Page 39 of Moth
And I especially hate the wry smile shaping his pink mouth as if he’s aware of every rebellious observation sneaking into my head.
“I come here all the time, and he’s rarely here,” Mara says defensively between sips of her drink. “Though, hedoesown the place so—”
“What?” Only then does the club’s name truly resonate.Dragon’s Head.The same symbol that seems to crop up everywhere he goes. I’d been a fool not to put the pieces together before.
“Yeah,” Mara says, rolling her brown eyes. “One of the reasons he gets so much ass. Desperate skanks.” She eyes a group of scantily dressed women strategically dancing near his booth and scoffs. “Though…heissexy, even if he is a total man-whore,” she admits, her eyes drinking in the muscle straining against his shirt. “Sexy, loaded,andripped.” With a sigh, she turns back to the counter and slams her hand down. “Bartender, I need another drink, please!”
The summoned figure approaches our section. “Hey, Mara.” He hesitates before leaning in, shooting me a wary glance. “Look, don’t go spreading this around, but you might want to get out of here. Word is Gino’s boys are on the prowl, looking for trouble. They might head here next.”
“Dammit.” Mara’s face pales, and she nods solemnly. “Thanks, Tony.”
He shrugs. “Sure thing. My shift’s almost over, so I think I’ll be heading out too.” He winks and rakes his hand along his neon green Mohawk. “I’ll make your drink first, though.” He returns to the row of liquor on the other end of the bar.
The second he’s out of earshot, I turn to Mara and attempt to appear more curious than alarmed. “Gino?”
“An asshole.” She wrinkles her nose, waving me off. “It’s nothing. Just dumb, wannabe gangbanger shit.”
I feel my eyebrows shoot up. “That doesn’t sound like nothing.”
I picture Rafe and his uncanny confidence. His knack for violence.Gangbangerseems to be the most accurate term.
Mara sighs, leaning her hip against the bar. “God, bringing you here, I feel like I’m corrupting an innocent or something. Gino runs a club across town. One of those tittie bars that preys on young girls desperate for extra cash.” She rolls her eyes. “I know a girl who worked there and hated it. She said it’s nothing but rich guys who think they can own anyone they want. Sometimes, Gino likes to start shit with Rafe. Just to keep things interesting around this godforsaken place. But it’s all talk. Rumors like that float around here all the time, but it’s usually fine. Rafe is fucking crazy, so most bastards leave him alone.”
We both turn back to the figure in question—only to discover him staring back. His eyes find mine as he inclines his head, beckoning with his finger.Come here.My feet twitch, disrupting my precarious balance in Mara’s heels, but I don’t move a single inch.
Because he’s not beckoning me. A slender blond scampers from the crowd to answer the summons. With a familiarity that has my cheeks catching fire, he palms her waist over her hot pink mini, guiding her onto his lap. She bounces there, murmuring in his ear as a coy smile plays over his lips. But his eyes…
They find me again and linger, drilling in a silent message I can’t ignore.Watch and learn, bunny. You never attracted me to begin with.
“Come on.” Mara snatches my hand, turning her back to Rafe. “Let’s dance!”
She drags me onto the center of the floor, muscling her way through a mass of writhing dancers. I can only stand awkwardly as she sways, undulating her hips in time to the beat.
Is this fun?
I don’t know. My thoughts are scattered, buzzing in a million directions like a horde of flies, and they seem to converge on the one figure I can’t stop glancing at.
He’s still with his blond, leaning back against the couch as she straddles him. Their gazes are locked, their faces inches apart. Closer… From the outside looking in, they’re enthralled with each other.
Or at leastshe’senthralled with him.
Because every time I risk glancing in his direction, he’s always staring back. Shamelessly staring as if laying down a challenge with every cold, searching glance.Come here.
I look away, scanning the room for anything else to draw my attention. The flashing lights do at first, pretty and dizzying. As does the spinning DJ, crafting the pulsating beat.
But against my better judgment, my gaze always seems to find him again. This time, his lips part, and I can almost hear his laughter from here—his taunt.Don’t kid yourself into believing you don’t want more.
But he’s content to get his fix with anyone he can. Such as by sticking his tongue down the blond’s throat. I don’t know why my throat tightens when he does. Why I find myself staring without even trying to disguise the interest. Disgust? Watching him kiss is a world apart from being on the receiving end.
He moves assuredly, letting his fingers sink through the blond’s hair, drawing her into him. My own lips tingle, remembering the feel of his. That taste. That uncomfortable, forbidden sensation I still shiver at the remnants of.
“What is with you?” Mara grabs my wrist, forcing me to face her. “Youwanted to come out, remember?” She purses her lips, eyeing me through narrowed slits. “Prove it. Go find some hot guy to dance with.” She practically shoves me into a group of dancers nearby.
Before I can truly panic, she prances past me and sidles up to a blond guy in a sports jersey. “Have fun,” she mouths at me before turning her attention to him.
Fun.
It’s a foreign concept to me in a world devoid of books or quiet places to hide and read. My body moves woodenly with no chance in hell of ever copying her effortless grace. All I can do is lurk in her shadow and ask myself the same question over and over.
