Page 10 of Bloody Nights (La Vega Vampire Showstoppers 2)

“As threatening as a baby donor.” I can’t stop smirking with my comment.

He brings his palm to his chest with a fake gasp. “Do you want me to be an asshole? A twisted sadist? If that’s the only way you’re going to comply, then...we’re both dead. I don’t have it in me. I barely survive the Fright Fights.” Cooper motions to a pair of seats at the back of the section. He waits for me to sit down and then plops into the chair beside me. A few donors in glittering costumes stroll by with trays of crystal goblets filled with blood. Cooper’s eyes flick away from mine as he stares at the donor for a long while, waiting for me to respond.

I don’t exactly know what to say to him. It’s obvious I don’t want him to be a fucking dickhead. But I also don’t believe him when he tells me he barely survives the Fright Fights. He’s muscular, strong, and he obviously knows enough and is powerful enough for Lawrence to consider him a good trainer.

“Then I’m screwed, huh?” I ask instead of calling him out on what I’m sure is a lie. “Can I trade you in? How do you expect me to be confident if you aren’t?”

Cooper tips his head back with a laugh, his voice echoing over that beating music. His laughter is contagious, and I smile at him. Leaning closer, he bumps his shoulder to mine.

“You’re absolutely right, but unfortunately, any of the other vampire performers would probably just devour you. Lawrence doesn’t trust them. He barely trusts me, and he has something over my head that makes me comply.”

I open my mouth to ask him what, but a bright spotlight beams over the crowd, and an emcee calls attention to the audience.

Okay, I wouldn’t really even call us an audience. There are only a handful of people among the hundreds of seats. There’s not even anyone in the nosebleed section.

“Welcome to the Fright Fights, ladies and gentlemen! We have a spectacular show for you tonight. Who is ready to see some blood wrestling? Some heart-stomping? Who’s ready to feel the rain of death?” A woman steps out from a stage door, her two-piece costume glittering under the spotlight.

Fake cheers echo from huge speakers along the stage, and I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees. I can already tell this is going to be one shitshow of a performance. The crowd doesn’t even react. It’s far from anything as good as Vampire Nights’ was. I bet most of the other shows in La Vega beat this out as well. I almost feel bad for the vampire emcee. With her bored expression, I can tell she doesn’t want to be here. I wonder if she is a prisoner too.

“No wonder there’s no one here,” I murmur, keeping my voice low.

“Shh, don’t let anyone hear you. They don’t know it’s pure crap.” Cooper bumps his shoulder to me again. “They’re not exactly here for Bitchy Betty.”

“Let me guess. You named her?” I ask, lifting an eyebrow.

“Just don’t call her that to her face. Bodacious Betty will cut your tits off and give you a pussy punch that’ll knock your insides around. Don’t let her baby doll persona make you underestimate her. She is only the emcee on the nights Lawrence is out.”

I puff out a breath between my lips. “Why am I not surprised that Lawrence runs the show? He’s like a worse version of Alexander. An imposter.”

Reaching over, Cooper covers my mouth with his hand. “You need to watch your mouth, my showgirl. You can’t talk about our master like that, especially out here. There are consequences. I’ve seen him cut out people’s tongues for less. You don’t need to speak to fight.”

My mouth trembles with his words. I’m so fucking stupid. I don’t know what has gotten into me. I would never risk talking bad about Alex. What if Cooper has been messing with me this whole time? He could go to Lawrence and tell him what I said. Fuck, it wouldn’t be the first time someone would use something against me to get ahead.

I shut down, my mood going from playful to fearful as Bodacious Betty tries to rile up the crowd until another spotlight shines on the doorway. Two donor men, wearing only boxer briefs and painted with blue and pink body paint, hover in place. Confusion pinches their expressions, and they both shield their eyes. There’s nothing intimidating about them, and I get the impression they have no idea what’s going on. They’re not fighters or performers. They look as if a single breath could knock them off their feet.

Thank goodness the music grows in volume, and I can ignore Cooper as he stares at the side of my face. I wouldn’t be able to hear him talk anyways.

I think I’m done conversing for now. It’s time for me to act as if I haven’t been treated kindly. I need to act as if I’m not expecting my life to change.

“Oh, boys! Come to your master. I’ll protect you from the big bad bubble butt bitch who thinks she can take both of you down in ten seconds flat.” Bodacious Betty wiggles her fingers at the donors, and they shuffle forward, their eyes wide as they stare around the nearly empty venue. Like good donors, they obey the emcee and stick together as they meander toward the stage.

“Bodacious Betty June! Keep your filthy fingers off my blood sources.” Another woman appears in the doorway to the backstage area. I’ve never seen anything like her. Her curly brown hair sparkles with glitter and gemstones are fastened to the strands. Her triangular bikini top barely covers her enormous boobs, begging to fall out. All she wears is a thong bottom with fishnet tights underneath, showing off her muscular legs. Opening her mouth, the vampire flashes her fangs, studded with sparkling diamonds that catch the light.

She steps forward, her glittering stilettos looking as if she stands on two knife points. And maybe she does.

The emcee widens her eyes and runs to hide behind the nearest audience member, a man in only a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. “Killer Kassandra, I’m not tryin’ to steal your donors, babe. I was only tryin’ to protect them from Fuck-You-Up Fine Girl.”

Kassandra hollers with a feral scream. “What did you call me?” The vampire rushes forward too fast for my eyes to follow. She materializes in front of Betty and snatches her by the neck, lifting her off her feet.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean anything by it, Killer. Please.” Betty kicks her legs, trying to fight off the muscular woman.

“Put my sister down, you bitch!” a woman says from her seat between them. “Go back to your fucking cage.”

“Yeah, Killer. Do what you’re good for and take the criminals down.” A man growls and points to the donors. “They tried to kill my lover, isn’t that right, Katie May? We’re here to see them pay.”

Oh shit. This is how The Whiskey handles their disobedient and aggressive donors?

A smile crosses Killer’s face, and she snaps the female audience member out of her seat, twisting her hair. “Boys? Is that true? Did you try to murder Katie?”

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