Page 15 of Masked Darling

“I’m well aware of that. Why do you think I’m so nervous, dipshit?”

Jagger placed a hand on Kade’s shoulder, giving it a brief squeeze. “We’ll be careful. All you have to do tonight is make drinks. Stay behind the bar and let me and the guys handle anything else. If anything goes wrong, I put a few guns—”

Kade cut him off as he picked up the 9MM Glocks from behind the register and one from the cooler as Jagger glared at him.

“You are so predictable, big brother.”

“Put them back where they were. Company’s coming.”

The knocking on the door came mere seconds later, and Jagger gave Kade one more look before turning the music on the stereo up.

Put It On Meby Matt Maeson filled the space as Kade lined up the glasses on the bar, filling each with beer from the tap. The dull thud of music pulsed through the air, vibrating in hischest as he worked. He glanced over his shoulder at the crowd swaying under the dim lights, men and women clad in the same simple black masks dancing recklessly and writhing against one another. You couldn’t see the girl’s faces but you could tell from their body language they were on autopilot.

The laughter from the men mixed with the bass of the sound system, creating an atmosphere that felt both enticing and unsettling, and Kade glanced at Scales, who was standing near him by the bar, his hands clenched in fists.

Don’t lose it, man.

Jagger had initially planned to lace their drinks with sedatives, but the gang insisted on beer—always watching as it was poured. That plan lay abandoned like the unused beds scattered around the room.

There was nothing to do but keep busy so Kade poured another round, frustration simmering beneath his calm facade. How would they do anything when the men were being so careful?

Now...what? They just have to stand here and watch these motherfuckers take advantage of these women? He was going to go insane just standing here and—

Kade snapped back to reality as a sharp knock echoed against the heavy door.

Gremlin turned toward it, throwing a puzzled glance over his shoulder to Kade through his mask as he approached. But before he could reach for the handle, one of the gang members surged forward from where he was chugging his beer and yanked it open.

No.

No, no,no.

Kade’s heart sank as he saw Madison standing there, her familiar features twisted in confusion as she looked around the bar, her knee-length blue peacoat buttoned up to her neck.The noises from the crowd around them faded into a muffled background hum as Kade locked onto her.

“Mads!” he called out before he could stop himself, dread washing over him.

She glanced around, scanning the strange scene—the bodies and masked faces lost in their twisted world of debauchery and anonymity.

Kade cursed under his breath, quickly approaching her, knowing she could not be here.

Why the fuck was she here?

“Hey! You can’t just walk in! Private party tonight,” Gremlin shouted, stepping forward to block her entry.

Madison’s brows knitted together as she glanced at him before returning her focus to Kade, who had briefly pulled his mask up to show her it was him before pulling it back into place before anyone else saw.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her voice steady but quiet and careful. The man who opened the door was still standing there, watching her intently—his beady eyes were about to get plucked out if he didn’t backthe fuckup.

“You can’t be here,” he growled, opening the door to usher her back.

“What are you talking about? And what are you all wearing?”

“Later,” he warned. “Not now.”

Madison stubbornly pushed past him and Gremlin a bit to get a better look at what was happening. Which was the absolute wrong thing to do, and before he could step forward to reach for her hand to pull her back from danger, another member of the gang stepped closer to Madison, looking down at her like she was prey rather than a person.

He stepped closer to Madison, trying to puff out his chest to appear taller amongst Kade and Gremlin, which was impossible.

Pathetic.

---