Defining Darkness - K E Osborn Page 0,37

the clubhouse itself. The grandeur of it.

I’m definitely in some kind of underground bunker. There are no windows to let normal light shine through. The ceiling is rounded like I’m in some weird doomsday dome, but it’s kind of cool at the same time. A bar is off to the far left. They even have a pool table, sofas, tables, and chairs to sit at. It’s a real neat setup they have here.

There are three rooms off to the back. I don’t know what they are, but I’m assuming one is the kitchen because I smell something cooking, and the aroma floating out from there is amazing. I see Trixie standing over by a tall guy who’s watching me curiously with his arms folded across his chest, his tattooed biceps bulging at the seams.

All this attention on me is a little daunting, and no one’s saying anything, so I figure maybe I should break the ice. “Hola soy Eva, un placer conocerte,” I blurt out waving with a bright smile.

Nycto raises his brow as everyone widens their eyes in confusion.

“She doesn’t speak English?” one of the guys blurts out.

Nycto doesn’t reply, letting me play my game.

I straighten my shoulders. “Por supuesto que sí, solo estoy jugando contigo.”

Trixie steps through the crowd. “Stop being a shithead, Eva. She said her name is Eva, it’s nice to meet us, then she said, of course, she can speak English. She’s just playing with us. Roughly translated, of course. Good to see you again,” Trixie offers coming over, leaning in for a brief hug.

I wrap my free arm around her. “I had no idea you spoke Spanish, Trixie? Beautiful, great cook, and bilingual. Is there anything you can’t do?”

She snorts. “Deep throating… you’d think with these dick-sucking lips, I’d be a queen at it, but nope, my gag reflex is just up the shit.”

Everyone bursts out laughing as I widen my eyes. She winks at me, then turns, walking back over to where she came from. I lean into Nycto’s side. “Is that true? A club girl who can’t…” I trail off, and he says nothing.

Instead, he turns his head from me toward his brothers. “Everyone, this is Eva. As you see, she has a wiseass side to her, so feel free to give it back. I want you all to make her welcome, though. She’s been through a lot. I want to give her some freedom to let her know she’s welcome at the RBMC.”

His words make warmth flow through me. Everyone comes off as hard and so tough like they’ve seen a lifetime of bad decisions and hardships, but things are different in their eyes. Their eyes are kind and forgiving. It’s how you tell a true man’s soul. That’s how I know even though Nycto’s moods are all over the place, he would never hurt me. He harbors demons, definitely, but the way he looks at me makes them disappear.

“Thanks, everyone, for taking me in. You didn’t need to. You could have let me be taken by those men. I don’t know where I would be now if it weren’t for this club…” I tense up but continue, “… probably where my sister is now.”

Everyone’s eyes shift to the floor. They must feel bad for not rescuing her too.

“I just hope we can find her soon.” As I look around the room, I realize I’m very thankful to be here. They saved me from who knows what. With how everyone is watching me, I can’t help but feel secure.

A man I recognize from the night I was taken steps forward. He was handling Ivy and put her into the van. His eyes are haunted as he approaches me. “Eva, the name’s Void. I’m the VP around here, and I want you to know I’m personally looking into your sister.”

Nycto narrows his eyes on his VP. Something’s being unspoken between them, but I don’t care right now. Void’s telling me he’s working on finding Ivy, and that’s all I need to know.

“Thank you. I really appreciate it. I hope you find her soon. I don’t want her alone and scared.”

Void narrows his eyes on me. “I have an inkling she’s real close. Don’t worry, Eva. You’ll see her again.”

For such a strong, angry-looking man, he comes across as a genuinely nice guy. I reach forward to give him a hug, but he pulls back with a grimace. “Nothin’ against you, Eva, just not the huggin’ type.”

“I understand. It’s nice to have someone