Chapter 6

*Rowan *

“You can’t be serious, Maddy.” I cringe at my reflection. “Is this really what people wear to these clubs? It's ridiculous.”

Maddy raises a brow at me. “For someone who has never set foot in a club, you sure act like you know something about it. Times have changed brother, people like to go all out for these things.”

“All out? I’m barely wearing anything!” I point at myself in the mirror. “What the hell is all this?”

She bites back a smile and then bursts out laughing. Going so far as to bend over and hold her stomach!

“This was a joke.” I say, feeling like a fucking idiot for not noticing one of her dumb jokes from the beginning.

“I’m sorry. It was too good a chance to pass up, but holy shit! You look so bad. I mean, as your sister, I can say that you’re a nice-looking guy and should be able to make anything work, but you aren’t that blessed.” She says through her laughing.

I flip her off in the mirror before I turn and storm back into the bathroom. “I might revoke the tilt of sister for this one!” I yell through the door as I pull off the tight, shiny, shredded tank top she had me put on.

“Oh come on Ro, do you think you have a say in it? I chose you and that was it.” She calls back and I smile.

She’s right. Unlike real siblings, she chose me way back when we were in the same group home. She walked into that place, pointed at me and said I was her brother. I was too scared and shy to refuse and accepted my fate. Even when we were separated, she would find me every time, with help from a nice social worker who loved the bond we created over the years. She always told Maddy where to find me and then she would show up with hands on her hips, ready to fight anyone wanting to keep me from her.

There was a time when she had to leave the state. It was the longest we had ever been apart, but she called me every day. So yeah, I wouldn’t revoke our sibling status even if she dressed me in a minidress and thigh-high boots. No one cared about me the way she did, and I would be an idiot to let that go.

“Can you give me the normal clothes you brought me?” I call from the bathroom.

“I don’t know, man, you looked pretty hot,” Bentley says with a dark chuckle.

“Shut the hell up, Bent!” I call out, making him laugh more.

“Oh, my gosh, stop being a baby. Here.” I reach through a crack in the bathroom door and grab the clothes she holds out to me.

“Why is it all red?” I ask as I lay out the distressed red t-shirt with an obscure band name and yep…red leather pants.

Good god, I’m not sure how I’ll get those on let alone take them off later. She opens the door and throws in a pair of leather boots that are; you guessed it, red.

“According to the invite, it’s Red day at the club.” She says as if it’s the most normal thing.

“Wonderful.” I grumble and pull off the ridiculous outfit from before and pull on the new clothes.

Thankfully, the leather pants slide on with little trouble, but they are tighter than I prefer and leave little to the imagination. Once I’m dressed, I step out into the room to the judgment of my sister and her hulking boy toy. She gives me a once over and shakes her head.

“Something isn’t right.”

“Everything isn’t right. This is fucking ridiculous.” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

“I know!” She walks toward me and reaches out to muss up my hair. “There! Perfect.”

I give her an unimpressed look that she ignores.

“Alright, enough shitting around, let go have some fun. Whoop!” Bentley says before grabbing my sister and throwing her over his shoulder.

She laughs and smacks his ass.

We take my car since Bent and Maddy came over on his bike. It’s humorous seeing Bent trying to squeeze his huge body into my Sudan. It’s an old unmarked car, and it wasn’t designed for someone his size.

“You good man?” I ask him.

He flips me off like the classy guy he is and I pull out of my parking spot with a laugh.

It takes us about thirty minutes to get to the warehouse district where the club is located. I wouldn’t need to know where the club is from the pounding music and flashing lights coming from the once plain looking building. I was here earlier today and the whole place has been transformed. The whole building is bathed in red lights with banners falling from the roof with a woman’s picture printed on them. They’re all different poses of her in a skimpy lingerie outfit that leaves little to the imagination.

“Who’s that?” I ask Maddy.

She seems to know more about this place than anyone else I’ve come across.

“That would be Lady Red. It’s her birthday, and clearly they like to go way out.” She explains.

Bent whistles, and Maddy turns her seat to smack him. “Chill baby, I wasn’t whistling at her. Look at that line to get in. We might have to come another night.”

Shit. He isn’t wrong. The line is going all the way past the vacant buildings leading toward the main street.

“I have a front row pass.” I say, holding up my badge.

“I thought this was an undercover thing. Showing your badge will blow your cover and if they have anything to hide, they won’t let you in,” Maddy reminds me.

“Well, I’m not standing in that line.” I grumble as I pull into the only empty parking spot along the street.

“For fuck's sake, I’m here with you. You show a bouncer a good amount of cleavage and he’ll open the door wide.” She winks.

“As long as he doesn’t touch you, sweetheart.” Bent adds with a warning look.

Maddy rolls her eyes and opens the mirror on the visor in front of her. She checks her face for whatever it is women look at and pulls her already revealing shirt down more.

“Shit Mads, I don’t want to see all that.” I say in disgust.

Trust me when I say it's weird seeing those things in someone who is a sister in every way except blood.

She chuckles and throws her door open. When she is outside, she pulls her already tiny skirt up more.

“I hope you are off the clock right now because if anyone lays a hand on her I might just kill them,” Bent warns before he throws his door open and slams it hard enough to make the windows rattle.

I blow out a breath and follow my sister to the front door. The man standing in front looks vaguely familiar. It was hard to miss the guy. He had been a huge bulking man, so it makes sense that he would be the one guarding the door.

“I interviewed him with a group of others.” I murmur, but my sister and Bent don’t give a shit about cop stuff, so I don’t get offended when they don’t acknowledge what I say.

“Well, hello beautiful. Who might you be?” the bouncer asks, not hiding his clear parasol of her.

“Hi handsome. What’s a girl gotta do to skip this line?” She asks, pressing a hand to the man’s bare chest.

He smirks at her and I can feel Bent tense up. I grab him by the arm and when he looks down at me; I shake my head.

“Wait until we get inside. We might need a distraction.” I whisper to him.

He blows out a heavy breath but nods once.

“How bout a kiss?” The guy says.

It sounds like a challenge, as if he’s tried this move before and women have rejected him. Not that I’d blame them. He’s a bizarre-looking guy. He has round mouse style fake ears and his face was painted to make it obvious that they dressed him like some sort of mouse. He is wearing red suede pants and a red bow tie with no shirt. What the hell was with these guys and not wearing shirts? A quick glance around gives me my answer. The woman looking at him like they are ready to jump him explains why business is so good here. Except there are just as many men here as well, so whatever that is waiting inside must be worth the wait.

“How bout it?” My sister says before lifting herself up on her toes.

The man leans closer with an expecting smile, but then his face warps in pain and he lets out a groan.

“Fuck!” He says with a weak laugh. “That was hot.”

He stands and smiles wildly at my sister. Then he steps aside and welcomes us in. What kind of place is this?