Nathan brushed past me, moving deeper into the club. “Sofia felt it was time for a change.”
“It looks amazing.”
“She’ll appreciate the complement,” a woman declared from the top of the stairs that led up to the second floor mezzanine where only VIPs were allowed.
With one hand on the rail, she had the grace of a queen as she descended the stairs. Her poise was all the more impressive because of the sky-high, black lace-covered heels she wore. I knew they couldn’t have been easy to walk in.
Sienna reached the bottom of the stairs and gave me a faint smile. “You’re late.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that? I can only be considered late if I agreed to come in the first place.”
Which I didn’t actually remember doing. Barely audible “uh huh’s” on the way to work didn’t count.
Sienna’s smile grew into a real one, exposing the tips of her fangs.
African American, her hair exploded around her head in a halo of tight corkscrew curls. Coupled with her gorgeous cheekbones and well-defined jaw, she could have been a super model if she’d wanted.
Next to her in her full-length formal gown, I felt self-conscious in casual jeans and loose shirt. A sparrow who’d encountered a creature of pure elegance.
Sienna looked me over, managing not to come off insulting in the process. “Oh, dear. Your outfit won’t do.”
If her dress was anything to judge by, she was probably right. It was gorgeous. An emerald green dress with a slit up the side. It was backless except for the two thin straps that crossed over her shoulder blades to keep the front up.
“Let’s hurry and get you changed.” Sienna lifted her skirt and started up the stairs.
I reluctantly followed. “Do we have to?”
“The Master of the City wishes for you to make a good impression.”
I grimaced, wishing I had the courage to argue. If it had been Thomas’s former right hand, I would have.
The difference was that Kat had been an idiot who’d relished flaunting her power over others. She’d considered me a thorn in her side and challenged me to a duel, only to lose. Quite badly, I might add.
I wasn’t sorry she was gone. Especially since Sienna had done an amazing job since replacing her. She was efficient, with a brisk professionalism that didn’t rely on looking down her nose at those she considered weaker than her.
It was the reason I didn’t give her a hard time.
Nathan snickered from behind me. “Watching you fall in line almost makes the mess in my car worth it.”
I gave him a middle-fingered salute as we headed toward a room on the side of the club. Nathan’s warm chuckle sounded as he fell back, disappearing into the press of bodies now that he’d delivered us safely.
We entered a long hallway.
From experience, I knew the private side of the club was bigger than it appeared from the outside. It was a maze of hallways and secluded rooms where vampires could take their victims for a more erotic type of feeding.
Thankfully, the room Sienna led us to wasn’t far. We stepped inside what I would have described as a salon or boudoir.
The salon’s design echoed the club’s with a few feminine touches.
A bed sat in the corner, its sheets red. The canopy and posts had sheer black material that could be drawn to conceal those inside. A velvet settee was in the corner next to an antique looking end table. Beside it was an oriental folding screen.
“When Thomas said you’d be late, I took the liberty of choosing your outfits,” Sienna said. “Connor can get changed in the bathroom. Aileen—your dress is behind the screen.”
Connor disappeared into the other room.
I moved behind the screen, finding a black tulle dress waiting there.
“When you’re done, I’ll help you with your hair,” Sienna announced as I started removing my clothes.
