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I shake my head, pushing the thought aside. I can't afford to second-guess myself, not now. I have to believe that I'm making the right call, that I'm one step ahead of the game.
As the plane begins its descent into Las Vegas, I find myself scanning the faces of the other passengers, half-expecting to see a familiar shock of platinum hair and piercing gray eyes.
But of course, he isn't here. He's probably still back in New York, waiting for the Hunt to begin anew.
And yet, I can't shake the feeling that he's watching me somehow. That his presence lingers like a phantom just beyond my field of vision.
Every glimpse of the back of a tall, broad-shouldered man sends a jolt of adrenaline through my veins, every flash of pale skin and dark clothing makes my heart skip a beat.
It's maddening, this hold he has over me. How can someone so cruel, so ruthless, stir such conflicting emotions within me? How can I fear him and crave him in equal measure, despise him and yearn for him all at once?
I close my eyes, taking a deep breath to steady myself. I can't let him get in my head, can't let him distract me from my goal.
I have a plan, a way to throw him off his guard and maybe even buy me some time before the hunt after this.
Round four.
And if it works, if I can stay one step ahead of him, maybe I'll have a chance of making it out of this twisted game alive.
The plane touches down with a jolt, the wheels screeching against the tarmac. I gather my meager belongings, my heart pounding as I make my way down the narrow aisle and out into the harsh desert sun.
A sleek black car is waiting for me at the curb, the driver leaning against the hood with a bored expression. He straightens up as I approach, his eyes widening slightly as he takes in my appearance.
"Kira Jensen?" he asks, glancing down at a clipboard in his hand.
I nod, the fake name a bit jarring to hear. "That's me."
He opens the rear door, gesturing for me to climb in. "Where to, Miss Jensen?"
I slide into the cool leather interior, my mind racing with the next step in my plan. "I need to go to a strip club called the Velvet Room. Do you know it?"
The driver does a double take, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. "A strip club? Uh, sure thing, lady. You got it."
I can practically hear the wheels turning in his head, the unspoken questions and judgments.
I don't exactly look the part of a strip club patron, with my plain clothes and tired eyes. But that's the point, isn't it?
To become someone else entirely.
Someone Lucian would never expect me to be.
As the car weaves through the garish neon jungle, I pull out the burner phone, my heart in my throat as I check for any new messages. But the screen is blank, no sign of Lucian or the hunt. Other than the last message.
7 AM. The Hunt begins anew.
- H
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, a flicker of hope sparking in my chest. Maybe he really is keeping his word, giving me a fair chance to outrun him. Or maybe he's just biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Either way, I can't afford to let my guard down. I have to stay focused, stay one step ahead of the game.
I pull up the website for The Velvet Room, my eyes scanning the garish red and black homepage. There, in bold letters, is the announcement I've been hoping for.
OPEN AUDITIONS TONIGHT
BECOME A VELVET VIXEN!
Fitting.
