<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">It was fortunate that the line to the ladies room was always long, filled with a slew of done up girls waiting to check their hair and makeup, take obligatory bathroom selfies to capture the last moments of their coherence; be it to intoxication or falling prey to the innumerable Vampires that congregating within the club. Ava was forced to shove the overwhelming urge to pull the fire alarm, raise a flame to the sprinklers and let the water bring ruin to the slaughter house. Easily, she could have, though it would mean forgoing a potential lead. Her stomach turned, nauseated by her own selfishness. Scarlett was but one life, a life that may or may not have been hanging in the balance. She told herself that there was a greater good in their endeavor, convinced that Dresden-- regardless of his involvement-- was a threat to be eliminated. She had witnessed his cruelty, and now she was seeing his following first-hand. Her Order paid small prices in the name of good all the time, the promises of their sworn oath bending and flexing often to achieve their goals. This was no different, even if she was still saddled with crippling guilt and ran the risk of irrevocably staining her hands red. <br/>
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The Hunter emerged from the crowd moments later, a subtle yet confident lopsided grin hinging on his lips as he neared her. She did not miss the way his eyes slid over her form like a second pair of hands, appreciating the curves of contours of her body. A shiver ran through her, vibrating down her spine as though her body anticipated his touch. Before the flames of desire could return in full force she focused herself, resisting that magnetic tug that demanded she seek out the taste of his lips and the press of his body. Ava proceeded to perform the same nonchalant actions, pretending to be preoccupied with her phone while blending in with the crowd. Her bright eyes flickered up at him, somewhere between amused and unamused by his remark. “You mean <i>Kyla’s</i> new boyfriend. It’s alright, I wouldn’t expect you to be able to tell the difference. We do look alike.” She smirked, casting another glance to the VIP section where Ezra was patiently waiting. “So, there’s this area behind the DJ booth.” With a jerk of a head gesture she subtly indicated to the dark hall. “Ezra, Kyla’s new beau, has offered a very cordial invitation to have some ‘privacy.’ What the hell that means. I can guess, but either way it means that I won’t be able to reach you. Complete radio silence while we’re alone . . . For a time.”<br/>
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“We could go back there now, but we’d run the risk of him coming to look for me. If what we find takes us more than the abnormal time it takes for a girl to freshen up in a nightclub bathroom, we could draw some unwanted attention. I think the best way to approach this would be to give me a lead time of about five to seven minutes. It doesn’t look like there’s security, so you won’t have to worry about fighting your way back there, but there are multiple doors and I won’t be able to tell you which one I’m behind.” Ava began to think, “I’ll drop something. So, keep an eye out.” She eased off the wall, not waiting for any real acknowledgement before she began to make her way back. If he protested, it was drown out by the pulse of the music. He had his marching orders and she trusted that he would carry them out regardless of how comfortable he was with them. She disappeared into the throng of people, weaving her way through them to return to the VIP section. <br/>
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“There she is,” Ezra said, standing up from his seat with open arms. “I was getting bored here without you. Are you ready?” He plucked up both of their drinks, handing her the untouched glass she had skillfully avoided consuming. <br/>
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“Yeah, let’s go.” The second she agreed that blasted hand was at her back, gently leading her along. They walked the short distance to the hall, and while his eyes were equipped to penetrate the thick veil of darkness her steps slowed instinctively. A chuckle left the Vampire, and he uttered some assuring words that did nothing to ease the rush of adrenaline that coursed through her veins. She tried to relax herself, maintain the facade of an ignorant, unknowing damsel. Ava had to repress the urge to strike and act on the instincts that implored her to eliminate the threat, especially when he paused to produce a card from his back pocket. Her stomach sank, dread as heavy as a rock in her gut as she watched him use it to unlock the door. While she assumed that it would be a simple locking mechanism, it turned out to be something more sophisticated. The tiny light on the device flashed green and the bolt slid. Just before he opened the door, the same red light pouring into the hall, the glass slipped from her hand. Shards scattered, the contents spraying at their feet. <br/>
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“Shit,” she muttered, her best apologetic tone infusing with the curse. “I didn’t get it on your shoes, did I? And you just--”<br/>
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“Don’t worry about it. I can get you another,” the Vampire promised, likely as empty as the false concern she conveyed. He guided her forward, into a small room. It was nondescript, save for the velvet seating. The walls were bare, no decorative pictures or designs to speak of. What she did notice was that the room became silent. A pin could drop and she would have heard it cling delicately on the floor. No longer did the music beat beneath the soles of her feet, the hypnotic sounds so dull that she would have to strain to hear it. It was sound proof. “Relax.” Ezra purred into her ear, his hands resting on her shoulders gently, slowly making their way down her arms. It was an impossible request when every alarm, bell, and whistle was going off in her head. Ava pulled away, disliking the vulnerability of the position in which they stood. With a flash of an alluring smile over her shoulder, she took his hand to lead him to the seats.<br/>
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“When you said private, you really meant <i>private</i>,” she said as she sat down, curling her legs onto the cushions. His arms stretched across the back of the couch, and a deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. “What can I say, Kyla? I’m a man of my word.” A hand moved toward her, brushing her dark locks from her shoulders as hazel eyes honed in on her neck. Hunger and temptation convened in his gaze, and Ava seized the opportunity as she leaned in slowly. Her hand went to her boot while he was distracted with his willing prey, focused on her lips as her face neared his. When their noses were but a breath away, a prick against his flesh stopped him in his tracks. As he glanced down he seethed to see a blade beneath his chin, hissing a curse that dripped with hateful venom. “Hunter.”<br/>
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“Yes, and if you want to live you’ll tell me what I want to know.” Ava applied more pressure, the metal digging further into the soft, vulnerable flesh till a trickle of blood rolled down his throat. “Have you seen this girl?” She asked, reaching into her pocket to flash the picture of she and Scarlett that served as her background. Ezra gave a sideways glance, an insufferable smile appearing. “If I say yes, will you let me go?” Ava dragged the tip of the knife, letting it bleed him a little more. She was satisfied by the sharp wince he sucked through his teeth, the pained expression that morphed into anger as he growled. “I see hundreds of girls a night. How am I supposed to remember every single one that walks through those doors?”<br/>
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“Well,” Ava drawled, “you could think really hard.” The Vampire scoffed, gritting his teeth when the blade scraped yet again. <br/>
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“I don’t fucking know that girl . . . But . . . There . . . There are regulars; girls and guys that come in here often to let us feed on them. Some of us don’t like the chase as much as others, so we keep a database,” he offered finally. “I can . . I can show you. I can take you where you can access it.”  </span>