whispered back, still amazed that he had chosen me.
And then he kissed me. I lost myself in him as he devoured me, his finger still in my collar, anchoring me in place. By the time he finally pulled back, I was breathless, and he had my pink lipstick on his mouth. Lifting his arm, he wiped his face, leaving a pink smear along the skin of his forearm. It was as if he wanted it on him, marking him as mine as much as his collar marked me.
“Are you ready, little darling? I want to show you off.”
As soon as I nodded, he took my hand and led me out of the apartment. Butterflies were having a rave in my stomach as he opened the forbidden door and ushered me into the club. Holding his hand tight, I looked up and down the hallway and was a little surprised to find it so empty. A few people were mingling about, but not as many as I’d expected. However, it was apparent from the cries and sounds of pleasure I could hear that the rooms around us weren’t empty at all.
Giggling, I cuddled up to his side as he led me toward the main room. I’d seen it before when the club was quiet, but what I saw when we rounded the corner was insane. Bodies of all shapes and sizes and manners of undress were grinding to the music. It was electrifying. Bouncing, I smiled up at Carson as he walked backward toward the floor, dragging me into the crush of bodies with him.
It was obvious from all the people trying to talk to him that he was well recognized and respected, but he only had eyes for me.
He pulled me in tight and wrapped his arms around me. “Dance with me,” he ordered in my ear.
I wouldn’t call what we did dancing, it was more the grinding of body parts against each other, but I loved it and never wanted it to end. We were out there for maybe an hour when Kane tapped on Daddy’s shoulder. I’d met him before in passing during one of my previous forays into the club, so I knew it must have been super important for him to interrupt us.
He whispered something in Daddy’s ear that had him nodding.
“I have to take care of something. Are you okay here with Kane? He can take you back upstairs if you want him to.”
I shook my head. “I want to stay,” I yelled over the music.
Daddy nodded and then pointed at Kane while giving me a stern look. “Stay with him.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
He gave me one last look before disappearing into the crowd.
Moving closer to Kane, I beckoned him closer with my finger so I could talk in his ear without yelling. “Where can I get some water?”
“Follow me!”
Nodding, I fisted my hand in the back of his shirt and followed as he bulldozed his way through the crowd. With Kane safely leading me through the club, I looked around while blindly following him toward the bar.
My eyes landed on a boy sitting on the floor next to a loud, boisterous man who gestured wildly as he talked to the bored-looking woman next to him. The boy was looking around the room, his eyes meeting mine for a brief second in time. I stopped, my hand letting go of Kane’s shirt as I recognized the look in his eyes.
He was sad, hurting, alone, helpless. I’d worn that look too many times not to remember it.
I looked around the room, waiting for someone to help him, but no one stepped forward.
As I walked toward him, the man sitting next to him placed his hand in his hair and jerked his head back.
“Are you not paying attention, boy?”
“I’m sor—”
“You’re gonna be sorry,” he said as he began pushing the boy’s head down toward the floor.
“Stop!” I yelled as I raced forward. “Stop it!”
The hand in the boy’s hair jerked away at my shout. The boy turned toward me, resignation filling his features.
“What the fuck?” The man stared at me in surprise.
“I said stop it!” I reached down, grabbed the boy by the arm, and began tugging him away.
Relief flooded the boy’s face as he moved the get off the floor.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” The evil man placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder and shoved him back down.
“Leave him alone!” I tugged once again, hoping the boy would follow.