The lens loved them, capturing their messy little games and turning it into something eternal. I moved as quickly as I could, trying to catch it all—the interplay, the mood, the sharp impish grin of Jake’s, the more shamefaced stare of Johnno’s. Lucas was as blank and remote as a statue, but I could see it now that I’d gotten under his skin. That was a careful façade used to keep a whole lot back. Liam looked like he couldn’t have been more proud, his twisted smile happier now that I was down here in the dirt with him. And Billy…
“You ask me what I ached for? What the monster wants?” he said, his eyes glittering black in the golden sunlight. “This was always one of them. We’d capture someone in our web, too far gone to say no anymore, craving anything we had to bring to the party. We’d stake her out, shivering, trembling from anticipating, and fucking dripping between the legs. We’d tie her down, and she’d jerk against the bonds once they tightened around her, but not before. Her safe word would stay unbidden, on the tip of her tongue as she scanned the room and saw the lot of us gathered around to slake our hungers on her. It’s only then that he could really come out to play, when his prey was brought to ground and helpless beneath him that his fangs could come out.”
I shot him in continuous mode, wanting to record every phrase uttered by the mobile face. Did it thin down, the hollows under his already impressive cheekbones growing deeper, his teeth longer? He didn’t look any less beautiful, but here was Death, and he looked down on his Maiden, ready to consume her beauty, youth, and ultimately, her life. Those empty holes for eyes dropped down, his fingers landing on her ribcage to her flinch, walking slowly upward. Liam just grinned as his bandmate leaned over him, the dark twin and the light one working together as one.
“I’ve got that underwear.”
Everyone jerked at the sound of Marlow’s voice. He looked at the lot of us like we were completely fucking mad. Sets of very skimpy underwear on hangers dangled limply from his fingers.
“I want out, now,” Rhiannon said, and it took several tugs for the boys to realise what was going on and let her go. I put my camera down, and her skin was even paler now, her eyes wide and flashing as she pushed past us, grabbing her clothes as she went.
“What the fuck was that?” Marlow said.
“Have you got your tablet with you?” I said.
“Yeah, in my bag. I’ve got your dress as well.”
I peered over his shoulder at a plunging red number with a full skirt. The top had a halter neck that would absolutely require fashion tape. I looked up at Marlow and smiled before dropping a kiss on his cheek. “It’s beautiful.”
Some of the shock faded away, replaced by a shy pleasure.
“Tell me again why we don’t just get naked and fuck,” Jake said, getting off the bed and sidling up to me, moving in close so he could scent me.
“Because if you’re a good boy and rub one out in the shower and get to your interview on time, I’ll take you with me to court tonight,” I replied.
The smile faltered, but not due to unhappiness. There was something infinitely boyish about Jake, in the naked hope on his face right now, in the way he’d looked like he’d cheerfully burn ants with a magnifying glass or pull the wings off butterflies only moments before.
“Really?”
“I don’t know how to do what you need me to, Jake, but I’m willing to find out more. If we’re stuck together, we may as well be happy about it.”
He swallowed, shifting restlessly before darting forward and pressing his lips to mine. They lingered, just a soft, persistent presence.
“Gonna think about you when I come,” he whispered against them, then took off again just as quickly, disappearing into the bathroom.
“You’re gonna step up?” Billy said.
“I’m going to try. I need to find out what that is, for each of you. I barely know any of you.”
“You know us plenty,” he replied, putting an arm around my neck and kissing my temple before pulling away again.
“Nicely done, my queen,” Liam said. “Stay off the camera for tonight. You gave Hartley a massive boost, but I’m a little concerned about our reservoir’s ability to take that again.”
I nodded. “I think Marlow and I will just hang out here, if he can be spared.”
“He can be for you. Your second in command can step up, yeah?”
“If you don’t give her any grief,” Marlow replied. “The dancers have to go on first, or risk Dave’s wrath.”
“Fine. Look after our girl. So you’ll be at court with Jakey? And Jennifer?”
“Yeah.”
“Stay with them, always, no matter what tempts you. Jakey will jump into the fray of anything that takes your fancy, so don’t worry about leaving him out of things. I need one of us with you at all times.”
“OK.”
He moved in closer, placing a small kiss at the corner of my mouth and pulling away before I could respond.
“I’m half mad I have to sit on that fucking throne and listen to all the ways people tell me to fuck myself oh so politely rather than come and play with you. I want a taste of you, butterfly, from the source, not from your fingers.”
“I…” My brain shuddered to a halt as I saw the same scene I’d just photographed, but with me in Rhiannon’s place. Jake and Johnno held my ankles still, my naked thighs spread lewdly as he settled down in between them.
“Don’t worry,” he said, putting a finger to my lips, “I know there’s a wait. Make her look like a queen tonight, Mar, because I’m going to announce her as such. If she’s gonna have a target on her back, I want her locked down as one of ours, so people know exactly what they’re messing with.”
“Always,” Marlow replied.
Lucas went to brush past, but seemed to force himself to stop. His gaze softened and he nodded, eyes flicking away as soon as they met mine. I grabbed his hand, not sure why, and he rubbed his thumb across my knuckles before pulling gently away.
Johnno was the last of them to get ready and leave for the interviews. He’d pulled his clothes on, all of the rawness of before packed away and locked up tight behind the pleasant façade. But it wasn’t real. He tried to smile at me, that lazy, warm thing that made my bones melt, but there was no gold in his eyes when he did so, just flat unrelieved brown.
He needs something from me, I thought at the look of him.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he said, and went to move in and give me a goodbye kiss just like everyone else, but my arm locked around him, holding him still. Skin to skin, that’s what everyone kept saying, so I slid my hand under his shirt, my fingers resting against the hot skin there.
He held himself oh so still as I did so, his muscles trembling slightly with the effort. I frowned, wondering why, and it took a few moments for it all to come flooding in. I hadn’t had a chance to think about last night all that much, one thing after another jerking my attention, but we’d… What had we done? Had sex? Made love? Joined on a metaphysical level? I didn’t know. I hadn’t had time to work that out and neither had Johnno. And I think he wanted to.
I moved in closer, putting my arms around him and holding him tight, and his did the same. I felt the sigh that escaped him through my whole body.