Page 28

CHAPTER 27

LAKE

I banged my head on the desk as Guy came back in.

"That could be bad for Showcase night." He dropped into the chair opposite me.

I grunted. "Yeah, well, Kim said she was threatening to sell information to a gossip rag. And she was talking shit about us."

"Looks like she was punished for it," he drawled.

I raised my head. Guy smirked as if this was the most amusing thing to ever happen on duty. Maybe for him, it was.

"Beasty was always scrappy. I didn't think she was like that anymore." I found myself returning his smirk. "Can't say I'm disappointed. I always loved Beasty the way she was."

"You know the media will tear her apart if they catch wind of it. Sounds like Kim shut down any possibility of pictures."

Stretching back, my chair creaked. "I'd like to see them try." It was true they'd try to smear the shit out of her, but I'd stop it. Fuck them.

Glancing at my watch, I stood up. "It's time. We have to head to the Urban room."

"Do you know what they're doing?" Guy poked his head out of the office to check for threats. When he was satisfied, he preceded me.

"No. Only that we were short a headliner and Kim talked Beasty into it."

Guy whistled. "Neither of them have had any dance training?"

I shot him a glare. "Don't fucking start with that. They're going to be amazing."

Raising his hands, Guy grinned. "I didn't say they weren't. I can't wait until I have someone I can be willfully blind for. But knowing how artsy Kim is–even if it's just for visuals, and how determined Beasty has proven to be, I'm sure they're going to knock it out of the park."

Grunting again, I smoothed my hand down my buttoned, suit jacket. The bottom button was undone so I could reach for my gun if I needed it. Hopefully, if everything went as planned, I wouldn't.

The bouncers had already called, and they'd caught four Pesci associates and Adrian trying to enter and turned them away.

We'd be taking a spare vehicle when we left just in case.

There was barely any walking room in the hallway leading to the Urban room. It was at the very end, which didn't help. At least people dodged out of our path like bullets when they saw us coming—benefits of my white hair.

Shit, I should put the root touch-up on my hair before I left tonight. I wanted every precaution possible to make tonight run smoothly.

Inside the Urban room, three performers occupied the stage. Dressed in white suits and rice hats, they danced with laser lights in an interactive show, twisting with the beams, pretending to wield them like sabers.

It was one hell of an optical illusion, and the crowd was going wild. If it wasn't for fear of missing a sound that could mean the difference between life and death, I'd have put in my earbuds. At least the roped section was behind the speakers. It lessened some of the intensity.

The show ended, and the lights went out before switching to the black lights.

The performers raised their hands, then ran off to the right exit of the stage.

"It won't be long now," I murmured. Filler music kicked on, so I doubted Guy even heard me.

"Hey," Atlas yelled from my right. He and Joaquin were holding hands as they approached, their own guard behind them.

I was glad I'd splurged for the extra security. They didn't know it, but there were a few extra men in plain clothes following all of us just in case we needed the support.

Like I said, every precaution necessary.

"Is that Beasty?" Joaquin pointed to the curtain. We could just see the outline of someone who may or may not have been Beasty.

"Maybe?"

"You know what they're doing?" Joaquin asked.

I shook my head. Atlas smirked and I smacked his chest.

"You asshole. You looked at the security footage, didn't you?"

Joaquin scowled, and Atlas just laughed. "I can't help it. It's a compulsion where Beasty is concerned. If Kim truly didn't want me to see, he should have had the control guy fuck with the footage from their practices."

"You know he wouldn't do that when there are so many threats out there," Joaquin admonished. It didn't matter. Atlas was absolutely unrepentant.

I twisted, eyeing the stage. It usually took up a side, but Kim had the staff reconstruct it so it jotted out, not unlike a Taylor Swift concert.

A few people ran out from behind the curtains, carrying what looked like paint trays, and placed them on the floor every fifteen or so feet.

When they were done, the lights cut again, and so did the filler music.

"Welcome boys and girls. You're about to witness the headlining act for tonight, none other than our very own Isaac Kim and his partner, the love of his life, Cressida Jones." Black lights flicked on and the crowd went wild.

Shit. Kim stood at the end of the stage out in the center of the crowd. I hadn't even noticed him walk by. The black lights cast their skin in a dark blue, making it difficult to see him, but his white pants glowed neon.

I glanced at the ropes. We had guards practically shoulder to shoulder and at least thirty plain-clothes men in the crowd.

Women carrying trays carted drinks through the masses in matching white outfits. They were Atlas’ hires.

I'd tell him it was a great idea, but I didn't want to pump up his ego.

Beasty was ten feet away from Kim, closer to us. She faced the curtain while Kim faced the crowd.

"Shit," Joaquin choked. "She's wearing a thong.”

"Holy shit," Atlas breathed.

"Damn it." She was wearing a white thong with a matching sports bra that lit up every bit as much as Kim's. Her body was long and lean under the blue lights. They only dramatized what I already knew.

Beasty was a fucking stunner.

A dark and hypnotic beat trickled through the speakers. First, the ones closest to the stage, then the outside speakers, creating a different kind of illusion.

Beasty and Kim dropped their heads to their chests right before they started backing up slowly. It would have been hard to see if it wasn't for their glowing clothes. When they were back to back, they rolled their heads on their alternating shoulders.

Then they spun and crouched at the edges of the stage, slapping their hands in the trays.

Pink neon paint splashed out of Beasty's tray and green out of Kim's. When they stood, with glowing colors dripping from their fingers, they twirled and collided like lovers. My dick twitched as Beasty’s long legs wrapped around Kim’s waist.

Kim gripped her ass, spinning her around. When he dropped her to her feet, glowing green handprints were left behind.

Fuck. I adjusted myself. I hadn't realized they were performing this kind of show.

Beasty ran her hands down Kim's bare chest, streaking pink on his ridged abs.

They started moving in a coordinated push and pull. They'd separate, then as if sucked together by magnets, they'd embrace in a sexy as hell pose, leaving handprints over every inch of their bodies.

They’d hit the trays again, and this time, Beasty's paint was yellow and Kim's blue.

Kim had paint drifting down the side of his face where she'd touched him.

Over and over, they danced to the music. It was erotic and tasteful, sexy and sinful, matching the hedonistic music perfectly.

"Kim's hard, that fucker," Joaquin said as he pushed between me and Atlas.

He was. The next time he swiveled to face us, his erection was right there, pitching the biggest tent in his glowing white pants.

I chuffed out a laugh.

It was hard to see his expression, the paint made their bodies appear deeper in shadow, but I swore his eyes twinkled.

Kim was loving this.

Spinning Beasty, he caught her with her back to his chest. He used one hand to cup her breast, and the other to slide down from her navel to her pussy.

"Goddamn," Atlas choked. "I didn't see that part. I call dibs for the next performance with Beasty."

As soon as his hand settled, Beasty tore out of his arms.

She ran toward the curtain and at the last second, whirled, and fell into a chair.

"When did that chair get there!" Joaquin yelled.

Gripping the edges, Beasty spread her legs high in the air, toes pointed, her pussy covered in glowing blue paint. Kim followed, sliding on his knees the last two feet. He collided with the chair, sending it back a few inches, but Kim caught it while pressing a kiss between her tits.

Cupping the inside of her knees, he spread them wider as he lowered his face toward her pussy, hovering just above her skin while sliding his paint-covered hands toward her center.

The lights went out.

There was a two-second pause before deafening roars of screaming, clapping, and stomping took over the room. I couldn't take it, plugging my ears up with my fingers.

When the lights came back on–a regular stage light this time–spotlighting Beasty and Kim as they walked hand-in-hand to the end of the stage. Grinning, Kim raised their clasped hands. They bowed, looking deep into each other's eyes.

The whole time, I couldn't tear my eyes away from Beasty's ass and the many handprints decorating her cheeks.

I'd fight Atlas for the next performance if it was something like this. I couldn't dance, but I could touch, and I could finger paint with the best of them.

Beasty grinned down at us, practically bouncing out of her skin as they walked by. Kim winked, the cocky shit.

Soon, they were behind the curtain, and the Urban room turned back into a regular club room with dancers in cages, and neon strobe lights threatening to pass out epilepsy like Skittles.

"That was quite a performance."

My teeth chilled and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

I knew that voice.

I was afraid to turn around and see the face it was attached to. But I did anyway. It was more dangerous to have him at my back.

Slowly, willing it to be a trick of my ears, I pivoted. Atlas and Joaquin flanked my sides.

It wasn't a trick.

There in all the club light glory stood Parker Adair. I'd only met him in person a handful of times. Standing with him was his oldest brother Andre Medina, who I'd only seen pictures of.

"Parker," I snarled in a faux greeting. "How the fuck did you get in here?" I knew, though. When loading pictures into the software, I'd made sure to include all the pictures from every known associate of the Pescis. I also included Gio, Adrian, and Storm.

Somehow, I'd fucking forgotten about the Bastard Brothers. I hadn't expected them to pop up, not when there was so much press begging to break about the arrests and video footage from when we were with Gates.

One thing I knew about Parker, he tried to fly under the radar.

Parker tutted as he pressed his hips against the rope. The guards, trying to earn their money, attempted to block them. Parker didn't look offended, merely shooting them an amused smile.

Of course, he wasn't threatened. He and his brothers ran the largest criminal institution south of the United States. From all reports, they had their hands in several pies in the States too.

"What's this I hear about you banning Gio? He's your certified babysitter, you know."

"Damn, Parker. Do you have to be as insulting as possible?" Andre shook his head, a thick accent coloring his words where Parker had none. Parker also looked like a shit-stirrer where Andre had a darkness about him that was only extenuated by his dark features. Dark hair, dark eyes, dark expression.

He wasn't happy to be here.

So the question was, why were they?

"Gio and his friends didn't have our best interest at heart. They certainly weren't trying to secure your investments ," I spat.

Parker raised his brows. "Really? Why don't you tell us all about it."

Kim approached from the side, eyeing Parker and leading Beasty by the hand. They’d dressed back in their formal outfits but still had a few bits of paint splattered on their face and hair. "Who's this?"

He pulled Beasty behind him, trying to hide her. I wanted to scream at him. Why had he brought her out here in the first place?

"Not here." Not ever, but that wasn't an option.

"How about we take this to the office?" Joaquin stepped forward.

I nodded at the guards to let them through, and Guy unclipped the rope so they could join us. Then, like a man walking to his execution, I led the group back to the offices.