Page 19 of Play With Me

I want her messy and writhing, moaning my name like she’s got a one-way ticket to Hell, and I’m her only fucking savior.

But I also want to be her damnation.

Things always end badly for women in her line of work. She provoked a monster and brought him right to the doors of her sinful playground, not onlyputting herself in danger but the rest of the Angels who work there.

It's as if God is laughing at me. It’s like six years have never passed, and I’m right back where I was. With a decision to make and the chance to choose the right one this time, yet I already know I’m leaning left.

Regardless of what I say, I respect any woman who tries to make a living for herself. I understand the concept of what Carmela is trying to do with her club, but if I keep telling her I don’t, then maybe she’ll stay away from me on her own.

The fall air is turning crisp. Green leaves give way to golden yellows and oranges as fall settles in, with October looming on the horizon. There’s no breeze as I walk through the streets, but the bite stings my face and makes me miss home even more than I already do. I miss the sunrise on the water—the sand beneath my feet. Mom’s homemade lasagna and Grams’ infectious laugh when she beats me at chess.

Life is calm at home.

But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t also miss the chaos of the job.

Streetlights glow as I walk under scaffolding, passing bars that are getting ready for last call and groups of people still enjoying their night, even though it’s three in the morning. I’m expecting everyone to be gone at the club by now, giving methe perfect chance to explore every inch of it without interruption.

Only a few entrances don’t require someone to let you in. The shiny black metal card slides smoothly into the door lock of a random business. This one has a shiny platinum feather on it— unlike the gold one on Luca’s—and I assume it was made to give me access to whatever I needed while on the case.

I wait for the red light to turn green before going in, then make sure it locks again behind me. It looks like a regular office, though the air is stale and doesn’t seem like it’s been occupied recently. The desks are bare—the computers shut down. Per the flash drive, I know the entrance is in the back, and this time, I pay attention to the slight slope of the red-lit hall as I descend to the club.

Since it’s after-hours, I didn’t bring a mask, but I still check for surveillance even if my face is in plain sight. So far, it seems they have cameras in every corner, and I know Carmela has already asked their tech department to pull footage from the other night for any sign of the killer.

As packed as the shows are, I don’t think it will be easy to single someone out. The cameras span the halls but aren’t allowed in the rooms…at least, that’s what I was told. I have a feeling there are cameras in the rooms; otherwise, I don’t know how they’d uphold their rules.

Music drifts from the Desires hall as I enter theGrand Room. The lights are still on but are dimmed so low they might as well be off. It gives the space an eerie vibe, reminding me of an abandoned theme park as I slink through the couches to the hall. I don’t see anyone else as I quietly make my way through the shadows. At the far end of the hall is where the large open space for the show is, and there’s a faint glow coming from a stage.

It takes my eyes a minute to adjust before I make out Carmela on a stage with a pole. She’s dressed in a pair of hot pants and a strappy top that barely contains her tits, using the pole to dance. A man’s voice sings about flirty eyes and lustful thoughts as she mounts the pole, twisting and turning her body on the way back down.

I’ve seen strippers work a pole before. Whatever Carmela is doing, is not that. It’s dancing mixed with acrobatic work, showing off her toned body and making my cock harden behind my pants. It isn’t sexual, yet somehow still exudes sensuality. She puts on a show for no one but herself. Up on the stage, she looks happy. Worry-free, like there’s not a killer threatening her life.

That thought has me scanning the shadows for Martin and Nikolai. Carmela isn’t supposed to be left alone at all. So either those two are around here somewhere, or we all suck at our jobs. I don’t see them, but figure if they are here, they are staying hidden like I’m trying to do.

My gaze returns to her, drawn back like a moth to a flame. While I watch her, my thoughts stray to earlier in her office at her restaurant. The way her anger radiated off her, a palpable energy that I grabbed onto and sculpted into an orgasm that had her riding my hand. She thinks she’s so clever, trying to rile me up with comments about me being a prude and being stiff.

Carmela wanted me to touch her. And she wanted to think I walked right into her trap.

No, I knew exactly what you were doing, baby girl.

She was so caught up in her own game that she didn’t realize I was playing my own. The look on her face when she came was worth it. It was hard, pun intended, but I could have walked away from her. I could have denied her that orgasm, but she grabbed onto me and silently begged me to get her off. I knew everything she was doing and gave in to her anyway.

All her whispered words haunt me.Just one taste. Just one touch. I hate you.

One more taste and one more touch will never be enough, and I realize this as I watch her dance. My cock reaches for her, making me wish I was in place of that pole right now.

Fuck it.

Just as I step forward to make her aware of my presence, a large figure steps out of the shadows a little ways away from me. Instantly, I’m on alert, thinking it may be the killer. Then I realize it’s Luca.

Hugging the wall, I stay hidden, watching as he makes his way to her slowly, fixated on her every move. She either doesn’t realize he’s there or doesn’t care because she doesn’t stop, even when he pulls out a chair and sits to watch her. As the song ends, she slowly slides down the pole and lands gently on her back, turning her head to her imaginary audience.

“Come home with me tonight,” Luca softly demands. If his presence startles her, she doesn’t show it, eyes moving to find him as she sits up gracefully.

“Luca, we talked about this–”

“I don’t give a damn what we talked about, Cara.” Luca rises from his chair and makes his way to the stage, bracing his hands on the edge. “Why won’t you just let me take care of you?”

Something sharp hits me between my rib cage, slashing up to form a heavy ball in my throat. Carmela sighs as she stands, allowing him to help her off the stage. Red blurs my vision when he doesn’t remove his hands from her hips and pulls her closer to him.

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