Page 12 of Silk and Sirens

Caden

I glared at the familiar symbol of a trident glowing over the thick, metal door. There were no signs other than the neon, and even the door was nondescript, giving no indication of the depravities that happened inside.

I fucking hated this place, the scent of sex, affairs, and the lies disguised as promises.

“Welcome to Atlantis, where your darkest desires are met with discretion. How can I assist you today?” the receptionist asked, her smile the perfect line between professionalism and seduction. She was attractive, with her dark hair expertly styled around her shoulders and her makeup highlighting her features beneath the soft lighting. It was part of the image, that behind these doors there were beautiful people ready to play if you had the right money. Here, gods and goddesses were obtainable, if only for a few hours.

“I’m here to see Aeris,” I said, my muscles aching with how tense I was.

I really fucking hate this place, I thought for the third time in as many minutes.

Atlantis was a cesspool of sexually transmitted diseases blurred by low lighting and a pretty wrapper.

“Do you have an appointment, sir?”

Anonymity was part of the appeal, apparently. The idea that once you passed through the curtain you were only known as ‘sir’, ‘master’, or any other stupid fucking name you wanted to be called.

But that anonymity was nothing but a cleverly concealed veil, considering you had to pass a strict background check before you were even allowed inside the elite club.

“No.”

“You’ll have to make an⁠—”

Without a care I pushed the thick curtain to my right aside, expecting to step into what was usually an old 50s-style bar. The times I’d accompanied my cousin, I’d waited in one of the large booths, people watching as someone played the Steinway with a level of expertise that was lost amongst the crowd. But today was different. The usual tables had been replaced by small, circular ones set with two chairs each, all angled towards a stage that had nearly doubled in size. The lights were low, only the warm glow of table lamps illuminating the back booths, while a single spotlight gleamed off the man-sized martini glass filled with water positioned at centre stage.

Aeris reclined in the glass, her body hidden beneath a froth of bubbles. She tipped her head back as she sang, long dark-red hair falling down one side, her legs crossed and draped over the opposite rim.

I paused at the entrance, Aeris’s husky voice washing over me like pure sin. Lingering in the air, thick and intoxicating. It was just another part of her arsenal, alongside a body and a face she knew exactly how to wield.

Movement in my peripheral, and my gun was out and pressed to the security guard’s side before he even had a chance to touch me.

The guy stiffened, multi-coloured eyes widening a fraction before he recovered his composure. He was clearly well trained enough not to flinch at a gun or draw attention to himself. It made sense she employed someone well versed in the darker side of society, given her clientele ranged from the rich and famous, crooked politicians, crime lords, and leaders far more dangerous than they appeared.

There was a reason she was known as the Mistress of Whispers in certain circles, and that was because she could make anyone talk. It was almost pathetic, really. Promise a little pleasure and these men would spill secrets they’d never share with their closest allies. Pathetic but undeniably useful when it benefitted us.

But when it wasn’t, she became a problem.

“We don’t want any trouble,” the guard said quietly.

“Then I suggest you back away and let me speak to your boss.”

He grit his teeth. “You here on behalf of the Beast?”

“Let Aeris know I’m waiting.” Removing my gun from his side, I put it back in its holster hidden beneath my jacket. Finding an available table I sat with my back to the wall, scanning the crowd while Aeris moved to a kneeling position in the glass. Her long hair was expertly flipped over her shoulder, covering her breasts in a provocative manner.

She didn’t simply sing into the microphone, she seduced it. Her voice was rich and velvety, wrapping around each note with such effortless grace that the crowd looked up at her as if she was their damnation.

The song ended, and I found myself staring at her. That was the problem. Every time I walked into this place, she pulled at me like gravity. It was as if she had her own orbit, and everyone in the room tilted towards her without meaning to. Including me.

I hated it.

Hated that I reacted at all to a woman as infuriating as her.

A man stepped onto the stage, his chest bare except for a careless scatter of blue glitter. He helped Aeris from the glass, revealing a nude-toned, skin-tight bodysuit so convincing it gave the illusion she wore nothing at all except for some strategically placed diamonds. She patted at her damp skin with a towel, and with the red hair and matching lips, she held almost everyone’s attention. But when those blue-green eyes collided with mine from across the room, I could do nothing but still.

Her smile strained for barely a second before she reached down towards the front row and stole a drink from one of the tables. With a wink, she removed the cherry from the glass before kneeling on the stage.

I clenched my jaw as she held the cherry between her teeth and leaned towards a brunette woman whose eyes had glazed with lust. The crowd reacted exactly the way she’d intended. Aeris passed the cherry from her lips to the woman’s, lingering just long enough to draw a sound from the room.