Page 2 of Room Twenty-Seven: Theirs to Punish

“Her?” multiple voices say simultaneously. If I wasn’t so dumbstruck, I would be offended by the way they ask. Like they can’t believe he would choose someone like me over Monica.

My gaze stays locked with the bearded grump in front of me. Something about this guy is familiar, but a thick beard hides half of his face, and the dim lighting in the club doesn’t help either.

I shake the thought away. I've only been in New Orleans for a few months, and I’m hundreds of miles away from any place I’ve called home in the past. There is no way I know this guy.

“Oh, come on, handsome,” Monica coos. “I can guarantee you a good time with me. This won’t be my first gangbang, you know. Also, my gag reflex is basically nonexistent.” She tries to move between us but is stopped when Bane keeps hold of her arm, keeping her next to him.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Bane asks his brother one more time.

“Yes, her.” He sounds even more certain than before. “What room are we in?” He talks like he’s in a hurry.

“Twenty-seven,” Natalia announces. “But before you go, I need to confirm her consent.” She gives me a questionable look. “Do you want to move forward with this arrangement?”

I stare at her with my mouth hanging wide open in shock as my mind tries to catch up with what’s happening. “I…” Only one letter makes it past the giant lump in my throat. So many uncertainties and bad scenarios run rampant in my mind.

“Three times the money,” Natalia reminds me, sounding a bit like a car salesman trying to convince me that this is a great deal.

“Look, I’m not sure why my brother is so adamant about you, but I can assure you we’ll take good care of you.” Weirdly enough, his words calm me down a little. Maybe it’s the calmness of his voice that’s infectious.

Tearing my gaze away from the guy in front of me, I give Bane my full attention. He also has a beard, but it’s buzzed short, keeping his strong jawline visible and his full lips exposed.

If it wasn’t for Mr. Evil Eye, letting these guys take my virginity wouldn’t seem like a bad deal at all.

“Why don’t we start from the beginning? Hi, I’m Bane.” He holds his hand out to me. Lowering my head, I stare at it for a few seconds before slowly lifting my hand and placing it in his much larger one. His warm fingers engulf mine as he squeezes gently. “This is my work associate, Luke.” He points at the guy on his right. “And please ignore my brother, Nik, for now. Not sure what crawled up his ass.”

A smile plays on my lips. “I’m Lilly,” I introduce myself, still holding Bane’s hand. I make a point of not looking at his brother but concentrating on Bane and Lucca. Some of me hopes that by telling them my name, Nik will realize he has mistaken me for someone else. Out of the corner of my eye, I can tell he did not.

“Nice to meet you, Lilly. Would you like to join us in room 27 for the night?”

I weigh my options one more time. One night with three good-looking guys will not only help me get back on my feet financially, it will even leave me with a bit of a cushion. Before I can overthink it, I nod.

Natalia claps her hands together cheerfully. “Perfect. Your room is ready, and all necessary paperwork has been signed. Enjoy your stay.”

Enjoy?That seems like a stretch.

All I’m hoping for is that I didn’t just make the biggest mistake of my life.

2

Nik

I can’t believeit’s her. After all these years, what are the chances she walks into this club in this city? She had to know I live here now. She is doing this to taunt me. Even after all this time, she still wants to hurt me.

Bane jams his elbow into my side to get my attention. “What the fuck is wrong with you? How do you know her?” he whispers.

Luke and Lilly walk ahead of us, making flirty small talk. My hands are balled up into fists. I can barely control the anger rising inside me. Why is she doing this? Haven’t I suffered enough?

“I’ll explain later. Just trust me on this and follow my lead.” Luckily, I have never done anything to give Bane a reason not to trust me. Curiosity never leaves his gaze, but he nods in confirmation anyway. I can always count on Bane and Lucca, and that’s the thought I’m holding as we walk into room 27.

“Undress,” I order gruffly as soon as Bane closes the door behind us.

Spinning around, Luke draws his eyebrows together, silently asking me what my problem is.

“We’re not paying her to chitchat.” I shrug.

Lilly flinches at my comment. Her shoulders sag, and she casts her eyes down.

Guilt pools in my stomach. I want to shove the unwanted emotion away as fast as it arose. She’s the one who should feel guilty, not me.

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