My hand rests loosely on her hip, but for the brief beat we’re left alone when the host steps away, I tighten my grip and quietly rasp, “I swear to fuck if anyone touches you, I’m going to slice their throat.”
She rolls her eyes and muffles a giggle, tapping her toe to the rhythm of the bass emanating from below us. “Right. As you’ve been claiming for the past two hours. It’s just as swoonworthy as the first time though. If that’s what you were going for.”
When we walked through for our tour, she gained the attention of several men and women, so my pulse is hammeringmy temples, and the metallic taste of blood is filling my mouth from the hole I’ve gnawed into it. Anywhere else, her on my arm would be a clear indication to stay the hell away. But here, it’s like open fucking season with a vibrant swinger scene. Everyone is hoping I’ll share.
“Simmer down, Tytan,” Gage bellows into my earpiece—a tiny, spy-sized device that is invisible to anyone around us. “Your Little Moon is glued to your fucking hip. Jesus.”
Liam chuckles. “I get it, man, but this should be an easy in and out job. Concentrate on that. Then, we lock her the hell up.”
“Oh goody,” Rena mumbles just before the host returns.
I’d like to say that I’d prefer it if we were here for pleasure, but the truth is, I don’t think I could stomach that either. I’m certainly not opposed to the kink rooms, but I’ll build her one of those in our house if she wants that. Parading her around in front of hungry men would have me losing my goddamn mind, no matter the intent of the visit.
And tonight, that’s for KORT. Our third envelope arrived this afternoon.
Task Three:
Rena and Tytan. You may work as a team again.
Since you are both familiar with the club Eternal Night, you are already better equipped for this job. The highly exclusive sex club Temptress is above it, which is why the nightclub has maintained the mask entrance requirement. Discretion is of the utmost importance to their high-end members. All information on their clientele resides in physical files that are locked in a room behind the main office, which correspond to code names on the electronic files.
Retrieve the complete list of members by midnight tonight. No further research into the club may be performed.
As with the previous tasks, Liam and Gage may only assist from afar or in an instance where either of you are made.
The mention of our familiarity with Eternal Night was to assure us that they’d been watching us or done their due diligence to unveil some of our adventures prior to these twisted trials. You gotta love manipulative subtleties.
We quickly surmised the best way to infiltrate the office was to be among the members, so Rena and I arrived at about eight o’clock to lock in our membership, which brings us back to our conversation with the host.
“Here you go, Mr. Clemmens.” He returns the ID I’m using for this—that of a multimillionaire businessman in plastics manufacturing—along with the copy of the rules that I already signed and a brochure listing the amenities. “Everything is in order. Would you like me to help you get settled into one of our private areas?”
“I think we’ll wander for a while,” I tell him, stashing the documents and ID in my inner suit-coat pocket and traipsing toward the entrance with Rena in tow. “Thank you.”
He opens the door with a contrived smile. “My pleasure, sir. The staff is available for any questions, concerns, requests. Anything at all. It’s an honor to have you here with us.”
And we’re finally fucking in. That took far longer than I would have liked. It’s already after nine.
Our first stop is the main bar, which extends the length of the primary room, simply so we can blend in and become acquainted with our surroundings. Rena slides onto a stool, tucking her backpack purse in beside her, and we both order drinks. The atmosphere is warm and upscale. There’s a gold and black aesthetic—keeping it dark yet elegant with a hint of shimmer. Because this is the reception area, there isn’t much debauchery to be seen. Most men are sporting suits, like me, and most women are donning dresses.
In addition to the bar, there’s a dining area with five-star cuisine, a piano lounge, and some poker tables, of course. While the Rock Through the Ages music isn’t discernable here, in the back play areas, the bass rocks the floor, and the music is piped into the rooms.
We’ll need to head that way to get to the main office, butseeming too eager could draw a red flag. Most people require a warm-up period. So, we make small talk while I mentally log everyone present.
After about ten minutes, a forty-something guy sidles up beside Rena, his sidelong ogle trailing her body as he waits for the bartender.
I lean past her, ensuring that he’s aware I’m addressing him. “No.”
He turns his head, and whatever he finds on my face has him backing down. “My mistake,” he says, lifting a surrendering palm and ambling away.
“One. Fucking. Word,” Liam howls into the earpiece, having not only heard but also viewed the whole exchange through the lapel cameras Rena and I are wearing. “Christ, Moonshine. We should’ve unleashed you on this guy years ago.”
“No shit,” Gage echoes. “It’s what I’ve been saying all along—your extremes needed to meet in the middle. Feed your beast, but know when to lull him to sleep. Looks like you found your way with a little moonshine.”
Rena sips her wine and smiles, but neither of us can respond because there are eyes on us.
When the bartender swaggers over to check on us, he smirks at my wife, flicking his eyes between the two of us. “The possessive type, huh?”
She laughs her bright, melodic warble while I seethe beside her. “Absolutely. We were in a rush tonight, so I didn’t have all my accessories. Otherwise, he’d have me on a leash, just the way I like it.”
