2. Reid
2
Reid
M oans and grunts floated through the air around me. Sounds of pleasure and pain. But in here sometimes pain was pleasure.
The snap of flesh on flesh or the swish of a whip wasn’t an uncommon noise. Often followed by a cry of ecstasy. The low sensual music masked the din of voices, but not all.
Listening to others, watching added another layer to the erotic pleasure for some. As I walked through the main club, I saw couples engaged in all types of lewd acts.
Something as innocent as two women kissing by the bar. Or as sinful as the people across from them in a booth where a woman was being double penetrated while giving a third man a blowjob. Another girl watched as the guy with her had his head between her legs.
There were private rooms if you weren’t interested in public displays. They were stocked with almost everything you’d want; whips, chains, handcuffs, blindfolds, condoms. If we didn’t have it, we could get it within the hour.
Eros catered to all kinks and fetishes. With a membership or invitation, you could take part in the debauchery the club offered. Privacy was another lure to the rich and powerful who lived or traveled to Fairview. People came from all over, as far away as Sayton City, across the state, to do what they wanted with the guarantee that their secret wouldn’t get out.
In the world of sex clubs, no one could match the luxury we provided. Absolute anonymity, if you needed it. And endless options. It was why we were located in the middle of nowhere. We could control who came and went.
The red neon lights cast a dim glow around the room as I did my usual security check. I’d already spoken with the bouncer, making sure everyone’s invitations and member cards had scanned properly. There had been nothing unusual tonight. But my spine still prickled with unease.
My steps were silent on the thick carpet as I made my way to the stairs behind the bar. The bartender caught my gaze as I walked by. “Ivette is waiting in your office, Mr. Turner.”
The anxiety spiked, but I nodded to indicate I’d heard him. A few moments later, I reached the top of the wrought iron stairs and headed towards my office. There were three other offices up here, one for each of my brothers and Ivette. Mine was the closest on the right.
Ivette turned her head as soon as I entered. Her blood red dress clung to her curves, gave the illusion that she was here to take part in the activities below. But her shoulders were pushed back. Her tight posture shouted authority.
She was the manager of Eros on paper. But in reality, she was more valuable than that. She’d grown up in a very dangerous world. It had given her skills and contacts that couldn’t be matched.
It had also cost her everything.
Her job was to screen potential members. To use her experience and intuition to keep us and our current clients safe.
“What’s new, little one?” Her brown curls bounced as she slammed her hand down on her hip. Her skin reddened in annoyance, making the heart-shaped birthmark below her left eye stand out.
She pretended to hate the nickname and its reference to her short stature. Her head barely reached my chest in her sharp heels. Her eyes narrowed and my lips twitched. But I didn’t smile.
The name came from affection. She’d been working for us for seven years, since she was twenty-one. She was like a sister. A very bossy little sister.
“There’s a new guy here.” She went straight into business; not bothering to scold me from the nickname “He’s with a girl. They’re in the Eleusis room.”
Everything she said sounded normal enough, but she wouldn’t be mentioning it to me without a reason. “You’re getting a vibe.”
“He had an invitation…”
The rest of her sentence hung in the air. Her lips pursed, and her brown eyes shifted down.
“Name?” I respected her judgment. She was the only one outside of my brothers that I trusted.
“Simon Martinez.”
I raised a brow. “Any relation?”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s a very common last name. It feels off. I’m going to track who the invitation came from.”
Ivette wasn’t dramatic or quick to judgment. If she sensed something was wrong, then it was. “I’ll check it out.”
“One more thing. They were asking for people to join. Maverick and Connor are in there now.”
It should’ve made me feel better. My brothers would know if there was trouble. But they were also all I had. Putting them in danger was the last thing I wanted.
As I walked out of the office, I heard Ivette clicking on the computer. I was down the stairs and out from behind the bar again in seconds. Walking straight towards a hall that led to the private rooms. There were a few couples standing around, watching the couples who’d kept their curtains open.
However, the curtains of the last room were closed. I tried the handle, finding it locked. My spine prickled. Of course, people had the option, but it was rarely used. If you wanted complete privacy, you took your shit home.
Pulling a key from my pocket, I opened it. My gaze immediately went to Maverick. He knelt, gazing down at what appeared to be an unconscious girl.
He was my youngest brother. Twenty-six, ten years my junior. His buzzed dark hair held a sheen of sweat. It clung to his bare chest and tan skin. Little flecks of blood covered his hands and face. He must have just come from the fight club that was housed below Eros.
His head shot to me and I saw the anger in his clenched jaw. But a shake told me he didn’t know what was going on. Years together and we could communicate with only looks.
“Reid.” Connor, my middle brother, called my name, drawing my attention to him.
He looked nothing like Maverick, with blonde hair and lighter skin. But his hazel eyes held the same rage. Which was unusual. He was older than Maverick, twenty-eight, and more level-headed.
We weren’t brothers in blood, but in bonds. We’d found each other in juvie, each of us there for a different reason. But we all had one thing in common. Nothing to go back to. And we refused to let the system control us anymore.
When we’d gotten out, we started Eros with my inheritance from my grandfather. It wasn’t the only entertainment my brothers and I provided for the citizens of Fairview.
Maverick fought in and ran our underground fighting competition, Ares. Connor managed the illegal gambling club, Tyche, located in a hidden room above Eros. The whole place had been an abandoned warehouse we’d converted for our needs.
Running our own business gave us control over our lives. Our income. And in a certain way, the city.
No one was going to shut us down. Not only because the city officials all frequented our clubs, but we funneled money back into the community. Without us, the town would cease to exist. Or be taken over by someone worse.
We provided a vital service; entertainment. Two of our businesses were illegal, but we didn’t run wild. We weren’t greedy.
Some might say we were corrupting the city. Feeding people their addictions. But gamblers choose to gamble. Fighters needed the outlet. Better here than killing an innocent. Anybody entering the ring understood the risks.
Every member of Eros was a willing participant. They knew the rules.
And we destroyed anyone who broke our rules.