“What is it?” I asked quietly. My eyes wandered over to the two other men in the circle.
Nolan had a passive look on his face, his eyes stuck, glaring at the spot above Kaius’s head. Vince looked as if he could burndown the entire city of Lovelen with no remorse. Eyes burning with a fire that made me want to move closer to Kaius. If he suspected it was me who swiped his precious vials, his self-control was unmatched.
Kaius chuckled once, laying a searing kiss to the crown of my head. “Just a few bottles of alcohol Josie noticed we were out of and some paperwork I left in my office there.”
“Okay,” I breathed out.
It should be simple enough. Just drive to the nightclub the Knights owned, pick up the package, and bring it back here. There shouldn’t be any issues.
The Excalibur vibrated with music, a bass pounding through the floor like a second heartbeat. The air was thick with the scent of sweat, spilled alcohol, and a hint of something floral. Red and gold neon lights shone across the mass of bodies and polished wood. I kept my head down, weaving between the bodies pressed close on the dance floor behind a security guard. I could feel eyes watching me, some curious, others wary, but no one stopped me. This was still the Knights’ territory—Kaius’s domain—which gave me protection, but not enough to let my guard down.
The security guard rapped his fist against the plain black door in the back, the metal “MANAGER’S OFFICE” sign rattling as he went.
A voice inside beckoned us in. The man in front of me pushed the door open, one hand gesturing for me to go in first. I stepped inside the small office, freezing at the sight before me. A woman was bent over the dark desk, cheek pressed into the wood. Alarge red ball gag protruded from her mouth, and drool pooled out the side onto the surface below her.
A man stood behind her, dick slamming in and out of her. The movement looked painful as he rammed her hips into the desk. One hand was tangled in her dark hair, red streaks woven between his fingertips. She moaned. It was loud, even through the gag. He ripped her head back, causing her to arch into him. Her eyes met mine, but I knew she wasn’t truly seeing me, mind too high on pleasure to notice me.
The man, whom I assumed was Pierce, picked up his pace, thrusts becoming sloppy as he neared his release. I couldn’t look away, my eyes staring at how they met each other roughly. My mind wandered to how I would look in the same position with Kaius, how he would make me scream for him under the gag, the pleasure that would rock through me. With one final shove, the man groaned as he came, but it was cut off by the shrill wail of the girl.
Pulling himself out of her, he laid one slap against her ass, grinning at how the skin bloomed red. The gagged girl whimpered as he spoke to her. “You’re such a good whore for me. Now don’t move while I talk to Kaius’s new pet.”
The praise had my cheeks flaming red. Would Kaius do the same for me? I don’t even know why the thought crossed my mind. I wasn’t going to let Kaius fuck me, not like that. But the thrill of the idea did make heat pool in my core. The sound of Pierce zipping up his pants had my attention back to him.
“Acelynn,” Pierce greeted me, a sadistic smile pulling at his lips.
He was the kind of man who commanded attention without even a second thought. Dark hair slicked back just enough to reveal his sharply defined features. His high cheekbones and strong jaw were dusted with perfectly maintained scruff. Even with a smile, his lips appeared like they held a secret or two. Iwas almost taken aback by the piercing shade of pale blue eyes that almost appeared gray in some lights. Pierce was wearing a simple dark T-shirt that clung to his broad shoulders and toned chest. Creeping out the top and sleeves was dark ink that covered most of his tanned skin. I had to stop myself from admiring how perfectly his jeans hugged his hips.
Pierce cleared his throat, and my eyes snapped back to his. “You here for the delivery?”
I squared my shoulders, letting my face show the annoyance I was suddenly feeling for this man. He got off on humiliating women, it appeared, and I wasn’t going to act like I was okay with that. “No, I thought I would take my turn next.”
He barked out a laugh, waving a finger at me. “Not a chance. Kaius would have my balls pinned and framed on the bar wall if I even thought about touching you.”
“Kaius doesn’t own me,” I sneered at him.
“Maybe not yet.” Pierce winked at me, his knuckles grazing the spine of the dark-haired girl.
Now that I was getting a good look at her, she reminded me of Josie, without the tattoos. If this girl dyed her red streaks blue, she would almost be the spitting image of her.
Pierce continued, “But you will soon be begging him to tame you. They always do.”
“Just give me the package.” I thrust my hand out to him. Pierce moved smoothly, dipping below the girl’s legs and reappearing with a small brown box. It didn’t look big enough to hold the items Kaius had requested of him. “That’s not what he wanted.”
“I can assure you, it is.” His voice was low and cautious. He slid the item across the desk. I stepped forward, ignoring the girl as I picked up the box. It was slightly heavier than expected, wrapped tight, the edges sharp and unforgiving beneath my finger.
“Best not to linger with that in your possession.” Pierce’s eyes flicked toward the door. “Take the employee exit just down the hall. It lets you out the back, quieter, and less chance of being seen.”
I didn’t argue. The music faded as I quickly exited and made my way out the door and down the narrow service corridor. The muffled sounds of the crowd and laughter shrank to a dull thrum, replaced by the echo of my own footsteps on cold concrete.
Pushing open the employee exit, I was hit by the hot, dry night air. There were a few random people milling about, passing around a cigarette, and chatting about the current crowd filling the club. I turned, moving quickly toward where the alley led out onto the main road. Then came the familiar voice, but it was low, sharp, and too tense to be the one I spoke to daily.
I froze in the shadows near a stack of empty wooden liquor crates. My eyes squinted in the dim streetlights’ glow, one of them flickering overhead. But even in the darkness, I would recognize her.
Astoria.
She stood with her back partly turned, speaking to a man whose face was swallowed by the darkness, and a hood pulled over her head. Their bodies were rigid, their movements tight and clipped, like a dance neither of them wanted to perform but were being forced into. I stepped closer, careful to keep my breathing quiet. From where I stood, I could only hear fragments of their conversation.
“Not here. You can’t just—” Astoria’s voice was harsh, but the man interrupted her with a firm shake of his head. Then, as if she could sense my presence, Astoria glanced sharply over her shoulder. Our eyes locked, and in that instant, something cold and dangerous sparked between us. Like for the first time, she saw who I really was.
