Serpentine

by J. Kearston

  And I hate myself just a little before making my peace with it. Seeing the small smile Bane tries to hide as he looks at Mason with hope, obviously proud of how far he’s come, I cut myself some slack. You don’t have to love yourself before anyone else can. The people that matter are the ones that love you harder when you’re falling apart, trying to figure everything out.

  “You’re right.” Three sets of eyes turn to me in confusion as I swallow, giving myself an extra second to let go of who I used to be, the version of myself that everyone fought so hard to control instead of fighting for. “Some revenge is long overdue, so might as well embrace it and have some fun.”

  Chapter 17

  Risa

  It smells like sweat and horny desperation.

  I have to force myself not to wrinkle my nose as I attempt to suppress my senses even more than when we were in town, but I’m seriously struggling. The Friday night crowd has the club full to bursting, and my instincts are raging against the idea of dropping my guard. The only point in my favor is the cage surrounding me as I hover barely above the crowd. All it would take is someone to reach up and they could grab my ankle through the bottom of the bars, but it’s enough to keep the majority at bay.

  Maybe I should bring a bike lock tomorrow.

  If the door couldn’t be opened by anyone else, it might be easier to drop my guard. Imprisoned, but of my own making, letting the cage act as an extra layer of protection between me and the outside world.

  “Hot damn. How the hell am I supposed to be on guard duty with you lookin’ like that?” Bane shouts over the thundering bass as he comes in from circling the building, taking a seat at the table to my right with Stryker and Mason.

  There’s a massive stage where the DJ is currently set up to the side, leaving plenty of space for the strippers to work. Unlike some clubs though, Underground only does a few shows a night, and they’re usually in depth acts. The rest of the time it’s simply a place to get hammered, dance, and find your next lay. Ten cages are spread out around the place, ensuring the table area still gets a show this far from the stage and keeping the atmosphere going on the dance floor.

  The bar off to the left has a line big enough to keep the bartenders frantic, and the bouncers on their toes, which means even if one of us desperately needed to pee or grab a drink, we’d be shit out of luck. Only way we can get up into these cages is a boost, and asking a rando for help getting down is one of the worst mistakes you can make. At best, you have to deal with a hand on your ass, but after Jessica’s incident where the guy was waiting at her car after her shift, Mindy put her foot down so we never have a repeat of the incident.

  Adding an extra sway as I rock my hips, I waggle my eyebrows playfully. “I’m shocked someone didn’t snag it from my locker the first day I missed work, honestly. It’s one of my favorites.”

  The silver bikini reflects the low lighting, the thin chain from my choker running a line down my chest to fasten to my top between my breasts. Three matching chains on each of my hips hold the sheer, amethyst swath of fabric in place, the two strips ending just above my ankles. It gives the illusion of a skirt, weightlessly flowing as I dance and drawing the eye. I might not appreciate being the center of attention, hence why I opt to stay in the cages instead of setting foot on the stage, but I can appreciate what it is that I do.

  There’s no shame in feeling sexy simply for yourself, especially while doing something you love. I just despise strangers pawing at me like I’m dancing for them instead of myself.

  Mason takes a sip of his drink, heated gaze holding me captive. “Not a single person in this place would question why I ran off to elope with you out of the blue. It’s the perfect cover.”

  A laugh bursts from my lips before I can stop myself and I need to turn away from them until I regain my composure so that I don’t piss off Mindy. Last thing I need is to get fired on my first night back.

  The longer the night drags on, the better I feel. Knowing the three of them are so close, being able to lean on the bond for comfort, the more I’m able to drop my guard and tune out everything else. By the time eleven rolls around, I’ve completely deluded myself into pretending that they’re the only other people in the room.

  A few sharp smacks against the metal draw my attention, turning to find two police officers. Crouching down so I can hear, one of them hollers up, “Risa Pierce?”

  “It’s Emerson now, but yeah, that’s me. Can I help you?”

  The two of them share a look before the other states. “We have a few questions if you’d give us a moment of your time.”

  Glancing over to where I last saw Mindy, I finally catch her eye, gesture down to the cops, and she gives me a nod of approval. Tapping her watch, she sends me a thumbs up, letting me know that it’s close enough to the end of my shift that we’re good for me to call it a night without issue. Unlatching the door, Stryker is already halfway here to help me down, but Bane puts a hand on his shoulder with a whispered warning in his ear to keep up appearances, leaving them both scowling.

  As I sit on the edge, Mason appears beneath me, gesturing for me to drop. He catches me easily, lowering me to the ground and keeps a hand around my waist as he faces the police officers, casually defensive. “May we help you officers?”

  The darker haired one raises an eyebrow. “We have some questions for Ms. Pier-“ he corrects himself, nodding as it clicks. “Emerson. I take it you’re the husband?”

  “That’s correct,” he replies easily.

  As I see the look they exchange, I tap Mason’s chest reassuringly, knowing this will go a lot easier if they don’t think Mason’s presence is influencing my answers. “No worries, Mas, I’ve got a feeling what this is probably about. Why don’t you take your brothers to grab another drink while you wait for me?”

  Lips pressing into a flat line, he nods, kissing my temple before pulling away. “We’ll be at the bar if you need us.”

  I make sure that the smile I give him shows how much I adore and appreciate him, not just for his benefit, but for the police officers’. “Deal. I’ll get changed afterward, and we can all grab something to eat before heading home. Sound good?”

  He claps Stryker on the back as he catches up with the others, walking away. “Sounds perfect.”

  Turning to the police, I tilt my head toward the hallway that leads to the dressing room and offices. “It’ll be easier to hear down that way, and I’m sure Mindy won’t mind if we use her office.”

  Working through the dance floor, I smirk as the two men have to keep gently pushing people away, getting confused with male strippers. People go nuts for men in uniform, especially with a few drinks in them. By the time Nate is opening the door to the hallway he’s standing guard beside, both of the policemen are less rigid, this already not playing out as they apparently assumed.

  Mindy’s office isn’t massive; big enough for a bookshelf, desk, and a few chairs, but it’s enough for an impromptu interrogation and blocks out the majority of the noise once the door shuts behind us. I sit on the edge of the desk, feeling weird about taking her chair like I’m leading this meeting while equally uncomfortable sitting in front of it like I’m in trouble.

  The officers remain standing, and it’s the first time I’m able to get a solid look at them. Both of their hair is buzzed, wearing matching blue uniforms trimmed in gold and black. The taller of the two has dark hair with skin only a few shades lighter, and bright, hazel eyes that are constantly scanning his surroundings. I doubt he’d miss so much as a single twitch I made, looking for any sign that might give away I was lying about something.

  The other has brown eyes that match his hair, a deep tan to his skin like he’s spent the entire summer outside, on and off work. Both have the muscled builds to match, and my senses start creeping back on high alert as it’s clear that I’d stand no chance outrunning or overpowering either of them if it came down to it. Trapped in a small room, the distance between me and the guys suddenly seems like a ch
asm instead of a couple of rooms. So that I don’t raise any red flags by fidgeting uneasily or looking guilty for no reason, I take a deep breath to calm my nerves.

  “So what can I help you with, officers?”

  “Ryker and Thatcher,” the taller of the two states, gesturing first to himself and then his partner. “There’s been a missing person’s report out on you for nearly a month, Ms. Emerson,” he declares, hazel eyes scrutinizing my face. “Care to fill us in where you’ve been?”

  Thatcher’s eyes soften a bit as he adds, “It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve dealt with abductors trying to play the system to get away with things. Things might be complicated and seem impossible, but I promise we can help if you work with us.”

  It takes a second for it to click, but when it does, I burst out laughing. “You think Mason kidnapped me and then forced me to marry him so he couldn’t be arrested for it?” I shake my head. “I’ll admit, that’s a pretty ingenious way to skate abuse under the radar, but I promise, it’s nothing like that at all.” I raise an eyebrow. “Blake Thompson reported me missing, I take it?”

  Ryker cocks his head. “Why would you assume that?”

  I snort. “Who else besides him or my boss would bother? They’re the only people that I really know in this city. Well, used to be, at least.”

  Thatcher narrows his eyes. “Why don’t you start at the beginning? Why’d you up and leave your boyfriend without a word?”

  My annoyance bleeds into my tone. “Without a word? I spent weeks telling him how miserable I was, gave him every opportunity to give me a sign that he actually gave a damn about anyone other than himself. Instead, he just started screaming about what an ungrateful bitch I was, shaking me down every night I came home from work and taking my money so that I couldn’t set anything aside to leave him.”

  Thatcher and Ryker exchange a glance before the latter asks, “If he was abusive, why didn’t you report it?”

  My scoff of derision is completely authentic at that one. “And what would you have done? He wasn’t hitting me, so nothing the police would’ve done about it. And without friends or family to lean on, I couldn’t leave without a penny to my name.”

  My face tightens with my rising vehemence. “Nobody cares until it’s too late, then all they do is cry about what a tragedy it was, that they never saw it coming because the guy was a poster child in the community, then they forget and move on. You can’t blame me that when I met someone that actually cared about me and offered me a way out of the living hell I was trapped in, I jumped on the chance.”

  With great restraint, I soften my features, pushing my rage back down before I get carried away with the pre-planned rant. “I told Blake that I was leaving him, and he laughed in my face, telling me that no one else would be willing to put up with me, that I was lucky he even did. So when he sent me on a run to ensure I didn’t ‘let myself go’, I had Mason waiting at the end of the trail.

  “I moved in with him and his brothers a few hours away. The house was totaled in a fire, so since we’re trying to decide where we should settle down next, it seemed like a good time to tie up loose ends. I figured the only chance I had at getting any of my stuff back was by giving Blake some time to cool down, but now that a month’s gone by, I’m just hoping he hasn’t tossed it all in the trash.”

  Thatcher’s face darkens. “Yeah, that’s not what was reported at all.”

  Ryker cuts in with a warning edge to his voice, “T.”

  Thatcher completely ignores him, pissed off. “If you wait until noon tomorrow when I go back on shift, I’ll meet you at the building so you can collect your things.”

  Ryker sighs, nodding to himself. “It’ll help clear up the conflicting stories, but she’s obviously not missing anymore and looks fine; I’ll be there. Hopefully we can get the paperwork knocked out to close the case and move on before dinner tomorrow.”

  With a dismissive dip of his head, Ryker pulls the door open and gestures for us to leave the room ahead of him. While they head back towards the dance floor, I cross the hall to the dressing room, ready to call it a night. Things went better than I expected they would, but it’s still far from over. If the guys were to kill Blake right now, Mason and I would be the prime suspects.

  The dressing room has a wall of lockers on the same side as the door, the opposite side covered with a massive mirror that stretches across most of the wall. The long counter beneath it is covered with enough make up, brushes, and bottles to give the entire city a makeover. Off to the left is a communal shower and bathroom stalls, a couple of girls rinsing off and another few touching up their makeup that are going to be here for the rest of the night.

  Spinning the dial to unlock my locker, I grab my clothes and walk over to the bench in the center of the room. Stripping off my work clothes, I start switching into a basic t-shirt and shorts when Crystal comes to sit beside me, unzipping her leather, thigh-high boots with a sigh of relief.

  “Spill it, girl. You really skipped town to get hitched?” she asks. Tying my shoe, I nod, and she reaches over to pat my leg. “Happy for you. That boyfriend of yours was a fucking prick and you deserve so much better. He treat you right?”

  Grabbing my outfit, I toss it in my locker, snapping it shut and sitting beside her on the bench. “Better. Honestly, I can’t imagine how I got by in life without them.” I catch my slip too late, frantically trying to figure out how to salvage it.

  Her green eyes sparkle with humor that mirrors Stryker’s. “He must be pretty close to his brothers not to care that they were eye fucking his wife all night.”

  I wave her off as if she’s being ridiculous. “They’re just protective. We weren’t sure how Blake was going to react when he found out I was back in town.”

  She snorts, stripping off the rest of her skimpy outfit for something similar to mine. “Those brothers single, then?”

  At my death glare, she bursts into hysterical laughter, gathering her hair into a ponytail. “Thought so. Kudos to you, girl, no judgment. As long as you’re happy, that’s all I care about. Lord knows I’m jealous as fuck, but that doesn’t mean I’m not thrilled for you. You look-“ her gaze rakes over me, from my violet eyes that I claimed were colored contacts to my toes and back up again. “You look good. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy, and you’ve got this glow about you that draws people in now instead of pushing them away. Seriously, Risa-“ she stands up, clasping my hand once before snatching her purse and walking toward the exit “-you do you, no matter what story you’d rather feed the public. Happy to have you back, even if it’s only for a little while.”

  I follow her out smiling, working our way through the throng of gyrating bodies. Crystal departs with a wave while I make a beeline for the bar, following the bond straight to the guys. Their heads swivel in my direction before I say a word, high-strung and waiting impatiently. Rising to their feet, they scan me for any scratch or sign that the meeting didn’t go well. Stryker begins reaching for me, only to clench his fist and stuff it in his pocket with a grimace. Bane looks equally pained, but masks it better, having years of practice between these two.

  “Ready to get out of here?” Mason asks, threading his fingers through mine and walking towards the exit before I even answer, looking on edge.

  “Definitely.”

  We save the rest of the conversation until we’re out on the street, leaving the heavy bass behind. The cool, night air sends a shiver down my spine as we cross the parking lot and climb into the truck. The doors barely snick shut before Stryker’s mouth is on mine, his hand sliding up my inner thigh with a pained groan.

  “Fuck, this is torture. Made sense in theory, but watching you all night and knowing I couldn’t touch you?” His tongue sweeps through my mouth as he presses me back into the seat, trailing his fingers over my shorts between my legs. “Seeing the way people lusted after you and knowing you were mine?” He nips at my bottom lip. “Hard not to climb into that cage with you and give them anoth
er reason to be envious.”

  Bane fires up the truck, clucking his tongue. “Let her get her seat belt on, ‘ya horny bastard. Windows might be tinted, but not the windshield, and we need to keep our cover if we want to pull this off.”

  Sighing, Stryker kisses me once more, but leaves his hand on top of my thigh as we drive around looking for somewhere that’s still open for dinner. We wind up at a twenty-four-hour diner, currently half full with teenagers and drunks, for the most part. We get seated at a booth in no time, the plastic on my sticky menu crackling as I open it up.

  Mason’s on one side and Bane my other, who’s taken up acting like Stryker and teasing me beneath the table like he can’t seem to help himself. He pretends not to see the look I shoot him, carrying on his languid strokes as he reads over the menu.

  It’s impossible to ignore him, and I squirm in my seat while browsing, using the menu to hide my face. “Why do I feel like I’m being punished for something?”

  Mason leans in to whisper in my ear, “They’re just feral, voyeuristic heathens. Hard to fault them when we’ve spent all night watching you dance in that get up, reveling in the satisfaction that none of the people pining over you would ever touch you.” Skimming his knuckles over my cheek, he traces a finger over my lips. “I’ll admit, I was worried I was going to be jealous, but turns out, I’m no better than this lot. Best foreplay I’ve ever had.”

  “May I take your order?” I jump as the waitress appears out of thin air.

  Flustered, I rattle something off at random, appearing suspicious since the guys are much more composed as they give theirs. Within two minutes she’s back with our drinks, flicking her gaze over us and making her own assumptions to gossip about in the back before disappearing, my nervous shifting not helping my case for innocence.