by C. A. Rene
“That could’ve been dangerous, Tempest.” His deep voice growls. “You could’ve been grabbed. Do you know the type of men that watch you?’
Okay, so he knows nothing about what happened.
“I know, I won’t do it again.” I tell him as he gives me a short nod and walks Diamond to the stage.
I’m finally alone in the dressing room. Diamond is about to do her set, Queen is walking the tables, and Tiny is doing a private dance down the hall. I lean back in my chair and breathe in deep, I can feel something is coming, something different, and something life altering. It’s there just floating beyond my reach and I’m ready to leap forward.
“You should wear your leather number, the dominatrix one.” Carl says.
“Okay.” I shrug, “I can’t dance tonight, did you want me at the tables?”
“Nah, Queen got it. Just get ready.” He raps his knuckles on the door and then walks back towards his office.
I begin to pull my hair back into a high pony and decide on dark smokey makeup, might as well look as dark as I feel.
The lights are dimmed, the doors are locked, and these five men line the edge of the stage. They want to see us dance, watch us entertain, and see if we are good enough for the likes of Deluge.
“Tiny is up next and she’ll be dancing to Pony by Ginuwine.” Mouth announces and I try hard not to roll my eyes at the most obvious song.
Tiny blows us all a kiss and struts to the front and grabs the pole. Tiny is all curves but she works them perfectly to the beat. She does her number and even I’m a little hot and bothered when she comes strolling back to us in nothing but a string up her ass.
“Diamond will be dancing to Candy Shop by 50 Cent.” Mouth calls out and I can’t stop the groan that escapes my mouth.
Diamond shoots me a look before she heads out to the front of the stage. She begins her dance and I watch as Raiden leans forward, resting his arms on the glossy wooden surface. He’s not looking at her, I can tell his eyes are trained on me, and that hood does nothing to hide it.
“Queen is up and she will be dancing to London Bridge by Fergie.”
Queen claps her hands and skips out to the pole. London Bridge? Really? She’s been stripping this long and she picks London Bridge? I close my eyes and still feel the heat of his glare.
“Tempest Skeigh is up and she’s dancing to Swim by Chase Atlantic.”
My body goes on autopilot as I slowly walk to the pole. My hips sway in time with the music as I slowly start to pull the zipper down my chest, I grab for the pole and hoist myself up, spinning around it seductively.
Raiden slowly straightens from the stage and I can see his jawline under the hood tighten. I don’t have any skin showing in this leather ensemble since it’s a full catsuit and that suits me because of the still inflamed cut on my ass.
My feet touch the stage again and I pivot to face the five men in front of me. I have nothing underneath and the sweat collecting between my breasts begins to roll down my stomach. I lick my lips, close my eyes, and rotate my hips as I work the zipper down to my belly button. My breasts strain against the leather and I begin to pull it open.
"Enough." His voice cuts through all music and straight through my chest, making my heart sputter. “You were already chosen. There’s no need for you to dance.”
I look down at him and quirk my brow, why is he really interrupting my dance?
"I think we already got an idea of how you move last night." The guy to Raiden's right chuckles.
"Oh yeah?" I say to him as I lower myself to a squat, meeting him hood to eye. "When do you start cutting everyone else open and tasting their blood? Is it that particular move you're talking about?"
He doesn't answer me and I smirk as I rise back to standing. I won't be afraid of a bunch of old guys still trapped in their golden era. They can hop from club to club looking for strippers all they want, they're still just a bunch of has-beens.
I walk back to the lineup and stand there with my chest still exposed. I cross my arms and look to Carl with my brow raised. What now?
"We're missing someone." The suit calls out. "Someone else was chosen."
"Sorry Kenny, who else?" Carl strides forward. That's the suit's name and the band’s manager, Kenny Tonga.
"Hail chose Sky." Kenny says.
"Sky hasn't been in for the last few days." Carl stutters a bit. "I'll call her."
"See that you do."
Then we all stand there and watch as Kenny turns and starts for the exit with his band following single file, all but Raiden. He points his finger at me and then curls it towards him, beckoning me to him. It's like a string is connected from that finger to my soul because I walk to him without thought.
He drops his hood and I suck in a breath when I see his face. He's breathtaking and I don't mean that in the pretty sense. No, Raiden is dark and devastatingly breathtaking. His skin is the shade of sepia, silky, and decadent looking. His eyes are a unique blend of light green and gold, shining bright against his skin tone. Dark, thick lashes extend from his eyelids and nearly touch his eyebrows. His nose has the piercings on display and those lips, so sinful as he smirks.
I squat down so we are face to face and those eyes lock mine into place. I open my mouth to say something when his hand fastens around my throat, pulling me in.
"Did you misunderstand me when I said you were mine?" I want to moan at the sound of his voice but I swallow it down.
I shake my head, still staring into those eyes, and unable to look away.
"That includes your body, the skin wrapped around it, and the blood pumping through it. All. Fucking. Mine." His fingers tighten and my eyes widen when I can no longer suck in air. "Do I need to carve into this face to make my point?"
I shake my head again and he removes his hand. I clutch at my throat while gasping for air and he chuckles.
"I'll see you soon." He says as he pulls his hood back up and follows the rest of his group through the exit doors.
My insides quake with uncertainty but my pussy is soaking with anticipation.
Chapter Seven
Tempest
The ceiling is spinning as I squint my eyes and try to focus on one spot. As soon as I came home, I grabbed the bottle of vodka and guzzled almost half in one shot. I'll see you soon. As ominous as it sounds, I can't help but wonder how long is soon, and will it involve more of what happened in that alley-minus the skin carving.
Speaking of, after my shower I stood there and stared at the laceration. It looks like a lightning bolt or three sevens from top to bottom. I'll be lucky if it doesn't scar because the cuts are deep. I roll over and groan when the room rolls with me, maybe a glass of water is needed.
I get up and stumble my way into the kitchen area, hitting a few objects on the way. I pull open the small fridge, grab a bottle of water, and something catches my eye by the one and only window in this shithole. It’s raining heavily but I swear I can make out a figure standing about a yard away by the tree.
I rush to the window in my drunken stupor, almost hitting the glass, and pull the curtains closed. Did I actually see someone or was I imagining it? After the past few days dealing with Deluge and all the secrecy bullshit behind them, I can see why I would be imagining shit. That and vodka make for a terrible combo.
I stagger back to my bed and fall face first into the pillows.
My mouth feels like I ate a pot of dirt and dipped it in a pile of shit. My head is pounding and my bladder is protesting. Fuck me and my impulsive decisions to drown in bottles of whatever I can find.
I roll out of bed and head to the bathroom, I need to wash the stench of alcohol off me. I need to speak to Sky today and ask her why the fuck she didn’t tell me she was chosen, too. She is obviously trying to avoid these guys but it doesn’t look like they’re going to let her and I can only imagine how fucking scared she is.
I get myself ready for work and step out of my apartment, lock the door, and jog down the narrow stairs that le
ad to the parking lot. The sun has long ago set and the lights for the lot are mostly out, so I don't see the black limo until it’s too late.
“Miss Verona. I will be taking you to your destination.” A tall man in a chauffeur’s suit says as he opens the door.
“Like fuck you will, old man-”
“Temp, get in here.” Sky’s voice cuts me off and I bend to look inside the limo.
She’s sitting in the far corner with a pair of shades on her face and an oversized hoodie on her slight frame. I do as she says and slide in beside her.
“What the fuck is this?” I watch as she opens the mini fridge and pulls out a champagne bottle. I gag a little because of my hangover but my hand still reaches for the bottle.
“We’re being taken to them.” She mutters.
“Excuse you?” I ask as I tip back the bottle.
“Deluge, this is their limo.” She rests her head against the seat.
“How the fuck you not gonna tell me you were chosen?” I snarl at her.
“I was chosen last year, too.” She moans and turns her head to the window. “I worked at a different club, they came by, and I ended up with a knife stuck into my vanity.”
I continue to gulp back the champagne, waiting for her to continue.
“I ran out. I heard things, Temp. I read things and fuck, I watched videos. They do crazy shit on stage and they are known Illuminati members, it really fucking freaks me out. What’s up with all this choosing shit? Ya know?”
“True.” I nod. It is all fucking strange.
“I laid low for a bit then found this job here at The Temple.” She huffs. “But now they’re here.”
“Did Hail choose you last time, too?” I ask her.
“Yeah.” She mutters and grabs the bottle back. "This time his knife was stuck into my mother's front door."
Fuck. That's a serious veiled threat and I can see why she's scared.
I look out the window and see that we are going in the opposite direction as the club. We head straight for Manhattan and my heart once again picks up speed.
"We're going to their office, I would assume." Sky says as she watches me begin to freak out. "According to Tiny, they bring everyone here first to sign NDAs and to agree to the terms."
"You have a choice Sky, you can decline the offer."
"Do I?" Her big brown eyes focus on me. "He stuck a knife in my mother's door. Did you Google them like I told you? Did you not see how fucked up they are?"
Do we have a choice? I want to say yes, of course we have a choice because that's the way life should be, but I think back to that alley and to last night. No, we don't have a fucking choice. Tiny went to one of these things and she said she liked it, fuck she's trying to get there again this year. Can it really be that bad dancing for a bunch of old guys?
The drive is about thirty minutes and we pull up to a glass building, the moon and stars reflecting off its surface.
"This building belongs to Deluge?"
"No, this is their management company's building." Sky answers as the driver gets out and opens the door.
We both get out and look up the length of the skyscraper. The towering frame is intimidating, just like its occupants, and I pull my jacket tighter around me.
"Let's get this the fuck over with." She growls as she storms towards a set of double doors. There's no name on this building, nothing to indicate ownership whatsoever.
The door opens before she reaches it and another guy waves her inside, he looks over to me with a raised brow.
"How the fuck do I get myself into these situations?" I mutter and follow Sky.
I walk through the door and find Sky sitting on a couch with a few other girls. There's about ten of us in here and one I recognize besides me and Sky. Diamond.
“Hey girls.” She smirks.
“Shut the fuck up.” Sky snaps at her and I cough to hide my laugh.
“I’m so excited to be here.” Diamond gushes to the girl beside her. “I love Deluge’s music. I grew up with their music playing in my household.”
“If you will follow me ladies.” A woman stands from the front desk.
All the girls follow her and I end up being the last one, dragging my feet. She leads us down one corridor and then we turn into another. I see the different record plaques on the wall, platinum, diamonds, golds…
A hand appears from a darkened office and I’m yanked inside. Before I can scream, a hand covers my mouth, and I’m shoved against the wall.
This feels all too familiar.
Chapter Eight
Tempest
Raiden.
I know it’s him without seeing him because my brain has marked his scent as unique and familiar. He’s pressed against my back, pushing me into the wall, and his nose hits my neck.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t show.” His voice is low and melodic. “I wanted to hunt you down, drag you here, and then punish you.”
His other hand grabs onto my ass-right over the cut-and squeezes. I whimper as pain skates up my back and down my leg. He rips down my leggings and slaps his hand to the cut, then chuckles when I yell into his hand.
“That’s going to be a gorgeous scar.”
I struggle until he lets me go and I shove him off me, pulling my pants back up. I turn to face him and step in closer to his body.
He doesn’t have his hood up today and even though it’s dark in here, I can still see his features. His hair is cropped short but I can see the gray at his temples, his eyes sparkle with a sinister look, and his luscious mouth is curved into a wicked smirk.
“Punish me how?” What?
His brows raise with surprise and he barks out a dark sounding laugh.
“Something that would involve your blood running over your skin and into my mouth.”
Well.
“You think you’re a vampire or something?” I cross my arms. “Too much acid during your heyday?”
“Blood is a person’s life force.” Fuck, his voice. “You can learn a lot about them when you drink their vitality.”
“That’s fucked up.” I shake my head.
He licks his lips and bites down on the bottom one, making my thighs clench. Then he steps into me and I drop my arms from my chest just to feel him.
“Do you want to know what I learned about you, Tempest?” I want to moan when he says my name.
“Yes.” I answer on a whisper as his mouth lowers closer to mine.
“You’re sad, you have a bottomless depth to your pain, and you’re weak.” His breath fans my face and even though his words are harsh, he's right.
“Fuck you.” It comes out sounding weak. “Was it you outside my apartment last night?”
His face turns dark and he completely ignores my question. “Go back into the hall and enter the last door on the right. Sign the paperwork, Tempest, and I will help you soar past all of that.”
I want him to kiss me. He’s standing so close and his mouth is right there…
He pulls back and turns me around, “go.”
I open the door, step out, and slam it shut behind me. I hear his chuckle inside and roll my eyes, I’m in so much fucking trouble. I can feel all things nefarious when I’m near him and yet my body wants his.
I get to the door he stated and see the girls standing in a line leading to a desk. Sitting at the desk is Kenny himself and he’s handing out envelopes to each of them. Looks thick and again I try to shake some sense into my head. Why would a birthday party need all this? These guys aren’t popular anymore, TMZ wouldn’t care about them, and it doesn’t look like girls are trying to chase them down.
“Where the fuck were you?” Sky clamps her fingers into my forearm and hauls me to her side.
I shrug and look straight ahead.
“Be careful.” She hisses and snatches the envelope out of Kenny’s hand.
The look on his face is comical, he’s looking at her like she’s grown an extra head, and I can’t control the giggle that escapes.
“I know that.” I huff as I grab onto the envelope. His grip stays firm and he looks into my eyes. “Don’t get too attached.”
I pull on the envelope and he lets it go with a smirk. I sit down beside Sky on the couch and pull out the contents of the envelope. There is indeed an NDA inside that clearly states anything that happens during this weeklong excursion is never repeated again. A week?! The next page is an agreement to fly on a chartered jet to an undisclosed destination of the band’s choice. What the fuck? I won’t even know where I’m going until I get there.
The energy in the room changes, like something cold but electrifying has entered, and my hair on the back of my neck stands. Raiden is here. I don’t bother to look up and instead read the next page that says I will be paid a cool thirty G’s for this gig.
I choke on my saliva and drop the papers to the floor. Sky barely lifts her head to look at me and shakes it subtly. Is this shit for real? They are paying ten girls thirty thousand to shake their asses for a week? Fucking sign me up!
I pick up the papers and stride over to the desk where Kenny and Raiden have their heads close together and speaking low.
"I need a pen." I say to Kenny, not once looking at Raiden.
"Don't you think you should read all the fine print?" Kenny has that grimy smirk on his face.
"My life has never been based on the fine print and I'm not going to start now."
Raiden chuckles and hands me a pen. Our fingers touch as I grab it and I gasp at the electric current that courses up my arm. His smile drops and his eyebrows crash together in a look of frustration.
"I should ask for your signature in blood." He mutters as he turns and storms out of the office.
"Still sure you don't want to read the fine print?" Kenny sneers.
His face pisses me off, so I throw the papers down on his desk, and bend over to sign each one.