Page 44 of The Secrets We Share

His large hand comes out of nowhere, meeting my skin with a harsh slap against my ass. “Mm, there will be no bending over for you tonight, sweetness. Let’s keep tonight death-free if we can, huh?” he whispers.

Stacey passes, eyeing us before yelling over her shoulder, “Let’s go, lovebirds.”

She’s already had a few drinks, pulling a flask from her makeup bag when we set out to get ready. When I eyed her suspiciously, she just mumbled something about “him being so controlling.” I couldn’t help but laugh at the irony as I sipped the weakest drink to have ever been served.

“You heard her. Let’s go.” His hand rests against the back of my neck. One thick finger hooked into the leather there. “I can’t wait to show you off.”

Heady desire in his tone sends shivers down my spine and a zing of excitement to my core. It makes walking to the SUV extremely difficult as I try to quell the growing throb with each step.

The drive was quick; we could have walked, but Harkin and James shot down the idea as soon as it left my lips. “Not worth the risk” and “We’ll be back late” were their reasons, and itwasn’t worth the fight. Plus, Stacey’s shoes didn’t exactly scream walk five blocks.

It’s a members-only night, and flashbacks of the last time Harkin and I were here flicker through my mind. The way that night ended was a catalyst within our relationship. The tunneled entrance is pitch black, the only guidance coming from the neon red lighting that lines everything in the club just ahead.

My fingers lace with Stacey’s as the guys lead in front of us. The music switches, and another sultry song I don’t know with a dirty bass fills the air. It grips my body and makes me sway my hips a little more with every step we take.

Making it to the end of the hall is like falling out the bottom of the rabbit hole into a wonderland. Everything is not as it seems; the red hue distorts every person standing around in the midst of conversations. Moans of pleasure and screams of pain ricochet off the rafters above, adding to the ambiance and expectations of the place.

We’re led to one of the standing round tables downstairs. James leans into Stacey, whispering something in her ear before dropping a possessive kiss on her lips. My eyes bug out as I take them in. That’s it. I can’t stand not knowing what the hell is going on between them.

Harkin’s fingers grip my chin, relocating my gaze to his. His eyebrows are raised, a knowing smile on his lips as I settle my reaction, and he laughs. “Drinks?”

“Yes, please.”

He leaves me with my own searing kiss, and the moment his back is turned, I whip around to face my best friend.

“Okay, that’s it. Out with it,” I demand, leaning in closer to her so we can talk without having to shout over the music.

“Out with what?” she says, playing the dumb blonde. I know she’s not.

“Stace.”

“Keira,” she mocks back in the same tone.

“You and James. What’s going on there?”

Closing her eyes, she draws a deep breath in before opening them with an annoyed sigh. She can sigh all she wants; I’m still waiting with drawn-up eyebrows for her to break the unnecessary tension and come clean.

“We’re exploring some things,” she states vaguely.

I tilt my head and roll my hand, instructing her to expand.

Her eyes scan the floor, searching the direction James took off in before she leans in even closer to talk right into my ear. “So, you remember that guy that used to bounce here, Robbie?”

I nod but don’t respond. She can feel it and continues. “I kept seeing him after you left, except things took a turn after a few weeks. Where he used to be sweet and giving, he slowly became more controlling and rougher. Not in a good way.” A nervous laugh flutters between us. “One night, we met up, had dinner, and then took things to the bedroom. It—it got out of control.”

Pulling back, I stare into her eyes and she doesn’t have to say it. Anger floods my system, my nostrils flare, and I’m about to step away to go hunt him down when her fingers wrap tightly around my wrist, pulling me back in so she can continue.

“I went looking for you. I knew you weren’t there. But I don’t know, in my fucked-up haze, I still felt like maybe you were lying to me, and you’d be at the apartment anyways. But you weren’t there, James was. He flung the door open, took one look at me in all my glorious mess, and dragged me inside. I won’t bore you with all the details, but he took care of me that night and went after Robbie after he finally got his name from me.”

That brings a smile to my lips. I’ve seen James in action. I can only imagine the look on Robbie’s face when he opened the door to find James instead of Stacey.

“The fucked-up thing is, when he got there, Robbie was already fucking some other chick. We’d agreed to bemonogamous while seeing each other. It seems I was a bigger idiot than I’d thought when it came to him.”

“Oh, fuck no. You’re not an idiot. He’s the one that disrespected you and your relationship. He’s the one who put on a front and faked what it means to be a part of the community. That’s not on you, babe. That’s all him. He’s not here anymore, is he?”

“Oh god, no. James made sure I reported it to the club. They don’t take kindly to men like him in their midst, especially when they want to maintain a certain reputation. And extra, especially when you have connections.”

Two drinks slide our way across the table. Harkin and James make it back at the same time we're done talking. I pick up my drink and take a tentative sip. When the flavors hit my tongue, I swing annoyed eyes in his direction.

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