Page 72 of Beautiful Secrets

“But you will, little rabbit. One day, you will.”

25

Cole

Ishouldn’t have any energy left after my rendezvous with Mika in the VIP lounge, but I guess it is possible to party without coke.

We’re back on the dance floor, Mika tight against me as we dry hump to a deep and grungy track that makes me want to throw her over my shoulder and take her somewhere dark again.

It’s official.

I’m in love.

At least, as much as that’s humanly possible for Cole Hendry.

Why wouldn’t I be? She’s smart, she’s got attitude, and she fucks like a succubus.

She’s my kind of demon.

But I’m thinking it’s time to leave Asylum. As much as I’m digging the music, I’m suddenly feeling very fucking possessive over my little Mika—I can’t stand the fact that just anyone can see her curvy body in the pink dress I bought her.

I’m just about to tell her we’re leaving when a hand lands on my shoulder, turning me and squeezing my muscle at the same time.

I stare at Derek.

He stares at me.

Then he tilts his head to the upstairs office, lifts his chin a little.

Brown eyes, brown hair. A perfectly average face, except for a new scar down one cheek. Don’t even know how he got it. Did it happen here?

Kill mentioned that they were thinking of moving Asylum to a new location. Ever since a string of cheap pubs opened up near the club, the passing clientele were becoming drunker and meaner. Thankfully, around about the time troublemakers began scrounging the streets for some action, the queue was gone and people had enough sense to use the roof for a smoke break instead of standing outside on the street.

Around us, music thumps incessantly toward an epic break.

Derek waits, but it’s obvious he’s not pleased about it.

Fuck it. I guess it had to happen at some stage.

I nod. Derek’s eyes move past me, as if he’s looking for someone.

It feels like someone is punching me in the stomach when I spin around and see Mika is gone.

My lungs draw a vicious breath that’s choked with sweat and deodorant and the musty smoke from the fog machine.

What the fuck was I thinking? Bringing her here in this chaos, and this noise? I bet she was just waiting for me to look away so she could bolt.

She couldn’t have gone far. I’ll tell Derek to close the exits—hopefully she doesn’t remember how to get out. If we do it quick enough—

A pale head pops up through the smoke. Mika straightens, lifting something in her hand. Then she turns and shows it to me, a wide grin on her face.

A necklace.

A motherfuckingnecklace.

She holds it out, her eyes going serious, and then she glances aside at Derek.

He’s wearing all black, just like a bouncer, and he’s still built like one, so I guess it’s no surprise that she assumes he is one.