She bowed deeply, one hand placed demurely on top of the other while she averted her gaze. “We are honored by your visit this evening.”
After a long drag, I stubbed out the roll in an ashtray on the bar, threw back the rest of my drink, and then stood, bowing my head slightly in response. “What’s this about needing protection?”
She remained in her deferential position, one hand extending towards a hallway. “Why don’t we continue our conversation in my office?”
“Lead the way.”
Kuroha finally rose, her head tilting slightly towards the merfolk beside me. “Nerine, would you join us?”
“Yes, it would be my pleasure.”
I followed Kuroha to the back of the lounge, watching while she smiled and greeted tables as she walked.
“Mr. Goldward, so lovely to see you this evening… Mr. Valecrest, welcome back… Ms. Bellgrave, we have a bottle of Dimont waiting on ice with your name on it. Just say the word, and I’ll have Rodolfo bring it over.”
So far, everything seemed to be running smoothly. Most of the tables were full, of both patrons and expensive bottles of alcohol. Then what could have been hindering their payments?
We entered the office, security footage showing every dark corner of the club on large screens behind her desk. She offered me a seat before she took hers.
“Thank you again for taking the time to see us, Mr. Oniguro. We’ve been requesting assistance for some time now.”
“Assistance in what, exactly?”
“One of our clients.”
She clicked something on her computer, bringing up an old video from two weeks ago on the larger monitors. Grainy footage of a vampire popped up in what appeared to be a private room.
I watched as he took a hit of bruum, flanked by two omegas. It seemed pretty normal to me, until he snapped, grabbing one of them by the hair at the nape of her neck and striking.
A growl built in my chest, the scene reminding me too much of the last I’d seen of Sage. The same resigned, pained look in his omega victim’s eyes before they rolled back in her head.
The other omega tried to run, but he grabbed her with his free hand.
And drank, and drank, and drank.
Finally, the omega slumped over, and he attacked the other one.
“Are they…”
“Dead?” Kuroha asked. “No, thank Ravaric. But both of them, two of my best omegas, were in the hospital for days.”
“Lucien Viremont goes through at least four a week,” Nerine added, her hands absentmindedly reaching for her throat, her fingers brushing over a faint scar. “And some of our guests won’t come if their favorite isn’t here. We’ve even had to cancel reservations some nights because we just don’t have the staff to service everyone.”
“Add in hospital costs, and we’ve been seeing red for months,” Kuroha said. Blood from the second omega squirted on the table before she also slumped over. “Sanguis Vita is not cheap.”
My hands curled and flexed at my side, heat building beneath my skin. Logically, I knew he wasn’t Victor, and they weren’t Sage. But my fire only saw my mate.
“Then why do you still let him in here?” I asked through gritted teeth.
Kuroha and Nerine looked at each other, silently working out how to explain the problem, when I took a deep breath and sighed. “Let me guess… he knows my dad.”
“Your father…” Kuroha started, pausing to choose her words, “has made it clear that Mr. Viremont is not to be denied service at our establishment.”
Of fucking course.
I slouched in my chair, groaning as I rubbed my forehead. “How much do you owe us again, a hundred thousand?”
“A hundred fifteen,” Kuroha replied, bowing her head. “I have about half that right now, but Mr. Viremont’s literally bleeding us dry.”
