Chapter One

Halloween week was always crazy at Leather Bait. Carver was always up for a wild ride, so he was unbothered. This week gave the kink club's members an excuse to wear costumes even skimpier than their normal club attire. Since he worked there, he had to wear a different costume each night until the holiday passed. He actually kind of enjoyed that. Carver had a closet full of fun Halloween clothing. This had always been his mother's favorite holiday. She was a Hollywood scream queen and had raised Carver and his twin Casper to go harder on Halloween than any other holiday, including Christmas. He adored the pumpkin carving and smoke machines. Haunted houses. Fall was his season.

He worked next to his brother, slinging drinks as fast as possible. Of course, they still made time to flirt. People loved identical twins. They had learned to use that to their advantage to get the highest tips. It didn't hurt they were also kinky as hell. In this place, that was gold.

An unfamiliar face cut through the crowd of dancing scantily clad men. He wore an expensive suit and a hard expression. The deep scar across his cheek made him look downright deadly. When he snagged a stool at the bar, Casper and he didn't miss a beat. Together, they slid his way.

"Trick?"

"Or treat?" Carver added around the sucker in his mouth.

The guy's amazing, almost golden-colored eyes shifted between them. "That depends. Which of you is Casper?"

Carver pouted and moved away. It was just like men to seek Casper first. In this case, though, Carver had a good idea why. They had recently picked up a stalker. Carver said "we," but it was really more of a Casper thing. That was why Casper had reached out to a friend and asked for help. Beef cake was obviously the private security they had sent. Carver didn't need that. He was crazy, and insanity trumped everything. Plus, he rarely went home, and home seemed to be where they were most targeted. Likely, that was where they were the easiest to get to unimpeded. Either way, Carver owned a gun and had zero chill. For him, it was whatever.

Carver's gaze kept sliding toward the guy, though. His gaze continually scanned the club before returning to watch Casper. He would be in Casper's bed before morning. No one could resist his twin. Carver theorized it was because he was sweet. Casper drew people in with his loving nature. Then he couldn't shake them because he made people feel good. No one wanted to let go of that. Carver shook his head. That was why they had some dude tormenting them, no doubt. No one would stalk Carver. He was no strings, and everyone knew it. Carver was the good times twin. He didn't show affection. Carver fucked.

"Drink me."

Carver glanced up at the demand. Some dude dressed like a beer waited for his attention. "Domestic or imported?"

A huge smile exploded across his face. "I can be any flavor you like."

Despite himself, Carver smiled. "I meant for you. Do you want domestic or imported?"

He leaned on the bar. "I don't know. Which are you?"

"Expensive." Carver loved this job. There wasn't a single person under the roof of this club who wasn't looking to fuck.

"Domestic it is."

Carver laughed and grabbed the guy a beer. "On me. Now, get lost." He winked, softening the blow. "You're blocking the tippers."

With a laugh, the guy dropped a bill in the tip jar and walked away. Carver shook his head.

Casper playfully hip-checked him. "Are you going home tonight?"

Carver glanced his way as he mixed a drink for a regular who waited nearby. "That depends. Do you need a ride?"

"Nah. It seems my new guard has me. I just wondered if I should keep an eye out to make sure you get home safe."

Carver chuckled. "You don't have to worry about me." Carver spotted beer guy across the club. He was completely focused on Carver—intently. Carver's interest piqued. "I'm thinking I won't be home."

Casper shook his head and got back to work. Carver didn't miss the smile he wore. He knew Carver and didn't judge. Of course, it wasn't like they hadn't seen a very uncomfortable side of each other since they started working here. It seemed their identical looks wasn't the only thing they shared. They each had their share of kinks. Sometimes, they had to pretend to be blind. Carver didn't exactly want to see his brother get railed in public. He doubted Casper enjoyed watching him dominate begging men.

Carver got distracted working. Beer bottle guy disappeared. Carver was a little disappointed, but he would live. Honestly, he needed to sleep. He had been working so much lately, he didn't feel rested any longer. It already required a weird sleep schedule to work at a club.

After closing, Carver lingered longer than anyone. He hugged Casper goodbye and then headed the front office to help the owners, Duncan and Asia, count out the registers for the night. It was nearly five in the morning before he pulled into the driveway. Casper's side of the duplex they shared looked dark and quiet. That was good. Carver could sleep without worrying. After getting ready for bed, Carver turned off the lights before moving to the window to pull his blackout drapes. A movement outside caught his attention. He froze and strained to see. There was no mistaking a male figure creeping through the backyard. Carver narrowed his eyes. This motherfucker had chosen the wrong one.

Carver slid open his bedside drawer and grabbed what he needed. At the back door, he slipped on his shoes. Carver silently cracked the back door and peered out. A large shadowy figure stood at Casper's bedroom window. It looked like he worked to pry it open. As quietly as possible, Carver circled wide to get the drop on him. His prey obviously accomplished his goal. A loud alarm blared, proving Casper's new guard had anticipated just this. The guy startled, obviously caught off guard by the sound. Carver didn't give him a chance to run. He sprang and pressed his gun against the back of the guy's head.

"Surprise." An evil-sounding chuckle fell from Carver's lips. He had the motherfucker now. "Move." He used the pressure of his weapon to guide him inside Carver's house. The back door opened inside the kitchen. "Move to the table, pull out a chair, and sit."

The guy didn't say a word. He simply did as told. It surprised Carver a little the guy didn't ramble, hoping to talk his way out of his current predicament.

"Link your hands behind the chair." Carver braced for a fight. Instead, the man's hands linked behind the chair. Carver kept one eye locked on the back of his head, watching for any sign he might spin and challenge Carver. He quickly handcuffed the guy's hands together and then to the rungs of the kitchen chair. God bless BDSM stores. With the guy secure, Carver finally relaxed. He turned on the lights and faced off against his tormentor. Confusion froze him in his tracks.

"You? I know you. Why in the hell have you been stalking us?"

An ugly snort filled the air. "You don't know me, and I definitely haven't been stalking you. It's Carver's attention I've been trying to catch."

Carver's confusion led to anger. "I absolutely do know you, Ever Blake. I'm Carver. Why would you try to break into Casper's place? My brother doesn't even know you exist. Plus, you've been leaving notes on my car."

Ever's forehead furrowed. "I thought that was Carver's car. What do you mean he doesn't know I exist? We met at a hotel bar in Daytona." His expression turned cagey. "Then we got stuck in an elevator together."

"And you got your dick sucked," Carver finished for him. "That was me, dumbass."

"You? It couldn't have been you. You're…" Ever visibly fought to find the right words. "You're not nice," he finally finished lamely. "Carver was nice."

Carver snorted. "So, let me get this straight. You got blown. It impressed you so much to the point of psychotic stalking. At some point, you met my twin, and thought I had to be him because he's nice. Do I have it straight?"

Ever's expression smoothed, hiding his thoughts behind a wall. "I'm done talking."

The truth dawned on Carver. "You haven't met Casper. You've just been watching us and chose him."

Ever looked away. "His smile is genuine. Yours is always fake. Whoever I dealt with in that elevator in Daytona was real with me." Ever's defiant stare met his again. "You don't have a genuine bone in your body. All I've seen from you is selfishness."

That stung more than Carver cared to admit. He knew Casper was the nice one. Casper had always been the one who drew men to him like honey, even though they looked exactly alike. While men enjoyed fucking Carver, they never wanted more. Hell, maybe Casper felt the same. They never talked about it. Mostly because Carver didn't want to admit how much it hurt… or how lonely he got. He fucking hated this. Even while getting stalked, he came in last. That was some real bullshit right there.

This guy was lying. He had to be. Likely, seeing as how close the twins always seemed to be, Carver had told him about that night. That was how this one knew the details. It couldn't be him. Except he knew Ever's full name without having ever seen him before.

He set his gun on the kitchen counter. Ever took a calming breath over that part. It didn't seem the guy planned to shoot him. He moved Ever's way. "Let's see. Stalkers like pictures. Let's see what you've got."

With his hands cuffed, Ever couldn't stop him from snatching the phone from his t-shirt pocket. He turned the device toward Ever and unlocked it using his face. Then he pulled out a chair and started going through Ever's phone. Ever was beyond humiliated. It was bad enough to get caught being a creeper. Now he had his most private images being pawed through.

The guy's nose crinkled. Ever couldn't look away. He was hooked. "Damn. You really are straight. You have a ridiculous amount of women sending you nudes."

Defeat washed over Ever. He had always thought he was straight. Then Carver, or Casper, or whoever dropped to their knees in that elevator when he had been at his lowest. Now Ever couldn't shake him.

The guy's forehead furrowed. He turned the phone Ever's way. "What's this?"

Ever eyed the image. It was a guy dressed in black peeking in Carver's window. "That's some dude who I keep seeing sniffing around Carver's place. He looked shady, so I took a few pics in case anything happened."

"I told you. I'm Carver. You're telling me there're two people stalking Casper? Fuck's sake. The guy has to stop bringing people home." He went back to searching Ever's phone. He obviously found something he liked. A sweet-looking smile touched his lips and horror washed over Ever.

"This game is boring."

Ever glanced over at the complaint. A guy sat nearby, spinning a beer bottle. He smiled at how bored the man actually looked. His gaze moved to the TV behind the bar before moving back the guy's way. "I know, right? It's Daytona. Isn't there supposed to be a constant party or something?"

A smile exploded across the guy's face. "That's what I hoped when I booked this vacation. I guess I chose the wrong time of year."

"I'm here on business."

A laugh sounded at his confession. "That's even worse."

The guy straightened, as if stretching out the muscles in his back. "Well, I give up. I guess I'll head to my room."

Ever nodded and went back to staring at the baseball game without really seeing it. He was right. This was boring. Ever chugged the last of his beer and set the bottle aside. He headed for the elevator. His new friend still waited for it to arrive. Ever sidled up behind him.

"I'm not stalking you. We're just headed the same way."

A nice smile turned his way. "It's like that sometimes."

The door slid open, and they stepped inside the elevator. "Which floor?"

"Seven." Ever watched the guy hit the seven button and then the nine. The lift started moving. It shook. They exchanged a glance. Then it made a sound like the cords might snap at any minute. They met each other's stare. The elevator stopped. They both looked toward the panel. A red five flashed above the floor selection.

"Maybe someone is getting on." Even Ever heard how nervous he sounded.

The door didn't open. Seconds turned into a minute. They exchanged another glance. "How long should we wait before we call for help? I mean, we might not be stuck. Maybe it's just slow." His new friend sounded a hell of a lot calmer than Ever felt.

"Let's call. This is my worst nightmare. I'm claustrophobic." He leaned against the wall, getting as far away from the other man as possible. Ever needed room to breathe. He watched the guy open the emergency panel, revealing the phone inside. He saw his mouth move after putting the handset to his ear, but Ever didn't hear a word. His pulse pounded in his ears. Did oxygen run out in elevators? Surely not, but he had never been stuck before. He didn't know how it worked. Ever had only seen things like this happen on TV shows. Didn't they say you should bend your knees or something in case it dropped? To keep from breaking a leg? Fuck, he couldn't remember.

"Hey, breathe. What's your name?"

Ever blinked at how close the guy had gotten. He hadn't seen him move. Ever took a breath. "Ever Blake."

"That's an oddly nice name, Ever. I'm Carver Night. Everything is fine. They're calling someone to help us. In the meantime, just breathe."

He tried, but it didn't feel like oxygen reached his brain.

Carver moved closer. "Focus on me."

Ever did as told. The guy had strange eyes. They were blue, but they weren't. It was like they had a slight purplish hue like violet. He had never seen eyes like his before.

"That's right, breathe. Tell me your deepest fantasy."

A laugh burst from Ever.

A bright smile lit Carver's face. "There you go. You're okay. I'll tell you mine to ease the way. I have a bit of a dub-con fantasy I've never admitted. You know, like some guy sneaks in through the window and ravishes me while I pretend I don't want it."

More air filled Ever's lungs. "I'm straight."

Carver shrugged. "That's okay. I'll still listen to your fantasy."

Ever took more breaths. He still wasn't completely calm, but talking helped. Carver made him feel better. "I'm straight," he repeated. Then his oxygen-deprived brain kept his mouth moving. "But I've always wanted to get blown by another man. At least once, you know? It's dumb, I guess. It's just something I've thought about more than is probably normal for a straight man."

The sweetest smile Ever had ever seen touched the other man's lips. "Maybe you're not as straight as you think. I could help you find out."

Ever stared at that goddamn smile as the full memory of that night filled him. "Oh, my God. It was you."

Carver turned the phone Ever's way again. Staring back at him was a picture of them together. Their faces were side by side in that fucking elevator. Carver had done absolutely everything he could that night to keep him from falling apart. It had been the best night of his life. He had stared at that image more times than he could count. Now they were feet apart again and Ever had already fucked up everything.