The Insiders by Tijan

FORTY-THREE

I knew it was only a matter of time before Kash slipped away.

I didn’t know if he’d have me go with him, take me to the estate, home, or where. Or if he’d have the security team take me instead. I just knew two things: he was going to where Camille Story lived, and I was making the most of my time with him.

We didn’t do couple stuff.

This whole thing with us, it came out of nowhere. We hadn’t been normal, but we were a we. I knew that much. Kash was possessive of me, but in a good way. The way a girl loves, the way that fills her up, making her feel special and loved and protected.

That was me, and that’s what Kash was doing when we were offered a private box suite and took it. Pressed high above the club, higher than even where Matt was again sitting with his friends. I could look straight down. Glass was under our feet, the opposite side a mirror to those below. We were out on a deck portion, and a button could open it up, let us hear the music better, feel it.

We were feeling each other just fine.

Kash was behind me, his arms around me, his body pressed against me, and his mouth exploring my neck. He nibbled up, licking me, and a jolt of lust tripled in me. I felt zapped by electricity. My blood simmered almost beyond a light boil by now. A hand swipe down my front. Touching between my legs, exploring, pressing, then retreating and moving back up and tunneling under my top. His other hand slid up the side of my leg, going inside my dress. He’d specifically asked me to wear this, and I now knew why.

Access.

My back was exposed, and as his hand moved below, so did his mouth.

He draped kisses down my spine, and I surged upward, gasping and holding. My back was arched. My breasts pointed upward. He had made sure, bringing me to dizzying heights already before moving to a slower and more controlled pace.

As he pushed against me, I felt how much he wanted me.

He wouldn’t indulge. I knew Kash by now. He would drive me crazy, make me fevered and blind, and then his hand would slide up the inside of my dress, then into me, and he would send me over the edge all over again.

Tantalizing. Torturing.

I was a mess as his mouth sucked, paused, explored more, and then proceeded to drive me into a pitch.

“Kash, Jesus!”

He didn’t answer, but his hand splayed out in front of me, anchoring me to his mouth as he was sucking the small of my back. His tongue was doing magical things.

I tipped my head back, a full-body groan left me.

I felt his chuckle against my skin, more than heard him, and he knelt all the way down.

Oh, God.

I knew what he was doing.

“Kash,” I was starting.

“Shh.” Low and soothing, he turned me around, pausing to look up. I caught the twinkle in those eyes and could only hang on as he was lifting my dress up. His head ducked in, and I felt his tongue a second later.

I was prepared.

I thought I was prepared.

That’s what I was telling myself.

I wasn’t prepared.

I so wasn’t prepared.

I gasped, my legs shaking, and he kept kissing me. His tongue moved in, sweeping, circling, and making me pulsate with pleasure.

I was going to drop on him. How embarrassing, but I was. My knees were shaking. I wasn’t going to be able to endure this. And then he sucked on my clit as he dipped two fingers into me, and he had me soaring all over again.

I buckled, but Kash was ready for me.

He stood, his hand still inside me, and caught me. A hand clamped to my back, he held me in place, plastered against him. He waited until I was done quaking.

My entire body was jerking.

A soft kiss to my neck. A second one feathered to my jaw, then a lingering kiss on my lips.

He was claiming me.

I was his.

I was a complete muddled mess.

I shook my head. “You—not fair.”

A rakish grin. “Trust me.” Another kiss to the corner of my mouth. “You will be paying me back later tonight.”

God yes.

That meant he was coming back to me, after whatever he had planned. Kash wouldn’t say it if he didn’t mean it.

Please mean it, I suddenly thought. Please, please mean it.

I was worried about him. And oh boy, if I was starting tonight, about a blogger’s place, how would I handle the rest? His grandfather was Calhoun Bastian, for fuck’s sake.

He ran a hand down my face, tucking a strand of hair back and frowning just slightly. “What’s wrong? You just tensed.” He mock frowned at me. “You’re not supposed to be tense. That was the whole purpose of coming up here.”

A different thought hit me.

“You don’t think they have cameras in here?”

He grinned, his teeth flashing. “If they do, I have a feeling they’re going to have a hack tonight.”

Damn straight they would. Still. I eyed over his shoulder to the corners. I bet they did.

He dipped down again, his breath hot on my skin. “I asked them to turn them off.”

Oh. Relief.

Then … “How do you know they actually did?”

“Look up.”

I did.

“Is there a red light in the corner?”

Red. Red. Red. I was looking everywhere. I shook my head.

“They turned it off.”

That was good—very, very good. Then I could indulge some more. I lifted a hand, trailing it up his shoulder. Moving in, I grazed my nose against his throat.

I felt his rumble. “What are you doing?”

“Maybe I want to make you lose control too?” I looked up, enough to flash him my whites and wink before I moved my hand to his front.

“Bailey.” A gentle warning.

I didn’t care. Biting my lip, I was exploring, and I was loving it.

I dipped my fingers inside his shirt, between his buttons, and he sucked in his stomach. “Goddamn.” He grunted, grabbing for the railing behind me. “What are you doing?”

“Returning the favor.” I glanced up, our eyes met for a second, and I lowered myself below him.

“Bailey.”

He was hanging on, breathing harshly.

Good. That was so good.

I ran my hand over his pants, and he groaned, his body surging toward me. He was hard, straining against his zipper, and I was loving this. It was addicting, making him feel good, making him shudder from a mere touch, and pulling down the zipper, I reached in to bring him out.

“Fuck,” he whispered.

I looked up. His head had fallen back. I couldn’t see his eyes, but I saw his throat moving up and down.

Then I moved, my lips opening, and I encircled him.

“God,” he hissed.

I moved my lips over him, my teeth gently touching him, and he jerked in my mouth. Delicious. Dark. That’s how I felt, pleasuring him right back in this private box, in this club that had secrets in every corner. Here we were. My man and me. I was making him feel good, just as he had done for me, and I was loving every bit of it. Moving my mouth, angling for a deeper suction, I was bringing him how he had with me. I was leading him, taking him with me, and I could feel his stomach starting to tremble from the strength it took for him not to come.

I wanted him to come.

“Fuck, Bailey.”

He finished, but I still held him. Lowering his head, looking at me, there was a gentleness regarding me, and it made my heart squeeze.

He shook his head, catching me and lifting me. He didn’t help me stand. He picked me up, and I latched onto him. Like a damn koala. That was me. Legs wrapped around him. Arms holding on, and my head to his chest.

He walked me back to a couch and sat, me on top of him.

It was a bit later, after he had splayed me out on the couch and was bending over me, his mouth moving in another slow and torturous exploration, when the light flared on in the room.

I yelled, but Kash flattened his body over me, covering me, and growled, “It better be life-or-death.”

A voice sounded from the door, strained. “It’s Mr. Francis.” And then said, “Something’s wrong.”

That was enough.

The tension lifted, and he clipped his head in a nod. “A second. Please.”

“Of course, Mr. Colello.”

The light was switched off. The door closed.

And silence.

He expelled a strong burst of air, lowering his head and pressing his forehead to my neck. “I’m sorry.” He smoothed a hand down my side again, sitting up and helping to cover me.

I was quivering but moved my head up and down. I croaked, motioning, “Go. See what’s wrong with Matt.”

He frowned. “You sure?”

Another motion up and down. “Yeah.” My voice was hoarse. “Leave the guards. They’ll bring me down. I just need a second.” I might’ve needed more than a second.

“Okay.” He leaned in, kissing me before pushing himself up. “Don’t take too long. If something’s wrong, we’ll have to go before press finds out.”

“Okay.” My hand was weak as I tried to smooth out my hair.

Kash stopped, turned back. He took in the sight of me and grinned. That grin was everything. It held so much promise, but also fun. We’d been fooling around up here like high school kids. Maybe doing more than what we should have at that age, but it was still fun. It was a respite from all the other worries, and I wanted more. I just wanted more. That’s all I was feeling and thinking then, and when I gave him an answering grin, he turned and headed out.

Promise. I saw it in his eyes, and I couldn’t wait to hold him to it.

I was excited to head back to his place tonight.

Standing, I found a small bathroom off the entryway, and after using it, I tried to smooth out my appearance. I looked totally and completely laid.

I laughed softly to myself, trying to make my dress look normal again, and I headed out.

Three guards waited for me, and like the trek before, all eyes were on us as we joined the rest of the club. I ducked my head down to avoid seeing whoever was there. I had seen a few nasty looks before and I didn’t want to see them again. I didn’t want to feel nasty or to let their problems take away what had just happened upstairs.

It was beautiful up there.

It was special, important.

I was still telling myself that when suddenly I heard a shout. Someone screamed.

People began running.

The guards closed in around me.

A woman sprinted past us, and she was hip-checked out of the way. She would’ve hit me just from her mad dash to the front of the club.

The front of the club …

This wasn’t good.

Matt. Kash.

Where were they?

I started picking up my pace, then I was running as well. The guards moved with me, but they slowed the whole group down. People were folding in around us. They didn’t care about me, they cared about whatever was happening in the front.

I felt my phone buzzing.

Pulling it out, I saw it was Kash.

I answered, shouting, “Where are you?”

The shouts and screams from inside the club deafened me. I couldn’t hear him, just barely making out a shout. Then he hung up.

We were still trying to push our way out. I grabbed for a guard. “Matt and Kash. Where are they?”

He didn’t answer, just took my arm and helped me to keep going ahead.

My phone buzzed again. Kash.

Outside. Now.

I showed the guard my phone and he nodded. He already knew, touching his earpiece.

Kash let me know, making sure I was in the loop, but he must’ve been in communication with the security team. As we got closer, everyone was trying to pile out.

If enough people started panicking, there’d be shoving. Stampeding could happen.

It was like a bottleneck effect. Only a few would get out unharmed.

The guards must have had the same thought, because suddenly we were changing directions.

A worker was waving us out, the same staff member who had helped Kash and me leave through the back door last time. Her eyes were panicked, but she was trying to keep it together. Holding a door open, she motioned us in, and once we got past the door, the hallway was empty. We could hear more shouting from the back kitchen area.

“What’s happening?”

She was hurrying down the hallway, but spoke over her shoulder. “We’re not sure. Matt Francis collapsed and began convulsing. We have an ambulance en route. Mr. Colello is with him.”

“But that wouldn’t have started the rush out there.”

A turn.

Another turn.

She said, as she pushed through a side door, “There were popping sounds. Could’ve been gunfire or fireworks. We don’t know. That’s what set everyone off. Mr. Francis’s ambulance…” She trailed off, stepping out into an alley.

We all saw the flashing red and white lights together.

My heart clenched up. Matt. Matt was in trouble.

I started for the ambulance.

A guard was with me. “Miss Hayes, no.”

Yes, I know. It wasn’t safe.

Fuck being safe.

My brother was hurting.

“I’m going.” I shoved past them and began running.

“What—what’s going on?” the staff member asked.

I heard the guards running behind me, and I pushed to go faster. I just had to get to the ambulance before they got me, but they were there. I barely got a few feet away. One touched my arm, and I whirled around. “No! I mean it. No! I’m going to that ambulance and I will scream bloody murder if you don’t let me.”

They stared at me. One clipped his head. “Stay in the circle.”

I nodded back. Decision made. We were going.

They started first, and I caught sight of the staff member. She was coming with us. I paused. “What are you doing?”

She hesitated. “Mr. Colello told me to take care of you.”

I frowned.

But then we were heading to the main street again. Time for questions would have to be later—and once we got there, I was thinking it’d be much, much later.

Paparazzi were lined up on the streets.

Flashes of light went off as we rounded the alley corner. The ambulance was sitting in front of the club. The doors were open, people were streaming out. And in the middle of all of that, a stretcher was being loaded up.

“Matt!” I began running again.

Kash was off to the side, talking to a cop. His head snapped up at my shout, and a storm quickly clouded in. He was heading to cut me off, a hand up. I started before he even could. “I don’t care. I have to make sure Matt is okay.” I dodged around him, but it wasn’t Matt on the stretcher.

“What?” I was confused.

A girl stared back at me, oxygen on her and a sheet covering her. She was sweating, tears on her face, and pale. Really pale. She was terrified. A guy was next to her, holding her hand, and at that moment the back door was shut. The paramedic walked to get in the front seat, and they pulled away.

“Where’s Matt?”

Kash had my arm in his hand. He ignored me, speaking to the guard over my head. “You were supposed to take her back.”

“She wouldn’t cooperate.”

Kash’s hand tightened on my arm, a reflex to that answer. He growled, “You’re supposed to make her.” His eyes cut to the staff member. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m not on duty tonight. I came in because you asked.” She motioned to me. “You said to watch her for you.”

His jaw clenched.

He nodded to the guard. “Call for the car.” He said nothing to me, drawing me away from the crowd and back to the alley. It wasn’t empty anymore. Others had followed us, and they were streaming out, sprinting past us. Some were bloodied. Most sweating. Crying.

But all were scared.

Kash’s hand slid down, catching mine, and he tugged me away. We went down another block and turned into a second alley. This one was empty. The guards were on their phones. All of them. The female staff member was still with us, and Kash turned to scowl at me.

“I don’t care, okay?” I bristled, ready for a fight. “They said Matt was in trouble, then the riot started. I’m already worried about my mom. I’ve already lost enough. Not…” I quieted, a tear falling. “Not Matt too. Not him too.”

His eyes gentled, but he still didn’t talk.

A guard came over. “Car’s coming down this back alley. Streets blocked off up there. The cops were quick to respond. They’re trying to contain the crowd.”

Kash let out a curse, running a hand down his face. “This was a nightmare. Was that gunfire we heard?”

The guard was back on the phone, then shook his head. “They don’t know yet.”

The staff member approached, looking up from her phone. “Some workers found empty firework shells in the mens’ bathroom, in the basement. That’s probably what it was.”

“Timing’s suspect.” That was Kash.

He wasn’t happy. He wasn’t happy at all.

But a car was coming down the alley, an SUV to be exact, and we moved aside as it stopped before us. Kash opened the back door. I started to get in, but Kash held me back. He motioned to the girl. “Get in, Torie. You’re with us then.”

He urged me in after, and followed to slide next to me.

Torie? I glanced at her.

As if reading my mind, she flashed me a grin. “Hi.”

Okay. “I’m Bailey.”

Another grin from her. “I know. I work at Naveah. Kash warned me a girl might be coming in with Matt Francis. Asked me to watch out for you, so I did.”

“You told Kash we were at the club that night?”

“I did, but he already knew.” Her eyes trailed past me. “I’m assuming your security notified him almost immediately.”

Kash didn’t respond to the slightly veiled question. He was on his phone.

His phone began ringing and he grunted into it. “Can you contain it?” Silence. He was listening. “I don’t know.… I said, I don’t know. I stayed back for her.” Pause. “We’re going now.… Yes. She is too.” Another beat of silence.

That jaw clenching again. It was sexy, but scary in this moment.

His eyes closed. He took in some air, then his voice dipped low—eerily low, but still sexily low. “If you want to start telling me how to keep your daughter safe, you and I are going to have a whole new level of problems.” He was quiet. “You got that?” He didn’t wait, saying right away, “We’re two minutes away. You want to know how she is, you ask her yourself. You want to know how your son is, you come ask him yourself.” And he hung up, dropping the phone in his lap and turning to look out the window.

I was stunned.

That was Peter on the phone. Peter asking about me, then asking again. They got into a spat. Over me. Me. His daughter.

I was getting squeezed on the inside again. Pressure was pushing in from all angles.

“What needs to be contained?”

Kash’s shoulders lifted up, then down, before he said, so quietly, such a contrast from the anger that was literally spewing from him, “Press got your name. Word’s out.” And then, “They know you’re Peter Francis’s daughter.”