Page 147 of Rattle the Cage

“Or maybe you’re not as good at this game as you thought.”

Tess knew the battle was lost. Still, she didn’t stop squirming as I stood, dragging her up to her feet. Stubborn as ever, she wouldn’t walk either.

“You want to do this the hard way?” In a single swoop, I had her over my shoulder: one hand gripped the back of her thighs while the other retrieved Trixie.

“Put me down!” She squealed, fists beating uselessly at my back.

“No.” I growled, giving her thigh a squeeze. “I have too much planned for you, and I’m not wasting another second on this fucking alley.”

Adrenaline kept me moving at a fast clip. And luckily, Noir Nights was only one section over.

I hadn’t expected to find her so quickly. The odds of drawing her section were slim. But now that I had, endless possibilities unravelled in my mind.

“Where are you taking me?” She whined, slowly giving up her fight.

“You’ll see.” I chuckled, my voice muffled through my mask.

Striding through the darkened streets of Noir Nights, I felt like the king of this small city. I’d always had an affinity for the sector: it was so much sleeker than the rest of the park.

The fact that it was where we’d first found Tess was just a happy coincidence.

I didn’t waste any time taking in the scenery. Instead, I sped down one of the darkened alleys, only stopping to punch in my keycode at a black metal door.

“What is this, a fucking bunker?” Tess grumbled.

“You’ll be shocked,” I smirked, kicking the door open with a grin.

The day that we’d discovered the speakeasy down here, I’d instantly called dibs. But what I’d transformed it into in the years since was a far cry from the cheeky little bar Feverpoint’s patrons once knew.

Only once the door locked behind us did I set Tess down and let her take in its beauty. “No escape now, Sweet Lamb.”

73

TESS

Should I run?

The heavy door of Nash’s speakeasy was blocked by her towering body. But if I played submissive for a second, she might drop her guard.

Maybe I could grab the key…

Nash’s usual calm made a shiver run down my spine. Her porcelain mask hid her expressions, making it impossible to know what kind of trouble I’d gotten myself into.

With unfettered access to me, I had no idea what she had in store.

But I knew it was going to be intense, weeks of teasing had made that clear.

I should have been terrified of what it would look like for Nash to let loose. But the reality was, I was begging to see it. Even in The Station, I could tell she’d held back — wanting to show me what tricks she had in store back at Feverpoint.

Back here.

I agreed to their rules. She won, fair and square.

Standing at the center of the dimly lit bar, I tried to catch my breath as I looked around the space. Red and black Damask wallpaper lined the walls behind the wood bar, gold accents lining the base of the bar.

Plush leather couches lined the walls.

And so did a large, black X that stood at the edge of the room.