Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
EMERSON
“A VIP booth in Rapture has been arranged for you both and anyone else you’d like to join you tonight.”
Ford keeps his eyes fixed on the street before him when he calls over his shoulder.
“I’ve ensured a seamless entry with minimal interruptions to your evening. If you could please follow me, Kyle, and Thom when we exit the vehicles.”
I’m about to answer, when Law cuts me off. “Oh, we won’t need a private area in Rapture .” Then he throws his arm over my shoulder, tugging me against his side with a grin. “We’ll be spending the evening in Risqué .”
Ford pulls up at the main entrance for Rogue, and I barely have a second to note the red carpet and mile-long line of would-be partygoers clamoring for entrance to the well-known club before his eyes spear mine in the rearview.
“Miss Hart isn’t a member, and that section is off-limits without membership, as I’m sure you’re aware, Mr. Wilde.”
I blink several times, my brows lowering in a confused frown until I recall Hayles asking him at Fern if the rumors were true surrounding Rogue. He’d not elaborated, and we’d gotten distracted, but suddenly I find myself very curious about the club he ran security for before establishing Sentinel.
The only rumors I recall hearing were ones pertaining to a voyeurism area…
“What’s the difference anyway? It’s all the same club, right?”
Lawson chuckles as a frown crosses Ford’s forehead. “ Rapture is the main club, and it’s open to a certain clientele, whether they have membership or not. Risqué, however, is the members - only section that deals in all manners of kinks and proclivities…” he trails off as he wiggles his eyebrows dramatically. “ If you catch my meaning.”
My interest is sufficiently piqued, and a deep desire to see inside the place that was Ford’s home settles in my chest as Lawson focuses his attention on the driver’s seat.
“Besides, you’re clearly unaware of the new rules brought into place in recent weeks.”
Ford visibly stiffens, his jaw flexing when my grinning fake date continues. “All members are invited to elect a singular plus-one per calendar year who may taste what the real Rogue has to offer before purchasing membership.”
He shifts his gaze to mine, announcing playfully, “And I choose you , Pikachu!”
Then he boops me on the nose before leaning closer to whisper in my ear. “His left eye is twitching like crazy. Think this round goes to me.”
The rear passenger door opens without warning, revealing Kyle and Thom waiting to escort us inside. As Law slides out onto the red-carpeted pavement with a self-congratulatory wink, I wait a beat, pivoting to find Ford’s concerned expression in the mirror.
Our gazes hold until Law ducks his head back inside. “Are you coming or what, sugar tits?”
With a hesitant smile, I grasp his proffered hand as he helps me out of the backseat. By the time I’ve emerged onto the red carpet, Ford is striding around the back of the car, taking his place on my left as Lawson clasps my right hand.
Cameras flash as they have all evening, and we both take great care to pose for images that will undoubtedly break the internet while guaranteeing the success of Breaking Us , just as Beck requested.
As though he’s heard my thoughts, Law leans closer under the pretense of kissing my cheek to murmur, “Paps’ll get milage from tonight for the next three months at this rate.”
I’m about to agree, when Ford moves us along and underneath the canopy that leads inside Rogue, ushering us farther down a long, low-lit hallway. The walls seem to shake as the bass drops on a remixed version of “Sweet Nothing” by Calvin Harris and Florence Welch when we walk into the main club, Rapture .
The enormous space is lit up in delicate hues of purple, green, and blue, with small, private areas dotted amongst a heaving mass of bodies gyrating to the beat.
Ford steers us left, shooting Lawson a filthy look that doesn’t go unmissed as he leads us around the majority of the crowd, passing several bar areas until he places his hand on a biometric scanner.
The door before him immediately unlocks, and he steps to one side, giving low instructions to Kyle and Thom before they go through the door.
“I thought we’d need a host to access Risqué .” Lawson frowns as he looks between Ford and the scanner before his gaze lands on me. “How come his details are in the system?”
“Ford ran security for Rogue for a couple of years.”
Law’s eyes widen, but before he can voice the question that’s clearly on the tip of his tongue, Ford speaks brusquely. “Put these on.”
Then he hands Lawson and me a black masquerade mask each before slipping a third over his face. “Do not remove them. At any time.”
He quickly dons an earpiece that matches the ones I’ve seen the rest of his staff wear before leaning closer when he catches me watching him. His ocean-blue eyes are even more vibrant than usual, surrounded by the black mask as they swirl turbulently, like the sky before a storm.
“We’re going off-book here, courtesy of your boyfriend, so I’ll need to be in contact with my guys at all times to ensure your safety.”
I hardly register the words as I’m surrounded by his indelible scent, drawing in deep lungfuls like I’ve not inhaled properly in years. Managing to nod at the appropriate time, my shoulders sag when he stands to his full 6’4” once more, and I find myself edging slightly nearer to him, like a junkie needing another hit.
However, before I can get close enough to breathe him in, Ford murmurs what sounds like a response to whoever’s in his ear, and he gestures for us to go inside.
Lawson moves first, and I follow as Ford draws up the rear, securing the door behind himself and encasing us in darkness.
It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust, but when they do, they almost bulge right out of my sockets at the sight before me.
Barely lit alcoves and tall black doors line hallway after hallway in what appears to be a never-ending maze. Heavy curtains block out interspersed spaces, though the sounds coming from behind them leave me with no doubts as to what’s happening on the other side.
We continue walking, stopping every now and then when Lawson finds a spectacle that’s appealing to him. As we watch a woman in a black leather corset and electric blue heels trail an odd-looking whip of some form along her partner’s exposed back, Lawson looks to a stoic Ford, voicing a statement that makes bile rise at the back of my throat.
“I bet you picked up some good tips over the years here, man.”
His words echo through my mind, settling with a nauseating thud in the pit of my stomach, and suddenly, the cheesecake from earlier threatens to make a reappearance.
I can feel the color drain from my face as I sense Ford’s eyes on me, and I hesitantly raise my gaze to meet his, petrified at the thought of what I’ll find there. But I’m left speechless when he simply smirks and gives Law a casual shrug of one shoulder, his eyes never once wavering from mine.
“I’m sure I picked up plenty of tips along the way, Mr. Wilde, but I’ve not had the inclination to try them out.”
Lawson snorts a laugh, and in my peripheral vision, I can see him glance between me and Ford, a shit-eating grin on his smug face.
“I find that hard to believe, Mr. Holloway. A guy like you surrounded by club-goers looking for a good time, and you’ve not tasted the proverbial forbidden fruit?”
Lawson scoffs while my breath hitches in my throat, and time seems to stop around us as I wait for Ford’s reply.
But just then, a scuffle breaks out between two patrons, and men dressed in all black swarm the area, clearly neutralizing the threat. As Kyle steps in front of Lawson, Ford tugs me backward so that we’re pressed together, his arms locked around my waist.
My whole body comes alive at his nearness, and I allow my eyes to close, if only for a second, soaking in the feel of his hard chest flush with my back. His inimitable outdoorsy scent teases my nostrils, inviting me to breathe deeply. To fill my lungs with this man. To immerse my senses in how only he can make me feel.
I inhale sharply when I feel the tenderness of his lips brushing the delicate skin of the shell of my ear. His even breathing is completely at odds with my racing heart when his low growl sends shock waves through me, “I’ve only ever been partial to peaches.”