Big Bad Bite Page 25

  “What the fuck was that?”

  The pervy cab driver was casting an evil grin now. It kind of made her want to stab him for getting his rocks off on her discomfort.

  Adam put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. “Magic barrier. Whoever owns this club doesn’t want the buildings extracurricular activities seen is my guess. What you felt was a deterrent spell for anyone not meant to know about the club. I bet it probably has an invisibility cloak to it as well. Whatever does make it past the entrance of this alley won’t be seen once it crosses that barrier. Clever.” He stopped talking to look out the vehicle’s windows, watching their surroundings for danger.

  Jenna was too busy with the shock and awe factor at her first introduction to magic to say anything. Her Mama had told her about magic and where it came from, but she’d never been in a position to experience it. She couldn’t help but wonder what the witch who cast the spell looked like. Her education on Others was limited, but she knew that witches were the product of fallen angels and humans. With their paternity, one might assume they would be inherently good. That assumption would be a mistake. Just like the earth born demons, the product born of a hell bound demon and their human encounter, the infant demon or witch was born with a human soul that had the opportunity to choose.

  Good or evil.

  For two species that had paternal fathers on the opposite ends of the spectrum, earth born demons and witches had a lot in common besides the chance to pick their path in life. Demons were gifted with some kind of telepathic abilities, such as Jenna’s own telekinesis, while witches were gifted with magic. Both traits that would give someone pause before you messed with a demon or witch. Jenna couldn’t help but wonder if the similarities continued from there. One might assume that the product of a demon’s rape would be hideous looking like their father’s grotesque features. After all, their outer packaging was supposed to reflect the being’s inner character. Therefore, while demons looked like your worst nightmare, angels looked like the most beautiful thing your eyes would ever behold. But one would be wrong. Demons and witches take on none of their paternal physical traits. The looks were solely based on that of their mother. A witch could end up ethereally beautiful, or like the hags of Halloween stories. So, what did the one who’d cast the barrier spell look like?

  They pulled up around the back of the ten story high rise, exited the cab, and watched as a cab carrying the rest of their group pulled up behind them. Looking from the curbside back to the building, Jenna noted that it looked innocuous enough. Who knew what truths the inside would reveal? Would it be a geek lover’s sex club like The Arena? A mass of writhing bodies on the dance floor like the night she went to Adam’s Pier Six club?

  Alec turned his head, scanning their surroundings as if he was looking for something before leading the way into the building. They entered through a heavy metal door into a small homely sitting area with two different hallways branching off of it. The walls were white, the carpet looked like the kind you would see in your doctor’s office, and there was a fake potted plant in one of the corners. It was all terribly… boring. In fact, it was so exceptionally dull that she had a hard time reconciling the fact that there had been this huge ordeal of a barrier spell to hide the comings and goings in relation to this building and its secrets. She kind of hoped their destination proved to be a bit more exciting.

  Jenna looked to Alec, “You told us what’s on the top four floors, what’s Drake Ward use the rest of this building for?”

  “An accounting firm Mr. Ward owns. The business is actually a nauseatingly successful international one. He has several offices all over the world. If only his puny mortal employees who worked for him here knew what their employer did after hours on the top floors, huh? They’d probably shit themselves while stampeding all over each other to run as far away as possible.”

  Jenna cocked an eyebrow at his vague description of the owner and his club. The place couldn’t be that heinous, could it? Alec led them to an elevator with a keypad. After punching a series of buttons, the doors slid open, and they entered a 9 ft. by 9 ft. freight elevator. Not exactly the kind of elevator car you expected to see in an accounting firm. The tiger shrugged his shoulders at her inquiring look.

  “Let’s just say Mr. Ward likes to be prepared for all eventualities.”

  Jenna scoffed, “Like what? Transporting the dead bodies?”

  “Sure. Or the Other responsible for the bodies.”

  She didn’t know how to respond to that comment, so she shut up. The car moved slowly upward and Jenna watched the numbers illuminate as they reached, then passed each floor. While waiting she internally prepped herself for their mission.

  Reconnaissance.

  Determine the potential threat the Corvus Pack was becoming to outing themselves to humanity. Figure out their possible motives for their involvement in criminal behavior when they should be amply provided for through their long term investments. What possible reason could they have for condoning Pack members to acts such as the hostage situation in Wilmington? It had been a hopeless situation for the kidnappers to get out of that restaurant alive. Well, hopeless given the fact there had been a demon and shifter/demon hybrid on the SWAT team that went in to neutralize the threat and extraction of the hostages. Perhaps the odds that she and Kent had been the team that responded to the call were astronomical, but the chance that any of those wolves would slip up and do something decidedly inhuman were more likely than not. So why let them go into a situation where they would undoubtedly out themselves as something other than human?

  When the number seven finally lit up above the elevator’s doors, and the car floated to a stop, Jenna pushed all thoughts away. It was time to focus. Being distracted could cost you your life when you were in a hostile environment. After hearing that the elevator was purposely sized for the transportation of dead bodies, she was going to assume this was a hostile environment.

  The elevator doors slid open and they were immediately blasted with loud rock music that damn near caused her sensitive ear drums to vibrate in her head. A black shiny tiled floor reminded her of obsidian rock and reflected spots of black lighting that were sporadically placed throughout the open floor before them. The walls looked to be just a few shades lighter than the floors, and there were ornate gold filigree mirrors in clusters everywhere. In between the clusters of mirrors were panels of rich damask fabric with a black background and pewter colored designs. Placed on either side of the panels of fabric and attached to the wall were skulls that doubled as decorative lighting since you could see light glowing from the eye, nose, and mouth holes. She seriously hoped those were fake. The implications that they could be real were too disturbing to process at the present time.

  Shoving the thought aside she continued her scan of the club. More low lighting was provided by black metal and crystal chandeliers displaying faux candles. Looking up she noted the numerous chains in varying sizes running the length of the ceiling. Something else she didn’t want to ponder the implications of possible uses for. There were even a few chains dangling from the ceiling with manacles attached to the ends of them. Nope, not going to think about why those would be hanging there.

  She had to admit that it wasn’t as spacious as she thought it would be. With the smaller club size you got the impression that it was an intimate and decidedly exclusive kind of club. Which kind of made sense if it were a club that catered to Other varieties. Wouldn’t want too many humans running and screaming if a vampire or shifter flipped their shit and killed somebody, right?

  Where they entered into the club there was a large lounge area filled with chaises upholstered in red velvet, purple leather couches, and silver snakeskin upholstered chairs. All of the furniture displayed a Victorian or French influence in them. Upon further inspection, Jenna noticed that every piece had an added modern twist besides what they were upholstered in. There were all kinds of different trims for the furniture from chains, spikes, or metal studs. It was undeni
ably old world elegant meets rock and roll modern. What were the chances this demon was older than Moses, and those chaises and chairs were originals refurbished from their time periods? Probably more likely than she wanted to consider. Off on the left far wall sat a short bar which was made out of distressed wood painted black and adorned with two skulls on either end of the bar top, but no bar stools in front of it. Apparently the women walking around in various costumes were the waitresses, and they brought your drink to whatever seat you’d taken in the lounge.

  On the right side of the room, approximately halfway in, was a small gathering circled around an olive skinned man dressed in black dress slacks and a blood red shirt, wielding a whip on a naked fair skinned woman with short dark auburn hair cuffed to the St. Andrews cross in front of him. There were thin red welt lines that crossed her back and upper thighs. Rivulets of blood were dripping from the wounds, and there was a small group of vampires in all shapes, sizes and colors waiting patiently for the man to stop whipping his woman so that they could clean her up with their tongues. This was a disturbing sight. The only thing that kept Jenna from going over there to beat the guy’s ass was the fact that the redhead was clearly enjoying her beating. Jenna might need a little bit of therapy after that sight.

  At the back of the seventh floor was a slightly elevated stage that served as a cage where a live band was playing. Shiny silver prison metal bars, interrupted only by a small metal cage door off to one end, were either keeping the band in, or the dangerous club patrons out. They were jamming out to a song that Jenna thought sounded familiar, with the singer’s gritty voice belting lyrics as the guitarist, bassist, and drummer rocked out as if they were at a major concert event instead of playing this small club with its unusual patrons. They might as well have been a walking, talking advertisement for spiky hair, dyed mohawks, piercings, tattoos, and a wardrobe consisting of ripped, distressed jeans and graphic t-shirts. The music was a constant head banging beat that had a devoted little group of dancers swaying in front of the stage on the small dance floor. Of course, the dancing was not the kind you would find at a high school dance. No, it was probably more similar to the kind of dancing strippers did on stage or against a pole, but hey, whatever floated their boats.

  The whole place reeked of sex, booze, and blood. There was no reason to be concerned about the blood smell though. The reason for that smell was obvious since Jenna could see a light haired male vampire leaning back on one of the chaises with a scantily clad woman resting against his chest as he drank from her neck while using his hand to play with her bare breasts. She couldn’t help but wonder after seeing this if all clubs that catered to Others were half brothel? Had the species ever heard of just having a coffee shop? Or a jazz club?

  As she spied one of the waitresses bend down to whisper something in a dark haired male’s ear, with her breasts practically spilling out of her black leather bikini top, and her ass cheeks hanging out of her plaid catholic school girl skirt, she figured she had her answer.

  Apparently not.

  Looking over to Alec, she found him eye fucking a woman dressed in a white see-through bikini with angel wings attached to her back and swinging on one of those stripper swings that hung from the ceiling. Rolling her eyes to the ceiling she started to debate the statistical odds that they’d manage to get in and out of this club, accomplishing their mission, without the randy tiger sticking his dick in something. The odds didn’t look like they would be in her favor.

  Jenna popped him across the back of his head with her hand, and he turned around to snarl at her. Ignoring his temper tantrum she whispered, “Get your head out of your pants and let’s get going, tiger. I’ve got better things to do than to watch you chasing skirt.”

  Alec brought his hand up towards her face with his fingers curled and his claws peeking out of the fingertips in warning. The naughty kitty thought she’d be scared of that. Aww, how cute.

  “Touch me with so much as one of those claws you freaky albino Garfield and I will make sure I knock you out, file those suckers down to a flat non-lethal edge, paint them red, and then write “Mr. Fluffy needs love too” all over your face in permanent marker. Don’t mess with the big dogs when they can chew your ass up and spit you out.”

  She stomped away from one speechless cat, and three snickering wolves, to the gothic looking bar to order a drink. She didn’t care how many half-dressed waitresses were there to serve her; she’d rather get her own damn drink instead of one of those skeevy hookers with their vampiric version of the clap getting near her.

  Resting her arms on the top of the bar she leaned over to ask the dark skinned bartender for a beer. He flashed her a delicious smile sporting two fangs and then reached over into the cooler to get her bottle, placing it in front of her. Just then, a pleasured shout sounded from across the club’s expanse, and she looked over her shoulder to see the redheaded woman on the St. Andrew’s cross throw her head back in ecstasy as her body tried to bow in orgasm.

  Right. Jenna was going to say a firm ‘no’ to any beatings Adam wanted to try in the name of kinky experimental sex. If he tried to beat her like that, there was a good chance she’d cut his nuts off just to see if he’d regenerate a new pair. She was still kind of fuzzy on whether immortals in the Other species could regenerate missing body parts or not. It was on her to do list for future questions to ask. Dismissing the sight of a swarm of vampires running their tongues over the woman’s bleeding skin, she turned back to see the bartender eyeing her as if she were a snack.

  He leaned across the bar to put his lips by her ear and said, “Did that spectacle interest you, pet? Are you excited by the sight?”

  She barked a laugh. “Not in a million years, vampire.”

  He shrugged his shoulders in feigned disappointment and moved down the short distance of the bar to take an order from one of the waitresses who’d just walked up. Next thing she knew, there was heat at her back, and Adam’s scent surrounded her.

  “Don’t let another man near you again.”

  Her jaw dropped at his growled order. If the wolf thought he was going to start ordering her around now that she’d given it up, well he had another thing coming. She turned her body around to face him.

  “Or what, Adam? What will you do if I allow another man to whisper in my ear again?”

  His move was lightning fast. One second he was in perfect view in front of her, the next his teeth were clamped lightly on the tip of her ear, growling softly in warning.

  He released her ear only to rumble, “You. Are. Mine. You promised that to me this morning. Don’t test my resolve in this area, sweetheart. On a good day, I’d rip another male’s head off for daring to come near you. I’m not having good days right now though. I’m having razor sharp edge days since I’m being magnanimous enough to give you the time you asked for before we mate. So, you risk the vampire suffering having his arms ripped off and shoved in anatomically incorrect places if you allow him, or any other male, to come near you in such a fashion again. Please don’t test me, love. I don’t know if I can hold the beast back from doing something that you think is grotesque and unforgivable, and I’d rather not have you look at me like I’m some sort of monster.”

  Jenna drew a deep breath in to steady herself. She’d just had a glaring reminder that Adam wasn’t in the mind frame to be snarly and snippy with, and she was the one to blame. Sure, he’d acted like a high handed asshole by throwing around the chest beating Neanderthal act of, ‘Mine!’ before verbally dragging her back to his cave, but she had to remind herself that he wasn’t human, and she couldn’t hold him to expectations of human behavior. Hadn’t that icicle forming cold shower he’d thrown her into a few days ago at least taught her that much?

  Placing her hands on his waist, she noted that the small touch caused his body to relax a little before she slid her hands up to circle around his neck.

  “Ok, no males. I’m sorry, Adam. Please bear with me, I’m still learning.”

  He n
uzzled his face into her neck, giving her a smattering of kisses there. She seriously ought to be a tad more pissed at his overbearing dominant tendencies, but when he was her sweet gentle Adam like this, how could she possibly work up the strength to get mad at him. The bad came with the good, right?

  Just as she tightened her arms around him to bring his mouth to hers for a kiss, a disturbance alongside the dance floor caught her attention. Two women were arguing heatedly. Both women were around five foot seven, with slim builds, and pretty faces, but one was a brunette, and the other was a blonde. The people around them started to take notice of the exchange, which caused the brunette to sneer and flip them the bird. The blond seemed upset, as if she were scared or might cry, and the brunette must have tired of her whining because she grabbed the blond roughly by the arm and started dragging her to the lone hallway on the floor, where Jenna assumed the bathrooms were located. She kept watching in curiosity as the brunette shoved a door in, seemed to spot something inside that angered her, and left the blond in the hallway to go into the bathroom. Seconds later a small, pixyish woman came flying bodily out of the doorway where the brunette had entered, and a hand reached out to tug the blonde in.

  Huh. Well Jenna would call that slightly incriminating behavior. Now what could she do about it? Before she could decide on a course of action, she looked over to see Alec motion them to come and sit with the rest of their group. When his eyes shifted to the side to keep the hallway in sight she had a feeling he wasn’t calling them over to have a casual chat about the weather.

  Grabbing Adam’s hand, she led him over to the small cluster of chairs they were sitting in and managed not to complain when Adam pulled her down to sit on his lap instead of in her own seat. This being in a relationship thing was seriously going to take some getting used to. Alec’s chair was situated next to theirs, so he leaned over to speak to them in a lowered voice, keeping anyone else from overhearing their conversation.