Chapter Eighteen #2
“My name is Alia Brown and I'm a dark romance addict. Hands up if you are too.” Laughter rumbled around the room and almost everyone put up a hand.
“Good, I'm glad we're all here for the same reason, and not just for a free eBook.”
Everyone was on my side, smiling, as far as I could see in the shadows and UV light.
“It's long been my dream to open a shop that isn't just a place to buy books,” I said, “I wanted somewhere that likeminded people could visit and stay awhile. To enjoy a coffee and cake and hopefully make friends.”
“You've achieved that!” Liona shouted, waving when people turned to look at her.
Smiling, I held the microphone in both hands to stop them from shaking.
“The only issue I came up against was the freedom to share my true passion, dark romance. I mean, there’s a chance I’ll become a target because of tonight and future events, but hopefully not.
I knew that if I'd dared to have an obvious section amongst the normal books, there was a chance I'd be boycotted. So… this club was born to help us share our love of the darker side of romance.”
A cheer exploded around me and I cringed, laughing awkwardly again.
“I don't condone real life abuse of any kind,” I said, my words shushing the crowd.
“Too many of us have suffered at the hands of someone who didn't care enough about us.
We don't read dark romance to glamorize the shit that happens in the books, but to relate to the characters who have gone through trauma. To see our stories, which are too dark for the real world, be played out in a book, can be healing for our soul.”
A slow clap started and my cheeks grew red hot. It was sad that so many people related, but everyone, to some extent, had endured trauma. Dark romance wasn’t just about the deeply scary stuff, it was the greyer stuff too.
“So,” I started to wrap it up, “with that in mind, enjoy the band, have a drink and chat all things dark romance!”
I handed the microphone to the band and stepped down, hugging Lydia when she grabbed me. Moth was by the bar, leaning on it and surveying the room. Or that’s what it looked like with his helmet moving slightly from left to right.
A couple of other masked men were in the room. Two with scream masks and two with balaclavas. Would Brandon dare to come in the same outfit he’d worn at the book convention? He was the type to not give a shit.
Going to the bar with Lydia, I accepted a drink from the bartender.
He was wearing a Purge mask and no top, his muscles bunching as he shook the cocktail shaker.
I turned and leaned against the bar, looking towards the men who had the black material over their faces.
They were talking to others, not looking in my direction.
Okay, Brandon was never someone who chatted to people, so I could safely rule them out.
Moth edged closer, nodding a greeting when he stood beside me. “I can’t see him.”
“You can’t?” I glanced up at him, even though I couldn’t see his face. “Would you know if he was here, though? Hiding in a mask, I mean?”
A chuckle rumbled out from his helmet as the music started up.
The heavy beats and sexy rock vibe instantly charged the atmosphere.
There were people laughing, studying their books or showing off their new ones to friends.
Others admired the men, their gaze roaming their muscular frames until they giggled and looked away.
Ant and Spider were doing a fantastic job serving drinks in their leathers and jeans. Spider’s shaggy hair brushed his shoulders, and I heard one girl compare him to Jason Momoa. Now that she had said it, I could see it.
A gloved hand waved in front of my face and I looked back to Moth. “Sorry, I can’t hear over the music.”
He took my hand and started to pull me towards the exit. I glanced over my shoulder and gave Lydia a thumbs up before showing her two fingers, indicating that I’d be two minutes. She winked at me and gave me a thumbs up back. She’d hold the fort for me while Moth had his say.
As soon as we were in the hallway, Moth gripped my upper arm tight. “You need to concentrate instead of admiring my friends.”
The deep throb of his voice did things to me and I almost melted. Almost.
“This is not the time to be jealous,” I said, “I was merely watching the room. We need to get back in, now.”
“Have you checked your phone?” He gestured to my pocket.
Er, no I hadn’t. Which was silly because I’d promised I would do that, just in case Brandon took our hint and gave us one back.
I’d convinced myself that he would come in with the first wave of people, ready to exact revenge.
The picture I’d put up of me and the men at the convention, including him, may have been a deliberate dig to antagonize him, but I knew him well enough to know he would’ve been furious.
“I’m sure there’s noth…” My sentence trailed off as a PM on Instagram popped up.
It was a picture of a masked man outside the bookstore door saying ‘Am I too late?’
“He’s outside.”
Moth took my phone, checked the message and proceeded to start down the stairs.
“Wait!” I stopped him with a hand. “This isn’t part of the plan. What do we do now?”
Threading his fingers through mine, he tugged me to follow him. “We act like we’re together and that we’ve had a few drinks. We lure him in, I go to the till, claiming I need something, and you take him upstairs.”
Swallowing, I clenched his hand tightly, my boots heavy on the stairs as we descended them. Okay, so it wasn’t quite to plan, but it wouldn’t be far off. Brandon just had to take the bait and believe that we were ignorant to who he was.
“I’ve got you,” Moth muttered, suddenly bursting out in laughter as we entered the store.
Rushing to the front door, we pretended to almost fall over. I reached for the lock, flicking it and opening it quickly. I expected the masked man – Brandon – to be there, waiting. Except, there wasn’t anyone.
“Oh,” I exclaimed, stepping outside. “He’s gone. That’s sad, I feel bad.”
I was acting and Moth picked up the game quickly. “He shouldn’t have arrived so late.”
A shuffling sound came from the alley beside the store and I started towards it. Moth stretched out a hand, his fingers just missing me as I went to look around the corner.
Arms shot out from behind the wall, grabbing me and yanking, so quickly, I barely stayed on my feet.
Moth careened around the corner after us, his arms up and ready for a fight. Brandon’s arms were around me, holding my back to his chest as he pressed something cold against my throat.
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” he muttered through the balaclava. “I’ll slit her throat wide open.”
Lifting his arms slowly, Moth pulled off his helmet. His brown gaze connected with mine and his jaw tightened.
“You made a rooky mistake,” Brandon said, nodding towards Moth. “You let the girl go first.”
My inhale was shaky as I bunched my fingers into my palms and swung back, trying to hit Brandon in the balls. He held himself away from me, dodging my feeble attempt to hurt him.
“Don’t antagonize him,” Moth snapped at me.
Pushing his face into the side of my head, Brandon laughed. Wet spittle hit my ear and I cringed, closing my eyes to try and block out the fear.
“You better listen to your boyfriend.” Brandon’s breath was heavy in my ear. “Or I might just slice your skin, just to torment him.”
“Don’t you fucking dare,” Moth barked, “or I swear I will cut off each of your limbs, one by one, until only your head is left on your torso.”
A shudder rushed through me and my eyes flew open. Jeez, I knew Moth was dark, but the conviction in his threat was scary.
“Carry on.” Brandon tilted his head at Moth before whispering in my ear, “He’s actually turning me on.”
My stomach churned as I opened my mouth to tell Moth to stop. Brandon pressed the knife closer to my skin, nicking it slightly. His threat was enough to keep me quiet.
“Then I’ll let Alia put your castrated cock in your mouth, so you can give yourself a blow job.” Moth smirked.
Brandon ground his hips into my butt. I let out a surprised gasp, trying to stretch the bottom part of my body away from him.
“Stop, Moth,” I exclaimed, “he likes it, the sick fuck.”
Moth bared his teeth and surged forward, his hands stretched and ready to grab me. Brandon lifted his hand into a stop gesture, his sneer loud in my ear.
“Don’t be a silly boy.” Brandon released me momentarily, holding up the knife and showing the small smear of blood that was already on it.
As he replaced the blade on my neck, his other hand fiddled behind me before he pulled out a gun, pointing it towards Moth, who immediately backed up.
“You need to let him take me,” I ordered Moth.
His nostrils flared and his eyes were wide. “I swore to protect you,” he snarled. “Don’t make it hard for me to do that by playing the martyr.”