By the time we get to Nightshade, a crowd of leather-clad people stretches down the street.
Juliet: What's the emergency? This looks like a great turnout.
Damian: Members should never wait outside. Something is blocking the door. We need to get through to the front. Here, hold on to me.
I slip my hand into his, and his strong fingers wrap around mine.
Damian: Don't let go.
Juliet: I won't.
Damian and I push through the crowd and find a man and a lady blocking the door.
Get your thrills right at Bend Over! We'll make all your kinkiest dreams come true.
The cool evening air does nothing to alleviate the heavy, suffocating tension that pools on the cobblestones outside the venue.
The girl in the studded red leather jacket rolls her eyes dramatically at the mohawk-wearing guy standing beside her.
"Seriously, Chris?"
She snaps, crossing her arms and tapping her boot against the pavement. "Dragging us into your sleazy marketing stunts isn't going to get you customers. It's just going to get your nose broken."
Chris flashes a slow, arrogant smirk. He completely ignores her warning, letting his eyes drop as he looks me up and down with an entirely unwelcome intensity.
"I'm advertising for my club, Bend Over," He says, his voice dripping with false charm as he addresses Damian and me. "I'll bet you've heard of it.
Everyone is talking about it."
All right, all right, one more announcement. Your members have a right to know Nightshade is riddled with STDS!
Member: Oh my God, what did he just say?
The crowd breaks out in a horrified panic
Before Chris can say another word, Damian steps forward.
His jaw is clenched so tightly that a muscle twitches in his cheek.
He reaches out with lightning speed, grabbing a fistful of Chris's shirt and violently pinning him back against the cold brick wall.
"What the hell is this?" Damian growls, his knuckles white.
The fury radiating off him is palpable. "Watch your fucking mouth."
Chris doesn't look remotely intimidated by Damian's aggressive grip. Instead, he chuckles, adjusting the silver chains resting over his mesh shirt.
"Why would I do that when I can take all these fine people right here?"
Chris taunts, glancing directly at me over Damian's arm. He winks slowly.
"You should come, too. A little after-hours exploration never hurt anyone."
"Touch her again, or even look at her like that, and you won't be walking out of this alley," Damain warns, his voice dropping an octave.
With a look of sheer disgust, Damian shoves Chris away, letting go of his shirt and stepping squarely between the promoter and me, acting as an immovable shield.
Chris straightens his leather jacket, unfazed, and begins to back away toward the main street.
"Your loss, sweetheart," Chris calls back over his shoulder with a dismissive wave.
"The doors are open whenever you're ready to make your kinkiest dreams come true."
"As Chris's laughter fades into the distant hum of the city, the oppressive weight in the alley lifts."
Damian lets out a long, slow breath through his nose and turns around to face me. The white-hot rage in his eyes instantly softens into deep, genuine concern.
He steps closer, his hand hovering gently near my shoulder to offer comfort.
"Juliet, are you okay?" He asks, his voice incredibly gentle compared to the threats he was just hurling.
"He didn't cross a line with you, did he?"
I look up at Damian, letting out a shaky breath as the lingering warmth of his protective embrace grounds me.
The sheer intensity in his eyes makes my heart beat a little faster, though for entirely different reasons than before.
"I'm okay, Damian," I said softly, offering him a reassuring, albeit faint, smile. "Just a little caught off guard, that's all."
Damian's jaw unclenches, and he lets out a quiet sigh of relief, though his hand remains firmly but gently resting on my shoulder, as if making sure Chris can't reach me anymore.
"Good," He murmurs, his thumb brushing lightly against my collarbone.
"Because if that asshole ever bothers you again, he's going to have to deal with me permanently."
Damian: Everyone, listen carefully: Nightshade has never and will never have a problem with STDs. I take extensive measures with sanitation, as well as with who I accept as a member.
"What you heard was merely another club's attempt to shake us."
Member: Oh, thank God.
Male sub: So...does this mean no free booze?
Juliet: Damian?
Damian: Alright, one hour.
The crowd cheers and filters into the bar, completely forgetting about Chris.
See? Totally under control.
Damian: For now.
Damian storms into his office and punches his desk. I jump at the loud thud.
This is exactly why I didn't want Nightshade on the radar. If the society for moral standards wasn't enough of a threat, now other clubs will try to poach our members.
Your members love Nightshade, Damian. They wouldn't leave.
Damian: That was before we had all this attention. We've lost the one thing that made Nightshade attractive.
Juliet: So, we adjust Nightshade's image. People hate to feel left out.
"If we keep the club's membership exclusivity while marketing it, people will be clawing at the doors."
Damian: How do you suggest we do that?
Our first event: a theme night. We can even book that new alcohol vendor, on the rocks. Their summer drink has been all the rage.
"It'll be the perfect chance to show off the new lobby, too."
Damian: All right. I'm in. We'll host a theme night. But it needs to go off without a hitch, Trixie.
He closes the distance between us.
Damian: Your job depends on it.