"Club's closed. Come back tomorrow," a gruff older man in a cape says from behind the bar. People file out of the club without another word. That's some last call.
"Do you want to press charges?" I ask the girl. She shakes her no.
"Part of the job," she says with a rueful laugh. Fuck that, I think.
"What about you two?"
"No. Our mothers would kill us."
"You’re related?” I ask incredulously.
“Cousins,” the one who was getting his ass beat says.
“What was the fight about?”
“A woman,” the one who was doing the beating says like he’s just been cut with a knife.
“I told you, Harry, I don’t want your girlfriend. I asked her for a cigarette, not to come home with me.”
“Oh.”
“We both told you that, Harry,” a woman dressed in a tight purple dress says, coming forward. She looks like she’s going to a renaissance fair.
“I’m sorry, Helen. Sorry, Jake.”
“You owe someone else an apology too,” I say, tightening my grip on them for a second.
“Sorry, Lady Rainn,” they say in unison. Lady Rainn? What the hell kind of name is that?
“No worries, guys. Go home,” she says, and I release them immediately. They get Helen and are out the door.
“Did they pay their tab?”
“No, but I have their credit cards and her driver’s license. They’ll be back,” she says softly.
“You should get some ice on that eye.”
“I will, Officer Durham,” she says, reading my name badge.
“Everett,” I say before I can stop myself. Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t say anything else.
“Everett, what a lovely name. It fits you. Brave, strong.”
“Do you know the meaning of all names?” I ask, chuckling.
“Somewhat. I read a book of baby names when I was a child. Some of it stuck with me,” she says, shrugging. “I’m Rainn.”
“I see. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rainn.” Something in the air sizzles. I can’t tell if it’s the giant patchouli incense sticks that are lit all over the room or if it’s just something between us, but whatever it is, I want more of it.
“Am I going to get some help cleaning this place up, or are you two leaving?” the old man asks from behind the bar.
“Of course, I am helping, grandpa.”
“Grandpa?”
“Family business, I’m afraid. Thank you for coming, Everett, but I think we are good from here.” Looking at my watch, it’s after three, and my shift is over, so I decide to help her. Honestly, I just want to spend time with her. I can’t explain it, but I know that I won’t ever leave her side, at least not for a while.
“Officer 1223,” I call into the portable radio at my shoulder.
“Dispatch.”
“The fight dissipated before I arrived. No arrests.”
“Very good.”
“10-7,” I say, signaling the end of my shift.
“Have a good night, 1223,” Kyla says.
“You too, Ky.”
“So, you’re staying?” she asks?
“Yeah. I’ll help you out,” I say.
“Good. You can start by cleaning glasses and getting them back to the dishwasher.”
“And what will you be doing?”
“I am going to change and then start sweeping and mopping. Grandpa Hans, you go on home. I’ll lock up.”
“Are you sure, sweetie?”
“Yep. Kiss Gran for me. I missed her tonight.”
“Gran works here too?” I ask.
“It’s her club. She’s the queen of the dungeon.”
“Does that make you a princess?”
“It does,” she says, going up a hidden flight of stairs. I watch her hips and ass sway as she goes. She’s hypnotic.
“She lives upstairs, but nobody knows that,” Hans says.
“Got it,” I say, still staring after her. The old man chuckles. “What?” I ask, turning to him.
“The women of this family are magic. You are hooked boy, no use denying it.”
“What does that mean?”
“Can’t explain it, but you’ll understand soon enough, mark my words,” he says ominously before shaking my hand and walking out the front door, locking it behind him. For the first time, I really notice the room and am surprised to see giant, ornate birdcages hanging from the ceiling—three of them to be exact. Not for the first time, I wonder just what kind of club this is.
I do the only thing I can do right now, and that’s starting to clear the glasses and think about the girl who is changing upstairs at this very moment. Maybe Grandpa Hans is right, Rainn’s magic.
Chapter Two
RAINN
Of course, I would meet the hottest man I have seen in my life, and my left eye is swollen shut, and of course, I look like a raccoon while doing it, I think as I gently wipe my makeup off. Fuck that fist to the eye hurt, but it was nothing like the punch in the gut I got when I first laid eyes on him, which is how I ended up in the middle of the damn fight in the first place. I saw him as soon as he walked into the club. How could I not, he doesn’t exactly fit in here, but he’s all I can think about. Now, I’m sticky and covered in alcohol. At least I don’t have to go anywhere; I think as I strip off the wet leather, which is harder than it seems, and step into the hot shower. I take the quickest shower known to man and throw on a black sweatshirt and a pair of dark-wash jeans that make my ass look great. I am in such a rush to get back downstairs to him that I forget underwear. Let’s just say the way the jeans are rubbing against my clit isn’t unpleasant. I take a second to run a brush through my long wet hair, but I don’t bother to style it in any way.