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I drop it into first and fly out of the familiar airstrip before any of them catch me. “This feels good.” I inhale and sigh through the tension in my muscles. After all these weeks, I’ve been so focused on my duties that I’ve forgotten to live. To feel. To explore.
“Freedom looks good on you.” Kenan taps his arm with mine before playing with the touch screen to turn on the Bluetooth and connect his phone.
“You remind me of Eli…” I say, almost to myself. The words surprise me as much as him.
“Nah, he’s way hotter.” True, but I wasn’t going to agree out loud.
“You just give me the same feelings. Like—I’ve known you for a long time.”
Kenan watches me, his eyes flicking from the speedometer to my face. “Okay…” His reaction confuses me, but then we’re on the main strip of Kiznitch and I feel all the memories I left here soak back into my pores. The streets are scattered with people here and there, snow frosting the road and streets. There are little shops on every side, but directly in front of us, up against the stone clifftop, is The Castle that’s built into the cliff.
Kenan shuffles forward, pushing his glasses down the bridge of his nose to take a closer look. “Dang. It’s bigger than I remember.”
“Bet that’s what they all say…” I smirk over at him and he bursts out laughing, pushing his glasses back up.
“Okay, girlfriend. Tell me, are you upset that hottie called him, or are you upset that he took the call away from you?”
“Both! And I’m kind of… confused. I’ve spent so long making sure I’m the best version of Delila that she was, but forgot to be myself.”
Kenan hasn’t replied, so I turn to face him as we roll to the first set of lights. He’s blinking at me with a blank expression, before shaking it off and smiling like the Cheshire cat. “Go right. We’re so hitting Alley Cat before you go to The Castle.”
I look between him and the road ahead. “What? No, I can’t, I have to be present—”
“—and you will be!” Kenan clucks his tongue at me. “But I am your friend, not the whatever version of Delila you’re chasing, and as your friend, I’m telling you we need some Cartier Nero type shit before you go back and play boss bitch around a bunch of testosterone filled men who all have too much big dick energy and not enough sense.”
I burst out laughing, but falter when the light turns green. “Okay. One drink.”
I look in my rearview mirror and don’t see Christopher and Jordan behind me. Whoops. We must have sped all the way here. Turning right, I direct us down the road until the bright neon light flickers that reads Alley Cat.
As we pull up to the curb, faces turn toward the car from the line out the front. Every car for Midnight Mayhem starts with MM on the plate, not that you need that hint to know it’s us. Kiznitch is a wealthy town, but we are at the top.
“Well, it’s a good thing Kiznitch is safe, because I just lost my bodyguards.” We both climb out and Kenan laughs, closing his door.
I waltz past the front as the security officer manning the line notices us. We’re both dressed—well—I’m dressed more casually than I would if I was going out. The ripped jeans and crop top, no more than the Vans on my feet. Kenan looks good, though. Bright pattern shirt that has all of the pastel colors striped over each other in a hippie type pattern, and slacks with boat shoes on his feet. I swear, anything this man wears looks good.
The guard nods at both of us and unhooks the barrier. Not one person complains in line when we slip through and I slide some money into his back pocket.
The music is loud, and even though it’s not dark outside—despite it being nine p.m.—it’s dark in here. Neon strobe lights flash to the heavy techno sound as people dance. Another man wearing a suit with tattoos all over his body and face moves toward us, gesturing to the stairs.
“Your booths are upstairs, if you want to foll—” I place my hand on his chest, tilting my head. I know I’m attractive. That part I didn’t need training for, and I know how to use my femininity like a weapon, or at the very least, act interested for a little bit of attention.
“We don’t want them. We’re good down here!” I yell into his ear, standing on my tippy toes.
He looks between Kenan and me, before leaning closer in to me. “Look, I know that you’re Kyrin’s baby sister. He will have my balls if I don’t tell him you’ve come into my club. So I’ll give you a ten-minute head start.”
I sigh, running my finger over the buttons of his suit shirt. Damn. If I wanted to be a real bitch, I could very well use him as a new toy to annoy Keaton. Unfortunately, I don’t think he’s warranted that, and hopefully he never does. I lean into his ear again. “Actually, yes, that’s right. I am his sister, but I’m Cartier Nero, so…”
It’s the first time I’ve noticed that maybe his eyes are blue. Green? No. Definitely blue. You know what? Why the fuck is everyone in this damn town attractive?
“Alright, beat it, you two. I didn’t see you.” His big body moves up the stairs, and I spin around to see Kenan already with his tongue down a girl’s throat.
Chuckling, I swing near the bar and order ten shots. We don’t have time for drinks, and I knew I was lying about just having one the second I turned the car down this street.
Kenan’s arms wrap around my waist as he rests his chin on my shoulder. “You left me with her.”
I wink at the bartender, licking salt off my hand. “You looked busy…” Shooting down the tequila, I suck on the wedge of lime as Kenan shuffles his ass onto the bar. No one says a word. Midnight Mayhem has a bad rep whenever we come back to Kiznitch because we can be loud and obnoxious. Not usually The Brothers, but others. Like Kenan. Too bad if anyone has a problem with him tonight, they’ll have to go through me. Oh God… am I drunk already?
Kenan wraps his lips around the rim of the shot glass and tips his head back. Swiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he presses his forehead to mine. “You know… I don’t think this is a one drink kind of party.” He reaches into his pocket, pulling out the little ball of white powder. “Hello, darkness…” The music changes to a familiar tune, and I snatch the bag off him while gesturing around the drinks. I tell the bartender that we’re heading upstairs and ask if we could get someone to move the drinks up before I drag Kenan back the way we came, taking the steps as fast as I can despite the shot of tequila in my blood.
