The Princess Deception by Nell Stark

Author:Nell Stark [Stark, Nell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626399808
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2018-03-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Brussels, Belgium

“Ready?” Thijs asked as the car pulled to the curb in front of Zonde. The word meant “sin,” in Dutch, and the club played up all the relevant associations by dubbing itself “The Hottest Spot in Brussels.” It had been open for a year, but Viola had only patronized it once, near the end of her relationship with Dahlia. They had argued that night—Viola had wanted to spend a quiet evening at home, but Dahlia had pressured her into going out—and the sour memory hadn’t made Viola eager to return.

She didn’t feel anything close to ready, but she nodded to Thijs and stepped outside before her courage failed. Flashbulbs filled the night with bursts of incandescence that illuminated the club’s entrance. Its double doors were framed by an alcove painted in shades of crimson, and a projector created the illusion of orange flames flickering against the walls. To her left, a line of people wrapped around the side of the building, awaiting their chance to rub shoulders with royalty, celebrity, and wealth. Their cover charge was five hundred euro, and every cent of profit would be split between the gala’s featured charities. Despite the weight of her exhaustion and the prick of anxiety, Viola felt her mood lift at the thought of how much more money would be raised to supplement the proceeds of the gala.

“Welcome, Your Royal Highness.” The man who greeted them wore a white tuxedo, accentuating his mahogany skin. His bald head gleamed in the faux firelight as he made a bow. “It is an honor to host you this evening.”

Viola shook his hand firmly, thankful for André’s preparation. Sebastian and Henri had met with Raoul Lejeune, the club owner, several weeks ago. “Raoul, the honor is mine. I hope you know how much I appreciate your generous support.”

“I’m glad we could partner in this. Allow me to show you to your table.” When Raoul signaled, two of his guards led them inside.

The heavy fragrance of incense greeted Viola as she crossed the threshold, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw two bouquets smoldering in sconces flanking the door. The bouncers turned sharply, leading them to a spiraling staircase designated “VIP,” illuminated by red light lanterns hanging overhead. They emerged onto a landing that telescoped into a narrow hallway leading deeper into the building, lit by torches set into the stone walls at regular intervals. The music was faint here, its prominent bass line thumping like a heartbeat.

“Your grotto has all the amenities you requested,” Raoul said, “and if there is anything else you require, you need only speak with Claire, who will be serving you tonight.”

The corridor curved back and forth on itself sinuously before opening onto the upper level of the arena, a narrow ring looking out over the dance floor. It was called the Pit, and Viola took a moment to lean over the wrought iron railing and look down onto the mass of writhing bodies below. The first of the night’s DJs was spinning on a raised dais in the center of the floor.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.