There was no way she’d let her new people down.
Please, Lord. Keep me steadfast in my faith.
Sienna made a quick sign of the cross when Jax pulled the car to a stop, and the valet stepped forward.
“I’m impressed, Sienna. You’ll fit in perfect.”
“You clean up pretty decent yourself.” In fact, Sienna was surprised at how well Jax Gothed up. They used matching deep red and black hair color, and he even let her use kohl eyeliner on him. He wore black leathers, shit kickers, and a tight black tee. The only thing sexier than a man in black leathers was if that man happened to be Legian.
The valet opened the car door, and she tore her thoughts back to the present. He held out his gloved hand and helped her out of the car, her steel-toed black leather boots making a solid thump on the sidewalk. She then waited at the curb, dressed all in black, from the leather strapless corset over a black satin shirt to the full-length skirt hiding her new leg brace.
A hodgepodge of black plastic-like straps, the brace looked more like some kind of S-and-M bondage toy. Amazing technology. The kinetic bands collected energy from her body, which was then converted into power for the brace to enhance her muscles. With the new brace, she didn’t even limp, let alone feel pain.
The brace was more than a piece of hardware. It was an extension of her body. Sienna’s old cane was obsolete, but she’d kept it anyway. Hung the thing on her wall to remind her of the risks she faced.
Jax to walked around the car and held out an arm, which she looped her hand through. His nose ring caught the light as he watched her like he was measuring how badly she was going to screw up. “Ready to do this?”
“I have a knife in each boot, a gun tucked into my garter, a tracker in my corset, and I’m wearing an earpiece. So yeah, I think I’m ready.”
“Legian is one lucky man,” he muttered.
Sienna could barely hear Legian’s affirmation in her ear over the bass radiating from the club. She stayed in Jax’s arm even though she knew any physical contact with another male shot jealousy through Legian. She figured her
tahren
would be festering right about now. But this mission wasn’t about being easy on Legian. She needed to be close to hear Jax. And she needed everything to look real.
Besides, is it wrong to get just a little turned on by Legian’s I-am-male-hear-me-roar protectiveness?
Jax handed the doorman a couple large bills. The man unhooked a red rope, and they stepped under neon Mayhem sign written in dripping blood-red letters. They strolled past two more large doormen, and then down a long, dark hallway, which opened up to a huge ballroom. Everything was exactly as the floor plan had showed.
So far, so good.
It was Sienna’s first time in a Goth club, and she took in the decadent scenery. Tall crimson velvet curtains draped down the twenty-foot black walls. Deep red couches and dark cherry tables were scattered across a floor packed wall-to-wall with dark-haired, dark-dressed people.
Some people lounged on the couches, drinking, talking, making out, and all combinations of those things. Many more were on the dance floor, gyrating to rave music with a bold, dark beat. Looking down from the top of the stairs, the dance floor reminded her of a subdued mosh pit. She felt herself swaying to the haunting, almost drug-like beat that vibrated through her body.
Jax nuzzled her ear with his nose. “Don’t stare. This is our kind of place, remember?”
She closed her eyes and inhaled the cool air, which contained a hint of incense. She opened her eyes with a seductive smile. “Just getting the vibe of the place. I wonder …” She put a painted fingernail to her lips. “I wonder if the guards at the door are to keep folks out or to keep folks
in
.”
Jax’s lips tightened, and he didn’t look like he was entirely sure himself.
“C’mon,” she said, leading him toward the stairs. “Let’s get a drink.”
With a nod, he took the lead from there. Down the wide stairs and straight to the bar. The bartender’s eyes gave Sienna a full-body look. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him because he leaned closer with a flirty grin. “What will you have, sweets?”
“I’ll have a tawny port. Aged at least ten-years,” she said, licking her lips under a flirty gaze.
The bartender winked at her, and then turned a cool appraisal onto Jax.
“Templeton Rye on the rocks.”
The guy nodded and went about getting their drinks while Sienna swayed in beat to the music that would no doubt leave her ears ringing for days.
A glint of metal caught her eye. She glanced over at a girl with a dozen piercings. Dressed in a micro-mini leather skirt and strapless corset covered in a skull print, she fit right in with the crowd. What kept Sienna’s attention, however, was the tattoo that spanned the girl’s shoulder. It was of an angel in flight. Only this angel didn’t have feathers on its wings. Instead, its dragon-like wings were covered in tattoos.
Bingo
.
Sienna eyed Jax, and he gave a glance that he was thinking the same thing. She nudged the petite girl. “Sick ink.”
The girl grinned and glanced over her shoulder, admiring her own work. “Thanks. Got it done last week.”
“Haven’t seen a demon done like that before. With all the marks and stuff.”
“I know. Isn’t he sexy? His name is Laze. He takes the best care of me. And he is
incredible
.” She said the last word with an over-exaggerated bend of her knees.
Sienna batted playfully at her. “No fucking way. You met a real demon? Get outta here.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re new here, aren’t you?”
“Virgin. New in town.”
The girl nodded. “Hang out here long enough. Maybe you’ll see for yourself.”
Sienna must have looked pretty doubtful because the girl grabbed Sienna by her arms and looked her in the eye. “At first they come to you in your dreams, only they’re not really dreams. Then it’s real. And the things they do to you …” She shivered before playfully running a finger down Sienna’s neck, sending sensual goose bumps across her skin. The girl smiled. “You’re a bit old, but you’re hot. Maybe you’ll find out for yourself. After all, they
need
us,” the girl whispered with a brush of his lips against her ear.
Sienna cocked her head at the other woman. “Need us?”
Tat-girl gave her a knowing smile. “You’ll find out if you’re chosen. Trust me, you would never have to worry about money or anything ever again. That’s how good they take care of us.”
Sienna’s brows raised. As she opened her mouth to speak, Jax handed her the sipper of wine, and then wrapped an arm around her waist. Tat-girl watched Jax like he was her feast and it was Thanksgiving.
Jax gave her a flirty half smile. “If you don’t mind, I need this woman for a dance.”
With that, he tugged Sienna forward.
“It’s been real,” Sienna said as she turned toward the dance floor. The poor girl was probably already pregnant by her demon lover and didn’t even know it yet. Sienna made a mental note to remember the name Laze. When she found the guy, she was going to kick him in the nuts for pulling that shit with Sienna’s people.
Jax put a hand on her hip, and Sienna led the way to an open sofa near the wall. Old fashioned drop-lights hung from the ceiling, shedding just enough yellowish light that she didn’t trip over anyone. She’d gotten pretty good over the past few months at not crashing into things in the dark. Moving around this club was a piece of cake compared to getting around the base without her drades.
The leather corset creaked against the leather sofa as she sat down and propped her boots up on the coffee table, crossing her ankles. Jax sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her. To anyone else, they looked like any other hot-and-heavy couple watching the scene.
“Why the rush?” Sienna asked. “I was getting good intel at the bar.”
“The bartender was beginning to eye you like you were a news reporter,” Jax replied before narrowing his eyes in concentration.
“Oh,” she replied.
Static sounded in her ear, but she couldn’t make out any words. It was nearly impossible to hear Legian’s transmissions over the music even without the static. Taking the smallest sip of wine, she did her best to fit in while listening for more to come out through her earpiece.
“Repeat last.” Jax spoke to her, although she knew he wasn’t talking to her.
Again, a garbled response came through her earpiece.
“No joy,” Jax replied with a frown. “We’re on our own.”
“Well, that’s a bit of an overstatement, don’t you think? I’m sure your old army buddies are hanging around here somewhere.”
He tensed. “What are you talking about?”
She turned to face him rather than the crowd dancing in front of them. “I’m not stupid, Jax. How many others are here?”
Jax yanked Sienna closer and held her against him. While others would think he was tasting her neck, it felt anything but sensual. “Understand this,” he hissed. “My priority is to our people, our country. I have never inferred otherwise. I informed my CO of this mission because there are humans involved. Just as I inform him of all my activities with the Sephians. It’s my
duty
to share any information that may protect our people from all threats — domestic and foreign.”
She ran a hand through his spiked hair before patting his cheek. “Chill, Cujo. I’m cool with it. No matter what you think, we’re on the same side.”
His grip loosened, and he leaned back, resting an arm over the back of the couch. He watched the crowd for several moments before speaking again. “Things are a cluster fuck right now.”
She swirled her wine. “Trust me. It doesn’t get any easier.”
Jax gave her a weak smile. “Welcome to hell, huh?”
“Looking around us, that pretty much nails it. So …” She stretched out the word over a couple seconds. “How’s Risa?”
“Doc’s no longer an issue.”
Sienna frowned. “I don’t know what you — ” Her eyes widened. “Oh. Shit. Damn. Sorry, Jax. I thought Doc was just a flirt.”
Jax shook his head. “There was more than flirting. And I got tired of that shit.”
“How long did you know?”
He turned back to her and raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah. I guess you probably knew from the get-go. The base is pretty small. And you are a Ranger.” She put a hand on his knee. “Well, I’m glad she got her act together. You two make a cute couple.”
Jax replied by taking a drink of his whiskey.
Sienna looked back toward the bar. “You know, I’m pretty sure the Draeken are actually banging the chicks here. In the Biblical sense. No hiding. No artificial insemination. No roofies, either. From what tat-girl said, she vividly remembered the whole experience. And she sounded like a pretty satisfied customer.”
Jax nodded. “These guys may have found the perfect crowd where they’d be not only accepted but worshipped.”
“I think they use that to their advantage. She talked about Laze like he was a god.”
“Laze?”
“AKA Mr. Incubus inked on her back.”
Jax nodded and stared off into the crowd, running a hand up and down Sienna’s arm while he scanned the club. He had one leg crossed over the other. Even though she knew he felt otherwise, he looked right at home. He handled himself so well she couldn’t help but relax against him. She had become entranced by an androgynous couple on the dance floor when a waitress with way too much eyeliner stepped in front of her line of sight.
“Can I get you two anything?”
“We’re good,” Jax said, and the waitress moved onto the next table without so much as a smile.
Sienna rested her head on his shoulder and glanced across the dance floor. “I don’t see any doors, so I’m thinking they hid it behind one of these curtains.”
“That’s my guess, too.”
She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple as she struggled to recall the exact floor plan. This was one of those times a photographic memory would come in handy. Looking up, to their left was the hallway to the restrooms. From there, the entrance above. She looked to the right. Directly behind the dance floor.
There
. It had to be there.
“The door is behind the second curtain on that wall.”
“Playing
The Price Is Right
now?” Jax asked with a raised eyebrow.
She gave him a look of frustration. “See how the light is burned out above that one. Look. It’s the only light not working in this whole place. I bet it’s intentional. It’s so dark, it would be impossible to see someone coming and going.”
He casually scanned the club before standing and holding out a hand. “Let’s dance.”
After a quick perusal of the crowded floor, she placed her hand in his. They weaved through the two tables standing between them and the dance floor. Suddenly, a hand pinched her butt. She swung around, but Jax was already on it.
“Watch your hands, Junior, or else we have a problem.”
The inebriated punk held up his hands after he fell back on his couch. “No harm, no foul man. Appreciating th’ goods, izall.” The slurred words fell from his mouth in a blur.
Jax gave him one more mean-guy look before turning and leading her to the dance floor.
“You didn’t have to do that, you know. I could’ve handled it.”
He shrugged. “I know. But Legian would have my head on a platter if I hadn’t.”
“Good point.”
When they reached the crowded dance floor, Jax pulled her hand above her head and gave her a twirl.
A giggle escaped when he pulled her back to his chest.
“Hmm. Déjà vu.”
“Minus the cowboy hat. What did you ever do with that? I liked it.”
He smiled and gave her another twirl. “No one said we can’t have a little fun while working.”
Sienna laughed out loud. It felt good. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a full, real laugh. Lately, there hadn’t been a lot to laugh at.
The song switched over, and the crowded started to scream. More ran to the dance floor.
Her jaw dropped. “I can’t believe I know this one,” she nearly yelled into his ear over the noise.
“And a great distraction. I’m going to dance you toward the wall.”