Chapter 14

I couldn't believewe were in Las Vegas.

Even with short notice, Levi was able to book a fancy suite in one of the best hotels in the city. I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the common seating room that divided our bedrooms, and stared at the famous Vegas Strip. I had been here before. Hell, was there a place I didn't know in the United States and Canada? But I hadn't stayed long, and I certainly hadn't enjoyed the nightlife here.

As an angel on the run, all I could do was hide.

"Ready, sweetheart?"

I turned around and sucked in a sharp breath.

Levi stood about five feet from me, wearing a black suit with a teal button-up shirt, the top three buttons undone. The color of the shirt made his blue eyes pop, and the suit hugged his impressive shoulders exactly right. He had combed his bangs back, and probably put on gel to make them stay, and he had such an elegant air.

Damn, he looked fine.

More than fine. He looked totally hot.

His eyes ran the length of me twice before fixing on mine.

"You're stunning," he said, not one hint of teasing in his deep voice.

Heat spread over my cheeks.

Before we made it to the hotel, we had stopped by a store to buy our clothes for the meeting. Turned out, the meeting was in a nightclub for supernaturals and we had to dress up. I had gone to the women"s section, while Levi had gone to the men's, and we hadn't seen each other's purchase until now—though he had paid for mine.

I chose a black mini dress with lace for the top, with only a thin band of black fabric to cover my breasts, and a deep V down the back. The dress was skintight and required me to wear one of those backless bras—thankfully, they had those at the store too. They also had makeup, which I never carried with me, so after taking a shower and washing and drying my hair, I applied a little dark shadow around my eyes and a cherry lipstick.

To complete the look, I had bought dangling silver earrings and black stilettos.

I did feel stunning, but I was sure he had seen plenty of gorgeous women in his life, probably dressed much better and sexier than me. He was being a charmer again, and it bothered me a little.

"Thank you," I finally said. "You don't look so bad yourself."

The lopsided grin stamped his perfect lips. "We both know I look handsome, sweetheart."

Damn right.

He offered me the thin jacket I had bought to go with the dress—Las Vegas was chilly at night in February—then he offered me his arm. I hesitated but took both. We left the hotel and walked the short blocks to our destination, Temptation. From the outside, it looked like a normal nightclub among the casinos and shops, but Levi had told me about it.

He had even tried to persuade me to sit this one out.

"There are only supernaturals in there," he had told me. "And not good ones. The club … it's not a normal nightclub. It's dark, it's almost forbidden, which attracts lots of shady figures. And an angel won't be allowed in, unless …" And then he told me his plan.

I didn't like it one bit, but if it was the only way for me to go to this meeting with him, then so be it. This entire thing was about my wings, finding Molraz and exactingmy revenge. Levi wasn't about to do this alone.

At the entrance, Levi showed the bouncer the invitation on his phone. The bouncer stepped aside and opened the door for us.

We stepped into what seemed to be a dark room, but my sight quickly adjusted to the black light. At the end of the narrow room stood two other bouncers and silver double doors. As we walked toward the doors, one of the bouncers asked if I wanted to leave my jacket in their coatroom. I did. Then they opened them and music, colorful lights, and the heavy scent of alcohol and perfume spilled out.

Levi put his hand over mine on his arm as we walked past them, into the nightclub. The doors were closed behind us and the thump thump of the loud electronic music shook the floors, the walls, and my skull.

I took the place in, unimpressed. It was a long, rectangular room, with a sunken level in the middle, where the dance floor was. Red, green, blue, and pink lights coming from the tall ceiling swirled around the dancers. Tables and booths surrounded the dance floor, all of them taken, and on the back was a long bar, also full of customers. The place wasn't packed, but it was full enough.

I leaned closer to Levi and almost yelled, "This is it?"

"This is the first room, sweetheart," he said. "It's the tame one."

I frowned. "You have been here before."

He dipped his chin. "Once, and it wasn't by choice." He slipped my hand from the crook of his elbow to his hand and entwined his fingers with mine. "Ready?"

No, I wasn't. But did I have any choice?

I nodded.

We weaved through the crowd. I couldn't help glance at them as we went. I could tell right away what some of them were. The vampires had their fangs out, the fae didn't hide their ears, some witches carried wands or potions, and I even saw a wolf shifter with his ears and claws shifted.

Some of them glanced our way, and like Levi had said, most did a double take and stared at me, disdain clear on their faces.

Yup, they didn't like angels.

And it upset me that they could sense that, even though I didn't have my wings or my magic.

When a shifter, I couldn't tell which kind, snarled at us, Levi pulled me to him. "Stay close, sweetheart," he said in my ear.

Then, when I thought he was taking me to a dark corner, we turned to the left beside the bar and entered another small room, like the lobby—dark lights, two supernaturals and double doors.

Levi flashed the invitation again and the bouncers opened the doors. These led to wide, black-carpeted stairs. Once more, the doors were closed once we walked through them, but this time, it felt different.

The music here was calmer, lower, and the walls didn't shake. The stairs curved down for what felt like two stories, until they opened into a landing.

Levi paused there, close to the silver railing. "And here it is."

Still holding his hand, I stood with him and glanced down. With the dark lights and the few colored spotlights, it was hard to note every detail, but even then, I could see the place was at least three times the size of upstairs, at least four times as tall, and divided into several sections. The dance floor was once again right in the middle and this time, the supernaturals danced to pop music as if they were having sex right there. The bar was right beside the dance floor and cut from one end of the room to the other, through the different zones. Servers carried glasses filled with neon drinks up and down, and I even saw?—

"Is that blood?" I did my best not to point.

"Oh, it is." Levi gestured to another zone, where low couches and booths created a maze.

I saw a couple seated in a corner of the booth leaning into each other, lying down on the black leather. Then the male reached up and closed a black curtain around them. That was when I noticed the black portions I had assumed were walls were actually curtains.

"You can close yourself off," I muttered. "And …?"

Levi showed me that grin of his. "Do whatever you want, sweetheart. Have sex, do drugs … And vampires go there to drink blood directly from the source. At least, the ones who don't want others to see."

A little disturbed, I glanced to another section: a place with lots of tables and armchairs, and several podiums among them—with almost naked dancers. Some podiums had only one dancer, but two of them had two dancers, and the largest one had three. They moved sensually, touching each other, licking, rubbing their pelvis, making faces that should be reserved for bed.

It was almost vulgar and I should be appalled. I was, a little, but still, I couldn't help but feel a little turned on by the sight.

Levi cleared his throat. His hand squeezed mine. "Let's go."

We descended the rest of the stairs and found ourselves in an open area under the ledge. From there, we could choose which direction to go, which zone to explore.

Without wasting time, Levi veered us to the table zone. As soon as we started walking through the tables, supernaturals started looking at us—at me. Levi let go of my hand, but put his entire arm behind me, his hand splayed on the small of my back, his fingertips over the curve of my ass. I wanted to elbow him and tell him to go to hell, but I knew I had to stay in character.

One shifter snarled at me, and Levi's fingertips dug into my skin, but he pretended to not see it. Two vampires rose from their seats and sniffed the air.

"Her blood smells sweet," one said.

"Pure," said the other.

Levi glared at them but didn't say anything.

I turned my face to Levi, batting my lashes at him. His plan was that the supernaturals would leave me alone in the club if I pretended to be his. A demon who had broken an angel and claimed her for himself. I had to pretend to be infatuated with him, otherwise, I would either be kicked out, captured, or killed.

None of those options sounded attractive to me.

We approached a long table at the end of the zone, with several armchairs and three of them occupied by males. I could tell one was a shifter, the other a half demon, but I had no idea what the third was.

"That's Lars," Levi told me jerking his chin toward the unknown supernatural. The collector's secretary.

"What is he?"

"Half warlock, and …" He paused, inhaled deeply. "I don't know what else."

Suddenly, a huge man stepped in our way. A bear shifter.

"We have an appointment with Lars," Levi said, flashing his charming smile.

"He's busy right now," the bear shifter said. "You can wait, though this could take hours."

Levi tensed beside me, but his face didn't show anything. "And where can I wait?"

"Anywhere," the bear said. "We'll call you when he is ready for you."

I could feel that didn't sit well with Levi. It didn't sit well with me either. If I didn't know I would be flagged, I would have yelled at this shifter and made Lars see us now.

Instead, I draped myself on Levi. "Buy me a drink," I said, not recognizing the sugary tone coming out of my mouth.

Levi turned his lopsided smile to me. "Of course, sweetheart."

With his possessive hand on my back, Levi steered us toward the bar at the edge of the dance floor. He sat on the only free stool and pulled me on top of him.

Oh, damn.

My body coiled, I sat sideways over his thick thighs, careful to cross my legs because of my short dress. Levi's hand continued on my back, and the other he called on a bartender and ordered a whiskey for himself and a red wine for me.

Then he leaned into me, whispering in my ear, "Relax, sweetheart. Everyone is watching."

It was hard to relax like this. I turned my face to him and found his mouth only an inch from mine. Looking into his eyes, I slid one of my arms under his suit jacket and scratched my nails on his back.

His eyes darkened.

I brushed my lips on his ear. "Better?"

He let out something that sounded like a growl. "Careful, sweetheart, or I'll think you're really into it."

Was there any way I couldn't be? This place reeked of sex, the people were well dressed and sexy, the dancers turned everyone on, and the man under me was sin incarnate.

I dragged my lips down his throat and Levi's free hand closed on the side of my waist, tight.

When the drinks came, I drank a sip of my wine and Levi downed his whiskey in one swallow. Holding me, he stood and helped me to my feet.

"We're going to dance." He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the dance floor.

I almost dropped the wineglass as I put it back on the bar and went with him. He weaved to the center of the dance floor, where a mass of bodies ground against each other, and I was sure a guy had his hand under a girl's skirt.

The song was a slow pop ballad, with sexy beats, and when Levi knotted his arm around my waist, I couldn't help but dance. I moved my hips and Levi moved with me, matching my rhythm.

I grabbed his arms, his hard biceps under my hands, and he clutched my waist, keeping me close.

He stared at me for a moment, his eyes dark and full of lust.

There was no denying, I felt it too. Intoxicated by the music, the scene, and the company, I slid my hands around Levi's shoulders and glued my chest to his. Now, when we moved, every inch of our bodies rubbed against the other, creating delicious friction.

Levi's hand found my hair and he tugged back, exposing my neck. He grazed his lips up my throat and heat spread low in my belly. I had to bite down on my lip to suppress a moan.

His breath was heavy in my ear. "What are you trying to do, sweetheart?"

"I'm just playing my role," I said seriously. But inside, every cell of my body was coiling, the friction too good to ignore.

He slid a hand down my ass and pressed it hard against him. My breath caught when I felt the bulge against my lower stomach. "That's how well you're playing."

Holy shit, I was losing my mind, because for a moment, I even considered taking Levi back to the curtains area, so I could have my way with him.

Damn, I hadn't had sex in so long, I wasn't sure I even knew how it worked anymore. But suddenly, I wanted to find out.

I turned around, pressing my back to his front and swaying my hips sensually with the beat of the music across his crotch, his hard-on too big to miss. One of Levi's hands splayed low on my belly, pushing me hard against him, the other landed below my breast.

I threw my head back, resting it on his shoulder.

Levi lowered his head to my neck and snarled, "Ariella."

"What?" I asked, breathless, provoking.

"You—" Suddenly Levi stiffened, his hand still possessive, and he glanced to the side.

"He'll see you now," the bear shifter said. His eyes stayed on me for a second too long and Levi snarled.

The shifter huffed and walked away.

Without looking at me, Levi dropped his hands and took a long step back.

A coldness washed over me. The lust was still very much alive, but I felt a level of self-consciousness now that brought on mortification.

By the light, what had I done?

I was seconds from pushing Levi to a corner and begging him to take me. In the middle of a nightclub. With lots of people around us. No, not people. Evil supernaturals.

What the hell was wrong with me?

Levi finally looked at me and offered me his hand, his trademark grin on his face. "Ready, sweetheart?"

Was it me, or did this grin lack the intensity of the previous one? Wasn't his tone cheerful?

No, I was probably imagining things.

Still having a role to play, I slipped my hand in his and let him guide me back to the tables.

This time, Lars was seated at the head of the long table by himself. When we approached, the bear shifted showed us to two armchairs on his right side.

As we sat down, Levi shook Lars's hand. "Leviathan."

"I've heard of you before, Leviathan."

"Bad things, I hope."

Lars chuckled. "You can say that." He glanced at me but seeing me as Levi's pet, he ignored me. "So, I heard you have something of interest."

"Yes, I have a collector's piece, actually, and I would love to show your boss."

"My boss?"

"Duncan Kensington."

"Ah, I see." He sounded irritated now. "Duncan is my business partner, not my boss." Oh, shit, this wasn't going well. "And my part of the business is to see all pieces and make selections."

"That's a big part of the business," Levi said, as if he had already forgotten calling Duncan his boss. "I don't have the piece with me, but I can show you a picture." Levi grabbed his phone from the pocket inside his jacket.

"It's not necessary," Lars said.

"So, you'll arrange a meeting?"

Lars stared at Levi for a moment before shaking his head. "No. Whatever you have, I'm certain neither I nor Duncan are interested in it." His eyes shifted to me. "Unless you have an angel for sale."

My stomach tightened and Levi stiffened. He rose to his feet. "I think we're done here."

I held on to Levi's hand and tugged him down. We couldn't go. This couldn't end like this. We had to secure a meeting with Duncan, preferably at his house, where my wings were being kept.

"Levi," I whispered.

He slid his other hand under my elbow and pulled me up with him. "In case you change your mind about the item"—he dropped a black card on the table—"here's my number."

With that, Levi turned and walked away, towing me with him.

"But—"

"Shh." His eyes darted side-to-side. "Not here."

I glanced around and saw what he meant. Now, every supernatural around the tables was looking at us. "Hurry," he whispered.

We were halfway through the stairs, on the landing, when three males ran up toward us.

"Where do you think you're going?"