When I was a little girl, I could never have dreamed of being treated this well.
“You look good,” Serenity said as she hit a bump of coke off the edge of her wrist.
“Ren…”
“Yeah?” She looked up at me.
“You gotta slow down with that shit. I’m worried about you.”
“It’s just for fun. We’ve done this before hitting the club. It’s nothing,” she protested.
“Please be careful.”
“I will, but damn, lighten up. You sound just like my brothers. Overly concerned all the time.” She wiped her nose. “Have fun tonight. You already let your hair down. Live it up.”
“Aight,” I said. I didn’t want to push her, but she was worrying me.
Twenty minutes later, we were in Northeast, pulling up to a building with a line wrapped around the corner. Red rope. Security at the door. A sign above the entrance that read UPSTAGE in gold letters.
The bouncer saw us coming and unhooked the rope before we even got close.
“Thad’s guests,” he said into his earpiece. “Send them up.”
We stepped inside and the bass hit my chest immediately. Bodies everywhere. Lights cutting through smoke.
Serenity grabbed my arm. “Bathroom first.”
I knew what that meant.
She pulled me through the crowd to the restroom. Locked us in a stall. The little bag came out again. The rolled bill. The white powder on her phone screen.
“Just another bump,” she said. “For energy.”
I watched her snort it. Watched her head tip back. Watched her eyes flutter closed like she’d just touched heaven.
When she opened them, she was smiling. Loose. Ready.
“You want?”
“I’m good.”
She shrugged and did another line. I didn’t say anything. I was tired of fighting about it.
We made our way upstairs to VIP. Velvet couches. Bottle service. A view of the whole club below.
And there was Thad.
He stood when he saw me. Didn’t even glance at Serenity. Just looked at me like I was the only person in the room.
“You came.”
“You sent a car. Felt rude to waste it.”
He smiled. “Let me get y’all some drinks.”
Before I could answer, Serenity grabbed my arm. “Wait—is that Mega?”
I followed her eyes to another section. A group of men in black. Bottles everywhere. And in the middle—Mega. Tall. Dark-skinned. Face like he’d seen things and done worse.
