Bit the Jackpot (Vegas Vampires #2)(33)
Author: Erin McCarthy

Assessing the situation, she realized Brittany had a puke pan next to her, a wet washcloth lying on her dresser—a normal no-no for fastidious Brittany —and a glass of water on the nightstand. Her sister must be sick.

Alexis reached over and smoothed Brittany ‘s sweat-soaked hair off her forehead. No fever that she could tell, but she looked pale and in pain, even in her sleep.

Brittany stirred. "Alex?" Her eyes fluttered open.

"Yep, it’s me. Are you sick, Brit? "

"I have the flu."

Alexis felt sympathy and guilt stab her simultaneously. Here she’d been out dancing in a bar and Brittany was sick in bed, calling her for help.

"Can I get you anything, baby?"

"No, I’m okay." Brittany turned on her side and pulled the blanket up farther. "After I called you and you didn’t answer, Corbin came."

"Corbin?French vampire Corbin?" The dickhead who had slept with her sister then left without a word?The vampire scientist known to be researching a cure to immortality?That Corbin? Alexis didn’t like the sound of that at all.

"Yeah.He found me in the bathroom and changed my wet clothes. He tucked me in." She sighed, her eyes drifting shut.

Alexis had a hard time picturing Corbin Atelier tucking Brittany into bed. "That sounds nice. Are you sure you weren’t dreaming, though?"

Brittany frowned. "I don’t think so. He said he was taking me to bed. He took my clothes off."

Sex dream.The poor kid was conjuring up Corbin in her state of delirium.

"Okay, shhh . It was just a dream, sweetie." Alexis fussed with the covers, wanting to kick Corbin Atelier. He had gotten under Brittany ‘s skin in a way Alexis had never seen another man, and she didn’t like it. If she ever ran into the Frenchman, she’d give him a roundhouse kick to the crotch for hurting her sister’s feelings.

"Just a dream?" Brittany sounded disappointed. "Maybe that’s why his accent wasn’t as strong as it normally is."

Alexis stroked her cheek. "I’m sure that’s it. It was just a dream."

"What do you mean you don’t know where she is?" Seamus stared at the bodyguard in front of his apartment, anger, disbelief, and fear rising together in him. "And what happened to the other guard?"

"He went with Miss Kim and Kelsey. We wouldn’t let them leave alone, Mr. Fox." The jackass had the nerve to sound indignant.

"You weren’t supposed to let them leave at all!" Seamus had no clue where they could have gone. Cara had just assured him she understood the dangers they were facing and would stay in the apartment. Why the hell would she leave?

"I sorry."

"Never mind.Just call his f**king cell phone and tell me where they are." Seamus ran his fingers through his hair and tried not to worry. Ethan had gone to check on Alexis. Cara and Kelsey were missing. He had a bad, bad feeling about all of this.

The guard dialed on his cell phone and spoke in a low voice. Seamus resisted the urge to snatch the phone out of his hand.

"Sir, Daniel says they’re at a club. A, uh, an exotic dance club called SomeLike It Hot. Miss Kim wanted to pick up her paycheck."

That made no sense whatsoever. Why would Cara choose to pick up her paycheck on the same night she’d won twenty thousand dollars at Texas Hold ‘ Emand she’d nearly been killed by an assassin?

"Tell him to stay put. Do not let Cara or Kelsey out of his sight for a second. I’ll be there in five minutes."

The guard relayed the message as Seamus checked his pocket for his keys and wallet.

"Mr. Fox? Daniel says they went in the back andit’s ladies only. He had to stay in the club."

Wonderful."Tell him to find them and keep them with him or he’ll be looking for a new place of employment."

And with that, Seamus ran for the elevator.

When Cara burst into the dressing room at the club, she found Dawn’s boyfriend, Bryan, on the floor kneeling over her. He shot her a wild glance over his shoulder, his face leeched of all color, shock and horror glazing his eyes.

"Cara Jesus. Look at her God. We need help "His voice trailed off in a sob, and Cara’s stomach clenched.

Bryanwas a 250-pound bouncer with more tattoos than fingers. Yet he looked like he was going to throw up. She tried to steel herself for what had happened to Dawn, but nothing could prepare her for the sight of her friend sprawled out naked on the dirty carpet, vicious bruises and angry red teeth marks all over her body.Everywhere. On her neck, shoulders, sprawling out over her br**sts and stomach, her navel, and peppered over three fourths of her legs. She was a pearly white color, her skin cool and damp,a sheen of perspiration glistening.

"Oh, Dawn.Oh, God." Cara swallowed her revulsion and fell to the ground besideBryan .

"She’s still alive," Kelsey said. "She’s just lost too much blood."

"What?" She didn’t look alive. Dawn lay very still. But when Cara glanced at Dawn’s chest, she saw it was rising and falling in small, barely visible breaths. She burst into tears of relief and grabbed Dawn’s hand. "Hang in there, sweetie, you’re going to be fine.Bryan , did you call 911?"

"Yeah, like five minutes ago." He leaned forward, touched a tentative hand to Dawn’s cheek. "Is she really alive?"

Miraculously, her eyes opened.Bryan let out a sob and a curse.

"The ambulance is pulling up," Kelsey said from the doorway.

"I’ll go get them,"Bryan said, swiping at his cheeks. He ran for the door.

"Cara?" Dawn whispered. "I’m cold."

"I’m sorry, honey." Cara grabbed a dressing robe off the clothes rack in the corner. She tucked it over Dawn as gently as possible. "What happened? What did he do to you?"

Dawn sighed. "I don’t know why I did it I cheated onBryan . But it feltgood , Cara. It felt so good, the best sex I’ve ever had. I begged him not to stop. I’m not sure what happened, but I think I passed out from pleasure." She wet her lips with her tongue. "Why do I feel like this like there’s an ice cube on my chest and I can’t move?"

"You lost some blood but the ambulance is here now." Cara tried to sound reassuring. She gave Dawn a smile. "I think after tonightBryan may be giving you that engagement ring you’ve been after. You scared the crap out of him. You didn’t hear it from me, but he’s out in the hallway crying right now."

"Really?"Dawn shivered, her teeth clattering together. "Maybe I don’t deserveBryan after what I did."

"It wasn’t your fault. Trust me." Then Cara squeezed her hand and moved back to give the paramedics room as they maneuvered their gurney into the small room.