Page 59 of The Bloke

“Sweetheart, why don’t you and Tessa take Sienna to the ladies’ lounge and relax? I’ll have Nick drop off the champagne.”

“I’d love nothing more.” Bria beamed up at him, holding her hand out to my wife. “Come with me; the men are awfully boring until their drinks settle in.” She giggled, rolling her eyes at Dallas before grabbing Tessa’s hand and dragging her along.

“Always the life of the party,” Dallas muttered, smacking his wife’s ass as she crossed in front of him.

I pressed a kiss to my wife’s forehead before Bria and Tessa swept her away to another section of the mansion—anxiety gripping me like a vice.

They would take care of her…

Chapter 26

Sienna

They were gorgeous. Icouldn’t imagine Bria and Tessa being killers just by their looks—so warm and welcoming.

The three of us stood around the same height, maybe an inch difference, if at all, and they were both toned and trimmed bombshells. I had the sudden urge to ask if they were dancers, too, but I didn’t want it to look as though I was observing them with such close attention to detail.

Bria had long fire engine red hair. With a peek at her roots, I could tell her natural color was closer to mine: a dark, warm brunette. Her dress matched her hair, bright red with layers of tulle that flowed from her hips to the floor. She looked like a fire, ready to burn this mansion to the ground if anyone so much as looked at her wrong.

Tessa reminded me of a short Victoria’s Secret model with blown-out, voluminous light brown hair, and deep teal eyes that rivaled the Caribbean sea. She stood with such a commanding presence that she owned every room she entered. Her black dress, with white outlining details, hugged every single curve of her body as if it were custom-made just for her figure.

I had never been intimidated by a woman and never saw them as some form of competition, but these two—intimidated was an understatement for how I felt around them.

The small women’s lounge was filled with wives just like them, and suddenly, I felt so small in comparison.

“Hey,” Bria’s soft voice caught my attention as she touched my shoulder and handed me a glass of champagne. “I know you are overwhelmed right now, but please, don’t be. We’ve all been where you are.” I assumed her husband had already informed her of my current situation—my test.

I sipped from my glass, unable to find the words for how I was feeling.

“Bria’s a literal badass; most of the women here are scared of her, so don’t feel bad.” Tessa laughed with her valley girl accent, guiding me to an open sofa, and the three of us took a seat, with me in the middle. “If anyone here is going to help you get through your test, it’s her.” She added before taking a long sip of her champagne.

“As far as Levi had told me, you passed yours with flying colors, too, Tess.” Bria giggled, bringing her glass to her bright red lips and pausing briefly. “Ignore her, Sienna. She thinks she’s the cock of the walk because she has the twins wrapped around her finger.”

Tessa poked her tongue out at Bria.

“You’re just jealous I got the two-for-one special.” She leaned towards me and whispered, “They are the only twins in any of the revues.”

Bria rolled her eyes, downing her glass in one long pull.

“Right, well, talking about our husbands—” She glared daggers at Tessa. “Is not what we are here for, Sienna. What can we do to help you pass your test?” Her eyes glanced around the room, searching for another glass of champagne.

“I—I don’t even know what my test is. How can I prepare for something I don’t know?” I stammered, my voice slightly shaky. I didn’t want to come off soft and meek in a room full of predators, but how could I not? I was out of my element here.

“Oh honey, the tests are all the same… The scenarios are always different, but the objective is the same.” Tessa chimed in, and Bria cleared her throat, a silent threat toshut the fuck up.

“What Tessa means to say is that all of the tests involve spilling blood. Are you sensitive to blood by chance?” She asked with a hint of concern.

I thought back to the night behind Fallout. The man being stabbed in the throat, his blood spraying both my husband and myself, and then the sight of him dragging his bloody hand through his hair.

I could feel myself growing hotter, subconsciously pressing my thighs together as I finished off my champagne.

The memory of that night constantly turns me on, the unhinged sight of Colby and how he looked at me with his bright blue eyes full of rage and desire—my protector.

At my silence from reminiscing, Bria continued, “It’s alright if you are, we can find a way to—”

“No—” I rushed to cut her off, choking on my last sip. “No, I’m not sensitive to blood.”

“Oh, thank god,” Tessa held a hand to her chest, rambling on, “Because one of the wives had a problem with blood, and let me tell you the end result of her test and what her husban—”

---