Page 22 of Elicit (Decadence After Dark)

I sigh pensively as we drive, watching Kayne sink further and further into blight.

“We got a new girl,” I casually tell him.

“Out of the blue?” He’s half interested.

“Sort of. Sasha sent her.”

“Every body helps, right?”

I curl my lip. His sarcasm doesn’t go unnoticed. “Yes. Especially since we’re on the brink of losing another girl.”

Kayne grunts. “Well, if you would stop playing matchmaker, maybe we could hold on to them.”

“It’s not my fault we mold women into highly desirable deities.”

“You mold.”

“True.” I shamelessly take all the credit.

Kayne shifts in the backseat, clearly frustrated and uncomfortable. Kayne frustrated and uncomfortable is never a good thing.

“When was the last time you got laid?”

He pins me with a cautionary glare. “Why the fuck do you care?”

“You know why. Now tell me when?” I don’t back down. Kayne can be as pissy as he wants.

He bristles. “Not sure. A few months. Not since Sage left.”

“That’s not a few months. That’ssixmonths,” I nearly snap.

A menacing glower is his only response.

I don’t usually log Kayne’s sex life, but I equate his celibacy to a squib load. One catastrophic weapon malfunction waiting to happen. And by the looks of him, he’s one round away from a spontaneous detonation.

I let Kayne stew the rest of the drive, concocting a plan to mellow him out. I need him sharp, in the game, and prepared for what’s to come. If we’re going to take on one of the world’s most dangerous drug lords, we need to be in it to win it.

“Go take a shower and then come to my room,” I order him as we walk through Mansion’s heavily stocked garage. We have every toy you can imagine, from sports cars to motorcycles to four wheelers.

“What for?” he gripes.

“Don’t ask questions. Just fucking do it.” I hit the lights and go on a search.

I feel the heat creep up my neck as I reach London’s door. I know I told her today was hers, that she would have some downtime. But stability is critical when it comes to Kayne, and if I’m going to mellow him out, it’s going to be with the woman of my choosing. He won’t care either way as long as I’m present. The first time anyway. Once he gets used to her, he’ll run with it. And fuck me if I can’t wait to watch her wrap her mouth around another man’s cock while she looks at me.

I’m pelted with a small amount of guilt as I enter her room.

“London?” I announce myself. The space is quiet and dark. It’s also absent of the woman I’m looking for. I head back out into the hallway and urgently check backstage. Nothing. I continue searching—the game room, the library, the conservatorium, and the media room—but I come up empty. A little seed of dread sprouts as I recall what she told me last night. Maybe Mansion is too much for her to handle. Maybe her initiation with the furious four was too much. Maybe she came to her senses and decided there was a better life for her beyond these walls. The thought pains me. I sure as hell wasn’t ready for her to leave.

I enter Kayne’s war room. Really it’s his study that he equipped with a state-of-the-art security system. I hit a button and the back wall behind his desk separates, uncovering a medley of monitors. There are eyes in every room of this house, so if she’s still here, I’ll find her.

I inspect the ever-changing scenes, images of both the inside and outside of the house rotating before me. It takes a minute, but I finally spot her. In the utility kitchen? That’s a new one, but I breathe an undeserving sigh of relief anyway.

I take off into the hallway, a man on a mission.

The utility kitchen is mainly used for public events. It’s an extra workspace for caterers and servers. The kitchen staff barely goes in there.

I round the corner into the desolate room. It’s a cold workspace outfitted with all stainless steel, but the mouthwatering aroma wafting through the air makes my sweet tooth ache.

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