Page 73 of Wicked Thirst
“You stick out like a sore thumb. I thought you were supposed to be good at undercover operations.” I walked beside Jester as we moved through the lobby of the Night Spawn headquarters and right past the front desk.
Normally the lobby was full of vampires just before the sun came up. They would sit in the modern plush furniture and socialize. They’d laugh and joke like teenagers at a sleepover. Though things seemed to be normal, I could feel an edge in the air. The normal buzz of activity was muted. There were even less vampires moving about than usual. The front desk was usually as busy as the fanciest hotels in London, but as we passed the two women behind the desk, they just continued to play games on their computers and never looked up at us.
“I don’t think anyone is paying attention to what I’m wearing.” Jester’s voice was deep and smooth as he spoke to me.
Prisha looked him up and down. “You would be wrong.”
“Trust me, you are noticeable.” I gave him the side-eye. He looked so military-like in his crew neck long-sleeved black shirt and blue jeans. Even his boots were army grade. There was something about the way he walked that screamed hunter. Nothing about Jester said Night Spawn and everything said cop. This needed to be dealt with delicately or the other vampires would think I was taking sides.
“Or perhaps you’re the only one noticing me.” He smirked and gave me a wink as we walked down a long hallway full of shops.
“Or perhaps you’ve got a big head.” Prisha looked at me with a This guy? Really? look in her eyes, and I couldn’t agree more.
He waved his hand, letting us walk in front of him down the hallway. “Do you both always share the same opinions?”
“Always,” we replied at the same time.
“Ah, so if I convince the sister to like me . . .” He let his words trail off.
“No, absolutely not.”
He gave a dramatic sigh. “Shame.”
I wasn’t used to seeing the doors all closed up. Usually I was playing dodge the door. They opened and closed so many times it was difficult not to get smacked by one. The bar was always full of activity and loud music. Yet today it only played slower music, and a few regular vampires sat on the stools keeping to themselves. Next to the bar was a salon, and not a single chair was occupied. Nothing about this seemed right. Were all the vampires hiding after hearing about the attack on the castle? Perhaps, like me, they thought they would be in jeopardy for retaliation.
“Are you flirting with me at a time like this?” I asked. I’d never gone undercover before, and my nerves were frying me from the inside out. I didn’t know if I was making the quiet out to be something more than it was or if my paranoia was justified.
“Merely pointing out that you like me,” he replied.
Why did he have to be so damn calm? It was irritating at a time like this.
“You put me in prison.” I looked away from him. “It was terrifying.”
“You were where you shouldn’t have been.” He said it so simply, like that warranted his actions. “Any other vampire would’ve been treated the same.”
“He does have a point,” Prisha added, and I shot her a look that told her to shut her mouth. She pressed her lips together.
“Yes, because small women with no shoes hiding in the dark screams treason.” I pursed my lips and tried not to roll my eyes at him.
“You never really can be sure.”
I didn’t want to respond to him. I needed to focus on the task at hand. I hooked my hand into the crook of Prisha’s arm, and when we got to the open floor where the apartments started, we turned to the right. There was a wide space between each apartment and the hallway was more like a hangout space with plush seating areas every few feet. As we walked, vampires paused their conversations to look at Jester.
“See? I told you.”
He gave a dark chuckle and shook his head. “Think again, sweetie.”
When two vampires approached us, I held my breath. They were a couple I’d known for some time. They were what I would describe as a cute goth couple. Mark was tall and thin with tight black pants and a ripped white V-neck shirt. His vest hung off his shoulders, making him look thinner.
His girlfriend was a mirror of him, only slightly shorter. She wore black skinny jeans and a loose-fitting white shirt. I plastered a smile on my face as they stopped in a small semi-circle in front of us. “Mark, Jessica, how are you?”
Mark eyed me closely. “Never mind how we are, how are you?”
“After your ordeal, it’s all anyone can talk about.” Jessica leaned in closer. “I mean, you were in the dungeon of the castle. You only hear rumors of how awful it is.”
I wanted to kick Jester because I practically felt him gloating next to me. They weren’t paying attention to him, and I was what got their interest. I kept my smile in place. “Oh, yeah. It was a total misunderstanding.”
Jessica lowered her voice. “Yeah, but you were innocent. I can’t imagine what they’re going to do to the rest of us if they took you.”
