“Good as new,” Gabriel replied despite the continued ache in his leg.
“Greystone said you’re heading back to Italy. I’ll miss you, brother. You turn this club on its ass every time you’re here.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Gabriel said.
“I didn’t think so,” Hawk replied before bringing Gabriel inside.
The warmth surrounded him, the rave music pulsed through him. The men made their way through the crowded club of costumed members to the bar.
After turning off the music, Hawk jumped onto the bar and whistled loudly. “When a brother comes in, we give him a special welcome! Ladies, Eli’s in the house. Who’s ready to get wild?”
A chorus of “yeses” filled the space.
“He’s mine tonight,” called out a woman dressed as a baby doll.
This is crazy.
Still on the bar, Hawk called out, “Let’s play Eli’s song, ‘Eli’s Coming’ by Three Dog Night.”
A chorus of cheers filled the room as the classic rock tune started playing through the club.
Months ago, Gabriel had slapped down the hefty membership fee, then became a regular at the popular Alexandria cosplay club. After coming up with the name Eli—to keep his identity on the down-lo—Hawk had turned it into a “thing” every time he showed up. He’d announce him, then play the song. In a few short months, Hawk had turned him into an in-demand celebrity at the private nightclub.
The lyrics warned women to hide their hearts from the heartache that is the whirlwind of Eli. As the song filled everycorner of the room, the regulars started singing along. Someone offered him a beer, someone else slapped him on the back.
There, he was treated like a rock star, but no one knew his true identity.
Hawk started pouring beers and passing them out. A woman tugged Gabriel onto the dance floor, and a swarm of dancers gobbled him up. When the song ended, everyone applauded. Three women asked if they could buy him a drink. Rather than accept, he escaped to the bar, slid onto a stool.
Hawk dropped a napkin in front of him, set down a glass of Santini Whisky as a full-bodied woman squeezed in next to him, shot him a smile. Her short, blonde hair was tucked behind her ears, her boobs—on exhibit in a bright pink push-up bra—demanded his attention.
“Hey,” she murmured, her raspy voice catching his attention. “How’s it goin’?”
“It’s going,” Gabriel replied.
“If you wanna get rocked all night long, let mama take you for a wild ride,” said the busty stranger.
A woman slid onto the barstool on the other side of the busty blonde. When she leaned in to speak with the bartender, Gabriel got a look at her.
Adrenaline charged through him.
Last night’s hookup—dressed in a full-blown pirate costume—had joined the party.
Hello, No Name.
Tonight just got hella more interesting.
7
HELLO BARBI
HALSTON
Halston—disguised as a pirate wearing an eyepatch, a hat, and a super sexy costume—had spent the last hour tucked away in a booth talking with Evangeline. Since the ambassador was arriving tomorrow, she had nothing to report, but Evangeline had asked her why she’d snapped a pic of the embassy’s social director.
“Her reaction to the power outages in the seven cities struck me as odd,” Halston had said. “She smiled.”
Evangeline had wanted Halston to know she wasn’t alone. And Halston appreciated that. Most of their time together had been getting to know each other.
