Page 70 of Burn With Me

“Aurora, this is my friend.” Isaac releases the man’s hand and turns to me, holding out his arm, and I feel compelled to take it.

“Shepherd Hunt,” the man introduces himself, holding out a hand that looks at least twice as big as Isaac’s.Jesus. What the hell do they feed him for him to be that big?“You can call me Shep.”

I take the proffered hand gingerly, but to my surprise, he’s gentle as he closes his fingers around mine and squeezes once lightly before immediately releasing me. “Aurora Summers—Rori,” I say, correcting myself a second late. I’ve gotten too used to Isaac’s use of my full name.

“I’m aware of who you are.” Shep steps to the side as Isaac urges me past him and down the hallway.

“The blue room,” Shep calls after us as he trails behind.

I don’t know what he means until Isaac takes a left turn and stops in front of a door, twisting the handle and pushing it open. “Wait here,” he says. “I’m gonna go say hi to Paris. I’ll be right back.”

I turn and look at him. “Why can’t I come?” I don’t know what makes me ask the question, but it feels strange that he would bring me here and then keep me away from the very people he came to see.

Isaac winces and glances over his shoulder before returning to me. “You sure?” he asks.

I shrug. “I assume you brought me here to meet your friends, right?”

Behind him, Shep leans against the opposite wall, his massive tree-trunk-sized arms crossed over his barrel chest, watching the two of us. “Let her,” he says.

Isaac’s expression darkens, and he whirls to face his friend. Something passes between them. I couldn’t say what it is, though, since neither of them says anything and Shep’s face doesn’t change. He merely stares back at Isaac until whatever it is that they’re silently communicating is concluded. My lips part, ready to offer an out—a take back—but Shep pushes away from the wall and turns down the main hallway, striding out of sight.

“—if it’s that big of a deal…” I start, unsure.

Isaac turns back to me and shakes his head. “No, it’s fine,” he says. “Shep is just being an ass.”

I arch a brow. “Seems like you two have that in common.”

He rolls his tongue into his cheek to stop the smile that comes to his lips, but I see it, and it does funny things to my insides. “Come on.” Isaac practically pushes me towards the main hallway and then back towards the way Shep had gone.

The sound of low throbbing rock music emanates from a smoke-filled room and the closer we get, the stronger the scent of weed gets. I wrinkle my nose but keep walking. There’s no stopping now. Isaac’s hand is warm on my back, a direct contrast with the chilly air conditioning that floats across my skin.

Unlike the front of the shop, the back room is cast in near darkness. The only lights are the glowing neon signs on the wall and the wraparound blinking LEDs on the ceiling. There are several couches around what looks like a private waiting room. Each one is occupied by people—women. Tattooed. Untattooed. In nearly every variation of undress. The only men, it seems, are Shep, Isaac, and … the one lying back in a wide, cushy chair with a woman straddling his lap.

“Paris.” Isaac stops me as he steps closer to the man I recognize.

A dark crop of auburn hair pops up, pulling away from the woman’s chest as he looks around her and grins. The stench of weed burns in my nostrils, but he doesn’t seem to notice. “Isaac!” Paris slaps the girl’s ass and mutters something to her that has her edging back and getting up to allow him to stand. He wavers on his feet before heading towards us. “You made it!”

Isaac doesn’t speak again until Paris is standing right in front of us. “Yeah, thought I’d stop in to check on you.”

Paris snorts at that. “Are you getting pierced tonight instead of just watching this time?” Isaac doesn’t get an opportunity to answer before Paris’ attention switches to me. “What about you, sweetheart?” He leans forward, looking me up and down. “You ever been pierced?”

“I … uh…”

“Paris.” Isaac’s voice is hard. Rather than being offended or even defensive, Paris laughs, raising both hands in mock surrender as he backs away.

“Come on, I’m just asking, man,” Paris says. “Besides, you ain’t been ‘round much lately. The least you can do is let me have a bit of fun.”

I frown and cast a look at Isaac.He hasn’t been around? Funny, I feel like he’s always looming right behind me.I turn away and scan the others in the room, my gaze taking it all in.

The girls in the room are all heavily pierced. Belly buttons. Ears. Noses. Brows. Lips. Some of them even have piercings anchored in places I didn’t know could be pierced—like hips and above the collarbone. Are they all here to get high and pierced again? It’s a little weird to me, but who am I to kink shame?

“Thirsty?” A girl in a skin tight tank top and low hugging shorts steps up to my side and offers me a bottle of vodka. I blink at it. No cup. Just the whole damn bottle. A glance behind her, though, tells me why. There’s plenty of alcohol spread around the room. More than alcohol, in fact, since there are two girls straddling each other on a couch in the corner, leaning down to snort lines of white powder from each other’s tits.

“Uh…” I take it, not wanting to feel awkward. “Thanks.”

She smiles and then turns away. My eyes widen as they fall to her chest where the distinct outline of pierced nipples are clearly visible. I hold onto the bottle of vodka, but let my arm drop to my side.Wow. Just … wow.There’s really no other thought in my head than,holy shit. What the hell have I gotten myself into?

“Aurora?” I jerk in surprise as Isaac’s hand lands on my back and I realize that he and Paris have finished talking and his friend has returned to his chair and allowed yet another heavily pierced woman to climb onto his lap. “Let’s go.”

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