Chapter 24
Lily
Julian’s hand rested possessively on the small of my back as we walked through the hallway Upstairs to the big room at the end.
It was Thursday night again, and the start to another weekend.
The week had passed by so fast, and I’d been so busy with everything that had been happening that I still hadn’t figured out how to leave Julian’s home.
It didn’t help that we found Krista and her unnamed friend around my place the other day as well. Everyone, including Gigi and Penny, had agreed that staying with Julian was the best option for now. And they were probably correct.
After being MIA from Upstairs last weekend, Julian really needed to make an appearance there to stop any brewing rumors. It was crazy what people’s imagination came up with.
One of the rumors going around was that he’d been in love with one of the missing women and was mourning her loss.
Another one was that he had all the missing women hidden away and was forcing them to do horrible things.
Another one was that he’d fallen in love with one of the club's regulars and they were happily playing house behind closed doors.
That last one hit the nail a little too close to the head for comfort, though I was sure Julian wasn’t actually in love with me.
All heads turned as we walked into the room. It was quite late at night, and things were winding down on the dance floor below us. And those who came for something other than dancing were starting to file in.
I was acutely aware of all the eyes on me and was grateful when Gina, a face I actually knew, greeted us and waved us over like it was the most natural thing in the world.
As we marched over, I couldn’t help but feel like he was showing me off. Not subtly either. His strides were slow and deliberate, like he wanted everyone to see who’d be in his arms tonight.
I wasn’t surprised. He’d admitted it earlier, saying he planned to use me as more than just a way of tamping down the rumors. He’d warned me that he’d used me as an excuse to skip off early as well.
I was lucky I didn’t mind being the center of attention, because every pair of eyes were on us, some with envy so sharp I could practically feel it slicing through the air.
I wasn’t new to attention, but this was different.
This was Julian’s world, and I was the unexpected—and to some people unwanted guest.
We’d spent some time downstairs on the dance floor, and I recognized a few faces from there. But since I was wearing that super high pair of Louboutins, I couldn’t really stay on my feet for long.
Plush couches, low lighting, and the scent of jasmine and sandalwood filled the air. Gina, the source of the intoxicating fragrance, lounged on a divan like a queen with a drink that glowed faintly purple. A satyr with goat horns and legs knelt at her feet, giving her a foot massage.
All around us were other demons I didn’t recognize, all of them dangerously beautiful and promising decadent carnal delights.
One of the succubi gave me a slow once-over, her smile curling with interest. Suddenly, I felt very much like a fresh piece of meat at a buffet, and judging by the way some of them licked their lips, I wasn’t wrong.
The demons weren’t the only ones on the prowl, however.
There were others here too, some dressed to kill, others barely dressed at all, some humans, others not.
They looked over the selection of incubi and succubi with such hunger that it was clear they were not victims, but rather very enthusiastic participants.
They were here to mix and mingle and hopefully go home with one of the sexual energy-devouring demons, or maybe even two or three.
I’d hazard a guess that many of them were single witches who replenished their magic with sex. And others were lonely and needed physical touch to help ease life’s hardships.
I recognized the blonde lady I’d seen on the camera feed, the one who’d practically draped herself over Julian. The look she gave me was anything but welcoming. I did my best to ignore her. I didn’t play games like this.
Julian guided me up onto a raised platform and toward a couch. His couch? He leaned in and brushed a kiss against my cheek. No one in the room missed the action. It was territorial and possessive, and it made my knees wobble enough that I had no choice but to sit down on the plush seat.
“I’m grabbing a drink. Stay, Vixen.”
I gave him a look. “I’m not a puppy.”
“No, you’re not. You’re more like a kitten.” He smirked, then stepped away to the bar to grab some drinks.
One of the males, tall, silver-eyed, and dressed in something so tight that it looked painted on, slid closer. His smile was slow, deliberate, and far too confident.
“You’re new,” he said, his voice velvety smooth. “What’s your name, gorgeous?”
I wasn’t here to flirt but I decided to be nice anyway and let him down gently if he got too pushy. “Lily. You?”
“I’m Rafe.” Rafe assessed me. “Actually, you look quite familiar.”
“I come by with Prax and his mate sometimes,” I said. “So you might have seen me around the club.”
“Ah yes! Of course.”
He reached for my hand, fingers brushing mine with a spark of heat that wasn’t entirely natural. I didn’t pull away, but I didn’t lean in either. I could handle this. I’d handled worse.
“Careful,” I said. “I bite.”
“Promise?” he asked, eyes gleaming.
And then Julian was back.
He stepped between us, handed me a drink, and turned to the incubus with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Find your own witch, Rafe,” Julian said. “This one’s mine.”
The incubus held up his hands in mock surrender and backed away.
The room went quiet for a beat. Then Gina laughed, low and wicked.
I took a sip of my drink, heart thudding. Whatever happened to friends with benefits? Another sip and the truth of it came crashing into me. Julian was parading me in here on purpose, like a dog showing off his new squeaky toy.
I didn’t like it. Everyone would leave this room tonight talking about Julian and his new pet.
That was the exact opposite of what I wanted to be known as.
I’d rather be his nothing than the toy of the hour.
I imagined everyone was already counting down the days before he got sick of me, then I’d be fair game and he’d be free again.
Hell, that was one of the reasons why I’d refused to come up here with him that first time he’d asked. Why the hell did I think this would be anything different?
Julian gave me a squeeze. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I said, bringing the drink to my lips again.
“I can see your aura,” Julian whispered, pulling me close and nuzzling the side of my face. “You’re not happy. We can sit a bit then head home.” He said it like it was our home. “Now that I’ve made my appearance, we don’t have to stay for long.”
“You mean now that you’ve already shown me off?” I mumbled.
Damn it! Why couldn’t I have just kept that to myself?
And why the hell was this affecting me so much? I closed my eyes and sent my awareness out, trying to pinpoint what was making me feel so irrational. Sure, I didn’t like the way things were playing out, but that didn’t explain everything. I was way more irritable than I should be.
I should just soak it all up and enjoy it instead. I focused on my drink, but all too soon my glass was empty.
The door to the room opened and Nathan poked his head in. He caught Julian’s eyes and motioned him over.
“I’ll be right back,” Julian murmured, brushing a kiss against my temple before stepping out the door.
And just like that, I was alone with the sharks. But I could handle this. I wasn’t some delicate flower.
I stood and made my way over to the bar to grab another drink. Maybe it had just been a tough week and I needed to relax. The blonde I’d seen on the monitor earlier sauntered over, her heels clicking with purpose. I braced myself.
She didn’t waste time. “So you’re Julian’s flavor of the month.”
I arched a brow. “Excuse me?”
Another woman with sleek black hair and perfect cheekbones sidled over. “Don’t be a bitch, Stef.” Then to me she said, “But seriously, Julian gets bored easily, so don’t get too attached. Besides, there are plenty of other flavors to choose from.”
I smiled, doing my best to control the bitch within, which was more like a mountain lion at this point. “Julian and I are just friends. So maybe don’t get your panties all in a bunch.”
The blonde blinked, clearly not expecting that.
The other one laughed. “I like you,” she said. She stuck out her hand, even as the blonde sashayed away. “I’m Jordan.”
“Lily.”
“Stef’s been trying to snag Julian full-time for ages. Don’t worry about her.”
“And you?”
“I’m here to find someone to help recharge my magic,” she said. “It’s safer than random hookups. And much less stressful than maintaining a relationship. I tried that once. It was like having a grown-ass kid around. No, thank you!”
That had me chuckling.
“Is it really safe, though?” I asked.
“Oh yeah, totally. The succubi and incubi here are on their best behavior. If one of them doesn’t play nice, we all hear about it.
As for everyone else? Be an asshole one too many times, and no one will touch you.
Do something really bad? Julian will whoop your ass if you’re a dude, and bootcha if you’re not.
And if I leave with someone here, they’re going to make sure I’m safe and don’t go missing because if I did, all eyes would be on them. ”
She really did make it sound ideal.
“Okay, then what happened to those two witches?”
Jordan frowned. “Yeah, I heard about them too. But I’ve never actually seen them in these rooms. I’ve seen them downstairs, but never on the second floor.
That’s why I’m going to ask someone here to get me home later.
If I leave with one of these guys,” she motioned around the room, “then at least I know I’ll be safe. ”
I sensed no lies from her. Jordan really believed that any one of these demons was safer than being alone.
But it made sense. It must have been difficult for Julian to get this place licensed.
I understood that up here, where it was private and by invitation only, the rules were different, but any negative stories coming out of here would get both the normal dancehall and the Upstairs sex club shut down fast.
I looked up to see Gina walking toward me, a frown marring her beautiful face. She had a hand up by her ear like she was listening to something.
The bass from the club downstairs had cut off mid-track, and I caught the distant echo of shouting. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
“Lily,” she said, her lips tight. “We gotta go.”
I hesitated for a moment, but Gina grabbed my arms and started ushering me toward the door. As we moved, I heard the sharp crack of glass breaking, followed by someone yelling for IDs. A hush fell on the room as every soul braced for what was to come.
I looked back toward the people in the room. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but something told me to trust Gina. Even if Julian had acted all jealous with her the last time, he’d still asked her to watch over me. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t trust her implicitly.
“Okay, okay, I’m coming. But tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s Julian,” she said, practically dragging me up the stairs.
As we reached the door to Julian’s home, I could hear the pounding of footsteps on the stairwell below. She didn’t use a key. Instead, she phased her arm right through the door to unlock it and let herself in.
The second we were alone, she started pacing his living room and looking more distraught than I thought a succubus could be. Her human disguise flickered at the edges, like she was too rattled to hold it steady, before it disappeared completely, showing her in her horned demon form.
“Spill it, Gina. What’s happening?”
But even as I asked the question, I already came to my own conclusions from the red and blue lights flashing in the window.
“It’s Julian,” she said. “He’s just been arrested.”