soft, probably both from the same makers that outfitted the rest of the hotel.
There were also a few snacks and waters left on the night table.
It made me slightly uneasy, like they were preparing the girls for harvest.
I slept, but warily enough to keep track of each time they checked in on us throughout the night.
When morning came, they’d woken me up with a light knock. They lifted the hatch at the bottom of the door and slipped a light breakfast and a soft towel robe underneath. I stripped and put it on, knowing I didn’t have much of a choice.
Within the hour, the Asamire guards had come to collect and funnel me and the other women into the spa. I didn’t fight them as they began to work on me. There would be plenty of time for that later.
They’d washed, conditioned, and styled my hair.
The attendants in the spa took a lot of time to paint my face with what appeared to be very expensive makeup, but when I looked in the mirror it seemed like they’d only played up my natural features more so than usual.
My eyes seemed bigger and more doe-like.
My cheeks were pinkened and my lips appeared to be plumper too.
I didn’t wear makeup often, so it was odd to say the least.
Next, I was shuttled into a massage room.
There was nothing that alerted me to any danger and when a small woman entered the room, I allowed myself to relax for a little while longer.
She used a number of fragrant oils and lotions to soften my skin.
It was decadently pampering, and I allowed myself to enjoy every minute of it.
After my massage had concluded, the guards brought me back to my holding cell for a full meal.
I’d been served two very full glasses of expensive red wine along with it.
I wouldn’t have drunk it, but the guards watching me threatened physical violence if I didn’t indulge. I finished both glasses without a fuss.
I never felt more like a prized lamb about to be led to the slaughter.
After a bit more time passed and the food settled in my stomach, three female attendants came in and dressed me in a gown fit for a queen.
It was a beautiful dress, and I enjoyed the feeling of it on my skin, but it most certainly would hinder me in a fight.
It didn’t annoy me as much as the collar and leash they’d put around my throat though.
It felt demeaning and controlling. At the first opportunity, I was going to tear it off.
Not long after that, they came to collect me. They took me before all the rest.
Now I was here in the middle of an extravagantly decorated nightclub about to be feasted on by a pair of vampires. I had no intentions of being their special dessert for the night.
I would make my move soon, but not yet.
Banu cleared his throat behind me, and I stiffened slightly.
I had to stay calm for a little while longer.
I needed to wait for the opportune moment to strike.
My gaze slid around the room, memorizing faces and watching as the other virgin women were guided across the floor.
Some of them looked terrified and a fair number of them looked relaxed enough for me to ascertain that they’d probably been drugged into compliance.
At least they hadn’t been hurt from what I could tell.
Not a single bruise marred their skin. It was just as perfect as mine.
I slipped my hands in the flowing layers of my skirts, just brushing my fingers against the matching pair of guns strapped to my thighs. In the moments I’d been left to my own devices in my cell, I’d hidden several different types of weapons beneath it. I’d smuggled them in myself.
My father hadn’t only called in his allies to get me here. He’d called in several of his friends in the arms business in order to procure a few different types of weapons that would be useful against an enemy of the vampire kind.
Banu called a man and woman from the crowd. From what I could gather on their presence here in Vegas, they were the king and queen of one of the reigning clans that opposed the Asamire.
From the surface, it appeared that the two clans were allies, but I saw the way Isabella glanced back at Banu with a guarded suspicion. Even Nathaniel was poised in a way that if he had to defend himself from the Asamire king, he would be at the ready.
The Lasombre didn’t trust the Asamire.
I lifted my chin, studying the woman at my side in greater detail.
Isabella looked like a gothic porcelain doll.
Her makeup would have been overdone on anyone else, but the smoky grays around her eyes gave her a supernatural aura that just made her seem like royalty.
When I looked back at Nathaniel, his gaze was focused on her like she was the center of his entire world.
Isabella tightened the leash, and I could feel her only just brushing against me.
I turned my head and faced her, peeking over her shoulder to see another woman in red watching me curiously.
She narrowed her eyes, and there was a flash of recognition there.
I didn’t know why she’d know me. I didn’t recognize her.
I made a note of her presence, but I wasn’t distracted by her for very long.
Isabella tugged at the leash again, pulling me against her soft form. She was taller than me by several inches and when her cold fingers just brushed against my chin, I lifted my gaze to take in her perfectly chiseled features.
She was even more beautiful up close and incredibly statuesque.
I wondered if turning into a vampire made her lovelier or if that was just what she looked like before she died.
She smiled down at me and there was a glimmer of crazed excitement in her eyes that left me feeling uneasy.
She stared at me unblinking, and I swallowed heavily in an attempt to keep calm and keep my nerves in check at being so close to a vampire like this.
Behind me, Nathaniel drew closer, and I arched backwards so only my shoulders would touch him and not the rest of me. The side of his cheek pressed against my head, and he inhaled deeply.
“Hmmm, delicious,” he hummed in satisfaction.
I really didn’t like that.
“Such a pretty little treat,” she murmured, and I had to suppress a shudder of revulsion from her undivided attentions. She was a monster who would not hesitate in killing every single one of the women here. She probably wouldn’t even blink as she did it.
“Have you ever seen a vampire feed?” Isabella asked. Her gaze searched mine and I slowly shook my head. “Oh, my sweet little virgin, you’re in for quite the treat tonight. I can’t wait to taste your fear once you witness your first.”