"Hey, you alright?" Meg asks as I finish plastering my lips with the red lipstick and look up at her. She has a long black coat on, covering her lack of clothing underneath I assume, and her rosy cheeks make me think she just finished a private dance. I don't do private dances, just the public ones because Arthur makes me. It's his way of keeping his pet under control and making sure I don't step out of line. Meg lives and thrives off The Cage and this lifestyle, it is just who she is now. I know she doesn’t have much of a life outside this place, and this is her world.

"Yep, just wondering what this meeting is about," I say, knowing I've been dreading coming into The Cage for work this weekend. Luke has been texting me all week, but I haven’t been able to answer any of his messages yet. I keep trying to tell Parker, but the words just don't leave my lips at all. I'm such a coward. Eric hasn't spoken to me since Sunday night after the wedding, and I don't even blame him at this point. He’s pretending like nothing has changed and I wish I could do the same. I think dancing tonight might actually take my mind off everything and be a good distraction.

"Same. I don't think we've ever had a meeting down here," she says, offering me a black coat similar to hers to hide the lacy corset and stockings I'm wearing. I pull the coat on and do the buttons before following Meg out of the changing room and behind the bar. Meg pours us a glass of wine, and we look at the stage where people are sitting at tables gathered around, waiting for Arthur to come out. Arthur walks out onto the stage a few moments later, dressed in a grey suit that matches his grey hair. He still has that stuck up, better than anyone else expression he always carries as he walks across the stage and stops in the middle. He looks to the side, and I follow his line of sight, nearly dropping my wine glass as Luke walks out onto the stage and stops at Arthur’s side. Luke is dressed pretty casually compared to Arthur, but it's clear they’re comfortable together from how close Luke stands to Arthur. I don't need to see the guilt in his eyes as he meets my gaze and I figure everything out. Arthur got Luke out of prison, and that's where Luke has been all this time- at his side. Doing what though?

"It's good to be home," Arthur starts off and some of the idiots in the crowd cheer like he is some sort of god, whereas my heart feels like it's stuck in my chest. "I wanted to introduce Luke King to those that do not know him. Luke is going to be running The Cage at my side for the next month before he takes it over. I have some work overseas that needs my attention for the next few years. Luke has been at my side, trained well and knows exactly what is needed to run The Cage."

"Shit," Meg whispers, glancing at me with wide eyes, but I can't look away from Luke.

"Next Friday, I'm fighting in The Cage against the undefeated champion," Luke states, and the crowd cheers as my dipshit brother climbs onto one of the tables, beating his hands against his chest.

"You won't beat me, little boy!" Dale shouts.

"We will see, won't we?" Luke replies. Such a classy response compared to words that leave my brothers lips as a response. I shake my head at him, wishing that Luke could knock him out now rather than later. My older brother, Dase, pulls him off the table and walks him out of the room as Arthur laughs with Luke. Luke's laugh seems somewhat fake, even if it is confusing to hear. We stay and listen until Arthur says we can leave and I quickly down my wine before going back into the changing rooms with Meg following.

"So that's where your baby daddy has been all this time? Right up Arthur's ass by the looks of it,” Meg growls out.

"Seems like it," I say, feeling more confused than angry as I rest against the dressing table and tightly holding the edge with my hands as I stare at the floor, trying to collect my thoughts. Luke and his brothers hate Arthur; everyone knows that. Arthur used them like fighting dogs after their father tried to kill him years ago. They had to work a certain amount of fights before they would be free. It worked, at least for three of the brothers it seems. Luke is still trapped. The door opens again, and Luke walks in, only to be stopped by Meg.

"What do you want?" Meg growls out like my own personal guard dog. Which in a way she kind of is, and I'm the same with her. It’s what friends do.

"I want to speak to Emilia," he smoothly replies, not fazed by her at all.

"Emmy? Want me to kick him in the balls or let him in?" Meg gently asks me.

"Might as well let him in. It's clear he’s staying," I reply.

"Hurt her and I will hurt you, got it?" Meg warns, knocking her shoulder into Luke’s as she walks around him and goes out of the room, leaving us in silence, only hearing the music from the other room.

"So that's where you've been," I say. "At his side."

"For a reason," Luke says, walking right up to me and not stopping until his legs press into mine and I have to arch my neck to look up at him. "Why have you been ignoring my texts?"

"I was pretending this all wasn't happening for a tiny bit longer," I admit to him. I should walk out of here, and ignore him, not open up about how I feel like Luke always makes me do. I feel like I couldn’t hide anything from Luke if I tried.

"Did you tell your husband?" Luke asks as he picks up a strand of my black hair, playing with it as he stares at me. He shouldn't be this close, yet I'm not pushing him away.

"Yes.”

"What did he say?" Luke asks, leaning further into me.

"That you could see me and Parker. That we could tell him the truth," I say. "But he had one condition."

"Oh?" Luke mutters, sounding like he couldn’t care less about Eric’s condition.

"It doesn't matter, because it won’t happen anyway," I reply.

"What wouldn't happen, Emilia?" he asks, suddenly interested.

"Me and you,” I reply, a gasp leaving my lips as Luke’s hand slides up my thigh, pausing near my hip.

"See, that is a problem," he slowly replies.

"Why?" I ask, knowing I really shouldn’t be asking.

"Because you are mine," he says, and I shake my head, trying to step away when he places his hands over mine on the table and pushes me into it. Luke leans down, his lips inches from mine, so I have to breathe in the minty smell of his breath, how it mixes in with his aftershave. Overall, he smells like sin.

"I'm married and not yours," I reply, though my voice comes out in a breathy gasp.

"You don't love him though. I've done my research, and I know what your marriage really is. Arthur does like to talk," Luke replies. “I’d leave you alone if you were happy. I swear I would, but you’re not happy.”

"You and Arthur know nothing," I reply.

"Even if we knew nothing, I know you want me to kiss you right now. You’re wishing I would because then it would stop you feeling guilty for kissing me first," he says.

"I'm not thinking that," I protest.

"Yeah, you are," Luke says, and then he kisses me. This kiss is brutal, powerful and full of years of longing that we have both bottled away. I gasp into his mouth as he deepens the kiss, his hands sliding to my waist and tightly squeezing my hips as he leans into me. Luke suddenly pulls away, holding me close as I come back down from the fantastic kiss. I forgot what it was like to kiss Luke King. It was seductive, dangerous and you never want it to stop. I never want to forget again.

"One thing I know, sweetheart, is how to fight for what is mine," he pauses, moving his lips close to my ear, and lowering his voice.

"You are mine, Emilia."

Luke breaks away from me and walks out of the room, leaving me a breathless mess, holding onto the table for dear life. I don't know how long I spend staring at the wall in the room, trying to catch my breath back and erase the feel of Luke's lips against my own. My phone buzzes on the dressing table, snapping me out of the daze enough to pick it up and read the text.

Luke- Tomorrow, at Harley's with Parker. Come anytime, but we will be telling him the truth. We have a lot to discuss. X

Me- We’ll be there. X

I slide into the seat and place my face in my hands, knowing I will have to tell Parker everything tomorrow. At least with Luke there, we can tell him together. I just hope Parker can accept the truth.