Page 1 of Dangerous Pursuit
Chapter One
Liam
I PLASTER ON a flirty grin as the next group of scantily clad ladies approaches the velvet rope, their giggling breaking through the thump of bass that spills from inside the club.
Six more hours to go.
"Names?" I force enthusiasm into my voice.
The redhead shoots me a smile. Unlike mine, hers seems genuine. "Well, I'm Linda, and…" I zone out on the rest of the sentence, scanning the list in my hand for aLindaand scribbling a checkmark once I locate it.
Unhooking the rope, I step aside to let them through. "Enjoy your night, ladies."
The tall blonde who isn't Linda brushes her shoulder against mine as she strolls past me. "Think we'll get lucky enough to see you inside?"
I chuckle to myself.You're barking up the wrong tree, lady. Still, I know better than to disappoint the patrons before they even step inside—that's the bartenders' job. "Maybe," I say, sending a wink their way. "If you're lucky."
I check my watch again—five hours, fifty-eight minutes to go—but as my eyes land back on the never-ending line, my night brightens a smidge.
Sawyer's friend, whom I know as Blake, approaches me at turtle’s speed, his gaze swiping over the red carpet, shoulders slumped, some guy I've never seen before by his side.
They stop unusually far from me, and Blake shoots me a shy, hopeful look.
Not tonight, my guy.
See, Sawyer has put his little friend on the list as a permanent pass, but apparently forgot to inform the poor guy. And it's just too fun to pass up on, so I cross my arms over my chest and straighten up. "Names?"
Blake's shoulders slump even more, but as he takes a shaky inhale, bracing himself to grace me with his usual mumble of an unnecessary explanation, the guy he's with cuts in. "Hello, Sir. How are you this lovely evening?" the guy sing-songs, his voice way too cheery to be Blake's friend. Or Sawyer's, for that matter. "We're with the FBI—Federal Bureau of Intercourse—here to talk to Mr. Sawyer Matthews. Our intelligence tells us he's been engaging in some dangerous Pussy Destroying activities, and, well, the FBI just can't let him get away with it.”
My eyes grow large, and for a few beats I just stand there, dumbfounded. I push my shades to the top of my head to give him a better look as the words sink in, but before I can truly see him, a barking laugh breaks from my throat.
The petrified look on Blake's face only adds to my amusement and I reach for the rope, sizing up Sawyer's friend's friend. He's athletic and quite tall, but still half my size. Then again, most people are.
Blake's legs seem stiff as he grabs his friend's wrist and drags him forward.
My gaze follows them as they rush inside, but just before they disappear, the guy turns around and deadpans, "Thank you, Citizen Boo. Your cooperation will not go unrewarded."
Nowthat'ssomeone I'd gladly see inside.
But before I can replay the interaction in my head, a sharp puff of air lands on the back of my neck and I snap around, brutally yanked back to reality.
One look at the street-casual attire of the two gym-bros in front of me lets me know they're definitelynoton the list. The taller one barks something unintelligible and I crack my knuckles, warming them up just in case.
Five hours and fifty-five minutes to go.
Chapter Two
Xander
"WHAT THE FUCK?" Blake barks the second we step foot into the club, heavy doors slamming behind us with a loud thump.
I know it's not about me. For some reason, he's been on edge since I picked him up. "What? You said he knows you. Besides— Woohoooah."
My train of thought escapes me momentarily as I tear my gaze off Blake and zero-in on—holy fuck, what is this place?
When Blake had mentioned he's going to an actualsex club, I demanded to tag along out of sheer curiosity. Turns out, my wildest imagination has nothing on reality. My temperature spikes ten degrees a second as I spin around, my eyes eating up the scene around me.
Every sofa, every corner, every piece of the fucking floor is filled with half-naked people going at it, unabashed, bodies sliding and grinding to the rhythm of the music. It's almost as if the crowd is faceless, consisting of skin, and limbs, and body parts not accustomed to seeing sunlight.
