Page 26

He tenses, standing on his tiptoes to answer. “Rag Doll. My favorite DC villain. Who’re you?”

His words are slurred, muffled beneath the mask, and I pull back with a frown. “Are you drunk?”

“S’what if I am?”

KC sidles up behind Shilo, trapping him between us. “He only had two shots. Guy’s a lightweight.”

My jaw tightens as I lift the mask, revealing wide, unfocused blue eyes blinking up at me. “You didn’t eat today, did you?”

He scoffs, dropping his gaze. “You’re not the boss of me.”

“I beg to differ.” Grabbing his chin, I hold him in place, our noses nearly touching. “Who do you think signs your paychecks?”

“But I haven’t even gotten paid yet,” he mumbles, scrunching his face in confusion.

Exasperated, I roll my eyes and tug him toward the stairs. He latches onto KC, dragging him along, and the three of us push through writhing bodies up to the mezzanine, where it’s mercifully less crowded.

“What’s going on?” Paige and Dec suddenly appear, both looking a hot mess, hair mussed and lips red like they’ve been devouring each other.

“Your brother needs to eat if he’s going to continue drinking,” I bite out as I pass, making my way to the VIP booths, where I all but shove Shilo into a seat.

Everyone else piles in when I leave to order bottle service, and I have to force myself in between KC and Shilo upon returning. I can feel Paige’s eyes narrow in my direction, but I ignore her, turning in my seat instead to face the boy next to me whose delicate features are twisted into a grimace.

“Why Rag Doll?” I ask, watching as he stares down at the mask on his lap.

“He’s…misunderstood,” Shilo answers with a small shrug. “Not the original, but his son. And non-binary. I don’t know, I’ve just always liked the character.”

I tilt my head, processing that information as the cocktail waitress appears, and I order myself another whiskey as well as some cheese fries for Shilo.

He blinks up at me, brows furrowing. “What about Kansas?”

“What?”

Pointing over my shoulder, he gestures to KC, who wiggles his fingers while my brother smirks from the other side of the booth.

“I’m pretty famished myself,” Declan chuckles, looking ridiculous in a Batman suit next to Paige’s dominatrix-worthy Catwoman costume. She’s still eyeing me warily, so I order food and drinks for everyone just to get them off my back.

KC loops his arm with mine, grinning as he taps my thick-rimmed glasses. “So, who are you supposed to be, Ry?”

“Clark Kent. Can’t you tell?”

In an instant, my vision blurs as my glasses are lifted off my face, and I turn to see Shilo slide them on.

“Are these real?” He snorts, squinting around the dark booth. “Wow, you’re really blind, Mr. Callahan.”

Declan chokes on his beer as Paige barks out a laugh, and I have to force myself to breathe.

“It’s Ryann,” I growl, plucking my glasses off his face, “and I’m well aware, thank you.”

“You’d think someone as rich as you could afford lasik.”

An edge to his tone has me lifting a brow, wishing he’d meet my eyes instead of focusing them on everything else.

“Oh, no,” KC interjects, leaning over to address my broken doll. “If Ry ever got rid of the glasses, I’d riot. They make him look sexy.”

Fuck off, KC.

Paige knocks her knuckles on the table, drawing our attention as she points between us. “So, are you two a thing?”