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Everyone is the same—too much makeup, expertly styled hair, Botox, and overfilled faces with some lips reminding me more of fucking hot dogs. The poor are hooked on heroin with needles, and the rich are addicted to poking themselves with needles in the hopes of reaching perfection. No matter which side you’re on, life has its different illusions. One is to escape and disappear while the other is to suffocate on attention. I want neither. Only power.
Not it. Not it. Not it. Not it. Not it. Not it.I silently repeat with each woman I pass.I was a fucking idiot to think this would be easy. It’s not Valentine’s Day, for fuck’s sake. What’s wrong with these people?I’d have more luck in a wet T-shirt contest picking out a set of 34D tits than I will at this rate with a chick in a red dress.
From one room to the next, I move through everyone, repeating greetings but not really seeing any of them. After all, they mean nothing. “Kingston?” someone calls louder than the others, but I keep moving.
As I pass through, I swear I see one of the creepy masks in the window. The sight has me stalling and taking a step back to quickly look again.It’s gone.There’s no one there, and now I’mleft wondering if I really saw the mask or not.Jesus… I must be seeing shit.“Paranoid much?” I mumble before I continue on. The last thing I need to do is draw extra attention if someone is there and then fuck up whatever they’re possibly doing.
Like a good soldier, I keep pushing forward, but now I’m taking in everything I can about my surroundings. I glance at each window I pass, the feeling of being watched prickling at my skin with every step.
If I am being watched right now, I want to know. The society shouldn’t be worried about me getting my task done because I will. It’s my top priority at the moment. Hell, the initiation has been on my mind for years, so I won’t fuck this up. Setting my glass on the next bar I come to, I gesture for a new drink. “Your most expensive. I don’t care what it is. Two fingers, chilled.” Just enough to make my goddamn thoughts calm down so I can focus on the task at hand again.
They get to pouring and shaking, then top off my glass. Raising the drink in thanks, I turn away and continue my stroll. The fifth step I take, I swear something comes out of nowhere, and I trip. I’ve never been clumsy in my life. I manage to hold onto my glass but not before my hand jerks forward in surprise, and the dark amber liquid sprays everywhere.
A soft shriek of surprise has me gaining my footing again and standing to my full height. Directly in front of me is a woman in a flowing red dress with my drink splashed down the front of it.Just great, this wasn’t part of the plan.I’ve ruined her sexy as fuck outfit and I don’t have time to deal with distractions. Following the trail of wetness upward, I take in her curvy hips, perfect breasts, and long blonde locks twisted in wavy curls.She’s a knockout.
Her chin lifts, and all the air seems to be sucked out of the room. Everything else falls silent and I swear we’re now moving in slow motion. My mouth drops, shock taking over every inchof my body.It can’t be her.The last person I’d ever expect to see here, let alone at this party, dressed as my mark. I have to be imagining things, yes… I’m fucking drunk out of my mind, that’s it. Except, I’ve had only one drink so far tonight, the other spilled.Fuck.
This can’t be happening.
It must be a mistake.
But it’s not.
I know deep in my gut, this is exactly what’s supposed to be.
“Iris?” I murmur, taking in the woman before me, wearing the same face as someone I once knew.Am I dreaming? Is it a nightmare?
This has to be a cruel trick being played on me. I obviously pissed off the wrong person, and now they’re getting some sort of sick satisfaction out of this being my first order of initiation. Or maybe I’m wrong, and this was set upbecauseI know her. Perhaps they believe I’ll have a better chance of finding out what I need to because of our past relationship. Either way, this is wrong. How the fuck am I not going to tell Beau about this?
Utter fucking bullshit.
The real question is, how can I do what I need to without breaking her heart or mine in the process? The society wasn’t fucking around when they asked me how far I’d go. They had to throw Iris at me like I wasn’t already fucked-up enough by losing her the first time around. She was never anything more than a close friend, no matter how badly I wanted her to be more, but still. I’ve never stopped thinking of her, wondering how she was, what she was doing, who she was fucking. Because it certainly wasn’t me.
“Kingston?” she breathes my name in a surprised whisper. Somehow, I make my name out over everything else happening in the room, but we could be in the middle of a concert, and I’d still hear her above all else. The world is fuzzy for a few beats asthe reality of my situation hits me, before it’s all speeding up in real-time, and I kick my ass into gear. Lurching forward, I pull her down the closest hallway away from prying eyes. “King? Is everything okay?”
I’m breathing heavily like some psychopath by the time I stop tugging her along. “It’s really you?” I ask, then tug her to my chest, wrapping my arms around her in an affectionate hug.Fuck, I’ve missed her. She still smells the same.I dip my nose into her hair and inhale. She hugs me back then pulls away, fanning her dress.
“Shit, I can’t believe that happened. Let’s find a bathroom.” She allows me to take her hand, leading her as I pop my head in different doorways. Finally, toward the end of the hall, I find an empty bathroom. “Come on, in here.” Flipping on the light, I close the door behind her. Taking her in, I’m dumbstruck at how unbelievably stunning she is. “I ruined your dress.” Not that I care about the too-tight little number that no one else should be privy to seeing, but it’s the first thing I manage to choke free.
She waves my comment off, smiling. “It’s fine. The dress showed up at my door this morning in a gift box with a giant bow. I have no idea who it could be from, so it’s no big deal.”
“Oh? Did it have a note with it?” I want to flood her with questions, but refrain. Clearly, it’s no coincidence, but I’m not in the position to point it out.
She shakes her head. “No, but it was my size, so I thought it was just a welcome gift or something of the sort, since I just moved in.”
Nodding, I agree. “Makes sense.” Total bullshit, but she buys it. Grabbing the hand towels, I wet them and begin pressing them all over her body, making her laugh.
“Kingston, it’s fine… really.”
“You’re wet, and there’s a dark splatter all over the dress. I have an idea, take it off, and I’ll give you my shirt. You’re ashrimp, so it’ll probably reach your knees. You’ll at least be dry until you go home.” I don’t want to stop touching her but having her in my clothes is the next best thing.
She grins and excitedly admits, “I pledged.”
“You what?” I must’ve heard her wrong. How is it I’m bored sideways one minute, and then this woman has my head spinning all over the place?Woman… she’s a woman now. Fuck.There’s no way I’m letting any of these motherfuckers near her, either. They’ll be warned the first chance I have to threaten them. ‘Stay the fuck away from Iris Kensington.’ Pledge or not, she’s mine… always has been and always will be.
“I’m a member here, I live upstairs.”
Right behind my house.
