Masquerade

It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask her why he keeps those walls, but that would require me to knock down one of my own, and I don’t plan to do that. “Again, I think it’s cool you came over here for him, but it’s not happening. If you’ll excuse me, I need to close my shop for lunch.”

Stepping around the counter, I head toward the door. My hand is on the handle and I’m pushing it open when she softly says, “Please. Please. He would kill me for saying this, but he needs it. He needs something to help him find his way through our past.”

Her words hit me right in the chest. They’re honest and raw and painful. She’s really worried about him, and even though my brain is screaming at me that it isn’t my business, I stop pushing the door open. Still, I don’t move.

Laney speaks again. “I’m not sure this will help, but I don’t know what else to do. I want my brother back. He hasn’t really wanted anything for himself in so long and he wants this so badly. He’s spent years dealing with painful things and taking care of me. Maddy needs this for him.”

Don’t do this. Walk away. It’s not your business. Instead of doing that, I close the door again. What would I have done if the Professor hadn’t given me a chance? I wouldn’t have Masquerade and I wouldn’t be Bee. I would be even more lost than I am now, and as much as I don’t want to admit it, I saw that in Maddox. Saw that he’s drifting alone in the world. It’s probably what made me go to the hotel with him in the first place, rather than dealing with someone easy like the pretty-boy bartender. But no, I knew he would get me, and here his sister is opening herself up in a way I could never do.

Because she loves him?

“I can’t help him if he’s not any good.”

Her face instantly brightens. “He’s good. I didn’t even know he could draw until recently, but he has books full. I took one from his apartment for you to see.”

That makes me chuckle. She obviously takes things into her own hands. I can respect that.

Laney reaches into her purse and pulls out a black book. After grabbing it from her, I sit in one of the chairs by the door and open it.

My eyes scan page after page, soaking in each and every line and curve of Maddox’s work. He’s got talent, that’s for sure, and he’s different. His drawings have a rough, raw edge to them that doesn’t look unpracticed but… rough in the way that you want them to look. Like somehow his pictures have seen and been through a lot but came out of it in the end. Even if it is with frayed edges and hard lines, they made it through.

I know that’s a crazy way to explain drawings, but it’s all I can think of.

And they’re beautiful. If he could transport this onto someone’s skin, it would be a waste not to share it with the world.

My hands are actually shaking when I hand her the book back.

“I have his number on my machine,” I tell Laney. “I’ll call him.”

Her eyes pool. “Thank you. That means so much to me. I hate to ask you another favor, but could you not tell him that I came down here?”

I open my mouth, almost telling her I didn’t do it for her but for him. For his talent is more like it, but I realize that would be rude. “I won’t say a word.”

My whole body freezes when she hugs me. I’ve never been a real touchy-feely kind of girl, especially when it’s with someone I don’t know. That thought reminds me that I’m going to be working with Maddox—with a guy I slept with. I don’t do things like that, especially when I can look into his eyes and see shades of myself. Suddenly, I feel a little nauseous.

Laney pulls away. “Thanks again. You won’t regret it.”

When she’s gone, I whisper, “I hope not.”

* * *

I don’t know what makes me do it, but instead of calling Maddox, later that night, I get dressed to go to Lunar. I don’t know if he’s even working tonight, but this is something I want to do in person. Maybe it’s because I can play things off better, which I know doesn’t really make sense. I’m good at schooling my facial features—good at looking like a bitch and I need to show him that part of me. I need to keep those walls up so we can both make sure we’re on the same page. This will be about tattooing and nothing else.

Lunar is even louder than it was last time I was here and even more packed with people. First, I head straight to the bar where Trevor and a few other bartenders are mixing drinks. He hands a girl with dark hair a glass before winking at her. I hate that kind of bullshit, but she seems to be eating it up.

He turns a little and his eyes catch mine and I see amusement there. “Corona with lime?”

“Yep. And then I’ll be out of your way.” I don’t want this girl thinking I’m interested in him in any way.

“You guys know each other?” she yells, loud enough so I can hear her over the music.

“Nope,” I say at the same time Trevor says, “I think she’s here for someone else.”

Shit. That means he knows I left with Maddox. “Jealous?”

“Now why would I be jealous when I have Adria

“Can I get my beer?”

“You sure can, darlin’.”

I almost throw up.

As soon as he hands me my Corona, I walk away without paying. Over the music I hear him laughing before he shouts, “He’s working a private party in the Back Room! You need me to get you in.”

Yeah. That’s what he thinks. I don’t need anyone for anything.

Chapter Four ~Maddox~

I feel like such a fucking cliché as I lean against the wall of “the Back Room” with my arms crossed, watching people dance and drink around me. When I first started working security at Lunar, I didn’t even know the Back Room existed. Once I got hired, they told me, but new bouncers aren’t allowed to work it. People pay good money for the privacy you get back here—the way you’re allowed to touch instead of just looking as strippers ride your lap.

Tonight it’s a bachelor party for some senator’s son, or something like that, hence the strippers who aren’t usually in Lunar. I don’t even know why he’d be in a place like Brenton anyway, but here he is. Probably because no one would look for him here.

I push my hand to my earpiece when Trevor’s voice comes through it. “You got company. Open the door.”

Visitor? Who the fuck could be here for me?

“Got it.”

The small hallway that leads to the door is only a short distance from me, so I make it over in no time, opening it to see who’s there. My body tenses when I see blond hair and a star peeking out from under a shirt. Fuck. As I’m about to ask Trevor what’s up, his voice sounds in my ear again. “She’s hot. No one will know and she’s not the type to open her mouth. Let her in. If you don’t, you’re fucking stupid.”

As much as I hate it, I’m curious as to why she’s here. Still, that tense anger is pumping through my veins as I hear her tell me no about Masquerade. I couldn’t care less that I fucked her. That’s not what this is about because there were no emotions there. What gives me an ache in my chest is the fact that she has what I want. I haven’t cared enough about anything to feel jealous in a long-ass time, but that’s exactly what comes to mind when I look at her.

“You coming to the party?” I ask her.

“I’m here to see you.”

She doesn’t give me a chance to reply as she pushes her way around me and inside. What I would give to kick her out of this room just because I can, but since I don’t really know if she’s giving me shit or if she came for the party, I hold back. It’s not like Trevor to let someone in here for no reason.