Dylan POV
I’ve spoken to Echo for a long time. I promised him over and over that I meant no harm to the club. I told him more about my father than I’ve told almost anyone. By the time I finally walk back into the main room, I feel drained.
Blaze is over in one of the booths, drinking heavily with Theo and the others. He looks completely wasted already. I want to go over to him, but something stops me. Instead, I scan the room for Siren and head toward the bar.
Giggles slides a drink my way without me even asking. I stare at it, then at him.
“You’re gonna need it. Trust me.”
What? Why? I take the glass anyway and turn, still looking for Siren, but she’s nowhere in sight. I really want Siren right now.
“Hey.”
I turn around. Some guy is standing there, tall, built, covered in tattoos. “Marcus,” he says, holding out his hand.
“Dylan,” I reply quietly, unsure who the hell he is. He’s definitely not a patched member.
“Oh, I already know who you are,” he says with a grin. “The guy who took Blaze off the market.”
My head tilts. He glances across the room toward Blaze, who’s laughing loudly at something Theo said. It clicks.
“You’re one of Blaze’s exes?”
“More of a plaything, really.” He downs his drink in one go, still smiling. “Just thought I’d come see the competition. Can’t say it’s much.”
He walks off like it’s nothing. I glance at Giggles, who just shrugs, but there’s a knowing look in his eyes that makes my stomach twist.
For the next god knows how fucking long, it doesn’t stop.
One after another, guys come up to me. All of them are men Blaze has fucked.
All of them are nothing like me. They’re big, confident, covered in tattoos, radiating the kind of energy that screams they can handle whatever Blaze throws at them.
I feel smaller with every conversation.
I finally stand up, needing to get the fuck away from this. I don’t even make it two steps before someone else stops me.
“Dylan, right? I’m Julius.”
My entire body tenses. That name from the contract flashes through my mind like a warning light. “I’m n-not interested,” I say sharply.
“In what?” He looks genuinely confused. “I came to say hi.”
“No, you came to size me up like the rest of them. To see how easily you can get Blaze back. Well go for it. Get him,” I snap, the words spilling out before I can stop them.
Julius tilts his head, frowning. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Yeah? L-look around. You’re just one in a long line of guys Blaze has fucked.” My voice cracks a little. I fucking hate this.
Because I’m nothing like them.
These are the guys Blaze usually goes for. The ones he’s been fucking for years, on and off, the ones he keeps going back to. And here I am, small, stuttering, nothing special, trying to stand in the middle of all of them.
Right now I feel so fucking small. Weak. Insignificant.I stand up to walk off, but then I see it.
Julius is now standing right beside Blaze. They’re staring at each other. Theo is shouting and banging on the table, chanting “dare or shot” like a maniac. My mind is swimming as I look around the room, feeling more and more like I’m on the outside of something bigger happening.
Then it happens.
Julius reaches forward, grabs Blaze by the shirt, and kisses him.
For a second I consider storming out. Just leaving. But I see Blaze jerk back, confusion written all over his drunk face as he says something. The whole room feels like it goes silent even though it hasn’t. Every single pair of eyes is suddenly on me.
Part of me wants to walk straight over to Titan and let him fuck me right there just to spite the asshole. But instead I move toward Blaze.
I shove Julius back hard. “N-n-next time, wait for him to be fucking sober. Then at least you’ll know he agrees.”
I turn and glare at Blaze, anger and hurt burning in my chest. “You wanted a reaction by inviting all your past fucks? Bravo. You got it. Get fucked, Blaze.”
I shove him in the chest and turn, storming toward the door. I hear cheers behind me but I don’t give a shit.
“Waait!” Blaze’s voice slurs from behind me as I storm across the courtyard. I hear him stumble. When I turn, he’s staggering badly, trying to catch up.
“Just go back inside. F-f-fuck them all at once for all I care.”
He tries to run to catch up but only manages to stumble harder. He falls sideways. I move on instinct, trying to grab him, but I’m not fast enough. He drags me down with him and I land on top of his chest.
“Ironic,” I mutter bitterly. “If it was one of them they wouldn’t have had an issue keeping you upright.”
I shove against his chest to get up, but he grips me tightly and holds me there.
“I’m so fucking confused,” he mumbles, eyes glassy.
“No doubt because you’re fucking wasted,” I snap. “I’ll go. I’m sure one of them will come out and get you up.”
“What’s happening?” He stares up at me like he genuinely doesn’t understand.
“Seriously? The club is full of men you’ve fucked, Blaze. Not one of them is like me. They’re all big, confident guys. So what the fuck am I?”
“You’re Dylan.”
“No shit, Sherlock. But I’m nothing like them.”
“Which is why I like you,” he says, voice slurred but sincere. “You’re different.”
Yeah. I’m fucking different. I go to move again but he holds me down against him.
“I’m still confused.”
“Why? Either you invited them to taunt me, or the club did it to prove to me I’m useless and weak. Well guess what? Both worked.”
His hand grips the back of my neck, pulling me closer. “I didn’t know they were here. You’re not fucking weak. And I picked you because you’re different. They were just… contracts. Agreed dates to fuck. Not a relationship.”
He tries to pull me down for a kiss but I pull back sharply.
“Do not kiss me right now when you just had Julius kissing you.”
He groans from the ground. “Why am I in trouble?”
“Hey, a minute.” Echo looks at me.
I glare down at Blaze before climbing off him and turning to face Echo. “Now what have I done?”
“I invited them,” Echo says calmly. “Every single one of them. Everything tonight was a plan.”
I stare at him, stunned. Behind me, Julius steps forward to help Blaze up. I don’t even think, I just move and shove him back hard. “Keep t-t-the fuck off him.”
Blaze chuckles from the floor, grinning like an idiot.
“Look, the guys had reservations about you,” Echo continues. “They said if shit got hard you’d run straight into Titan’s bed. We tested that.”
“Is t-t-that some sort of fucking joke?”
“No. We normally give people a week apart to make sure they’re serious. That wouldn’t work with you two. So we had to see how you’d react. Because Blaze, while he’s fucked damn near every guy possible, is actually loyal when it counts.”
I glare at him, annoyance and humiliation burning in my chest.
“The fact you stood up for yourself, shoved Julius away, and walked out instead of jumping into someone else’s bed proves you’re serious about him.”
“Not anymore,” I snap, turning away.
“Not fair!” Blaze shouts behind me, voice slurred. “I can’t even stand and you’re using now to run?”
I stop. “Fine. I’ll wait until the morning.” I walk back and try to drag him up, but he’s dead weight. Echo sighs and helps me, shooting Julius a warning look as we get Blaze into his room and onto the bed.
“You earned my respect today,” Echo tells me quietly. “Most guys your size would’ve run, cheated, anything but confront the issue head-on.” He walks out, closing the door behind him.
Blaze groans loudly from the bed. “I think I’m seeing God.”
Rolling my eyes, I walk over. “No you’re not. If you were dying, you’d be seeing the fucking devil.”
He pouts up at me. “You think I’m going to hell?”
“I know you’re going to hell. You get pleasure from gagging a guy on your cock until he’s within an inch of his life.”
He laughs, nodding. “Touché.”
He passes out almost instantly.
I stand there staring at him for a long moment, considering just leaving. Tonight was one giant fucking mess. Even if it was some twisted test, I still feel like shit. I’m nothing like those guys they brought in tonight. They made that very clear.
They said enough. I know everything he did with them. And right now I don’t feel better than them. If anything, I feel like I’m getting less of Blaze than they ever did.