Page 22 of Poison

As I took a quick sip of my drink, I stared at him. "How did you manage to get a gig here?"

"I'm not sure I can tell you. I can't exactly have you running off and telling your boss." He grinned cheekily.

"Really?"

He leaned in close, speaking in a soft tone. "I'm on a spy mission."

"Scandalous."

Vic shrugged. "When Alex found out your sponsor was working on building a club here, he got me a gig to gather intel."

"Is he paying you extra spy money?"

"Hell yeah," Vic chuckled. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be within a mile of all these snobs. Basically, Alex just wants me to find out who your boss is talking to so that he knows who he has to go to in order to get a club built here, too."

I glanced past him to a set of stained-glass double doors, eager to get out of the business talk. "Is that a balcony?" I could barely see outside, but through the very top of the glass, it looked like there was still some light from the setting sun.

"I think so. I don't know my way around."

I set my empty martini glass on a nearby table. "Come outside with me."

"Let me first fill up my tray so I don't get in trouble... Drinks are free for guests, by the way."

"Are you encouraging me to consume alcohol?"

Vic shot me a serious look. "After yesterday, I get it. I understand why you drink like you do. I wouldn't want to be sober, either. I want to hang out with sober Isaac more than drunk Isaac, but here, now… Drink up. I get it."

As he went to collect more drinks, I headed outside. The view was beautiful. We were so high up I could even catch glimpses of beyond the wall. It was all forest as far as I could see. Beyond that dense greenery were patches of earth where nothing could survive; the air and ground were toxic to living things. The only people brave enough to go out there were the scavengers. Traders that went from one megacity to the next to trade supplies. They were well informed on which safe routes to take and had the equipment to survive.

I chuckled when I remembered how afraid I was of the outside world as a child. I had heard tales of cannibals attacking cities. And a story about a never-ending, massive land hurricane that ravaged the entire east coast of the country. The people who were trapped inside it had to spend their lives traveling to remain in the eye of the storm. My old neighbor tried to frighten me by insisting that one day, that same storm would grow large enough to destroy this city and everything in it.

"Poison Apple?" asked Vic, spooking me a bit.

I took the offered drink with a small smile.

"I'm sorry that I stormed off last night."

My fingers traced his sharp chin. "I'm glad you did. I didn't want you seeing that."

"If I had stayed, I would have ended up in shackles. I wanted to destroy your sponsor for making you do that."

"It's fine. I'm used to it."

Vic shook his head. "It isn't fine, Isaac. That is rape, point blank, period. As a servant, you aren't allowed to say no, and that means that man raped you... and I hate that I'm powerless to stop it."

Those words made me pull Vic in for a kiss, even though it was pointless to fall for him. I wasn't allowed to date anyone out in the open, and I would continue to be forced to fuckother men. There would be no happily ever after for us, but I couldn't help wanting to be near him. Wanting to feel his touch and taste his lips. He was becoming my new favorite drug.

When he pulled away, he chuckled, "Those heels are obnoxious."

"I know, right?! It's not like I'm not a giant already. It wasn't my choice. My dipshit sponsor picked out this entire outfit. Even the hair, nails, and makeup."

"I like the hair. It looks cool."

With a shrug, I finished off my drink and plucked up another. "When I'm free, I'll never wear pink again. In fact, the first thing I'm going to do is dye my hair the wildest shade of green there is."

"Why green?"

"It's my favorite color."

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