Page 37 of Bishop's Flight
It hit him again.
Three nights. Two days. Lucas O’Hara’s life hung in the balance, and Brigid was being aggressive. He couldn’t blame her.
“Be careful,” he said. “Call me when you can.”
Twelve
Brigid didn’t meet Mika at the cowboy bar but at the quieter establishment that Gavin owned on the top floor of a very fancy casino. She walked through the hushed lobby after getting off the private elevator and was immediately struck by the quiet scent of blood-wine and money.
Mika was already sitting at a table with a woman wearing a low-cut black dress and a ruby necklace around her neck.
Brigid glanced around and saw other demure donors wearing ruby-encrusted jewelry and assumed they were the paid donors. This was a drinking club, but it also had the air of the social club that Murphy ran in Dublin. There were bookcases and low tables, small clutches of men and women speaking in hushed voices. It was the exact opposite of the cowboy bar Carwyn had told her about.
Brigid kind of wished Mika had picked the cowboy bar. People with money made her itch.
A hostess approached her. She wasn’t wearing a ruby necklace, but she was human. “Miss Connor, welcome to the Enclave.”
“Thank you. I’m meeting—”
“Mr. Arakas is already waiting for you. He asked for a table by a window. We employ sound-dampening technology to ensure the privacy of all our guests. Is that acceptable to you?”
“It is, thank you.” Many of Gavin’s clubs were the only places that vampires could safely and securely conduct business. They were tiny oases of neutrality, and there was good reason vampires paid the hefty dues needed to belong to them.
Brigid had never paid Gavin money, but she’d been added as an elite member after a favor years ago, and she didn’t take the gesture for granted.
Mika spotted her as she approached, leaned over to the donor, and whispered in her ear. The woman left the table with a smile and a satin clutch that was probably thicker than when she arrived.
As she passed, Brigid caught her lush scent and her fangs began to ache. She looked around the club, knowing that it would be a good idea to feed here before she continued in her mission. Gavin’s clubs were always safe places to hire a blood donor even if they were expensive.
He gestured to the chair across from him. “I ordered a bottle of blood-wine. Portuguese. Thank you for meeting with me.”
“Thanks to you as well. I appreciate your discretion.” She sat down and examined the assassin across from her.
Mika Arakas was the kind of vampire who fit into the role of an assassin perfectly. He was tall—nearly unavoidable for an Estonian—with brown hair and blue eyes. He was handsome in a low-key way with even features and the ability to blend in to nearly any crowd, save for his height.
“I know about the boy.” Mika’s expression was blank. “So does Oleg. We didn’t want to bring it up in front of Bernard because my employer wants to avoid the impression that he is searching for power or supports Zasha’s attempts. Las Vegas is run well and discreetly under Agnes Wong and Rose Di Marco. A power shift serves no one’s interests.”
“Except Zasha’s.”
“Does it?” Mika’s expression remained blank. “Has anyone asked themselves what the motivation for this is? Zasha has money, and frankly, they don’t value it. It’s not interesting to them.”
“Power then.”
“Las Vegas is not a seat of power, and that kind of power isn’t the kind they crave. Fear. Intimidation. Zasha thrives on being the ghoul in the darkness not the emperor on the throne.”
Brigid sat back as the server came to the table, uncorked the blood-wine, and poured two glasses. Mika reached for the goblet, tasted it, and gave the server a curt nod. The man left the table, but Mika still didn’t speak.
“Me then.”
Mika cocked his head.
“Zasha has fixated on me. They sought me out in New Orleans. They seemed… interested. I don’t know why.”
“That is not implausible. You’re a young fire vampire, and your power is similar to theirs.”
“How’d you know about my power?”
“It’s my job to know those things.” The corner of his mouth turned up. “Don’t you know who I work for?”
