Chapter 5 #2
I step forward, placing a hand on Rev's arm. "I think our new friend might have some... interesting proclivities," I murmur, watching Oliver's face flush. "Might be useful."
Rev's eyes meet mine, a silent conversation passing between us. He lowers the knife slightly but doesn't put it away.
"Here's what's going to happen," I say, moving to stand directly in front of Oliver. "You're going to be a good boy for us."
The effect is immediate and unmistakable. Oliver's breath catches, his eyes widening before dropping submissively. There's no hiding the way his body responds to those words—the slight tremble in his hands, the flush creeping up his neck.
"You're going to keep your eyes and ears open at the club," I continue, my voice soft but firm. "If you see anything suspicious, anyone asking questions they shouldn't, you tell us immediately. Understand?"
He nods quickly, too quickly. "Yes. I understand."
"Good boy," I purr, watching with satisfaction as he nearly melts at the praise. "And if you're very, very good, maybe we'll let you find out exactly what Rev's knife feels like against your skin."
Hudson steps forward, his expression unreadable as he pulls out his phone.
"Give me your number," he orders Oliver, who fumbles to recite it.
Hudson types it in, then shows him his screen.
"This is my number. You see anything, you call.
Day or night. And if I find out you've been holding back information. .."
He doesn't finish the threat. He doesn't need to.
"Your bike's in the parking garage," Hudson adds, his tone dismissive. "Don't make me regret returning it."
Oliver nods again, his eyes flicking between all of us as if he can't quite believe what's happening.
"You can go," I tell him, stepping aside. "For now."
He backs toward the elevator, nearly stumbling in his haste. Just before the doors close, I catch his expression—a mixture of relief, excitement, and something darker that makes me smile.
The moment the elevator doors close, Rev rounds on me. "What the fuck was that?"
I shrug, dropping back onto the couch. "That was me finding us a potential asset."
"An asset?" Kai scoffs. "He's a dancer with a death wish and a pain kink."
"Exactly," I reply, smirking. "Which means he's motivated by things that are easy for us to provide. Fear won't keep him loyal, but his... other interests might."
Hudson makes a sound that might be a laugh. "You're playing with fire."
I turn my gaze to him, letting my smirk widen. "When don't I?"
Rev drops into the seat beside me, his anger seemingly deflated. "You really think he's not involved?"
"No," I admit. "But I think if he is, we'll get more out of him this way than by cutting him open right away."
Kai holsters his gun finally, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. But I'm having Camden run a background check on him. If anything comes up suspicious, all bets are off."
"Fair enough," I agree, leaning back into the cushions. The adrenaline from earlier is fading, leaving me suddenly exhausted. The cut on my neck throbs, a reminder of how close I came to real trouble today.
Rev notices, his eyes softening slightly as they land on the wound. He reaches out, fingers gentle as they trace the edge of the cut. "You need to be more careful, little bit," he murmurs, but the heat has gone from his voice.
I lean into his touch, allowing myself this moment of vulnerability. "I know."
Kai drops down on my other side, his arm sliding around my shoulders. "We can't lose you, Ry," he says quietly. "Not again."
The weight of those words settles over us, heavy with memory. Not again. Never again.
"You won't," I promise, though we all know it's not entirely in my power to keep.
Hudson clears his throat, breaking the moment. "I should check in with the security team at the Playground. Make sure everything's in place for the opening since my earlier meeting was interrupted."
I nod, grateful for the shift in focus. "Good idea. We need everything to be perfect."
As Hudson heads toward the elevator, I can't help but notice the tension in his shoulders, the way his eyes linger on me for just a moment too long before the doors close.
"I see the way you watch him," Kai murmurs, lips brushing my ear.
I turn to him, raising an eyebrow. "Hudson? He's fine."
He snorts. "He wants to fuck you, Ry. Has since day one."
My cheeks heat despite myself. "That's not—"
"It is," Rev cuts me off, his voice low. "And we both know you're not exactly... uninterested."
I feel my face heat at Rev's words. "That's ridiculous."
"Is it?" Kai's fingers trace lazy patterns on my shoulder. "We've watched you two dance around each other for two years now, gorgeous. The tension's so thick I could cut it with my knife."
"It's getting painful to watch, baby girl," Rev adds, his dark eyes studying my face. "The way you snap at each other, the constant fighting—it's foreplay and you know it."
I pull away from both of them, standing up. "You're both delusional. Hudson works for us. That's it."
Kai laughs, the sound rich and knowing. "Keep telling yourself that. We see how your breath catches when he walks in a room. How your eyes follow him."
"And we see how he looks at you," Rev continues, his voice dropping lower. "Like he's one bad day away from pinning you against a wall and showing you exactly what he wants to do to you."
I stare at both of them, incredulous. "Are you two actually encouraging this? You do realize you're talking about me fucking another man, right?"
Kai's grin is all teeth and sin. "We're secure enough to know where your heart lies, gorgeous. Besides..." His eyes darken, flicking to Rev, who nods almost imperceptibly. "We've talked about it."
My mouth goes dry. "Talked about what, exactly?"
"About bringing Hudson in," Rev says simply, his voice steady but laced with heat. "About watching him lose that iron control. About sharing you."
The room suddenly feels too hot, too small. I can't breathe. My mouth falls open. Can't process what I'm hearing.
I blink rapidly, trying to process what they're suggesting. The twins have always been possessive—fiercely so. I know they seemed like they were pushing me toward Hudson, but for them to be so open about their intentions…
"I don't know what you're talking about," I manage to say, though the heat blooming across my skin betrays me.
Rev's lips curl into that knowing smirk that always makes my knees weak. He rises from the couch, stalking toward me with predatory grace.
"If you say so," he murmurs, his voice a dark rumble that vibrates through me.
I swallow hard, backing up until I hit the wall. Rev cages me in, one arm braced beside my head. His eyes hold mine, searching, seeing too much. I feel stripped bare under that gaze, all my defenses crumbling.
"We just want you happy, baby girl," he says softly, his thumb tracing my bottom lip. "Whatever—or whoever—that takes."
Rev's hand suddenly reaches for my hair, fingers twisting into the vibrant teal strands.
He tugs just hard enough to make me gasp.
"This is new. I like it."He steps back, leaving me breathless and confused.
Kai stretches languidly on the couch, watching us with hooded eyes.
"Teal suits you. Brings out those killer eyes.
" His lips quirk into a knowing smirk. "Funny thing, though. Isn't it Hudson's favorite color?"
My head jerks toward him. "What? How would you know that?"
Rev's chuckle is dark velvet. "He mentioned it a few months back when you were obsessing over the color scheme for the Playground. Said teal was always his favorite."
"He never told me that," I say, something odd fluttering in my chest. Hudson had been with me through every planning meeting for the club, offering opinions on security layouts, sight lines, exit strategies—but never once had he mentioned his color preference.
"Of course he didn't," Kai says. "The man's got walls thicker than a bank vault.”
I don’t admit that Hudson chose my hair dye for me. Instead, I roll my eyes dramatically, trying to ignore the warmth creeping up my neck. "What a coincidence," I mutter, though my mind is racing with implications.
Kai's grin widens. "Isn't it just?" His tone is dripping with suggestion, eyes dancing with mischief.
The moment hangs between us, heavy with implication.
I push off the wall, trying to steady my racing heart. "You two are impossible," I groan.
Rev's smirk deepens as he shares a look with Kai. "That's why you love us."
And damn them, they're right.