Page 43 of Blood Bound (Blood Mafia 3)

Chapter Ten

Demi

The valet takes our SUV and Mateo, Colt, Grayson, Evelyn, and I walk up the short, red carpet leading to the bouncer and door to Sisco’s exclusive nightclub, Vitality.

With the time change and stop at the warehouse, we arrive at Vitality at eight-thirty. It’s early by most nightclubber’s standards, but there’s already a line of people waiting to get in. The bouncer, a giant six foot five vampire, spots us and pulls off his sunglasses.

He presses on his earpiece. “Blood Mafia is here.”

Mateo stops in front of him and waits, staring him down the entire time. The vampire fidgets, obviously uncomfortable with the attention, but stands guard. He breaks eye contact with Mateo and looks over the rest of us. His eyes rest on the knives strapped to my thigh.

I’m wearing black leggings so the metallic glint of metal contrasts nicely with the fabric. I look ravishing if I do say so myself, what with my black tank-top and ballerina bun.

“He brought the hunter,” he says, speaking to whomever is on the other side of the earpiece.

At least he’s doing a good job.

His eyebrows pinch together and I can scarcely hear the voice filtering through his headpiece. “Let them in,” it says.

“Yes, sir.” He steps aside and opens the door for us. “He’s in his office.”

Colt goes in first, less than casually checking for any immediate threats, while Grayson and Evelyn follow after him. Mateo holds his arm out for me.

I stare at the offending appendage, wondering if he wants me to chop it off.

“To keep up appearances.”

The last time we saw Sisco I wassmittenwith Mateo—his word, not mine—so I grudgingly take his arm and walk into the smoky club. When we reach the end of a short, dark hallway, Mateo holds aside a black curtain.

“Ladies first.”

Giving him a pointed look to saycharm will get you nowhereI step into the club.

The bar is packed with patrons, a few men smoke cigars and sip scotch. Smoke spirals up from the cherry red tips but the cigars aren’t to blame for the haze. At the deepest part of the club, where the D.J. sits, are two fog machines going full blast.

There are enough colors of light flashing to make the dancers’ movements look jerky and discombobulated. The club has no windows and the curtain covering the entryway keeps out any outside light to keep the dangerous aesthetic intact. A balcony rims the dance floor and people stare into the writhing bodies, watching the chaos from a distance.

I glance around, looking for our people. Mateo points to the left and I follow his outstretched hand, spotting Colt at the bottom of black metal stairs leading to the second-floor balcony.

Grayson and Evelyn have almost reached him. Grayson’s arm is stretched back and she firmly grips his hand as they weave through the crowd. Oddly enough I’m not one bit bothered by the contact. Grayson has no interest in Evelyn and she has none in him.

As we walk through the crowd, vampires scatter and create a straight path to the stairs. They watch Mateo with wary eyes. His power is easy to make out in the crowd. Compared to the other beings in the room, Mateo’s essence is a tangible touch on the back of the neck. A sharpened claw dragging down your spine.

A fair warning to get the hell out of the way or face the consequences.

I’m grateful to be hanging on to his arm. Not because I can’t hold my own and don’t feel powerful, more due to the fact that there’d likely be a vampire who’d want to start a fight if I were alone. Feeling less than friendly gazes burning into my back, I glance over my shoulder and glare at a group of vampires clustered around a table.

Mustering up some of my hunter wrath, I smirk as red bleeds into my vision and they glance away. Either my reputation proceeds me or they know better than to fuck with a hunter.

Maybe both.

“I can’t tell you how sexy it is to watch you make them cower,” Mateo whispers, running his free hand over my forearm.

I whip my head in his direction and narrow my eyes. “I haven’t forgiven you.”

He nods. “I know. I can’t seem to help myself when it comes to complimenting you.”

Someone has his charm dialed to one thousand.

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