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Deep brown eyes float at the front of my vision.
Oversized sweats and a dancing smile that lights up the room. My lips twitch at the memory, despite the severity of this moment.
Maybethisis why we met. Maybethisis how I can take care of her like she needs.
“Her name is Reyna, and she’s…” My forehead creases in thought, and I trail off, momentarily unsure of what to say, until the words just come to me.
“Shemattersto me, Henry.”
The emphasis placed on that statement is eerily accurate despite our short acquaintance, but I can see the moment Henry realizes I’m one hundred percent serious.
And then, in typical Alex fashion, I drive my point home in style. “I want to marry this woman.”
In for a penny and all that!
Unrestrained delight lifts his heavy brow as his eyes soften openly. His mouth lifts in a broad smile that shines from his cheeks. “Christ’s sake, Al. Couldn’t you have led with that?”
His laugh is brimming with relief as he rounds the table to clasp my shoulders, tugging me against his chest and into a bear hug. “I only want your happiness, little brother. And if she is important to you, then I’ll welcome her with open arms.”
Gray claps his hand atop my shoulder from his place at my back, and I close my eyes for a moment to allow my guilt to settle.
I don’t like lying to the few people I care about, and the ease with which I’ve just told this lie makes me sick to my stomach. Despite my best efforts, I’m just like my fucked-up parents.
Showing the desired image to the world, all while being twisted and broken on the inside.
Henry pulls out of our embrace, gripping my upper arms, and I swallow that thought along with my guilt, pushing everything as deep down as I can, just like I’ve done for as long as I can remember.
“When do we get to meet my future sister-in-law, Reyna?”
* * *
“Well, you’ve just gone and shit the motherfucking bed, DeMarco, haven’t you!”
I narrow my eyes at my pseudo-friend as he begins to slow clap. “Well done. This is next-level screwing up, even for such a seasoned—”
“Christ almighty, Burton.” I cut him off before he manages to piss me off even further, but all he does is smirk. “I came here for some damn advice, so do your part, and get me out of this mess…”
I trail off, my face turning sheepish as I murmur, “Again.”
The bastard laughs in my face before suddenly rising to stand.
“Come on. I have a club to run, and you’re eating into my valuable time.”
He reaches the door of his office above Rogue, where he can be found at almost any hour of the day or night, swinging it wide open before beckoning me to follow.
“The least you can do is keep me company while we talk it out.”
I follow after him, lengthening my strides to catch up with his as we cross the staff quarters, that are, even at this time of the afternoon, bustling with a flurry of activity.
Catching my eye, Vaughn merely shrugs. “Youknow, debauchery never sleeps, my friend.”
He’s not wrong. If the walls of this place could talk, the stories they’d tell would undoubtedly destroy lives.
He marches through a seemingly hidden door on the far side of the vast staff area, leading us intoRisqué.
There are three tiers to Rogue.
The first,Rapture, is the main club area decorated in hues of blue and green to almost give the impression of being underwater. Nightly shows, parades, and a multitude of A-listers make it a top-class night out.
