Welcome to Vegas

.

Welcome to Vegas

~

A Kacie Rayne Novel

by

RAVEN ANXO

Welcome to Vegas

~*~

This story is entirely a work of fiction.

The names, places, characters, and incidents portrayed herein are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or localities is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © Raven Anxo 2018

First Edition October 4th 2018

Published by Raven Anxo Publications.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher, Raven Anxo Publications.

No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the internet or any other means, electronic or print without permission from Raven Anxo Publications.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Edited By: R. F. A

Cover Design: Raven Anxo.

Find out more about the author and news of upcoming books and events by visiting her website.

www.ravenanxo.com

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

About the Author

Reviews

Prologue

~*~

When the great quake of 2025 struck Las Vegas, it reduced the once vibrant city to nothing more than a shell of what it had been. What remained of the council were set the task of rebuilding, and those within it who saw an opportunity to line their own pockets put forward a plan that was both audacious and ambitious. However, as was always the case, such plans came with a high cost attached. In this case it was twofold. Firstly, the fractured, crumbling remains of the original city were to be left untouched and a new Vegas would rise to take its place. Secondly, those the council deemed unfit or unworthy to be a part of their vision were moved into what was to be renamed Old Vegas.

The poor, destitute, and criminals, both actual and assumed, were rounded up and dumped into the ruins. Provided with the basics, they were left to forge out a life away from the shining phoenix that rose, taunting them. Three years later the split had become complete. Las Vegas no longer existed. In its place were two halves of a disjointed whole; New Vegas, where the powerful ruled and those with money came to play, and Old Vegas, a place called home by those who didn’t fit in.

It was in this screwed up world Kacie Rayne lived. Born in the original Las Vegas, she felt more at home close to the old part rather than its shining replacement. There were a number of reasons she could site to explain why that was, but there was always one that stood at the top of the list, and that was a certain man – one who had made both hers and her late mother’s life a living hell. It wasn’t until the day of her mother’s funeral that she discovered why he hated her, and what he’d said explained so much. She’d left the cottage she had called home not long after, walking away with all she possessed in a backpack.

He was deemed to be one of the elite, his power base situated in the center of New Vegas. His ambition and ruthless streak gained him all the wealth and influence he craved. As far as she was concerned he could keep it. She would forge her own life away from him, and the dark memories he sparked were to be locked away in the deepest recesses of her mind.

Her path led her to the New Vegas Police Department. With no desire to sign up and become an officer, she chose another route – that of a licensed hunter for the NVPD. If you had no problem with the occasional broken bone or stab wound, the pay was good and the hours were short. Her life settled into a routine, and as far as she was concerned nothing was going to change that…

Chapter One

There were only two things that possessed the power to drag her into the heart of New Vegas; work and friends. It was the first that had her on her Harley travelling towards the headquarters of the New Vegas Police Department. Her journey took her past casinos and clubs, their neon signs attracting unwary tourists like moths to a flame. Those rare few lady luck kissed needed to be cautious, because in the shadows lurked those more than happy to relieve them of their winnings. The NVPD had its hands full trying to catch them while dealing with other crimes, so they employed hunters like her to track down some of those on their most wanted lists. If you picked the right one to go after, the payday you received on handing them over meant you only had to work one night a week.

Her Harley brought to a halt outside the large brownstone building, she paused. All she had to do was get a good bounty and she could avoid the center of New Vegas for another week. Seven days with distance between herself and Alexander Sherwood. Though they hadn’t spoken since the day of her mother’s funeral, he had made it clear via a discreetly delivered letter that at no point in time should her connection to him be made public. If his elite cronies knew the dark secret they both kept, his house of cards would collapse in an instant. But the bastard held a trump card, one which guaranteed her silence – he possessed the name of her true father. The only thing she wanted from him was the one thing he held over her head like some damn sword of Damocles. Oh, he’d promised to give it to her, but his promises were about as good as a leaky umbrella in a rainstorm.

Maybe one day he would make a mistake, end up paying for all he’d done. Though the devil looked after his own, and from the amount of times he’d managed to avoid arrest – or worse, she figured Lucifer and Alexander were on intimate terms. The image her mind tossed up of the two of them at some strange slumber party sent a shiver through her. That was a picture no amount of coffee or mind bleach would erase anytime soon.

She needed to push all thoughts of him away before she started work, because they were both unwanted and dangerous. All it would take would be a split second lapse in concentration to end up in either the emergency room or the morgue.

Hey, Kacie!

She glanced in the direction the voice came from and spotted a familiar figure standing at the top of the steps. Hey, Josh. Didn’t expect to see you tonight, she said as she walked up. I thought you were helping out at a birthday party?

That was the plan, but my partner took pity on me and told me to go to work. Taking down a demon will be child’s play compared to dealing with a group of three year old’s hyped up on sugar.

Aww come on, she chuckled, elbowing him gently in the ribs, you know you love being around hyper kids.

About as much as you like sushi.

Point taken. For the life of me I still cannot figure out why some people love that stuff.

Guess it’s an acquired taste.

One I will willingly avoid, she replied as they headed inside. The room they wanted was based on the third floor and with no elevator in service they were left with no option but to walk up. By the time they reached their destination the room was already half full with other hunters ready for a night’s work. While Josh spoke with one of them, she eased her way through the group who had taken up position close to the sergeant’s desk. Experience had taught her that to get the best targets you had to be at the front when the list was produced.

It wasn’t long before the sound of heavy footsteps signaled his arrival. A heavy set man, he wasn’t known for general chit chat. He always got to the point, which she appreciated. Okay, here’s the list for tonight, he said in a gruff voice. There are a lot down for pick up, so if any of you are in the mood for a good pay day, this is your opportunity. Take a copy of the list from my desk, make your choice then let me know. First come, first served, so if there’s someone on it you want, better speak up fast. Grabbing one of the printouts, Kacie scanned the names and recognized one. She’d hauled the demons ass in a couple of months back, his whimpering had got on her last nerve and he was lucky to have been picked up in one piece. At any other time she would have gone for someone else, but with the pay for his capture twice the usual rate she’d put up with him.

I’m taking number six on the list. Once her name was set next to the demon’s on the master sheet and she had his location, she walked over to where Josh stood and tapped him on the shoulder. You take care out there. Remember, I don’t want to visit your ass in the hospital.

You won’t. I hate their damn food.

What about the nurses? The last time you ended up in the emergency room I seem to recall sparks flying between you and a redhead.

Sparks was right. Turned out she was a bloody dragon shifter.

His words married with a pained expression sparked a bout of laughter which caused some of the other hunters in the room to look in her direction. Managing to rein her amusement in, she gave Josh a sheepish smile. I couldn’t help it, she said, seconds before starting again. Before she lost any remaining semblance of being a responsible adult, she gave him a quick hug then sprinted towards the stairs.

Once outside she caught sight of a few faces she recognized, waving in greeting as she headed towards her Harley. While they prepared to go on patrol, she was off to collect her target. Even though she had a pretty good idea what to expect when their paths crossed again, she wasn’t going to take any unnecessary chances. The daggers she carried with her would be put to good use if the need arose.

When she reached her motorcycle, she got on and started it up. The roar of the engine echoed around the parking area as she turned the throttle, the sound earning her a few curious looks as she sped out of the parking area towards the highway.

Cars and trucks passed by in a blur as she headed towards her destination, and it wasn’t long before the building came in view. With her ride parked out of sight, she tapped into the speed her dhampir side provided, sprinting across the small open area outside the graffiti covered block to reach the communal door. One look at the panel to its left told her reaching it had been the easy part. To get in meant buzzing each of the residents in turn in hopes one would open the door. Avoiding his, she started going through the others in order. First button pushed garnered no answer. The next two refused to help. Ready to give up she hit number four and whether it was by luck or divine intervention, she managed to convince the lady who answered to let her in.

The second she heard the lock click, she pulled the handle and was inside. As the door swung shut behind her she glanced at the elevator. One look into the car was enough to convince her not to risk taking it up to his floor. So that meant tackling the stairs – and they didn’t look sturdy. A quick plea to the fates they were stronger than they looked, she started up.

An ominous creaking reached her as the first one took her weight, the sound doing little to increase her confidence. Just as she reached the first floor landing, a couple of rats scurried past. Their unwanted arrival ramping up her urge to get the hell out of the death trap as fast as possible.

Each subsequent landing gifted her another unwanted present. Rats were bad enough, but when cockroaches decided to join the party she threw caution to the wind and took the remaining stairs up to his floor two at a time. The second she reached her destination, Kacie let out a low, almost silent exhale of breath as she took stock of her situation. Apartment 218 was directly in front of her, which meant the one she wanted had to be to her right.

Loud music, arguments, children crying, and the sound of some game show seeped out from