Page 12 of The Bloke

“You do not speak unless spoken to once we are in there. Until that ring is on your finger, you’re still a protégé, and any fuck up, no matter how minor, will impact your membership.” Nick placed his hands in his pockets, turning towards the stairs. “When the last protégé is handed their ring and puts it on, the real fun begins.”

My knee bounced as I sat beside Nick, waiting for the ceremony to start. There were still a few more men filtering into the room. A hand gripped my shoulder from behind, and I turned my head to see who it was.

“Look, the blokes and I know we’ve been hard on you these past three months, but there was a reason for it,” Jaxon whispered. Was he seriously trying to have a heart-to-heart right now? “We’ll talk more after you get your ring.” He winked before lounging back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

Clenching my jaw, I turned back to face the stage just as all the lights over us dimmed, leaving only those at the front of the stage to illuminate the space. The crowd of men all fell silent as Dustin Slate stepped onto the stage, holding a microphone in one hand while sliding the other into his slacks.

“Nice to see the gentlemen from Temptations are back from their most recent tour just in time for the ceremony.” He grinned, his eyes taking in the audience before him. “As I’m sure you can tell from tonight’s turnout, all three of our potential new members have passed their tests and will receive their rings tonight.” The room filled with applause, and something told me it wasn’t typical for all three to pass their tests. “But, before we gift the rings, let me introduce our newest members to the Men Under Revue.” Dustin cleared his throat as he paced the stage.

“At this point, you should all know who we are and what we do. We are a secret society that runs the Las Vegas Strip. Without us, it wouldn’t function like the lucrative machine it is, and anything that affects the flow of funds is swiftly taken care of, as I am sure you’ve discovered with your tests.

“By day, we all work your typical nine-to-five jobs, and you will choose yours before leaving here tonight. In doing so, we can keep a closer eye on the Strip in an undercover degree, then by night, we are what all the women come for—pun intended.” He jested, and the room chuckled.

“Follow our rules, do your jobs—all of them—and you will be well taken care of for the rest of your lives. As I’ve said before, the Strip is a lucrative machine, and the Men Under Revue are all for sharing the wealth between brothers.” Dustin held a hand out at the edge of the stage, and a small black velvet box was placed in his hand.

“That being said, I’m sure you three are anxious to receive your rings, and the rest of you want to get the fuck out of here. Sponsors—” He paused, eyes scanning over the three sections. “Present your protégés.”

“That’s us,” Nick murmured as he stood from his seat and stepped into the aisle.

I got up and followed his lead. We approached the stage, and I stood to his left, just as he instructed me earlier. The two otherpairs mirrored us in position, and Dustin handed each of the sponsors one of the black velvet boxes.

“Sponsors, you may present your protégés with their rings.” I sucked in a sharp breath as Nick turned to face me, opening the black box and removing the obsidian ring.

“If our newest members will repeat after me—” Dustin cleared his throat, and Nick pressed his lips into a hard line, shaking his head slightly as a silent reminder not to do or say anything stupid.I don’t recall him ever mentioning that I would have to repeat an oath or some shit like that.

He held the ring out to me, indicating which finger it was to be worn on, and I slid the ring onto my right-hand ring finger.

“Ravish. Reign. Revue.” Dustin spoke each word with the utmost clarity.

We repeated the words in unison, and satisfied with our dedication to the Men Under Revue, Dustin concluded the ceremony.

“Congratulations, the three of you, as of right now, are officially members of the Men Under Revue. Welcome to the brotherhood.” Dustin grinned, stepping aside and presenting us to the rest of the room, which began filling with cheering, clapping, and whistles.

Brotherhood. I haven’t heard anyone, not even Nick, use that term for it until now, but it made sense, considering the society’s name.

“You did it, mate. You’re one of us now. Officially.” Nick winked before jumping off the stage to join the other blokes.

Looking down at my right hand, I couldn’t help but admire the black obsidian that now resided on my ring finger.

A symbol of the brotherhood to which I now belonged.

A key to the life I now possessed.

I felt like I could finally breathe.

Chapter 6

Sienna

Breathe.

In and out.

Breathe.

Relax, release.

Breathe.

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