Page 3 of Nexus
His amusement vanished and was replaced with concern. “Did anyone else see the body?”
“It’s been taken care of,” I said, trusting my mom to have had it cleaned up by now. “Are you going to let me in so I can claim my bounty, or what?”
“You can go in, but the Den is a safe zone. No fights are allowed. You’ll have to try to get the vamp to leave peacefully, or risk banishment.”
“Is dragging him out by the hair acceptable?”
He thought it over, then shrugged. “That’s up to Lenny to decide.”
“Who’s Lenny?”
“He’s the zombie who manages the club.”
Mom hadn’t mentioned a zombie was in charge. The only zombies I’d seen were the shambling ones that fed on flesh. It would be interesting to meet one that still had the capacity to think.
“Thanks for your help,” I said and slipped him a twenty.
He saluted me and tucked it into his pocket, before opening the door like a gentleman. “Welcome to the Den of Iniquity,” he said, sweeping his hand theatrically for me to enter.
Smirking at his exaggerated manners, I stepped into the foyer and noise washed over me. It was loud, crowded and humid inside the bar. The floor was covered in black carpet, except for the wooden dancefloor in the middle of the room. Tall metal tables without chairs were scattered to the left and right. The bar was at the back of the room. It stretched all the way from one side to the other. Three bartenders were working at various stations. The dancefloor was packed with swaying couples who were groping and kissing each other as if they didn’t care who watched them. To the right were the bathrooms and a set of stairs leading upwards.
I paused just inside the door to evaluate the crowd. A lot of the werecreatures were sporting tattoos of their pack, pride or whatever group they came from. At a glance, you could tell if they were canines, felines, bears, reptiles, rodents, birds or whatever other type of animal they shifted into. I didn’t need their ink to tell me. I could always sense what manner of monster I was dealing with.
A lot of the patrons were vamps and shifters, but there were plenty of other species from the underworld as well. They all looked like normal humans at the moment, thanks to the magic that made them transform once they reached our dimension. Only a few of them felt like they could be a possible threat to me. With luck, I could grab the vamp, drag him out to the back of the building and stake him to death without anyone making a fuss.
Chapter Three
THE ETHEREAL TRAIL of holy water guided me over to the stairs that led to the upper floor. A bouncer was guarding it. He didn’t seem as friendly as the guy on the door. “VIPs only tonight,” he told me when I approached him.
“My bounty is hiding up there,” I said, pointing over his shoulder. “Let me pass so I can claim him.”
“Who are you hunting?” he asked skeptically.
“I didn’t exactly catch his name when I busted him draining a human to death,” I said sarcastically. “I followed him here and I know he’s cowering upstairs, hoping I won’t find him.”
Crossing his arms, he shook his head. “You must be mistaken. A private party is going on up there. Only important guests have been invited.”
“I’m not mistaken,” I denied, starting to get annoyed. “I squirted him with holy water, so he’s wounded.” His eyes flickered, giving him away. “He is here!” I declared in triumph. “Get out of my way, so I can stake that freak through the heart before he murders anyone else.”
A hush went through the crowd as everyone with enhanced hearing turned to face me. Every vampire in the club stared at me in either fear or hatred.
“That was really subtle,” the bouncer said with heavy sarcasm. “You should leave before you get yourself into trouble.”
“You’re harboring a murderer,” I insisted and stepped closer until we were practically nose to nose. He was even bigger than the bouncer on the door, but I wasn’t intimidated by him. “I’m not leaving without my target. Either get out of my way, or I’ll move you myself.”
Derisive laughter broke out from the crowd. The werebear sneered down at me, clearly underestimating me. “Leave the premises immediately, or I’ll make you leave,” he said in a threatening tone.
“It’s going to be like that, is it?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder to see a mob forming. Most of them were hostile. Either they didn’t like bounty hunters, or they didn’t like me personally. I didn’t really give a crap either way.
“It’s going to be like that,” the bouncer confirmed and made the mistake of reaching out to grab me.
I let his fingers close around my wrist, then I grabbed hold of his beard. He had enough time to let out a squawk of indignation, then I spun in a circle. Lifted clear off his feet, he shouted in alarm when I released him. He crashed into the crowd, bowling most of them down.
Snickering beneath my breath at their surprise, I began climbing the stairs. A vampire leaped onto the staircase to block my path. She was short and plump and I sensed she was one of the strongest leeches in the building. “Leave this place,” she said in a commanding tone. She wore the same uniform as the bouncers, which meant she was an employee.
“I will, just as soon as I’ve killed my target,” I said and brushed her aside.
Her astonished expression at being ignored was priceless. “You must do as I say!” she insisted, leaping in front of me again.
