Her eyes slid over the people gatheredaround them. “I know, but what if I can’t find him?”
“Then we’ll figure something else outtomorrow.”
“No. He may not know we’re here yet, but thelonger we’re here, the more likely he might sense me too. This hasto be taken care of tonight.”
Ian ran his hands over her shoulders. “Don’tput so much pressure on yourself.”
“You don’t know; you can’t understand whatit’s like to live with him in your shadow all of the time,” shewhispered.
No, he couldn’t understand what she’d gonethrough, but he couldn’t stand the look on her face, or that shewas beating herself up right now. “Relax and go with yourinstincts,” Brian instructed. “Even if it seems silly to you,follow them and see where they take you. Like I said, this isn’t atrue bond, it’s more of an impulse.”
Paige continued to search the walkway. Thetalking and laughing crowd parted around them as they remainedstanding outside the casino doors. “This way,” she said and turnedto her left.
She had no idea where she was going, no ideaif there really was anything drawing her onward, but walking wasbetter than standing there blocking the way. The others stayedclose by her as she led the way through four casinos with no luck.After the fifth casino, and with a lot more to go, she began torealize the only thing drawing her onward was her feet. Steppingoutside of the last casino, she shuddered as the heat enveloped heronce more.
Ian wrapped his arm around her shoulders andpulled her close. “Maybe we should call it quits for tonight,” hesuggested. “If you relax…”
“No, he could find us,” she protested.
“Paige…”
“One more,” she insisted. “It’s still early,well for Vegas standards at least.”
Ian gave a brief nod. “Ok, one more, butthen we’re going back to the hotel.”
“Where do you want to go?” Brianinquired.
His ice colored eyes burned into hers whenshe met them. She could feel him urging her on, but he didn’t say aword as he leaned against the building and waited for her todecide. Paige took a deep breath to steady herself. She stood,searching the night and hoping for something out there to startcalling to her, to draw her onward toward the man she sought.
“Just relax,” Ian said as he massaged hershoulders.
There was no way for her to relax, nottonight. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t shake the feelingthat if they didn’t find him tonight, he would find them. She muchpreferred to have the element of surprise on their side, and not tohave her father be the one to jump out and yell, ‘boo!’
Her gaze ran up and down the swarmingstreets past the people laughing and talking. She looked beyond thejugglers and artists and the blazing lights of the neon signs.Everything was extremely loud, and it was all so much, but therewas a vibe about the city, an energy that made it feel like theonly place on earth. She could almost believe everything beyond thestrip had vanished.
She really understood the whole, whathappens in Vegas stays in Vegas, thing now. This place was its ownlittle world. A world her father lurked within.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped off thesidewalk and into the bustle of the busy streets. Ian stayed closeby her side as she wandered past a few other casinos beforearriving at another one. Stepping inside, a smile quirked her mouthwhen she spotted the man dressed as a pharaoh standing by the door.She knew Brian hoped she could tap into some strange vampire power,but it had probably been curiosity that had caused her to choosethis place next.
Everywhere she looked, people crowdedaround. There were more of them in here than she’d seen in any ofthe other casinos they’d been into. She couldn’t tell if it was theslot machines or her ears ringing so badly, but it became difficultto concentrate on anything with all of the sounds, smells andhumans in the room.
Ian held Paige against his side as theymoved through the casino, protecting her from the people pressingagainst them. He pushed back a drunken young man who stumbled intoher. “Hey baby,” the drunk slurred in her face, causing Paige torecoil from the rancid, overwhelming scent of him.
“If you ever want to fuck another woman,you’ll back off!” Ian snarled at him.
Sobriety briefly flickered through the man’seyes as he wheeled backward and nearly took out a passing waiter.The man turned away; he glanced over his shoulder before vanishinginto the crowd. Ian had the urge to start stiff-arming everyone whocame close to her as more people pressed against them.
He understood why vampires like Paige’sfather came here; it was an easy place to pick unsuspecting victimsup and drain them. Easy to kill them and dispose of their bodiesbefore their friends and loved ones realized they were missing. Thenoise would bury any screams they issued; the alcohol would lowerinhibitions and common sense.
He’d give anything to get Paige out of here,but she wasn’t backing down. She stood on her tiptoes to survey thecrowd before dropping down again. “I have a pretty good view,” hetold her with a forced smile. “Do you think he’s here?”
Paige frowned as she contemplated hisquestion. “I don’t know. I don’t understand what Brian thinks Imight be able to do.”
“No one does.” The words were joking, but hecould sense her growing disquiet and strain. The incessant chatterand ringing of the machines felt like a hundred people werescratching their nails down a chalkboard to him. He could onlyimagine what it was doing to Paige’s newly heightened senses.
“Let’s split up,” Ian suggested to theothers. “We’ll cover a lot more ground that way.”
They broke off into little groups to maketheir way through the casino, searching for the man in Paige’sdrawing. After a half an hour, he pulled her into a secluded alcovewhen her stress began to beat against him as forcefully as JohnBonham on the drums. Her eyes were blood shot; her lips compressinginto a thin line were nearly white. When he lifted her hands andclasped them before him, they trembled in his grasp.
