Page 6 of The Bloke

After leaving the mansion, Nick informed me about another benefit of being a member of the MUR: bypassing the need for a visa to work and remain in the USA. I hadn’t even consideredapplying for one until he asked me how I planned on getting one that would last longer than a few months. That alone meant that I had to successfully complete these tests unless I wanted to return home with my tail between my legs.

Standing in front of my locker, I changed into my light blue denim jeans and a black T-shirt. The show for the night had ended ten minutes ago, and I was ready to get the hell out of there before Jaxon called us all back for additional rehearsal time.

I sat on the bench along the wall and started pulling on my white sneakers.

“Ay, guess what, mate!” Nick’s voice was far too cheery for how tired I was.

“What?” I finished tying my laces and dropped my foot to the floor, my eyes connecting with his.

“You got your second task tonight.” He chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest as he rested his shoulder against one of the lockers, and my stomach flipped.

“Fucking finally.” I sighed, standing up and grabbing my black leather jacket from the hook. “To the mansion?” I inquired, shrugging it on and turning to face him.

“Not this time; we’re going to one of the hotels on the Strip.” Nick gestured his head to the door, and I followed him out of the showroom. “Hope you don’t mind walking.” He laughed as we turned in the opposite direction of the parking garage and followed the sidewalk along the Strip.

I shook my head with a smile and followed his lead. I was ready for this test, and if the next two were anything like the first, it would be all too easy for me to complete. It helped that I just didn’t give a fuck about anything anymore.

Since moving here, my life has been all about survival and looking out for my best interests. If that meant spilling a littleextra blood here or there to get what I wanted in life, then so be it.

You fuck with the wrong people; you deserved what was coming to you. When living in a City of Sin, that wasn’t too far of a stretch.

“You know, while I said I knew you could survive these tests, I never pegged you for the stabby type.” Nick broke the silence between us as we walked down the Strip.

“It just goes to show how much you blokes don’t know about me.” I shrug. “Or even care to, for that matter,” I added. The blokes are all nice guys, don’t get me wrong, but fuck do they only care about themselves when it comes down to it.

I get it; this industry is dog-eat-dog, but goddamn.

“It’s because you aren’t one of us yet.” He chuckled as if I wasn’t serious and only joking.

“We work in the same fucking show, what are you talking about?” I felt dumbfounded at his words.

“Just because you work in the show doesn’t make you one of us. This—” Holding up his right hand to show me the thick black ring on his ring finger, he added, “This is what makes you one of us. And you’ll get yours soon enough, mate.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes as we entered the double doors into Solitude, a newly built casino and hotel.

Three weeks ago, they had their grand opening and have become popular with the younger crowd that visits.

We walked across the large, open casino floor and entered the North Tower elevator lobby. A giant round three-tier fountain was in the center of the lobby, with three different bays branching off to take guests to their respective floors.

“Do you know which floor we are going to? And room?” I quizzed, looking up at the painted ceiling that reminded me of the Venetian.

“Yeah, this way.” Nick gestured to the hall on the left, and we entered the open elevator. He took out a white card, held it up to the room scanner, and when it flashed green, he hit the button for the twenty-fifth floor.

“Where’d you get that?” I nodded to the card as he slipped it back into his pocket.

“You’ll get one of these soon enough, too. The society gives all its members a special card that grants you access to every floor of every hotel on the Strip.” He grinned at me in the reflection of the gold doors, and I couldn’t help returning the same expression.

Fuck, I couldn’t wait to become fully initiated. The high life that awaited me was within my grasp, and all I needed to do was reach out and take it.

The elevator bell dinged, and the doors opened once we reached our floor. Nick and I stepped out as he checked the placards on the walls for the direction we needed to take next.

We were on the twenty-fifth floor, so the room numbers started in the twenty-five-hundreds. With this being a newer hotel on the Strip, everything was grey—or at least various shades of it—with the carpet being dark and the walls a lighter color to brighten up the halls.

I wondered why we would perform my next test in one of the hotel rooms, but that shouldn’t have surprised me. If the Men Under Revue owned and operated the entire Strip, why wouldn’t they handle their business anywhere it presented itself?

“Down here.” He whispered and turned a corner, heading down one of the long halls of rooms. From what I could tell, we were the only two on this floor, and hopefully, that would stay the case.

“Do I need to ask what the expectations are?” My voice was soft as I approached his side. Nick had stopped at one of the dark grey doors, matching the carpet about halfway down the hall.

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