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CHAPTER 16
Iris
Scarlett hadn’t left Sage City, which made it easy to find her. She had moved in with her man, a pharmaceutical mogul who had visited the Dahlia District for years, but had ended his membership once he committed to Scarlett. He had his hands full with her, and I was glad for them.
I could never figure Scarlett out. She had come to the Dahlia District pretending to be a fire dancer, using that as her audition for the club, but she was bad at it.Reallybad at it. Almost burned down the club multiple times. She left after a short while, as if she had completed a purpose. I had this theory that Scarlett had another reason for being there. Experimentation? A sick fantasy? Undercover work? Dahlia denied everything, but always with a knowing smile on her face. Either way, Scarlett was nice to Teagen and me, so we were nice back.
We met at a coffee shop at the edge of Sage City. A rack hung on the wall, decorated with tons of mason jars, tiny leaves spilling out over the edges. A tall contraption with tubes and drips, like a steampunk coffee system, sat on the counter. Beardos and man buns and a few tattooed chicks worked the bar, making overpriced lattes and tasteless cold brew. I ordered a black coffee, which was served instantly. I didn’t need the finesse of a caramel macchiato or the waiting time that came with a pumpkin spice latte—though I admit it was a guilty pleasure, one I took in private when I could get it on delivery. Teagen had made me try the drinks, and as much as I hated it, I understood the hype. I had a bad sweet tooth.
A woman with blond hair tucked into a ponytail waved to me. Scarlett. I sat in front of her. She was sipping a large iced latte, a layer of sugar crystals collecting at the bottom. She had broad shoulders for a woman, like she used to be on the swim team or weight training team, but she was never intimidating, just physically fit.
“How’ve you been?” I asked. “I heard you moved in with Stone.” I raised a brow. “How’s that?”
“Pretty exciting,” she beamed. “It’s a true twenty-four-seven lifestyle thing with him. So, you know. It’s challenging, but it has its rewards.”
Her eyes twinkled. Stone had had a reputation for pushing limits in the private rooms, so I assumed she was talking about something like that.
“Thing with him?” I repeated. But then I shrugged. Who was I to judge if she was a live-in slave, after what Roland and I had been doing? When I let Roland choke me with a belt. I touched my cheek, skimming over the scab. “I guess if he makes you happy.”
“He does,” she cooed. She nodded at my cheek. “What happened to your face?”
“Oh, this?” I said, pretending like it was nothing. “Just got attacked by my lover with a belt, then attacked again by a stranger in a ski mask.” I forced a laugh.
She stared at me, a flat expression on her face. “Are you okay, Iris?” she asked. “Do you need help with something?”
No, I didn’t. The last thing I needed was some happy soul getting involved in my strange life. I had decided the ski mask man was random bad luck, and with Roland, once he quit taking drugs, things could go back to normal. Whatever ‘normal’ was.
“It’s not a big deal,” I said. She waited for more of an explanation, but I had none. “Nothing I want to talk about.”
“So what else is up then?” she tried. “You’re still at the Dahlia District?”
“Always,” I said, glad for the change of subject.
“Did you replace me yet?”
I laughed. “How could we replace you?”
“Just make sure my replacement knows how to spin poi better than I do.”
“Guaranteed,” I said. “Not going to make that mistake again. No offense.”
“None taken. It was not my forte.”
“But you were decent by the end.” She gave me a funny look, so I corrected myself. “Okay, fine. You were passable.”
She chuckled. “Passable. That’s one way to put it.”
I never sugar-coated it for her; fire wasn’t something I was going to mess around with. “Anyway,” I said, “there’s a chance I could be the next owner of the club.”
She sat up, her eyes widening. “That’s amazing! Congratulations.”
“But here’s the thing,” I paused, “We’ve lost alotof servers and club members in the last year or so.”
“With the Pros’ Angel?”
“Even before that.” I shook my head. “And hell, you left, then Teagen left too—”
“Wait, what?” she cut me off. “Teagen left too? Without you?”
