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Chapter Three

Atlas

I'm not going to lie. I've been to strip clubs before.

Plenty of them, but not this one.

I expected Flirts to be sleazy, like so many of the others.

Flashing lights, dark spaces and the stink of damp and sweat.

To my surprise, the place was almost classy.

Burgundy walls, leather chairs, neatly dressed staff all in black.

The smell of lavender and a hint of sex lingered in the air.

The establishment was quiet at this time of day.

No one was fucking or even dancing.

Instead, the staff were carefully cleaning, washing down every surface and polishing the glasses behind the bar.

We could have been in an upscale club in any major city in Australia.

That was fortunate, because if the place was full of customers who'd seen my woman naked, I'd have to punch them out.

Don't get me started on what I'd do to any who fucked her.

Suffice to say, it would hurt them, but not for long.

Yeah, I know, that was her life before me, but the idea of it still made me see red.

"This wasn't what I was expecting," Jay said out of the side of his mouth.

"Me neither," I agreed.

"It feels like we haven't been here in forever," Frost said.

I gave him the side eye.

"Did you ever—" I glanced toward Chelsea.

"Not here," he said.

"Only Dallas did. Storm paid, because he wanted to watch." He didn't seem to be judging his…were they boyfriends? Just stating a fact.

Storm, on the other hand, seemed very judged. He glared at Frost, as if he'd spilled state secrets, not the fullback's kink.

"What?" Frost shrugged. "That was what happened. Don't try to pretend we don't all like watching each other. I bet Atlas does, right Atlas?"

"I suppose," I agreed. So far, the only other person I saw fuck Chelsea was Jay. If I hung around with these guys for long enough, that would change. My cock stiffened at the thought. At the same time, it annoyed the crap out of me. Specifically, the idea of Storm with her made me stabby. She deserved better than him. So far, he hadn't given me any reason to change my mind about him.

"I do," Ramsey said.

Sometimes, it was easy to forget he was the only one who hadn't fucked her. He also hadn't gone out with her.

Somehow, he'd slotted into our family, but I had no idea how Chelsea felt about him. Or vice versa, to be honest. That was something they'd have to figure out for themselves later.

"I thought you might." Frost shoved his shoulder into Ramsey's with familiarity, like they were old mates. Frost had a way of opening up and letting people in without stopping to think too much about it. He'd already accepted Ramsey as one of us, even if the rest of us hadn't yet.

I have to admit I liked that about him. He couldn't be more different from Storm.

When he kissed me… let's just say between Chelsea, Jay and him, I was going to have a permanent erection.

"Yeah?" Ramsey raised his eyebrows at Frost.

"You know what they say about the quiet ones," Frost teased. "They're always the ones to watch."

"Truth," Jay said, his voice low, because he was one of those quiet ones.

Storm looked back at us and shook his head before turning to Chelsea. "Is she here?"

"She might be in the back," Chelsea said. She gestured toward a side door and headed in that direction.

We all hurried to keep up.

"Chelsea!" A woman with bright pink hair stepped out the door and over to give her a hug.

All five of us were immediately rigid and on guard, like the gesture flipped a switch.

Every protective instinct in my body screamed out to move closer to her. At the same time, I knew to hold back. Chelsea wouldn't have hugged the woman if she didn't know and trust her.

"Divina, you're looking well." Chelsea squeezed her, before stepping back and smiling.

"Of course I am." Divina fluffed her hair. "Haven't you heard the rumour that I drink the blood of young women so I can say beautiful?" She glanced over at me and winked.

Chelsea laughed. "That explains everything. I'll be sure to pass on your recommendation to my colleagues. Although, the legal implications might be a big hurdle to overcome."

Divina waved a hand dismissively. "This is Dusk Bay. I'd find a way if I had to. Otherwise, I'll have to start drinking the cum of young men instead." She looked us all up and down appraisingly.

"No offence, but my cum is spoken for," Frost said. He jerked his head toward Chelsea, then accompanied that with a side glance toward Storm and a small one in my direction.

Divina patted his cheek. "That's a shame. I bet you're tasty."

Frost puffed out his chest. "I am."

Chelsea shook her head at them both, no hint of jealousy in her posture or expression. I loved that she was so sure of us she wasn't bothered by some light flirting.

"Is India here?" she asked.

"Or Dallas?" Storm added.

"I don't know a Dallas, but India stepped out after we worked on her costumes this morning," Divina said. "She said something about meeting someone." She gestured with both hands, indicating she had no further information.

"She didn't tell you where she was going?" Chelsea asked.

"Not as I recall." Divina clasped her hands in front of her.

"Is she in some kind of trouble?"

"We don't know yet," Chelsea said. "Probably not. It might be nothing."

"You look worried for something that's probably nothing," Divina said.

"What's going on and who is Dallas?" A frown flitted over her brow. "Are you referring to Dallas Gregory? The Smashers player?"

"That's him," I said.

"We're trying to find him. India might be able to help." Had I said too much? I didn't know if we could trust this woman or not.

Chelsea answered that question when she said, "Yes, we are. He was supposed to meet us and he didn't show. We're worried."

"I see," Divina said slowly. "If India is involved in something she shouldn't be, I'm going to?—"

Her words were interrupted by a high pitched scream.

My high alert doubled. I stepped closer to Chelsea, shielding her with my body as the others did the same. I didn't care that I was almost pressed against Storm, as long as she was safe.

"That can't be good," Frost said.

I grunted in agreement.

"Where did that come from?"

Divina raised a shaky finger and pointed at the door she'd appeared through. "There."

"I'll look," Ramsey said quickly.

He didn't seem scared. If anything, he seemed curious, but cautious at the same time. Only his body language indicated any concern, but that was for Chelsea's safety. He stood between her and the door, another protective shield.

"Not by yourself," Storm insisted. "If you go, we all go."

Ramsey gave him half a glance before nodding and heading over to place his hand on the doorknob. He paused, listening carefully before turning it and pushing. The door opened easily, and no other screams sounded from that part of the club.

Yet.

He stepped in first, the rest of us crowding around, everyone trying to fit through the door at the same time. Everyone except Jay, who hung back to avoid the press of bodies. I followed his cue, staying back and letting the others pass before we went through ourselves.

The back of the club was nothing special. An open doorway showed shelves covered in dozens of boxes. Some open, others not. Several were full of unused glassware. They sat pressed hard against boxes full of condoms.

That brought me back to Chelsea, and other men fucking her, but I shoved the thought away. I didn't need the rage right now.

Focus , I told myself.

"That leads to the cellar." Chelsea was pointing toward another door. "There's another that leads backstage." Her face was paler than usual.

I grabbed her arm. "You don't have to go in there. Whatever happened, we can deal with it."

"I'm okay," she said a bit too quickly. "They might need a doctor."

I wanted to argue with her and keep her back from whatever happened, but she was right. Her skills might be needed now.

For a moment, I wished she was anything but a doctor. Okay, except a stripper. Couldn't she have become a dog walker, or work in an ice cream shop? Anything that would give me an excuse to throw her over my shoulder and take her out of here.

"Stay close to me," I told her.

"And me," Storm added. For once, he wasn't scowling at me. His attention was on the door up ahead, body tense.

I knew that posture; I saw it on the field so many times. He was ready to act, to deal with whatever was thrown at us.

I didn't like him, but I respected him. He wouldn't run from potential danger.

With Chelsea and Divina between us, Frost and Jay behind, and Ramsey in the lead, we moved toward the other door, footsteps careful, senses open.

Ramsey put a hand on the door handle and turned to nod to us to be ready.

I nodded back and held my breath as he pushed the door inwards.

We were met with silence. No sound, no motion. No screaming, no one jumping out at us. Nothing.

That in itself put me on edge. Whatever I was expecting, it wasn't nothing .

Ramsey peered around before stepping through the doorway and waving for us to follow.

I took Chelsea's hand and tucked her in closer to me as we stepped across the threshold, into the backstage area.

"Hello?" Ramsey called out.

The word was met with silence.

"They might be in the dressing room," Divina whispered.

Chelsea glanced at her and nodded. "It's just down there." She pointed a few metres ahead.

"Can I convince you to stay here?" I asked. It seemed unlikely, but I had to try. If only because I was ninety-nine percent certain Storm was about to. I wasn't going to let him get in first. Not to mention, whatever was down there might be something she shouldn't go near.

"Nope," she said before anyone else could speak. She squeezed my hand and pulled me along behind Ramsey.

Moving more quickly now, we stepped down the corridor and into the small dressing room. Racks of costumes lined the walls on either side. Two tables were pressed apart against a mirror, chairs at each. Lights hung over the tables to help people see when they put on their make-up. At least, that's what I was guessing they were for. It was definitely not my area of expertise.

A small window looked out over the street behind the club. It was open, letting in a brisk breeze, rippling curtains which hung to either side.

"I can't see any—" I started.

Chelsea let out a squeak and let go of my hand. She hurried over to a small bathroom to the side of the dressing room.

I made a grab for her, but she moved too quickly, leaving me no choice but to trot a few steps to follow.

"Don't need a doctor," Ramsey remarked. He looked down at the floor and shook his head.

No one could refute his observation. Once a person was dead, chest sliced open down the heart, there was nothing any doctor could do. Not even a really good one.

"It’s…" Frost grimaced.

"Fuck," Chelsea whispered. She put a hand over her mouth and shook her head. Her eyes shone with tears. "It was."