Page 53 of Midnight Whispers

I’d like to deny it just to prove Sid wrong, but I can’t. “Yes. She’ll go through initiation the next meeting.”

They all look at one another. Asher at Kol. Kol at Sid. Sid at Asher. Each of them share the same question in their head.

“What?” I snipe.

“You know what it means to bring her in,” Asher says in a grave voice.

I do. Cinder’s not like everyone else there. She doesn’t have a fortune and prestige to lose. Embarrassment if her tape ever got out, sure. But that pales in comparison to everyone else. If I bring her in, it means that she means something to me. Something more than just a fling, not just some girl I’m fucking. The same as when Asher brought Anabelle and Kol brought Rapsody. Sid will probably never bring a woman.

We fuck women in the Ritual Room, sure. And we fuck women out of it, but we never bring those women there. Not until Anabelle and Rapsody, anyway. So by bringing Cinder in, it means I plan to keep her around for the future.

Hell, I never even brought Maude. The idea of even telling her about the sex club was a non-starter. She never would’ve been into it and would have judged me for it.

But not Cinder. She’s never judged me. She’s perfect.

“I know what it means. And it’s not a problem.” I look each of them in the eye so they know I’m serious.

“Is your stalking still a problem?” Sid asks. “Is she going to freak out about it when your behavior escalates, and she finds out? Will she go off running for the hills, babbling all our secrets to anyone who will listen?”

“I told her. She knows I was watching her, and she knows what happened with Farrah in high school.”

Sid’s eyebrows hit his hairline in surprise. Finally, I shock the fucker.

“She was cool with it?” Kol asks.

“Yes, and she didn’t balk when I told her about it or the Ritual Room.”

Sid scoffs. “Probably because she’s a fucking stripper. Probably seen more dicks in the VIP room for money than a proctologist.”

I jump over the table, fisting the front of his shirt. “Don’t you fucking dare talk about her like that.”

Sid’s face transforms from smooth and smug to rage. He pushes at my shoulders and stands, making me stumble back. “You’d better watch yourself, kid. Don’t touch me ever.”

“Enough!” Asher shouts.

My hands drop from Sid’s shirt, eyes narrowed. “You of all people shouldn’t be judging anyone. We all know you’re fucked in the head.”

Sid’s hands clench at his sides, and he steps so our chests are brushing, but Kol puts his hands on each of our chests, pushing us back.

“Go walk it off, Sid. Let us deal with this.” Kol pats his chest, and Sid meets his gaze then nods.

Those two have always been thick as thieves.

Sid steps back, and the blank expression, the one that gives away nothing, is back on his face as he fixes his cufflinks. “Consider that your one freebie. You lay hands on me again and you’ll regret it.” He leaves the room.

Asher pinches the bridge of his nose. “You know, I really thought that as I got older, I wouldn’t have to referee fights between my younger brothers.”

I motion in the direction Sid just left. “He shouldn’t have said that shit about Cinder.”

Asher looks at me and nods. Surprisingly, Kol does too, returning to his seat.

“You’re right. If anyone had said anything like that about Anabelle, they’d probably find themselves in an unmarked grave in the family plot. I’m sure Kol agrees.”

“Damn straight,” Kol growls.

“But he has a point, Nero. Are you sure Cinder feels the same as you and is in this for the long haul? I’m not trying to sound like an asshole?—”

“But he will.” Kol laughs.