Page 9 of Burn With Me

“There are more clients than I thought there would be.” Taking the glass he offers me, I take a sip of the smokey, sweet amber liquid and appreciate the path of fire it burns down my throat.

“There’s a show tonight. There are viewing windows in the Desires wing. Occupants can open the curtains if they’d like so that people can watch. But, once a month, there’s an actual show. Think of it as one big orgy that clients can walk around and join if they want to.”

“I’m assuming you guys screen for STIs?” Looking over, I’m a little surprised to see that he’s facing the bar, hunched over his drink, instead of appreciating the view of scantily clad women.

“Everyone gets tested weekly, Angels and clients. And there is no barebacking it here. Everyone has to use a condom. That’s a hard rule.”

Well, at least that’s a rule I can get behind. It’s too easy forpeople to lie about having a sexually transmitted disease. And women, in my experience,willlie to get what they want. When you’re rich, everyone wants a piece of the pie. Doesn’t matter how they get it.

A flash of russet catches my eye, causing my head to snap in its direction so quickly that I hear my neck crack. My eyes bounce around, seeking the color out, but just as quickly as it appears, it's swallowed by the crowd.

The majority of the group is moving toward the back of the room, so I assume the show is about to start. Still searching for the redhead, I notice that there are now three men stationed outside each of the doors that lead away from the main space. Two are dressed in all black–standard security guards, I’m guessing–while a third is in a tuxedo holding a clipboard.

My uncle must notice my curiosity because he tells me, “Each wing gets security and a booker. If a client sees a woman or man they like, they ask the booker to secure them for the evening. When it’s time to go into the rooms, security goes with the Angel, so if they don’t wish to entertain the client, they simply leave without causing a scene.”

Taking another sip of my drink, my brows furrow as I look back at him. “That seems highly complicated. Why not let the clients and Angels work that out themselves first?”

He smiles, more to himself than at me. “Another great observation.”

Raising his glass to his lips, he’s about to take a drink before a series of coughs erupts from his throat. Turning my attention back to the crowd, I glance back at him a few times while he struggles to get his breathing under control.

In the back of the room, the door is propped open, and only a quarter of the clients and Angels remain. Immediately, my eyes catch on a mane of glossy red hair. Pushing off the bar, I try not to catch my uncle’s attention as I focus mine on the woman standing across the room.

She’s dressed in black thigh-high stockings with gartersthat disappear beneath the black lace skirt attached to her satin corset. Delicate champagne-colored wings grace her back while her long sex-kitten waves settle down the middle of them.

Her hair is longer, but her height is the same, as is the creamy complexion of her skin. Silently, I urge her to turn around so that I can see her face. Even masked, I could tell if it was the woman from earlier.

Ginny.

“Jackson, why don’t you go enjoy the show? There’s something I need to take care of. I’ll find you when it’s over.” My uncle’s voice is gritty, and he’s wiping at his mouth with a napkin when I turn and look at him.

“Thought you didn’t want me to treat this place like my playground?” My attention snaps back to the redhead just in time to see her turn her head and laugh at something another Angel wearing black wings says.

It is her.

“I didn’t say join the show. I said enjoy it. Just…behave, for once.” He walks off without another word, and as soon as he disappears behind a door, I head over to the booker standing outside the wing we came in through.

“Good evening, sir. How can I help you tonight?” The booker is probably in his seventies, and his eyes look wary as if he realizes he’s never seen me here before.

“I’d like to book the redhead over there for the evening,” I say with a slight English accent. Voice acting is one of my many talents.

“Ah, yes. Miss Scarlett is free tonight. May I see your card, please?” he asks smugly, as if he already knows I’m not going to know what he’s talking about.

If I hadn’t been sure it was Ginny before, I certainly was now that he just used the name she gave me at Decadence. “It’s my first time. My sponsor is the owner.”

That wipes the smirk right off his face. “Very well, sir.”

He writes something on his clipboard before nodding toeach security guard. One heads off toward Ginny, while the other opens the door and motions for me to follow him.

When the door closes behind me, he angles his body so that his back isn’t to me as we walk. “Rules are simple. No going beyond the curtain. You can ask her to do things, but if she refuses, don’t push it. You can touch yourself, but only if she gives you permission. If at any time you make her uncomfortable, she can leave, and you will wait to be escorted back to the Grand Room. Understand?”

“Seems simple enough—don’t be a dick. Got it.” Reaching up, I loosen the tie around my collar. If I can ask her to put on a show, might as well get comfortable watching it.

The security guard lets out a chuckle and nods his head as we stop in front of a door. “That’s right. Don’t be a dick.”

He opens the door and steps aside for me to enter. “Go to the far side through the curtain and get settled. It’ll be me bringing her back, so don’t get any funny ideas about ambushing her and leaving the curtain open. Curtain stays closed until she wants to open it.”

Once I’m in the room and the door closes, I look around while removing my jacket. The flooring is the same as the hall, and the walls are the same dark color without the gold pattern. There are matching black, crushed velvet, clamshell loveseats on opposite sides of the room, with a black lace curtain that cuts the space in half. In here, there are no chandeliers. Instead, there are fluted, frosted glass wall sconces that give off light at both ends.

---