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Chapter Thirteen

Khaos

I t’s an hour before the show and the woman in front of me is finishing up the last touches of my paint.

I can see Ash in the corner of my eye filming me, like this part of the pre-show is too important to miss.

She’s watching me through the camera and though I hate being filmed, I like that she’s watching me.

I inch my jeans a little lower for the woman and catch Ash biting her lower lip. She doesn’t even know she’s doing it.

“Stop drooling.” I finally say.

Her eyes snap up to meet mine, completely oblivious that I’m watching her watch me.

“Yeah right.” She grumbles before walking away.

“I think we let loose a little tonight. I got some party favors!” Hypnos shouts.

“What kind of party favors?” Kokytos asks.

Hypnos starts handing out little baggies, molly in each one. I shake my head, not into it.

“Don’t worry, it’s a low dose. You’ll be asleep by the time the sun rises, no different than most nights.” He winks .

He walks up to Ash, lowering the camera. “You in?”

She looks around, Kokytos and Than already taking theirs, Hypnos tossing his down. She looks uncomfortable.

“She’s not taking it.” I tell him.

I’m guessing it’s the wrong thing to say because she looks directly at me and says, “Yeah, I’m in.”

“You’re not doing it.” I growl.

She smirks, then turns to Hypnos. “I’m doing it.”

“That’s it, baby!” Hypnos cheers. “Open that pretty mouth of yours.”

Ash opens, sticking her tongue out, her eyes peering down her nose expectantly.

My heart thrums inside my chest in a panic, wanting to slap both of them while simultaneously wishing that tongue of hers was doing something else.

Hypnos drops the pill with a smiley face and Ash captures it inside her mouth before swallowing.

“Fuck!” I bark, the sound echoing around us.

“She’s a grown woman, Khaos. Let her live.” Hypnos waves me off, hiding that God awful smirk of his.

I’m seething, feeling forced into a corner.

If I don’t take this molly, I’ll be babysitting all night and there’s no saying what these idiots are going to do with Ash once she’s high.

If I do take it, well fuck... there’s no saying what I’ll do with Ash.

It’s a lose-lose situation for me. I tend to find myself here more often than not since she’s come around.

They’re all waiting for me to decide what I’m going to do. Ash pretends she doesn’t care, but I know better. I grit my teeth, then close my eyes, downing the pill.

Here’s to making some bad decisions.

They all cheer, except Ash, slapping my back like I’ve made the right choice, when I know I haven’t.

“All right, let’s go!” Than jumps a few times, leading the way out on stage .

Not even halfway through the set, my body starts to tingle.

I can feel the music touch me like it’s a sweet caress and a vengeful lover.

I let it take hold of me, building up deep inside, and erupting like an angry volcano, devastating everything in its wake.

And for the first time, I actually enjoy myself on stage.

It’s so fucked up that I can’t feel like this all the time, that drugs have to bring me there, but I’m so beautifully high right now that I don’t care.

The night swims on as I lose myself, barely registering when we finish the set list. I feel my brain floating inside of my skull like a cloud of vapor. As we climb off stage and into the green room, my eyes catch Ash. She lunges forward, jumping at me, her arms wrapping around my neck.

“That was incredible!” She squeals.

With a mind of their own, my hands grip her hips, the feeling of her body on mine electric. Like she was always meant to be here. She pulls away slightly, looking up into my face.

“It felt... good.” I admit, smiling.

“Okay, let’s get out of here. We have a bottle of Patron calling our name!” Koke shouts before sliding a T-shirt over his head.

The front of Ash’s dress is smeared with body paint, marking her yet again and this time it’s magnificent.

We head back to the hotel, eager to stretch this high we’re all riding. Koke places crystal tumblers in front of each of us, filling them with a shot of Tequila.

“Truth or dare” He shouts, slamming the last glass down in front of himself. “Anytime you pass, you drink.”

Music plays on the speaker in the kitchen, Bring Me the Horizon screaming in the background. I catch Ash, her pupils dilated. She gives me a nervous smile, the same thought clawing at the back of our minds.

This isn’t going to end well .

But that thought flutters away like a moth onto brighter ideas.

“I’ll start!” Hypnos smiles, plopping down onto the couch, Ash crushed between us.

He reaches his arm across her shoulders, his fingers tickling her bare skin.

For him, it’s a natural move, something he wouldn’t think twice about, but for me it’s a statement.

He’s taunting me without even knowing it.

If every blood cell inside of me wasn’t a happy face rolling in my veins I might actually murder him for it.

However, I’m not feeling the normal rage that typically bubbles to the surface so easily.

Instead, I’m transfixed on the blonde, her hair cascading like a waterfall around her.

She doesn’t even acknowledge Hypnos’ arm, but the second my fingers graze her bare thigh, just under the hem of her dress, her skin pinkens.

A deep blush colors her cheeks, her lips opening just the slightest. Her glowing eyes highlighted by a dark green shimmer land on where our bodies are touching.

Though it’s such a simple touch, so innocent, it shoots currents of electricity from my skin to hers.

“Ash, truth or dare?” He doesn’t even contemplate picking anyone else.

Her focus is stolen by Hypnos, his question lingering in the air.

“Truth.” She shrugs.

I smirk beneath my mask, Ash isn’t a risk taker.

“Describe one of your sexual fantasies.”

That smirk on my face drops immediately as she looks around the room embarrassed. She’s in a room with four other men and the prude that she is could never do something like that.

“Looks like you’re drinking.” I laugh, nudging the shot to her lips .

Her arm tenses, refusing to take the shot. She slams it back down on the table in front of us and every one of the guys subtly sit on the edge of their seats, waiting for story time.

She inhales like the air itself will save her, tucking her hair behind her ears to stall.

“We’re alone in a dark room, his breath skates across the skin on my neck. He undresses me slowly, appreciating every inch of my body before I worship his. There’s enough light where I can see his face and there’s love embedded in his eyes as he looks at me -”

“Boring!” Koke shouts.

“Hey! It’s my truth!” She argues.

“Get to the good stuff.” Than ushers with his hand.

She rolls her eyes, her face now permanently flush with embarrassment. “He lays me on the bed, tells me how much he loves me and that I’m the only person in the world he can imagine being with. Then slowly collides into me, rocking back and forth until we’re both overwhelmed with pure elation.”

“Gross.” Hypnos teases. “I thought you’d be a closeted freak, but you’re prude through and through.”

Her brows dip, annoyance etched in her features. “I was put on the spot!”

“Drink.” I demand.

“Yeah, that was torture. Take the shot.” Koke laughs.

“Whatever. It’s not like any of you would know what it feels like to have sex with someone you’re in love with.” She scoffs, tossing back the tequila.

“And you do?” I ask.

“It’s not your turn.” She smirks, avoiding my question.

A question that I now need the answer to.

“Koke, truth or dare?” She asks him.

“Dare, duh.” He plants his elbows on his knees, relaxed while waiting for innocent little Ash to come up with something.

“I dare you to kiss Hypnos.” Her smile is devilish as everyone’s brows shoot up.

He chuckles uncomfortably, rubbing his palm across his lips as if he’s already wiping the kiss away before it even happens. His eyes dart to the shot on the table, but Hypnos stands, his arms out.

“Awe, come here buddy.” He puckers his lips, still standing at a very far distance.

Koke groans, closing his eyes before quickly meeting Hypnos’ awaiting mouth.

“Boo!” Ash teases, giving them a thumbs down as they both disconnect as quickly as possible. “That sucked. Both of you should drink.”

“Watch it before I have you lick his kiss off my lips.” Koke mutters.

“You have a girlfriend!” She shrieks, reminding him.

“Doesn't matter. It would never happen.” I cut in, glaring at Koke who is now goading me with a smirk.

But then I remember, disobedience runs through Ash like the blood inside her veins. She doesn’t take well to orders and always has a need to prove me wrong. She jumps to her feet, her gaze on me before stalking over to Koke.

“This means nothing.” She tells him angrily as if someone is making her do this.

Her palms grip the sides of his face, but before that wet tongue of hers leaves her pretty mouth, I’m fisting her dress and pulling her on top of me.

With one arm wrapped around her waist, anchoring her to me, I slide the other up over her belly and up her chest, my fingers gripping her neck just under her chin.

I tilt her head back so my lips can meet her ear .

“Touch anyone else here and see what happens.” I threaten.

I can feel her thighs tighten together as a growl rumbles in her chest.

“Such scary words for such an empty promise.”

A dark laughter erupts from within me, “Don’t taunt me, Eris. I’m still waiting on my turn.”

I release her neck but keep her molded to my body. She’s radiant with rage, but she doesn’t struggle out of my hold. Her heat bleeds into me and I've never felt so alive in my life. Every inch of her that touches me is like a kiss sent down from the heavens.

“Jesus, just bang it out already.” Koke groans. “Than, truth or dare?”

“Truth.” He answers as if he’s too afraid of the next dare.