Chapter 20
Rue
“Do you think this looks okay?”
“Girl, you look hot,” Colson says. “Your man is gonna lose his shit when he sees you.” He kisses my cheek. “Own it, be confident, and I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Good luck tonight. You’re gonna blow the roof off the place.”
“That’s the plan.” Colson winks as he saunters out of the bedroom. He’s only wearing leggings and an oversized sweater, but he still manages to look glamorous. After watching his practice sesh the other day, I can’t wait to see him fully dressed in his dance outfit and up on the stage.
Once he’s gone, I turn back to my reflection, studying the man I see.
I look so different, but it’s good. I have light makeup on, and if you didn’t know, I think it looks natural enough to be my real features.
Colson added fake freckles across my nose, pink blush to keep my cheeks rosy, and a sheer pink gloss that makes my lips look amazing.
My hair is nicely styled, looking a bit wavy, but tamed, and I’m wearing Colson’s leather pants and ankle boots, and a sheer black blouse with nothing under it. I hope Carnage likes it.
I exhale slowly then leave the bedroom, heading to the rec room where many of us are gathering to go to Segreto together.
Bellamy is coming too, and my curiosity is piqued to see how Shadow will handle it.
Colson said he was invited to come to the club, but according to Carnage Shadow rarely attends social events.
Maybe Bellamy’s presence will be the motivation he needs.
I walk into the room, searching for Carnage, and find him sitting at a table with Whisper, their heads together as they look down at a laptop.
Ghost sees me first, grinning as he taps Phantom’s arm, who looks at me with raised eyebrows.
Bellamy looks up from his phone and smiles. “Wow, Rue. You look amazing.”
Carnage looks up then, and his jaw drops. He stares at me long enough that I wonder if I missed the mark. Maybe he doesn’t want me to look so sexy, or maybe I look ridiculous, like a kid playing dress up in Colson’s closet.
He gets to his feet, taking me in as he approaches slowly. “Wow,” he says when he reaches me.
“Good wow, or…?”
“You are so fucking stunning. Look at you.” He cradles my face in his hand, turning my head from side to side. “Beautiful.”
I exhale with relief. “You like it?”
“I love it. How do you feel?”
I run my hand down my torso. “Sexy.” Giggling, I shake my head. “I’ve never felt sexy before.”
“That’s too bad, but I’m glad you feel it now, because you are. So sexy.” He wraps an arm around my waist. “I can’t wait to peel you out of these clothes tonight.”
“Same.”
“Let’s roll,” Phantom says.
Before we get to the door, Shadow appears, dressed in a pair of black trousers and a baby blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looks completely different than he normally does for some reason. His eyes dance around the room before landing on Bellamy.
“Are we leaving now?”
Ghost looks startled, but he nods. “You can ride with me, boss.”
“I’m coming too,” Stealth says, stepping in behind Shadow. “I can drive.”
My eyes dart around the room, taking in the stunned and confused faces, except Bellamy’s. He looks like he won the damn lottery with a bright smile on his face.
“I’ll ride with the two of you.”
He walks past both men, who exchange glances then follow him out.
“Well,” Carnage says. “The plot thickens.”
“This is getting good,” Wraith says, taking Paxon’s hand in his. “Come on, lover.”
We all filter out of the house, separating into numerous cars to accommodate all of us, and I end up with Whisper, Boone, and Carnage.
“Are they fighting over Bellamy?” I ask.
“No.” Whisper glances at me through the rearview mirror. “I don’t know what that is, but it’s not a fight.”
“No,” Carnage agrees. “But it’s something, alright.”
“I hope they work it out,” I note. “Maybe all three of them can be together. I read this book about a throuple once.”
“A what?” Boone asks.
“A throuple,” I explain. “Three people instead of two. It’s a thing in polyamorous communities.”
“I thought that was just called a threesome.”
“For sex, yeah, but for a relationship, it’s a throuple.”
“I can’t see Shadow ever sharing a man with anyone, especially Bellamy,” Whisper says.
“And especially with Stealth,” Carnage adds.
“I can,” I say.
Carnage looks at me while Boone twists in his seat to do the same.
“What do you mean?” Whisper asks, keeping his eyes on the road.
“I know I’m new here, but I have eyes. Stealth and Shadow clearly have some kind of complicated history, and I think it’s obvious there’s some tension there of the sexual kind.”
“Uh…” Whisper says.
“Then add Bellamy to the mix. He obviously has feelings for Shadow, and I could be wrong, but he’s at least attracted to Stealth on some level. He’s the bridge between Stealth and Shadow. So either nothing happens or everything happens.”
“I don’t see it,” Whisper says. “Shadow is too closed off.”
“For now.” I pat Carnage’s leg. “Haven’t you boys noticed how meeting the right person can change things? All of you talk about how you never thought Specter would settle down and get married, but look at him. And Wraith too. Talk about complicated, but they couldn’t resist each other.”
Boone scoffs. “Pretty wild.”
“Me and Carn.” I look at the sexy, intense man beside me. “We didn’t expect to have something like this. I’m just saying, life holds all kinds of surprises, and Bellamy is… well, he’s a ray of sunshine, isn’t he? And both those boys could use some sunshine.”
Carnage lifts my hand and kisses the back of it. “Maybe.”
“Guess you never know,” Whisper adds.
“Stranger things have happened,” Boone agrees.
We arrive at Segreto a few minutes later, and after parking, the four of us head in to join the others.
The club is dimly lit, but it’s not at all what I’m expecting.
It’s like a speakeasy, all velvet furniture, moody lighting, and vintage touches.
I was thinking seedy strip club vibes, but this place makes more sense for someone like Colson.
We sit around several pulled-together tables, and a tall man with a muscular build comes over wearing nothing but tight pink boy shorts and knee-high boots.
He’s got pale pink hair, lots of tattoos, and quite a few piercings, including his nipples, one eyebrow, his bottom lip, and two across the bridge of his nose.
He’s very attractive and oddly pretty in a terrifying way.
Whisper notices him right away, gazing up at the man with his lips parted.
“Hey, boys,” the server says. “You can call me Blush. What can I get you to drink?”
“What are your specials?” Specter asks.
“Our signature cocktail tonight is called Pink Kiss. It’s very good but dangerous. I could get some pitchers for you.”
“Sound good, guys?” Specter asks.
I nod, squeezing Carnage’s hand. I’d sit on his lap if I could, but the chairs are small; they might not hold us both. Everyone agrees, and when Blush walks off, Whisper’s gaze follows.
“Jesus, that ass should be illegal,” he murmurs.
“Yeah, he’s hot,” Phantom says. “You going for it? ’Cause if not, I will.”
Whisper watches Blush at the bar, and when the server turns in our direction and notices, he smiles and winks.
“Shit,” Phantom murmurs. “Already lost.”
Whisper grins, turning back to us. “You’ll get the next one. This place is full of pretty men.”
“True story,” Ghost says. “I hope Ivy’s dancing tonight. He’s uh, flexible.”
“Do you know how flexible?” Phantom asks in a teasing tone.
“No, but I’d like to find out.” Ghost leans in and whispers something to his friend that makes Phantom’s eyebrows rise before he nods.
“I’m dying to know what they get up to when none of us are watching,” I whisper to Carnage.
His brow creases. “Phantom and Ghost?”
“Yeah. You don’t feel it?”
“No. They’re like brothers.”
“Brothers who have sex together?”
He pulls his head back. “No. No way.” He looks at Ghost and Phantom, who still have their heads together, talking too quietly for us to hear. “Well, shit. Maybe. The thought crossed my mind earlier, but I dismissed it.”
“I’m new here, remember? I see everything with fresh eyes.”
“Good for them if that’s what they want.” He twists his lips. “Explains a lot, actually.”
“Ooh, like what?”
“Just random stuff, like how they’re almost always together, even early in the morning. Neither of them has ever dated anyone, which isn’t super unusual given what we do, but to my knowledge, they don’t even hook up.”
“Maybe because they don’t need to.”
“Maybe.” He laughs. “I never noticed the tension. They both talk about other dancers.”
“True. Could be nothing, or…” I shrug.
The music changes and a drag queen comes onto the stage to start the show. She talks about the performers for the evening, and when she announces Cashmere, our table goes wild, but so does most of the place. He’s popular here, that’s for sure.
We have three dancers to sit through before Cashmere comes out, and all of them are sexy and very talented. Blush makes several trips to our table, focusing his attention on Whisper for the most part, while Stealth and Shadow can’t seem to see anything but Bellamy.
“He’s up next,” Specter says, sitting up straighter in his seat.
The lights dim and Cashmere bursts onto the stage to loud rock music, wearing a sheer jumpsuit studded with crystals. I’m absolutely mesmerized watching him. He’s so confident, so talented, and completely unapologetic about his sex appeal.
I watched him practice, but it’s nothing compared to seeing him on a stage with the lights and loud music. He’s in his element.
Bellamy reaches over Shadow and squeezes my knee. “Isn’t he amazing?”
I nod. “Breathtaking.”
“And mine,” Specter says proudly.
The crowd around us whoops and hollers as Cashmere does his thing on the pole, twisting his lithe body in ways that seem impossible.
He does a back bend while on his knees, his body on display since he’s already lost the jumpsuit.
He’s wearing boy shorts and tassels that cover his nipples.
His skin shimmers under the lights, and as he runs his hands from his neck to between his legs, I hear several men making frustrated noises, knowing they’ll never touch him. But Specter? He looks smug as fuck.
“He’s so talented,” I whisper.
Carnage nods. “He is.”
“I’m surprised Specter doesn’t have a problem with him performing. The men in here are feral for Cashmere.”
“Specter’s confident in what they have. He doesn’t care who looks, but if one of them tries to touch his man, they’ll leave with broken bones.”
I chuckle. “That checks out.”
The song ends with Cashmere swinging around the pole using only one leg, hanging upside down with his hands in his hair. The curtain closes around him and then everyone is on their feet, cheering. Specter is on his feet too, disappearing backstage while the rest of us finish our drinks.
“This was so fun.”
Carnage searches my eyes. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I want to make you happy.”
“You do.” I lean close and pull his earlobe into my mouth. “My sexy Matias. Can I suck you when we get home?”
He groans, putting my hand over his growing erection. “You can have anything you want.”
“Anything?”
“Yes.”
“Could I fuck you?”
His eyebrow rises as a grin tugs at his lips. “We can discuss.”
“I never have, obviously, but how do I know if I like it or not unless I try?”
He blinks slowly, still looking amused. “What are you doing to me, precious? You got me all jumbled up, ready to do whatever you want to keep that pretty smile on your face.”
I preen a bit. “You spoil me.”
“Fuck, I want to.” He cradles my chin in his hand. “Let me.”
I nod. “If you let me spoil you back. I can’t give you material things, but I can give you…” I shrug. “Me. You can have me.”
“That’s better than anything material I can think of.”
Carnage leans in, kissing me softly, then deepening the kiss. It’s so hot that he’s doing this in front of his brothers and everyone in this bar.
Given the right circumstances, I think I could fall for him. Could he love me back?
Ah, wait. I’m getting greedy. I should be happy with what he’s offering for however long it lasts. Sure, he said he wants to keep me, but who knows what that really means. Three months from now he could be sick of me.
Whisper stands and heads for the bar, focusing on Blush, while I lean into Carnage and he rubs my back. My eyes snag on Whisper as his demeanor changes and he pulls his phone from his pocket. He says something to Blush, who nods, and then Carnage’s phone buzzes.
Carnage flips his phone over, reading the screen, his face tensing as he does.
“What is it?” I ask.
“He got a ping on a potential associate of Leon’s. Do you know someone named Brooklyn?”
I nod. “Yeah. Brooklyn’s not his name. That’s where he’s from. Thick accent. He deals in prescription meds. He doesn’t see Leon a lot, I don’t think. I only saw him twice.”
Whisper is back, crouching down between me and Carnage. “Is it legit?”
Carnage nods. “Rue’s seen him before. He’s a legit connection.”
“Want to pay him a visit? Maybe he’d be up for telling us where to find Leon.”
“Be careful,” I say as both men look at me. “Brooklyn uses his own stash. Leon always called him unpredictable.”
“Good intel,” Whisper says. “Want to roll? He’s over on the north side.”
Carnage looks torn for a second.
“I’ll be waiting at home,” I say, rubbing a circle on his chest. “Naked, if you’d like.”
He makes a soft moaning noise. “Definitely naked. The guys will get you home safely.”
“I know.” I kiss him. “You get home safely too.”
“Count on it, precious.”
He takes my lips again, his tongue tangling with mine, and even as heat floods my body, there’s another, stronger sensation rising to the surface.
I’m cared for.
Safe.
Desired.
I have to hold on to this for as long as I can. No matter how it ends, at least I had him for a while.