Despite being barely morning, people are dressed finely to wander the stretches of slot machines and huddle around roulette tables. My heels push against a spongy carpet, the repetitive logo of Harbour Bridge’s outline spanning in front of me. Lights flashing and fumes of visitor’s smoking inside start to stir a headache within me, the peaceful solitude of my cell more appealing right now. Ray’s grasp is surprisingly tight for his age, tugging me through the crowds when I attempt to see where the sudden uproar of cheers has come from.
Guards keep their distance, their black outfits blinking between the machines as we travel through the centre aisle towards a set of opaque double doors at the other end. This section of the casino is weirdly muted, only the tinks and clanks of machine levers being pulled, or buttons being tapped. No one speaks, merely hunched forward and then leaning back on a huff in quick succession.
The ceiling is littered with shiny domes across its hand painted expanse, cameras hidden within so I can’t see which way they are facing. Two bald men security uniforms stand between us and the doors Ray has led me to, instantly parting to open the doors for their employer. Inside is dark, a low hum of mumbling reaching out to draw me in. Something tells me not to enter but I don’t have any other choice since I’m not the one who will suffer for my actions from here on out. Either Perelli is more cunning than I thought, or he got lucky, but the only way to keep me in line is to threaten someone I care about – which now includes Wyatt evidently.
The guard leans over as we pass through to whisper to his boss although I can hear every word. “You have a guest.” A cruel smile lifts Perelli’s lips, his pace upping as I’m pulled into the dimly lit lounge. Blue LED bulbs lining the ceiling and floor match the light emanating from behind a bar at the back, waitresses dressed in lingerie gliding through filled booths to serve a full house of greying gentlemen. All their eyes are glued on a slender woman artfully spinning around a pole at the front, black hearts covering her nipples being the extent of her clothing.
I know where we are headed before Perelli begins to walk me to the booth in the far corner, the curved suede seat raised to have a clear view over the whole lounge. A net curtain has been half pulled across the front, the outline of a figure sitting inside the booth just visible. Crooked Cop veers away, heading for the bar with purposeful strides while Perelli pulls me up the wide steps and draws back the curtain. My eyes land on the other half of me, the one I’ve missed so dearly but would rather have never seen again than know she was in danger too. Oh Aves, what the fuck are you doing here?
Avery
“Meg!” I try to jump up from my seat, but my hands are cuffed behind me, the chain resting through a metal loop poking out between the padding. Unlike the rest of the seating in the lounge, there is no table before me, only a bare circle of carpet and various hoops attached to the curtain rail for bondage equipment to be fastened to. I shudder to think of how many women have sold their bodies to a monster like Perelli, strung up like puppets for his own amusement but I suppose everyone has their price. Meg shoves out of Perelli’s fragile arm to rush to me, throwing herself around my body in a painfully tight grip. I rest my head on her shoulder, my heart finally cementing back in place after all this time. I don’t care that my death is in sight, one last hug from my twin and best friend all I need to endure whatever Perelli is about to bring my way.
“You shouldn’t have come,” she whispers into my ear, sitting beside me but not letting go.
“Nothing would have kept me away.” We both look to a smirking Perelli, completely at his mercy which is laughable since he is incapable of any. Two guards’ step in either side of him with malice in their expressions, a promise of inescapable pain heading our way. I glance around, figuring our current arrangement is too public for an execution right here, but given who runs this establishment I wouldn’t put it past everyone present to give Perelli a solid alibi. Mellow music plays in the background while hordes of older men gawp at the beautiful woman on stage, no one speaking or wolf-whistling like you’d expect, as if her curves have them under a spell.
“I’ve waited so long for this- “His words are interrupted by a holler from nearer to the stage.
“Boooooo! Where’s the men? Ray Perelli may be one old ball sack, but surely he’s heard of gender equality!” A collective breath is sucked in across the whole room, the woman on stage halting with wide eyes and slowly backing up like a bomb is about to explode. Perelli’s hands clench in time with his jaw, spinning slowly on the heels of his dress shoes. His guards are gone in an instant, hunting down the interruption as a stampede of men drive from their seats and run for the exit. Two silhouettes remain seated at the front, not bothering an escape attempt as if they wanted to be caught.
The pair are dragged from their seats roughly, the guards not so accidently throwing them into tables on
