The evening sky was in full bloom when Skye crossed the railroad tracks and stopped in front of the house where Big Daddy's girls stayed. She should have done it earlier but she'd slept late into the day and then Rico had stopped by.
An unfamiliar lightness moved through her body along with the heat of her memories. It shocked her to realize that she was actually happy, content.
She turned off the engine and sat, her mind still circling her unexpected feelings, examining them.
It took a few seconds for the emotions to fade and awareness to settle in. Someone was watching her.
She scanned the area as she got off the bike then relaxed when she found the interest was coming from within Big Daddy's house.
That was to be expected.
She looped her helmet over the handlebars and went to the front door. It was opened before she could signal her arrival.
"Girls are all working a gig," the woman said, her bulk blocking the doorway but not concealing the man who stood behind her.
Shocked awareness rippled through Skye at the sight of him. He could have been her twin.
Her eyes were drawn to his neck. To the strangely compelling tattoo of a winged creature. An unfamiliar word whispered though her mind. Angelini.
He moved toward her, swamping her instincts with contradictory impulses-run, fight, stay, question. She stepped back, giving herself more room to maneuver, but he didn't cross the threshold.
She could feel the power in him as he tried to trap her in his eyes, but the force of his will was too much like her own. She should know him, it was there in the deepest well of her memories, but when she reached for it she was met with the same searing mind-pain she'd experienced as a child. "Who are you?" Skye asked.
There was just the barest flicker of surprise. Then his gaze hardened, his lips parted in a silent snarl when his eyes zeroed in on the mark on her neck.
As though given a silent command, the woman closed the door before Skye could ask her question again.
The sun was just setting when Skye pulled the Harley into the parking lot of Fangs. Once again the line was long, the entrance guarded by a heavily muscled bouncer.
Candy, Mike and Dawn stood apart from the line, up near the door. Skye could see that their enthusiasm for the nightclub hadn't diminished. As she joined them, Candy spotted the bite on her neck and squealed. "Oh my god, oh my god. He did you, didn't he?"
Skye laughed and felt lighthearted. Not for the first time, she wondered what it was about these kids that drew her, amused her. Made her feel like an indulgent older sister. She shrugged, didn't see any point in denying it. "Yeah, he did me."
"Oh my god. Oh my god," Candy breathed. "Was it like, totally awesome?"
Behind them the door opened and Gian stepped out. He found her instantly. His eyes locked to hers. Skye's laugh was husky this time. "Yeah, he was totally awesome," she murmured.
Gian stepped over to them, cupped her face in his hand. "I'm glad you think so."
She brushed her lips against his, teased him with the tip of her tongue but didn't let him take control of the kiss. His eyes bored into hers. A predator's hunger lurked in them. She saw the exact moment when he discovered that the compulsions he left in her mind were gone. "Nice try," she whispered before pulling away from him.
Something unfathomable moved behind his eyes, causing her survival instinct to shimmer along her nervous system. His mouth moved to cover the mark on her neck. He bit down, sending a wave of pain-coated desire through her system before he let her go.
"I'll be back," he told her. It was a promise. A threat. His words whispered over her skin and made her shiver even as he strode past the parking lot and disappeared in the pitch-black night.
"Oh my god," Candy breathed once again, awed. "Oh my god."
The line began moving. The bouncer stepped aside and let them in without comment. They found a table near the dance floor.
"This is so rad," Mike told Skye. "I mean, totally rad. We don't even have to pay for drinks anymore. We tried to last night but Gian said no way, we were his guests. He's like, totally cool."
A waitress brought beer to their table. She looked at Skye to see if she wanted anything. Skye shook her head no. She was only here long enough to talk to the kids.
"I think he was kind of pissed when you didn't show last night," Dawn ventured. "But I guess he must have found you later."
"I was at a place called Bangers." She watched them closely to see if they knew the place. All three of them grimaced. "You've been there?"
"Yeah, totally sleazy," Dawn answered.
Candy wrinkled her nose. "We only went once."
"How'd you find out about it?" Skye asked.
Dawn shrugged. "Somebody else in line. One night it was pretty obvious that we weren't going to get in here. A couple of girls behind us started talking about this other place that vamps sometimes go to. So we figured what the hell, why not go there."
Candy picked up the story. "We saw a couple of vamps, but not that many, not like here. It's a lot rougher crowd over there. We only hung out for a little while."
"Have you heard of any other good places to look for vamps?" Skye asked. It was difficult to keep a straight face.
Candy frowned at her. "Why don't you just ask Gian about it? I mean, it's so totally obvious that he's a vamp. And now you've got the proof and everything." She grinned. "What'd it feel like when he bit you?"
Skye wanted to bury her face in her hands and laugh. Or scream. Instead she answered, "It was totally erotic. But I think maybe it's just a hickey, Candy. There aren't any fang marks."
The girl giggled. "Vamps aren't that stupid. They're not going to actually leave puncture marks."
There was no winning with these kids. Skye shook her head. "Have you heard of any other places, like Fangs and Bangers, where people go to hook up with vamps?"
Mike answered, "There's a place called Toppers. I went with a couple of guys one night. It was okay. Lots of action, but same as Bangers, not that much vamp action."
His girlfriend frowned. "Is it a strip club?"
"Yeah."
"Who'd you go with?" Dawn demanded and Mike looked decidedly uncomfortable.
Skye rose from the table. She touched Dawn lightly on the shoulder so that the girl turned away from Mike. The instant their eyes met, Skye said, "Please let it go. Mike did me a favor by talking to me." When the girl nodded, Skye blinked and released her.
"I'm sure I'll see you guys again," Skye told them as she stepped away from the table. "Don't let the vampires bite you."
The kids laughed.
Bangers was packed, full of sweaty bodies and the stink of paid-for sex. Skye pushed her way to the bar and ordered a beer. The guy sitting next to her leered and offered to pay. She passed.
Tonight there were more kids here from the vampire crowd. Skye watched them. It was a rougher crowd than Fangs. There were fewer kids looking for a way to belong and more kids looking for a way to act out violently.
The mood was ugly.
A drunk staggered over to Skye. He was beefy, barrel-chested, his head attached to his shoulders with no sign of a neck. "Hey baby, let's you and me go to a room and have a private dance."
"I don't think so."
He gave a nasty laugh and Skye slipped the switchblade out of her back pocket.
"What's wrong, bitch, too good to give some to Leon?"
"Something like that."
Leon snarled and lunged for her. She swung her leg up and kicked him in the balls. When he screamed and doubled over, Skye leaned close enough to press the blade against his chest. He wasn't too drunk to be afraid. "That was a friendly warning, Leon." The blade pressed harder into his chest, made a cut in his shirt. "The next one won't be so friendly."
"Bitch," he muttered and backed away. When he felt safe, he yelled, "Dikey bitch."
Skye pocketed the knife and turned back to her beer.
"Smooth," the bartender told her. "So smooth I didn't even see the blade, but I know you must have one."
"Practice makes perfect."
The bartender laughed. "Wouldn't have thought you were the type."
Skye studied the man. He was around fifty maybe, with a flattop military haircut and a ring in one ear. The muscles on his arms and chest said he was no stranger to exercise. Probably a weightlifter. "You work here most nights?" she asked him.
Caution flickered in his eyes. "Yeah. It's a pretty good gig. Wouldn't want to do anything to lose it."
"I can appreciate that. Guess you didn't know anything when the cops flashed you a picture last night."
The bartender chuckled. "That's right." He cocked his head. "I don't quite know what to make of you, pretty thing. Last night I saw you doing some business with Big Daddy over at his table. Then I saw you sitting at my bar casual as can be with a couple of cops. Tonight I see for myself that you wouldn't have any problem knifing somebody. And on top of that, I wouldn't have figured this was your kind of place."
"People are complex beings."
Her reply got a belly laugh in response. "You're sure a piece of work, pretty thing."
"Skye." She held out her hand. "Skye Delano."
"Now there's a name I've heard." He shook her hand. "Nelson, but most folks call me Sarge."
"Nice to meet you, Sarge."
"Same here, pretty thing."
Skye took a swallow of beer. "You have an eye for faces, Sarge?"
He chuckled. "Depends on who's doing the asking."
"I've got three faces I'd like you to take a look at."
"I can't make any promises without seeing them."
Skye pulled the photos out and laid them side by side on the bar. Sarge chuckled and tapped his finger on Brittany's face. "Could have sworn I heard that cop last night say something about staying out of a police investigation."
"I have a problem with authority."
"Think I heard that last night, too."
She laughed. "You've got good ears."
"It always pays to know what's going on around you."
Skye took another swallow of beer and waited. The bartender made a pretense of studying the pictures. She knew he was deciding how much to tell her.
He moved Amy's picture so that it was next to Jen's. "Used to see these two almost every night." He flipped the picture of Jen over. "Another guy's been around looking for her. Gave me his private number in case I see her. I don't want any trouble with him." Sarge reached up and touched his neck in the exact spot where Gian had bitten Skye. "I figure you already know something about that guy."
"Yeah, I do."
Sarge nodded. He slid the pictures of Amy and Brittany away from Jen's photo. Then he tapped the picture of Amy. "Saw her just last week. She was sitting right over there in front of the stage. Seems to me she was sitting with a group of guys, including the one who's at the table now." Skye followed his glance, saw a big guy who could have passed for a football player. From the back he looked familiar. But she couldn't be sure from where she was sitting. "Guy with the skinhead and the neck tattoos?"
"Yeah, he's been a regular lately. Usually here with two buddies." Sarge flipped the picture of Amy over and touched a finger to Brittany's picture. "This one came in the other night. I can't swear to it, but I think one of that guy's buddies talked to her." Sarge shrugged. "Next time I looked somebody else had the table. Didn't see where they went or if they left together. Now I'm thinking that with the cops interested and you interested, this girl must be dead."
"It'd be a good guess."
Sarge flipped the picture of Brittany over. "Then whoever killed her better hope the cops find them first."
Skye gave a half-smile but didn't comment. Sarge moved away to fix drinks. She watched the table, watched the man who might link Amy and Brittany together. He lingered longer than necessary when he shoved a tip into the waitress's g-string then he drank slowly, repeatedly checked his watch.
Skye knew that she had to get close enough so that she'd recognize him by smell, know him by sight. If she could hypnotize him, it would be even better. She slipped away from the bar, but as she drew near, he sensed her approach and swung his head around.
A feral, ugly look flashed behind his eyes and Skye didn't need to hypnotize him to know his murderous thoughts. She recognized him immediately, had sliced him with her knife to keep him from pulling Haley into the blue Yukon.