Sun Broken (The Wild Hunt #11) - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,55

rooted in the vampire community, still preferred to be aboveground.

Yutani pulled into the visitor parking section and we headed over to the elevator. The ride was smooth—whoever had built the apartment building had made certain it was comfortable from the elevators on up. As the doors opened, a security guard gave us the once-over. He was human, pure brawn, and he carried an all too lethal-looking gun. He was wearing a security uniform, and he held up his hand as we stepped into the lobby.

“What business do you have here?” His gaze slid over both Raven and me before moving suspiciously to Yutani.

“A coworker and friend lives here. He’s expecting us. Charlie Darren.” I straightened, meeting his gaze. “My name is Ember, this is Raven, and Yutani. Please let him know we’re here.”

“Take a seat over there.” The guard pointed to a low banquette against the wall beside the elevator. We waited there while he pulled out his cell phone and made a call. A moment later, he jerked his thumb toward an elevator on the opposite wall. “Go ahead. He’s waiting for you.” He still looked dour, but that wasn’t our problem.

We filed into the elevator and I punched the button for the third floor. As we began to ascend, I relaxed. “I’m glad Charlie found a good place, but honestly, the guard gave me the creeps.”

“That’s what he’s supposed to do—intimidate. Anyway, we won’t be here long.” Yutani glanced at his phone. “It’s quarter of seven. We’ll leave by eight, because it will take us awhile to make it through the Catacombs to Fire & Fang.”

Charlie was waiting for us at the door. He was not your typical vamp, at least in looks. Charlie’s hair skimmed the top of his shoulders, and he was lanky and lean. He had learned to dress better—instead of an old polo shirt and torn jeans that rode too low on his hips, he was wearing a V-neck sweater and a pair of crisp jeans that fit him perfectly. He had gotten rid of the glasses, which had been purely for show after he was turned, and he looked more comfortable in his skin.

He was holding a bottle of blood and he swung the door wide as we approached. “Come in. I just made a batch of homemade bread, since I knew you’d be coming.”

Vampires could eat, if they wanted to, but most lost their taste for food as it did nothing for them physically. They needed blood to survive, and Charlie preferred to buy bottled blood rather than get it fresh from the vein. He really didn’t have the stomach to be a vampire, though he did feel the urge to feed, but he was so angsty over it that I doubt if he had ever fed off anybody.

We sat around the table, accepting warm fresh bread and ice-cold milk. It made for a surprisingly good snack. I didn’t eat or drink much, though. My dress was so tight that I worried about getting it back down over my hips if I had to use the bathroom.

“So, have you had the chance to find out anything about Fire & Fang?” Yutani said.

“How could he—” I started, but Yutani shook his head.

“I called him last night and told him what we were planning.”

“Before you start,” Raven said, “Wager called me with some more info this morning. He had to do some digging, but he found out that Fire & Fang is owned by a company known as KL-Type A Enterprises. It’s a vamp organization. They have their hands on a number of businesses worldwide. Not just nightclubs, but brothels, sex shops, taverns, restaurants, and hotels.”

“Basically, the entertainment world,” I said, thinking. “Are all of their businesses legit?”

“Wager said no, though it would take awhile to figure out which ones aren’t. But Dion Von Strand, one of the veeps, has ties to some known sex traffickers throughout Southeast Asia.” Raven frowned, tugging on the ankle strap to her chunky-heel Mary Janes. “He’s been known to hang out with Marl Renault, a Frenchman who has been linked with poaching safaris and child sex-slave rings. Authorities have tried to catch the pair, but they always manage to slip through the loopholes.”

I let out a slow breath. “We have to watch our step then. But the fact that the club lures in streeps—ghosts—tells me that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“The apple hasn’t even fallen off the branch,” Charlie said, leaning back in his chair