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He shifts through the shadows to the other end of the room, taking a seat next to someone on a couch near the stage. Instinctively I want to follow him, to ask him about his cryptic message and what the hell it’s supposed to mean, but I hesitate.
What if he’s one of the ones I shouldn’t trust and by warning me about the others, he wants to establish some kind of trust?
Nice try, Nate. I’ve watched too many reruns to fall for that one.
He’ll have to pick someone more gullible if he wants someone to steal from, or worse.
As Cara giggles next to me again, I tear my eyes away from Nate to look over at her. The man she’s talking to has short, pale hair and a charming grin. He looks innocent enough, but now Nate’s warning is burning into my thoughts, and I can’t shake the uneasy feeling skirting over my skin and leaving goosebumps behind.
“Cara,” I say, nudging her with my elbow. “Do you want to go dance?”
Now that more people have trickled into the bar, a couple of people have gathered on the sparkling dance floor. They move to the music like figures of smoke in the limited lighting.
She looks over for a brief second, her eyes slightly glazed over like she’s staring through me rather than at me, and she smiles lazily. “You can go and I’ll catch up. I’m talking to Shane.”
I look over her shoulder and Shane gives me a wink, which doesn’t make me feel any better about him. Cara then looks away, falling right back into conversation with him.
Rude much?
“Cara,” I hiss, nudging her again. “Come on. You can come back after a song or two.”
I’m not even that interested in dancing, but a gut feeling tells me I need to get Cara away from his guy before things get too serious. I don’t know why, because he looks nice at first glance, but something about him makes me uneasy. Uncomfortable.
Her eyes are still glazed over when she looks at me, which I determine is the result of the gin she drank too quickly, and she shakes her head. “You go, Dev. I promise I’ll catch up.”
I stare in disbelief, trying to figure out how I can convince her to come with me, but it’s clear she’s not going anywhere right now.So much for hanging out.I was replaced by the first pretty boy with a nice smile that showed her attention, and now I’m going to have to dance alone.
Wonderful.
Who am I to deny her a good time when it was my idea in the first place?
I chug the rest of my drink, ignoring the bite of alcohol as it burns my throat, and I slip off the bar stool to explore the rest ofThe Ch?teau.
ChapterTwenty-Two
DEVYN
Idon’t have to see the curious gazes trailing me as I make my way around the edge of the room. I canfeelthem piercing through me as I look around innocently, trying to appear comfortable in this unfamiliar setting, even though my anxiety is running rampant. I wish I’d asked for another drink before daring to venture out alone.
Maybe the alcohol would have boosted my courage. Or maybe I would have been content acting as a third wheel to Cara and the guy at the bar.
My eyes sweep the room, from the people swaying on the dance floor to those lounging in darker corners. Nate is still on the couch across the room, but now he’s lip-locked with a man with electric blue hair wearing checkered pants and a blue coat jacket.
Looks like I’ll be the only one going home alone tonight. Not that I’m disappointed. I have my mates and I’m not interested in adding any more love interests to the mix, but I wish my men werehere. That way I wouldn’t have to go home alone at all.
If they were here, they might drag me off to one of the darkest corners and take turns fucking me just out of eyesight. Or maybe they’d bend me over the middle of the bar and have their way with me. The thought of Rafe using me in front of a crowd makes the temperature around me skyrocket and a heartbeat throbs to life between my thighs. Even if he can’t pass through the portal, it’s an enticing thought.
I follow the edge of the room to a doorway draped with thick velvet curtains. There are no signs discouraging entry or ropes preventing me from pushing past the fabric, so I slip beyond them and find a second room.
The music beats louder toward the back of the building, and while the aesthetic of this room matches that of the first, there is a very different vibe. Colorful lights cartwheel around the room, drawing my gaze to their source which is a wide stage to my right. There are six poles reaching from the stage to the ceiling, and there is a naked woman dancing on each of them.
I draw closer, intrigued, but not because they’re dancers. They’re human women, but they have horns, tails, and claws like monsters.
Fake, I discern when a pair of horns glitters in the light. What else could they be?
One of them slides down into the splits, hardly fazed by her eight-inch heels, before quickly hopping back up and spinning around her pole again. She blows me a kiss and winks in my direction, leaving me wishing I had cash on me to tip her. She’s doing a damn good job.
Men and women sit along the stagefront and along the walls. More are sprinkled around the few tables taking up the middle of the room, and I can tell by a quick look that these are the big ballers. These dancers are probably going to make enough tonight to pay all their bills in a single night.
