Page 36 of Darkness

His lips lift in a true smile, one dimple dipping in, giving him a glow of happiness. He might be beaming like a ray of sunshine, but I’m feeling nothing but the sting of sunburn as I jerk my head back in shock.

Nycto reaches for my hand, and before I can pull away, he tightens one cuff around my wrist and the other around his own. He’s handcuffed me… to him?

Excitement builds inside me. “Does this mean what I think it means?”

“Yeah. We’re leaving the room. You’re coming out to meet everyone. But I’ll be your companion the entire time, so don’t think of running or doing anything stupid. Got it?”

I turn, slamming my body into his and wrapping my free arm around his neck. Nycto tenses as I hug him, even as awkward as it is with two of our arms tethered together. “Thank you. Thank you so much. I can’t wait.”

“You ready?” he asks as I pull back from him.

“So ready.”

“Then, chiquita, let’s get you to your welcome party.”

Chapter Fourteen

EVA

Adrenaline floods through me at a fast rate. Being tethered to Nycto has my pulse spiking all on its own, let alone the fact I’m about to be free of this bedroom, even if only for a short time.

“Here we go.” His deep voice sends a shudder down my spine as his grip on the door handle guides a wave of excitement through me. I bite my bottom lip as he turns it, then pulls open the door. My stomach flutters with butterflies but also with eagerness and nerves.

I have no idea what the other people are like here.

What is he about to take me out into?

It has to be better than living alone in his room.

We step out into a darkened hall. His eyes remain on me as I take it all in. I thought I’d be anxious—scared, even—about stepping out into this new world, but all I am is eager to take a look at the rest of his clubhouse. I glance behind me. The hall is long. I’m assuming there are more bedrooms down there. He slides his cuffed hand into mine, making my head snap back to him. My skin prickles as he looks at me. Even in the dim light, his face is clear enough.

“You ready for me to introduce you to everyone?”

I thread my fingers with his. I’m shocked at how excited I am to meet everyone. I was stolen from my home, and now I’m here. I’m not sure why, but for some reason, I feel safe. In Cuba, it was just Ivy and me. Two girls in a country that failed us but still trying to get by on our own. I did my best to support us, but since being here, I feel like even though I have been trapped in a damn room, I haven’t wanted for anything—except Ivy. It’s probably not right to be feeling this way, to be feeling safe, but for some strange reason, I do. I just wish Ivy was here so she could feel safe too.

“Yeah. More than ready.”

Nycto leads me out of the hall and into a vast open space. My senses burst into overload as I try to take everything in. After being in a small room with the same stuff and that unearthly red light for God knows how long, seeing so many new things and people at once is overwhelming.

He tightens his grip on my hand as we stand, not moving. The noise dies off as his people look to us, observing me. Bikers and club girls stand, some smiling, others looking like they’re simply waiting for an okay to come forward… but it’s not them I’m awed by. It’s the clubhouse itself. The grandeur of it.

I’m definitely in some kind of underground bunker. There are no windows to let normal light shine through. The ceiling is rounded, like I’m in some weird doomsday dome, but it’s kind of cool at the same time. A bar is off to the far left. They even have a pool table, sofas, tables, and chairs to sit at. It’s a pretty neat setup they have here.

There are three rooms off to the back. I don’t know what they are, but I’m assuming one is the kitchen because I smell something cooking, and the aroma floating out from there is amazing. Trixie is standing by a tall guy who’s watching me curiously, arms folded across his chest, his tattooed biceps bulging.

All this attention on me is a little daunting, and no one says anything, so I figure maybe I should break the ice. “Hola,” I say with a little wave. “Soy Eva. Un placer conocerte.”

Nycto raises his brow as everyone widens their eyes in confusion.

“She not an English speaker?” one of the guys blurts out.

Nycto doesn’t reply, letting me play my game.

I straighten my shoulders. “Por supuesto que sí. Solo estoy jugando contigo.”

Trixie steps through the crowd. “Stop being a shithead, Eva. She said her name is Eva, it’s nice to meet us. Then she said, of course, she can speak English, she’s just playing with us. Roughly translated, of course. Good to see you again,” Trixie offers, coming over and leaning in for a brief hug.

I wrap my free arm around her. “Beautiful, great cook, and bilingual. Is there anything you can’t do?”

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