They were still a block away from their destination, and yet the thump of the bass reverberated through Carter. Beez slid an arm around his shoulder, and Alcy took his hand.
“You okay?” Alcy frowned. “Your hand is clammy.”
“Yes, I’m okay.”
Except he wasn’t. He didn’t want to do this. Crowds weren’t his thing, nor were parties. He was a homebody, who had no problem sitting around, reading, or playing video games.
“Don’t lie to a Host,” Beez warned. “You won’t like the consequences.”
“C-c-consequences?”
Beez snaked his arm down Carter’s back to just above his belt line. He slipped his fingers into the pants, then wrapped them around his underwear before tugging up sharply. “We give mean wedgies.”
Carter put his head against Beez’s broad shoulder, aware of the sigh that rumbled out of him. Who would have thought a demon would make Carter feel safe and protected? And an angel would make him feel wanted and loved?
“We’re here,” Beez announced.
The house was huge. It wasn’t hard to picture it in days gone by as a warehouse that had been renovated. Two stories of brick and mortar, with glass blocks the whole way around. Flashing lights pulsed in time with the music. It was seriously scary, but Alcy must have sensed his fear. He leaned in and whispered, “You know we won’t let anything happen to you, right?” His eyes reflected the lights. “I mean, I spent all that time on your makeup.”
Carter didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Emotions churned inside him at the thought of meeting someone at the party. If that happened, Alcy and Beez would be done and out of his life forever, and that bothered him on a level he couldn’t understand.
Beez didn’t bother knocking but pushed open the door. The solid wall of sound smashed into Carter, and he wondered for a moment if his ears were bleeding. Jonny McGovern was singing about ‘Man Areas’, and several of the people around the room were enacting parts of the song.
Fuck, this is probably how an orgy starts.
They entered a cavernous room. From his vantage point, Carter could see three bars, and knew there had to be more. Each bar had two people manning the station, with lines of customers that stretched out like octopus tentacles. The space itself was an eclectic mishmash of styles—including décor that harked back to the repeal of Prohibition. Pictures dotted the walls, and Carter did a double take when he caught sight of one of them. In it, Beez stood amid a group of naked, smiling men, all of whom were obviously fondling him.
Lights festooned the walls, flashing in time to the music, while strobe lights illuminated the rest of the room. Everywhere there was activity. People were dancing, playing cards, drinking… In one of the darker corners, Carter caught the silhouettes of people in the throes of sex. Beez and Alcy hadn’t been kidding when they said Hell was more hedonistic. Every vice Carter could think of was on display.
“Beez!” The muffled cry came from deeper within the room. A moment later, a elfin-looking young man pushed his way through the throng of people and made a beeline toward Beez. He wrapped his arms around Beez’s waist and peered up into those eyes. Beez beamed at him.
Carter wasn’t jealous. He really wasn’t.
Yeah right.
The young man’s face lit up. “You came!”
“When there’s a party, I always cum,” Beez quipped, stroking a finger over the guy’s cheek. His expression didn’t match his playful tone, however, and Carter suddenly understood.
Beez was uncomfortable.
“And who are these party favors?” the man asked, raking his gaze over Alcy, then flicking to Carter. Heat smoldered in his brown eyes. “Well, hel-lothere.”
“Georgy, these are my friends, Alcy and Carter. Guys, this is Georgy.”
Georgy extricated himself from Beez and came over to Carter. He smirked and leaned in as if to claim a hug. Carter squeaked when Georgy slid his hands down Carter’s back to caress his ass.
The squeak was all it took.
Beez curled his hand around Georgy’s bicep, gripping it and tugging him back. “You don’t touch without permission,” he snarled. “You know the rules.”
“But I figured since they were with you—”
“That isn’t the point!” Beez thundered, his voice rising above the cacophony. Heads turned in their direction, but Beez didn’t appear to care. “Music off—now!”
The volume dropped to nothing, and the only sounds were the whispers, and the shuffling of feet as people moved back.
Beez glared at Georgy. “This is my friends’ first time at one of these parties, and now you’re freaking them the fuck out.”