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A dark archway leads to a black abyss, and fear grips me in a chokehold.
“W-what is that?” I croak.
“Relax, babe. I’ll protect you.” Cade places a hand on the small of my back and nudges me forward. Something travels on the musty air, the faint sound of laughter and music. As the darkness swallows me, candlelight flickers off the wall, revealing a staircase that sinks into the ground. The music grows louder as we move deeper.
We come to another huge stone door, and Cade moves around me to push it open. Inside is nothing like I am expecting. It’s a vast room, the decor modern and sleek. A huge black crushed velvet sectional adorns one wall, and a chrome bar runs the length of the other, complete with glass shelves full of expensive liquor. Brandon is perched on a black leather stool, kissing the face off some scantily-clad girl, his fingers pushed under her skirt as she rides his hand. He sure didn’t waste any time.
Channing and Tim sit in two wingback chairs, drinking from tumblers as they watch a girl contort her body around a pole. She’s in an itty-bitty bikini, her breasts spilling out as she swings and bends.
“What is this place?” My voice quivers.
“It’s our den.”
“Where’s Sasha?” I ask, hoping she’ll magically appear.
“She sends her apologies. But don’t worry, I’ll keep you company.” Cade brushes my hair off my shoulder. “So beautiful.” His thumb strokes my cheek, dropping to my bottom lip. He teases the seam of my mouth, slowly forcing it past my lips.
For a second, I imagine biting down hard, but sense gets the better of me and I gently pull away. “Not in front of your friends.”
His brow goes up at the suggestion in my voice.
Just then, Ashton enters the room and makes a beeline for one of the girls serving drinks behind the bar. He grabs her wrists, pins them above her head, and kisses her passionately.
Sex lingers in the air, the sultry beat thrumming deep inside of me. I don’t feel the overpowering lust I felt before, at the dinner where Cade touched me. But I feel something.
“Aren’t you going to ask?” Cade studies me.
“Ask what?” I meet his inquisitive stare with my own.
“Where your boyfriend is?”
I falter but quickly slide my stone expression back in place. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“So you aren’t fucking Easton behind my back?”
My heart plummets into my toes.
He knows.
Cade knows.
“How did you find out?” I don’t even bother denying it.
“Nothing happens on campus without me knowing about it, Mia. Nothing happens in this town without me knowing about it.”
There’s something in his dark gaze that I don’t understand. He’s angry about Bexley, yes, but it’s more than that.
“Where are Bexley and Alex, Cade?” I manage to get the words out despite the huge pit in my stomach.
“So eager, prosapia.” He spits the word as if it’s something less than human. And I realize that maybe it is.
“Mia wants to start the party early,” Cade announces.
Ashton tears away from the girl he has pinned against the wall and stalks toward us. “You sure, kitty? You might not like what you find.” His smirk is wicked, making dread snake through me.
“Where are they?” I demand, adrenaline pounding through me. Maybe it’s foolish to think I can stand up to them, but I can’t just lie down and take whatever they have planned, either.
I sense Channing watching me, but I don’t meet his eyes. I can’t. I’m too far in to turn back.
