4. 2
He waves his hand, trying to air away my concern. “I told him to come see me last. I need him to take care of my men, especially the careless assholes who get themselves stabbed.” His eyes cut to the door that the giant went through and his brow furrows.
“I can take a look at it.” His eyes cut back to me, wariness creeps over his features. “I’m not a doctor, but I’ve helped with minor injuries a time or two.”
He cocks his head again, his eyes sweeping over me. Reading me. “Is that so?” His lips pull up into a smirk. “Or are you just trying to get me naked?”
My mouth drops and I start to stammer. “No…I…”
What the fuck is wrong with me? Get your shit together, Lena. He’s trying to throw you off your game.
He chuckles, the sound light as it cuts through my hodgepodge of words that never seem to form a complete sentence.
A quiet hiss cuts between his teeth as he scoots forward in the chair. He’s silent for a beat, before he goes on. “Your ex get into a scuffle a time or two? Like the one tonight?”
I stiffen at the mention of Matt and my pulse quickens, anxiety pulsing through my veins. “It’s…it’s complicated.” He watches me for a moment, letting the silence weigh down on me, as if he’s waiting for more from me. For me to crack. I hold his gaze, but shift the subject, because I’d rather not discuss him right now. “Besides, you’ve yet to tell me who you are.”
“Persistent. I like that in a woman.”
I stare him down, my face heating as a curious smile pulls up the corners of his lips. Even with a bruised face, that smile is dazzling and even more dangerous.
“Fine. I guess since I swept you off your feet and up to my home, I should at least give you the honor of knowing my name.” His voice is playful, but I catch a few whispers of darkness.
The audacity of this man to have the fucking nerve to compare offering to help me as sweeping me off my feet. Anger and frustration begin to fill me, coursing through my veins with every beat of my thundering heart. My fingers curl into fists in my lap and his eyes flick down to them, curiosity filling them again.
He stands from the chair to sit on the coffee table in front of me. Even sitting, his tall, lean body towers above me. He holds out his hand as if he wants to shake mine. I stare at it for a long moment before undoing my fist, finger by finger, and placing my trembling hand in his. His grip is firm but oddly gentle as he shakes my hand up and down.
“Lena, I’m Devin Green.” His voice is smooth and almost seductive as his name rolls off his tongue. When I look up from his hand, I see his eyes have softened and are almost twinkling with delight.
“Green?” Why does that name sound so familiar?
His smile falters slightly before he smooths back out again. “It’s a fairly common last name, Lena Taylor .” He says my name with a bite that nearly sinks into my skin.
I curl my fingers tighter around our still linked hands as he grips mine back. “Have you been stalking me?” I ask.
His grin turns devious. “I wouldn’t call it stalking when you’re the one who came into my club, but yes, I have been keeping an eye on you while you’ve been here tonight. And a few fingers in you, as well.”
My cheeks heat at his words, the thought of his fingers fucking my pussy has me clenching my thighs. As if he can sense it, his eyes light up, his smile turning wolfish. I pull my hand from him and fist them in my lap, breaking eye contact. The longer I look into them, the more I feel like he can see right into my mind. That he can read my every thought.
“It’s not the first time I’ve watched you come into this club, but it was the first time I finally got the taste of you I’ve been dying to have.”
My head jerks up at his words, but all I can think about is the way he touched me, like he had been starving and was ready to devour me whole. My body tingles at the memory of a few hours ago, the sight of the orgy happening before, and the powerful orgasm I had from his hand.
Even as heat curls between my legs, I can’t forget that this man is dangerous and has clearly had his fair share of scenes in the sex club that remain hidden underground.
He leans down, his breath warm on my skin, the smell of whiskey filling the space between us. “Have I left you speechless, love?”
I cross my legs, trying my best to seem casual, even as my pussy throbs. “No, Mr. Green. Just thinking about all the other women you’ve lured down to your sex club and taken advantage of just to feel like a man .”
His head jerks back slightly, like I’ve slapped him, and his eyes widen before they narrow on me. He leans down farther, placing his hands on either side of my head. “It’s just Devin,” he says with a growl. “And if you think your little jabs will cut through me, you’re sorely mistaken.” He leans in more, his nose brushing against the side of my face, his metal mask cool against my skin. “Unless you want to cut me, then I can certainly arrange that, love.”
I stiffen at his words, his dark chuckle echoing in my ears. A shiver crawls across my skin at the thought of this man sliding a blade across my skin and his, getting off on the pain. His tongue lapping up our blood as he fucks me to the edge, both of us falling to our deaths.
What the fuck, Lena ?
I’ve never had thoughts like that before and I nearly jump out of my skin as his fingers brush my jaw. “Where’d you go, love?” His voice is thick and the tension between us is nearly suffocating me.
My eyes flutter as I try to blink the images from my mind or at least lock them away. Those thoughts can never be acted on. Never .
I clear my throat, desperate to change the subject .
“So, Devin, what do you do here?” I gesture around the room. “Do you own the club?” I clarify.
He opens his mouth to answer, but the door behind him opens, hitting the wall with a bang. The giant walks—or, more accurately, limps—through, his mask and hood still intact. I hear him scoff in our direction, probably at Devin's close proximity to me, the sound deep and slightly muffled.
Devin rolls his eyes, giving his own scoff in response. He props his elbows on his knees, his eyes level with mine. “I’m what some might call security .” The giant sits down at one of the desks on the other side of the room and starts pressing buttons on his keyboard. The TV comes to life, filled with smaller screens showing different areas of the club. “The owner doesn’t come around much. He’s bravely put us in charge of keeping the club safe and keeping people like Matt on a tight leash. Apparently, we aren’t doing a good enough job and one of us should be fired.” He cuts a look to the giant, who continues to ignore us.
I stare at the giant as he clicks on his keyboard. There’s an edge to him, the way he keeps himself distanced and acts as though no one else is in the room with him. He’s fascinating and seemingly different from Devin. Which makes me wonder even more how they function under the same roof.
“Love, this is Tony Fox.” He gestures toward the giant. “Tony, this is Lena Taylor.”
Tony glances up at me and then goes right back to the screen as if I’m nothing more than a fly buzzing past him. His air of indifference snuffs out the electricity that was running between Devin and me, along with the air in my lungs.
I watch him as he works and feel Devin’s gaze burning into me. His bright blue eyes light up like fire when my gaze collides with his, drawing me in like a moth.
The room recharges, and I feel like I can breathe again.
What is this man doing to me?
This large man has piqued my interest, and I want to know more. “What exactly do you do here then, Tony?” I try to keep my question light, but something about him makes everything seem heavier. That at any moment he will take me in his hands and crush me, turning me into nothing more than bone dust, only to scatter me in the wind.
“We run security together .” Devin’s short answer makes it seem like I shouldn’t press Tony on the matter. But why? Who is he, and what do they have to hide?
“Now, enough about us; tell us about you, Lena.”
I don’t want to fucking talk about me. I don’t want to rehash my messy past, but what Matt did downstairs was terrifying. The look in his eyes was like none I’d ever seen before, at least not while looking at me. I rarely stepped out of line to justify a look like that. But I guess I’m the girl who got away and he’s not too pleased about that.
“Listen, you’ve hardly told me anything. Just your names and a very vague job description. For all I know, I could be sitting in a room with two serial killers.”
Tony’s eyes cut from his screen, boring into me, as I feel the heat from Devin’s gaze burning into me even more. I should be afraid because it seems like I just cracked a code, and they don’t seem too pleased about it.
“That didn’t seem to be a problem for you over the last five years, why would that scare you now?” Devin’s voice is sharp and his words hit me square in the gut.
“Why would you say something like that?” What do they know that I don’t?
Tony scoffs as Devin leans in. “You can cut the innocent act, love. We’re well aware of the circle you ran in, so you don’t have to play pretend anymore.”
My pulse races and my stomach lurches, working its way up to my throat, making my face turn hot. “Pretend? Pretend what?” My fear morphs into anger at these men. “I don’t know exactly what you’re accusing me of, but I have never laid a finger on anyone. ”
Another scoff from Tony and the pair’s disbelief in me sends fire scorching through my veins.
“Yeah, he would come home and have gotten in a bar fight or two, or I would have to patch up one of his friends because they got into a scuffle, but it wasn’t anything more than that. So you can shove any of your accusations up your asses.”
The room goes still, and the men watch me closely. My whole body is trembling, and I close my eyes, squeezing them as I try to take a deep breath. I can’t let them see me come undone or what kind of mess I was left in. I’ve been working so hard over the last few months to heal and find my inner peace, and I can’t let a few harsh words dismantle the progress that I’ve made.
“Is that what you believe happened to him?” Devin’s question breaks the silence, disbelief still lacing his words. I blink my eyes open to look at him, expecting to see a hard gaze, but to my surprise, his eyes have softened. “That he was just getting into bar fights?”
“Yes,” I snap, the anger rising higher in my voice. “He would come home and be covered in blood. I would have to help clean him up and occasionally wrap his knuckles. Maybe give him a few stitches.” Both men are still as stone while I talk. “Sometimes he’d bring home a friend, sometimes it was a guy I recognized, other times it wasn’t, who would need some assistance. But it was never anything more than a few cuts and bruises. Less damage than what happened downstairs.”
Devin and Tony watch me, their eyes widening. “And you never thought to ask questions about this?” Devin’s voice is still soft as if he can’t decide if he’s supposed to be the good cop or the bad cop. I look down, picking at the seam on the couch cushion, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing the tears flood my eyes.
The strength falls from my voice as flashes of those nights play through my mind. “I wasn't allowed to ask questions. I just did what I was told to do because that was the easiest thing to do. ”
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying my damnedest to shove the tears back as my skin turns hot. I take a stuttering breath and feel Devin lean in closer. His fingers brush the hair from my face, and I let the warmth of his touch flow through me, the electricity between us wrapping around my bones.
“How do you know about him?” The words tumble from my lips, curiosity giving me the ability to push the tears back down. “You acted as if you knew who he was and I want to know what you know. I deserve to know if he has some secret life.”
I open my eyes to see Devin staring toward the TV. The screen is still split into multiple squares, showing the packed club below us.
He looks back at me, his face neutral. “How long has he been texting you?”
Wait… how does he know about my text messages?
His finger traces along my knee, leaving goosebumps in his wake, which is the only thing keeping me grounded. “And are you also aware that he’s been tracking you?”
“Tracking?” I think back to all the messages that I’ve received. No matter how many times I changed my number, he always manages to figure out my new one, seeming to know when I was out. My stomach rolls with nausea and I cover my face with my hands as the reality of it all hits me like a ton of bricks. I fight back the urge to vomit, and instead, a sob escapes me.
“How could I be so fucking stupid?” The words come out muffled from behind my hands, tears slipping through my fingers. “He’s been watching me this entire time. He’s been waiting for the chance to force me back with him. How did I not fucking figure it out?”
“He was going to get to you no matter what,” he says, his voice low but gentle.
“Who do you think your ex is, Lena?” His words remain gentle, but have an edge to them. “Tell me what you know about Matt Chase? ”
“Chase?” I stop at the name. “His name isn’t Matt Chase. It’s Matt Gibson.”
Devin and Tony look at one another from across the room as Tony’s fingers fly across the keyboard. Devin stands and walks to Tony’s desk just as a picture of Matt comes up on the screen.
“You think that this man’s name is Matt Gibson? Executive for…” He looks at one of Tony’s screens. “Nexus Gen Solutions?”
Tony once again scoffs, the sound prickling my skin as another tear glides down my face. Insensitive bastard.
A wave of heat washes over me, my face feeling flushed. “Yes,” I push the word out. While it’s the truth of what I know, it feels like I’m failing a very important test. Like I had all the tools the study and was too fucking stupid to use them.
“So, you had no idea about his real identity.” His head cocks to the side, watching my every move. “What was he really doing outside of your home?”
“Why would I lie about this? You literally just dropped a bomb on me.” The words are almost a screech, my throat tightening around them. “I always felt like there was something else going on, but I never had enough proof. So I turned my head to a lot of things because it was easier than him turning it for me.” The words come out as dead as I feel inside.
I stare at the photo of the man I spent the last five years with. Who proposed to me on that rooftop, claiming to want forever with me. I want to claw my skin from my bones as I think about his hands on me, the lies he spoke into my ears, the fucking promises he made that he never intended to keep. He played me like a fool.
My hand slowly reaches up and presses against my chest, feeling for a heartbeat to make sure that something in me is still ticking, because otherwise, I’d think that I’m just a shell of myself.
I ran. I took the chance I was given and ran as far away from him as possible, still believing in the lies he told me. But I should have known that I wouldn’t have been able to run far without him hot on my trail. Breathing down my neck. I should have realized that I was fated to be trapped in his clutches and locked away in his high tower for the rest of my life.
The man who posed as my prince charming was not all that he seemed and was actually the villain in disguise. And because of that, I need to come to terms that I’m not destined for a happily ever after.
“Lena?” Devin’s voice cuts through my thoughts, and I look back at him. He’s now sitting in front of me again, holding out a fresh soda. The bubbles are clinking against the glass, filling the silence. I didn’t even notice that he got up and decided to be the good cop.
My fingers wrap around the glass, bumping into his as the electricity that’s crackling between us tries to break through my skin. I pull the glass away and take a tiny sip. My mouth has gone bone dry, and I refrain from chugging the whole glass in one go.
I cling to the glass with both hands, cradling it in my lap. I stare out the massive windows, taking in the cityscape, trying to corral the hundreds of questions running rampant through my mind. I lasso the most important one. “Who is he, then? Who is Matt?”
The photo of Matt on the screen minimizes and text starts filling up the blank spaces. I see words like assassin, hacker, and dark web multiple times, but one word that stands out is OBSIDIAN .
I watch as the text continues rolling down the screen like credits at the end of a movie. I see dates well before we even started dating, and other names I don’t recognize continue filling the screen. My heart begins to race again, the roaring filling my ears as I become hypnotized by the string of information on the screen.
Devin’s now leaning against what I assume is his desk, sipping on his whiskey as he starts rattling off information from the screen. “Matt Chase is one of the leaders of a group called Obsidian. A secret society of very powerful people who are set on controlling every aspect of this godforsaken city. They’re all interconnected and some of them are influential across the world. Since money isn’t an object to them, they deal in favors and blackmail. Deals that not only put people into powerful positions but take out those who oppose them in any way they deem necessary.”
Devin’s jaw tics as emotion flashes through his eyes like lightning, his words hanging in the air. His fingers curl into fists at his sides before he uncurls them and crosses his arms. “He frequented the club a lot but went MIA in the last three months. We had men working on tracking him down, and even had some men going undercover to get answers and piece together their next move. Little did we know that he was off tracking someone of his own.” Devin’s body shifts so he’s facing me. “The night you ran was the last hit we had from him…” I look away from the screen and straight into his cold, blue eyes as he continues, “Until tonight when he came stomping into Masquerave, looking for you.”
My hands tremble so hard that I feel the soda splash onto my skin, but I can barely register the cool liquid as my world crashes. I lived under the same roof as this monster for five years. A monster in disguise. One who lied to me in every way imaginable and had me believing he was someone else completely.
I knew he was powerful, but I didn’t have a fucking clue just how powerful he is. How influential he is to other people in this city.
I shudder, nausea roiling through me as I think about every time he came home bloody. Whose blood was really on his hands and why?
And like a fucking idiot, I truly believed that I had escaped him. That my best friends would be able to keep me safe. But this was just a game of cat and mouse for him. I’m sure he got off every time I looked over my shoulder after he sent me an unsolicited text.
Hot tears roll down my face as I stare at his face on the screen. The face of a man I thought I loved and loved back, but all he wanted was to keep me at his side to play the part of his little, innocent fiancée.
The screen splits, showing more cameras throughout the city and even inside of private residences. “He has been very good about covering his tracks, so much so that we thought he wasn’t even in the city anymore, but he was just tucking himself away in the shadows waiting for his own opportunity.”
A shiver runs down my spine as I think about all the parking garages I walked through and the dark corners I passed by where he could have been waiting for me.
“What does he want from me?” My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth since it ran dry, causing my question to sound slurred.
“That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it, love?” He crosses to me and slowly takes the drink from my hand, placing it on the coffee table as he sits. “Tell me the truth, Lena. Did you have any idea that he was part of this group or are you playing the part of the innocent fiancée to be the wildcard in his games?”
I cut my eyes away from him and look at the image of Matt’s face still on the screen. Anger pulses through my veins, and I press my fingers to my temples, my head pounding. “He wasn’t always bad,” I start. “He was very sweet in the beginning.” I shrug. “But aren’t they all?”
I keep my eyes on his face. It morphs in front of me, shadows curling around him as his dark parts come to light.
“Then it all started to go downhill after about six months of being together. It was slow, the changes, or maybe I was too close to the situation to see it for what it was. He did what any abusive boyfriend would do when their girlfriend starts to pull away: he proposed. ”
The energy in the room shifts. Both men’s eyes are on me, watching me as I lean forward, gripping the seat cushions.
“He told me that he got a new job and was being transferred about two hours away. At this point, we’d been together for almost two years. Isn’t that what you do with someone you’ve been in a relationship with for that long? Follow them, especially when you don’t have anyone else to hang around for?”
Devin shrugs. “Can’t say I would know from experience.”
I let out a dry laugh, throwing back my head and letting it rest on the back of the couch. “So, as I’m sure you can guess, I followed him. He put us in a beautiful apartment and made sure that I had everything I needed so I never needed to leave.”
“And what about your job?” Devin asks casually, but I don’t miss the darkening of his tone.
I raise my head and stare at him, because I can’t believe I’m admitting these things, saying these hard truths out loud to strangers. Especially to strangers who more than likely believe me to be the enemy and could very well kill me at any time without a second thought.
However, the mood in the room is heavy, but not in a way that has me worried about my life. I can tell they’re listening and taking note of everything I say. I’m sure it’s all being recorded and could more than likely be used for quality assurance at some point.
I take a deep breath, finding the strength for the next words that are still hard for me to say out loud. “He encouraged me to quit, even though they offered for me to be remote. He claimed that I didn’t need it; all I needed was him.”
Tony’s brow furrows and I can see the judgment in his eyes. He’s actually the first one to look at me that way instead of with pity, and I want to be mad at him for passing judgment on me, but I think he’s the first one to give me the response that I need. The real one. “He promised that I would want for nothing and didn’t need to work another day in my life. I was to be the woman who stood by him as he climbed the ladder. That when he got to the top and sat on his throne, I would have my own right there beside him.”
Devin nods as if in understanding, but stays silent, giving me the chance to decide what I want to tell them. What do I need to tell them? They’re giving me a chance to tell my story, something that no one else has done because it either didn’t matter to them or they were afraid of me pulling away. Of course, Bri and Kate listened when I needed to talk after I left, but they never pushed. I would hear them whisper-yell at each other because Bri wanted to push for answers, but Kate insisted they let me tell them on my own.
A part of me was thankful for Kate, but the other part of me wished that Bri would have ripped open the wound and made me bleed. Ripped it open wide and let the poison in my veins spill out, finally giving me relief from the years of being spoon fed the toxins that had started to destroy me. Killing me slowly.
A knot starts to form in my chest. “I had a schedule. One that he set for me. And if I ever strayed from it and he found out, which he always did, I knew I was in for it when he got home.” My leg bounces as my anxiety builds. “One night, I was tired of his outbursts and always needing to be in control, so I stood up to him.”
I subconsciously raise my hand to my cheek and hold my fingers there, the phantom sting prickling my skin. “He didn’t appreciate me trying to stand up to him, so he took me down a few notches.” As the words leave my lips, guilt hits me in the gut and I wince. “He reminded me that I was nothing without him and that I was lucky he didn’t just throw me out to the street.”
Devin stands from where he was leaning on his desk, the muscles in his jaw bulging, his nostrils flaring. A noise comes from Tony’s direction, almost like a growl as his hand nearly crushes his mouse.
Tension begins to build in the room and the silence is deafening as they look at each other. I wait for the look of pity, but it never comes. Instead, Devin crosses back to me and sits down on the coffee table, his knees bumping mine. “What made you finally leave?” His question is soft, but not like he’s trying to console me. No, it’s as if it’s a secret. That whatever I say won’t be used against me and that my words will stay safely in this room. His knees press into mine as if to hold me in place.
I stare at Devin for a long moment and his eyes soften as realization hangs heavy in the room.
“I stayed for another three years.” My voice is quiet, the confession tasting like ash on my tongue. “Of course, after I dropped to the floor from the impact and the dust settled, he flipped a switch and apologized. The next day, he bought me a new computer and diamond earrings to make up for it.
“He didn’t lay a hand on me again until a few months ago and then that’s when I ran.” A tear rolls down my cheek, stinging my skin.
Devin reaches up and catches it on the side of his finger, then puts it to his lips, licking it away.
I suck in a shuddering breath, but the tears I had worked so hard to push down spring from my eyes, blurring my vision. The memories of that night play through my mind and I get lost in them. Before I can get too lost, though, a large hand cups my chin. The pads of Devin’s fingers press into my skin, pulling me back to reality.
I sniff and wipe the still cascading tears from my face, not caring if I smudge my makeup. Devin watches me carefully and that’s when I notice that he’s removed his mask. While it didn’t do much to hide his identity, it’s still a shock to see him sitting bare-faced in front of me.
I let my hand float up and touch the side of his face. My voice cracks as I say, “Your mask. You took it off.”
He grins, the smile reaching his eyes. “You’re wildly observant, aren’t you, love?”
“I think tonight has proven otherwise, don’t you?” I give him a little chuckle, trying to keep the mood light, but it doesn’t work.
His smile falls, but his eyes stay soft. “Hindsight is always 20/20.” His hand slips from my face and I feel the absence of his warmth. He stands and heads over to his desk, dropping into his computer chair where he leans back and props his feet up, lacing his fingers behind his head.
I notice that Matt’s photo is no longer on the screen, but instead it’s back to the security cameras focused on the club. Tony is standing in front of them, watching one screen in particular, arms crossed, his head cocked to the side. I watch as his hands flex, his fingers pressing into the hard muscles of his upper arms.
From here, the screen is just a series of people, dancing and having a lot better night than I am. But I can’t complain about the view. Tony’s black tee is pulled tight over hard muscles that would make any man reconsider crossing paths with him. I follow the veins that bulge out as they disappear under his shirt sleeves.
I slide my gaze over to Devin, whose broad chest is pushed out from being leaned back. The buttons on his shirt pull against his rigid pecks. His biceps push the limits of his white shirt, and his rolled sleeves expose those corded forearms and golden skin.
“You believe me, don’t you?” I watch them and wonder if I would still be sitting here, unscathed, if they didn’t.
Devin drops his feet to the ground, sitting a little straighter as he looks at me. “You’re a survivor, Lena.” He curls his hand into a fist and presses the side of it against the top of the desk. “That’s what we are here: survivors . I think you’ll fit right in.”
I open my mouth to press on what he means, but I think better of it. While I am curious, I don’t want them to think I told them my story just to pry information from them, because I actually don’t know why I told them any of it. It was so easy to let the words tumble from my tongue as if they gave me some sort of truth serum. Maybe there was something in my glass, but I highly doubt it. Was it because this man gave me one of the best orgasms of my life in front of a group of strangers or is he just that good at what he does?
My cheeks heat and I’m desperate to look anywhere but at him. I avert my eyes to the screens that have switched onto the hallway where all hell broke loose. It’s empty now, and even from here, I can see that every drop of blood has been cleaned up. No one would have any idea what transpired there tonight.
“The people in those rooms…could they hear what was going on tonight?”
Devin’s eyes flash and my cheeks heat at the devilish grin that pulls at his face. “No,” Devin says lightly. “The rooms are completely soundproof. No sounds make it in and no sounds make it out.”
“What if they would have come out during the fight?” The knot in my chest tightens more, because that would have put more innocent people in danger all because of me. I press my palm to my chest, trying to loosen the knot that’s pressing my chest and stealing the breath from my lungs.
“Tony secured all the rooms before he came down and everyone in that hall was sent an alert to stay in their current room until further notice.”
I watch him as he flicks his hand in nonchalance, as if it’s not a big deal for there to be an all-out brawl in the club. “How often do these lockdowns happen?”
He quirks a brow. “Not as often as you would think, love, but they happen occasionally.” He shrugs. “The occasional lovers’ quarrel that needs to be dealt with.” He leans his elbows on the desk. “Sometimes the drama outside of the doors heightens the experience behind it.” He winks at me before averting his attention back to the screen, flicking back and forth between the people on it and Tony.
“So, who are the people behind those doors? Are they important?”
Tony turns his head from the screen, looking at Devin, the hood blocking part of his face, making it difficult to get a read on him. They’re having a silent conversation, the kind that only close friends or lovers can have. Their dynamic seems interesting, and I wonder which one of those options they are. Perhaps both.
Tony shrugs before turning away, giving what I assume is the go ahead, and Devin continues, “This hallway has a series of private rooms for exclusive guests to the club.” Devin pulls his phone out, typing out a message before continuing. “They pay a premium and can use them anytime they want with their access card. The red light lets us know that they’re in use and keeps everyone accounted for. The more you pay, the higher up in the club you can go for even more debauchery.”
He shoots me a sly grin. “And like I said, every private room is soundproof because we don’t want to hear what’s going on behind those closed doors, and they certainly don’t want mundane noises from the hallway to interrupt their pleasures.” I feel my cheeks warm as I think back to our interaction and what could have possibly happened if he’d pulled me into one of those rooms before Matt interrupted that moment with us.
I can still hear my own moans echoing through my mind, the intoxicating smell of his whiskey and mint as he spoke dirty words in my ear, eliciting a shiver from me.
My blood heats through my veins and I tighten my thighs together as the warm curl of desire swirls in my lower abdomen. I shouldn’t be attracted to two men who could just kill me right now or, worse, turn me back over to Matt at any moment. I pull myself back to reality from my dirty thoughts, only to find that both of them are watching me, their eyes swirling with heat, and I think I’m in more trouble than I realized.