Archer cursed when his phone flipped onto the floor. “Keep your mouth shut about this.”
Krys flung open the door. “Believe me, cousin, if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s keep my mouth shut.” He slammed the door and stalked toward the building before Archer even got out of the truck.
The windowless club was unremarkable from the outside and appeared closed. The sign outside said:Pink Lady Studios. Archer knew the name because it wasn’t the first time he and the single guys had taken a trip to Austin for recreational activities. They’d asked about all the Breed clubs and bars in the city, but they never came to this one.
Archer pressed a button outside and waved at the camera. A woman dressed like a security guard peered at them through the door before unlocking it.
After poking her head out and scrutinizing them, she opened the door. “You’re good. Come on in.”
She must have been a Mage. They had the ability to sense Breed energy.
Archer entered a waiting room through another door. Records and photographs of bands and singers decorated the walls—all fake. While Krys added money to the tip jar on the desk and paid the entrance fee, Archer opened the soundproof door onthe left and ventured down a hall with a cigarette and a condom machine at the end.
Ah, so it’sthatkind of club.
Prophylactics were a peculiar offering since Breed didn’t catch nor carry sexually transmitted diseases, so likely they were there to prevent pregnancies. Regardless, it meant they promoted sexual intercourse on the premises. Most clubs hired exotic dancers and Sensors to give customers a pleasurable experience without the exchange of bodily fluids. Places like this were seedy and attracted a certain type. Archer wasn’t sure how he felt about being seen in here.
Opening another soundproof door, they entered a bright hall illuminated by emerald-green lights. Photographs of the dancers in action decorated the walls, and the stench of stale cigarettes, perfume, and air freshener hung in the air.
When they entered the main floor, Archer scoped out the busy room. Music thumped at a fast beat while three topless girls twirled around poles on individual stages, each lit up by hot-pink lights. Their expert moves and beautiful bodies delighted patrons who observed from surrounding tables. Blue lights lit up the long bar on the far left.
Krys strutted in and put his arm around Archer. “What’s your master plan?”
“For you to shut the fuck up?”
“Your wish is my command.”
Vampires loved the hell out of these clubs, so conspiring out loud about one of the employees was an invitation for trouble.
While there were tables and curved booths around the floor, the horseshoe booths on the right had black privacy curtains. Archer and Krys walked by roped-off steps that led up to a VIP platform with exclusive seating, lap dances, and private rooms. Places like these had an anything-goes policy, so long as their workers consented.
Because of that policy, they needed bouncers. Vampires were especially ideal for those jobs, but he guessed Noah being a tiger might have given them the assurance that he could handle any situation. Nobody wanted to provoke a tiger.
“How are you handsome gentlemen doing?” A stunning blonde in a transparent dress greeted them with a red-lipped smile.
Archer gave her a charismatic grin. “Just fine.”
“Have you been here before?”
Krys cleared his throat while scanning the room. “First time.”
She winked flirtatiously at him. “I love popping cherries. I’m Lilah. We have a look-but-don’t-touch policy with the servers. All of us are Sensors, so that meanswe’rethe only ones allowed to do the touching.”
Archer noticed the dancers had no problem with touching, nor did other workers walking around.
“All the servers wear sheer dresses,” she pointed out. “The workers with pink ribbon chokers are the pink ladies, and depending on how much you have to spend, they’ll take good care of you in one of our private rooms. If you want to look, that’s fine too.” She leaned in close. “But if you want a sensory experience that will blow your mind and your cock, ask for Lilah. It’s better than the real thing.”
“We’re friends of Noah. He works here. Do you know where he is?”
Her entire demeanor changed in a blink. After a quick shift of her hips and roll of her eyes, she pulled it together and gave a robotic smile. “He’s at stage four, over there. As usual. Will you be sitting with him?”
“Yeah.”
“What can I get you to drink, honey?”
“Two beers,” Archer replied, heading toward the stage at the far end of the room.
Noah’s distinctively long hair made him easy to spot when they got closer. His eyes were so trained on the redheaded dancer that he barely noticed them walk up.
