“Holy mother of hotness, you look amazing, Kenz!” Vera just about screams.
“My God, your hair. I can’t believe you dyed it all black!” Kat gasps in surprise, eyes going wide. An amused smile tugs at the corners of my lips at their reactions to my makeover. I expected as much from them, especially over the change to my hair.
“It’s like Megan Fox and Jennifer Love Hewitt had a baby with a naughty angel.” Vera sighs dramatically, weaving her fingers through my straight strands.
I bark out a laugh at the comment. A blush paints my cheeks, and I dip my head, trying not to let her words have an effect on me.
“Seriously, if you don’t get laid tonight or at least get propositioned to, I’m losing all faith in mankind,” Kat deadpans, flipping her golden hair over her slender shoulder.
A grin spreads across my face as Vera and Kat slip their arms through each of mine. “Well,” I say with a conspiratorial smile, “there’s only one way to find out.”
Once we get to the club, my hands start to get clammy as nervousness rears its ugly head. I haven’t felt this level of anxiety in years. Downing one too many glasses of roseĢ in the limo with the girls didn’t help to ease the jitters. At all. If anything, I’m worse off than before.
I take in the multitude of limos and expensive cars surrounding us with wide, disbelieving eyes. I realize this club is a lot more prestigious than I originally thought. It’s as exclusive as it gets.
Don’t get me wrong, after seeing the photo, I went home and did my research. I searched the five names that have been burned in my brain for over nine years—Trent Ainsworth, Zach Covington, Marcus Whitehorn, Sebastian Pierce, and Vincent Hawthorne. Every search came up with something different. The only one I couldn’t seem to find any details on was Sebastian; he disappeared without so much as a trace, but it was clear the rest of the guys were still as close as ever, and I planned on using that to my benefit.
Our limo rolls to a stop right in front of the carpeted entrance, and of their own accord, my eyes sweep across the tastefully done sign.
The Kings.
Reading the name sends a chill down my spine. My chest expands as I inhale, trying to rein in my emotions. I shouldn’t still be angry after all these years, but I am. God, I am.
It’s just like them, the arrogant bastards, to name a club after themselves. It makes me sick. They make me sick.
We all file out of the limo and head toward the entrance, bypassing the long line of people waiting to get inside that wraps around the corner. Vera leads us past the overly buff bouncers, smiling at them cheekily when they allow us to pass without question.
The allure of rich girls.
The inside is everything I expected it to be yet so much more. From the moment you step inside, the atmosphere is … vibrant. That’s the best way to describe it. There are bodies everywhere; not too many that make you feel crowded or uncomfortable, but just enough to make you feel like you’re swimming in a sea of sharks. The color and ambience inside are dark and sexy, just as I predicted it would be. The Savages wouldn’t have it any other way.
In one section of the club is a lounge bar with red walls and velvet seats, and it’s a lot quieter than the rest of the place. Past the lounge room is a short set of stairs—well, about four steps really—that lead to a dance floor filled with writhing bodies. My eyes trail past the gyrating hips and up toward the dark glass windows above the dance floor. Whatever is up there, I’m sure it holds all the answers I’ve been looking for. My eyes drill holes into the double-sided glass. I’m so lost in my own head, I don’t even notice Vera and Kat moving until they grab my hand, startling me.
“C’mon, hot stuff, let’s go dance.” Kat does the shimmy while leading us toward the center of the dance floor.
The three of us create a sandwich of sorts and dance with each other. As I move my hips to the beat of the music that blares around us, I feel a smile spread across my face. It’s a real smile. Not even for show.
“I hate to admit it,” I yell over the music, “but I’m actually having fun!”
Vera and Kat toss their heads back and laugh at me. “With how hot you look tonight, you deserve it!” Katherine yells over the music. Her perfectly pale cheeks are already flushed.
We dance together for a few songs until Vera unceremoniously announces, “I’m off to get us some fucking drinks.”
Kat shoots me a look that makes me laugh because out of the three of us, Vera is the absolute worst at holding her liquor. If she keeps going at the rate she is, she’s going to have one hell of a hangover come tomorrow morning.
“Should we make sure she isn’t buying out the whole bar?”
Kat makes a shooing motion with her hand. “Let her be. She’s hell-bent on finding a man tonight, so we’ll let her.”
I laugh. “You’re probably right; once Vera has her mind set on something, there’s no changing it.”
Kat’s gaze drifts toward the glass above us, and I do the same. “I’ve heard rumors about the guys who own this place.”
My heart rate spikes. “Oh yeah?” I try for nonchalance since I’m not sure what she’s going to say.
“Yeah. I heard there are five of them. They all went in on this place together. And up there is like some secret society shit. Super exclusive. You either pay your way up there, or one of them invites you.”
Interesting. My head tilts, and I stare up at the dark glass as if it holds all the answers.
“And what’s so special up there?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know if it’s true, but apparently, it’s some freaky, kinky sex club.”
My focus changes trajectory and darts back to her. My gaze narrows in disbelief. “I don’t know, looks kind of … small, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Those are just the rumors anyway—”
“Drinks for everyone!” Vera startles us with her yell, arms full of drinks.
I take one of the offered drinks from her and wrap my lips around the straw and suck. A burst of bitter alcohol and grenadine fills my mouth, and my face sours.
God, this is disgusting.
“And since I’m the good news fairy,” Vera says between sips of her drink, “I thought you would all like to know we’ve been invited upstairs. All three of us.”
My glass just about slips from my hand, and my gaze darts up to the glass box. I suddenly have adrenaline running through my veins. My heart does its best to pound its way out of my chest.
“Are you shitting me?” Kat yells in disbelief. “I was literally just talking to Kenzie about this!”
Vera nods eagerly. The smile on her face is just on the verge of being creepy. “Well, we don’t want to keep them waiting. Let’s go find out what all the fuss is about. Oh, and I call dibs on the hottest one!”
Both Kat and I roll our eyes.
As Vera leads the way toward the staircase that I didn’t even notice near the DJ’s station, a stocky bouncer brusquely appears out of thin air and escorts us up the steps. With each step up, it seems like the music blaring from the dance floor starts to fade a bit. When we reach the landing, another broad-shouldered man takes over and leads us down a dimly lit hallway; we follow him until he stops at a solid black door with ornate detailing. It’s large and formidable looking; yet, it’s sleek and, dare I even say, inviting. It makes you want to know what’s hiding on the other side.