Page 3 of A Midnight Romance

River

T he wooden dance floor rumbles under my feet as my eyes scan the room, gazing from one sweaty body to another. Around me couples dance erotically under the influence of alcohol—or something else. The twinge of envy isn’t always a shock, but it reminds me I’ll never live a simple life like this.

I’m incapable of loving any other human.

And even if I was no one would ever accept my darkness.

My gaze scans the room before landing on a woman with medium brown hair dancing with another woman slightly taller.

I find myself distracted by how her body sways to the electronic bass.

My hungry eyes fall to her black high heels, before traveling to her leather skirt and low-cut sequined top.

I clamp my eyes shut, refocusing on the task at hand tonight.

Hunting my next victim.

“What’s the plan?” Sebastian asks, his voice almost lost in my earpiece because of the loud music.

My eyes snap open, but instead of refocusing, my gaze catches a bead of sweat rolling down her chest. I wonder what it would be like to glide my tongue across her skin, tasting the moistness of it.

I’m not one to ever be distracted, but the manner she moves in is mesmerizing.

I imagine my hands gliding up the bare skin on her arm, when my stare narrows, irked by a dark figure stepping in front of her, holding hands with a girl much younger. He obstructs my view.

Watching from a safe distance, I witness the man drop the hand of the woman he’s with and move on to the brunette I’ve had my eyes on. A dense heat settles over me, causing the tiny hairs on my body to stand when I recognize another predator.

“Hang on,” I say to Sebastian, unable to tear my focus from them.

She scoffs off whatever advances he’s forcing on her. The man flips his neck around with frustration, finally giving me a clear view of his face.

Andrew Hughes.

A trust fund baby—his parents own one of the largest hotel chains in the Pacific Northwest—and my target for the night.

Andrew drugged and raped his high school girlfriend after a night of drinking. The girl went on to press charges, but they were subsequently dropped six months before they were set to go to trial.

Since we run in the same wealthy circles, the ones who believe they have unlimited power and control, a small fact about him hasn’t sat well with me.

“Got him,” I state with confidence. “Keep with the plan we discussed and make sure you’re recording.”

My work from the last few months is about to pay off.

“I have it taken care of,” he assures me.

The wave of the crowd parts, opening a direct line to Andrew, the brunette, and her friend, who he still hasn’t left.

Inhaling deeply, I straighten my shoulders as I make my way over to them and prepare to be River Thompson, the young billionaire tech mogul. My daily persona, the one I’ve carefully curated to hide behind .

“Andrew!” I shout over the music. Placing a forceful hand on his shoulder, he stiffens and turns around. At first, his face hardens with surprise and anger, but when he recognizes me his expression relaxes.

“Fuck, River, I was about to knock you out,” he says, greeting me with a handshake.

“Like you could,” I playfully retort.

“Maybe,” he bites back, shrugging like a typical alpha male. “Glad you could make it.”

He invited me to this god-forsaken club weeks ago, and of course I said yes. I’ve been stalking him and his fellow imperious friends for some time and this was the perfect opportunity to get him in my grasp—and hopefully my kill room.

“So, what are we doing here?” I reply, but my eyes are back on the woman with the leather skirt.

But this time, a pair of large brownish-green irises meet my stare.

Her lashes flutter a few times, holding my gaze while her friend takes the opportunity to get away and slowly drags her off the floor toward the bar.

She eventually disappears amidst the crowd as it fills in behind her.

I’m left wondering who she is and why she captured my attention so naturally.

Andrew curiously follows my line of sight. “Fucking hot, isn’t she?”

Prick .

I smile. “Hell yeah.”

Andrew flicks the bottom of his nose, rimming one nostril with a finger. Looks like he’s had his fair share of blow tonight. “Let’s go meet the rest of the guys. We have a proposition for you,” he rushes out.

I nod, following him off the vibrating floor.

More women in short skirts and too much makeup grind their bodies against us as we slide past them, headed for the stairs.

Andrew gestures at the bouncer near the steps to the VIP section.

He responds by removing the red velvet rope and allowing the two of us to pass.

Once we’re upstairs, I glance over the railing through the layer of fog combined with rising heat from the sea of people. I search for the brunette once again, but before I find her Andrew leads me into a secluded room on top of the club.

There’s a middle-aged man, taller than average, leaning against the wall in the corner of the room. His pants dropped to the ground while a young woman kneels in front of him. He shoves his dick down her throat while his hand grips her head securely, not seeming to care that we walked in on them.

He gives me a quick nod with a prideful smirk, before refocusing on her.

“This is Nolen Pierce,” Andrew says.

I return a slight bob of my head in his direction.

My searching gaze moves to the next piece of shit lounging on the leather couch in the back of the room.

Richard Smith. I mumble.

“Isn’t that the accountant our company tried to hire back in spring before that sexual assault charge came up?” Sebastian reminds me.

Smith interviewed for a position at Thompson Innovations, but despite his impressive credentials, a few unfavorable skeletons—including the charge—crawled out of his closet during background checks and we didn’t extend an offer.

“Yep,” I confirm under my breath.

I have to remember to send HR something special to have dodged that bullet.

“Of course, these are the types of guys Andrew would be associated with, especially given his background with women.”

Andrew gestures for me to follow him over to the couch.

“Rich, this is River Thompson—” he begins, slumping into the vacant spot beside his friend as he rests comfortably on the velvet couch.

“I know who he is.” Richard’s leveled tone and scowl tell me he’s still bitter about not getting the job. “So, you want in?”

Unsure of what he’s referring to, I’m sensing something more nefarious.

“Before I agree to anything, I’ll require specifics,” I say confidently, pretending to have some knowledge of what I’ve walked into.

Richard glances at Andrew. “I haven’t filled him in yet, but he’s solid. Don’t worry,” Andrew reassures him, evidence of him falling for the mask of my everyday facade.

If they only knew who I turn into behind the black sheet of night, they wouldn’t be so eager to bring me into the fold.

As much as Andrew seems to blindly trust me, it appears Richard doesn’t feel the same when he shoots me a distrusting stare as he leans in toward me. A powerful scent of cherry cigars overpowers the musty cigarette smoke that’s filled my senses since I arrived at the club.

“What can I get for you, sexy?” A cocktail server suddenly appears by my side before he can say anything.

“Whiskey neat,” I tell her.

Andrew and Richard exchange another quick glance before they both refocus their attention on me.

“We have a little arrangement,” Richard begins.

“I’m intrigued.” I match his posture on bent knees. Anxious energy pulses through my veins, causing an itch to settle below my skin as I grow eager to find out more of what they’re referring to. My back flexes when I sense someone behind me .

“River Thompson. Glad to finally meet the local billionaire tech mogul.” My name rolls off the person’s tongue with confidence like they know me and I don’t like it .

“Hello.” I turn my body fully to greet the familiar man, then extend my arm for a firm shake.

Duncan gives my hand a quick tug then sits down on the sofa, followed by Nolen.

“Done getting your cock sucked?” I quip.

Duncan plucks a cherry from the bowl on the cocktail table and pops it into his mouth. With a broad smile, he turns to face me. “Play your cards right, tech geek, and you could, too.”

“I don’t need your dirty whores,” I reply. I wouldn’t let a woman like that anywhere near me. Who knows what else her lips have touched?

“You haven’t faced enough temptation,” Duncan shoots back, too sure of himself.

A drink is placed in front of me. I wipe the rim of the glass with a napkin before bringing it to my lips. I discreetly swish the warm liquid in my mouth and discreetly spit it back into the cup. I never consume alcohol when on the job. A stable mind is the best weapon.

Rich turns to Nolen. “Pretty soon, he’s going to have all the pussy he wants.”

All four men have surrounded the small table in this germ-filled club.

I hope we can soon get down to why this evening has turned from me tracking down Andrew to now involving a group of random guys who all have a secret they are bursting at the seams to share.

If I won’t get in a good kill tonight, then this better be worth my while.

“So, what’s this little arrangement you’re talking about?” I press, getting back to business.

I’m met with silence .

Andrew bends forward, his eyes flicking around the now-empty VIP lounge. “Has a woman ever turned you down? One you had to have?”

No. “Sure, who hasn’t?”

Andrew licks his lower lip, and a heinous expression sweeps his face. “Well, what if they couldn’t say no ?”

The tips of my ears burn at the thought of what he’s implying, but I keep my expression neutral. “What do you mean?”

Rich rests his back against the couch with one arm lying across the cushion behind him. With arrogant confidence, he explains. “Women don’t want ordinary guys anymore. They want rich bastards”—he sips his cocktail—“like you.”

“Go on.” I swallow hard, letting him continue.

“We work hard and make an honest living, yet we’re still not good enough for these gold-digging women who only want our money,” Rich complains, an undertone of anger to his words.

I raise a brow, still in the dark about where he’s headed with this.

“We intend to avenge men by getting back at the self-serving women who’ve sidelined them in favor of better-looking, more successful ones.”

Nolen smooths his suit. “The ones who spend their hard-earned money on buying drinks and dinners, to only get a quick peck on the cheek at the end of the night and sometimes not even a call back.”

Such a stand-up guy. I wonder why anyone wouldn’t want to date him?

“With my support, we have the funds to lure, capture, and keep these women,” Andrew chimes in. “For a very negotiated price, any man can take advantage of our services, intending to do whatever they choose to do with them.”

I’ve had my suspicions about Andrew awhile, and it looks like my instincts were correct again.

“For forty-eight hours, we get to share them,” Nolen adds with a sick twinkle in his eye. “We’re guaranteeing that hard-working men will receive what they desire after they’ve fully paid.”

What the fuck.

“This is an entire operation,” I hear Sebastian comment.

I subtly adjust my earpiece but don’t respond.

Sucking in a breath, I hide my disgust, morphing back into character. “Tell me more.”

Looks like I’ve added three more monsters to my kill list.