Chapter 11
ELEVEN
Why the hell am I even here?
I take a long drag from the cigarette pinched between my fingers, watching the black exterior of the Lane Building shimmer under the afternoon sun.
It’s located next to the two biggest hotels in Vegas, the Harrington Heights and the Belmont Plaza.
I drive past it almost every day when my Uber brings me to work and back home, and yet, until now, I’ve never had a reason to set foot inside.
And I could keep it that way. Just turn around and leave, pretend none of this ever happened. It’s not like they can stop me. Well, maybe they can if Koen pulls that hypnotist shit on me again, or they call the police after all.
Goddammit.
I take another pull from the cigarette, then exhale a cloud of smoke drifting into the city’s thick air. Koen told me to come sober, but my nerves got the better of me, so I had a small sip of whiskey first—small for me, anyway.
Annabelle still hasn’t shown up again, and neither has Good Lookin’, so I was without any good distractions the rest of last night and this morning with nothing to do but think about what the fuck I’ve gotten myself into.
I should have kept my sticky fingers to myself.
But that’s not something I’m good with, anyway.
I sigh, glancing down the sidewalk, half-expecting some cosmic sign to tell me I should bail. It almost feels as if the universe is holding its breath, waiting, as I take one last drag, then flick the cigarette to the ground, crushing it under my boot. “Fuck it.”
Whoosh. The glass doors glide open, and I freeze, my heart thudding in the sudden silence. The doors hang open, revealing nothing but shadows beyond—my pulse quickens.
What the hell?
Just as my feet consider resuming their halfhearted retreat, Koen steps out, looking hot as hell in all black, emerging like he’d been waiting for my moment of hesitation.
“You’re late,” he says smoothly, nodding for me to follow. “Come on in, Little Thief.”
I hesitate, feeling that tug of reluctance coil tighter in my chest as I follow him inside. The air in the lobby is cool, sterile even, and everything about this place screams money, power, and magic.
The Lane Building has been closed for the last three months due to Oscar Lane’s death, so at least we’re the only ones here. Koen locks the doors from inside and leads me through a series of hallways, and I have to hustle to keep up with how quickly we’re moving.
As we walk, I study him from the side—the way his wavy brown hair falls to his shoulders, the carefully kept beard framing his jawline, those dark brown eyes that are so hard to read, and that perfect nose.
He has a pretty face—a dangerously pretty one.
Practically begging for someone to sit on it.
My mind wanders to just how nice it would be to ride said pretty face.
His hands gripping my thighs, holding me in place as my hips roll.
The delicious friction of his beard scratching along my inner thighs.
I can almost feel the heat of his breath against my skin, the pressure building as he drags me closer, deeper.
His eyes are locked on mine, dark, unrelenting, daring me to let go.
I shake off the thought, a small scoff escaping.
Concentrate, or there is no way you’ll find your way back out alone, Nova.
“Where are we going?” I finally find my voice, my nerves more obvious than I’d like.
“You’ll see.”
Of course. More cryptic bullshit.
My chest tightens with every step. It’s not the place itself but how easily I’ve let myself get pulled into all of this.
I’m not some na?ve girl who follows guys like them around because they dangle a shiny reward in front of me.
Since they invaded the club yesterday, everything’s been off.
My mind spins in circles, and I can’t shake this feeling I’m being toyed with. That they’re pulling my strings.
I fucking hate it.
The unknown is unnerving. They have all the power, and I’m simply following along. And that’s not who I am. A flicker of panic creeps up my spine. Koen can probably sense it because he glances at me with a raised eyebrow.
My fingers twitch, itching to do something. Anything. I should leave. I should’ve walked away the second I realized they were playing with me. Something about their offer keeps pulling me back, though.
I’m already so sick of my life, and there is no reality where this doesn’t end with it becoming even worse. That’s the only possible kind of change.
What if…
Koen pushes open a set of extra-wide double doors, and I’m hit by the sheer size of the room we’ve stepped into.
It’s huge, similar to that of a theater, with rows of seating fanning out around a massive stage illuminated in the center, casting everything else in shadow.
And standing on that stage, grinning like a dork, is Levi.
“Well, look who finally showed up,” he calls out, jumping down from the stage and walking toward me.
His outfit rivals mine for glitter. His arms spread wide, and before I can even think to dodge, he pulls me into a hug, squeezing me into him and kissing my cheek.
“I’m so excited to see you, Little Bird.
” I frown as I try to pull back, but Levi lingers for a second longer than I’m comfortable with.
When he steps back, that mischievous grin is still plastered on his face as he looks me up and down from my jeans shorts to my cami.
“You’re even more glittery and beautiful in daylight. ”
I ignore his compliment and the fact that the lights from the stage are everything but daylight as I cross my arms. “So, are either of you going to tell me what’s going on, or are we going to play pretend all day?”
Koen takes his place beside Levi and mirrors me, crossing his arms as he leans against the stage. “We’re going to see what you can do. Once we figure out whether you’re capable of doing what we need, we’ll tell you more.”
“That’s… vague. And way too fucking ominous for my taste.
” Reaching into my bag, I pull out Koen’s watch, tossing it to him with more force than necessary.
He catches it easily, his eyes narrowing as our gazes lock, and he slips it on.
“I’m not doing this if you’re going to keep being cryptic.
You want my help? Fine. But this isn’t one of your damn shows.
I’d rather have you call the police if you’re not going to be straight with me. ”
They’re never going to be, and I’m a damn fool for standing here.
This isn’t a game to me, no matter how much they think it is. I’m not one of their props, and I refuse to let them use me like one.
In answer to my declaration, Levi grins even harder, and that’s the last fucking straw.
Fuck them, and fuck the consequences.
“You know what? Go ahead. Call them.” I turn sharply, mentally mapping out an escape route from this madness. “You know where I work if you want to send them my way.”
Before I can take more than a step, Koen’s command cuts through the air.
“Stop.”
My body obeys, freezing midstep.
Motherfucker.
I clench my fists, my teeth grinding in frustration. Whirling back around, I shoot daggers at him with my eyes. “What the hell? Do you have some compulsion on me again?”
His mouth softens into a smile, infuriatingly calm. He shakes his head. “I don’t.”
“Bullshit.” I take a step toward him, my pulse hammering in my chest. “I didn’t want to stop.”
“Maybe there’s still some lingering from yesterday. Who knows? Or maybe you like being told what to do.” Koen smirks. It’s the kind that makes me want to slap it right off his face.
Levi casually drapes an arm over my shoulder. “C’mon, Glitter, don’t be mad. A little mystery never hurt anyone.”
Koen steps closer, drawing my focus back to him. “What if I told you I could teach you how to make sure no one ever controls you again?” he asks, smooth as velvet. “How you could decide whether you want to be influenced or not. How you could influence others.”
His words hang in the air, charged with something more than a simple offer.
Power.
I hate that I’m intrigued at all, but there it is, a flicker of curiosity, mostly because I hate that he, or anybody, can control me so easily. “And what if I do?” I ask, trying to keep suspicion laced through every word, even though my resolve is faltering.
Koen steps even closer, his eyes never leaving mine. “Show me yours, and I’ll show you mine.”
I study Koen and feel Levi’s gaze flicking between us, excitement practically radiating off him, but I ignore it. My focus is on the man in front of me, with his promises and cryptic words. I don’t trust him—either of them, really—but there’s something in the way he talks that makes me hesitate.
Levi leans in, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Come on, it won’t hurt to try. Worst case, you’ll get a free magic lesson.”
I roll my eyes, trying to shake off the weird tension building between us. “Yeah, because that’s totally what I need… more ways to get into trouble.”
Koen chuckles softly, low and deep, and it sends an unexpected shiver down my spine. “If you’re scared, you can walk out. No one’s forcing you to stay because, honestly, if this scares you already, you’re useless to us.”
I bristle at the suggestion. “I’m not scared,” I snap, more defensive than I intend. His smirk deepens, and I can see the amusement in his dark eyes like he’s already won.
Fuck. He’s played me again.
“So, is that a yes?”
I bite my lip, considering my options. Walking out would mean proving him right. Staying, well, I’d at least get to find out what the hell they want from me. Plus, there’s that small flicker of curiosity still burning in the back of my mind.
“Fine,” I grumble. “You go first.”
Levi claps his hands together, grinning like a kid who just got the best Christmas present. “Oh, this is gonna be fun.”
“We’ll start with something simple. See how easily you can be influenced,” Koen says, giving Levi a look and making him take a step away from me.