Dinner flew by far too quickly before Flash said it was ti to join LRG and his crew.
"You know," I said, sliding my hand around his waist. "I could stay here, and you could go schmooze."
He grinned, leaning down to kiss quickly. "Half hour, baby. Mack’s gonna co pull us away so we don’t look like we’re being rude."
"Okay, I can do that."
"Co on."
He took my hand and led through a private corridor and into an empty foyer, wrapping his arm around and pulling close just as a door to our left opened.
A giant man grinned, giving us a chin lift, and waving us through the door.
"Hey, Tiny," Flash said.
"Hey, Flash."
"This is Tate."
"Nice to et you," Tiny said.
"You too," I said.
Tiny t my eyes. "You run into any problems, you find ."
"Will I run into any problems?" I squeaked.
"No, baby," Flash said.
"But if for any reason, you feel off and you can’t find your man, you find ," Tiny stressed.
I nodded. "Okay, I will."
"Quit freakin’ her out, Tiny," Flash warned. "She’s got no less than a dozen Dogs watchin’ her back."
"I do?" I said at the sa ti Tiny said, "She does?"
"Most definitely," Flash confird, taking my hand. "Okay, let’s get this over with."
We walked up the stairs and barely made it past the landing. It was packed. I found myself huddling closer to Flash, the crowd making uncomfortable. Tiny had walked up behind us, and Flash gave him a chin lift.
"This is bullshit," Flash said in my ear. "We’re outta here."
"Parker!" a voice yelled, and Flash let out a curse.
"Tiny’s gonna get you a drink, baby," Flash said, handing off to Tiny. "I’ll say hi to LRG, then we’ll get out of here."
I nodded and followed Tiny over to the VIP bar.
The bartender handed a margarita just as I heard, "Tate Burke?"
"Yes?" I said, turning toward the sound of my na.
"Oh my god, I can’t believe it’s you."
A tall, lanky, redheaded man-boy walked toward .
I frowned. "I’m sorry, do I know you?"
"It’s ."
I rapidly scanned my ntal contacts list, but my search results ca up empty.
He cocked his head. "This is my event."
"You’re LRG?" I asked, my embarrassnt rising to a critical level.
"Yeah." He puffed out his chest. "Cool, huh?"
"Wow, congratulations. Um, I an. I don’t know anything about video gas, but I know yours are very popular." I wasn’t about to admit I’d been obsessed with his in high school.
"I left high school early to go to college, but only spent a year at MIT before I started working on the first version of Plonk, which of course eventually lead to Fighting Fowls. The rest is history," he said, talking to like I was a long-lost friend.
"That’s so great," I said. "You must be proud to have built such an empire so quickly."
Before he could respond, Flash made his way to and wrapped his arm around my waist. LRG’s eyes darted between the two of us, his expression suddenly extrely disappointed.
"Fuck," he breathed out. "You’re his date."
"Um, yeah. We’re together," Flash replied.
"Of course, you are," he replied, coldly. His face going blank, triggering my first faint mory of sothing.
I grabbed Flash’s hand, squeezing hard. "Thanks for inviting us," I said, my hair on the back of my neck tingling.
"Yeah. Ah, I should get back... to my guests."
He turned and walked into the crowd, and I turned into Flash’s body. He wrapped his arm around and kissed my temple. "Let’s get the fuck outta here."
"Yeah, let’s," I agreed.
We made our way down the stairs, and back through the private door Tiny guarded, and I tugged Flash to a stop. "Wait, Flash," I said, digging in my purse for my phone.
"Why?"
"Sothing’s bugging ," I said, pulling up Google.
"Babe, I wanna put miles between us and that asshole," he ground out.
But I wasn’t listening. "Oh my fucking god."
Flash sighed. "What?"
"Do you rember him?" I asked.
"No, why?"
"He’s Lionel Grundy?"
Flash frowned. "Why do I know that na?"
I grabbed his arm. "He’s the guy that Scott Benson and his brothers stripped naked, and zip-tied to the basketball hoop in the middle of the gym sophomore year."
"No fuckin’ way," he hissed out. "Jesus, it was all over social dia."
I bit my lip and nodded.
"The sa guy you rushed over to and wrapped your hoodie around, grabbing scissors from your backpack to cut him down."
I nodded again, biting back tears at the mory. "Well, no one else was going to help him, Flash," I rasped. "They just stood there laughing with their phones out."
Flash had been gone at an away ga that day, or I’m sure he would have helped .
I frowned. "Why didn’t I rember him?"
"He barely looks like himself, baby. I didn’t recognize him, either." He stroked my cheek. "Looks like he’s left high school behind him, right? So you don’t have to be sad, Tater. He’s made a mint and he’s the big man on campus, so it’s all good."
"Those wounds cut deep, though, honey, and no amount of money can heal it." I gripped the lapels of his jacket. "Why wouldn’t he say sothing if he knew who you were?"
"Did he say he knew who I was?"
"No, but he knew exactly who I was."
"Wait." Flash t my eyes. "What do you an, he knew who you were?"
"He called by my na. I originally just assud you’d told him."
"I did not," he growled. "Don’t like that, Tate."
"I don’t like it much, either," I admitted with a shudder.
Flash wrapped his arms around . "Let’s get back to the club and forget about Lionel Grundy. I’ve got a surprise for you."
"As long as it ends with wrapped around your naked body, I’m in."
It did.
But first, he walked (blindfolded) into a freshly painted and updated room at the club, complete with an iron four-poster, queen bed with canopy, new sheets, and a lock that only we and his father had the key to.
"Does this jump the line for soone else?" I asked, as I slid his cut from his shoulders.
"No," he promised. "Right now, I’m the only one of the younger patches who has a woman who needs it. When that changes, we’ll adjust. Mom wants to add more rooms, so there are plans to renovate a few more spaces anyway."
I cupped his face, smiling up at him. "This ans we can stay at the club more often, which ans we can drink a little more while we’re here."
"Yeah, baby, that’s exactly what it ans." He slid his hands to the zipper of my dress, lowering it all the way before pushing the fabric from my body and letting it fall to my feet.
I stood before him in just my bra, panties, and heels.
"Jesus, is that what you had on underneath all night?"
I grinned. "Yep."
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