Page 24 of Stripped

I looked at my four-door sedan and Rixton's two-door and realized we would need more help. “Do you know anyone with a van?” I asked. “And somewhere to take everyone?”

“We'll take them to the pack,” Zane said. He looked to Rixton. “We just need something big to get them there.”

“Yeah, man,” Rixton said. “I know a guy.”

While he stepped aside and made a call, I turned to Zane. “Even if the vamps run out here to escape the fire, they aren't going to just let the women go. We'll still be fighting a bunch of vampires.”

Zane rubbed his jaw. “A lot of them will just high-tail it out of here, but it might not be a bad idea to have a back-up plan. Got any ideas?”

***

“We are so going to get arrested,” I said, as three fire engines, lights flashing and sirens blaring, pulled into the parking lot. “And it will be a miracle if this actually works.”

Zane grinned like he was excited about the circus that was about to descend upon us. “Avoiding violence is never easy, but it is always right.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Confucius. Let's just hope Rixton gets that fire alarm pulled in the next ten seconds, or we're going to have some crazy kind of explaining to do.”

Just then, the fire alarm began blaring inside the building. Rixton was still in there, with a few friends, and he would stay in there and try to separate as many women from the stampeding herd of vampires as he could. Zane had called 911 as soon as Rixton had gone inside, because he wanted as much confusion in the parking lot as we could manage. He'd also lied and told dispatch that the flames were roaring and people were trapped inside. There was no way we weren't going to go down for this if they had traced his call.

Zane and I watched from the side of the building, behind us was our getaway vehicle, a tractor with a hay wagon attached. We weren't going to get anywhere fast, but we'd get everyone there together.

The fire trucks plowed into the parking lot and swung to a stop in the fire lanes in the front of the building. Ambulances and police cars followed the fire trucks and found parking wherever they could.

“The vamps aren't going to be able to make their getaway,” I said.

“They also aren't going to beat us up or kidnap anyone with cops and human witnesses here.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Leopold is totally crazy enough to do that.”

He shrugged, his eyes lit, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Yeah, but the other vamps aren't stupid enough to help him. It'll be fine.”

I stared at the door to the club, my heart racing as I waited for something to happen. “They aren't coming out. Why aren't they coming out? Do you think they ran out the back?”

His grin widened. “I barred the back door while you were helping Rixton park this thing.”

The first firefighters reached the door to the club just as it swung open and vampires started pouring out. The firefighters jumped out of the way of the mob, face masks in place, eyes wide as they registered the pale skin and fangs. EMTs moved into the crowd, looking for wounded. I scanned the crowd, looking for dancers.

I saw a blond head bouncing through the crowd and I darted forward. Luckily, she was at the edge of the crowd and I didn't have to wade through many vamps to get to her. I grabbed her wrist and yanked. She spun on me, bright white fangs flashing, and hissed. I let go of her wrist and jumped back so fast I ran into someone behind me. That guy also hissed and shoved me forward into another vamp. I managed to stay on my feet, but the vamp I hit shoved me back the other way.

My heart was pounding so hard, I could barely see straight, so I just let myself fall backwards with all my weight, hoping to come out somewhere outside of the stream of vampires. I landed on another vampire, knocking both of us to the ground, but at least we were outside the mass of running vampires.

“What the fuck are you doing? Get off me.” The vampire screeched at me.

I didn't need any encouragement. I hopped off, and he got up and ran for safety with the rest of the vampires. Human patrons followed the vamps. I hobbled back over to Zane, who should have looked amused by my accident, but instead looked worried. “I haven't seen any dancers,” he said. “I haven't seen Leopold, either.”

“Motherfudger,” I said. “Where could he have gone?”

We watched the crowd of vampires and patrons vanish into the night, dodging firefighters, EMTs, and police officers as they ran. It would have been comical if I wasn't so worried.

As soon as the crowd had thinned out enough, the firefighters stormed into the building. Zane and I watched the door. I was holding my breath and he wasn't making a sound, either. Finally, Alice walked out of the club, followed by the rest of the dancers, most I knew, some I didn't. Some of them were dancers who'd worked for me, but who'd quit or who I'd had to let go because of drug use or sex with customers or just because I could see the lifestyle was damaging their mental wellbeing. At the back of the line was Leopold, and behind him was Zed. I needed to act fast.

I leapt in front of the group of women. “Hey, ladies,” I said. “The Booty Carousel was shut down, but I have an amazing opportunity for you, if you just come with me and—”

“I don't think so,” Leopold said, storming up to stand next to me. “Abigail left you all unemployed and helpless. Are you going to believe anything she says?”

I rolled my eyes and sought the gazes of the women I knew trusted me and had worked for me the longest. “I haven't gone anywhere. I'm right here. Leopold and the vamps destroyed my club, but I'm not going to walk away and let the rest of you become food for the bloodsuckers. Come with me—”

“Is there a problem here?” An officer asked, joining our group. Three of the women had already broken from the group to move toward me. Zed was whispering furiously to Carly who was smiling at him blankly. Zane intercepted the women and directed them to the wagon.

---