Page 49 of All That Glitters

The metal detector doesn’t make a sound, so he opens the door behind him. I can make out little else beyond the door but a crowd of people.

“Welcome to the Shadow Ring,” he says in a monotone voice.

The girls walk in, giggling all the way, and then the door is shut, plunging us into silence once more.

“Pretend to be a super-protective boyfriend.” She stutters over the last word, and my heart skips a beat. “And stand extra close to me.”

“Goldie, I don’t know about this,” I tell her quietly, feeling the eyes of the guy on us.

“Please, Jameson,” she begs, looking up at me with her big hazel eyes. “I need this.”

I want to tell her she doesn’t, to remind her that her dream is to be a novelist, not a journalist. But maybe she’s changed since last summer. I don’t want to hold her back or have her think I’m trying to sabotage her.

“Okay, if this is what you want,” I sigh.

She gives me a grateful smile and passes her phone to me. “Thank you.”

We walk down the stairs. The guy stares at us with no emotion in his gaze. Now that we’re closer, he looks far too old to be in a fraternity. He must have been hired by someone to work the door.

“Password,” he says without preamble.

“Whiskey,” Marigold answers for us.

He repeats what he said to the women before us. “No phones or cameras allowed. Bets are made with cash only. Don’t start fights you can’t finish.”

I stay near Marigold, so close that there’s barely a gap between my chest and her back. The guard glances at me as he pulls out the detector.

“He’s super protective,” Marigold says with a fake giggle.

The man grunts in response, hovering the detector over Marigold’s front first. I lean back the tiniest amount so that he can pass the detector over her back. As soon as he pulls it away, I press close to her and slip her phone into her hand. Warmth spreads through me at how close we are. I want to wrap my arms around her and keep her there.

“You can make out once you’re inside,” the guy grouses. “Just let me do my job first.”

I clear my throat at the implication. Marigold lets out a high-pitched laugh.

The guard rolls the metal detector over me next. Of course, it goes off when it gets to my pocket, because I still have my phone.

“Forgot to leave it back at my dorm,” I say with a grimace.

The guy holds his hand out. “You can give it to me to put in the safe or take it back up.”

“Safe?” I question.

“The Shadow Ring prides itself on ensuring the safety of all belongings. Your phone will be returned to you upon your exit. If anything happens to it, you will be reimbursed.”

I shoot Marigold a suspicious look. She gives me one that says there’s no turning back now. With a sigh, I give the guy my phone.

“Name you’re registering the device under?” he asks, pulling out his own phone and taking a photo of my home screen, which is a photo of me and Marigold right after I won the championship.

“James,” I grit out. Though I hate the nickname, I don’t want anyone to associate my name with this place.

“And a password for retrieval.”

“Goldilocks,” I answer without hesitation, as it’s been several of my passwords over the years.

I glance at Marigold, but she’s looking down at her shoes.

The guy nods, then grabs the door knob. “Welcome to the Shadow Ring.”