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“Now?” Her face lit up. “Here?”

“If Dutch agrees. And I don’t want Seb to know until I walk in.”

“He won’t hear it from me.” Indira set the cups down. “Tell me what you need.”

I told her about the music and where I wanted the men to stand. By the time I finished, she was grinning.

“I’d love to help. Give me a minute.”

She came back with Dutch. He closed the kitchen door behind him while I went through it again.

“The common room,” he said. “You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

He nodded. “The kids can go into the back room with a couple of prospects and some of the parents. I’ll give the men their instructions without spoiling it. Nobody touches you or says a word you don’t want to hear. Anything else?”

“That’s everything.”

He stopped with his hand on the door. “You’re smiling.”

“I am?”

“Yeah.” He smiled too. “Good to see you happy in here again, Wren. I’ll get them ready.”

Indira watched me after he left. “Still want to do it?”

I thought about the screen in that room and how little choice I’d had about who saw me. Then I thought of the costume in my bag. I’d packed it. I’d come to Indira. I could still tell her no.

“Yes,” I said.

An hour later, I stood in the little room off the kitchen with my costume on. Through the door I heard Indira directing the men. Handful argued. A chair scraped across the floor. Dutch said something I couldn’t make out, and the room went quiet.

Indira started the music. I settled Blondie’s black mask over my eyes, checked myself in the mirror and opened the door.

Venom men stood in two lines facing each other, leaving me a path down the middle of the common room. Dutch, Colt, Holden, Handful, and String stood on one side. Redd, Moff, Esco, Rix and Argus stood opposite them. Arms folded. Feet apart. All of them trying to look stern. Indira had put Seb in a chair at the far end. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, watching me.

I let the first two beats pass while they waited for me to move. Handful shifted his weight. I nearly laughed behind the mask.

On the third beat, I stepped between them. No pole, no stage. Only a common room floor and two lines of men who’d been ordered not to move. I took my time walking the length of them, letting the music pull my hips from side to side. Halfway down, I turned, dipped low and came up slowly. A few of them found the ceiling fascinating. I caught Seb still watching.

Dutch kept his eyes about four feet above my head, looking as though he was doing long division. Colt turned a color I’d never seen on a human being. Holden made it through without moving one muscle in his face, which might have been the best performance in the room.

Handful lasted ninety seconds. Then he said, “Nope,” turned to face the wall and stayed there while half the room laughed at him.

Redd met my eyes as I passed. I’d always called him Robin Redbreast; Redd wasn’t much of a stretch. “Go on, Jenny Wren,” he said. “I’m proud of you.”

Austen’s mouth hung open, Bea stared, and Lilac stopped with her drink halfway to her lips. I turned toward them, and Austen burst out laughing. Bea caught her arm and joined in; Lilac laughed so hard she nearly spilled her drink. Indira stood beside them with her hands on her hips, beaming at me.

I went back down the middle as the music changed, this time facing Seb. I rolled my shoulders, let my hands trail over my waist and stopped just beyond his reach. His fingers tightened around the edges of the chair. I circled him once. He turned to follow me, and I stepped away, smiling when he shook his head at me.

Dozens of men stood in a clubhouse watching a woman dance, and there wasn’t one whistle. Not one comment. Nobody tried to turn it into something it wasn’t.

They cheered when I finished. Even Handful turned back from the wall to applaud. I stood there trying to take it in.

Seb stayed in his chair, his hands still gripping the arms, even though the music had stopped. When I came toward him, he let go and held one hand out to me.

I almost took it. I wanted to climb into his lap and kiss him but there was something I had to do first. I stopped in front of him and took off the mask.