The Shopgirl's Prophecy (Beasts of Vegas Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

team you put together is awful.”
    She smiled. “I like underdog stories.”
    For a long time, Ali got so lost in the mechanics of the game that the suite, including the pair of strangers in it, faded away.
    “So, where’s home?” Connor asked, bringing her back to reality. His deep voice rolled over her, through her. “I can’t place your accent.”
    “Britain.” She tried to make a goal, but the other team blocked it and then stole the ball. She had to hustle to steal it back, but once she did, she caught Connor frowning at her non-answer. Her story meant something to him, which only intensified her suspicions. Why did he care where she came from?
    But he held the gun. “My dad moved from the Ukraine to London right after I was born.” Where she should have stayed. “This trip is a family history type of thing. My first time in the States. I’ve been staying with family I’ve never met before.”
    He didn’t respond.
    “So. This is your suite?” Her eyebrows rose. Because the opulent room didn’t mesh with his attire or personality. No nice way to say it.
    “Don’t tease,” he said. “We have investors. They pay for everything.”
    “Vampire hunter investors?” What kind of person would bankroll such a thing? It boggled her mind and made her wonder if the infecteds had investors, too.
    “They care about what happens here.”
    Ali pressed pause on the game. “What exactly goes on?”
    “You heard the army kept vampires here, right? Well, they got out.”
    Ali didn’t know what to say, other than, “If I had any idea I’d be traveling to a vampire’s playground, I assure you I never would’ve bought the ticket. Why isn’t it common knowledge? Why isn’t it in the media?”
    “Same reason shapeshifters aren’t in the media, I guess,” Connor said. “They stay under the radar. Besides that,” he added, “as far as I can tell, the government is trying to recapture Olek and his followers before they draw too much attention. They’re into secrecy.”
    More secrets.
    Ali turned back to the game, easily winning even with her less than impressive roster. She had some trouble in the semi-finals, but by the time she found her stride, Connor was checking his phone.
    “Time’s up,” he said, keeping his gun in his left hand. “Can I look at your throat?”
    Ali set the controller aside. “Sure, I guess.” Her cut throbbed. Nothing had miraculously healed. She wasn’t infected.
    He slid his finger under the edge of her bandage and peered at the wound beneath. The blood loss made her shiver. A head-to-toe quiver, complete with raised goose bumps.
    Who was she kidding? It wasn’t anemia. It was his proximity. His clean, masculine scent. His touch. It was him.
    She chuckled to cover her response. “Am I cleared for duty?”
    “You’re not infected.”
    “Well, that’s a relief. Can I get a glass of water now?”
    Connor returned with a bottle of cold water from the stainless steel refrigerator. She guzzled it, spilling some down the sides of her mouth. Oh, wow. Best water she’d ever had.
    “More?” came his gruff voice.
    He was so not her idea of a nursemaid, and yet he was doing great.
    “Yes, please.”
    Feeling stronger, Ali swung her legs around and sat up. “I’m staying with family in Paradise. How far are we?”
    “Not that far,” he said, passing her a second bottle.
    She needed her uncle. She had something really awful to tell him, but her cell phone was in the wrecked bus.
    “Where are we?”
    “Le Sort Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.”
    “Can I use your phone to call my uncle?”
    “I don’t have a cellphone, but hang on.” He glanced at the empty bedroom doorway. “Roz, I need your phone.”
    Roz re-entered the room, every fiber in her body vibrating with what Ali guessed was irritation. Maybe Connor wasn’t the real threat, despite his hardware. Maybe Ali should pay closer attention to his female accomplice. Something had pissed her off, big time.
    Ali dialed