“I assume you’re referring to the new bouncer,” Gage answered knowing full well that was who Kyler was talking about because Gage felt the same way.
“Who else?” Kyler continued to fan himself as he flopped down in one of the makeup chairs. “Did you see the tight muscles on that guy and that black hair so perfect against the contrast of his steel-blue eyes? He made my insides melt.” Gage rolled his eyes at his brother’s drama.
“Regardless of how hot we found him the guy didn’t look at us longer than two seconds, so the appreciation was definitely one-sided.” Gage always the realist was compelled to burst both their balloons.
“Do you think he’s like them? You know, like Cruise and the other guards?” Kyler’s lightheartedness came back to earth with a thud. Gage nodded his head very slowly while keeping an eye on Kyler’s reaction.
“Yeah, he’s a vampire. All the guards and anyone here with authority is from the Coven.” Gage clarified lowering his voice to a mere whisper. “He’s no different than the rest just a hundred times more gorgeous.” That made Kyler smile.
“I can’t fault good eye candy, even if he is a vampire.” He quipped and Gage agreed.
CHAPTER TWO
Kash’s shift was to run to six in the morning but Cruise came out of the back area and told him he could leave at four. He wasn’t sure the reason, but it wasn’t his place to question his supervisor.
Throughout the night Kash observed Cruise and found that he had an aura about him that was unpleasant, much like the rest of the Ruby Light. He’d tried to write it off as his own issue at being back at the bottom of the totem pole, but it was more than that. He gave Kash the creeps. It wasn’t the way he talked or walked or looked at you it was more the cloud of soullessness that seemed to surround him. It was probably the reason and the source of the disconnect and somber attitude that pervaded the place. The man was a shit choice for manager but, apparently, he was making money and that’s what counts in business.
Kash kept himself busy at the front door with plenty of customers coming and going. Cruise was right, they weren’t the Imperial clientele. They were mostly average folks looking for a drink and some cheap entertainment and maybe a hookup. Things picked up considerably around ten when the dancers came onto the small dance floor located in the center of the main room. Kash had been looking forward to seeing the twins again.
The two guards Saul and Jason escorted the dancers to the small stage making their way through the throngs of men waiting to be entertained. The first two were pretty good, not particularly skilled in dancing or having much rhythm but they weren’t bad, and their bodies were beautiful. The two women came next and they were a bit better in the dancing and rhythm department but did nothing for Kash. He much preferred the hard, smooth planes of a man’s body.
Kash had to admit, he couldn’t wait for the attractive blond twins to take center stage. If they moved as good as they looked it would be a show for sure. With that thought, he suddenly felt a wash of jealousy as he looked at the number of men sitting there waiting to watch. He took a step back and turned his attention to the door as the possessive feeling would not go away.
The last time he got head-up over a little beauty it ended in disaster, so he wasn’t going down that road again. But the blond twins might be worth it.
He heard the current set come to an end and knew the twins were next. They were introduced with heavy fanfare and the music began to pump hard as they entered the room with Jason and Saul on either side of them. For as much as he tried Kash could not resist eating them up with his eyes. They were a sight like none other, delicious beauty personified.
They were bare to the waist with tiny silver shorts that barely covered their luscious round asses, pristine white knee socks, and tennis shoes. Their chests and hair were sprinkled with silver glitter that made everything sparkle in the lights. They were stunning. Their moves were sexy and synchronized swaying and dancing erotically to the hard beat. They were definitely the headliners of this show and for a moment Kash wondered what two men with the ability and looks of these two were doing in a dive like the Ruby Light.
Pittsburgh had plenty of nightspots much nicer than this one who probably paid a damned site better too. Throughout their number, Kash’s gaze returned again and again to the sexy little dancers who captivated him and the crowd.
“There’s a problem in the men’s bathroom and Phil can’t seem to get it in hand.” Cruise came up beside Kash. “Go and help him.” Kash moved away from the front and he noticed Cruise take up his position. Kash eyed the dance floor one last time and then headed for the men’s room. Phil was a new guard at the Club, not as new as Kash but he’d only been there a few weeks. It seemed he had a lot to learn if he couldn’t handle a couple of guys fighting in the bathroom.
Kash heard the round of applause as the music paused and then changed up to a softer beat but still with a strong underlying cadence. He regretted not being on hand to enjoy the dance. As he rounded the corner and headed into the hall, he noticed Phil standing outside the door with his hands braced on his knees and his head down.
“What are you doing?” Kash came up beside him.
“They’re in there going at it and I couldn’t separate them,” Phil stated breathlessly.
“So, you came out here to bar the door?” Kash was incredulous. This was bizarre behavior for a guard. Kash pushed him aside and entered the room.
Inside were two men, a vampire and a wolf shifter, and they were trying to tear each other apart. Kash charged between them knocking the vampire against the wall and grabbing the shifter by the throat. They were worn out from beating each other and Kash found it quite simple to bring them both to heel. He had a firm grip on both of them and walked them out of the bathroom to the back door and made sure they exited.
Kash returned to the men’s room and Phil was nowhere around. Kash helped the waiters who were cleaning up the damage and they seemed surprised to see him there. “Those two go at each other at least once a week.” One of them commented.
“I know who they are now, and I’ll keep an eye on them.” Kash returned.
“I don’t know how much you’ll be able to do since they’re both friends of Winston Cruise.” The other one grumbled but his friend cut him off.
“That’s none of our business, Joe.” He snapped at him.
“Cruise doesn’t hold them accountable?” Kash asked with a pointed glance at both of them.
“We prefer not to comment, sir,” Joe said and Kash accepted his reluctance to speak further. They don’t know Kash or how willing he would be to rat them out to Cruise.
“Understood,” Kash stated and the three of them finished the bathroom and got back to work.
…
Kyler enjoyed the way the bouncer watched them with a hungry look that ate them up but also a hesitance that was endearing the way he kept glancing away. Kyler put on a little extra thrust and grind just for the bouncer but when he swung around the man was gone. It was hard to hide his disappointment. He and Gage completed their set and then danced off the stage to loud applause. Once back in the dressing room they relaxed and had something to drink since they would be out there again in an hour.
Gage counted their tips and it was looking good for a Saturday night. But Cruise always took fifty percent of their tips. If only they could keep it all, they could maybe get out of this place and away from this town.
Neither Gage nor Kyler had gotten close or even friendly with the other dancers. It was a strange dynamic at the Ruby Light with no one trusting anyone. The two waiters Tom and Joe watched out for each other but that was the only friendship that Kyler had noticed in the six weeks they’d been dancing there.
“Did you notice our handsome bouncer disappeared halfway through our set? I was so disappointed.” Gage stated. “For the first time in weeks, I was actually enjoying myself out there until I saw he was gone.” Kyler started to snicker.
“I knew you were as enthralled as
I was. But it would seem that he is immune to our charms.” Kyler washed and then reapplied his makeup and styled his hair going for messy this time around.
“He was breaking up a fight in the men’s room.” One of the girls butted in. “He made short work of the brawlers and they were out the back door before they knew what hit them.” She sounded a little dreamy as she recounted the tale and Kyler found himself feeling jealous of her interest in his man.
“Now that is sexy,” Gage spoke up with an audible sigh at the end of his words. Kyler readily agreed. “Sexy as fuck.”
…
Kash was getting the hang of the place pretty quickly. Cruise ran a very loose ship with his inner circle and a near-dictatorial lockdown where the other members of staff were concerned. He let nothing pass, not even the smallest misstep, without delivering a sharp word of disdain. How he kept any staff at all was a mystery to Kash.
“The twins are up next. Go make sure they get their asses out here on time. Jason is in the back with a patron and I can’t find Saul.” Cruise made the biting remark and then walked abruptly back to his office. Kash wondered if Cruise had someone waiting for him since one of the bartenders had gone missing in action about ten minutes ago.
Kash knocked on the dressing room door and heard the sweetest sound in all the world when one of the twins called to him to enter. “No one knocks around here.” He said and introduced himself as Kyler Costa and his brother Gage Costa. They both shook Kash’s hand and it was a sweet experience. Kash found their hands to be soft and warm and delicious.
“Kash Garret, I’m new here.” He said as an introduction. “I loved your dance.” He added. He was glad he did when both men smiled wide and moved up to stand on either side of him.
“Thank you, Kash. We liked watching you too. Your moves are measured and graceful as you take care of the horde at the door. You should maybe think about taking up dance yourself.” Kyler was the tease and Gage was the watcher.
“Not in this lifetime,” Kash responded impassively. “But thank you. Now if you’re ready Mr. Cruise would like you to begin your set.” Kash figured he’d handled this all very well considering his cock was hard as a rock and his instincts were calling to him to find a dark corner and get to know lovely Kyler and Gage a lot better.
Kyler moved up closer to his right and looped his arm through Kash’s and Gage replicated the move on his left. Kash raised an eyebrow and looked down at them both. “You really want to walk out there like this?” He teased.
“No, we just wanted to touch you,” Kyler responded with another infectious smile.
“I’m not complaining but your fans are waiting.” He turned and headed for the door and heard an audible groan from the two men behind him. “You both look lovely by the way.” That put the smile back on both their faces and it made Kash feel proud that he was the cause.
The twins dazzled him with their feathers and silk. Their outfits were sexy and sinful but also beautifully made. They knew how to work the crowd and got plenty of tips for their effort. Thank God there was a no touching policy otherwise he would have had an issue with some of the patrons.
He didn’t know where this protective and possessive streak was coming from, but it was strong. Kash felt the sting of jealousy every time someone got too close or looked too interested. He managed to control himself so far and it didn’t look as if anyone noticed his struggle. Everyone here existed in their own bubbles cut off and ignoring the happenings around them.
Kash finished out his shift at the front door surprised that the place remained open till four. It was his understanding that all Hadden bars and clubs closed at two-thirty. Selective clubs within the city could stay open till four but Kash was not aware that the Ruby Light was one of those clubs.
“You can call it a night and go home.” Cruise said as he walked up to stand beside him at the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He then walked to the back in the direction of his office. Kash glanced around the room feeling a tension rising but not understanding the source. The customers were all but gone with just a couple of stragglers that Joe was helping to the door. Rather than fixate on it he turned and left the club.
Kash unlocked his car and slid into the leather seat and sat there for a while just watching the front of the club. Something was wrong in that place, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Maybe it was just the depressing atmosphere that was getting to him and the fact that it wasn’t the Ruby Light he remembered. His mind went to the two dancers, Kyler and Gage and wondered if they would be working tomorrow night.
Putting his car in gear he slowly pulled away from the curb and headed to the Hadden Center. As he drove the dark deserted streets his mind shifted once again to the two dancers. If he had a type it was those two. They made Victor Rossi looked like yesterday’s news, and he had considered Victor one of the most handsome men he’d ever met.
Kyler and Gage Costa were well and beyond any beauty, Victor aspired to possess. They were in a class all their own and Kash felt an ache to know them better. But his attraction would likely lead to nothing but more trouble since Cruise expressly forbade any sexual liaisons within his club.
The recollection of that rule made him laugh considering he’d heard Cruise giving it to someone in the storeroom and then again in his office just before four. They weren’t quiet about it so Cruise must not care if people know. It was none of his business, but it was a distasteful practice to get into. If he wanted a piece, he should do it somewhere other than at work during his shift. Kash had learned that lesson the hard way.
Kash at least had the decency to go to the twink’s apartment rather than doing the deed in a hallway closet. In Cruise’s case, it made the Ruby Light smell just as seedy as it looked but no one commented on the odors or the oppressiveness. Except for Joe in that one slip while they were cleaning up the men’s room. But he just as quickly shut down which was a message in itself.
“Enough.” He said as he pulled into the underground garage and parked. He didn’t need to psychoanalyze the Ruby Light. He just needed to do his time and if all went well, he would return to his regular duties at the Hadden Center. He stepped into the elevator and was about to push the button for the second floor when Sergio stepped inside. It was so good to see him after the weirdness of Kash’s evening.
“How was it?” Sergio inquired with a half-smile.
“Not as nice as I remember, but I’ll get used to it.” He answered not ready to share his uncertainties as of yet. “You and Finn still guarding the Imperial?”
“Until further notice.” He responded. “I wish you were with us, Kash. You know this thing you’re doing at the Ruby Light is not necessary.” He repeated his previous argument. “No one is blaming you for anything and as far as punishment, I personally think you’ve been punished enough.” Sergio let go with his opinions which was a bad habit of his.
Kash hiked an eyebrow and looked over at him. “I’m finding my humility.” Was all he said, and it seemed to be enough for Sergio.
“Don’t stay away too long.” He relented.
“I won’t, besides the new Ruby Light is nowhere I would want to stay for long,” Kash added.
“Is it difficult there?”
“Not difficult just sad, really sad.”
The elevator stopped at Kash’s floor and he stepped out. “Come back to us soon, Kash,” Sergio said before the door closed.
“I will. I definitely will.” Kash appreciated his friend’s support but he had to do what he had to do, trite but true. Now a bite to eat and a little rest and he’d be in much better form and mind.
…
“Cruise let Kash Garret go early. Why do you think he did that? He never lets people go early. He never lets people go on time.” Kyler was rambling as they packed their things for the night and picked up the dressing room. The other dancers were already in the main room waiting for Cruise’s nightly lecture on improving your tips and other self-serving subjects.
He alw
ays collected half of everyone’s tips at this time except for the female dancers and the one female bartender he always let them keep their tips. He had a special relationship with those girls, unlike the other employees and dancers. Thank God.
“Kash is new and Cruise probably hasn’t acclimated him to the way things are done here. He’s probably worried that Kash would disagree with his practices. But I’m sure in time Cruise will pay him enough to keep quiet no matter what he sees or hears.” Gage was emotionless with the explanation as if it was just life and you had to accept it.
“I hope our prince charming never lowers himself so far as to accept what goes on around here. That would break my heart. I don’t know him and yet I feel as if I do and I’m sure he will never acclimate to this place.” Kyler ever the idealist.
“I heard the girls talking and according to them, Kash was demoted from Coven Guard at the Hadden Center to duties here at the Ruby Light. That is quite a career nosedive so prince charming must have committed some serious crime.” Gage theorized.
Kyler shook his head. “No, there’s more to it than that. He’s too capable and kind to be committing crimes. Didn’t you hear he helped Tom and Joe clean the bathroom after those two ruffians tore it up? Since when does a Vampire guard do anything so manual and menial?”
“Point taken but there has to be a reason he’s here because he’s too good for this place.” Gage finished and they headed to the main room just as Cruise came charging into the area like he had something important to say. He merely pointed at the two female dancers and the bartender and told them they could go. Then he turned on the rest of them.
Other than him, Kyler and Joe, the rest of the staff male and female were vampires and members of the Hadden Coven. It wasn’t a secret; Cruise made a spectacle of it when they were first hired scaring the living daylights out of them. It set the stage for the rest of their employment to be controlled by threats of terror. It’s what kept them there and kept them dancing for mere crumbs. How do you fight a vampire and where in the hell would go for help?
The Vampire's Redemption: Pittsburgh Vampires Vol. 13 Page 2