"Because I said so."
"That's not a reason!" Her cheeks flush with anger, making her even more beautiful. "You don't get to decide what I do, Ramsey."
I lean down until our foreheads are nearly touching. "Tonight I do. You're with me, which means you play by my rules."
"And what if I don't want to?"
"Then I throw you over my shoulder and carry you the fuck out of here. You wanna be reckless, be reckless but only with me. I don’t trust a single fucking soul here with you. Hell, I don’t even trust my blood with you, baby."
"Fine." She sighs, rolling her eyes. "What exactly am I allowed to do here then?"
"You can watch with me, and that's fucking it." I loosen my grip on her waist slightly, letting my thumbs stroke the exposed skin between her crop top and jeans. "Trust me, watching is more than enough your first time."
She bites her lower lip, her anger fading as she considers this. "Fine. But next time?—"
"Let's get through tonight first."
I guide her deeper into BEDLAM, keeping her close as we navigate through the writhing bodies.
We push through a particularly dense cluster of bodies when Reese suddenly freezes, her hand clamping down on my arm.
"Wait a minute," she whispers, standing on her tiptoes to see over the crowd. "Is that...Delaney?"
I follow her gaze and spot a flash of bright pink hair bobbing through the throng ahead of us. Fuck. My entire body goes rigid.
"We need to go," I mutter, tugging at her arm. If Copeland finds out his stepsister is here—again—there'll be blood.Real blood.
Reese doesn't budge, still staring at the pink-haired figure. "But why is she?—"
Before I can answer, a figure materializes beside us. A bright blue glowing mask with a stitched mouth and eyes appears next to me, hovering in the darkness like some fucked-up nightmare.
"Hiya Ghost," comes Copeland's voice from behind the mask. "I never thought I'd see you bring the little dancer here."
Reese is too busy looking at Delaney to notice him.
"Shut the fuck up, Cope," I growl, "and act like you never saw her here. She wanted to find out; it's either gonna scare the shit outta her or not. I'm not even sure which one I want."
Copeland's head tilts, his attention shifting past us. Through the eyeholes of the mask, I can see the exact moment he spots Delaney. His entire body goes rigid, a sharp intake of breath audible even over the pounding music.
"Well," he says, voice dropping to that dangerous register I know too well, "gotta go teach my bitch of a stepsister a lesson."
He tosses something at me. I catch it reflexively—a bright blue glowing mask identical to his. I’m not even sure why he has it since he came here on his own.
"Don't let her wander," he adds before disappearing into the crowd.
Reese turns back to me, her eyes locking on the glowing mask in my hand.
"What's that?" she asks, eyes widening. "Where did that come from?"
I shrug, trying to play it casual despite the adrenaline coursing through me. "Someone tossed it to me."
She steps closer, reaching out to trace the edge of the mask with her fingertip. The blue glow casts eerie shadows across her face, making her look otherworldly in the dim warehouse light.
"It's kinda creepy," she says, her voice dropping lower. Then her eyes flick up to meet mine, something dangerous flickering in them. "But also kinda hot. Put it on."
My cock instantly hardens in my jeans. She shouldn't want this. Shouldn't want to see me this way. The mask isn't just some random prop—it's what the regulars wear when they want to maintain anonymity while they indulge in some dark shit this place has to offer.
"You sure about that?" I ask, my voice rougher than I intended.
