Page 17 of The Vampire's Mercy

He licked his lips. “Come find me if you’re not too drained. Think we can make sweet mattress music together.”

Mohawk Guy found that hilarious.

I swallowed a groan. “Maybe I will.” With a wink from me and an enthusiastic growl from him, I passed the first wave of security.

Up next were four vampires in a silver vestibule, standing beneath an elaborate chandelier with real candles in it, waiting to conduct the same checks.

My senses tingled with alertness, my skin prickling, brain pinging with the wordvampireover and over again.

Four sets of red eyes, four creatures dripping in designer clothes, everything about them stylish as they inspected every inch of me.

“Well, aren’t you interesting?” A red-headed woman with skin the pale shade of moonlight spoke, baring her fangs. An elf-turned-vamp, her pointy ears pricked with an array of colorful ear studs. “You’re the most delicious thing to arrive tonight.”

Her sickly sweet voice made my skin crawl.

Steeled against my desire to stab her in the heart, I kept my game face on.

“Thanks,” I said. “Can I come in?”

She looked at her companions—two men and another woman. They laughed together.

Humans by the looks of it. The original vamps all looked human, scarlet eyes and fangs aside. Now the world was a smorgasbord of fangy scum.

“Absolutely,” the redhead woman said. “More than absolutely. You are a prize, my dear. A real find.”

Good. Good. Good.

They did their bit, checking me over. Took my name. I used a fake one, called myself Drew instead of Paris. Then they let me in, the redhead guiding me into the club.

I entered a large room of silver-and-black décor, engulfed by strobe lights and pulsating bass. Bodies moved around me, laughing, shouting, singing along to the music, mortals mingling with vampires, many eyes pointed my way, sizing me up.

I smiled and said hi, all while assessing the room for exits and anything that might help if things went to shit.

I spotted Hal over at the curved bar. Didn’t acknowledge him. Vamps were wily creatures, and highly sensitive. The moment I so much as twitched the wrong way, I’d get us both killed.

Anyway, Hal had done his part with the intel. Now it was up to me to finish things.

The woman took my arm. “This way.”

I felt a flutter of panic, my instincts reaching for the kill switch.

“You’re going over there.” She pointed to a section with a blue neon sign buzzing above.

VIP Area.

I nodded, quickly calming down. “Really?”

“Yes, Drew. Tonight is going to be amazing for you.”

Maybe I’m in over my head.…

Screw doubt. Iwasdoing this.

The vamp led me through the throng, greeting a blond werewolf bouncer on the way before ushering me through the billowing silver curtain beyond the red velvet rope.

On the other side, a human in the coat check took my jacket.

“Ooo cute,” she declared, nodding at my crop top.