Blood Vow (Black Dagger Legacy #2)(92)

“I want you to meet somebody,” he said as they transitioned into another dim room that had more moans than music.

Bodies were writhing in a pit in the center, a naked woman getting covered by men, her cries of ecstasy triumphant even though she was the one being consumed.

“I want to meet somebody, too,” Novo said in that electronic voice of hers.

“Not for sex. You’re going to apply for membership.”

“You’re prepared to vouch for me—” With lightning-quick reflexes, Novo spun around, caught a masked male by the throat, and pile-drove him back against the wall.

“I’m not the woman in the pit, asshole,” she bit out. “You touch my ass one more time and I’m going to rip your hand off and feed it to you. Are we clear?”

As the idiot nodded like a bobblehead, Axe hung around and waited to see if she was going to castrate the SOB on principle.

And when one of the staff closed in, Axe cut the intervention off. “Non-consensual, repeated. And she’s with me.”

Axe had watched that human male ride up on Novo a couple of times as they’d gone along, but it hadn’t been for him to have an opinion. The main rule of the club was, Everything Goes. Although the second rule was just as important: Consent Required.

Axe would have gotten involved if he’d known she hadn’t been into it.

The staff nodded. “Roger that.”

“And I want to put her up for membership. Her name’s Novo.”

All humans who worked for the owner were called Staff. No first or last names, ever. And the only reason you knew who they were was the way they approached you and the fact that they always had something red on. Well, and he recognized their scents after having been a member for the last couple of years.

“Gimme ten,” the staff said. “Keep going and I’ll find you.”

By this time, Novo was letting the aggressor resume breathing, dropping her arm and falling back in.

“You done here?” Axe asked.

“Yup.”

They kept going, entering the next room, and the one after that … until they eventually got to the Cathedral. With its tall ceiling and mounted, altar-like formation high above the floor, this was where the public displays happened—and where he had fucked that human woman almost a week ago.

There was an event happening now, a male suspended up high, two other males taking turns with him—

“You were better six nights ago,” a Scottish accent said.

Axe turned to the male who had addressed him. The human was six-six, maybe six-eight, wearing leathers and not much else, his pierced nipples glinting in the low light, the tattoos running down his arms and across his chest representing classic album covers, everything from the Sex Pistols to G N’ R to the Ramones and MCR. His mask was classic Grim Reaper stuff and he was wearing a pair of New Rocks that were the biggest Axe had ever seen.

“And you lasted longer, too, mate.”

With that, the human moved on, which was kind of a bummer. Axe had liked the guy’s vibe.

“So you went up there?” Novo asked. “Tied up?”

“I wasn’t the one on the rack.”

She laughed softly. “Figures. I don’t see you as the submissive type.”

Neither did he. Which was why he found being powerless with Elise—and getting off on it like he did—such a surprise.

“Why don’t you want a blond,” he asked to change the subject.

“I hate rich blond assholes.”

Axe stopped and looked at her. “Peyton?”

“Yeah, not a fan.”

“Well, you’re not his type anyway.”

“Whatever, he’s not mine.”

Novo resumed her stride, her shoulders tense, her back ramrod straight, her affect one where she seemed to be grabbing someone by the balls—at least in her head.

Axe fell in step with her. “I didn’t know you wanted him—”

She spun around, and in spite of the covers over her eyes, he could feel the burn coming right at him. “I do not.”

“Yeah, you do. Come on, like I give a fuck?”

Novo got up in his face. “I’m glad you brought me here. But don’t try to be my shrink, k? It’s not going to work for you.”

“Why be so defensive? You think I’m going to go second grade on you and start skipping around the class, singing the kissing song or some shit?”

“I mean it, Axe. Back off.”

“So you know about him and Paradise, huh.”

“Who wouldn’t. If he were any more into that female, he’d be inside her.”

“And then Craeg would slaughter him.”

“At least Peyton counts as grass-fed organic meat with the way he smokes up.” She looked away. “And I’m not into him—so there’s that.”

“Whatever.” Axe put his palms out. “I’m not going to say anything.”

Novo looked up at the sex that was going on at the altar. “So you did that, huh? I was unaware you were into public displays.”

“That wasn’t the point.”

“What was, then.”

He knew exactly what she was doing, demanding inside his head because he had momentarily gotten into hers. “Just burning off energy. That’s all.”