12. Lena
The elevator slides open, revealing the crisp, white lobby, where I’m met with a beast of a man holding a notecard with my name on it like I’m being picked up at the airport. He’s dressed in a black suit, has to be at least 6’ 3”, and looks like he could crush my skull between his finger and thumb. I slow my pace. “Um, hi.” I point to the sign in his hands. “ I’m Lena.”
“I know, miss.” His voice is deep with a slight hint of a Russian accent. “But the boss required me to hold this up.” He holds the card up and waggles it toward the security camera, as if insinuating that we’re being watched. I hold my gaze to the camera, my brows furrowing. I should be upset that I’m being watched, but for some reason, I can’t find it in me. It’s almost comforting to know that they have their eyes on me. “Come now, Ms. Taylor. I’m to escort you to the club tonight.”
He holds the door open for me, and that’s when I notice the other man standing at the open car door. He’s dressed in a similar suit, slightly shorter than the other man, but still dangerously handsome. What is in the water at this fucking club for all the men to look this good?
My heels click on the sidewalk as I approach the open car door. The man takes my hand, helping me into the backseat. “Thank you,” I murmur, trying to give him my best smile.
“My pleasure, Ms. Taylor. You look lovely tonight,” the second escort says in his very thick Russian accent. “Mr. Green will be very pleased.”
I feel myself blush at what seems like a genuine compliment as he closes the door. The windows of the car are blacked out, the seats are soft black leather, and there’s a window between the front and back seats. Alternative rock floats through the speakers as we pull away from the curb. There’s no way that they could have known it was my preferred music. This must be the product of Devin and his ability to find out information about anyone.
A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. Even if it should be a huge red flag that he not only showed up at the apartment unannounced this morning to make us breakfast, but that he also managed to find my favorite playlist. Somehow, I feel like there could be even redder flags and I’m going to choose to ignore this one. I let myself relax back and watch out the window as we make our way through the city.
The escort in the passenger seat turns around, handing me a sleek black box. “This is for you, miss. A gift from Mr. Green.”
My cheeks heat as I open the box and find a metal mask that’s cut to look like lace. It’s beautiful. Small crystals glimmer around the edges. It’s light in my hand and seems as if it would be nearly weightless on my face. I sit it gently back into the box and place it on the seat next to me, so it’s ready for me to put on when we get closer to the club.
The two men are watching me in the rearview mirror, as if they’re waiting for my approval. “It’s perfect, thank you,” I say with a smile. They both nod and then avert their eyes back to the road, more than likely already informing Devin of my reaction.
The silence in the vehicle is comfortable, and even though I have no idea who these two men are, it’s as if we have been doing this together for years. I’ve had drivers and escorts before, mainly when I wanted to leave the apartment for anything, but they always made me feel like a burden. However, these two casually watch me through the rearview mirror, not to spy on me, but as if they’re genuinely checking on me.
We approach the club and drive right past the front entrance, going around the corner. I feel a slight sense of panic as we drive down the side street. “Um, excuse me, but where are we going?” I try to dampen my rising panic, the familiar knot in my chest tightening.
“We were instructed by Mr. Green to bring you through the private entrance, miss,” the driver says casually.
We turn again onto another street that runs parallel to the back of the massive building, where we’re greeted by a large metal garage door. It’s subtle and almost blends into the building as we slow to a stop in front of it. The door slides open, and we drive into the underground garage.
We slowly descend, expensive vehicles parked in spots on every level. The bright white walls contrast against the dark gray floors, with LED lights that make the garage look like a showroom. I don’t know shit about cars, but I know that every single one of these are high end. Maybe even a few are one of a kind.
We start to slow and approach a set of black elevator doors. Just as we stop, they slide open, revealing Devin, and my mouth nearly starts to water.
He looks hot as hell in his golden mask, cream button-up shirt with the top buttons undone to show off his collarbones and chiseled chest, and his tailored, black dress pants with his shiny shoes. His sleeves are rolled up, showing off his corded forearms as he slides his hand into his pocket. There’s not a doubt in my mind that women will be clawing at each other to get to him tonight.
I look down at my black satin midi dress with the slit nearly to the top of my thigh. It has a slight sweetheart top, but the real show is the open back. Bri screamed when I stepped out, going on about how it’s about time I got back into my party girl phase. She just kept fluffing my hair and twirling me, as if she was showing me off to the empty room .
Kate helped me with my makeup, going for a darker lip than I’m used to and giving me a smokey eye. Bri nearly threw her strappy heels at me, telling me that they were the only shoes that would work with a dress like this. She slapped my ass on the way out the door and was continuously catcalling me, while Kate gave me a hug and a weary smile. She didn’t say much about him the rest of the day, but I know that she doesn’t trust Devin and will probably worry herself sick while I’m out with him tonight.
I grab my mask off the seat and adorn it to my face, careful not to mess up the face of makeup that Kate worked so hard on. The cool metal is molded to my face, fitting me like a glove.
Both men exit the car, opening the door wide. Devin stands right outside of it, his teeth flashing with a devious smile as he holds a hand out for me. His fingers curl around mine, warm against my skin as he guides me out of the SUV. He holds me at arm’s length, his bright, blue eyes sweeping over me. Heat curls in my abdomen as his eyes meet mine, licking his lips like a wolf hungry with desire.
“Stunning,” he purrs.
My cheeks warm, heating the metal of my mask. I let my eyes sweep over him, imaging what every muscle looks like underneath his clothes as the feeling of phantom fingers brush against my center. “You don’t look half bad yourself.”
His lips curl into a devilish grin and he brings my hand to his lips, his warm breath ghosting over my skin before he gently kisses my knuckles. The simple touch has heat flooding my core. He holds my gaze, lips caressing my skin as he continues to brush them back and forth. This bastard knows exactly what he’s doing, and who I am to stop him?
Some sick part of me wants him to sink his teeth into my skin and devour me piece by piece as desire burns in his eyes. He lowers our hands but doesn’t let my hand go, linking his fingers through mine. He guides us into the elevator as I watch the two men get back into the car and slowly start backing away, leaving me wholly alone with Devin.
The smell of his cologne is so intoxicating in the small space, with his body only inches from mine, that I would let myself drown in it. My blood heats as anticipation floods my veins. I keep my face straight ahead but let my eyes drift sidelong, only to see him looking right at me. The same wolfish grin on his face, the same hunger in his eyes. If I’m not careful, he might actually take a bite and mark me.
Claim me .
“I can’t wait to see your face when I show you what I have planned for us.” His warm breath curls around the shell of my ear, nearly melting me. His fingers tighten in mine. “I also can’t wait to hear those sweet moans again. Utter music to my ears, love.”
I hitch a breath and turn to look at him. His eyes have darkened from behind his mask, and he rounds on me, his free hand on the wall next to my head. His hard body cages me as he presses against me. My heart pounds against my ribs as he loosens his grip on my hand, trailing his fingers up my arm. Goosebumps rise in their wake, sending a shiver up my spine as heat pools between my legs.
He lowers his head, his lips next to my ear. “So, fucking beautiful,” he whispers. “The things I want to do to you for wearing a fucking dress like this tonight.” His fingers follow over my shoulders, hooking under the strap of my dress. “How easily I could tear this off of you.” His lips brush across the sensitive spot under my ear like a phantom kiss. “And do all of the things I wanted to do last night before we were interrupted .”
My pussy clenches, and I lean back against the wall, trying to hold myself together as he continues to run his fingers across my skin. He traces the line of my collarbone up my neck, my skin burning from his touch with delicious heat. His fingers wrap around my neck as I lean into his hand, and he presses his palm against my throat .
I clench my thighs together as his other hand drops from the wall, gliding down to my breasts. His fingers brush over my already sensitive nipple, circling his thumb around the peak. He watches as my body reacts to his touch, his hand holding me against the wall. He continues to slide his fingers down, brushing against the seam of the slit running up my thigh, sliding them across my exposed skin. His eyes flick down, a growl vibrating through his chest. His fingers slip further under, caressing the edge of my panties. “Are you wet for me, love?” His question causes even more heat to flood, desire swirling through me.
I nod as a quiet moan slips past my lips as his fingers trail down the edge of my panties to my core. His hand cups my pussy, and he groans just as I let out a gasp. “So fucking wet.” His hand tightens around my neck, forcing me to take in shallow breaths as he slides his fingers past my panty line. I gasp and buck my hips as need floods through me. “I can’t wait to taste you, Lena, and feast on you like the starved man I am.”
I whimper as his hand slips from my panties, and his other falls from my throat as he pulls away, leaving me with an aching pussy as I try to catch my breath. He raises his fingers to his nose, inhaling deeply as he lets out a satisfied groan. “You smell fucking delicious.”
I gape at him. Who the hell is this man, and how does he already have such a fucking hold on me?
He gives me a sly grin as he turns and presses the button on the elevator. My eyes widen at the realization that we hadn’t been moving this entire time, but we were just sitting ducks in the elevator when the two escorts could have opened the doors at any time. Could have walked right in and seen what we were doing.
He’s left me speechless as near embarrassment warms my face even hotter than before. Stepping back against the wall, he casually laces his fingers with mine as if he didn’t just have me pressed against the wall of the elevator, telling me how he wanted to taste and tease me.
Fuck, I shouldn’t be this turned on but instead run away from the man whose sharp teeth glint in the light, ready to sink into my skin and tear me apart bite by bite.
The elevator rushes up, and we’ll be at the top floor in a matter of moments. The tension in here is so thick that it’s nearly suffocating me until the doors slide open, all of it pouring out. I take a deep breath, filling my lungs and trying to calm my nerves as Devin leads us off into the small hallway, taking a few strides to the door and flinging it open. He holds it for me as I pass through the threshold into their apartment. I feel a slight tug in my chest as if I’m being led right back into somewhere I belong. Somewhere safe.
But that’s insane, right? It must just be my anxiety or early signs of Stockholm syndrome because I did just let a beast lure me back into their castle, where I’m sure some sort of magic is at play.
“Welcome back, love,” he croons, letting the door fall closed behind us, heading straight for the bar cart. “Drink?” he asks casually.
“Um, yes, please.”
He watches me with a heated glance over his shoulder, his mask glinting in the light as he turns away. His broad shoulders move and flex, pulling his shirt tight across his back as he makes the drink. The sound of ice clinking against the glass fills the silence.
I look around the apartment with clear eyes this time, noting the simplistic elegance throughout. It screams, I came from money, but I’m trying not to show it . My eyes continue across the room until they land on Tony, his face hidden behind his screens, intentionally not looking in my direction or acknowledging us. It’s on the tip of my tongue to say something to him, but the words dissipate.
His intent doesn’t seem malicious, but it is harsh as he acts like he doesn’t like me being in their space. He helped save me from Matt, and I’m sure that wasn’t what he thought he was signing up for when he entered that hallway last night. And it probably doesn’t help that he got hurt in the process. So, if we’re keeping score, that’s at least two strikes against me.
I shake off the feeling of rejection that balls up in my chest and turn my attention from him to the TV that shows multiple camera views throughout the club, and its three floors that are open to the public. It’s packed again tonight, with people crammed in tight on the dance floor and nearly every booth filled. I watch the masked faces as if I would be able to pick anyone out from here. After last night, I know that I’m being watched and that anyone down there could be the one to take me and force me back to him.
“Here you go, love,” Devin says, making me jump as he holds out his hand and offers me my drink. “One whiskey sour, on the house.” He gives me a wink as he turns, returning to the cart and pouring two fingers of whiskey into a tumbler.
I take a sip and note that it’s light on the whiskey and heavy on the sour. Any thought I had about him trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me tonight dissipates as I take another sip of the nearly virgin drink. A smile tugs at my lips because if only he knew the things that I would let him do to me—drunk or not.
Crossing to the wall of windows, I take in the city line in front of me. This is the tallest building in this section of town, the skyscrapers towering over the dividing river, causing the setting sun to disappear behind them long before it’s truly nightfall. They cloak this district in darkness, bringing out the ones who hide in the shadows, making their deals in either pleasure or pain, life or death.
I feel the heat of a gaze along my exposed back just as Devin steps next to me, a drink now in his hand. He takes a sip, looking out at the skyline. “I grew up on the other side of the river.” His voice is low as if he’s telling me a dark secret. “And I’m sure you’ll be surprised to hear that it’s not all it's cracked up to be. ”
I look up at him, but his eyes continue to stare out the window, lost in thought. “And what brought you over here?” I ask, keeping my voice low, too, like two lovers whispering into the night, their heads sharing the same pillow as they get lost in one another.
There’s a long pause, his jaw ticking before he takes another sip. “Tragedy,” he says as simply as someone would disclose their favorite color. He turns, fully facing me. His free hand comes up to cup my chin, his thumb caressing my bottom lip. “It’s what brought all of us here.”
The electricity of his touch prickles along my skin, heat pooling between my legs as he lets his hand glide down to my neck, his thumb moving over my pulse point. The corner of his mouth tics as if he’s fighting off a smile when my pulse quickens under his touch. His eyes flash in Tony’s direction, his expression unreadable, before he looks back at me. I let my tongue slowly move over my lips and he watches it like a cat would watch a mouse, ready to pounce.
The door clicks and dramatically swings open, making me jump in surprise, my drink almost sloshing over the edge. A woman walks in wearing a sleeveless, sheer, black maxi dress with black heels. You can see her black lace bra and thong through the material of her dress. Her long, Black hair cascades down her back from her high ponytail, and her hips sway as she walks in her black stilettos. Her presence takes over the room, and even Tony looks up from his computer, giving her a nod in welcome.
She saunters up and drops a large envelope onto his desk that lands with a thud. Tony’s brow furrows as he looks down at it like it’s a bomb waiting to go off. She’s shaped like a goddess, her curves almost have me drooling, and I can tell that she knows how to command a room, sending people to their knees.
She throws her hand on her hip and turns so she can look between us and Tony. Her eyes catch on me, and they widen as if she’s just discovered buried treasure. She opens her mouth to speak, but before she can say anything, Devin beats her to it. “Tash,” he says, his voice low, the deep timbre rumbling through the room as he places his hand on my lower back, “say hello to our new friend, Lena Taylor.” She watches me carefully, inspecting every inch as she crosses the room to us. Her blood-red lips turn up into what appears to be a genuine smile, one that meets her eyes.
“Hello, Lena.” Her voice is soft and husky. I can only imagine what her dirty, seductive words sound like coming from that sultry voice. She takes my hand and lightly kisses my knuckles, butterflies fluttering in my stomach as she drags her lips on my skin. “I’m Natasha, but my friends and lovers call me Tasha.”
I stare at her in a trance but quickly snap out of it and realize that my jaw is nearly hanging onto the floor. What the hell is wrong with me? I snap my mouth shut and swallow the lump that's formed in my throat. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tasha.” The words come out rough, like my throat is coated in sandpaper.
She cuts a look at Devin while still holding my hand. “You didn’t tell me exactly how stunning she is, you selfish prick.”
He chuckles. “I wanted it to be a surprise.” His dazzling smile is almost as bright as hers. “But you can’t have her. So you’ll have to admire her from afar.”
She looks back at me, eyebrow raised. “If you ever get tired of these two cocks, I’ll show you a real good time.” She winks, and I giggle through my closed-lipped smile. Tony huffs from behind his mask, rolling his eyes at Tasha as if he would ever be interested in fucking me. With her free hand, she flips him the bird.
“Tash, you wound me,” Devin says as he clutches his chest, pretending as though he’s going to fall to his knees.
She lets my hand drop, turning her full attention back to Tony, switching from seductress to all business. She perches on his desk, forcing herself into his space. Oddly enough, he doesn’t seem to mind and simply moves his things over, allowing her more room. She pushes the envelope across the desk, directly in front of him. “This is from Vince’s locker,” she says, her voice lowering. “It’s obviously his burner since I located his other one in his pants’ pocket after his interrogation.”
Vince . My eyes trail to the spot where he had the shit beat out of him, my mind flashing to the image of his swollen face and dripping blood. The floor shines in the low light, freshly mopped and waxed as if nothing happened the night before.
“What did you find on it?” Devin asks as Tony opens the envelope and dumps the phone onto his desk. He inspects it before plugging it into his computer and doing who knows what with it.
She shrugs. “Tons of messages to three different numbers with things my girls have told me about some of the clientele, along with calls to and from those same numbers.” She looks at Tony, whose full attention is on her, hanging on to every word she says, even as he quickly types on his keyboard.
“Which girls?” Devin’s voice has an edge to it. I watch Tasha’s face become flushed, and she grips the edge of the desk.
“ Don’t you even try to fucking blame them,” she spits the words at him.
Tony shifts in his chair, moving his eyes back to his screen, trying to remove himself from the crossfire. Devin crosses his arms, his knuckles going white as he clutches his glass. “I’m not blaming anyone yet ,” he says with lethal calm.
Her eyes are aflame; she reaches down her dress, her finger and thumb sliding between her cleavage. She pulls out a thumb drive, dramatically extends her arm, and drops the plastic clattering against the wood top desk. “You don’t get to blame them because he fucking bugged their private rooms.”
Devin’s eyes stare at the USB for a beat, and then he looks at her, his face staying neutral even as his eyes burn. “For how long?”
“There’s footage from over six months ago on here.” Her lips curl in disgust .
Devin looks to Tony, whose eyes are murderous with rage, as he snatches the thumb drive and shoves it into the large tower of his computer. He starts to type furiously, his large fingers nearly punching every key as their collective rage fills the room.
Devin rolls his shoulders back, cracking his neck and attempting to relax his stance. His effort to come across as unfazed is noble, but the tightening of his jaw gives it all away. The muscles in his crossed arms remain tense as if he’s fighting the urge to throw his fist through the wall. “Tony will run the footage and see if it was set to run as a live feed, and if it was, where it was being sent to.”
Tasha points a perfectly manicured nail at him. “None of my girls are responsible for this,” she growls out. “And I don’t want you saying anything to them about it until I can talk to them one-on-one, see if they know anything.”
Devin looks down at her, still pointing his finger, his eyes darkening even more. “I want them all questioned and official statements taken.” He looks in Tony’s direction. “We need to run full diagnostics on their phones to make sure that they aren’t communicating with anyone outside of the club and relaying information.” He cuts a look back to Tasha. “Everyone is a fucking suspect until proven innocent.”
Tasha stands up from the desk, huffing a breath out of her nose like a bull ready to charge, her eyes narrowing on Devin. “Fine, but don’t rush me. I don’t want any of them getting upset when more information is needed.” She cuts a glance at the TV. “Because there’s a lot of sharks in the water tonight, circling and waiting to drag their prey under.”
Devin’s eyes flash to me as if he just remembered that I was standing in the middle of all this, potentially collecting inside information. I catch Tony watching me from the edge of his hood as if I could be the enemy. If I could only get him to understand that I want Matt and all the assholes he’s associated with to be taken down just as much as they do.
He looks back to Tasha, whose eyes are on me, gauging my reaction. “Find out what you can and report back as soon as possible. If anyone proves difficult, you need to take them to the basement, and we’ll deal with them there.” Her eyes and face pale slightly as he continues. “We’ll make sure that no other moles are crawling around, and if there are, we’ll smoke them right out of the hole they’re hiding in.”
The tension in the room is thick, and my skin prickles as all eyes fall on me. Tasha closes the distance between us, raising my chin with her blood-red nail, her touch sending heat to my core. Her voice is low as she says, “Don’t trust anyone here but the three of us if you value your life.” I suck in a breath as she continues. “You are a key player in this fucked up game, whether you want to be or not. Every move you make across the board is being watched.” She drops her finger and takes a slow step back, giving me a once-over. “But not just any piece.” She looks at Devin and then Tony, who are both watching us. “You’re the fucking Queen that everyone wants to take.” Her eyes soften slightly as she takes in my worried expression.
She turns to leave, not saying another word as she yanks open the door. She gives me one last glance over her shoulder as she saunters out, the door slamming behind her. Both men’s gazes nearly burn into my skin, the tension thick from the storm that’s brewing around us. They look at me as if they’re wolves, and I’m the lamb they can either protect or slaughter, shredding me apart with their razor-sharp teeth.
But I don’t want to be a lamb anymore. I don’t want to be the image of innocence and stand by as others fight for me. Protect me. No, I want to be a wolf. Sharp, jagged teeth and all.