“Let me do the talking, okay, Princess Pink? You’re a member of Death-Hammer. The whole team was invited to this party because you’ll be there. I’m not going to watch you be objectified because Horse wants to humiliate a member of Nix’s team. Come on.” She stalked towards the bar in the corner of the lobby.
Horse was at a table surrounded by four women in clothing that showed off exactly what they had to offer. He was bigenough to look like he could handle all of them at the same time, at least in a fight, but when he saw Trixie, his expression shifted, the indolent grin becoming something more dangerous as he watched the approaching dragon with an open leer as he looked her up and down in a way he hadn’t done once to me during our session. And she was wearing a full-body coverall that did not highlight her feminine appeal.
“A word, Horse,” Trix spat.
He glanced to the right and left and then pulled two women closer. “I’m listening.”
Trixie ground her teeth as she resisted the urge to throttle him.
“The female musicians should be able to wear suits like the men,” I said.
He glanced at me with a slightly raised brow before grinning back at Trixie. “I’m paying for them. They’ll wear what I want them to wear, or not wear. How could I let such assets go to waste?”
As far as I knew, he’d never examined my assets, not like he was looking at Trix, and, again, she was wearing a coverall not made for sex appeal. She was going to kill him, and he would enjoy every second of it. She swallowed hard before she ground out, “She’s a member of Death-Hammer. She isn’t your candy.”
“This is an independent job.”
“Then why is Nix asking me to go?”
His brows rose. “You’re coming? What are you going to wear?”
“Your face on my fist. Horse, there are enough women who want to be objectified in this city. Don’t use your money and power to do harm.”
He laughed, but stood up and away from the women, stalking towards her like a predator. Compared with him, she was almost delicate. “Tell you what, Trix, if it bothers you so much, I’ll leteveryone wear a suit, including the waitresses if they so choose, if you dance with me. Slow dance.” His dark blue eyes fairly glowed as he gazed at her.
Wait. He’d specifically told me that Trixie couldn’t be bought, but here he was, trying to buy her. Did he want to corrupt her, to take what he respected and destroy it? He was sick.
Flickers of green burned in Trixie’s hazel eyes, and she seemed to swell larger as she faced her opponent. She moved towards him- powerful, graceful, deadly dangerous, like a rampaging force that couldn’t be stopped. Beneath the coveralls, the messy curls, the streaks of grease, Trixie was breathtakingly, jaw-droppingly gorgeous. She wasn’t perfect and didn’t try to be. She was a force of nature- wild, untamable, and completely impossible to change. Only a fool would want to, and Horse was no fool, just crazy.
“If you don’t tell Janice that your employees can wear what they choose, then I will. I will tell her very clearly exactly what they’ll wear.”
Horse flinched. He refocused on her with a look like he’d tasted something sour. “She’d like that, but would you?”
Trix shook her head. “I’ll see you at the party. Maybe I’ll even dance with you, but only because it’ll be your grave.”
She spun around and grabbed my arm, pulling me out of Judgment like a Valkyrie or an Amazon going to war. She dragged me all the way to the lobby before she remembered that I was there.
“Sorry,” she said, letting go of my arm. “I hate him.”
“I can see that. He says it’s because he’s your perfect man and you can’t stop wanting him.”
Her lip curled. “Of course he did. What do you think?”
I took my time answering. I’d had time to watch him during our counseling session, and then seeing him here, I’dseen another side of him. “I think it’s because he has so much potential, but doesn’t ever fulfill it.”
She grabbed me in a hug. She smelled of leather and lasagna. It was not a bad combination, but her hugs were as intense as she was, and made it hard to breathe. She pulled away and frowned at me. “That’s exactly it. I don’t think I’d ever date him, because he does remind me of my ex, but I wouldn’t hate him if he weren’t so capable of something better, but never rises to the occasion. He’s like a misfiring piston.”
“He definitely needs a good mechanic to work him over.”
Her eyes widened, and a faint pink tinged her cheeks. “Oh, I didn’t mean that. I mean, breaking his brain open with a crowbar or something, but not…” She shook her head, wild curls coming out of her braid as she pulled out her phone. “I’ll call Jordan.” She turned away with the phone against her cheek. “Hey baby, I’ve got a friend, Princess Pink, and she’s got her first show on Wednesday at Heaven. Can you fit her and her band in? She’ll contact you, give you all the stuff. You’ll like dressing her. She’s Jezebel’s newest pet. Yeah, the one at the fight. I knew you couldn’t wait to get your hands on her. Yeah, yeah, save it for your lover. Mm hm. I do need a new bustier jacket. I’d appreciate that.” She hung up and then turned to me. “What’s your number? I’ll text his information. He really is the best.”
“Thank you, Trix. It means a lot. I need this performance to be more than a meaningless pre-recorded sexualization. It means something to me. It’s my first time officially playing in public.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. You’re a natural. This city is too much- all glitz and no substance. I’m almost looking forward to going home for Christmas. What are you going to do between seasons?”
I opened my mouth and then stopped. I had no idea where I’d be or what I’d be doing. She pulled me into another tight hug.
“Sorry.” She released me just as quickly before I could asphyxiate. “You don’t have anywhere to go, or Jezebel wouldn’t take you in. She has a thing for strays. She told me that the reason I hate Horse is that I want to have his babies.” The fire in her eyes faded into pain.
