After just several seconds of staggering through clammy magic that clung to my skin like sweat, I was pushed out through the other side, only to land on a toilet.
I was barely able to catch myself before falling ass-first into the water. “Fucking gross,” I hissed before using the grab bar to my left to haul myself to my feet. At least no one had been using the damn thing before I landed on it.
I quickly opened the stall door and walked out, teetering on my heeled boots as I went. I froze immediately when heads turned in my direction. Just heads. Because their bodies were currently pointed at the wall, where there was a neat row of urinals.
Did they have to put me in a godsdamned male restroom? Fucking misogynistic pricks probably thought it was funny.
“Uhh, sorry,” I stammered, quickly making my way to the exit. “Carry on.”
A few of them chuckled, and I nearly ran into another man coming in when I wrenched open the door. He blinked down at me in surprise. “Well now, I didn’t know these bathrooms had happy endings.”
“They don’t for you,” I said with a pleasant smile before tapping him on the chest and slipping past him.
Once I was out of the male restroom, I took a deep breath and looked around to gather my bearings. I saw a smoky haze, blinking lights, and people everywhere.
“The make a bet thing makes more sense now,” I mumbled to myself as I looked around the crowded casino. Still semi-hidden in the bathroom’s alcove, I reached in my dress and re-plumped my goods just in case. Then I steeled my spine, arched my back, and strutted my ass like I wanted people to look. I needed to play the part.
Since signing my life away to Spector, I learned to compartmentalize what was happening to me. I was just a girl at a casino. I was meeting a man and luring him. Easy.
I could feel the amusement of my spider. She wasn’t fussed about being out of Spector and luring a man. If anything, she was excited for the opportunity to prowl. I breathed in the smoky scent of the casino and stared at all the flashing lights. People cheered and clapped, while some of them cursed and sucked on cigarettes.
There was so much energy here. Sex, power, addiction, and greed. My spider felt right at home.
“Drink, miss?” a cocktail waitress asked while holding a tray toward me. She had bleached teeth and hazel eyes. Her long legs were accentuated with stilettos, and she looked totally bored, already scanning the crowd around me.
I grabbed a shot and downed it whole, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand before offering her a shaky, “Thanks.”
I walked around the casino, staring at each of the machines and observing everyone. I knew Spector wanted me to hurry, but I was enjoying the freedom. It was tempting to walk out the doors and run for my life, but the threat of Aunt Marie hanging over my head made me stay. By the looks of it, I was in Vegas, which was four hours from her home. Even if I managed to portal there somehow and whisk her away, Spector would probably find me before I got there. Then there was Tomb and Crow. My spider was absolutely repulsed by the idea of leaving them behind.
No, I wouldn’t be running anywhere until I could bring them with me and ensure that Aunt Marie was safe. I couldn’t forget about Cheryl, either. I’d spent so much of my life as a loner I didn’t know what to do with all these people to worry about. Even Stiles.
Scanning the different slot machines, I made my way over, but before I could even sit down at one, I was intercepted by casino staff. “ID?”
I plastered on a smile, even though my insides churned. Shit. I was going to get kicked out before I was here for five minutes. Unless… I looked down at the purse Victor had given me and popped it open. Moving aside the bundle of crisp bills, I plucked the plastic card waiting inside. I glimpsed down at the fake ID with my smiling face on it before passing it over to the man. He studied it, scratching the back and looking like he was reading a novel as he scanned over every inch before passing it back. “Have a good night, Miss.”
“Thanks,” I said brightly, before stuffing the ID back in my purse.
Letting out a relieved sigh, I sat down at the slot machine and tossed in a few bills, feeling a little out of my depth. I’d never been to a casino before, and I had no idea what the demon looked like that I was supposed to lure, so for a few minutes, I simply pressed the buttons, my eyes constantly looking around.
After I’d lost a fair amount of Spector’s money, I determined that this definitely wasn’t working. What had Victor said? He was a risk demon.
Gods, I was being stupid. I’d never pique a risk demon’s interest by sitting at a twenty dollar slot machine. I needed to go big.
My eyes skirted over to a poker table. Aunt Marie and I used to play for fun, but I’d never gambled before. There was a good chance I’d lose all the money Spector had given me, but what else could I do? I got the impression that they were shooting in the dark with this demon, and they couldn’t expect me to lure him in if I couldn’t even find the male.
I got up and straightened my dress, trailing my hands down the smooth fabric. Then I sauntered over to the table and found a seat. “Buy-in is five grand minimum, sweetheart. Go back to your penny slots and let the men play,” a gruff player with scraggly hair and yellow teeth said.
A couple of college kids that looked like they had no idea what
