Page 31

Chapter Twenty-Seven

RAELYN

The music booms all around us as we walk past one of the many bars throughout this club. Level Seven is packed with bodies dancing, grinding, and moving to the beat of the music. The club is lit by crazy flashing lights all around it. The vibration of the music can be felt through the floor.

There is still a sense that I’m being watched, but in this crowd, that has to be impossible. I constantly feel the hairs on the back of my neck raise, and on instinct, I want to cower and hide.

God, what the fuck is wrong with me? I shake my head and try to get myself to focus on the world in front of me.

Tristan leads us through the club. I look up and see a giant thing hanging over the dance floor, weaving in and out of each other.

Like two snakes or something. There is a balcony that wraps around the upper level of the nightclub, so that those above can look down on the dance floor.

And I realize quickly that we are headed up to the second floor.

A hand grazes my back, and I look up at Tristan who is walking beside me. His slight touch sends warmth to even my covered skin. Kayce bought me an outfit for tonight, a cute leather skirt with a draped collar top that is open in the back.

For the first time since I can remember, I actually feel sexy. Almost powerful.

That is, until I get the feeling that eyes are on me.

We walk up the stairs, with the guys all flanking me. Tristan and Drew are on either side of me, with Kayce and Asher behind me.

A thrill runs down my spine as my body reacts to being around them. In such a short period of time, I just get turned on being in the same room as them. I do everything I can to hide my reaction to them, but I vibrate whenever one comes in the room.

Apparently, I’m a slut for these men. But after what Cam said to me, I can’t help but feel ashamed.

When we finish climbing the stairs, we get ushered over to the corner of the room that is roped off.

We have a whole section for ourselves and even our own private bar with a bartender.

There are lounge areas scattered throughout the space, with the bar against the wall.

A low light from the back wall helps illuminate the space, but the lights from above the dance floor truly allow you to see the private area.

“What would you like to drink?” Drew takes my hand in his as he leads me over to a curved couch with a table in front.

The minute my skin touches his, it feels like tiny little sparks ignite between us. I suck in a breath at the contact and try to keep my eyes forward. But I look up at his blue eyes and forget where I’m even at in this moment.

“Hey, Rae? Sweetheart? You okay?” He frowns at me.

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” I yell over the music. “What was the question?”

Drew laughs and leans down with his lips close to my ear. “What do you want to drink?” His voice comes out deep and sends goosebumps along my skin.

“Uh, a, um, Bloody Mary,” I croak out.

Drew pulls back and smiles, his eyes boring into mine. Without another word, he nods and walks over to the bar. I sit down on the couch, and Tristan and Asher plop down beside me. Tristan places a hand on my thigh, and I don’t know if it’s a sign of possession or protection.

Fuck it. Doesn’t matter.

What does matter is I feel Asher’s arm around me, his fingers twirling around my hair. Chills run down my spine with each soft touch. My body reacts to them, betraying me in every way, burning me from the inside out.

I’m surrounded by them. My heart is pounding inside my chest. Is it hot in here? Or is it the two massively sexy men sitting next to me, possessively?

Like, look at her and die, possessive.

I need space. If I don’t get it, I will die of asphyxiation, because I cannot breathe around these men. So I turn to Tristan and say, “Um, I’m gonna go look down at the dance floor.”

He nods and removes his hand from my leg. And suddenly, I miss the warmth of his touch. Internally, I chastise myself and move toward the lights and music below us.

Bodies flood the floor, jumping up and down, grinding and moving against each other. The club is alive with people, all here to have a good time. And for the first time in who knows how long, I let out a long breath.

A breath of freedom. A breath of normality. A breath of life.

As my memories flood back to me, I feel like I am starting to finally come back to life. The old me. The true me. It’s refreshing not to feel like I am stuck inside my own mind. I feel clearer than I have in forever. My mind is free .

My eyes find people going in and out of a door toward the back of the dance floor, and I watch for a while as I try to figure out what they’re doing. My curiosity piques, and there’s a part of me wanting to know what is behind there.

“Hey, you doing okay?” Drew comes up from behind me as he hands me my Bloody Mary.

I take a long sip of the spicy drink, and when the peppery mix hits my tongue, I let out a hum only I can hear over the music. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just trying to take all this in.”

“Is it overwhelming you?” he asks, brows creased with worry.

I shake my head. “Well, no. I mean, like Cam said, I’m a whore. I used to strip and dance around a pole. So lights and loud music are my thing.” I shrug, suddenly feeling bitter.

“Fuck what Cam said. He’s a cunt.” He lets out a sigh. “Look, I don’t know what his deal is. And I’m sorry you have to keep getting the shit end of whatever is up his ass. Hopefully, the guys and I can talk some sense into him.”

I shake my head. “Please, don’t. He doesn’t like me, and I feel the same way about him. So just let him go. Let him hate me. I won’t be here much longer anyway.”

“You’re really thinking of leaving?” Drew frowns.

“Well, yeah. Then I can get out of your hair.”

Drew leans in closer to my ear. “Rae, you are not in our hair. I, we, like having you around. I like waking up and seeing you in the mornings or saying goodnight to you. Watching you read on the couch or even trying to cook in my kitchen.”

My entire body breaks out in goosebumps. For a moment, I lose my breath, but I quickly recover.

I clear my throat, trying to steady myself. “Well, I am sure you want to be able to bring home women and have your bachelor pad back without the intrusion of some homeless chick there.”

Drew pulls back for a minute, and I see the smile stretch across his face. He leans in again, his voice deep but loud enough for me to hear. “There’s only one woman I want, and she already lives there with me.” He grins as he turns and heads back toward the guys on the couch.

Well, holy fuck.

I blow out a breath as I try to process whatever the hell that was. Was he flirting with me? Was he teasing me? That was a joke, right?

My eyes dart around the club and back toward the doors. Something about those doors has sparked my curiosity. I bite my lip as I continue to watch people walk through them after getting past security.

And then I see her.

The blonde with the small frame. The one who helped keep me sane for weeks. Ronnie.

I need answers. I need to know what the hell happened. Where she went, and why she left me at the bar. She was supposed to protect me. I’m so confused as to what happened that night. Like I said, I need answers.

Without even thinking, I take off running out of the suite and down the hall. I think I hear the guys yelling after me, but I don’t stop. I hit the stairs and practically fly down them as I watch her go through the doors.

“Ronnie!” I yell out, but there is no way she has heard me over the music.

A hand wraps around my arm, causing me to immediately turn and smack the face of the last person I would ever want to. Tristan.

His eyes blaze with something. Fury? Lust? I can’t tell. “Oh. Rae, baby, I’m going to assume you didn’t mean to do that, but now I have an urge to throw you over my knee and pay it back ten-fold. Make that tight little ass of yours nice and red.”

My body quivers at his words. I can feel the heat rise in my cheeks as his eyes bore into me. Yeah, I shamelessly want to be thrown over his knee with the promise of that. Why does that make me so hot and turned on? I shouldn’t want that, should I?

Fuck. I need to revisit this later.

“What are you doing, Raelyn?” Asher yells over the music, approaching us through the crowd.

“My friend! She went through there!”

“The girl who was with you at the bar?” Tristan asks.

I nod. “Yeah, so let me just go through there and see her.”

Tristan looks at the guys, and they have some kind of silent conversation with themselves.

Then Tristan turns back toward me. “No.”

I yank my arm out of his grip. “No? Fuck you. You don’t tell me what I can and can’t do.” I turn and head back toward the door. Again, Tristan yanks me back to him.

“That’s two,” Tristan says.

“Huh, you can count. Congrats. Let me go!” I yank away from him again. “What’s behind there? What is it that you don’t want me to see? Is Ronnie in some kind of trouble?”

Drew steps up to me. “Rae, I need you to listen. Behind those doors… it’s not nice. It’s not dangerous, but it’s not a good place for you.”

I put my face closer to his. “I am a grown ass woman. I have been through hell. Who the fuck are you to tell me what is best for me?” I challenge.

“That’s not what I’m trying to do. And you know that.” He bites his lip. “It’s very sexual back there.”

I let out a laugh. “What? This club has a secret sex dungeon behind those doors?”

The guys fall silent. And it’s then that I know I hit the nail on the head.

“She’s in a sex club?” My head whips back from them to the door and back to the guys. “I need to get to her! Now! So you either come with me or fuck right the fuck off! What’s it gonna be?”

“Let’s go,” Tristan grunts as he tilts his head toward the door. “Stay close to us.” I can see him grinding his teeth with the way his jaw is moving. He is not happy at all. “Oh, and that’s three.”