My Whole World

by Davidson King

  It felt like forever and yet mere seconds when he pulled away. “Let’s wash that beautiful hair of yours now.” I’d agree to anything he asked me right then, and since I still couldn’t seem to word, I nodded.

  He started draining the water and grabbed the sprayer that rested on the side of the tub. “Sit up and look up.” Holding my arm close, I did as I was told, and warm water cascaded over my hair.

  As he lathered my hair in shampoo and then conditioner, I moaned. His fingers felt amazing. Once again, he told me to put my head back, and water washed away everything.

  “Let’s get you dry.” He smiled as he helped me out, and I noticed a very prominent bulge in his jeans.

  “I’d really love to help with this.” I cupped his erection, loving when he hissed.

  “We have time, Toby.” I was about to argue, but he started kissing me again, my wet body pressed against his dry, clothed one.

  “If you don’t get clothes on me soon, I will drop to my knees, suck you dry, and probably injure myself further…though that’s a chance I’ll happily take.” He mirrored my happiness but shook his head.

  “I want the sexy part, not the Toby breaking part. Let’s get you a little better, and then I’d very much love to see you on your knees and my cock down your throat.”

  And there went all my words again.

  I was bored. Which was ridiculous since before Atlas left to go to the club, he showed me all the streaming channels, showed me the numbers to order food if I wanted to, and George the security guy would bring it up. He even let me use his kindle and said he had Kindle Unlimited to read what I wanted. Why am I bored?

  I texted Poppy, who said she was good but had to go because she and Desi were going to watch a movie. I was one hundred percent convinced something was going on with those two, which actually made me happy. Many men in Poppy’s life could never look beyond her wheelchair; Desi didn’t seem to let it get in his way.

  I texted Shane, who only got out one text saying shit was weird at Vick’s, and he’d call me later. I was glad he was okay, and Vick was leaving him alone. I had to see if there was a way to get Shane into Joker’s Sin, but maybe taking him away now would make it too dangerous. Then we’d have to watch someone else on top of keeping all of us safe.

  I put on Orange Is The New Black, having never watched it, played some games on my phone, and at some point must’ve fallen asleep. I heard someone in the apartment, and it jolted me awake. I grabbed some weird artsy thing on the nightstand for a weapon and moved toward the living room.

  I stepped out of my room; the lights were dim, and the noise was now in the kitchen. I had this odd sculpture that was heavy, cradled in my good arm, and my other in a sling. What did I think I was going to do here?

  To calm my nerves, I took a deep breath, and I jumped into the kitchen with a roar, hoping to scare whoever broke in.

  “Fucking hell!” Atlas shouted as he turned to glare at me. “What the fuck, Toby?”

  “Oh, shit! I’m sorry, Atlas. I thought someone was breaking in.”

  He rolled his eyes, but at least he smiled. “Why are you cradling my Frozen in Time statue?”

  I peered down at the sculpture, and yeah, it was a clocklike thing that appeared to be frozen.

  “I was going to hit you over the head with it.”

  He chuckled and took the heavy sculpture from my arm. “That would do it. But I told you, no one can get in here, so it could only be me.”

  I followed him to the guest room, where he put the weird statue back. I then realized he actually had a lot of art.

  “You like art?”

  He shrugged. “I like supporting local business. Raven Poe Edgars is a local artist, and I’ve been to a few of his shows and like his stuff.”

  I just nodded. I didn’t know much about art, so I didn’t say anything about it. “What time is it?”

  “Three in the morning. I just got home from work.”

  “Oh, I must’ve fallen asleep.”

  He came up to me, gently placing his hands on my arms. “Which is what you should’ve been doing.”

  He had circles under his eyes and weariness in his smile. “Rough night?”

  “A little. Vick tried to get some of his guys in the club. He got a couple in, but they were easy to spot, and we had to get them out.” He sighed, his breath fanning over my face.

  “I’m sorry.”

  He kissed the tip of my nose and stepped away. “Once we hear from TJ, it’ll make everything easier. We’ll know better how to navigate all this.”

  “Okay. Why don’t you go to bed? We can talk more later.”

  So tenderly he brushed his hand over my cheek, said good night, and left the room. I waited until I heard the door to his room close and then slipped into bed again. Sleep eluded me as I rested in the too-big, too-lonely bed, staring out the window where Haven Hart glittered with lights. I couldn’t hear the place, but I didn’t have to. Living here as long as I had, it thrummed through my veins. The way the wind sounded between the buildings, vendors shouting, laughter, and conversations. The day always sounded different from the night. Where children’s joy morphed into grown people screaming. Haven Hart was the best and the worst of humanity.

  I watched the sun rise and marveled at how innocent the morning light made the city look. It was a new day.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Atlas

  Tuesday night at Joker’s Sin was electric. We’d been advertising the Wet and Wild Wednesday that was going to be happening there the following night, so it’d been bringing people in since. Not sure what they expected would happen before it, but business was business. Fortunately there were no incidents with Vick’s guys and when closing time came, Ledger, Max, Ciro, and I all sat at the bar, having a drink and talking about tomorrow.

  “So, the temporary panels will come up around the stage to hold the water in and stop it from falling off the stage. We have dancers, and the plan is to do a wet bodysuit competition. Patrons will all vote who wins. The wetter they get, the harder it’ll be to dance.” Ledger chuckled. “I’ll be behind a clear panel too. Gotta keep the equipment dry.”

  “And what’s the dancer getting again?” Max asked.

  “We were originally going to do a night out with Atlas, but with his new houseguest and all that possible murdering happening, we are offering the dancer who wins a two-hundred-dollar gift certificate to Vayne’s and free drinks for a month.”

  “How nice of me,” I said, and they all laughed.

  “The guys set up the sprinklers above the stage, and the barrels are hooked up. Ledger just has to hit the switch,” Ciro said.

  “Sounds great. I’ll be here a little earlier tomorrow to see. We should test it.” I finished my drink in one gulp.

  “We tested the sprinkler system already, but the barrels only hold enough for one dance, so I don’t want to waste it. Plus if we get the whole stage soaked right before the show, it’ll take too long to clean up in time for the event.” Ledger said.

  “If you’re sure they work, that’s good enough for me.” Hopping off the stool, I said good night and told them I’d see them tomorrow.

  “Hey, Atlas.” Max slapped my arm and followed me to my car. “You should bring Toby. I know he can’t work, but you could put him in the VIP area, give him his own section. He won’t want to miss the show. This is a water spectacle that likely won’t happen again for a long time. Not to mention, I want him to try my new drink.”

  “It’s dangerous, Max. Vick is just waiting for him to show his face.”

  “We’ll sneak him in the back, Vick won’t see. After the competition, you and he can leave early. Come on. He’ll love it.”

  I knew Max was right. “Let me talk to Ciro, and I’ll keep in touch.”

  He went to his car and I to mine. It was nice driving home, knowing someone was there. And as I turned onto my street, I called Ciro to ask him his thoughts on it.

  “We can make sure he’s safe. Get a g
uy to stay at his section.” And just like that, I had some good news to tell Toby.

  “Do I look dumb?” Toby was wearing a dress shirt that matched the color of his sling and a silver jacket with dark pants.

  “You look amazing, now stop.” Chuckling, I went back to getting my braids into a ponytail. It worked with my outfit and gave me a slicker appearance.

  “You look amazing in purple.” Toby slid a finger along the width of my shoulders, making me shiver.

  “It’s my favorite color too, how lucky for me.”

  “I’m so excited to go out. Thanks for asking me, and I promise I won’t leave my section. I can’t wait to see this live.” He was practically vibrating with excitement, and it was contagious.

  “I knew we’d find use for the water.”

  Toby’s smile dropped for a second. “You’re sure everything is going to be okay with the event and everything?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “When I told Vick about you coming up with a cool show and all the things I could tell him about Joker’s Sin, he got excited. If he found out about tonight, he might’ve done something.”

  Yeah, I remembered Toby telling me he had to tell Vick certain things and thought of the most useless of information. “I think he planned on doing something the night of that bachelor party, but I never let his guys in, so it was ruined. But we’re taking every precaution. I promise.”

  Toby had a thoughtful expression, then shrugged. “I suppose that makes some logical sense. I feel like I’m paranoid.”

  We parked on the side of the club; it was early, so no one was there yet besides Max, Ledger, and Ciro.

  “I feel like I’ve been gone forever,” Toby said as we stepped into the club.

  “Well, let me know if it seems different,” I joked, glad when he smiled.

  Toby was greeted by the guys all asking how he was. He had painkillers but said he didn’t want to take them because he didn’t want to pass out and miss anything, so he was using extra-strength aspirin for the evening. I told him to let me know by texting me if he needed to go home and if it got to be too much. He just huffed, which I took as agreement.

  Before the doors opened, Toby walked around, talked to staff, and laughed…a lot. With everything going on, it was good to see a smile on his face more often than not.

  Ledger announced doors were opening, and Toby slowly made his way upstairs, two of Ciro’s security guys in tow. If Toby had to go to the bathroom, anything at all, he always had eyes on him. Of course when I told Toby that, he said he didn’t want anyone to stare at him while he pissed.

  I knew he’d be okay up there, but I kept my cell phone tucked tightly in my pants pocket. There were tablets on the bar where people would be able to enter their names in to be in the running as a dancer for the competition. Ledger would put it through a random app, and ten would be chosen.

  I made my way to the stage to begin the night’s festivities.

  “Hello, hello, hello, one and all, and welcome to Wet and Wild Wednesday!” Cheers erupted, I looked up and saw Toby’s bright smile, and I was truly glad he was there tonight.

  I explained the rules of the competition, what the winner got, and how they entered. “In an hour the ten people will be announced, and you’ll make your way to the back to get dressed.”

  It was a mad scramble of people trying to get their names in, and Ledger cranked the music. I stepped down until it was time to reveal those chosen.

  I went up to the VIP area, Max’s drink of the night in hand, greeted people up there, talked, loved hearing how they were excited to see the show, then made my way over to Toby, who was talking to one of the security guys.

  “Everyone is so freaking thrilled!” He was doing this little hop thing, like he couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. I handed him the drink, which he sipped, releasing a hum of approval.

  “It’s going to be a hell of a show.”

  I was able to sit and have a drink with him before Ledger texted me that it was time to call out the names. Toby wished me good luck and gave me a peck on my cheek that made me want to close the curtain and ask for more. But, reluctantly, I made my way down the stairs and onto the stage to announce the names.

  What I loved about the ten chosen was the diversity of them. Not all were skinny or had a good body. They were in all shapes and sizes, and I knew they’d each find a jumpsuit that fit their body. When they went to the back, I spoke with the crowd some more, asked what song Ledger should play, even though he had the one he was doing set to go.

  By the time the ten dancers returned, the room was buzzing, the people anxious to see the amazing show. The clear walls came up, and before I stepped off the stage, I held my arms out wide and shouted, “Let it rain!”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Toby

  If I had mobility in both arms, I would’ve been clapping when Atlas shouted, “Let it rain!” Everyone cheered, and damn, the place came alive whenever he was in the spotlight.

  The second he stepped off the stage, Ledger began the music. He was behind a waterproof booth built for the night, and the ten dancers were all spread along the area, ready for some serious fun. They were smiling and laughing and the second the beat got to them, they were unstoppable dancing machines.

  One of the guys who was in the VIP section with me said he had to run downstairs; there was an issue in one of the bathrooms, and Ciro couldn’t locate some guy named Dean. I waved him away, drank the delicious beverage Max made, and watched the show.

  Atlas was walking up to the VIP area when the rain started. Slowly. This was only going to be lasting one song, so I knew it would pick up, and those suits would get see-through fast.

  “Are they wearing boxers or anything under there?” I asked Atlas as he came up beside me.

  “Speedos.” He laughed. “Each with a flirty word printed on their butts, so when they get wet people see it.”

  I tore my eyes away from the stage to give Atlas my attention. He was radiant, glowing, he loved what he did, and he was made to be doing it.

  “Atlas, I—”

  I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to say, but it didn’t matter because the sound of painful screams coming from the stage grabbed my attention. Turning, I saw the dancers were all covering their faces, one was on the ground, and the music had stopped.

  “Shut off the water!” I heard Ledger shout into the mic.

  “Doesn’t he have the button?” I asked and realized it clearly wasn’t working.

  Atlas rushed down the stairs, likely going to the manual lever, and the security guy and I followed after him.

  The shouts and screams became louder, and it sounded like a stampede of people were racing somewhere.

  “Help me,” Atlas shouted as he tried to pull the lever. Three guys helped, and soon the water was shut off.

  Not a second later, Atlas was racing out of the room and to the stage. “What the fuck, Ledger?”

  “It was fine, they were dancing. Then they just started screaming and…” He gestured to the people on the stage, moaning, crying, and screaming.

  One of them lifted their head and I could see their face. Bright red rings around their eyes and splotchy skin made it appear like burns.

  “Atlas,” I shouted.

  “What?”

  “Call an ambulance, we need to wash their eyes out, we need clean water. Look.”

  When he saw them, he turned gray. “It’s like they were maced or something.”

  “Exactly, come on.”

  “I’ll call,” Ledger said.

  “Get Max to help me. You need to calm everyone, Atlas.”

  He nodded. “Take the security guys too, you can all help one person each. There’s a shower in my office too, use it if you need to.”

  It was awkward with one arm, but I was able to get one of the guys to the bathroom. Max handed us cups as we passed, and when I was in the bathroom, I instructed him to lift his head up.

  “I’m going to wash your
eyes, and it won’t be fun, sorry.”

  Halfway through, EMTs arrived and took over. When the police and fire department got there, the whole place was shut down. I was soaking wet from the waist to my feet when I walked out of the bathroom and saw Atlas speaking with a firefighter and police officer.

  “How are they?” Atlas asked when I approached.

  “It’s too soon. The EMTs are with them.” I said hello to the fireman and police officer.

  “What happened to you?” the cop asked, no doubt my arm in a sling and the bruising on my face raised that question.

  “What happened to me was an issue with a past employer, Vick Keller.” I didn’t know why I was feeling brave all of a sudden, but I knew in my gut this was all his doing. “The same person you may want to look into about what happened here today.”

  “That’s a serious allegation, Mr—”

  “Toby St. Claire.”

  When the cop’s eyes widened, I knew he was aware of things, and that likely meant he was working with Vick. The fireman didn’t react at all.

  “Thank you, Mr. St. Claire, we will take that under advisement. Do you need medical attention?”

  I told the fireman no and went to sit at the bar while Atlas finished up. It was going to be a long night.

  We didn’t get back to Atlas’s place until six in the morning. We were exhausted, and Atlas was beyond pissed. They informed him they had to shut his club down for at least a week to investigate. No Joker’s Sin for a week. I bet Vick was loving that.

  “I didn’t mean to throw Vick’s name out there like that,” I said as I plopped on the couch. My clothes had long since dried, thank goodness.

  “That’s the least of our problems.” He sat beside me, and my heart did a little flip when he rested his hand on my knee. Stupid I was sure, but that simple touch was needed.