Vampire Eden by Liz Newman Read Free Book Online Page B

leaving," he said to his friend. "Means good luck is on the way."
    My eyes wandered around to the casino security men blustering about staring at card players, as the craps dealers watched the dice scrabble across the green felt and hit the small mirror on the other side of the table. I lifted my stiletto-heeled foot up and brought it down hard on the robust man's sneaker, punching a hole in the tender webbing of skin between the bones of his foot. He gagged, his body reeling with shock. Quick as lightning and far too fast for the naked human eye to see, I brought my fist up to his chest in a swift backhand motion and slammed it against his chest. He crumbled to the ground as casino security swooped upon him. The number eleven rolled and he would have won a thousand dollars.
    A security guard held his fingers over the man's neck. "He's gone," the security guard said. "Heart attack." Switching on his walkie-talkie, he called for the paramedics.
    Patrick held up his hands to stop the game as the man's friend hastily harvested the dead man's winnings and made a beeline for the casino cashier. "Patrick," I murmured.
    Patrick looked up and blinked his eyes. He stared at me in disbelief as the paramedics rushed in and lifted up the dead man's body onto a stretcher. The pit boss came by and ordered the croupiers to continue the gaming once the spectacle was over.
    Patrick cleared his throat loudly as he placed the white marker with the word On engraved in black lettering over the number six. "Eden. So nice to see you again. Did you come to play?"
    "Oh yes," I replied. "Cat and mouse. You seen one lately? A mouse?" The other players glanced up at me and turned back to their game as the dice rolled and Patrick raked them back in with his croupier stick, handing them back to a new middle-aged man in a T-shirt who rolled them again.
    "Can't say that I have," Patrick said. "They keep the inside of this place pretty clean."
    "So I hear. No rats, no cats, no zombies. Of course, there are some rats that feed the cat by bringing the cat other rats. Kind of sick, isn't it. You ever see two rats kissing?"
    "I'm taking my lunch break," Patrick called out to the dealers as he handed a man in a brightly printed vest the croupier stick. "Eden, come with me."
    "Am I going to get caught up in a tremendously messed-up situation? Kind of like last night?"
    "Probably. But it shouldn't be anything worse than you've seen before."
    "Let's go. Only I'm staying in public this time. Drink?" I pointed to the Mardi Gras bar and the bartender who glanced at us nervously. "He's buying."
    *   *   *
     
    Patrick and I slid into a booth at the casino's coffee shop. I flipped my hair over my shoulder, amazed again at its new silken texture. A waitress came by and stood over us, her pen poised. "What can I get for you?" she said as she snapped a pink piece of gum between her jaws.
    "I'll take a club sandwich," Patrick said as he pushed his menu toward her.
    "Steak," I said. "Raw. "
    She laughed. "I can have the cook braise it rare. I don't think I can serve it raw. It's against the health code."
    The thought of cooked meat was about as savory as eating a slice of water -soaked bread. I sighed. "I'll take it. Very rare. Could you ask the cook to pour the pan juices into a bowl?"
    "Sure," she said. She picked up our menus and waddled away.
    "Now I'm a true lady of the night," I said as Patrick chuckled. We sat in silence for a few moments. His handsome face still beguiled me, and I recalled how I felt last night when I left the casino by his side. Like the luckiest woman in the world. And not because of the money.
    "Why did you do it, Patrick? Why did you try to make a meal for them out of me? You know, I've met a bunch of real bums in this town. But you had something I had, too. A mixture of goodness coupled with regret. Sure, most people would look at us and say we're bottom dwellers. Given to our demons and vices, coming to Vegas to wallow in our sins. But when I