AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Once we are, I stroll over to the car and wrench the door open. Before I start the car, Cory hands me a tissue. I wipe the sweat off my forehead, replaying the scene over and over in my head.
My public relations specialist was going to rip me a new one if she got wind of this but that is tomorrow’s problem.
In silence, we peel out, tires screeching against the asphalt as we drive away. When we are far enough, I roll my shoulders and blow out a deep breath. Next to me, Cory’s fingers are flying over the keyboard, white light dancing across his features.
“Are you already planning a celebration?”
Cory gives me a half-smile. “You know it. We deserve to go out, get wasted, and find as many women as we can.”
I rolled my eyes. “You say that every night.”
“And you join meeverynight,” Cory points out with a smug smile. “Don’t pretend that you don’t like it. I saved your ass from a miserable suburban life with a typical white-collar job and a white picket fence. And tonight was epic! How many people do you know can set up an experience like that?”
I nod and run a hand over my face while the other grips the steering wheel tightly. “You’re right. You did, and tonight was good.”
“Shit, can you imagine what your parents would say if they saw you now?”
I shudder at the thought. Having grown up as the only son of Phoebe and Lucas O’Connor, a pastry chef and an investment banker who owned a house in the suburbs, my life right now is a far cry from the kind of life they’d mapped out for me. Up until my senior year of high school, I’d known what I was going to do with my life. I had everything from an acceptance letter from my dad’s alma mater, an office job already lined up, and a girlfriend my parents had adored.
Holy fuck.I haven’t thought about Alicia Sommers in years.
My parents still haven’t gotten over the fact that I broke up with her to join the peace corps and start my own company dedicated to renewable and affordable tech.
As for Alicia, she’s probably married some wall-street type guy and started one of those obnoxious blogs, lapping up the life of a social media influencer. I give a slight shake of my head at the thought as the empty road ahead of me gives way to a highway and a slew of trucks on either side. When I switch on the headlights, I receive a few honks of protest, but I ignore them.
A short while later, we pull up outside of our usual nightclub at the edge of the city of Chicago. I take in the pulsing neon sign out front and the two men in suits guarding the large doors.
As soon as we get out of the car, they push the doors open and loud music spills out. Inside, there are hundreds of tightly packed bodies. The smell of sweat and alcohol wafts up to my nostrils. In the middle of the dance floor, a few scantily clad women form a circle, only looking up when they notice us.
The blonde gives me a bright smile and a once-over.
I give her a smirk in return and drag Cory along to the VIP booth. There, we sit in the brown leather booth, forming a semi-circle overlooking the rest of the club. I lean back, place one arm on either side of the booth, and smile.
“Fucking finally.” Cory strips off his jacket and tosses it next to him. “Now the fun can really begin.”
“Looks like you’ve got your pick already,” I comment. “That didn’t take long at all.”
Cory stands up. “What can I say? The ladies know what they want.”
I snort. “Their heads examined obviously.”
“Fuck you.”
“Hard pass.” I turn my attention away from him and signal to a waiter in the distance.
Recognizing my face, he hurries over. I notice the sweat glistening on his forehead as I rattle off my order, adding a few plates of food. When he hurries off, I see the blonde again. She is in a tight red dress, her hips swaying as she approaches me. The men sporting identical buzzcuts wearing dark suits and even darker expressions stop her and glance over at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pierce untangle himself from a busty brunette and look over, but I give him and the bodyguards a slight shake of my head.
A moment later, she is pressed against me. The sickly-sweet smell of her perfume washes over me. When I look over at her, I see my high school girlfriend again, and I frown.
Why the fuck am I thinking of Alicia?
I’d only dated her because my parents had approved, and she was with me because there were plenty of rumors about me. Although I’d kept my nose clean and done well in school, I am a private person. There had been many details of my private life that I’d kept to myself, especially when I started hanging out with the wrong kind of crowd.
Being seen by the biker crowd had been exhilarating. It was a rush unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and if I’d been smarter, I’d have noticed the red flags right away.
But like an idiot, I’d allowed them to bait me.
Months later, on a warm spring night, in the middle of an abandoned parking lot, they’d sold me out. A group of men in masks had emerged out of nowhere and grabbed me as I kicked and screamed. Then, the world had faded to black. I remember waking up on the floor of a cold cell with my head swimming. I’d taken one look at the peeling walls around me and known something had gone terribly wrong.
