I panic, looking around the room at the evidence of last night's activities. Clothes scattered across the floor, sheets tangled and stained with traces of blood and other fluids, the unmistakable scent of sex hanging in the air. And most damning of all, a very naked Jacob Steel in my bed.
"Just a minute!" I call, my voice cracking with morning roughness. I gently extricate myself from Jacob's embrace, wincing at the unfamiliar soreness between my thighs.
Jacob's eyes snap open at my movement, instantly alert despite having been sound asleep moments before. He takes in the situation at a glance—me, naked and panicking, the knocking at the door, the mess we've made of the room.
"Bathroom," he mouths, already sliding silently from the bed and gathering his clothes. He moves with the stealth of someoneaccustomed to quick escapes, disappearing into the adjoining bathroom without making a sound.
I grab the oversized t-shirt from the floor and pull it over my head, trying to smooth my tangled hair into some semblance of order. A quick glance in the mirror on the wall confirms I look exactly like what I am—a woman who has been thoroughly fucked all night. My lips are swollen, my neck bears at least two visible marks, and my eyes hold a satisfied glow I've never seen before.
Taking a deep breath, I crack open the door, keeping my body positioned to block the view of the rumpled bed.
Luna stands in the hallway, a stack of neatly folded clothes in her arms. Her blue eyes take in my appearance, lingering briefly on the marks on my neck, but her focus quickly returns to whatever has brought her here.
"I need you to come with me right now," she says, her voice low and serious. "Your brother tried to leave the compound this morning. He had an altercation with Beast. It's not good."
My stomach drops. "Is James hurt? What happened?"
"He's fine, physically," Luna assures me, glancing down the hallway. "But King has him in the meeting room, and we need to get this sorted before things escalate further. Here," she adds, holding out the clothes. "Get dressed quickly."
I take the bundle, my mind racing with worry. "Give me two minutes."
Luna nods. "I'll wait right here."
I close the door and turn to see Jacob emerging from the bathroom, fully dressed and tense. "What's going on?" he asks.
"James tried to leave and got into a fight with Beast," I explain hurriedly, dropping the t-shirt and pulling on the clean clothesLuna brought—jeans, a simple blue t-shirt, and thankfully, fresh underwear. "Luna says King has him in the meeting room."
Jacob curses under his breath. "Your brother's determined to get himself killed."
"Seems so. I need to go," I say, running my fingers through my tangled hair in a futile attempt to look presentable. "Luna's waiting for me."
He reaches for me, catching my arm. "Holly, wait. About last night—"
"Not now," I interrupt, anxiety for James overriding everything else. "We'll talk later, okay?"
"Be careful with King. He's fair, but he doesn't tolerate disrespect, especially in front of the club."
"I'll remember that," I promise, already moving toward the door. "Will you be there?"
He shakes his head. "Not right away. I need to check in with Tank about security. I'll find you after."
I nod, then slip out the door to where Luna waits, closing it firmly behind me. She gives me a second assessing look, her eyes lingering on my neck, but says nothing about the obvious marks there.
"This way," she says, turning and walking swiftly down the hallway. I follow, my body protesting with every step, unaccustomed muscles sore from the night's activities.
"What exactly happened?" I ask as we walk.
Luna sighs. "Your brother tried to leave around dawn. Said he had 'business to take care of.' Beast was on security duty and stopped him. Words were exchanged, then punches. Beastrestrained him, but not before your brother accused the club of holding you both hostage and threatened to go to the police."
I groan, closing my eyes briefly. "He never thinks before he acts."
"No offense, but your brother seems to have a talent for making bad situations worse," Luna says, her tone surprisingly gentle despite her blunt words. "The police threat is what got King involved. We need to resolve this quickly."
We reach a set of double doors at the end of a corridor. Luna pauses, turning to face me directly. "Before we go in, you should know that King respects honesty and loyalty above all else. Don't lie to him, even to protect your brother. It won't help either of you."
I nod, taking a deep breath to steady myself. "I understand."
"One more thing," she adds, her voice dropping. "Whatever happened between you and Steel last night... keep it to yourself for now. Not because it's wrong," she clarifies, seeing my expression, "but because it could complicate an already volatile situation."
