Chapter 12
The club's new purple radiance replaced the retro blue, giving the space a modern appearance. The double DJs were doing an excellent job of getting the crowd on the dance floor to move, their shouts and laughter ringing through the air. Even I felt the urge to move my feet.
I kept a firm grip on the human girl's arm, with Wade positioned closely behind her, just in case. I couldn't afford to lose her when I had plans to savor every part of her.
As we approached the narrow, broad-walled hallway, I knew it led to the rooms designated for dances and feeding sessions. Cloney had the girls sitting on hard chairs while their blood was drained; I preferred plush, reclining chairs that offered comfort and style.
I opened the office door to find him counting money. He tossed the stacks down with a cunning smile as he stood up. "Stay out here," I instructed Snow Bunny.
She rolled her eyes. I gently cupped her cheeks. "Don't go anywhere."
"I won't. I'll stay," she replied.
Wade and I stepped inside. The air was thick with the scents of blood and smoke. I fixed my gaze on him as he licked his fangs clean of the crimson residue.
"You bring her back in," he groaned, glaring at the girl just as Wade slammed the door shut in her face. With a vulturous gleam in her eyes, Wade was ready to swoop down on him in an instant. Ethan, slippery as a dew-kissed leaf, was quick to dart behind me.
"What did I do to make you ready to jump down my throat? Damn," he protested.
"You kicked her out. Why?"
"She didn't want to work."
"And?" Wade's deep voice cut in. "You said something else, you damn hungry snake."
"Okay, I might have said something else to her, but it was just empty threats. There's no reason for you to jump down my throat about it."
Wade and Ethan danced around each other, one trying to evade capture while the other sought to ensnare him. They resembled children playing at the feet of two parents having a civilized conversation in the park.
I rested my hand on my hip, annoyance etching lines across my face, making me look like an aged human being.
"What specifically did you say?"
"Huh?" he stammered, unable to respond. He rushed back to his desk while Wade attempted to circle around him, only for Ethan to mirror her movements. "I was saying... come on, Wade. She was being rude."
"You had one job. Do you know how it looks to nearly throw a girl out in front of that large crowd?"
"Not just any girl—a poor, ugly human," he insulted.
Wade and I both growled, causing him to freeze in place. This prompted Wade to grab him, stretching his neck as if to detach it.
"Wade," I warned, my voice low and dangerous. "Leave him be."
"He's treating her like garbage. I could just detach it and not toss it in the fire—make him go headless for two hours or longer."
"Please, man. I was just doing my job—hire and fire. She was being a pain, so I told her I wasn't going to pay her. It was punishment for her lack of manners."
"This club is their livelihood. Those girls have nothing else," Wade retorted, releasing her shark-like grip. Ethan sighed, sinking lower in his chair, looking even smaller in his baggy suit.
"She's just a letdown. From the looks of it, she used to be one of Cloney's sluts."
Wade growled.
"You can't threaten these girls' livelihoods. The humans have nothing," I added.
He pushed the money aside to clear a path, leaning on the desk with both hands. "We don't need them. They're just whiny creatures."
"Ethan, stop flaunting your privileges. I don't want you touching her or even uttering a word to her. When she performs, the money is hers, and at the end of the night, she should get double."
His eyes widened, and his mouth opened to protest, but Wade cut him off before he could get a word out. She was fierce.
"Do you understand what she said?" she demanded, yanking him up by the collar of his suit, black blood dripping from the corner of his lips.
"I got it," he replied, his voice dull.
"Alright."
"Wade, why don't you make sure she doesn't run away?"
She quickly complied, clearly preferring to be with her than to deal with Ethan. I needed to have a serious conversation with him. She was out the door in no time.
Ethan visibly relaxed in Wade's absence, his posture improving slightly. Where was he getting these suits, and why did they hang off him like a monkey on a trapeze?
"What's her problem? I know she hates me, but did she really have to nearly detach my head?" He groaned, twisting his neck back into place. "Tell her, without revealing it's me, that she's crazy."
"I'll tell her you said that," I teased.
His eyes widened. "She'll kill me. I've still got two centuries left!"
I took in his unhealthy posture. As a rogue vampire, he fed on whatever he could find, making him appear less alive than most. I decided to let it go and looked down at the table covered with cash, some stacks already secured with rubber bands.
"I see the night isn't over, and the club is already raking it in." I picked up one of the stacks and began to sift through the bills. "Cool. Six thousand." That stack alone represented what one of the girls would earn for the night.
"I'm not playing with those girls. They're cash cows; they bring in the milk every damn hour."
I was new to the club scene.
"Don't be so hard on them," I said.
"You have to be, Jager. If you don't, those bitches will suck you dry. Humans do more of the sucking than we do."
"All I'm saying is keep the abuse away. Don't hit the girls. Don't feed from them. I know you did earlier."
"I was craving a little top-up."
"Go eat a damn rat from the dumpster. Those girls are only meant to give blood to paying customers."
"Understood, boss."
He stacked the money and placed it on the counter. It quickly leafed through, giving him the total in seconds. He wrote it down on the Excel sheet.
He glanced at the door before speaking. "So, that little old dog, is she something to Wade?"
"Just keep your hands off her. We don't want any trouble."
He smirked. "Claiming girls already, huh?"
I picked up two stacks of cash. "I'll take these."
"Why?"
"Because it's my money."
"Of course, boss. Just hope you're not mixing business with pleasure."
"It's not your place to care," I replied, heading for the door. I noticed two eyes watching me from the narrow hallway.
"Here. For the trouble tonight," I said, handing her some cash.
She took it from my hands. "I'm going home."
I stood in her way. I couldn't let her go home with that tight body and sweet lips without getting a taste. From the look on Wade's face, I could tell she was hungry for her, too.
"Spend some time with us up in VIP."
"No thanks. I'd rather go home."
I locked my gaze on her. "I wasn't asking," I whispered.
She groaned. "How many hours?"
"As many as we desire. And didn't I tell you to wear jeans and a t-shirt?" She was in a thin black skirt that showed off her pale skin, with a black bra that made her breasts look full. I wanted to know everything about her, especially when her monthly cycle was.
"Not my style," she shrugged.