“What is it?” she asked.

“Well, we’re not close enough to a cemetery for me to summon the dead,” I said in a matter-of-fact tone, “so we’ll just have to settle for me forcing your body to spontaneously combust.”

Alexis pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, as if trying to decide if I was bullshitting. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to skip the showing off and just get this job done before I choke on the overpowering stench of sandalwood.”

“Suit yourself.” I shrugged. Turning to Adam, I said, “What’s the plan?”

He noted the smirk on my lips and shook his head in that annoyed but amused way of his. “It’s fairly simple. We don’t need a complete transformation. Good thing, too, because I don’t want to deplete my energy too much in case shit goes down in there. Since your hair is a dead giveaway, I’ll just make it all red so Tiny believes you’re a full-blooded vamp. That should be enough to throw him off. Sound good?”

“Go for it.”

He mumbled something under his breath and waved his fingers around my head. The next instant my scalp crawled with magic. Alexis’s soft gasp proved the spell had worked.

“There. All done,” Adam said, brushing his hands together. “How do you feel?”

“The same.” I shrugged. “What do you think, Alexis? Is it enough of a disguise?”

“I guess so. If I didn’t know otherwise, I’d assume you were a pureblood.” Her tone indicated that she found the very idea I was pretending to be a pedigreed vamp blasphemous.

I grimaced at the reminder of my mixed heritage. I’d lived among mages so long I had almost forgotten what it was like to constantly be reminded of my shameful beginnings. But for vampires like Alexis, the fact that my blood was tainted by my mage father was cause for suspicion and downright antagonism.

“Anyway, if we’re all satisfied with the new look, I say we get moving.” I reached back to touch the gun in my waistband. I’d pulled it out of its storage case in the closet before we left. Funny. I’d spent so many years wearing it, I’d grown used to the heft tugging at my waist. But now it felt like it weighed twenty pounds. My fingers itched to fire it for old time’s sake, but I reminded myself that bringing it was purely a precautionary measure.

“Once you’re inside, keep your eyes sharp for unfriendlies, which will probably be everyone. But most of all, keep your weapons holstered and your fists to yourself unless directly challenged. Got it?”

Her eyes hardened into two glittered beads. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Then let’s give our regards to Tiny Malone.”

14

When Alexis opened the door, a blast of hot air, cigarette smoke, and Lords of Acid’s grinding synthesizers assaulted us.

Adam wrinkled his nose and held out a hand. “After you.” I shot him a grimace and forged in after Alexis.

The main part of the club housed the typical strip club accoutrements—a round bar in the center, a stage with brass stripper poles, and lots of shadowy corners for lap dances. Customers willing to spend a little more money for some serious fun had two options. First, they could slip their stripper a couple hundred bucks to pay a visit to the “blood rooms.” These were like the champagne rooms at mortal strip joints, but the only liquids in these particular rooms were blood and ejaculate. For those who preferred their blow jobs fang-free, Tiny also offered nymph prostitutes, who serviced customers from second-story rooms.

Anyway, no one looked up when Alexis and I walked in. After all, we were, as far as they knew, just two vampire chicks. Nothing special, considering we were both fully clothed—or mostly so, in Alexis’s case. But when the mancy stepped in behind me, it was like someone scratched a needle across vintage vinyl.

The music didn’t literally stop, of course. But the air shifted and tightened. A few of the patrons stood, looking primed for action. The bartender stopped wiping down the bar and shot the mage an aggressive glare. “Can’t you read?” he shouted over the music at Adam.

Adam tensed next to me. “Excuse me?”

The barkeep jerked his head toward the door. “Sign says vampires only.”

“Actually,” Adam responded, “it says members only.”

“Oh, yeah, smart guy? You a fucking member?”

Adam shook his head. “No, but I’m not here as a customer. We need to see Tiny.”

“Tiny’s in a meeting. You and your two skanks need to get the fuck out of here.”

Alexis lurched toward him. “Listen, asshole.” I grabbed her arm and shook my head. Once she looked like she’d stay put, I turned and flashed my most charming smile at the bartender.

“We really need to speak with him,” I said, my tone cajoling. “Do you know how long his meeting will take?”

His eyes narrowed. “I’m not his fucking social secretary.”

Apparently, manners weren’t going to work with this guy. “The mage is a Pythian Guard for the Hekate Council.” I jerked my head toward Alexis. “My colleague and I are Enforcers for the Despina,” I fibbed. “We have a few questions for Mr. Malone.”

The dude’s eyes widened. His hand moved under the counter. I grabbed his arm. “Ah, ah, ah.” My voice promised deadly force. “Let’s keep this nice and friendly. Hands where I can see them.” Grimacing, the bartender slowly withdrew his hand and placed it flat on the wooden surface.

I didn’t look behind me to confirm Adam’s location. I knew he had my back covered. “Mancy, you and Alexis make sure things stay civil out here. I’m going back.”

“Be careful,” Adam said.

I nodded and moved toward the back hall. The strippers shot me surly looks as I passed. I ignored them and pushed through the velvet curtain separating the blood rooms from the club.

The hallways held four blood rooms with curtained doorways, one standard office door, and a reinforced steel exit. The latter’s sign cast the darkened space in a bloody glow. I passed the curtains cautiously, but other than some moaning and the stink of illicit sex, nothing jumped out at me. Tiny’s door was closed, but I didn’t bother knocking. I pushed it open with my gun at the ready. The portal swung back and slammed into the interior wall.

I’d been expecting to find Tiny “auditioning” a girl on his office bed. Instead, he was sitting behind his desk with his hands raised. The male standing across the desk from him swiveled his gun from Tiny to me.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I demanded, taking a step into the office.

“Sabina?” Slade lowered the gun and raised his eyebrows. “What’s up with your hair?”

I waved a hand to dismiss my magical dye job. “Are you going to answer my question?”

“I’m interrogating this piece of shit,” he said, tilting his head toward the obese vampire. Sweat beaded on his pasty brow.

“Why? You know damned well the Despina and Orpheus wanted you off the investigation.”

“Yeah, thanks for defending me there.” His tone dripped with resentment. “I’m here because I figure finding the killer is the only way to save my job.”

Tiny lurched his bulk to the side. His ass was stuck in the chair, but he managed to hit a panic button next to his phone before Slade or I could stop him. “Freeze!” Slade yelled, pointing the gun at the vampire.

Tiny’s rubbery lips spread into a fuck-you smile. “In five seconds your asses will be toast.” To support his claim, the sounds of shouting and stomping footsteps reached us from the hall. I spun around just in time to see the first of Tiny’s goons burst through the door. From the sounds of things, at least five other guys were behind him.

“Everyone freeze!” I yelled. “I’m not here for trouble. I just need a few words with the boss.”

The males filling the doorway froze with their hands halfway to their sidearms. They looked to Tiny for instruction. Their boss, who was wedged into a large black executive chair, laughed. “Kill ’em, you fucking idiots!”

It all happened quickly. The goons started firing. Tiny dove under the desk, pulling the chair down with him. Cursing, I ducked behind the chair and returned fire. I took out the first two, who exploded in the doorway like Roman candles. The resulting smoke and flame slowed down those in the hall.

Slade had squatted behind the other end of the desk. Together, we fired through the smoke to deter any more uninvited guests. Between shots, the sounds of a scuffle came from the hallway. Sounded like Alexis and Adam were taking them out from the rear.

“Slade!” I yelled. “Enough!” I was worried about accidentally shooting Alexis or Adam. But Slade didn’t listen. I finally leapt at him and forcibly pulled the gun from his hands. “I said stop! Adam and Alexis are out there.”

Slade blinked and his eyes finally focused. “Sorry, I got a little carried away.”

Considering my own hands were shaking with adrenaline rush, I couldn’t blame him. It’d been a long time since I’d had the opportunity to have a good old-fashioned shootout with anyone.

“Adam,” I called. “It’s all clear!” Now that the gunplay had ceased, the sounds of a stampede in the club carried back to us. Funny how a shoot-out can clear a joint.

In the next instant, the mancy and Alexis entered the office, stepping over the smoking remains of several of Tiny’s goons. “Holy shit,” Adam said. “What the hell happened? And why is Slade here?”

I let out a shaky breath. “He was in here when I arrived. Looks like we weren’t the only ones who thought Tiny was the perp.”

Slade adjusted the cuffs of his white dress shirt. “Yes, thanks so much for fucking things up. Tiny was about to confess when you came barging in.”

“No, I wasn’t,” a muted voice came from under the desk. We all ignored him for the moment.

“Excuse me?” I rounded on Slade. “You have a lot of nerve blaming this on me. You were the one sticking your gun where it didn’t belong. Besides, if you’d been paying more attention, he wouldn’t have pushed that panic button.”