Page 5 of You Are Cordially Invited

I popped a finger under my fiancé’s jaw and lifted it shut. “Eyes up, sweetheart.”

“Huh?” Reuben’s gaze darted to mine. “Pfft. I was just thinking how much better they’d look on you, baby.”

Oh, he’s good.“Sure you were. But an excellent save, nonetheless.”

Carmen stood and lobbed a terrifying pink cock cage Ed’s way. “For the line winner, darling.”

He caught the lethal-looking cage and turned it over in his hands, grinning from ear to ear. “Best prize of the night.”

My jaw dropped. “Oh. My. God. I don’t even want to know. There’s not enough bleach in the entire world to erase those images.” I covered my eyes and pleaded with Reuben, “Rube, lamb chop, honeybee, I need a whole lot more alcohol to cope with this. How long have we been here?”

“Two hours.” Reuben waved a hand to Michael at the bar who nodded and set about making who the hell knew what. To be honest, it was better to remain in the dark. “The night’s still young.”

Dear God.I wasn’t sure I’d survive.

Carmen cocked a hip and waved Miller over. “Get yourself over here to claim your prize, Mister Paralympian. This outshines any silly old gold medal, right?”

Miller hooted and wheeled himself Carmen’s way in a decidedlynotstraight line and almost ran over a black stiletto in the process.

Sandy pissed himself with laughter.

Carmen bent low and kissed him soundly, leaving a bright red slash across his lips. “It’s your lucky day, honey.” She held out her sack of prizes. “Pick one.”

He stuck in his hand and eyed her suspiciously. “Thereisonlyone, you wicked woman.”

“I knoooowwww.” She crooned and waggled her eyebrows. “Exciting, isn’t it?”

The look on Miller’s face made it clear he wasn’t quite so sure about that. He set the wrapped gift in his lap and stared at it like it might bite him.

There was a better than even chance that it would.

“Open it. Open it. Open it.” Sandy led a chant that quickly gained momentum. He flicked a wink my way.

Huh. What’s all that about?

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Miller ripped the paper off the prize and... frowned.

I leaned forward for a better look. A toy police light?What the hell?

Miller’s gaze shot to Carmen and she whispered into the mic. “Turn it on, cutie.”

Miller flicked a switch on the side of the light and a siren blared through the room. The eighties throwback music ceased, the lights went out in the body of the room, leaving only the stage lit, and the doors to the function room blew open.

Four men surged inside, their flashlights slicing through the crowd.

“Police. Freeze.”

What the fuck?I spun to Reuben who was clearly as much in the dark about what was happening as I was, although I had my suspicions—suspicions which were confirmed when I turned to find Carmen’s twinkling eyes locked on mine.

Motherfucker.

“Stay here.” Reuben pushed me onto my feet before I could warn him.

“Stop right there.” One of the officers held his hand up. “Everyone back against the wall.”

There was an immediate drag of chairs and rumble of nervous voices, especially from the rugby players who probably saw the headlines already.All Blacks Caught in Police Raid on Gay Nightclub.

They had nothing to worry about. I could smell a stitch-up a mile off.

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