Page 47 of Death Raiser

“Well, shit.” I held up my glass. “I didn’t realize we were competing, but congratulations. I think you win.”

Estelle shook her head and a small laugh escaped. She held up her glass and we clinked the rims together.

“To friendship,” Estelle said.

“To friendship.” I drank more of my martini, enjoying the buzz in my head and the warmth in my belly. “Are we going to share sad stories all night or are we going to dance?”

Estelle laughed, her gaze alight with more mischief. “As long as you promise not to stomp on my feet, we’re dancing.” Estelle slid from the booth and pushed Antonia to the side. I followed suit, minus man-handling Pierre, and joined Estelle on the dance floor.

Unease prickled my spine, and I looked up. Grant stood on the balcony overlooking the dance floor, his arms folded over his shirt, one hand holding a takeaway coffee cup. I could be looking at a serial killer and here I was, dangling myself like a carrot in front of a rabid bunny. Grant studied me openly, but when my gaze met his, he nodded and walked away.

Maybe he wasn’t a killer. Maybe he wasn’t hunting tonight. Or maybe, my entourage of powerful vampires and a human servant acted as enough of a shield against whatever interest he had in me.

Estelle grabbed my hands and pulled me in to bounce around to the current song. I didn’t mind. I planned to stick to the human servant’s side all night.

But what would happen once I no longer had my powerful friends beside me? I hadn’t thought that part through, but before concern set in, someone bumped into me. I glanced over my shoulder and spotted blonde hair swaying to the beat. “Denise?”

My friend looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened. “Lark?”

We hugged in the middle of the dance floor with the throng of people around us and the heavy bass thudding. Denise’s normally full, bouncy blond hair hung limply from the heat of the room. She wore a short leather skirt, black lace stockings and a matching black lace shirt that showed off her black bra underneath and magnificent breasts. She smelled of floral perfume and beer.

Maybe I should slow down on the martinis. I’d only had one so far and I was already hugging. I wasn’t normally a hugging person.

I drew back and returned Denise’s smile. Two men behind her leered over her shoulder. They looked like slimy twins with hair gelled back with way too much product, hollow cheekbones and gazes that lingered a little too long on Denise’s ass and my chest.

“This is Stanley and Cooper.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “Boys, this is my co-worker and friend, Lark.”

I managed a nod and a smile, but it probably looked like a grimace because both of them scowled.

“This is Estelle.” I tilted my head in the human servant’s direction. I had to shout a little over the music. “Estelle, this is Denise.”

“Charmed,” Estelle said. Her smooth voice flowed easily. She didn’t sound like a shrill harpy like me.

“Can I join you guys?” Denise asked.

“Of course,” Estelle answered before I had a chance.

I would’ve told her to lose the losers first, but I’d never been accused of tact.

Denise beamed at Estelle and then turned to say something to the two men behind her. Their scowls deepened and with dark looks flung our way, they stalked off into the gyrating mass of partiers.

“Where are they going?” I asked.

Denise lifted a brow and started swaying to the beat again. “Did you want me to call them back?”

“God, no.”

Denise giggled and continued to move to the music. “I was getting tired of the twins anyway.”

“You have awful taste,” I said.

“They’re hot.” She announced this like it explained everything.

They might have classically attractive features, but they were most definitely not hot. Instead of arguing with Denise, I shrugged and picked up dancing again. I tried to shake off the sense of dread gnawing at my spine. I danced in a club owned by a potential serial killer, but I faced other dangers as well.

Denise was my friend, true, but she was also my supervisor at work and tasked with keeping Raisers accredited. If she ever found out I did illegal raisings for the Master Vampire of Victoria, my actions would place her in a difficult position. She was duty bound to report me, and if she didn’t and someone discovered she lied for me, she’d also lose her licence.

I tried to dance off the ill-ease, my work friend on one side, my vampire servant friend on the other. Estelle wouldn’t reveal my involvement with Gregor. Neither of them wanted my affiliation well known because I could be used against Gregor.

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