Chapter 6

The doorto River’s office is ajar, and I knock gently, waiting for a hum before I enter.

“Come in,” she calls.

Her office is quaint but has everything you’d need for an office in a BDSM club. A desk with a computer and some papers on top, walls lined with calendars and whiteboards for her planning and scheduling, and some lounge chairs that are vibrant purple velvet with black satin pillows on top.

Ronan is leaning over her desk as River smiles brightly at him, a mischievous look plastered on her face. Her eyes glance at me once I get close enough, and she quirks a brow. She’s got a pen in her hand, her thumb erratically clicking it open and closed.

“You wanted to see me?” I hesitate.

Ronan looks between the two of us, and he whistles lowly.

“I’ll leave you to it. Have a good night, River. Radio me in if there’s any trouble downstairs.”

River nods swiftly. “You got it. Thanks, Ronan.”

He closes the door on his way out, and I take a seat before looking at my boss. She’s leaning back in her chair, studying me. I focus on one of the whiteboards with some of the girl”s schedules for the month.

“I want you to help me with something,” she finally says.

I look at her, and she’s still staring intently. Her eyes narrow for a moment.

“Sure, with what?” I respond almost immediately.

“No, Rosalía, I want you first to hear me out. Don’t ever agree to anything that you don’t know the full extent of.”

“Okay,” I hesitate.

She clicks her pen a few more times before dropping it and standing up. She rounds her desk before she’s in front of me.

“I’d like you to be more active in this club. I see your potential. I see the passion and curiosity in you. Hold onto it and let it guide you.”

I don’t say anything for a moment as I take in her words. One half of me doesn’t know if I’m ready, but the other half wants to teeter on that edge and explore.

“You don’t have to say yes immediately, but I’d like you to consider it. Really think about it.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready for that,” I confess. Her eyes seem to soften a little at my confession.

“Like I said, I see the curiosity. I don’t want any of my girls to think they’re not enough when they are. You’re worth the highest prices in this club, Rosalía. Even more.”

I slowly smile. “Thanks, boss. You don’t have to inflate my ego. I just don’t know if I have what it takes to fully immerse myself into all of that. I like working drinks. It lets me get to know the members on a level that doesn’t require my mind to think that they’ll regret booking a room with me.”

My breath is shaky as I finish, and she nods, twisting her lips.

“Okay, then. New objective. Find a new member to get to know while you’re working drinks. Build trust with them. Build confidence with them.”

“I kind of did with Reeve, and that didn’t go anywhere,” I remind her.

She laughs. “As I recall, you both convened outside of the club. That’s not the same, Rosalía, and you know that. You clearly didn’t trust him enough to let yourself let loose inside these walls with him. I want you to find someone that does that for you.”

My mind suddenly flashes back to that member the other day. Snakebite. We had small talk, and I’ve seen him a few more times after our first encounter. But I never really pushed for more than simple hi’s and hello’s.

“I can do that,” I tell her.

She smiles brightly before I stand. She grabs my shoulders and rubs them in a soothing way, like my dad or mom does.

“You’re so beautiful, Rosalía,” she starts. “And I’d like for all my girls to know that. To feel that.”

I nod. “Yes, boss.”

“I expect some kind of report the next time you’re here, okay?”

“You got it.”

She steps back and returns to her desk while I give her one last smile before heading out of the office. I take a shaky breath and head to the locker room to change. I put on the same garter again and pray to whatever gods that Snakebite will be out on the floor so I can give River some kind of report.

Even if I don’t really talk to him, at least I can tell her I tried.

Tonight is busierthan usual for a weeknight. Members pass through the floor to get to private rooms, and practically every seat is full. Almost every member’s wrist is decorated with colored bracelets and charms. On nights like these, Evan is busy prepping glasses of water for our members and restocking anything he needs to.

My feet are sore already from working two hours before I take a seat at the bar and take a deep breath. Evan walks over with a water and passes it to me. I thank him with a nod before chugging it.

“What’s going on tonight? Why are we so busy?” I finally ask.

Evan shrugs. “Might be some big money makers that River invited to show them the club. Gotta always have a backup plan for when the richest members end up leaving.”

“You really think they’d leave this?” I joke, nodding my head to the main floor. Evan chuckles.

“You’d be surprised. We had one of our wealthiest members leave after ten years. This was before you started. He still leaves donations and wires money for the raffles, but it’s different when he’s not physically here anymore.”

“Wow, I didn’t know that.”

“It’s okay. River knows what she’s doing to keep us afloat. I heard that she and Ronan have been trying to up the security, too.”

“Yeah?” I ask, turning my back to where the security men are flanked on the sides of the club. Ronan is nowhere to be found, so he’s probably upstairs.

“It’s hard to find loyal security that won’t tarnish the name of the club for the sake of the bar upstairs.” He points to the ceiling where Blackbird Silhouettes is.

“I’m sure they have a veto process just like we do for guests of our members. We could charge them an arm and a leg to join for their travels, but we veto them in other ways,” I remind him.

That’s what I remember hearing from the other girls, at least. If a member has a friend they’d like to bring to the club, they have to go through background checks, verify their bank statements, employment, and anything else that allows River to know that they won’t jeopardize our lives and the club.

“No more security talk. How are you feeling tonight?” he asks with sincerity. There seems to be a lull in the water orders, so he stations himself in front of me across the bar. He’s got some sweat on his forehead, causing his baby hairs to curl into their natural form.

“I’m doing better, had a talk with River. She wants me to try more out there,” I say, throwing my thumb back at the main floor.

Evan smiles. “And are you going to? Or are you going to keep sending out my drink orders when we all know that’s not something you want to do the rest of your time here?”

My hands lift to my mask, and I adjust it a little before I grasp the empty water glass. The condensation creeps into my palms, and I watch him.

“Well?” he pushes.

“I want to. But I want to find someone I feel confident enough around. Someone I can fully trust,” I say, mimicking River’s words but in my own way. I don’t even think that”s what River wants me to do. I own it and make it my choice.

Evan’s eyes flick to one side of the club before landing back on mine. He raises a brow and smiles like a Cheshire Cat.

“Tone down the creepy Purge smile,” I laugh.

He presses his lips together. “Your new favorite member has arrived.”

My heart picks up a little at that, and I hate how I know who Evan is talking about. Snakebite. I swivel around in the stool and set my eyes on the man walking to a vacant chair. His eyes roam the club before hitting the bar and finding me. My face burns, but thank god for this mask.

He gives me a slight wave, and I give him an awkward one back. He doesn’t wave over any other girl walking around. He keeps his gaze on mine even after he sits.

“Get his order. He clearly wants you to serve him tonight.” Evan is loud behind me, and I snap my neck to him.

“He’ll have a water,” I say without a second thought. Woah, I’m really trying to get him to a room. Slow down, Rosalía.

“Atta girl,” Evan smiles as he starts to fill a glass with water. In seconds, I’ve got the glass in my hand, and I’m making my way to Snakebite.

“Here, sir, your drink,” I say, bending to hand him the icy drink. Like all the other times he’s done, he rakes my figure for a moment, and I melt under his gaze. He doesn’t seem to argue with the choice of water, and I quickly glance down to see that he’s got a rose gold bracelet now. There aren’t any charms yet, but that’s a step.

It feels like we’re both teetering toward the idea of wanting to do more in this club. It brings almost a sense of comfort to me in a weird way. I don’t even know the guy, yet here I am, glad he’s taking baby steps like I am.

“Gracias, ángel.” His eyes don’t leave mine, and I know this is my chance.

Do it, before you regret it.

I clear my throat and squat to really get eye-level with him, but he’s pretty tall. I grip the arm of his chair for balance.

“De nada,” I answer and his eyes seem to light up from the Spanish response. Like he wasn’t expecting me to understand what he just said. “Are you staying here for a while?” I ask, attempting to bat my lashes at him. God, I suck at this. It was so easy with Reeve.

“As long as the night lets me,” he responds with a gruff tone that instantly creates goosebumps on my skin. A good kind of shiver runs down my spine.

I giggle and lean in closer. His brown eyes are fixated on mine through his mask. “I meant after. I’ve seen you around more than a few times, so I want to know if you’re here for good.”

He chuckles lowly. “Still figuring that out. I might, I might not.”

I stare at him for a moment with his answer. He doesn’t know if he’s staying here? God, why is this so hard?! Just ask him to go to a room, Rosie.

I look around the club and see all my friends with their regulars, and I envy them. I don’t really have any regulars, as much as Ronan jokes upstairs.

“Hey,” Snakebite says, causing me to look back at him. He shifts in his seat and leans closer to me, his cologne invading my senses. I breathe him in like air, like I won’t ever be able to breathe on my own without him.

“Yes, sir?” I ask, watching his eyes as I say that word. He likes it.

“I’d like to be honest with you,” he starts. I widen my eyes and bite my lip. Fuck, he’s married. He’s got a family. He’s not supposed to be here.

My mind runs a mile a minute at what he could say. He reaches out and touches my hand, and it sends a jolt of sparks up my arm. I gasp, looking at him.

“Lo siento,” he whispers. “You just looked like you were running a marathon in those pretty eyes. You okay?”

I nod. “Of course, sir.”

His lips curl into a smile before he lifts his hand, and I immediately miss his touch. Something about it is so comforting and so natural. But also something I can’t quite put my finger on.

Familiar?

I try to clear that from my mind as I focus back on the very handsome member in front of me.

“I’m obviously new here,” he clears his throat. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here. Could be days… could be months.”

“Okay,” I respond, waiting for more.

“I’ve got a friend here that vetoed me in. So, I’m new to all of this. I don’t want to say or do anything that will make you feel pressured. But I’ve really enjoyed just our small talk so far these last few times I’ve been here.”

I smile, my body relaxing instantly. “I’ve got to be honest with you as well then,” I tell him. His eyes widen a little and I can almost imagine him raising a brow under that mask. I watch his lips press into a thin line before nibbling on them.

They look like very good lips. Kissable lips. In more ways than just kissing mine. I’d like him to kiss me all over.

“Go on,” he urges.

I look around the club and lock eyes quickly with Evan at the bar. He nods at me in a reassuring way. I stand up, and Snakebite looks up at me from his seat. I reach my hand out, shaking a little at the confidence I’m trying to exude.

He takes it, and his hands are calloused. Rough. Like a hardworking man. Very different from a lot of these members I’ve shook hands with that have very soft hands.

In a way, it reminds me of my father, who worked so much that he had permanent calluses on his hands.

Stop thinking about your dad, Rosie.

“How about we find a private room just to talk? No pressure for anything right now, especially given your lack of charms on that bracelet,” I suggest.

If I want to start building trust with a member, I can’t just get in one of the kink rooms with them. I have to abide by their decisions, what their bracelet tells me, and be vocal about what I want as well. I want to build trust so I know that nothing will go wrong. If he’s fine with this suggestion, then I know he’ll be a good contender.

He stands up, making me crane my neck to look up at him. His hand squeezes mine.

“Lead the way, ángel,” he whispers.

I don’t let my mind wander and hesitate for a second. My feet are already making their way to the side of the club, which has private areas with heavy black curtains to block out anyone else.