revelations 01 - on a red horse Page 9

  As the car pulled away, Cloris walked up to the doorbell and pressed it three times in rapid succession. A small, brown-skinned woman dressed in a black corset, black tutu, and top hat opened the door. She nodded at Cloris and eyed everyone that followed, completely ignoring Hades as he followed up the group.

  As they entered the club, the darkness assaulted them with complete silence. The only sound was the echo of their own footfalls and rustle of clothing as they walked down a long, dark hallway. Scarlet reached back to hold his hand. They followed behind Cloris until she stopped, pulled a key from her dress, and opened the door.

  A row of locked boxes lined the wall beside them. “Please place all cell phones and any valuables you might want to keep safe in here,” Hades directed.

  “Are you joking?” Bianca asked.

  He gave her a look in reply.

  “Fine, fine.” She fished things out of her cleavage and placed them in the box before twisting the lock and removing the key. The key hung from a long, gold chain which she placed over her head. It hung perfectly between her breasts. Tyr looked away. That girl was trouble wrapped in temptation. His wife on the other hand was temptation with short bursts of trouble.

  They all followed suit each of them placing valuables and cell phones in the boxes and removing the keys to hang around their necks. Tyr tucked the chain holding his and Scarlet’s things down his shirt, the cold of the metal brushing his skin making him jump.

  The group entered an antechamber, also silent until Hades closed the outer door. Once it was locked behind them, they proceeded through the second door into bedlam.

  From silence and darkness to an all-out party. Inside the room people clustered in groups around low tables, plush chairs, and settees in opulent velvets. Servers, both male and female, served beverages to the groups, as a burlesque performer disrobed artfully on the stage. The place had the feel of upper class bourgeois without clothing. Cloris led them to an empty table toward the back. So far Tyr was confused. He didn’t see a single person actually having sex, and some of the patrons wore less clothes than the actual employees.

  “This looks like a regular club,” he said pulling Cloris in by her slender elbow so she could hear him over the slow jazz number playing over the speakers.

  “It does because this is the open room. All the smaller rooms are available for other activities. There is no outright sex in this room, but the other rooms can be borrowed if clients decide they want to play.”

  Hades slipped in on the other side of Scarlet and took up where Cloris stopped. “There are five main rooms, each with antechambers: Tartarus, The Fields of Punishment, The Fields of Asphodel, Elysium, and Isle of the Blessed.”

  Scarlet laughed, and Tyr smiled at the sound. “You created your own Underworld.”

  Hades nodded. The servers descended upon them, and they drank more champagne while they chatted and watched the stage. Tyr was intrigued by the setup of the club and the clientele. Everyone seemed jovial and carefree here. But Tyr was more than curious about what lay outside this room. He leaned down to whisper in Scarlet’s ear. “Do you want to investigate one of these rooms?”

  She giggled. He didn’t think in the years he’d known her he had ever heard her giggle. Laugh, definitely. Giggle, never. He looked down at her face and saw the pink stain in her cheeks. The woman was well on her way to being drunk. He laughed but worried for just a moment. Should the embodiment of War drink to such excess? Could she do anything while in her cups?

  Tyr glanced at Cloris who looked them both over and gave a small nod. He supposed Scarlet was fine if Cloris wasn’t concerned. Scarlet leaned in, ran a hand up over his knee and then along his inner thigh. He kept his face perfectly neutral as she stretched to bite his sensitive ear lobe.

  None of the others seemed to notice the change in their friend. Kat lounged back across the couch surveying the crowd. Hades and Cloris spoke in hushed tones with their heads bent together as the music swelled around them. Bianca danced on the main floor grinding against a well-dressed man who looked twice her age.

  He pulled Scarlet into his lap and kissed her deeply. Cloris said no outright sex, and there was no way he could maneuver her dress to do such a thing. He settled on the heated moans that escaped her as he plunged his tongue between her lips. She tasted like rich food and dry champagne. When she pulled the hair at the nape of his neck, he almost came in his pants like an inexperienced youth.

  She kissed with a fervor, grinding into him and touching him all the ways she knew drove him wild. When he finally pulled away from her lips, he breathed heavily against the bow of her mouth trying to catch his breath. That was when he realized the music had stopped.

  Glancing around, Tyr noticed that every eye in the place was fixed on them. Bianca broke the spell by starting a round of applause. If he still blushed, that would have been an excellent moment for it. His wife did however, and she flushed a becoming shade of pink and hid her face against his neck.

  The men stared openly at his wife, the women at them both, and her friends smiled fondly at them. No doubt they’d never witnessed this version of Scarlet. He certainly hadn’t. Maybe he didn’t need to bring back the woman he once knew. He just needed to get rid of the one he’d found when he first arrived.

  Scarlet shifted in his lap as the music started again rubbing against his erection. The look on her face said it was accidental.

  “Do you want to stop?” he asked her.

  “No,” she said leaning in to kiss him again. “I never want to stop with you. That’s part of the problem.”

  Tyr chuckled and cupped her ass to draw her further against his erection. He wanted to slide into her naked, wet folds, but he doubted Scarlet would want to try such a thing in their friend’s club. He settled for some more kissing and enjoyed the way her taste changed from hers to theirs as their mouths met. She reached between them and cupped his erection through his fitted pants. He almost lost it then as her hands grasped him through the fabric. There was just enough friction that they could stay that way and she could finish him off, but he didn’t want that. Not here. He wanted her naked and in their bed so he could hear her moans loud and insistent as opposed to having them fight against the music.

  He scooted her to the side so he could maneuver her off his lap with his right arm. With a lingering kiss and reluctant eyes, she let him. “Don’t worry. I’m not done with you yet.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  SCARLET WOKE WITH A heavy pounding in her temples. Opening her eyes, she took in her surroundings in small increments. The light streaming in from the open curtains. Her hands tucked under her pillow, and her naked skin against the high thread count sheets. She was certain her hair was matted and the mascara had smeared under her eyes. Those concerns disappeared when she caught sight of Tyr. He sat at the dining table sipping a cup of coffee and staring down at a tablet. The man had the attention span of a monk. As he read he barely moved. Even when she sat up and the covers fell away, she needed to clear her throat to get his attention. He swallowed and a simmering heat entered his gaze as he raked it down her body.

  She briefly considered climbing into his lap but rethought it as she remembered her current appearance. “I’m going to take a shower. Can you order me some breakfast?”

  “Of course. I’m glad to see you’re taking to this new lifestyle.”

  “I guess I just felt like I had to do it on my own, but you’re here. And you’re not going anywhere, so I don’t need to do it alone anymore.” She entered the bathroom with his smile following her.

  Even though life on Earth would be nothing like Asgard, Scarlet hoped they could make a happy existence there amongst the humans and their friends. After last night she felt so much closer to the whole group and one step closer to forgiving herself for the mess she’d caused running away from Tyr.

  When she stepped out of the shower, her headache had abated and her skin glowed a healthy pink. Water and food would set her right again. She couldn’
t recall the last time she’d drunk that much and never planned to again. How had Tyr gotten up and looked so dashing already? If she could hate him, she would just for that.

  She exited the bathroom in a cloud of steam and went to get dressed. Hopefully Tyr hadn’t made any plans because caffeine, water, and food were about to become her focus for the next hour at least. Tyr stood and pulled out a chair for her. She plopped into it tucking her feet up.

  “Your food will be here in a moment,” he said taking his seat again. He poured her a cup of coffee and even remembered how she liked it: black with two sugars. She loved him even more as he pushed the mug toward her, and not only because the man possessed the coffee.

  “What do you want to do today?” he asked after she had taken a few hot sips.

  “I have no idea. I guess we can wander around and see what happens. I like the idea of leisurely exploring the city. I know the city might not be new to you, but it definitely is to me. I’ve been working so much I haven’t gotten the chance to check it out.”

  “In that case, I know the perfect place to take you.”

  “Oh?”

  When he said nothing else, she prompted further. “Are you going to tell me?”

  “Of course not.”

  She laughed, but the sound of the doorbell interrupted her. A server brought in her food and sat it on the table. When he left, she lifted the lid and found some scrambled eggs and white toast. Tyr was a saint. He’d even recalled her light eating habits. She enjoyed a good meal, but most of the time she didn’t like to eat a lot in one sitting. It seemed to slow her down. “This is perfect, thank you.”

  He kissed her on the cheek and took his place again before continuing to read. He must have gotten the tablet from the concierge. It was a comfort seeing him assimilate to their new life. Not that she still doubted his intentions. It reinforced everything he’d given up to be there with her in that moment.

  Scarlet ate in silence watching him across the table. Occasionally he would glance up and smile at her, but for the most part he read until she finished and pushed the plate away. “So, where to?”

  He laughed. “Get your coat, love, and I’ll show you.”

  As they left the hotel the early morning chill swirled through the tall buildings. A taxi pulled up in front of them, and Tyr made her close her eyes until they arrived. Once they stepped out of the car, she stopped and stared at the building before her. It looked vacant and for sale.

  “Did you get the address wrong?” she asked.

  He grabbed her hand and led her to the side of the building. “Nope, come on.”

  When she entered the main area, Scarlet resolved it was one of the most beautiful places she’d ever seen. Mats were laid out in every room. A completely empty sparring gym.

  He grabbed a duffle off the floor and handed it to her. “Go change. We are finally going to have that match.”

  She stood up on her toes and kissed him fast before opening the bag and changing. He’d brought all her usual gear, and she wanted to squeeze him in a big hug. But even more she wanted to punch something.

  Once she finished dressing, Scarlet found he’d changed too. He wore nothing above the waist, and his hair was pulled back in a rubber band. She could have skipped sparring all together seeing him like that.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  She just laughed and stepped onto the mats with him.

  “I will not be easy on you.” He moved in close to discomfit her.

  “Ha. I won’t be easy on you. You’re going to need some Icy Hot later, old man.”

  “Woman, you can’t be more than a few hundred years younger than me.”

  “Well, obviously those few hundred years make a difference.

  He reached out to grab her, and she danced away. “I’ll get you for that,” he called after her as she rounded again to stand in front of him.

  This time she went for him and took his legs out with a well-placed foot sweep. He hadn’t even seen it coming. He went to his knees, but she was too focused on her victory. He grabbed her legs and ungracefully took her down. “It does not have to be pretty. It just has be effective.”

  She rolled out of reach and onto her knees. When he went to grab her, Scarlet threw herself to the side but not fast enough. Tyr threw himself across her torso pinning her to the mat. The man had never gotten this far with her. “Where did you get so good? You were nothing like this back in Asgard.”

  “That was years ago. I dove into training when you left to numb the pain.”

  She heard the heavy emotion in his voice. Dropping the fight, she reached up to cup his face and bring him in for kiss. He needed no prompting, moving so he could capture her lips better with his own.

  Scarlet kissed him with everything she had, pushing all the pent up emotions and pain into the press of his lips. He took every bit of it, and when she broke away, his eyes seemed a little lighter, less filled with doubt. She hated the fact that doubt stemmed from her and resolved to spend the rest of her life trying to take that pain from his eyes.

  She’d walked around this city pitying herself, and she’d never even consider the feelings he might have been feeling, wherever he was. Scarlet had no idea he’d searched for her, but she should have known. He wouldn’t let her leave and forget about her.

  Tyr pulled her up, and they sat side by side. She held his hand, entwining their fingers.

  “This is for you,” he said after a few moments.

  “What’s for me?”

  “This place. I bought it for you. If I know anything, I know you’re passionate about fighting. I thought you could turn this place into an exclusive gym.”

  She swallowed and thought about what he was saying. The man had bought her a gym. A place of her own. “When did you do this?”

  “I got help from Cloris last night while you were, erm...passed out. She did not do much but showed me how to look for the place and what you might be looking for. When I found this, I thought it was perfect, called the agent, and made the offer. The man took it right away.”

  “This place must have cost a fortune.”

  “You could just say thank you.”

  She lunged at him throwing him back against the mat. Between kisses she said, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  He laughed and kissed her back. “I’m glad you like it. I could tell, even though it’s only been a few days, you were growing listless. You never did like to be idle.”

  “I don’t like to be idle, but today I would like to spend the whole day with my husband. While you brought me here because you knew I would love it, I know somewhere I’d like to take you because I know you will love it.”

  “Oh?”

  “Get dressed.”

  Scarlet dove toward her clothes. They dressed quickly before wrapping in coats and stepping back out into the chilly morning. For a moment she contemplated showing him the subway but thought better of it as he towered over her. He probably would look like a beaver stuck in a sardine can. Not to mention people would stare at his hand, and he didn’t like that.

  As they climbed in the cab, he asked, “Are you going to tell me where we are going?”

  “Nope.” She snuggled closer under his arm as the taxi whizzed around cars through the busy city streets.

  He didn’t appreciate the place right away, but as they stepped up to The Strand, she pulled him inside before the realization dawned. His face went slack in awe as he spun in a circle taking in all the books. The Strand touted eighteen miles of books, and she was certain Tyr would want to look at every single one. Justice was his calling, and while fighting was a part of that, he was an avid student of politics and Earth’s history. He loved learning how people could create such disasters with a tiny spark.

  She pushed him in further through the crowd. “Go, explore. I’ll follow you.”

  He stopped and looked back. “But you will be bored.”

  “No, I won’t. I like studying you, and besides you can make it up to me l
ater.” Scarlet gave him a wink, and he smiled before turning back to wade through the crowd.

  As she suspected, he made his way to the bottom floor first. He ran his fingers across the book spines. She smiled at his joy. He was beautiful fighting, breathing, and even more beautiful caught in a wayward moment of pure abandon.

  Scarlet walked behind him thinking about how glad she was he’d traversed the realms to hunt her down. He’d become her whole world, all over again, in a matter of days.

  After several hours in the bookstore, it was well past lunchtime. Scarlet was starving. “How about pizza?” she asked linking her arm in his as they exited.

  He’d been able to control himself enough to only purchase one book, but she didn’t doubt he memorized every title he wanted and would return for them.

  “That sounds good. I have never had pizza.”

  She laughed. “Then you’re in for a treat.”

  They walked a few blocks until they found a mom-and-pop pizza place with a vaguely Italian name on the outside. She ordered, and he sat down. No sooner had the food arrived, when someone else joined them.

  The hellhound sat down at their table with little fanfare. He was wrapped in a dapper coat, wearing a hat and gloves. On a regular street, she would’ve assumed he was just another pedestrian if it weren’t for the scent of sulfur that wafted up from his clothes.

  “What do you want, hellhound?” Tyr growled under his breath.

  Scarlet stared at them both for a moment. She’d never heard him use a tone like that before.

  “Answer him,” she said reaching into her pocket to pull out a pen. She casually clutched it in her palm, but the hellhound noticed.

  “Are you going to attack me with an ink pen, War? And here I thought we were just getting to know each other.”

  She didn’t respond because she knew he was trying to bait her.

  “I came at my mistress’ bidding because apparently you little horsies have been developing a plan against her.”

  Scarlet’s throat seized. How had they known that?