“Hey, you okay?”
“Huh?” I blink and look up at him.
“You kinda zoned out there for a second.”
I shake my head and force a small smile. “Sorry. It’s been a long day.”
He eyes me like he knows I’m lying, but he doesn’t push it.
“You wanna get out of here for a while?”
Figuring it’s safe to get dressed since he’s talking about leaving, I bend down and pull on my underwear and shorts, then grab my bra and shove it in my pocket before facing him again.
“What did you have in mind?”
“I don’t know about you, but I could really go for a burger.”
My eyes must light up because he chuckles.
“Go get dressed for the slide, not the ride, and I’ll meet you downstairs in ten.”
I smile and nod. “Perfect.”
He turns to leave, but I step forward. “G, wait.” He stops and looks back at me. He’s handsome in that classic bad boy way. Not that he wouldn’t look hot in an expensive suit but those tattoos and piercings will always draw attention. He’s just my type, so where the heck are the butterflies I just experienced with Midas? Maybe I’m just over thinking it. Yeah, that must be it.
“Just… thanks.”
His mouth curves. “I get to spend the evening with a sexy woman on the back of my bike. Sounds like I should be the one thanking you.”
I laugh. “Okay. I won’t be long,” I say as I brush past him into the hallway and head toward my room.
“No rush, sweetheart. I won’t leave without you,” he calls after me.
I look back, but he’s already gone, and my shoulders slump. Releasing a breath, I make it to my room and open the door. Walking in, I shut it behind me and lean against it, letting my eyes slip closed.
I wish I’d never walked into that stupid pawnshop. I almost didn’t, but I saw a necklace in the window that caught my eye, and for a second, I thought it might be the one I’ve been looking for. I never expected to see a man like Midas behind the counter or to feel such a strong attraction to him when I still had feelings for a Chaos Demon. Or maybe I don’t.
I mean, if my feelings for Kaz were real, I wouldn’t have felt anything for Midas, right? Though I’d have to be fucking blind not to see how insanely hot he is. It’s fitting that his name’s Midas, because his hair looks like it’s spun from gold. Then again, after that little show he just put on, maybe Rumpelstiltskin would be more appropriate.
I could feel his anger bubbling beneath the surface, and despite what people might think about me, I’m not dumb. I know it’s because I’m a club girl.
Opening my eyes, I strip out of my clothes and head to my bathroom, grateful I have this room all to myself. At the other clubhouses, I had to share with at least one other club girl, but most of the time, there’d be three or four of us crammed into one of the dorm-style rooms.
I pull my hair up into a messy bun so it doesn’t get wet and turn on the shower. Not bothering to wait for it to warm up, Iclimb in and quickly wash myself, scrubbing far more vigorously than necessary. Rinsing off, I let the water ease the ache in my muscles for a moment before turning the shower off. With no towels, I grab my robe from the back of the door and wrap it around myself, the soft fabric clinging to my damp skin as I walk back into the bedroom.
I head over to my dresser and pull out a pair of cotton underwear and a matching bra. Then I grab a plain white tank top, skin-tight black leather pants, and a matching jacket with lots of silver zippers. I might sweat in it at first, but if G’s serious about taking me for a ride, I’ll be glad I wore it. If there’s one thing I’ve found pleasure in over the years, it’s being on the back of a bike, hurtling down the highway so fast it takes your breath away. With my arms thrown wide and my eyes closed, it’s the closest I’ve ever come to flying. Hell, it’s the closest I’ve ever come to feeling free.
After getting dressed, I pull on a pair of black ankle booties and head back into the bathroom to reapply my makeup. Pulling the elastic out, I run a brush through my hair before French braiding it. Satisfied, I walk back into the bedroom and grab my wallet and keys from the dresser and my helmet from the chair in the corner.
When I arrived with it, I got a few strange looks but pretended I didn’t notice. I know some bikers won’t put anyone behind them that isn’t their old lady, but others just don’t give a fuck. So I have a helmet—because whenever I get the chance to ride, I always take it. Ever since a crash when I was sixteen, I haven’t ridden without one. One traumatic brain injury is enough, thank you very much. Not that it holds me back much—though I still get migraines. But it could’ve beena lotworse.
Making sure I have everything; I open the door and step out into the hallway. This time, I lock it behind me and slide the key into my pocket. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I headdownstairs, keeping to the edges of the crowd, not wanting to get sucked in. It’s a tricky thing, navigating the rules of being a bunny. Having someone pin me down and force me to have sex is against the rules, but my role here is to please the brothers in any way they see fit.
Blade took us aside earlier and gave us the rundown on the rules, and it felt good to know that we could say no and nobody could force us to do something we didn’t want to do. While we were technically here to fuck, we could say no at any time. If we stopped fulfilling our role altogether, then it would be a problem and we’d be asked to leave, which was fair enough. He also made it clear that if we left, we would face no repercussions. We just had to keep our mouths shut about anything we may have learned or overheard during our time here.
The thought of leaving without repercussions almost seems like an alien concept. When you’re in survival mode, you don’t think about the future; you only think about the here and now. If you’re particularly brave, then maybe a few tomorrows too. Anything beyond that is asking for trouble.
This life is not for the weak, after all. It can flip on a dime, and everything you believe is safe can and will shatter—if only to remind you of your place in the world.
