Killing (And Other Games)

(Twenty Three)

(Twenty Three)

"Just so you know, you're surrounded by notorious members of a gang." Gray and I keep our heads down as we walk towards the nightclub the Luna pack owns. People--werewolves--with chains in their eyebrows and metal studs on their knuckles eye us up. A few of them tip their heads towards Gray but just as many turn away in disgust. I get the feeling he's got a mixed reception here.

"Comforting. Simon Luna better be here Gray or I'm going to be seriously pissed. Spending my evening in a red light district is not my idea of fun."

"Oh? I guess we'll have to agree to disagree," Gray snorts as we walk up to the werewolf bouncer. Of all things, he's wearing one of those fur coats that still has the head of the animal on it. Fashion down here is either really quirky or really militaristic, there's nothing in-between.

"Prince Gray?" the bouncer asks, his eyebrows raising to the concrete roof. "I'm...not that surprised."

"Neither am I," Gray sighs, giving the guy a sideways grin. They must've met before because he isn't using 'do you know who I am!' excuse to get in. "On a scale of one to ten, how likely am I to get killed in there?"

The bouncer laughs and rubs his nose in a universal sign of trying to figure out how to put something nicely. "It's half half nowadays. The Luna pack is pretty split on you guys but mostly they're alright with you. I know that the Night pack wants to hang your head on a wall."

"That would go well with their decor. Thanks for the heads up man. Is Simon Luna in here?"

"I was wondering when you were going to get to the point."

"You reckon you could take us through to see him?" Gray suggests hopefully. I give the bouncer a broad smile as he looks me over, peering at the tattoo on my hand.

"I don't even want to know how you ended up with a human marked by a Walker. I thought you had a lot of cash, Gray, you could afford better."

Oh. He thinks I'm a hooker. I keep my mouth shut for the sake of the investigation but as he takes us inside I give Gray an aggressive look. He seems to find it funny.

The inside of the nightclub is the sort of thing you see in movies or on the Gold Coast. Strobe lights and lasers cut through the pitch black air to reveal hundreds of dancers, shady booths filled with people not wanting to be disturbed and a huge bar with people grappling to order a drink. The music is so loud I expect my ear drums to burst any minute although I'm slightly amused to hear Knife Party playing. They hate on us but they're still happy to listen to our music. Hypocrites.

"This is wicked!" Gray yells to his bouncer friend. I wonder briefly who's stopping the randoms from getting in if the bouncer is here.

"Didn't you know about this place?" the bear-attired bouncer asks.

"I did, I just chose to ignore it!"

As we head towards the booths, I become aware of the amount of dirty looks I'm getting. I feel like the whole club is watching me so I try to stay well within Gray's radius. A few creatures get in my way and I freak out, trying to find Gray again in the chaos of the darkness. Everywhere I look I see Charlie grinning at me in that sadistic way of his.

"Honey, are you lost?" A dark haired girl steps into my view, her expression written with worry. "Who are you looking for?"

"Just my friend, I'm fine, if you'd just let me--"

"You're really pretty," she tells me over the drone of the music. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"Um...I'm not into...I don't...I'm just looking for my friend," I gulp. If I were into girls I'd be all over her; she's an amazon beauty that practically radiates sex and supermodel. As I take in her deep brown eyes and endless legs, I consider for a second...