Page 9 of Carnage
“I knew you’d look good in that. Do you like it?”
“I do. Thank you.”
“Come on.”
I follow him out to the SUV and climb into the back beside him. I don’t bother asking where we’re going. I’m learning that the less interest I show, the more compliant I seem, and maybe that will keep him calm for a few hours.
Twenty minutes later we pull up to Redlight and my stomach flutters. Maybe Carnage will be here again. I probably shouldn’t get my hopes up, but hope is all I have at this point.
Leon holds my hand possessively as we enter the club. This place is a shithole, but they treat Leon like royalty so I see the appeal. With the amount of money he spends here the management probably has no problem looking the other way.
As we sit at Leon’s table, I glance around as discreetly as possible, hoping to find the handsome potential hero again, but either he’s not here or I can’t see him through the crowd of people.
Settling into my seat, I sip my cocktail. It’s some heinous concoction of too many liquors mixed together that Leon ordered for me, but I can nurse it and keep my ears open for my impending demise.
A guy walks in, flanked by two women. He’s terrifyingly tall and muscular, his cold, dark gaze menacing. He’s bald, with pale skin blotted with red patches. His gaze settles on me and his lips quirk. Shit.
“Welcome, Sven,” Leon says. “Have a seat, please.”
Sven does so and the two women with him sit beside him, chatting quietly between themselves.
“This is my little Gummy.” Leon grips my shoulder. “Isn’t he sweet?”
“Very pretty too,” Sven says with a thick accent. “Where do you find such beauty?”
“Just lucky.” Leon’s actually beaming. “He’s smart too. Reads all the time.”
“Not smart enough, apparently,” Sven grunts, openly insulting Leon in front of me. “Maybe I will take him from you.”
Leon’s face flushes red as he wraps his hand around my arm. “Then I’d have to shoot you, Sven, and I don’t want to do that.”
Sven chuckles, but there’s no lightness to it at all.
“We’re dancing, Sven,” one of the women announces. “And we’re taking this little cutie with us.”
The women tug on my arm and beg me to come dance with them.
I turn to Leon. “Can I dance with them?”
He studies my face for a moment, then the girls, then the man who brought them. Leon and Sven chat too quietly for me to hear, but then, victory. Leon nods.
“Don’t go far.”
“I won’t.”
I stand and happily follow the women to the dance floor.
“I’m Jasmine,” the one with long black hair says. “This is Trudy.”
I smile at the redhead. “Rue. Nice to meet you both.”
“You looked bored,” Jasmine says. “Figured you could use an escape.”
More than they know. “Much appreciated.”
I let the music take over, moving my body to the beat and pushing away everything else for now.
“Is Leon your boyfriend?” Trudy leans in to ask.
