Chapter 78
LEX
The Catacombs – hoping my Bestie puts me in a chair tonight.
The Catacombs might be under the Row, but it’s got its own pulse.
Brick archways. Candelabra sconces lit with flickering purple LEDs.
Glow shots lining the bar like a candy-colored arsenal.
The DJ booth is up on a balcony, and Knox is already leaning over it like he’s about to baptize the room in chaos.
Cade stands next to me, one arm slung around my waist, drink in his other hand. His shirt’s half unbuttoned, God he’s hot. His hazel eyes are scanning the room like he’s waiting for her.
The lights flicker from violet to gold and then Knox’s voice booms through the speakers like a fucking thunderclap. “YO WEXLEY!” he shouts, mic hot and hyped. “Welcome to the hottest, dirtiest, wildest night of the semester… The Pulse at the Catacombs!”
The crowd explodes. Drinks fly, bodies jump, the room shakes. Cade and I yell with them, caught in the current.
Knox grins down at us from the booth. “You came for a party, you came for heat—and baby, we don’t disappoint. So, let’s give it up for the Queens of Wexley. The wolves who wear stilettos and set fire to the floor every damn time.”
The bass cuts, just for a second. Then it kicks back hard as he growls into the mic, “THE TRIFECTA.”
Spotlights blast from the side curtain. And then they walk out.
All three of them in shredded black leather pants—slits riding high, hugging every curve.
Boots tall enough to kill a man. And those tops?
Bright yellow leather, cropped tight across their chests.
Their names stamped across their tits in bold black letters like glittering warning labels.
The second they hit center stage, Knox leans over the mic, grinning like a proud dad and a reckless best friend all in one.
“Damn, girls,” he drawls, fanning himself with a folded napkin like he’s about to pass out. “Bella, baby, how you feelin’ tonight?”
I raise a brow and shout toward the booth, “Chill it with the baby, Bestie.”
The crowd laughs. Cade huffs a quiet chuckle beside me.
Bella just rolls her eyes, grinning like a menace. “It feels great to be back down here at the Catacombs!” she shouts, voice full of power, hips cocked, that signature sass in her smile. “But tonight isn’t just any other Row party. No, tonight is a celebration.”
The room leans in.
“A celebration for us getting ready to fly out in a few days to Dallas for Nationals sure, but it’s more than that.”
She turns toward the side entrance, eyes flashing. “Javi, get the hell out here!”
Javi steps out from the shadows, hands raised like a rockstar, laughing as he makes his way to center. He’s in a dark pink button-up and tight jeans, hair slicked back, looking equal parts salsa god and frat party MVP.
Bella steps aside, letting the spotlight hit him before continuing.
“Tonight is a very special night,” she says, that grin growing wicked. “Because tonight is Coach Javi’s fortieth birthday! And we are here to party.”
People stomp, scream, and throw napkins in the air like it’s confetti.
Bella lifts a hand. “Millennial style! We’re talking throwbacks. The shit you and Rico danced to in clubs when you thought Bluetooth was peak technology. We’ve got Latin. Hip-hop. Fusion mashups. All your favorite songs, all night long. We even got a few combos we’ve been saving just for you.”
Javi’s beaming, full-on, glowy, emotional dad-vibes.
Cade leans closer to me, voice low. “Our girl’s taking her life back, Lex.”
I nod, watching her, chest full and tight all at once.
Knox grabs the mic again, hyped like he’s about to launch into orbit. “That’s right, Javi. This night’s for you. This night’s for The Legacy. This night’s for The Trifecta!”
He slams his hand down on the soundboard. “Let’s get this show on the road, ‘cause it’s about to get fucking crazy down in this bitch!”
The music slams into gear. Lights strobe—green, gold, and electric violet—flashing off the stone walls like we’re in some underground rave version of Olympus. The Catacombs are alive. Sweaty. Hyped. Ours.
Knox grabs the mic again, already laughing. “Well the truth is, we couldn’t get Mr. Worldwide to show up for your birthday, Javi. Trust me, Ellie tried.”
The crowd howls. Ellie bows dramatically, blowing kisses from her place on stage.
Knox grins. “But this? This is the next best thing.”
The beat drops, “Greenlight” by Pitbull, and the room erupts.
Bella throws her head back and lets the music pour through her like liquid fire. Ellie and Haley join her, sharp and sensual, all three of them in perfect sync like they’ve been waiting months to unleash hell.
Red lights. Green lights. Flashing with every beat like the whole damn Catacombs is pulsing in sync with the music and the girls are killing it—hip rolls, drops, and smiles that could start wars.
Buzz. Buzz.
REZ: Ready?
ME: Go.
The crowd suddenly parts. Like Moses and the goddamn sea.
Out from the shadows step Rez, Chase, and DeShawn, my brothers, my Hollow Kings.
They’re in black and gold, striding through the dance floor like they own the fucking underground.
The girls freeze mid-routine, jaws dropping like we just called in backup from Hell.
Knox—bless his dramatic ass—kills the music. “What the actual fuck,” he yells into the mic. “Is that who I think it is?” His voice shoots through the speakers. “Lex, Bestie, are we getting crashed by your Kings?!”
Three beeps in my ear, mic is on.
“Nah, Knox,” I smirk. “You said this was a party to celebrate our girls…” I nod toward Bella, who’s still frozen in place, eyes wide, chest heaving from the last chorus. “So, I brought my guys here to help.”
She turns to me and for a second, I think she might cry. Then she smiles. Soft. Real.
Knox grins like a madman. “Well then, welcome to the Combs, Kings!” He slams the button. “Girls, hit it!”
The lights sync back to the music, green to red, red to green. The beat picks back up and the girls drop into the final chorus, energy exploding off them like fireworks.
Rez and the boys move toward us, hype-man level swagger, nodding in rhythm. Chase points at Ellie. DeShawn mouths something at Haley. Rez just watches Bella, eyes locked like the protective wolf he’s always been.
Cade turns to me, stunned. “You planned this?”
I nod. “Yep.”
“For her?”
I glance at our girl, surrounded by love, soaked in sweat and strobe lights, more alive than I’ve seen her in months.
“All for her,” I say. “I figured she needed all of our family here.”
Knox smiles, still breathless from the last number. “Damn girls. That’s one way to make Mr. Worldwide proud.”
The crowd howls.
“But I got an idea…” He turns toward some Legacy girls. “Freshmen! Bring us out three chairs, please!”
I blink. “Oh shit… here we go.”
Rez raises a brow. “What the hell are the chairs for?”
Cade leans in. “If I had to guess…” he says, cutting a glance toward me then back to Rez. “They’re for you.”
Knox grins wide. “Kings, welcome to our kingdom of temptation and sexiness here at Wexley. Since you’re our guests of honor tonight, you get the first chairs.”
Cade laughs, smug. “Told you.”
The crowd parts again as three chairs are carried out and dropped center stage.
Knox grins. “Ladies, go pick your King.”
Bella doesn’t hesitate. She grabs Rez by the arm and pulls him toward the middle chair. Ellie loops her arm through Chase’s. Haley grabs DeShawn, who just laughs and follows like a man walking straight into the fire.
Rez lowers into the chair, arms spread cocky. Bella steps forward, slow and lethal.
“Bella?” Knox calls into the mic. “You wanna explain the rules to your guests?”
“Sure thing.” She turns to face the crowd. “Hey guys. Thanks for being here.”
She spins and sinks into Rez’s lap. My jaw clenches. She leans in close, too close, and grabs a handful of his shirt.
“No shirts allowed, Rezy.”
“Fucking hell, baby.” I blurt out under my breath.
Whistles, screams, and chants echo throughout the Catacombs. Ellie’s already yanking Chase’s shirt over his head. Haley’s got DeShawn laughing as she pops his buttons one by one.
Ellie winks. “That’s rule one, boys.”
Haley chimes in, pointing at Rez. “And rule two? We touch you. You don’t touch us. Especially you, Rez. Lex already looks like he’s about to combust and that is not a good combo.”
Laughter rolls through the Catacombs like a damn wave.
Cade bumps my arm and mutters, “Relax, big guy. She’s just getting her power back.”
And he’s right. Because even though my fists are clenched, and even though I’m two seconds from throwing Rez through the wall, Bella’s not breaking. She’s playing. She’s in control.
“Hot in Herre” by Nelly starts playing.
I groan. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Cade grabs my arm, firm. “Relax,” he says, not even looking at me. His eyes are glued to the stage like the rest of the damn world.
The girls reach for their hips. RIIIIIP. The leather pants come off in one fluid motion. Velcro. Fucking Rico and his custom designs. Underneath? Tiny. Tight. Black leather shorts that look like they were painted on.
The Kings’ eyes go wide. Rez’s jaw drops. Chase mutters something under his breath and DeShawn just starts praying.
I feel the heat spike in my chest. Mine.
They strut forward in sync, circling the chairs like predators, each movement sharper than the last. Teasing. Tempting. Deadly. They’re not sitting yet, just dancing around the guys, hips swaying, and eyes locked.
They finally drop and sink onto the Kings’ laps with the kind of confidence that could ruin lives. The guys lean back like gods getting worshiped. Every single one of them cocky, wild-eyed, grinning like devils, and probably hard as fuck in those chairs.
Knox’s voice cuts back over the mic, still laughing. “Jesus Christ, Rico, how the hell did you even design those pants? Velcro?! You sick genius. Give it up one more time for The Trifecta and their Kings!”
The crowd roars.
“And now…” Knox drags the pause for drama. “Let’s open this floor up, baby. I want bodies grinding, sweat flying, and memories y’all regret in the morning!”
The music shifts to something dirty and thumping.
Rez is the first to stand, yanking Bella up with him as the crowd floods the floor.
She laughs, hair flying as he spins her.
Rez wraps an arm around Bella’s waist. His hands are low and their bodies are pressed chest to chest. Their hips are moving like the beat’s wired deep into their bones.
Nope.
I move. I don’t storm in. I don’t need to. I just appear, sliding up behind her like smoke and shadow, tugging her out of Rez’s arms with one hand around her hip.
Mine.
Rez grins. “Damn, B,” he says, backing off with hands up. “Didn’t know your man had a sixth sense for jealousy.”
“Please. He’s got a radar locked on my ass 24/7.”
Chase winks at Cade. “Better keep up, pretty boy.”
Cade just shrugs, stepping in on her other side, pulling her close from the front. And just like that we’re back. Me and Cade, her shadows, her gravity. One behind and one in front. Our hands on her hips, her shoulders, her thighs.
She leans her head back into my chest, arms lifted, lips parted.
I lean down, mouth at her ear. “Gonna get you home and fuck the shit out of every inch of you, malyshka”
She laughs, gasps, really. I bite down on her collarbone, just enough to leave a mark. Cade’s hands slide lower, guiding her hips against his. I match the rhythm from behind—slow, filthy, fucking perfect.
She turns between us.
Our girl.
Our chaos.
Ours.