5. Colby
Chapter 5
Colby
INITIATION: CEREMONY.
Nick told me I had to wait until the other two potential new members either passed or failed their tests. We were all tested individually, and while our sponsors could participate, we were the ones who had to make the killing move. That was the clarification I got from Nick when I asked him why he was able to be in the room with me for Jasper but wasn’t when I took care of the women at Solitude.
I’ve been keeping an eye on the local news over the past few days but haven’t seen anything regarding the three lives I’ve taken, or any others for that matter, seeing as I knew the other potential new members would have most likely taken out an additional three people each.
When I entered my cheap studio apartment in Summerlin, I collapsed onto my bed, muscles aching from our morning training session.
Jaxon had us add two hours to our current workout, followed by an additional dance rehearsal for tonight’s show. They’ve added a special set for the holidays to mix things up, and we’ve had to learn an entirely new routine because of it.
I must have dozed off for a few hours because my phone woke me up just as the sun started setting. With a groan, I reached over, grabbed my phone, and unlocked the screen to a few new text messages from Nick.
Nick: Ceremony tonight after the show. Jaxon is canceling rehearsals for it.
Nick: Bring a suit, if you don’t have one you can borrow one of mine.
Nick: This is it, mate, you did it!
Turning off the screen, I draped my forearm over my eyes and sighed heavily. I did it. Tonight, I would officially become a member of their secret society, one of the Men Under Revue.
It wasn’t hard to get here, but it had me questioning a lot about myself and just how far I was willing to go to get what I wanted.
Turns out it was pretty far and fucked up.
A suit. Opening my eyes and dropping my arm to the side, I turned to look at my dresser across the room, which didn’t hold anything more than grey sweatpants and jeans. I didn’t have a fucking suit or the money even to afford one last minute.
Unlocking my phone, I quickly shot off a text to Nick before he left for Neon Palms.
Me: I need to borrow a suit.
A few seconds passed, and he responded.
Nick: No problem. I’ll bring an extra one with me.
That’s one less thing for me to worry about. Now I needed to get my ass in the shower and to the showroom for the evening.
Tonight my life would change, and I didn’t give a fuck what I had to do to keep it that way.
At the end of the show, I rushed into the locker room to find the suit Nick brought for me. As I suspected, he had impeccable taste in tailored suits. They matched his car, penthouse, and lifestyle to a tee. A Brooks Brothers Classic Fit Tic 1818 suit in grey, with a black silk tie and white dress shirt, was left hanging on my locker door.
I’ve got an hour to get ready; that’s roughly how long it will take for the rest of the blokes to finish their post-show photo and autograph session. I was surprised when I looked at the tags and found that Nick and I were very close in size. We were maybe off by just an inch or two in some areas, but the suit should fit me like a glove otherwise.
Staring at the suit and taking in every thread of fabric that I couldn’t afford, I rubbed my hands up and down my face, considering everything that would be required of me beyond tonight. Seeing that suit made everything seem more real, a lifestyle that would soon belong to me—own and control me.
“How long have you been standing there?” Nick’s voice carried over my shoulder, and I snapped out of my thoughts, turning my head to see him leaning against the second row of lockers.
“Apparently, long enough for you to finish your post-show duties.” I huffed with a weak smile.
My stomach was in knots for tonight—the ceremony. It was almost as if I was saying goodbye to a part of me I no longer wanted but thought I needed. What happens once I lose that last shred of humanity that keeps me grounded? Granted, the Men Under Revue wasn’t a secret society of blind murderers… right? They had reasons and justifications for what they did, didn’t they?
“Don’t overthink it, mate.” He stepped towards me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Yeah, it’s a fucked up lifestyle to most, but it comes with a life of luxury and peace of mind. That’s what you came here for, right? The life.” I mean, he wasn’t wrong. I wanted a change from what would have been my life back home, but this was a stark contrast compared to the one I had initially considered. “Not to mention the amount of pussy you’re gonna have thrown at you after all of this.” He added with a chuckle and a sly wink.
Fuck. In all of this, I hadn’t even considered what my life would be like with future relationships. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life single. Sure, I left because I didn’t want the wholesome life back on the farm, but that didn’t mean I didn't want a full one.
One with love, passion, and fucking. Kids, maybe, a consideration I’d be open to with the right woman. But I had to find her first.
“I’ve got it, Nick. Thanks.” I sighed, reaching out and taking the suit off the locker door. “I just want to be sure this is what I want. Although I’m sure I can’t turn back now even if I wanted to.”
“You’d be right with that assumption, mate. Don’t give me a reason to kill you now.” Nick laughed before moving to his locker and pulling his suit out. “Now, let’s get ready for your big night. I heard the other two potential new members passed, too, so it’ll be a full house at the mansion.”
I didn’t know where I would be without Nick right now, but I sure as fuck knew it wouldn’t be at that mansion about to receive the paycheck of a lifetime.
Nick pulled up to the front of the mansion, parking at the end of the circular driveway behind the long line of luxury vehicles of every make and model that had arrived before us. At least twenty other cars were parked and empty, with another five that had followed us through the gates.
Nick wasn’t kidding when he said this would be a full house tonight; honestly, that was an understatement at this rate.
This time, the fountain in the center of the drive was lit up, glowing a soft red. When Nick brought me here the first time, all the fountains were unlit; tonight, they were on full display, including the ones that lined the driveway up to the main gate.
Getting out of Nick’s Lamborghini, I turned to admire the enormous mansion and the overwhelming sea of black suits filing in through the main front doors.
“You ready?” Nick walked up beside me as I continued to stare in awe of it all.
“Do I have a choice?” I sighed heavily, taking it all in and chewing on my cheek.
“Not anymore, mate. Come on, let’s get you inside so I can show off our newest member.” He laughed, shoving me forward.
I stumbled slightly at the push but found my footing and followed him up to the doors, keeping my head down from wandering eyes. My hands started sweating, and I slid them into my slacks as we stepped into the entryway.
I’ve never been the center of attention; being raised in a large family in a small town, there was no spotlight to shine in. Even right now, with my position in the show, I was in a supporting role in the background, not dancing a center stage set like Nick, Jaxon, Darren, and Tate—another thing I would have to get used to.
Everyone here was dressed to the nines. It wasn’t hard to see just how wealthy the Men Under Revue were, in contrast to their role on the Strip. Our show at Neon Palms was the smallest of the three and more exclusive, considering our requirement of Australian Citizenship, so there were only eleven of us here tonight, while the other two revues had upwards of twenty.
“Levi!” Nick called out over the overwhelming sea of members.
“Nick! Where have you been?”
“Where the fuck do you think I’ve been?” Nick gave him a sarcastic laugh, bringing the man named Levi in for a hug and patting him on the back.
“Not on tour, so it seems. They still haven’t promoted you?” Levi gaped at him in shock, as if Nick should have been on tour this entire time.
“Nah, and I doubt they will anytime soon.” He shrugged in disappointment.
“Shame, you’d fit in well with the rest of us.” Levi frowned. “And who’s this handsome fellow you brought with you? I don’t recall seeing him at the last ceremony.” He held his hand out to me with a smile. “Levi Castiel.”
“Colby Bryce.” I returned the smile, shaking his hand.
“Colby here is my protégé; he passed all three of his tests with flying colors and will be sworn in tonight with the other two newbies.” Nick chimed in.
“Pleasure to meet you, Colby.” Levi nodded.
“Levi runs Temptations at the opposite end of the strip. The equivalent of Jaxon, with the benefit of touring. The Temptations group focuses more on the touring aspect than their residency shows.”
“Isn’t that the truth? We just got back from our European tour, and the women…” Levi blew out a low whistle before another gentleman caught his attention.
“Don’t let Levi suck you into touring; it’s easier when the women come to you.” The man approached us with a lively chuckle and extended his hand to me. “Dallas Ryan, I run Red Magic halfway up the Strip from you in Stardust.”
“—and Dallas is just jealous that his show has never been selected for touring.” Levi jumped back as Dallas moved to take a playful swing at his arm.
“Like I said, it’s easier when they come to you. We don’t need to tour.” Dallas smirked, shaking my hand and looking over the crowd as a chime rang across the main foyer where we were gathered. “Sounds like they’re starting. I’ll see you boys in there. Good luck, Colby.” He winked before leaving us to join his group.
“Come on, let’s find Jaxon and the others.” Nick gripped my arm and dragged me to the other side of the crowd as everyone began filing down the stairs where the expansive ballroom resided.
The ballroom was set up like a standard showroom, with a stage at the front and seating lined up in three separate sections. Each revue was grouped and seated in its own designated area.
Following Nick, we were both seated at the end of our section so we could quickly exit into the aisle when we were prompted to approach the stage. He briefed me before we descended into the basement, ensuring I understood the ceremony process.
“When the time comes, after Dustin has finished his introduction, we—the sponsors—will be called up to present our protégés. This is where you will follow me and stand to my left on the stage. Once I’ve presented you to Dustin, he will congratulate you on passing your tests and present you with your membership ring.” His eyes narrowed on mine.
“You do not speak unless spoken to once we are in there. Until that ring is on your finger, you’re still a protégé, and any fuck up, no matter how minor, will impact your membership.” Nick placed his hands in his pockets, turning towards the stairs. “When the last protégé is handed their ring and puts it on, the real fun begins.”
My knee bounced as I sat beside Nick, waiting for the ceremony to start. There were still a few more men filtering into the room. A hand gripped my shoulder from behind, and I turned my head to see who it was.
“Look, the blokes and I know we’ve been hard on you these past three months, but there was a reason for it,” Jaxon whispered. Was he seriously trying to have a heart-to-heart right now? “We’ll talk more after you get your ring.” He winked before lounging back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.
Clenching my jaw, I turned back to face the stage just as all the lights over us dimmed, leaving only those at the front of the stage to illuminate the space. The crowd of men all fell silent as Dustin Slate stepped onto the stage, holding a microphone in one hand while sliding the other into his slacks.
“Nice to see the gentlemen from Temptations are back from their most recent tour just in time for the ceremony.” He grinned, his eyes taking in the audience before him. “As I’m sure you can tell from tonight’s turnout, all three of our potential new members have passed their tests and will receive their rings tonight.” The room filled with applause, and something told me it wasn’t typical for all three to pass their tests. “But, before we gift the rings, let me introduce our newest members to the Men Under Revue.” Dustin cleared his throat as he paced the stage.
“At this point, you should all know who we are and what we do. We are a secret society that runs the Las Vegas Strip. Without us, it wouldn’t function like the lucrative machine it is, and anything that affects the flow of funds is swiftly taken care of, as I am sure you’ve discovered with your tests.
“By day, we all work your typical nine-to-five jobs, and you will choose yours before leaving here tonight. In doing so, we can keep a closer eye on the Strip in an undercover degree, then by night, we are what all the women come for—pun intended.” He jested, and the room chuckled.
“Follow our rules, do your jobs—all of them—and you will be well taken care of for the rest of your lives. As I’ve said before, the Strip is a lucrative machine, and the Men Under Revue are all for sharing the wealth between brothers.” Dustin held a hand out at the edge of the stage, and a small black velvet box was placed in his hand.
“That being said, I’m sure you three are anxious to receive your rings, and the rest of you want to get the fuck out of here. Sponsors—” He paused, eyes scanning over the three sections. “Present your protégés.”
“That’s us,” Nick murmured as he stood from his seat and stepped into the aisle.
I got up and followed his lead. We approached the stage, and I stood to his left, just as he instructed me earlier. The two other pairs mirrored us in position, and Dustin handed each of the sponsors one of the black velvet boxes.
“Sponsors, you may present your protégés with their rings.” I sucked in a sharp breath as Nick turned to face me, opening the black box and removing the obsidian ring.
“If our newest members will repeat after me—” Dustin cleared his throat, and Nick pressed his lips into a hard line, shaking his head slightly as a silent reminder not to do or say anything stupid. I don’t recall him ever mentioning that I would have to repeat an oath or some shit like that.
He held the ring out to me, indicating which finger it was to be worn on, and I slid the ring onto my right-hand ring finger.
“Ravish. Reign. Revue.” Dustin spoke each word with the utmost clarity.
We repeated the words in unison, and satisfied with our dedication to the Men Under Revue, Dustin concluded the ceremony.
“Congratulations, the three of you, as of right now, are officially members of the Men Under Revue. Welcome to the brotherhood.” Dustin grinned, stepping aside and presenting us to the rest of the room, which began filling with cheering, clapping, and whistles.
Brotherhood . I haven’t heard anyone, not even Nick, use that term for it until now, but it made sense, considering the society’s name.
“You did it, mate. You’re one of us now. Officially.” Nick winked before jumping off the stage to join the other blokes.
Looking down at my right hand, I couldn’t help but admire the black obsidian that now resided on my ring finger.
A symbol of the brotherhood to which I now belonged.
A key to the life I now possessed.
I felt like I could finally breathe.