Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter 5

Alicia

Walker is running his fingers through my long dark hair as we relax in our post-coital glow. I’m laying with my head on his chest and running my fingers down the firm planes of his toned muscled chest and stomach. He’s sinfully sexy and all mine. Hale is passed out on my other side, snoring softly. We went a good three rounds before we got too tired to continue and Hale subsequently passed out.

He hasn’t been sleeping well, but a good romp in the sheets always knocks him out.

“What are going to do about those cops sniffing around?” I ask Walker softly.

“That’s not up to us. Wendell will handle it.” Walker says with a hint of warning in his words.

“I’m not sure if that will help. He’s gotten sloppy.” I point out.

“We’ve been gone too long. It’s affecting his mind just like the rest of them.” He reminds me.

“Why not us?” I ask even though I know what he’ll say.

I keep hoping he’ll figure this whole thing out and I won’t feel as confused as the people who leave this place.

“I don’t know. None of my samples have explained why we turned out differently when we came here. Maybe we adapted better, but I’m not sure. It pisses me the hell off too.”

I smirk at the small growl that escapes him. I’m too far gone for him not to love every sound that comes out of him.

“Maybe it’s because we don’t mingle outside of her. That world doesn’t touch us as much.” I point out.

It’s the only explanation I can think of. The four of us prefer being closer to home any way we can while the other enjoys exploring the world outside of the club.

“It’s possible.” Which means he doesn’t want to make assumptions but it isn’t wrong.

Just another reason I’ve let this muscle bunny into my orbit. He’s more than a bulking body to keep people in line, but he’s a fucking genius too. He’s one of the smartest people in this place.

“We need to get ready,” I say but snuggle closer into him and wrap my arm around his middle.

He chuckles and picks up his phone from the side table. Not that we need phones, but Wendell likes to be able to reach us individually when he wants something from us.

“Cayden is stuck in the city and needs backup. Will you be okay?” He asks tilting his head back to look down at me.

My chest tightens at the thought of either of them out there but none of us have a choice.

“Okay.” I nod and extract myself from him.

I climb over Hale and pick my clothes up off the floor. Walker comes up from behind me and tucks his face against my neck.

“Don’t pout.” She whispers against my neck before he sinks his teeth into the soft flesh making me whimper and my knees buckle. “Be good.”

He steps back and smacks me in the ass before sauntering out of the room. I scowl at his retreating form and push the drapes in front of me open and step up closer to the window looking out over the club. You would think this room would have been the choice of the owner of this club, but nope. He put me here for a very good reason. He wants me to see all the lives I will ruin every night. He wants me to remember the happiness they had before I’m forced to take it all away.

He wants me to see women hanging all over Walker, Hale and Cayden hoping I’ll be overcome with jealousy that I’ll do something stupid. Something stupid like leaving a dead body outside the club. Too bad for him I wasn’t the one who did it. No that would be one of the many of his people who have been losing their minds slowly over the last year since we arrived here. They say our old home was where people went to lose their minds, but who knew it would be the other way around.

There’s a groan behind me and I turn to see Hale sitting up with his head dropped.

“Maybe you should rest a little longer,” I tell him.

He slowly lifts his head to look at me and his eyes cut me with a mixture of lust and pain. The last part hurts me the most. He’s the one who lost the most when we came here.

“Rest is for the wicked little mouse.” He says before he smirks at me.

I roll my eyes at him and turn back to the window. My eyes catch on a furry asshole climbing on the bar again and his head tilts awkwardly to one side when he sees me. A smile too wide forms across his face and with a burst of quick light Cree appears. His smile still stays firmly on his face but I don’t return it. I sure him down with no emotion and half-dressed. He’s voiced more than once how he wants to be a part of what I have with my guys but I always refuse. He’s too shifty for me to trust, but I like torturing him by showing him all he can’t have.

Okay, so we may have had a thing once until he slipped his dick into Delilah. Her claws came out and she laid her claim to him like a savage cat in heat, and there was no going back. He made his choice even if it wasn’t intentional and I can’t touch him again. Too bad for him. I tilt my head and smirk at him before I lean my hands against the window and let him see the dark lace bra and panties I’m wearing. He licks his lips and runs his eyes down my body and I let him. Then I slowly stand grabbing the two ends of the curtains and slamming them shut over the window.

A dark chuckle comes from behind me and I cry out when my head is snapped back against a hard chest by my hair.

“Are you trying to catch a cat little mouse?” He hisses into my ear. “He had his chance. Don’t show him what he’s lost. I don’t share well.”

I snort. “You share just fine.”

He chuckles. “Not with shifty types. No, I like them better dead.”

Shit. “Don’t,” I warn him.

Another chuckle. He knows what he’s doing. “Mm, I can smell you little mouse. Is the dead calling to you again? I love it when you’re hungry.”

I whirl around and glare at him. “Stop! I can’t and you know it.”

He stares me down but I won’t let him drag that part out of me. “Stop acting like a shy little mouse and show them what lies beneath these cute little skirts and frilly shit. Stop acting like you're just like everyone else when you’re far worse.”

“No,” I say and walk around him to head for the door.

“You can’t fight it back forever Alicia. One day it will snap inside you and we’ll have more than one body lying around. Just remember…I adore you with blood all over.” He chuckles and heads into the bathroom.

When I step out of my room I walk down the stair leading to the main floor and turn left to head into the costume room. Wendell controls everything about this place, including what we wear. The others are already slipping into their wardrobe when I come in. They look my way but when my eyes meet theirs all of them turn away. They’re scared of me. Hale might like what I really am, but everyone else knows how deadly I can be. All of them fear me or want something from me. Wendell is one of the people who saw my darkness as a way to control weaker minds.

I ignore them and pull out the red outfit made specifically for tonight. Tonight is a tribute to Lilith, or as our customers know her…Lady Red. Tonight we celebrate her birth, and the whole club will be painted red.

Soon music begins to leak through the corridors and that’s our signal to find our places. The flower girls chatter and walk out onto the main floor headed for the bar. A slice of pain makes me hiss and I’m pulled around to face Delilah.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice your little show.” She hisses at me.

I smirk at her and pull my arm from her grasp leaving scratches behind. There’s a warmth coming from the wounds but I don’t acknowledge the fact that she just drew blood. It’s red night after all, and a little blood would fit perfectly.

“What’s wrong Delilah? Afraid your very unwilling mate might come running back to me?” I bait her.

Cree and I had fun but it wasn’t a good enough time for me to have to put up with this shit.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter