Page 59 of Skin Trade

Images of one of the thirsty, of the giant one who’d slammed through the doors came into Payton’s head, and the idea of it tromping through the building, slaughtering everyone as they slept. She grimaced at it.

“Look,” said Sky. “Watch.”

A creature, over six feet tall stood across the road. His hunched back making him bend to one side, like a limping Quasimodo. He had no hair; his face ashen. One guard had his gun trained on him, ready to fire if the thirsty made any sudden movements. And then it did. It leapt off the side of the road it was on, almost landed right in the middle of the road and then scurried across to them, using the moving traffic as a shield for itself.

“Not so stupid after all,” Payton said, leaning around so she could see what it was doing. It emerged from the cover of a truck, leapt, but the guard who’d already seen it, raised his gun and fired, three times, right into the creature’s head. Then he spoke into his radio. Presumably to call for someone to clean up the mess.

The creature lay on the pavement half naked, in an odd heap with its leg twisted in a way that wasn’t natural. Its knee had bent backwards, perhaps why it could jump higher. “Is that … are they double jointed?”

“They break bones, and it doesn’t matter,” Sky said answering her question. “Means they can do things like jump or climb or hang and not care. Not much hurts when you can’t really die.”

Payton frowned. “But it died, the guard--”

“Special bullets. Laced with something Sir came up with. Kills them dead.” She paused, glanced down. “If you’re looking for Sir, by the way, he has finished his meeting.”

“He has? What do you mean?”

Sky nodded to the row of screens under the desk. They flicked from place to place, mostly showing the outside of the place, but one of the cameras displayed the stairwells, another displayed the lifts. Seth and two other men were in the lift. Payton’s hand slid to the pocket where she had the address. She couldn’t tell him. Not now. Not later … the words would dry up in her throat. She knew that without even facing him.

“I er …” she blew out a breath. “I think I may take a gander at what all the fuss is about. That’s okay?”

“Of course, but Sir said …”

“Thanks,” Payton beamed a false smile, putting it on her face and waving at Sky so she could back up and leave and not be reminded that Seth had told her to meet him.

She pushed her way into the stream of people being let in for the night’s entertainment. It wasn’t hard to be swallowed by them, to have them surround her like she’d fallen into a quicksand of people.

Seth came out from the lift and into the main foyer, and whether it was luck, or he knew she was there, he looked at her, right at her and she froze.

Nope. There was no way she could tell him she was leaving.

Chapter Thirty-Four

The floor may as well have dropped from under her, for what it was worth. She was dangling from some great height and spinning out of control. It was like being held over something, somewhere she knew she shouldn’t be, and not knowing how to get herself out of it. She closed her eyes, only for a second, but enough to clear her mind. She could walk towards the door, walk out and it would be done, but instead, she let the crowd suck her in and carry her along from the foyer to the dancer’s lounge.

The sounds changed the moment she stepped through, as if she’d gone through some kind of sound portal, changing from the hustle of people moving around to the beat of faster music meant to speed up her heart rate, until it was a thump in her chest. The room was dark, lights flashed from different angles, from the ceiling, from the floor, from the walls. All of them in the perfect spot to create an atmosphere.

As she moved along with the others, they came to a point at the top of the stairs. The path went left and right. Left was towards the table where staff were waiting to seat patrons and turn away those who did not have a booking. Right meant she could head into the club itself, between the stages, the dancers, the throng of people. When she stopped moving, the crowd spat her out, making it that she had to go right. That was fine with her. She had no table booked and had no intention of asking for one.

Below them, girls danced on small stages that ran through the middle of the room. They were separated by small gaps. Small enough so the dancers could leap from stage to stage without falling, but wide enough that patrons could pass through and get around the room. This was the way Seth had brought her on the first night. They’d come in from a door down on the main floor. Not the front of the building. She’d thought it was at the time, with its grand doors and signs, but maybe that had been an entrance just for him. Or him and the other women he bought.

Tasha danced on the middle stage, and she bent down to show the man standing behind her just what was on offer. He licked his lips, bared his fangs, and leered at her. She laughed, enjoying the attention. He seemed to like it too when she rose, turned and put the foot of her left boot against his chest. They were leather and reached all the way to her thighs, ending just below the hem of her skirt. Not that what she had on could really be classed as a skirt; a big belt perhaps.

The man held up a card—payment card, Payton assumed. Tasha nodded to one of the floormen who then came over, took the card from the man, and helped Tasha down. Purchase complete.

Tasha was topless. Her naked breasts glistened under the lights as she walked with the man. He put a hand on her back, the message clear, Tasha was his now. He’d bought her, paid for her and everyone else better stay the fuck away. Payton watched them all the way to when they were shown to a booth. The floorman said something, tapped his watch and nodded, but the vampire was too eager, grabbed Tasha and pulled her down. She threw her head back in delight.

Seth clearly shared his women. How many of these women had been with him? How many of them had found themselves captivated and in his bed? His hands on their bodies, his mouth on theirs. She clenched her fists by her sides and almost turned away. He’d probably taken Tasha so many times now. It showed in the way she was comfortable with him. She had to be one of his favourites.

“You have a reservation?” A server came to Payton. She smiled at her, offered a menu.

“Oh, no. I don’t want a table. Sorry.”

“Seat at the bar? You can watch the shows from there and you don’t need to reserve them. Or, are you waiting for someone? We have a seating area for that too.”

“Yes. I am waiting for …” she paused. Was she to say Seth? No. She changed her mind and shook her head. “I’m not waiting for anyone. Just looking for the exit.”

“Oh. Well, it’s right back that way.” The server pointed behind Payton to the way she had just come. But that way was blocked. Even more people had come in behind her now, all of them waiting for their seats. It was hard to imagine where the hell they were going to sit. The place looked packed already.

---