Chapter 23
DENVER
I call Rene so he can set tickets aside for the show, but I’m not actually sure I want to go out. I’m still feeling tender from everything going on, and my head is dizzy. If I show up bruised to hell with a bunch of strangers and not performing, people are going to have questions for me.
And right now, I don’t have answers to give them.
But then Jasper appears with his boys trailing behind him, and Nico jumps up from the couch and throws his hands up. ‘Deaf drag tonight!’
I lift my hands in protest, but Archie just shrugs and slides his body behind mine, and Milo gives a nod while Percy props his ass up on the couch and lifts his fist, nodding it. ‘Sounds fun.’
That was not what I expected. The last people in the world I expected to want to go to one of my shows are this group. Archie is dangerous enough, but the rest…
I think they might literally be mafia.
‘Are there enough tickets for all of us?’ Percy asks.
I nod. ‘As many as I want. But I’d better get ready. The show starts in an hour.’
My muscles protest as I get up, but Archie’s at my heels as he follows me down to the basement, where all of my recovered clothes are now waiting for me. In the end, I go with one of his oversized sweaters and a pair of soft leggings, and I feel his eyes watching me as I get dressed.
‘You sure about this?’ Archie asks when I lean against the wall to tug my shoes on.
I give myself a minute to think, but I already know the answer.
‘I need to get out. Have fun. Not think about yesterday.’ He looks concerned, so I reach over, curling my fingers into his shirt and pulling him to me.
‘You make me feel safe, and your brothers…your dad…’ My fingers flutter around me, and he nods in understanding, pulling me against his chest.
His nose moves against my temple, dragging down to my ear, and I tremble at the sensation. When he pulls away, he meets my gaze, his breath against my lips. I can’t help but lean forward and press our mouths together, sliding my tongue against his.
He tastes like danger and like safety, and fuck, it’s everything I’ve needed and craved for so, so long.
When I finally pull away, I’m half-hard, and he’s the same, but he turns his head toward the stairs leading to the basement, which lets me know someone is making their way down.
A moment later, Nico appears, wearing a formfitting shirt that shows off his belly button and slim waist. He’s wearing tiny shorts below that and boots that go up to his ankles.
He looks gorgeous.
I glance down at Archie’s sweater, which dwarfs me, and wonder what on earth he sees in me. But as he steps around me and pulls my back against his chest, I feel the hard length of his cock pressed against my ass, and it’s reassuring.
I hate being this insecure. I hate how I’ve seemed to fold in on myself, but the last few weeks have been difficult, and I feel like I’m not fully myself. The only time I really feel like I’m Denver Voss is when I’m with Archie in this basement, surrounded by him.
‘Ready?’ Nico asks, moving up to me and tugging on the hoodie strings dangling down the front. ‘You look cute in his sweater.’
He glances at Archie and winks, clearly happy for his best friend.
‘Thank you,’ I reply, and he nods, grabbing my hand and pulling me up the stairs.
In the kitchen, Percy, Milo, and their dad are talking, but since we’ve come in the middle of the conversation, I can’t catch up with any of it. It doesn’t really matter though. The moment they see us, they all stop like someone hit a pause button on them.
‘Okay, this is awkward. But whatever. It’s drink time!’ Nico says, pointing to the cabinet near the fridge. ‘Vodka,’ he adds, flicking his finger against his neck.
Milo arches an eyebrow at him, and when he doesn’t move fast enough, Nico punches him in the arm and points his finger more aggressively.
‘Go. Now.’
Milo murmurs something I can’t lipread, doing as he’s told, bringing down a large bottle of vodka as Percy grabs some shot glasses. They’re all mismatched, but it works. This entire place has a certain kind of charm that’s really growing on me.
‘I think we all need a drink or two before we head out,’ Nico explains as he grabs the shot glasses and lines them up, tallest to shortest.
‘Not me,’ Jasper replies. ‘I’m driving.’
‘Boring,’ Nico answers and then points to Milo and then to the glasses. Milo sloppily pours vodka into each one until they’re spilling over. They’re handed out, one by one, Nico nearly vibrating with excitement.
‘To a fun night!’ he says on a salute before tossing the liquid back.
Milo makes a face, and Percy grins. Archie just slips his hand into mine as we all take a shot, the clear liquid burning the back of our throats. It makes my eyes water, but it loosens something inside of me.
I won’t let the man who has been following me ruin my night.
‘Ready?’ Archie asks, his hand curling into mine.
I nod, and then we’re off, piling into Jasper’s pristine SUV as he drives us down the dirt path that leads into town.
The lights are flickering around us in the club, the heady bass thumping through the ground as we move through the large crowd to the bar. Archie and Percy are walking next to me, not giving me an inch of space, which would normally bother me, but not tonight. Tonight, it makes me feel safe.
Nico has his arm tucked through Jasper’s, and Milo is hovering somewhere in the background. He made it clear he doesn’t want to be here, and I know he doesn’t like being touched, so a drag show is probably hell for him.
‘Drinks!’ Nico calls with his hand, his eyes bright.
I think another would actually do the trick.
Archie’s dad is stoic as Nico pulls him up to the bar. He looks slightly too formal for this place with his designer suit and his fancy shoes, and his eyes move from one side of the crowded space to the other, constantly aware of our surroundings, though his face is unreadable.
I wonder if he’s ever been to a drag bar before. He doesn’t look uncomfortable though, just cautious. It can be a little overwhelming if someone’s never done this before, and tonight is a lot more crowded than usual, thanks to the two-for-one drinks special they have going on.
Behind the bar, I see Oleander making drinks, his purple hair a mess on top of his head, his nipple rings obvious through his sheer top.
His eyes rove over Nico first and then Jasper.
I can tell he’s trying to figure out who these new guys are and wants to ask, but his hands are too full for questions.
Eventually, his blue eyes land on me, and he lifts his chin in acknowledgment.
I wave back, leaning my elbows on the bar top, Archie pressing in behind me, Percy to my left, and Nico to my right.
Thanks to the crowd, Jasper’s side is pressed up against another man I think I recognize from town, but I can’t quite place him.
He’s Jasper’s age though, with dark hair and a very pristine, trimmed beard to match.
Before I can get distracted, Oleander moves up in front of me and smiles. ‘I thought you were on a break.’ His gaze flicks to my throat, but in this lighting, the bruising is nothing more than shadows. I can tell he’s curious, but he doesn’t ask, and I appreciate that.
I bob my head. ‘I am. Just here with friends.’
He glances at Percy and winks, making Percy frown in suspicion. Oleander ignores him and asks, ‘What you want?’
Nico interjects quickly, eager to get his order in. ‘Porn star martini for me, please,’ he asks in sign, fluttering his eyelashes.
Oleander definitely looks affected, and it takes him a moment to turn his attention back to me. ‘Same?’
It sounds really good, so I nod, then point at Archie, who shrugs and shakes his head, holding me a little bit tighter. When Oleander meets Jasper’s eyes, I see his lips part as he sucks in a breath.
‘Whiskey,’ Jasper signs. ‘Neat.’
Swallowing heavily, Oleander turns to me. ‘Nice friends.’
‘They are,’ I tell him, leaning back into Archie’s arms.
As we wait for him to make everything, Archie’s hands trail across my stomach, his face tucked into my neck as if protecting me from everyone else. He must know how hard coming out tonight is because he isn’t letting me go.
Percy catches my eye a second later as he twists around to watch the crowd, and he looks impressed. ‘Nice place. Big crowd. You like it here?’
‘It’s my second family,’ I tell him. ‘And I love performing.’ I use kiss-fist instead of love because the show is everything to me, and fuck, I miss this so much. I miss feeling safe here. I miss when it was the place I could go to in order to get away from everything else.
The show hasn’t started yet, but people are up and about, some dancing to the beat beneath their feet and vibrating through their chests, others chatting, their hands loud as they sign with one another.
There are a few hearing people who come here who don’t sign, but most of the patrons who show up do know ASL and use it exclusively.
It feels the same, but I also feel a little bit like a stranger right now, and I hate that. Taking a breath, I turn my attention to Nico as he bobs his head to the music, chatting with Oleander.
I can’t see everything they’re saying with the way Nico’s leaning on the bar, but I can tell they’re searching for mutual connections, trading names on who they know, and I’m not surprised when they finally land on one.
Nico grins and makes an exaggerated yes with his fist and then leans his head back and laughs. When he does, he knocks into Jasper, who tumbles into the man next to him, causing the stranger to spill his drink on Jasper’s freshly pressed coat.
The man’s eyes go wide, and he stares down for a long moment before his gaze slowly trails up to Jasper’s face.
There’s something in his expression I can’t quite read, but I can tell he’s entranced by Jasper.
It must be a genetic thing, these guys. Like they have incubus blood somewhere in their line.