Page 32 of Cruelly Fated (Princes of Avari #1)

Twenty-Eight

ALLIE

L arry drove us to the new club in downtown Avari, along a stretch of elegant storefronts that catered to the city’s elite.

Entertainment here didn’t come cheap; everything from boutique lounges to upscale casinos shimmered beneath pulsing neon.

Fountains sprayed choreographed patterns outside high-rise hotels, and roller coasters looped around buildings like life was one big theme park.

He pulled into the back alley of a sleek new venue, its front glowing with animated signage.

A line of elegant patrons, men and women alike, waited outside, chatting and checking their reflections, hoping to impress the bouncer.

I glanced at Larry. He hadn’t been exaggerating; the business was growing. I hadn’t expected this.

“What is this place exactly?” I asked.

“It’s a new-age club,” he said. “You’ll be dancing on elevated platforms spaced throughout the floor. The patrons dance too; it’s mostly young people looking for a good time and something pretty to look at. Not like the strip club you’re used to.”

Oh. That…I could work with.

“But the real money is in private dance requests,” he added. “They pay big for those here. You could make enough in one night to cover your lawyer. I get ten percent as your manager.”

My head whipped toward him. “My manager ?” More like a handler—or worse, a pimp. I stopped walking, red flags popping up in my head.

“Come on now,” Larry coaxed. “We haven’t signed anything official. Yet. You’re not bound by contract.” He took a long pull from his cigar and flicked the ash to the side. “I’ll tell you what—tonight, you keep all the money. Minus the club’s share.”

I pinched my lips. I needed the money, desperately.

I’d already sworn off using Kyon’s lawyer after our exchange earlier today.

I was cutting all ties between us. My chest ached at the thought, and a migraine threatened to settle at the base of my skull, but the separation was necessary.

And if they really paid that well here, I had an obligation to my grandpa to take the gig.

“What do I need to do?”

Larry flashed a megawatt smile.

A few minutes later, I was swaying my hips to a slow, pulsing song on a five-foot-wide circular platform—one of dozens scattered around the club’s massive interior.

Small LED lights glowed pink at the base of mine, a sign I was open for private dances.

Larry had explained that only select VIP patrons knew what each color meant, like some kind of secret society signal.

A group of women gathered by my stand, drinks in hand. They watched me with curiosity and appreciation, even mimicking a few of my moves. I smiled, sliding closer to the edge, letting my rhythm shift into something bolder. They giggled, flushed, and kept trying to follow along.

The DJ dropped an upbeat techno track, and laser lights sliced through the air.

I dropped to my knees and bounced to the rhythm, tossing my hair around like a wild creature.

After an hour of dancing, my skin slick with a fine sheen of sweat, I hopped down from my platform in search of water.

One of the other dancers, a guy with peacock feathers sprouting from his tailbone, joined me at the bar, where a tray of water glasses had magically appeared.

“You new? I saw you out there—slay, sister, slay,” he said between gulps, then bounced back into the crowd toward his platform.

I smiled to myself and took a few more sips.

I was actually enjoying this. Even if no one requested a private dance, I could make enough in a few nights to put a solid down payment on the lawyer.

Someone tapped my shoulder.

“A VIP patron requested a private dance from you. Would you like to proceed?” one of the bouncers said.

My stomach jumped to my throat. Isn't this what you wanted? I shook my hair over my shoulders, tugged my miniskirt into place, and nodded. He led me behind a velvet curtain into a dim hallway lined with sleek, numbered doors. He paused at one, knocked, then swung the door wide.

A large man lounged on a leather love seat, dressed in a dark gray suit that probably cost ten times more than my old Honda.

Forties, handsome in a polished, corporate sort of way, and absolutely dripping with wealth—gold watch, cuff links, designer shoes.

His grin spread as I stepped onto the two-foot high stage.

Without taking his eyes off me, he waved the bouncer off and lit a cigar, ankle crossing over knee like he had all the time in the world.

This should be easy: a stage tease, then a slow descent into his space for the final act.

I’d watched my mother do it a hundred times.

She hadn’t known I could see her through a hole in the wall that separated the dressing room from one of the private suites.

As a kid, I’d found it mesmerizing. She transformed into someone else up there.

She channeled a seductress. A true siren.

I grabbed the pole and swung myself up, inverting into a handstand with ease. I fully intended to release the bar I clenched with my legs and rise to standing with fluid grace, but the moment the door slammed open, everything went to shit.

Kyon’s dark gaze locked on mine.

My mouth dropped open, I lost focus, and my grip slipped.

I collapsed sideways, slamming into the stage floor with a loud smack and a grunt.

KYON

The bouncer’s hand landed on my shoulder, and I growled. I’d already handed him ten grand to tell me where she was—guess he still had to put on a show for the patron who had no business leering at my girl. My nostrils flared, and the dragon huffed.

“Excuse me, sir. There’s been a mistake. The girl was booked in advance…” the bouncer began, but I tuned him out. All my focus zeroed in on Allie.

She stumbled upright, eyes wide with shock. She wore a colorful bra and thong set, topped with a semi-sheer miniskirt that left her round ass fully visible. A low rumble vibrated in my chest .

The man rose, tall and broad with rich and used-to-getting-his attitude written all over his posture. I could drop him without breaking a sweat.

He straightened his suit jacket, cigar still in his mouth, and looked me over. “Lucky for you, there’s another girl I liked. If she’s not booked already?” he said, raising an eyebrow at the bouncer.

I stepped inside as he brushed past me.

“Please accept my sincerest apologies…” Their voices faded as the door slid shut.

Allie’s stunned expression shifted to fury. She hopped off the stage and stormed toward me, jabbing a finger into my chest.

“How dare you come in here like this? I know you didn’t book any dances. Because of you, I’m not gonna get paid—”

I caught her finger, brows drawing tight. “This isn't you. I know you—”

She yanked her hand back, chest rising fast. “That’s the thing—you don’t know me. This is no game. I actually have to earn a living. And right now, dancing is all I have.”

I arched a brow, voice low. “I’m not an idiot. I know what happens in these rooms. You were going to let him touch you.”

She paled, arms crossing over her chest, the fire in her eyes dimming. I knew it!

“So what?” she snapped.

So what?! Did she not see she was worth more than this? That I’d give my life to protect her? Beg for a chance to take care of her ?

“Do you want to end up like your mother?”

Her hand cracked across my cheek before I registered my words.

“How dare you bring her into this!” She choked, pounding her fists against my chest. “It’s your family’s fault she’s dead.

Yours. You’re all murderers. How dare you tell me how to live my life when you ruined it…

” Her punches slowed to a stop, her fingers curling into my shirt. Her whole body trembled.

Slowly, I wrapped my arms around her and drew her close. She wept into my shirt, soaking it, and I held her for as long as she needed. At last, her sobs quieted, and I kissed the top of her head, unable to resist the gesture.

“I am sorry for what I said,” I murmured. “I can’t undo the past but let me make it right. Let me take care of you. You could live—”

“No,” she cut in, her voice tight as she wiped her face. “We helped each other. We had a deal. Now you’re free, and my grandfather’s protected. Sounds like we’re both satisfied. There’s nothing more I can give you.”

I swallowed hard. She couldn’t have been more wrong. Because now that I had a taste of her, I wanted it all. Every piece she was willing to give. I should tell her how I feel. But I need to clear things with my father first and find out why gargoyles targeted him.

I pressed my palm to her cheek, and she leaned into it without thinking, her eyelids fluttering shut. She felt it too .

“Come with me…tonight,” I whispered. “We’ll talk in the morning.”

Her blurry eyes found my face, flicking dangerously to my lips. My dick twitched but I forced it down like an obedient dog. Tonight wouldn’t be about that. It would be about her and what she needed.

She bit her pretty lip, a sign she was wavering. Yes, baby, I need you to agree. I waited…

She exhaled slowly, her shoulders dipping as the tension drained from them, and then she lifted those soulful eyes to meet mine.