Page 297 of Blackwood

“You’ll see soon enough, baby.”

God damn it, I love her. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch something moving. Josh, Drake, and Sam wheeling something big up the corridor of The Catacombs, trying to be sneaky but failing miserably.

Knox’s voice blares over the speakers, smug as hell. “We have a special king in the building tonight…” The lights shift, a spotlight sweeping over and stopping on me. “Mr. Lex Barinov, leader of our distinguished guests… the Hollow Kings.”

Cade claps a hand on my back, grinning. Bella’s trying to hold it together, biting her lip like she’s not the one who planned all this.

“And I think it’s time,” Knox adds, “that he gets himself a goddamn chair.”

“About fucking time,” I mutter, cracking my neck.

Bella snorts and covers her mouth, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.”

The Row boys start screaming, losing their minds as the three Trifecta stunt dudes wheel something out from the shadows.

“The rain stage?” I ask, eyes narrowing.

“Surprise,” she squeals.

The guys roll it into place, center of the floor, that slick, raised platform with mist sprayers lining the edges. A single chair gets set in the middle and Knox calls out again.

“Alright, King Barinov. Get your ass up on that throne.”

I move to go, but Bella grabs my hand and yells for the whole combs to hear, “What are the rules of my chairs, King Barinov?”

I grin. Slow. Dirty. Then reach down and strip my shirt off, dragging it over my head, baring every scar, every fight, every inch of Bratva ink under the spotlight.

The screams get louder. Bella catches my shirt one-handed and waves it like a victory flag. She tosses it to Cade, then saunters up behind me, her boots echoing off the platform.

I drop into the chair, legs wide, body humming. I lean back, spread my arms along the edge of the chair like I own the damn world.

Bella climbs the stage with that fucking look, the one that saysyou’re mine, and I know that I’m already fucked. Then she turns to the crowd, hands on her hips.

“I need a belt!”

“What did you just say, baby?”

The crowd screams. August’s already halfway up the platform, grinning like the devil child he is. He unbuckles his belt and hands it over with a bow.

“Anything for you, Queen Bella.”

“Thanks, Augie,” she purrs. Then hands it off to Ellie with a wink.

My heart’s pounding now. “Baby…what are you doing?”

Ellie leans down, brushing her hair over one shoulder as she whispers instructions into my ear. She tightens the belt around my wrists, snug behind the chair.

“Got it, Lex?” Ellie asks.

I nod once.

“Alright, Wexley…” Bella says, voice like gasoline on an open flame. “It’s officially time for aLove Game.”

The place erupts. The water kicks on, mist and rain soaking everything in seconds. The synth hitsfills the air, bass thick enough to crush a ribcage.

Fuck. Me. The girls circle me. Bella front and center. Ellie to my left, Haley to my right. Fingertips dragging over my shoulders and chest, teasing and claiming. Bella sinks between my knees completely drenched. She’s glowing, her eyes gleaming like she already knows exactly how I’ll break.

She slides her hands up my thighs. Her nails scratch across my jeans, right over the bulge that’s aching now, and I swear to God if there weren’t 200 people watching I’d rip through these restraints and—