Chapter Eleven
Liv
Istood on their doorstep with my arms folded, trying to take deep breaths to calm my nerves. This was the first time I’d been to the Asylum since they’d opened it up as their new club, The Sanctuary. I’d heard a lot of buzz going around about the place and what it was like, but I’d never wanted to step foot in here. Not until now. Now I needed to settle a score. I needed to face this, whatever it was, head on.
Lost in my thoughts, thinking about what I would say, I flinched when the large wooden double doors cranked open, pulling me from my daze. I was surprised when I saw Colton King standing in the doorway with a stupid grin on his face. Adam would never come down here himself and do his own dirty work. Colton looked me up and down and chuckled to himself, but I had no time to break down all of his issues. He could get in line. I had bigger fish to fry.
“Typical,” I snapped. “He couldn’t even be bothered to come and answer the door himself. Always the coward.” I tapped my foot in irritation and glared at him, but he wasn’t fazed by me. Instead, he just seemed to get off on my irritation, grinning like an idiot and chuckling to himself.
“Oh, now come on. We were all fighting over ourselves to get down here and open the door to you. I was the lucky one who won.” He winked at me and stroked his jaw as he carried on playing the part of the joker. “Don’t deny me this pleasure, Liv.”
He didn’t show any indication that I was welcome to come in. He didn’t move to the side or give me a way to get past him. Instead, he just stood there, gawping at me and smirking.
“Where is he?” I snapped.
“Rude.” Colton pretended to look offended, holding his hand on his chest and fake gasping. “I’m just as good company as he is. Probably more, in fact. There’s lots of things I can do with my mouth other than talking.”
I screwed my face up and he threw his head back, laughing.
“You know, it’s not often we get visitors,” he added. “Will you be staying for dinner? Shall I set an extra place at the table for you?”
“You all sit around the table together?” I frowned, struggling to imagine the weird scenario he was painting.
“Well, more like a KFC bucket really, but I’ll save you a wet wipe.” He chose that moment to step backwards and give a sweeping gesture with his arm for me to enter.
“You’re hilarious,” I responded drily, rolling my eyes as I pushed my way past him into the main foyer of the building.
“So I’ve been told,” he answered, slamming the door shut with way more force than he needed to.
I stood in the middle of the foyer and looked around. They’d done a decent job of cleaning up the place. Even the stained-glass ceiling, which used to be broken and plagued with trapped birds shitting over everything, looked sparkling and new. Like most clubs, the stench of stale alcohol mixed with cleaning products and furniture polish hung heavy in the air. Nice to know they made some effort to keep it clean. The old, plastered walls still had some of Finn’s graffiti artwork on display, and the floors–which were once cracked and uneven–had been replaced with a highly polished wood effect. I doubted it was solid wood. I don’t think anything these men did was legitimate or the real deal. They were, after all, the masters of tricks and illusions. But granted, it looked… classy. For them.
“Like what we’ve done with the place?” Colton asked as he came up behind me.
“I thought the rubble and bird shit suited you better. But then I suppose all criminals like to hide somewhere, in plain sight. You’ve created quite the hideout.”
“The perfect hideout,” he whispered. “We’re just like Bruce Wayne, only there’s five of us here to be extraordinarily awesome and fuck shit up. You should stop by one of the nights. I’m sure Ad wouldn’t mind showing you around the themed rooms we have on offer.” I turned to give him a snarky response, but he was already stalking off down the corridor towards the stairs that’d lead us to the other floors.
“Themed rooms?” I called out after him. “As long as one of them is a torture chamber, I’m game. I think he deserves a taste of his own medicine after the shit he’s doled out, and I would love to be there when it happens.”
“You don’t really mean that,” he said, twisting his head to smirk down at me as he took the stairs two at a time. “You say you hate him”–he stopped on the top step and spun around, bending forward so his face was level with mine–“but that look in your eyes says different. You like the games, admit it. You’re all about the chase.”
I took a few more steps so my face was closer to his and I glared at him. “I also like my freedom. I’m no one’s property.”
“Well…” He shrugged, standing upright and backing away a few steps. “Best to let him down gently then. I don’t think he’s gonna take too kindly to being told he can’t have you.” He turned and started to make his way up the next flight of stairs and casually threw out his next comment. “Because when Adam wants something, he always gets it.”
I followed him up that last flight, and when we got to the top, he halted again and nodded his head towards the door at the far end of the corridor.
“You do know you’re the first person ever to step foot in his room other than us four?” He leant closer towards me and whispered, “You’re the first girl to be invited into his lair. Are you ready for it? Huh? Do you feel flattered that you’re the chosen one?”
“Flattered?” I spat back. “About as flattered as a turkey would be when it’s picked for Christmas dinner.”
Colton threw his head back again and laughed. “I like you, Liv. I can see why he’s so… taken.”
“Taken. That’s one word for it.” I pointed to the door we were staring at. “Is that his room?”
“That’s it. The love palace.”
“I guess I’ll go and knock then.” I started walking forward but Colton didn’t join me.
“Don’t knock. It’s more fun catching someone by surprise,” he called out, and as I turned, I saw him stroll off down the other end of the corridor, whistling to himself.
When I got to the door, I froze.
What the hell was I doing here?
Had I just made the biggest fuck up known to man by coming here and confronting him?
I liked to think I had balls, but was this a suicide mission?
Did I really know what I was getting myself into?