Page 4 of Vow to Hate You
Hayley tossed my license back to me before she began driving forward. The road sloped downward as we drove into the parking garage. The large parking area was already half full. I noticed a small table next to the lane, and Hayley stopped to reach out her window. She grabbed something from the basket on the table before driving again.
“What is that?” I asked, looking at Char.
Ana piped up from the front seat. “The masks. We all have to wear one to get in.”
Once Hayley parked in a spot, she handed each of us one. It was a simple, black masquerade mask made from a silky fabric. I was glad it matched the outfit I’d chosen for tonight. My glittery red tank top was tight and severely low cut. It covered only half of my stomach, but since my black jeans were high-waisted, only a few inches of skin were visible. My black boots had a thick heel and sparkled in the light like my top did. My hair was hanging down my back in loose curls, and I slipped the mask on, rearranging it until it was comfortable.
“Keep your purse in here,” Hayley told us after putting her own mask on.
“We can’t take it in?” I asked.
“No bags or phones allowed,” Ana explained. “Don’t worry. This garage has cameras and security. Plus, we put the keys in one of those lockers.”
I looked at where she pointed, seeing a wall of small lockers. Other people were arriving, and the parking lot was becomingbusy. Women in masks were exiting their vehicles while more cars pulled into the garage.
I glanced at Char before putting my clutch and phone on the floor in front of my seat. This club was serious about their anonymity. When we all got out of the car, Hayley quickly went to one of the lockers, setting a code before putting her keys inside.
Char linked her arm through mine, shooting me an excited smile. “Ready?”
I laughed. “Happy twenty-first. I hope this is the night you want.”
Char was wearing white pants with a silver shirt, revealing her entire back. She looked gorgeous, and it hit me that my little sister wasn’t so little anymore. My heart panged, guilt filling me. I’d missed out on so many years with her since being gone.
We followed the crowd of women heading toward the black door in the back of the parking garage with Ana and Hayley walking in front of us.
Ana fluffed her black hair, running her fingers through her curls as she glanced at me. Both she and Hayley were wearing jumpsuits with plunging necklines. Ana’s was a rich blue, while Hayley’s was black. Like Char, they lived in the world of wealth, and all three of them went to Columbia together.
Hayley pulled open the door, where we were immediately met with a line of women, all wearing masks like us. There was an excited buzz in the air, and I studied the hallway we were in. The lights were dim and the walls painted black with red designs on them. Club music played softly through the speakers. It was already giving a mystery vibe, and we weren’t even in the main part of the building.
We moved forward slowly, my lips parting in surprise when I saw why the line was moving so slow. There were two men wearing dark jeans and black t-shirts using handheld metaldetectors to check each person. Both men were wearing leather masks that covered their entire head, and part of their neck with only their eyes and mouths showing.
“Every person who works here wears those masks,” Ana whispered. “We never see any of their faces.”
I raised an eyebrow, studying the men. They were grinning, chatting with the people as they used the metal detectors. Soon, it was our turn, and I raised my arms as one of the guys hovered the wand near my body. When I met his brown eyes, he shot me a grin before nodding at me to go ahead.
Once all four of us were done, we followed the crowd to the escalators. We went up two levels before finally getting to the main floor. The music playing had a good beat, and I relaxed, enjoying the atmosphere as I took in the space. The room was large with high-top tables and plush couches. A bar stretched across the back wall with two men in masks making drinks. Everything was in dark colors, mostly black and red.
Char grabbed my arm, bringing my attention to one of the tables. Three women were standing around it, but it wasn’t them who had my attention. It was the man with them. He had the same full-coverage mask as the rest of the employees, but he didn’t have a shirt on. His defined muscles were covered with black ink, his tattoos sprawled across his entire front torso and his arms. Whatever he was saying had all the women at the table giggling like schoolgirls.
Until he suddenly wrapped an arm around one of them, tugging her into his chest. She shrieked, but the hungry smile on her face proved she was loving it. I watched in shock when he gripped her hair, tilting her head back before grabbing the shot glass off the table, bringing it to her lips. She swallowed the gold liquid, some of it dripping from her lips. When the glass was empty, the guy set it back on the table, then swiped his fingersover her lips. He kept eye contact with her as he licked the alcohol off his finger.
“Holy shit,” Char breathed out. “That was hot as fuck.”
“They can touch us likethat?” I asked. I agreed with Char—that was hot. But what else did these guys do?
“They can touch us however they want,” Hayley said in a low voice. “That’s why they have a safe word. Or if you wear a skirt—it’s the physical sign if you don’t want to be touched.”
“What’s the safe word?” I questioned, watching the guy move to another table.
“Inferno,” Ana answered. “Don’t forget it. The show is wild, and if you get chosen to go on the stage…” Her eyes gleamed in excitement. All sorts of dirty scenarios popped into my head as more masked men filled the area. Women came out next, and they looked as hot as the men. Their masks were the same, but they were wearing leather outfits that looked more like lingerie than clothes. Some were carrying drink trays while others were giving patrons attention when they wanted it.
“Let’s get a drink,” Hayley said, heading toward the bar. We followed, and Ana ordered a round of lemon drop shots along with mixed drinks. Once we got our drinks, we found an empty table to stand at.
I couldn’t tear my eyes from the men as they gave certain women special attention. Heat flushed through me. I could easily understand the appeal of this place. It was mysterious, but it also had an underground darkness surrounding it. Something women in this life could never get. Most of the patrons here were probably housewives who spent their days lonely while their husbands worked. This club was a place they could go to live out dangerous fantasies while in a safe environment.
Sipping my mixed drink, I listened to Ana and Hayley talk about how each time they came here the show was different. Apparently, there were theme nights, but before they couldexplain more, a hand suddenly landed on my lower back. I tensed on instinct, but from the heated look Char and her friends were giving me, I guessed it was a masked man behind me.
CHAPTER 3
