I read it again.
Who is he talking about?
When I don’t reply, I get a follow-up text, but I ignore it as I look around the room. Reon is here, as well as Boston and a few other members.
“You’ve been off lately, Arlo?” I turn to look at Micha.
“I’m never off,” I tell him straight.
“You don’t come to any of our parties anymore,” he says.
I nod my head to Reon. “Neither does he.”
“He never did to begin with. Remember that one time you brought a hooker,” he muses, and I know where he is going. “You shared her, but first, you made her bleed. Tell me, Arlo, do you make your new toy bleed for fun as well?”
Ignoring him, I look to Reon, who is saying nothing. He wouldn’t know about that night or many other nights with some of the members. But I do. I remember I paid her extra for that, a lot extra. She also enjoyed it. I wanted to slit her throat, but at the time, I figured that was taking it too far, so when she passed out from my beads, I left her there. And she allowed the men to share her, once she woke up, for payment, of course. Glancing down at my phone, I see his last message and clutch my phone tightly when I read it.
Soren: She’s currently sitting across the bar from Maya and me.
“If you will excuse me, I have an emergency.” I stand, and all sets of eyes fall on me.
“Come on, Arlo, you love story time,” Micha says, running his hand through his blond hair.
“I have to leave.”
“I’ll remind you, I know your dirty little secret. The one about the sex worker you killed. Do you really want to play that game with me?”
I give him a pointed look, and when he doesn’t answer, I grin and stride out the door.
I get into my waiting car and head to the jazz bar. It isn’t a place I would usually frequent, but since I know she’s there, and she’s been avoiding me, I’ll make an exception this time.
It doesn’t take long to get to that part of town, and when I enter the bar, I locate Soren right away. He gives me a nod, and I follow his gaze as it moves to a booth in the corner of the room. Her back is to me, but I would know her anywhere. Her long, honey-blonde hair is loose tonight, cascading down her back.
Approaching Soren’s table, I see he’s with his sister, Maya.
Soren is protective of her, but Maya is a jealous bitch. And to this day, she still hates Reon for choosing Lilith over her, which means she secretly loves him.
“Soren. Maya,” I greet them briefly before looking over my shoulder to where Cora is sitting. She doesn’t know I’m here yet.
“I said hello to your friend. Maya informed me you thanked her at a function. Very bold of you, Arlo, considering you’re known for never being linked to a woman. And here you are, chasing one,” Soren muses. I glance down at his knuckles, which are red from one of his fights.
“Who said I was chasing one?”
“Do you think I’m a fool?” he asks with a skeptical look.
“She’s been avoiding me, so I came to say hello.”
“Is she one of your patients now? I may know her, but you have never disclosed that to me.”
“No.” And I leave it at that as I turn and make my way over to Cora.
Her friends notice me before she does.
She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s coming home with me.
TWENTY-THREE
Cora
