Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 131330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
One word lingers above the door, giving people the only clue about what lies within—VIXEN.
The letters are carved out of metal in a simple, elegant font, and they stand out from the brickwork, illuminated from behind. The X is much bigger than the other letters, and I find myself gazing at it a moment longer than necessary. It’s just a single letter, but for some reason, up on that brick wall, it holds so much power—as if it’s a final warning to innocent passersby that what lingers behind this door is not for the faint of heart.
Becs reaches for the handle before glancing back at me. “You ready?”
I shake my head. “Not even a little bit.”
She grins wider. “Perfect.”
And with that, she pushes the door open, and I prepare for whatever secrets lie within.
2
ASPEN
We step through the door of Vixen into a dark hallway with nothing but dim downlights leading the way. The heavy metal door closes behind us with a loud thud, and I jump as I clutch Becs’ hand tighter.
Not wanting to turn back, we follow the dimly lit hallway, and with each step I take, I can’t help but feel the exclusivity, that this is a hallway only walked by those who mean something. Socialites. CEO billionaires. Famous athletes and rockstars.
Becs mentioned that this was an exclusive club, and despite barely making it through the entrance hallway, it’s clear to see she was right. Only it’s more than that. There’s an air of elegance to it, and it’s clear that this isn’t going to be like any kind of club I’ve been to before.
“Holy shit. This is so exciting,” Becs says as we reach a staircase.
We pause at the top, peering down into the darkness below, but with the way the stairs curve, it’s impossible to see what awaits below.
The dim lighting is barely enough to make out the steps, and as I put one foot in front of the other, my heart races. It’s like a descent into the darkest pits of hell, but instead of the devil waiting at the bottom, I’m promised a night I’ll never forget.
As we approach the bottom of the stairs, we’re met with a small room that mimics the same dark walls and floors from the hallway upstairs, only the lighting, while still dim, is a lot clearer.
There’s a luxury reception desk with the same VIXEN logo I’d seen outside welded to the entrance. A blonde sits behind the desk, her gaze slowly lifting to ours. There’s judgment there, but I can’t figure out why or what she’s seeing. “Welcome to Vixen,” she says with a purr. “How may I help you?”
“My name is Bexley Grant,” Becs says. “I was extended an invitation for tonight, with my plus one.”
The blonde nods, her gaze shifting to her computer screen as if searching for her name. “Ah, yes. Here you are,” she says, a polite smile lingering on her lips. “Is this your first time visiting our establishment?”
“Yes,” Becs says.
She nods before marking something on her computer and swinging her crystal blue gaze to me. “And you?”
“First time,” I confirm.
“Wonderful. And your name?”
“Aspen Ryder,” I tell her, listening as she quickly adds it into her computer.
“Excellent,” she says, finishing up with the computer and pushing up out of her chair. “I’d like to formally welcome you to Vixen. My name is Casey and I will be your host for the night. Now, as it is your first time visiting us here, there are a few formalities we need to get out of the way.”
My brows furrow, watching as she dives through some paperwork on her desk before pulling out a form for each of us. She slides them toward us over the massive desk with two pens. “Please take a quick read through these NDAs and fill out your details, and while you do that, could I please grab a copy of both of your IDs?”
We hand over our IDs and Casey gets back to work, taking copies and entering all our details into her system. While she does that, I drop my gaze to the NDA, wondering why the fuck I would need to fill this out for a club, but I suppose if it’s as exclusive as it appears, then an NDA would make sense. Who knows who could be inside. Celebrities behaving badly and wanting to let loose. Maybe Vixen is somewhere they can go to be themselves away from the limelight. Either way, no matter what I see in there, I’m not the kind to spread rumors.
Content with the paperwork, I sign my life away, and after Casey hands us our IDs back, she pulls out a slip of paper. “I’ll just need you to fill out these quick questionnaires,” she says. “This pertains to your physical health and ensures that you both receive regular health screens and are not carrying any sexually transmitted diseases that can spread throughout our club. Once you have answered all the questions, please sign the declaration at the bottom.”