Page 7 of The Sirin Sisterhood (The Sons of Echidna #2)

Lai

“Hey! Aren’t you going to untie me?”

A gorgeous redhead called out from the bed, his body covered in welts and wax burns. He was sitting against the headboard, hands tied to the wooden frame above him.

Lai counted the notes in his hand, his mouth pursed in a thoughtful pout. He placed the cash inside his jacket’s pocket and walked over to the bed, standing on the mattress and towering over the man who had foolishly put himself at his mercy.

“That wasn’t part of the deal,” Lai purred, pressing his toes over the man’s cock, leaning his weight on it. The redhead was hissing in pain but growing hard once again. “You see, it’s getting quite late. I need to be going. You’ve paid only for two hours, and the time is up.”

The man’s eyes widened as panic set in. Panic and excitement.

“I’ll pay more. I have more cash. Another hour.”

“Extra $800, and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Wait, are you serious?”

“I rarely am, but I’ll make an exception for you.” Lai flashed him a smile.

His benefactor could only scowl from the bed, nodding towards the desk. “Top drawer, in the envelope.”

Lai jumped off and picked up his pants, discarded in the throws of passion.

Fake passion, but his client didn’t need to know that.

Buttoning up his pants, he strolled over to the desk, examining the trinkets on the polished wood.

He opened the drawer and fished out a few crisp notes from a red envelope, then after pausing for a moment, he took the rest.

“Hey, what the hell are you doing? Are you robbing me?”

“Robbing? Oh no, Don’t be so crude,” Lai cooed, tucking the cash away. “I’m not a thief. I’m a debt collector. Besides, dead men don’t have possessions.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

Lai sighed, making himself comfortable on top of the desk, fingers playing with the soft lining of the drawers.

“I killed you. About fifteen minutes ago. It wasn’t personal. I need money, and you pissed off Bayan when you fucked with his daughter.I was retired, you know, but I was in the neighborhood, and cash is cash.”

Fear slowly veiled the man’s face as realization settled in.

“You’re...”

“Yes.” Lai smiled. “Good, you’ve heard of me.

You know what will happen now.” He picked up a pair of metal scissors and, with an effortless flick of a wrist, launched them across the room, the blades sinking deep into the wood near the man’s hand.

“You have maybe five minutes before you go into a cardiac arrest. The coroner will see the drugs and alcohol in your system. There won’t be an investigation.

I’ll let you get dressed and preserve some dignity, but you don’t have much time for the denial phase now.

I suggest skipping straight to acceptance. ”

◆◆◆

Satisfied with the night’s work, Lai hummed a quiet melody as he walked down the well-lit street filled with bars and clubs. Wandering between sleeping giants of concrete and steel was rather soothing.

Colorful crowds spilled out onto the sidewalk, and the aroma of fragrant vape mist and vomit hung thick in the air.

Neon constellations overhead guided Lai’s way, illuminating a gaggle of women huddling over their drunk friend.

The group effort to hold the girl’s hair as she retched was almost endearing.

Lai had no plans to make any other stops, eager to get back to Al’s and wash off the sweat, but something caught his eye. A familiar sign flickered across the road. Two cherries next to plump red lips that put a smile on his own. He knew that club well.

The bouncer at the door gave him a knowing smile, letting Lai through to the great displeasure of the line of people waiting outside.

The club hadn’t changed at all. Pink, tacky, and glorious.

Glitter met cowboy decor in the most popular strip club in the whole of downtown.

It was busy for a reason. Good music, good-looking girls, and it was clean.

The dancers were well looked after, too.

Lai had been one of them for a short while, not out of need but for fun.

Al couldn’t avoid him if Lai spent the night on the pole before him.

Following the memories, Lai found himself by the stage, watching the familiar twin act finish their last song.

Kaitlyn and Moody were the stars of Friday nights.

Young and stunning, both with bubblegum pink hair, theywere the embodiment ofthe club’s aesthetic, wearing golden cowboy boots and nothing else as they strutted along the catwalk.

Kaitlyn winked at him, lowering to the stage to sneak in a quick hello and exchanging brisk cheek pecks.

Lai returned the gesture with a hundred-dollar bill, tucking it into her boot.

He knew better than to show one sister affection.

Moody was already towering over him, her heel pressed onto his hand untilheparted with another a hundred.

“Nice to see you too,” he mouthed over the throbbing club music.

Moody blew him a kiss and released his hand. Her name was well-earned.

As the music died down to a more pleasant level between sets, Lai took it as an opportunity to find Candy.

“Lai! Oh my god! I’ve been trying to get a hold of you!” Candy tackled him the moment she recognized the familiar head of lavender hair. “Al went missing. I’m freaking out. He didn’t say anything, he just nevercame backto work!”

“Yeah, sorry. It might be my fault, just a little.” Lai smiled, squeezing the young woman into a tight embrace. “Things got out of hand, and he couldn’t return.”

The gold bikini-clad dancer dragged him across the room to a quietcorner of the bar, pouring a drink and downing it herself before offering one to Lai.

“I couldn’t file a missing person report because...” She shrugged, shaking her mane of golden curls. “Well, you know. I didn’t want to draw any attention to him.”

“He’s back, don’t worry.” Lai knew exactly why Candy was worried.

Al was a runaway and notexactlya legal citizen.

He’d bought a new identity for himself and his sister with Lai’s help; Lai had pulled some strings deep underground.

The papers were clean, but it was always better that no one looked at them too closely.

Al’s family had a lot of reach. His father was a military man, a general determined to bring Al back under his control.

“Tell him he still has a job here. I’ll give him extra hours if he needs them,” Candypromised, sitting downacross from Lai.

“He’ll be glad to hear that. Money is currently his number one issue. Our number one issue? It’s a long story.”

She pressed one perfectly manicured finger to his lips. “Say no more. If you decide to dance for us again, I’ll be happy to have you, too.”

He laughed, taking a sip of his drink. “I’ll consider it.I don’t think the peacock feathers will solve my problems right now, though.They’re on a somewhat grander scale.”

Candy watched him for a while, the frown on her face deepening with each passing moment. “You look like shit.”

“I know.”

“What’s going on?”

“Things have been weird.” Lai forced a smile, leaning on his hands.

“Weirder than when you asked me to keep a merman in my tub?”

Lai nodded, the memory bringing genuine joy.

Candy took it like a champ. He needed help, and she never asked questions.

That was her in a nutshell. If you needed help, she would do it—no judgment, no questions.

Her club was like a beacon of safety in this city, and Lai found himself taking refuge from the storms he whipped up with surprising frequency.

“I’m surprised you’ve never prodded me for information about that little adventure.”

“I know you and Al. The less I know, the better I sleep.” Candy refilled his glass. She knew the alcohol didn’t affect him.It was a mechanical gestureafter so many years running a bar, a muscle memory.“How are the two of you doing?”

Lai paused, looking up at the woman. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

She blinked at him through long, dark lashes, bits of glitter caught in them.

Candy seemed surprised by that question.

“I’ve been trying to drag him to my place just so the man can eat a home-cooked meal.

Yeah, we had a drink and a tumble, but I wouldn’t even call it casual. You know Al. Major commitment issues.”

All Lai could offer her was a nod of understanding. The little green monster of jealousy inside him returned to its hibernation, satisfied with her answer.