The Pain Of The Pleasure

TWENTY-FOUR - RYTH

"EASY." The bouncer came from nowhere, cutting me off from Nick as he charged between the tables and leaped at the group of bouncers who were beating Caleb. "You're not supposed to be back here. It's exclusive only." He took one look at me, his gaze lingering for a second on the mark on my face, before he stepped closer.

I shook my head, stepping to the side. "Get out of my way." "Not so fast." He moved in, grabbed my arm, and shoved, forcing me backwards. I jerked my gaze to Nick, a scream trapped in my throat, watching as Nick slammed one of the assholes to the floor and swung his fist at another. "Pretty little thing like you." The bouncer forced me backwards, through the door and out into the main club, pulling the door to the back room closed behind him. "Get off me!" I shouted, wrenching my arm free.

I spun, searching the tables full of of men, seeing the barely clothed dancers in front of them. "Need help?" Another bouncer came from my left as a deafening crash came from the back room. I lunged, shoving the first bouncer aside to get to the door. They needed me...they needed me. "Caleb! Ni—" A hand clamped over my mouth, smothering my scream. "This the Banks bitch?" the second bouncer growled at my back.

I fought against his hold, opened my mouth as wide as I could, and bit down. "Owww! Fucking bitch bit me!" I thrashed my arms, tearing from his hold to stumble backwards. "Stay...the fuck away from me." Men sat at tables not ten feet away, but they did nothing as the two big bouncers flanked my sides and inched in. "Gonna pay for that, Banks bitch," the handsy asshole snarled. "Hey." Came from behind the bouncer.

He turned automatically. I caught the flash of rage in Tobias' eyes before he unleashed, punching the jerk right in the nose. The towering male stumbled backwards and lifted his hand as blood spurted from his nostrils and ran down his lips. "Get your hands off her," Tobias roared. My pulse raced as he stepped closer and turned that savage gaze to me, searching my eyes.

"You okay?" I nodded, my heart in my throat. But then the other bouncer reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. "Should've stayed away, Tobias. Now I'm gonna wreck that pretty face of yours." He lashed out, driving the blade through the air dangerously close to Tobias' face. "No!" I let out a scream and lunged, clawing his cheeks from behind as the other guard tore me off him, lifting my feet from the ground.

"ENOUGH!" The attack stopped dead with the roar. The bouncers turned, finding a blond guy, flanked with his own dangerous-looking bodyguards, striding toward us. He glanced my way, scowled, then turned to Tobias. "You know better than to come here." "Yeah, well, not like I'd planned on it." Tobias yanked his arm free, shooting the bouncer a glare.

"I came for my brother, and I'd already be out of here if your fucking attack dogs had let me." The bouncer with the bloody nose growled and stepped forward. "Ryth?" I spun at the voice, trying to tear out of the bouncer's vise-like grip as Gio stepped out from behind the bullies. "Gio?" I caught the flinch from Tobias, then a low, menacing chuckle. "Of course. It's just like you, isn't it, Lazarus?" Lazarus? As in...Lazarus Rossi? I froze.

"Let her go, James," Lazarus muttered, and the asshole at my back released his hold. "Jesus." Gio came closer, his wide eyes fixed on me. "What the fuck are you doing here?" I adjusted my dress, rage simmering close to the surface as I stared at Gio. "I could ask you the same thing." He glanced at Tobias as he answered.

"I decided the party wasn't worth attending. So, I came here instead." I glanced at the nearest dancer, who spun around the pole and spread her legs for all to see. "To a stripclub?" "To my club," Lazarus muttered, before directing those intense eyes my way. "Ryth." I focused on the punk with his fucking attack dogs. When I looked at him, all I saw was my father's bruised and beaten face.

I hated him for that...for the fucking men he had behind the prison walls, men who obeyed their commands. The Rossis. I took a step forward, drawing a flinch from one of one Lazarus' men, until he waved his attack dog back. "I know what you did," I murmured, glaring right into his eyes. "To my house and my father." There was an explosive glint in his eyes as Lazarus regarded me carefully.