My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 64

"We found one!" she cheered. She looked back at me with a mischievous grin, "A first-timer! Our little virgin sacrifice!"

They were teasing me, poking my sides and laughing.

"Should we give her to the wolves?" one girl asked, her voice thick with drink.

Wolves?

"No," the green-haired one said, pulling me closer until I could see the glitter on her eyelids. "We have to keep her for ourselves first. The night is just starting!"

I felt like I was trapped in a colorful, spinning dream. I wanted to run back to my pillar, but they held onto my hands like I was their new toy. They didn't know who I was. Every time the lights flashed, I thought about Raphael, and I prayed the girls wouldn't drag me anywhere near his throne.

The girls didn't let go. They pulled me through the crowd, their hands tight on my skin. We bumped into people who were too far gone to care. I felt like a small boat being tossed around in a rough, dark sea.

We reached a long bar made of black stone. Behind the counter, a man with a shaved head and a cold face was pouring drinks. He didn't look like a normal bartender. He looked like he was guarding a secret.

"Give us the band!" the girl with the green hair screamed, slamming her hand on the stone, "We have a new one!"

The man reached under the counter and pulled out a thin ribbon. It was bright, glowing pink.

"Wait, no—" I started, holding up my hands and trying to step back. "I don't want that."

Before the words could even leave my mouth, the girls swarmed me. They were all smiles and high-pitched giggles, but their grip on my arms was like iron. They were being so friendly, treating me like a sister, but they didn't stop.

"Oh, don't be silly!" the green-haired girl laughed, her breath hot against my ear. "It’s tradition, sweetie. You’re going to look so pretty."

I tried to pull away, but they just squeezed harder, laughing and dragging me toward a different corner of the massive room. I kept my head down, trying not to look at the pink ribbon reflecting in the mirrors on the walls.

As we moved, the crowd opened up for a second near a dark, private booth.

I stopped walking. My heart skipped a beat. In the corner, under a dim red light, I saw Silvio.

He was pressed against a man with dark hair and a leather vest. Silvio’s eyes were closed, his hands tangled in the other man’s shirt as they made out. He looked completely lost in it, his face messy and his hair wild. He looked nothing like the brother I saw at the dinner table.

The girls saw where I was looking and giggled, "Don't mind him," the one with the green hair whispered, pulling me along. "That’s just how the kings play."

The girls pulled me deeper into the center of the room. I felt the pink ribbon tight against my throat. My skin was hot, and my head was spinning from the loud thumping of the drums.