Page 50 of Smoke the Enemy

The classical music stops and is replaced with a woman’s voice. “Welcome to the 45thIllicit Lovers Gala.” Everyone cheers until another voice cuts through. “Locks.” The male voice announces. “You’ll have ten minutes to claim a pre-approved location. Use the lock to secure your place, and you won’t be freed until a key arrives. Then you’ll be theirs until dawn. Keys. The rules are simple. When we tell you, you’ll have one hour to claim a lock. If you fail to use your key, you’re out.”

I wonder what they mean byyou’re out.Why does it sound so final? A chill creeps along my skin as I think about Soren, Steffan, and Kali. This sounded like some rich swingers’ party, but is it actually dangerous?

“Keys can be taken by any means necessary other than death. Although accidents have happened, know that you will face trial. If you somehow gain multiple keys, you can claim each lock.”

A loud beep sounds. “Locks.” Beep. “Five.” Beep. “Four.” Beep. “Three.” Beep. “Two.” Beep. My breathing stops as my heart hammers, and I feel sweat gather at my temples and on my upper lip.

“One.”

Chaos erupts. People on the Lock side begin scattering, laughing as they hurry about. For a moment I’m paralyzed. What am I doing here? Why did I ever agree to this madness? Yet, a thrill of excitement courses through me. They’re watching. I know they are. Probably waiting for the opportunity to come after me, to chase me, toclaimme.

“We only have ten minutes,” a woman tells her friend. I have to hurry. My first choice, the bedroom, already has a woman there. I notice there’s a stand with a lock on it. That must be what they meant about staking your claim to a location. I try the spa area. My heart leaps into my throat with excitement when I don’t find anyone in the room. However, the wind is knocked out of me when someone shoves me aside. A tall, lean man in a court jester-style mask and black tux goes to fasten his lock on the stand. If I don’t get this room, that leaves only one more private location. I grab a stone and hold it up, prepared to use it as a weapon. “Don’t move. I’ve already claimed this spot.”

“No. I have.” His lock is hooked but not fastened.

“Latch that and I’ll rip it off. Then we’ll find out what happens when a lock is left unclaimed.”

He chuckles. “You little bitch. Don’t threaten me.”

“How about a promise then?” I ease over to the massage oils. I reach behind my back and grab a bottle, then I continue my approach toward him. “I promise that if you walk away now, I won’t tell my boyfriend how you shoved me and called me a bitch.”

This gets me a full belly laugh. “Do you even know where you are? I don’t give a shit. You must be new here.”

“You’re right. I am new here, and you know what, I don’t need them to fight my battles. I was just buying time.” I throw the oil into his eyes. He stumbles back, and quickly I replace his lock with mine and feel relief when I hear it click. When he growls and his red eyes burn with rage, I throw his lock out the door.

A loud beep sounds, followed by heavy feet running. “Better hurry,” I tell him, so pleased with myself.

“I’m going to find out who you are. You will suffer for this.”

“Oh, that’s not a problem. I’m Taylor.” I could throw out Soren and Steffan’s name, but I’m feeling proud of myself for winning this all on my own. Loud voices from outside ends our standoff. He takes off running out the door. I hear him stop, probably to pick up his lock, and then pounding feet again.

Now I wait and I’m left to wonder if I’d completed the hard or easy part. I guess that’ll depend on who walks through that door tonight.

Rochester, Minnesota

Soren

“The first one to find Taylor gets the first couple of hours to himself,” I tell my twin. “Then you can come join us.”

“Very confident of yourself.”

“You forget, brother. You’re used to having your prey delivered, I’m used to stalking and hunting.”

“Perhaps.” Men and women rush past us. Everyone in a frenzy to try and find their target for the night. “You’re obviously not going to follow the rules, and we can’t abandon two locks.” He should just admit he knows daddy dearest is here and doesn’t want to fuck up in front of him. He smirks at me and winks. “Get her good and ready for me.”

With that, Steffan takes off to join the mob heading in the opposite direction.He’s letting me have her.No doubt my brother will join us, but he’s giving me some time with her. My heart tightens and I hate it. Steffan always has to be so self-sacrificing. Well, I won’t let it be in vain. I need to hurry up and locate her before some asshole tries to play with what’s mine. After all, I only share with my brother.

Taylor would’ve tried to claim a private location, this much I know. I start at the bedroom, then the library, and finally the spa. The likelihood that I have a matching key is none. However, I’ll wait until the person does come along and take it from them. She belongs tome.

I open the spa door and see red. Somebody is standing before her, and she looks frightened. His hand reaches up toward the lock, but I’m there. “There’s my key,” I whisper in his ear.

A man in a leather wolf mask turns around to look at me. “You know the rules. She’s mine for the night.”

“I do know the rules. She’s with whomever has the key for the night.”

“This isn’t how it’s supposed to work.”

I tilt my head and study this dipshit. “Are you accusing me of breaking the rules? Cheating? I, a member ofThe Illicit Brotherhood.”

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