Serves Me Wright (Wright #9) - K.A. Linde Page 0,24
and take all of those clothes off of him.
“How’s this?” he asked with a smirk. He must have already seen my assessment.
“I like it.”
He nodded, pleased. “Good.”
My mouth was dry as I stared at him. I took a step backward, trying to keep my brain from short-circuiting. Because, holy hell, Julian Wright was so fucking hot. It was practically sinful.
I snatched my purse off of the table, and it rattled with pills. I winced at the sound, hastening out of the room, nearly running right into my dad.
“Hey, where are you going in such a hurry?” he asked with a laugh.
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine, pumpkin. Are you ready for the graduation party?”
I nodded. “Yep.”
But I wasn’t sure I was ready. Chester and Margaret were fighting. Julian Wright matched me, as if we’d planned our outfits. My parents were accepting of all of it. Everything felt strangely uncertain. Still, I swallowed down my unease and followed everyone out to my parents’ car.
We drove in circles until we finally snagged a spot in a parking garage not too far from the banquet hall downtown. A group of STEM students passed us into the graduation event. Chester was one of three PhDs graduating along with a dozen master’s students. The entire chemistry department came out to celebrate their achievements.
We loaded up on appetizers and grabbed drinks from the bar before staking out a space away from everyone else. It was a long hour before the party had begun to dwindle. My parents had been speaking to the dean for at least twenty minutes. Chester had disappeared.
“This is lame,” I said. I stood from where we’d turned into wallflowers and brushed off my dress. “Want to head to another bar? I think I’ve been to one or two down the street.”
Julian shrugged. “Sure. Should we say something to your parents?”
My gaze slipped over to them, and I sighed. “Probably.”
Just as I headed over there, Chester reappeared. His cheeks were flushed. “Leaving already?”
“We were going to go get a drink.”
Chester nodded. “I know just the place.”
“You want us to go with you?” I asked dubiously.
“Why not, little sis?” he asked.
Because he’d been avoiding us since we’d gotten here. Something was up with my brother, but I had no idea what it was. I wanted to ask if Margaret was going to meet us since she’d never arrived at the party, as promised, but I had a feeling I already knew the answer.
It’d be easy to just tell Chester no and walk away. But I couldn’t say no to anyone, let alone a brother who seemed to actually want my attention.
“All right,” I said. I glanced up at Julian.
He shrugged. “Fine by me.”
We said good-bye to our parents and then headed out onto the balmy Austin street. Chester chatted amicably the entire time. I barely heard what he’d said, but thankfully, Julian kept up the conversation easily. This was why I’d brought him anyway, right?
Chester finally stopped in front of a large metal door.
“What’s this?” I asked curiously.
“Our stop,” he said with a wink.
Julian and I exchanged a glance and then both shrugged.
“House party?” I said.
Chester smirked and knocked on the door. A slot opened, and he slipped a small card into it. We waited outside for a few minutes in silence. Then the door creaked open.
“Welcome to the Lounge,” a gravelly voice said.
“Where have you taken us?” I whispered reverently as I looked inside.
Chester grinned. “A secret bar. It used to be a brothel.”
I squeaked.
He just laughed. “Can’t handle it, sis?”
His eyes were a challenge. This wasn’t my scene. Not at all. But I couldn’t back down from that look either. I reached for Julian’s hand for strength and then pulled him across the threshold with me.
12
Jennifer
The former brothel was a cascade of shadows. Reds and grays and blacks decorated the room, shading the black leather booths in darkness and revealing the brown lacquered bar. We passed the booths, only getting eclipsed views of the people within. They could have been as devious or innocuous as possible, but everything felt charged with energy and awareness.
“This is your room,” the attendant said, stopping before a frosted sliding glass door.
He tapped twice, and the door slid open. Inside, there was a floor-level sunken tub and a dozen people that I’d never met. Half of them had dropped down to their unmentionables and were submerged in the bath. The rest were drinking fancy concoctions.
Chester entered first, and everyone cheered at his presence. “I brought my sister and her boyfriend.”