Jasmine
I rode on my bike, behind Joshua, all the way to Venom Brothers headquarters. When I recognized the dingy bar, I shivered. Did this guy know who I was? What I’d done? The anxiety and fear that were building inside of my body were nothing compared to the anger I felt. I was so mad at everyone—Roni, Joshua, even Patti—that I could have spit poison. The only girl who I didn’t want to punch at the moment was Lana, and I knew that she’d only been doing her duty with what she’d said earlier. For all I knew, she was a traitor like Roni. She was a traitor who apparently wanted to see the Wild Witches crumble and fall into the dust.
The ride took longer than I remembered. Maybe it was because my head was so filled with shit, maybe it was because I was so angry that I felt like molten lava was coursing through my veins. Either way, I wasn’t looking forward to what lay ahead. The way that Joshua looked at me made me suspicious. Did he recognize me? Did he know who I was, and did he remember our past together?
The club was thumping loud. There was a metal band on stage and the floor was filled with men with long hair and women covered in tattoos and piercings. The air was thick with smoke as Joshua led me inside. I almost lost track of him as soon as we were through the door—that was how many men in leather jackets stood inside. I hated to admit it, but being close to him gave me a thrill, unlike anything I'd been used to in a very long time. Being close to Joshua was starting to remind me of how it had been back when we were together, and that was a very dangerous thing to keep in mind. Falling back in love with Joshua could destroy everything, and I knew that I had to keep my guard up. Still, it almost felt good to be away from the rest of the Wild Witches. It felt good to be around someone who obviously had a problem with me, but they weren't hiding behind cowardice and manipulation like Roni.
To my surprise, Joshua led me to the bar. I would have thought that he’d make a beeline for upstairs, but I figured maybe he needed a little liquid courage first. For the briefest of moments, I actually thought about drugging him again and then trying to escape. But no, he’d managed to find me anyway. If I did that again, I knew that I’d probably be dead before morning. Still, it was a tempting thought. Just slip something in his drink and leave, I thought. Go away and never come back, let the Wild Witches crumble into the dust and then start something new when I’m in a new world and no one has ever heard of Jaz or Jasmine.
But I knew I couldn’t back out now. I had a mission, just like Joshua did. And I couldn’t fail.
“Can I get you a drink?” Joshua looked into my eyes and I felt a shiver of something almost unrecognizable, something like lust, flutter through my body. He stared at me for a longer time than he should have, and I felt my mouth go dry.
“Whiskey, neat,” I said. I was afraid that if I ordered anything mixed, he’d drug me in retaliation for what I’d done to him. “And hurry it up,” I added, trying to sound tough. “I have to get back to my girls before too much longer.”
The buxom bartender remembered me. I cringed as she smiled at Joshua. “I see you found your mystery girl,” she said with a laugh as she passed me a glass. The outside of the glass was sticky and smudged, and I stared at it warily.
“It’s safe,” Joshua said with a smirk. “I’m not the kind of asshole who goes around drugging people.”
I stared at him indignantly. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I snapped. “What is this? You storm into my clubhouse demanding that I come with you, and now you’re buying me drinks?”
Joshua laughed. “Don’t be such an uptight bitch,” he replied casually. He’d ordered a shot of tequila, and I hated that I couldn’t take my eyes away from his throat as he drank it. “I’m just trying to loosen you up.” He winked. “You women tend to guard your secrets a lot less closely after you’ve been drinking.”
Just as I was about to snap back at him, the bartender set another glass down in front of me. “On the house,” she said with a grin. “We like to keep the Venom Brothers girls happy.”
I knocked the whiskey over, taking pleasure in the startled look on both the bartender’s and Joshua’s faces. “I’m not anyone’s girl,” I snapped. “I’m the fucking president of the Wild Witches, and I wanna know what the fuck I’m doing here already.”
Joshua’s shock turned into a look that was almost something like admiration. “Come on,” he said gruffly, setting his empty glass down on the bar. “Come upstairs with me.”
I followed Joshua through the crowded, twisting bar and up the same narrow staircase from the night before. Now that he wasn’t intoxicated, I could see how big Joshua had grown—there was nothing boyish about him, he was a solid, muscular, hunk of man. I had to admire the way he confidently swaggered up the stairs like he knew that I was only moments away from giving in to whatever he wanted. When he turned the knob and kicked the door open, I saw that the room looked exactly as it had the night before.
“Who are you?” Joshua demanded as soon as the door was closed. “And what do you want with me?”
I shook my head and laughed. “I’m not telling you shit,” I said softly. I walked over to the bed and sat down, spreading my legs and relaxing on the old, creaky mattress.
Joshua came closer. He had a warning look on his face, a serious look that I knew meant trouble. His presence was nothing short of alarming. My whole body tingled whenever Joshua stepped close and my mouth went dry. Seeing him did things to me, things that I’d forgotten about in all these years. I hadn’t been with a man since Joshua, and now part of me was wondering what it would feel like if he pulled me into his arms and kissed me savagely.
“Tell me who you are,” Joshua said. His voice was a dark, harsh rasp. His green eyes sparkled in the low light, and I saw desire there, somewhere, hiding behind the anger.
I swallowed and shook my head. “Not a chance,” I said softly, crisply enunciating each word. “I ain’t telling you shit. You found me, and you know I lead the Wild Witches. What else do you need to know?”
Joshua paced around in small circles, like a caged animal. He stared at me so fiercely that I felt my heart skip a beat inside my chest. When he spoke again, the words came out as a harsh growl. “You’ll tell me what I need to know, or I’ll destroy you and the Wild Witches,” Joshua threatened.
Not if we destroy ourselves first, I thought with a trace of sadness. Being away from Roni and the girls wasn’t softening my anger, but I was admittedly relieved that I no longer had to deal with her at this exact moment. Even though I was staring down a whole new set of problems, it didn’t bother me that much. It still felt better than getting stabbed in the back—or punched in the face—by the woman who I considered my best friend.
“You’ll do no such thing,” I purred. “You have no idea what piece of information I got from you last night, and until you find out, you can’t do anything to hurt me. And you won’t find out, by the way. Memory loss is usually permanent.” I smiled at Joshua. My face was swollen and throbbing from Roni’s vicious punches, but it felt good to be on top of my game for once. The fighting with the girls had really knocked down my ego, and it was a relief to feel like once again, I knew what I was talking about.
Joshua let out a sound halfway between a growl and a roar. “Fuck,” he spat. He leaned over me and looked deeply into my eyes. I was aware that we hadn’t been this close since before, since years ago, and it took my breath away. Joshua’s green eyes staring into my own only made me hungrier for him than ever before. His forehead was almost close enough to touch mine, and I could see the blond hairs that grew above his upper lip. Joshua had been clean-shaven as a boy but now he grew a scruffy beard. I closed my eyes, thinking about how his facial hair would feel against my smooth and bruised skin.
“Tell me what I said,” Joshua hissed in my ear.
I shivered, the stream of air against my skin undeniably erotic. The whole moment was charged, and the room itself seemed to be shimmering with lust and confusion.
I shuddered softly. “No,” I said in the same soft voice. “It wasn’t important.” I looked deeply into Joshua’s eyes, my blue connecting with his green. “It was nothing, just drop it.”
For a moment, I thought he was going to slap me. The staring contest continued unrivaled and unblinking. Joshua was heaving and breathing hard, and I could smell him: a potent musk and blend of cigarettes, booze, and leather. Being this close to him was the most unsure, exciting thing that I’d felt in years and years. How the fuck was I ever supposed to just disappear again?
Because you will disappear again, you know you have to, I thought to myself. I didn't like thinking about how I'd left Joshua, but at times like this, it couldn't be avoided. All those years ago I thought I'd been doing the right thing.
But now I wasn’t sure.
“I don’t believe you,” Joshua whispered. His words tickled my lips, made me crave even more of him. “I think you’re lying.”
“It was nothing,” I repeated, licking my dry lips. “You told me nothing useful.”
Joshua shook his head and grinned disdainfully. “I doubt that. I’m always useful,” he said with a wink.
“Maybe you should have kept it in your pants,” I shot back quickly. My heart thumped against my ribs and my breath caught in my throat. The way Joshua was looking at me made me feel like I was about to come in my pants.
We stayed like that for a moment, frozen in our equal disdain. Then, Joshua grabbed me and kissed me hard. He pressed his lips against mine and slipped his tongue into my mouth. He tasted just like he smelled and I melted instantly. Between my legs grew damp and sticky and adrenaline coursed through my body, lust replacing all the anger towards Roni and the girls that I’d felt not five minutes before. I wrapped my arms around Joshua’s neck, pulling him close and moaning softly as he pressed his rock-hard body against mine. The bruises from Roni’s punch ached as Joshua shoved his face against my own, but I reveled in the feeling: they made the kiss seem even more real, more urgent.
As Joshua devoured my lips with nibbles and kisses, I ran my fingers through his hair and tugged hard at his scalp. Joshua groaned, and I could feel a massive bulge between his legs. To my surprise, it made me blush. It had been years since I blushed, but the blood underneath my skin felt both welcome and delicious. I wanted Joshua to rip my pants off, to bury his tongue between my legs and suck my clit until I was screaming. Joshua slipped a hand under my shirt and roughly fondled my nipples the way he used to. They were instantly hard and stiff, and I moaned with pleasure loudly as Joshua pinched and rolled my tender skin between his fingers. Every cell in my body, every drop of blood in my veins wanted Joshua.
He broke the kiss and pulled away, breathing hard and staring at me. I bit my lower lip and stared right back, feeling desire swirl around us like dust in the air.
“Who are you?” Joshua asked in a strained whisper.
I realized that I was barely aware of that myself.