Inconvenient party

The black limo pulled up to the casino. The Red Dragon it was called. Apropos considering it was owned by a vampire and there would be a whole lot of red being mixed in with the green of money. Kiara stepped out after the driver opened the door. Already she could see several high rollers walking into the casino with their much younger trophy looking arm candy.

She could also smell several vampires, both being used in security and just rich vampires having been invited. The few humans who were mixed in with the bunch seemed quite at ease with everything from the lavish service, the unusually beautiful vampires and the very ironic VIP cords outside which were red with jeweled fangs.



She looked around, a few men already ogling her. Granted, her attire was not modest but she wasn't here to impress anyone. As she stepped closer to the entrance she showed her ticket which came attached to her invitation. The vampire who checked it spoke into a small mic attached to his collar. In seconds another vampire showed up, dressed in a sleek black tuxedo and looking far too smug to be just another employee.

He grinned and introduced himself as Victor Madden. Now Kiara understood why he was so smug. He was the notorious right hand man to the king of nevada. He basically had carte blanche to do whatever he desired with the king'd money and assets.

"Welcome Miss Griffen. I trust your journey here was comfortable" he said, giving her a hot once over and apparently liking what he saw. Kiara gave him a polite smile. "Yes, the private jet and accommodation have been wonderful" she said, playing the role of polite guest. Victor ushered her inside, offering her his arm. Figuring it would be impolite to decline she took his arm and they both walked in.

Apparently that automatically upgraded her status because the vampires would give her curt bows of their heads as Victor walked her to the more exclusive VIP section which was mostly vampire only. Victor kept steeling glances at her, ogling her almost like a dog ogles their next meal. She made a mental note to keep an eye out for him. She wasn't about to become a vampire's chew toy OR free meal.

Both Jessica and Bill sat silently on their drive through Las Vegas as he turned to catch a glimpse of Jessica's eyes widened with pure excitement as she watched all the lights passing by them. Well Bill remained quiet as he listen to Jessica let out gasps of joy as she pointed out various hotels and the lights that shone brightly around them. The roads filled heavy with traffic as he continued to stare out of his own window, pondering the night ahead.



Making him glad that they had decided too come, even if it was only to see her smile for the first time in many months as she had been constantly worried about him and his capture and seduction by the Vampire Authority and Lilith. He hoped that this was his way of making some kind of peace between them. But seeing her face light up as the driver indicated as he pulled into the long driveway that led into the Red Dragon hotel that belonged to Felipe De Castro and their place of stay for their visit. He still had his caution as to why Felipe would invite him since their last meeting did not go too well, he never much cared for Felipe or Victor. They could not be trusted and he had reminded Jessica that she was always too be on her guard whilst they resided here and to always heed his words as he always wanted Jessica within reach.

As the car came to a sudden stop as the door to their car was opened and they now stood at the base of the hotel. As he nodded to the door man as they made their way into the hotel, he was astounded by the decorative decor that was before him as he heard Jessica gasp with glee.

Kiara sat at one of the lavish tables in the cordoned off VIP section. While the other vampires mingled she was getting her first taste of food all day. Victor had insisted she eat something since the party was to be length and go all night.

The food was delicious but she declined any liquor, she needed to be sharp around all these strangers. While enjoying a serving of lamb, Victor came to her, taking a seat by her side.

"How is the food my dear?" he asked, boldly placing his hand on her thigh. She set down her fork and knife, dabbing at her lips with a napkin.

"Everything is delicious Victor" she said. Victor grinned, showing a small hint of fang. "Oh yes it is..." he said and she knew he wasn't referring to the food. Suddenly she just wanted to be alone, back in her hotel room and not being felt up by Victor Madden. Thankfully another vampire came up and took Victor's attention away from her.

As Jessica and Bill made their way into the lobby, he kept his guard firm and he spotted many vampires from which he knew from previous meetings and visits that he conducted as King of Louisiana. He watched as Jessica spun around in admiration as she took in all the sights of what she saw in the grand lobby of the Red Dragon. He appreciated her smile and welcomed it with open arms. He loved too see her smile on this occasion and hoped it would last. As he stood in the center of the lobby, he stumbled as Jessica threw her arms around him tightly and giggled that of a school child on Christmas morning.

"Oh Bill, this is AMAZING!" she smiled at him as her arms were wrapped firmly around him.

"It is very impressive, yes" he kissed the top of her head and smiled down at her.

"Thank you Bill, for coming" she dislodged herself from him and continued to look around.

"There is a gift shop over there, tell them to stick on my account" he smiled. "Treat yourself to anything you want, no expense spared"

She jumped up and down on the spot as she nodded as him before she sped off, smiling that she would spend a fortune here, but he would be glad that she would be happy. As he approached the front desk to check in, he was approached by a young male vampire before he had the chance to check in.

"Excuse me sir, but Mr Madden would like too see you" dressed in a sharp navy blue suit as Bill nodded to him as he followed him to Victor Madden.

Leading him through a grand dining room, he saw Victor sat with a young dark haired woman with her back to him, he stood behind her as Victor stood from his chair to extend his hand in welcome.

"Mr Compton...Such a pleasure to see you....Won't you join us?" he grinned sheepishly.

Kiara resumed her meal, taking mental inventory of other things more related to her business. She already spotted a few of her donors being taken behind curtained rooms, no doubt to sate a vampire or two.

As she finished her meal and took a sip of her juice she heard Victor talk somewhere behind her to someone. She didn't pay too much attention until he addressed a vampire by his last name. Her stomach sank. Seriously? him? HERE? God seriously had it out for her.

The last time she'd seen Bill Compton he'd been hell bent on death by the sun thanks to Lilith. Their relationship was already on tattered strings and him showing up here wouldn't really help. She took a deep breath and now wished she had ordered a drink with a bit more kick.

Come on Kiara... you can do this... this isn't the first time you've had an ex show up and make things awkward... she told herself;which was true. Instead she set her empty glass down, used the napkin on her lap to wipe her mouth and sat calmly while a waiter refilled her drink and brought her dessert.

"Mr Compton...Such a pleasure to see you....Won't you join us?" he grinned sheepishly.

He smiled in gratitude at being offered to join, but he didn't want to leave Jessica on her own for too long, as he hated for anything to happen to her, but he knew that she was a grown vampire and could handle herself, but it was the vampires that Felipe would have hired for his protection as he had many resources.

"I should be finding Jessica. I do not wish to leave her alone too long Victor" he replied softly.

"She shall be fine Bill *he indicated to the chair opposite him* Please. I insist"

Bill nodded and made his way around to take a seat opposite the Victor, but next to the young woman. As he pulled out his chair and took his seat, his eyes raised and then they met the one person he never would have thought he would have seen here. Kiara.

"Mr Compton, let me introduce you to Miss Kiara Griffen. Felipe heard so much about her work and insisted that she attend. I must say that i was quite surprised to see that she accepted" he grinned at Bill before turning to catch a glimpse of Kiara as she sat silent.

Thank goodness her work with vampires had schooled her in remaining calm. Like any predator, being uncomfortable was just a beacon to get eaten and she forced herself to remain serene and almost uninterested.

"I am just glad my business has caught the eye of such prominent vampires such as yourself Victor, as well as King De Castro" she said, keeping a charming smile on her face.

Victor seemed pleased and even reached for Kiara's hand, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Well we're glad that you took our invitation Miss Griffen" he said, putting on the charm that no doubt got many women moist for him yet did nothing for Kiara but irritate her a bit. Instead she inclined her head to Bill, showing proper respect.

"So nice to see you your majesty" she said calmly. Despite part of her feeling hurt he was so willing to give up, the more practical side of her told her to get over it.

He tried to hide a growl that he hoped would go un-noticed by Victor as he made note of his movements towards Kiara and he could feel an anger bubbling beneath the surface and he wanted to rip his head off, but that would cause chaos that and it would lead to his and Jessica's death and also Kiara if they ever discovered his connection to her and his feelings towards her. Feelings that he wanted to keep locked away and hidden, to keep her safe from what he was capable of and what he could possibly do to her. He wanted to keep her as far away from him as possible, but it seemed that Fate did not want that.

"So nice to see you your majesty" she said calmly as she inclined her head towards him. It hurt him more than he was willing to show that she no longer cared for him as to the way she was addressing him, or was it all a farce in front of Victor?

"Miss Griffen...It is a pleasure to meet you" he offered his hand to her.

Bill's hand gave her a chance to pull away from Victor, something he didn't seem too happy about. She reached out and shook Bill's hand and offered him a soft smile.

"A pleasure indeed" she said. She had the urge to dip her hand in some sanitizer since Victor kept making small gestures that he wasn't too pleased with not being able to touch her.

Thankfully distraction came in the form of her waiter, bringing over a slice of cheese cake she ordered. Just because she was among vampires didn't mean she wasn't about to spoil herself a bit. After a quick handshake with Bill she reached for her drink and took a sip, ignoring the look Victor was giving her.

"Have you two met before?" asked Victor. Kiara jumped in on that, needing to defuse the bomb Victor was trying to arm. "We've conducted business, nothing more" she said curtly.

Bill felt as though a knife has been twisted into his un-dead heart, and a surge of anger curse through his veins as her last statement. Conducted business and nothing more, he felt an anger that he had never felt before, it almost tore him in half, but still trying to remain his composure in front of Victor as he noted that he seemed to be fishing for information.

"I had heard of her business from the Sheriff of Area 5, Eric Northman. He said her business was adequate for the dealing that I had with what i required" as nodded to the waiter as he poured from a bottle of Royal Blend with a hint of rose petal. He raised the glass to his lips and took a sip as he savored the flavor.

As the waiter brought Kiara her dessert that he assumed she ordered as she slid a piece into her mouth as let out an approving moan. As he noticed that Victor watched and took in every movement that she made, and that only increased his anger more.

"So where is the King this evening? I would assume that he shall make his presence known?" he quizzed Victor.

"The King has matters to attend to and shall meet with his guests later on this evening" he replied smoothly as he never took his eyes of Kiara.

Kiara took a bite of the cake and felt a small twinge of happiness. She didn't like being this informal, but Victor seemed way too creepy without him knowing that Bill and her shared much more than a business relationship.

Unfortunately Victor seemed intent on having Kiara to himself and even when she finished her dessert he stood and offered her his hand. "Will you accompany me Miss Griffen? I would much enjoy to give you a tour of our casino" he said. However his requested sounded a bit too much like an order and she really didn't want to find herself alone with Victor.

"Thats quite alright. I would much prefer to tend to my business here and ensure the King has all he requires of me" she said as she set her napkin down and stood. She fixed her dress with clung to her curves and cast a quick glance to Bill. She hoped maybe he could read between the lines, know that she was being distant because Victor seemed keen on causing some sort of trouble for her or Bill.

He occasionally cast glances towards Kiara and she consumed her dessert of some sort that he had heard that humans enjoyed very much. He could see Victor also cast glances towards her as she finished her final piece of her food as he then offered to take her on a tour of the casino, which he almost rejoiced inside at her decline as he looked on smugly as he saw Victor was furious that she had declined the King's second in command. As Kiara stood and shot a glance at him as he wanted him to follow her

"I shall take my leave.....and I shall see you both later tonight as the King greets his guests" he said harshly.

"I shall look forward too it Victor" Bill replied with a grin on his face as Victor took his leave. Waiting until he left Bill stood from his chair as he tried to catch her glance.

"I had no idea that you would be here. If I had known. I would have declined to come" he said apologetically.

It was only when Victor was well out of earshot that she spoke. She cast him a look with one raised eyebrow. "Are you serious? Bill you're the King of Louisiana. Feelings or not this is your job and you cannot just bail because you don't want to see me" she said calmly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Don't worry. I'll check on my donors and excuse myself to my hotel room shortly so you won't have to see me for the rest of the party" she added. As she grabbed her small purse she gave him a pointed look.

"I suggest you tell Jessica of your plans. I don't want her calling me close to dawn asking to save you again when you clearly do not wish to be saved"

It hurt him as to how cold that she could be, although he did deserve it after what he did too her, he almost killed her and their last meeting did not go too well. He had pounced on her and then he had rejected her, and that had hurt him as well, knowing what he was capable off and that she and Jessica were always there to try to pull him back. This was the first time he had left the sanction of his manor to be among humans, at first he had found difficult, but now he was coping.

"My job is to be in Louisiana. I am not required to attend every event that another regent hosts. And Jessica wished us to come. I do this for her, not myself" he had to calm himself down, he didn't want a meltdown in this place, especially with Victor already breathing down his neck.

"And Jessica...Jessica is helping me....I am doing fine" he forced himself to say the words, of course he was not fine. He was still suffering heavily with all his mounting guilt and remorse.

"And you are the guest of the King, you must be here Kiara *he paused and whispered* I do not wish to cause you any more confusion and false promises that i cannot keep"

She let out a dark chuckle "Relax Bill, you're not the first guy to use the "I'm going to die so I wish to spare you" line on me... and chances are you won't be the last" she said as she put her purse strap across her shoulder.

"I'm sure if I were immortal I'd say rejection gets easier every time it happens, but I'd be lying" she whispered before she walked away. If she spent any more time with Bill she'd betray the hurt she was feeling and in a place where any weakness meant certain death, she couldn't afford it.

She knew Bill was lying, she could smell the lie off him. She even felt bad for Jessica. Her maker was going to kill himself and she could do nothing to stop it. The old adage "if you love something let it free and if it comes back it's meant to be" came to her mind. It seemed that this time, she was letting go and he was determined never to come back.

"I'm sure if I were immortal I'd say rejection gets easier every time it happens, but I'd be lying" as she spun and walked away from him leaving him a broken man. Every single cell is his body screamed out to him to tell him to go after her. Maybe she was right, being together would only cause them pain and it would be frowned upon on him in the vampire society and in hew world. A were and a vampire together would be seen as a farce by others. But yet he did not care, he loved her...and it finally hit him like a kick to his gut. He loved her and he could feel that she still had some inkling of feelings for him as well. He knew she did, he could feel it in her blood.

Pushing himself from his chair, he began to hastily walk after her as he followed behind her as she stood in front of an elevator as he saw the door open and some humans vacate it as she made entered the vacant elevator. As she pressed the button and folded her arms across her chest, he waited before he pounced and forced himself into the elevator as the doors closed behind him.

"I can't part like this....I need to get this of my chest" he took a large exhale as he closed the gap between them and their lips connected.

She let out a sigh as she entered the elevator. Turning around the last thing she saw was Bill rushing into the now closed elevator before he kissed her like he was dying in that moment. She blinked, all manner of emotions warred inside her and the elevator music seemed to mock the moment.

He tasted as good as ever and part of her hoped the elevator would break and they'd be stuck for a bit longer. For a man hell bent on dying he kissed like he had all the time in the world. She touched his shoulders, kissing him back, feeling like a fool, like a yo-yo being wound up back and forth.

It was only when his lips pulled back that she took a much needed breath. "Bill...I..." she began but just the the doors of the elevator opened. The voices outside seemed to rush into their silence, not to mention she felt that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that someone was watching them intently.

His arms wound around her waist as their lips meshed together and he could feel himself let go for the first time, the first time that he could be himself. He felt her warm body push against his own as he let out a soft groan from his lips as he could hear her heart accelerate rapidly as he could taste the dessert that lingered on her lips that he savored and would remember as his tongue invaded her mouth. As she pulled back from his lips and gazed hazily into his eyes.

"Bill...I..." she began to speak as the doors to the elevator opened as their was several people waiting on the other side, all human that he could pick out.

He leaned down to whisper into her ear as she calmed down and her heart rate decreased "I-I love you.....I always have and I always will"

He placed a kiss onto her cheek and looked into her eyes as the humans filled into the elevator as he cast a lasting glimpse towards her.

Kiara stood there, her lips strangely cold without his there. The humans piled into the elevator and the look she gave him was priceless. To think he still had feelings for her, genuine feelings and not just pity that she would have to watch him die.

As the doors closed she placed a hand over her pounding heart, trying to calm herself.
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In a secret security room Victor Madden crushed the pen he'd been holding. Through the security cameras he'd witnessed the moment between Bill and Kiara. So there WAS something more than just business between them and it angered him. He was never denied a woman, not once he set eyes on her and Kiara would be his come hell or high water. As he felt his anger begin to simmer he pressed a button on a control panel.

"Bring in Jeff, tell him I require what we spoke of" he said. If Bill Compton thought he would get lucky during his stay here in Nevada he was sorely mistaken, and if Kiara Griffen thought she would deny Victor her body she had another thing coming.