Laurent had never liked Jordan much, and apart from hurtful words spewed by both parties, there hadn’t been any violence between the former couple, but the whole break-up made Laurent a bit uneasy. If Knight had been in a relationship with Jordan for months, only to part as if they’d never shared a bond, could that be Laurent’s future as well? He only worried about it on melancholic evenings when Beast was away because when they were together, everything else ceased to matter. His man was a mountain both in the physical and spiritual sense, his stature as large as his convictions were unshakeable.
In the last month, their intense and frequent lovemaking seemed to have created an unbreakable bond between them. Never in his life had Laurent thought he could let his guard down this much around another man.
Still, was it wise of Laurent to tie himself to Beast’s future in a way so inseparable? Regardless of the sense that Beast was a trustworthy person, Laurent knew that no ties were resistant to wear and tear. There was so much he still needed to learn, and the last thing he wanted was to end up like some of the mistresses of wealthy men in his time. Used and thrown away with their hearts broken. He didn’t believe that would be the case with him and Beast—because Beast had a genuine heart and would likely not just toss Laurent out to the streets if he fell out of love—but Laurent knew he needed to think of his future and was slowly saving money whenever he received payment for any tasks he performed for the club. Knowing that the stash was growing made his sleep better.
With yet another group of musicians done with their cacophonic songs, Lizzy and his band, who were here in the role of experts, started whispering to each other in the silence left behind once the music died down. Laurent was glad, because the electric guitar had been particularly cruel to his ears in the hands of the scrawny boy who played it moments before.
A group of young women took the stage next, each one in tattered clothes that belonged on beggar prostitutes, not young ladies. They all wore men’s boots that seemed far too big on them, and the one who approached the microphone without an instrument at all had one side of her dress sliding off her shoulder, completely uncovering her underwear, which in these modern times was particularly sparse.
“What’s that sneer, Laurent?” Nao laughed, sipping her beer next to him. “You don’t like ‘em?”
“No! No! I must have drifted off.”
Nao chuckled, putting an arm around Laurent’s shoulder. To be fair, her clothes were even skimpier than the singer’s and consisted only of a pair of denim shorts that uncovered half of her buttocks, and a blouse that barely hid her chest.
The woman behind the percussion set was gently nudging the metal plates used for making particularly disturbing sounds when Fox’s bellowing tore through the air at such high volume it might have even been heard with a band playing. “Prospect, get your ass here. And bring a bucket!”
Laurent looked away from the stage to see what was going on. Jake ran through the door moments later, standing straight in front of Fox, as if he were saluting, and the bucket—a rifle. “Yes, sir?” The furrowed brow on the handsome young face spoke of the kind of focus he’d need for arithmetics, not a task that required a bucket.
Fox stepped back, revealing a young woman hunched over the floor and shaking so badly Laurent’s first reaction was to offer his help. Only then did he notice the puddle of vomit between her hands, and the sudden sense of nausea made him look back to Jake, who gave a curt nod, eager like a young soldier for the praise of his general.
“Clean the sick and help Thalia. Take her somewhere where she can sleep it off. Then come back. Knight asked for you.”
That last sentence made Jake nod frantically. “Yes, Fox! Sir. I’m on it!” He looked toward the curtain and bed with the kind of devotion Hound sometimes expressed for Beast. It was… unsettling.
“Better make it quick!” Knight laughed, pulling the curtain aside to reveal his naked body, with a motionless girl draped over his legs. He poked his tongue at the inside of his cheek in the same lewd fashion Beast had once showed Laurent.
“Yes, I will!” Jake turned around on his heel, probably to get a mop and water.
Knight leaned back, immediately assaulted by a pair of bright red lips as a topless woman climbed into his lap and pressed her large, naked breasts against his chest.
Laurent had never liked the way Jake was treated by the club members, even if he seemed to never complain. Beast had explained to Laurent that ‘prospecting’ was something most of the club members had gone through, and that it was a transitional period before becoming a part of the inner circle of the club. That didn’t change the fact that the practice of prospecting reminded Laurent of his servitude with Mr. Barnave. He’d never again submit himself to such an arrangement if he could avoid it.