Captivated (Deep in Your Veins 6)

No doubt due to the vampiric enhanced senses, the music here wasn’t as loud as it would be in a human nightclub. It didn’t pound at my ears and beat through the floor. Just the same, the neon strobe lights that slashed through the dark space weren’t overbright or harsh on a person’s eyes. All of which made it easier to work here night after night.

Waitressing might not be the most thrilling of jobs, but I liked it. Especially since, despite that the club was always crowded, it wasn’t a fast-paced work environment. There was a very relaxed atmosphere in pretty much every corner of The Hollow. Plus, the pay was fair, the hours were reasonable, and I got to work alongside a woman who’d fast become my best friend. I’d never really had a best friend until I came here.

Noticing that a fight seemed about to break out between two vamps, I sighed. It once would have unnerved me. Now it just exasperated me, because they never failed to break shit. So I was sincerely grateful when others intervened and calmed them down. Particularly since the two posturing males were the naturally aggressive Pagori vamps.

Really, you’d think that the red tint to their irises would be seriously off-putting, but they were actually easy to overlook. Though I suspected that was because all vamps had a preternatural allure that drew humans in. Quite a few were close to mesmerising, but it was Damien who stood out most to me.

It wasn’t so much about his physical appearance, though he was most certainly scorching hot—a broad-shouldered, long-legged tower of roped muscle, sleek dark skin, and alpha energy. He had this … way about him. He wasn’t a typical dark, dominant, broody alpha. No, Damien’s full mouth always wore a ghost of a smile. He didn’t prowl like a leopard on the hunt. He cruised along—calm, cool, smooth, steady, relaxed … as if he’d done and seen it all before, and nothing in the world could surprise or faze him.

He oozed the kind of confidence that came not from your satisfaction with your appearance but from your total acceptance of yourself, flaws and all. He didn’t give off a false bravado. Wasn’t out to impress, no, he was out to enjoy life. But he did impress—as was evidenced by the amount of females who, to my sincere annoyance, flirted with him relentlessly.

He also happened to smell amazing. Every vampire had their own unique scent. Damien smelled of sandalwood, leather, and musk. I was far too susceptible to it for my liking.

After filling my tray with empty glasses and bottles, I returned to the bar and called out the next set of orders. The empties were quickly swiped from my tray, and one of the bartenders then began to prep the next drinks.

Maisy appeared beside me with her own tray, a smug little curve to her mouth that made my eyes narrow.

I touched her arm. “You talked to Harvey, didn’t you?”

She shrugged, going for nonchalant, and called out more orders before replying, “He asked me out again.”

“And?”

“And I said I’d think about it. He grinned like it was a yes.”

“Because he knows he’s wearing you down.”

“He really is, the bastard,” she muttered.

I chuckled, delighted. “I think he’ll be good for you.” Harvey was the life and soul of every party; he’d force Maisy to really live. She needed that.

“Hmm, we’ll see. And just so you know, Damien’s still watching you.”

“You say that like I should do something about it. Like I said before, he can’t be that interested if he hasn’t made any moves. The guy’s not exactly shy.” And me? I didn’t make moves. I always got nervous and fidgety and … gah, no, I would not put myself through the embarrassment. “Now, what kind of date does Harvey have in mind?”

Grinning, Maisy gave me a rundown of her rather flirty conversation with him. I laughed and fanned myself and teased her. Soon enough, we were both heading off in different directions to again hand out drinks and take more orders. Having set down my very last glass, I was able to lower the tray as I turned. I almost collided with the burly Old-World-mannered Pagori that just appeared in front of me. Shit, the vamps could move seriously damn fast.

He gave me a smile that was all charm and grace yet impersonal, just as he always did. “Lexi. So good to see you.”

Ugh, I did not like this dude even a little. All vamps were predatory, but some more than others. Vamps like Castor didn’t seem to see people when they looked at humans. They saw faceless, interchangeable food supplies. And they looked down on humans so had no problem being assholes toward us. There were dicks in every species, I supposed. “Thanks. Excuse me.”