I had to lean in to hear her over the noise. My career had left me with a bit of hearing damage. “Who are all these other people?”

“The babes?” She grinned. “I called some of the girls that I used to work with.” I’d almost forgotten that this was Holly’s hometown. “I told them that there was a party with a bunch of attractive, buff, and recently filthy rich German guys at it, which explains the Oktoberfest outfits. But they brought a few friends, who brought a few friends. You know how it goes…Say what you will about Hunters, but they do know how to have a good time.”

Constant fear of imminent death will do that, I suppose. Cooper wandered past, chatting up a cute girl in a UNLV T-shirt, making up a story about the bruises on his face he’d picked up from Ultimate Lawyer, and when he saw me and Holly he gave us a thumbs-up and a goofy smile. It just wouldn’t be a gathering of Hunters without hedonism and bad decision-making. “Where is everybody?” I asked. Holly jerked her head toward Earl’s room at the end of the hall. “And why are you all dressed up?”

She smirked. “You realize this is our first night off in weeks? We’re in sin city. I’ve lived here, worked here, but I’ve never been here and wealthy before.” That was true enough. Hunting was a very lucrative business when done correctly. “I’m going to see how the other half lives. I’m going to gamble stupidly and not care, get comped fancy drinks with umbrellas in them, and meet handsome men with normal jobs. I’m going out. I’m going to have fun.”

“Blowing up monsters is fun.”

“You workaholics are all the same. Julie’s with Earl and some of the others, still talking business. Trip’s in heaven. He found a couple other kindred nerd spirits and they’re upstairs playing role-playing games. I tried to get him to come with me, but he’s too churchy. I think Vegas scares him. He might actually have fun or something. Milo’s doing something to the chopper. Us saving that cop was good PR. The conference management actually gave permission for Skippy to land on the helipad on the roof. He was really pumped. Said he’d never landed on a big glowing shiny building before. Where’d you go?”

While she’d been talking I’d been eating the rest of the little bratwursts. I talked with my mouth full. “Hung out with Franks in a chemical-weapons dump. Wrestled a ghoul. Busy night. I’ll tell you about—”

“Later, Z. After the drinks with tiny umbrellas and lots of blackjack.” Holly patted me on the shoulder and sauntered off.