Kashi arrived at Club X at midnight.
By then, the queue outside had become ridiculous.
Cars lined the street. Security moved constantly between the ropes. Camera flashes burst every few seconds as another recognisable face disappeared through the entrance.
Kashi did not join the queue.
She stepped out of her car, handed the keys to the valet and walked straight towards the doors.
Inside, Club X hit differently at full capacity. Music rolled through the building in violent waves, bass travelling beneath the floor and straight through the soles of her heels. Violet and blue lights swept across bodies packed together.
People danced everywhere. At the bars. Between tables. Against each other.
On raised platforms scattered throughout the room, dancers moved around silver poles while men and women crowded the surrounding tables, cheering and throwing money into the air.
Kashi slowed. The entire place looked like someone had taken wealth, bad decisions and questionable morals and given them architectural planning.
She continued through the crowd. Someone stumbled sideways into her path.
Kashi caught the woman automatically before she could fall.
"Oh!" The woman blinked up at her, clearly several drinks beyond good judgement, her expression changed. "Hello."
Before Kashi could answer, the woman draped one arm lazily around her shoulders. "You're pretty."
Kashi looked at the arm. "Are you always this friendly with strangers?"
The woman grinned. "Only the pretty ones."
Kashi's mouth curved.
Dangerous answer.
The woman seemed to realise that too, because colour immediately crept into her cheeks.
Kashi gently removed the arm from her shoulders. "Try not to fall into anyone less forgiving."
The woman laughed. As Kashi moved past, she called after her.
"Came with someone?"
Kashi glanced back. "Yes."
"I'm better company." The woman winked.
Kashi gave her a small smile and kept walking. Behind her, the woman remained completely still for several seconds before one of her friends grabbed her arm and dragged her back towards the dance floor.
Kashi barely noticed.
Something else had caught her attention.
One of the strippers on a nearby platform moved beneath a wash of violet light, turning slowly around the pole while the crowd around the table shouted encouragement.
Money flew everywhere. Not individual notes. Stacks. Bundles split open and thrown carelessly into the air.
Bills scattered across the platform, beneath tables, against champagne bottles and around the stripper's heels.
Kashi stopped at the edge of the crowd.
One man threw another handful.
The stripper lowered herself smoothly, ignored the money completely, then rose again as though the notes beneath her feet did not exist.
Their eyes met. The stripper changed direction.
She moved towards Kashi, still performing, one hand gliding along the pole before she stepped closer to the edge of the platform.
The men around the table cheered louder.
Kashi reached into her small bag. She pulled out a bundled stack of notes, the entire thing. The stripper's attention dropped to it.
Kashi stepped closer as the woman leaned down towards her.
She held the stripper's gaze, lifted the bundle and tucked it securely beneath the edge of her bra. Then gave her a small smile and walked away.
The music continued, men continued throwing money as though wealth meant nothing. The stripper touched the bundle once and looked after Kashi.
The money scattered across the platform did not belong entirely to her.
Club X took its share. House rules.
Fees, debts, percentages, everything had a price.
But money handed directly to a stripper?
That was different. That was hers. And what Kashi Saints had just given her was enough to wipe out what she owed Club X for the month.
The stripper looked down at the bundle again.
A second later, she returned to the pole with renewed enthusiasm.
Across the floor, Kashi continued walking, completely unaware that she had just improved someone's night considerably.
She reached the far side of the club, where the lighting softened and the crowd thinned. A broad corridor disappeared behind smoked glass. Two guards stood beside the entrance.
One stepped forward.
"Ma'am. I'll need proof of entry."
Kashi reached into her bag. The sleek black card appeared between two fingers.
Silver X.
The guard looked at it. His posture changed immediately. He stepped aside and lowered his head.
"My apologies."
Kashi's brow lifted slightly.
Apparently the card came with easy access. She walked past him.
The corridor beyond was long, darker than the main club and lined with doors on either side.
Some were closed.
Others opened briefly as people entered or left, music still reached this part of the building, but only as a distant pulse beneath the walls.
Kashi walked slowly.
A door opened ahead and a man stumbled out laughing, one woman hanging from each arm.
Kashi recognised him immediately.
Governor Han's eldest son.
His shirt was partly untucked, his tie missing, and he looked as though dignity had left the building several drinks ago. One of the women whispered something into his ear.
He laughed far too loudly and nearly walked straight into Kashi.
She stepped aside and watched him stumble past.
"Idiot."
She continued.
The corridor opened into another section, dark glass walls broken by private lounges tucked behind gold-trimmed doors.
Kashi's gaze travelled over the architecture. Alex and Chaos had actually done well.
She would never tell them that. There were things men did not need to know.
Voices suddenly carried from somewhere ahead, one unmistakable, loud, rapid and increasingly incoherent.
Kashi stopped. A door flew open and Zarri stumbled through it, Alex came out directly behind her.
Zarri looked up, saw Kashi and her entire face lit up.
"KASHIIII!"
Kashi barely had time to brace herself before Zarri came flying towards her.
"Kashi! You came! You actually came! I knew you would come. I told Dante you would come, and Dante said you probably wouldn't because you're boring sometimes, but I said no, my best friend is not boring, she's just emotionally constipated and—"
Kashi caught her by both shoulders. "Zarri. Breathe."
Zarri inhaled dramatically. "KASHI!"
"Yes. Still me."
Zarri threw both arms around her. "I missed you."
"You saw me earlier today." Kashi looked over her shoulder. Alex stood several steps away, hands in his pockets, visibly entertained.
His gaze travelled over Kashi. "I wasn't expecting the Saints heiress to grace my humble establishment."
Kashi looked around. "Humble?" Her attention drifted past him once and back to Zarri. Properly this time, glossy eyes, loose posture.
Far too much enthusiasm.
Half drunk.
Kashi caught her by the shoulders again. "How much did you drink?"
Zarri frowned as though the question were unreasonable. "One."
Alex coughed.
Zarri glanced at him and corrected herself. "Okay maybe several ones." She held her fingers close together. "They were in these tiny glasses. Very tiny. And incredibly sweet."
Kashi closed her eyes, without warning, shoved Zarri directly into Alex's arms. He caught her automatically.
"Really, Alexander?" Kashi said. "Take care of the mess you created."
Alex looked down.
Zarri looked up at him and waved. "Hi."
Alex chuckled. "Hi." He looked back at Kashi and bowed slightly, still holding Zarri upright with one arm.
"Welcome to Club X."
Kashi gave him a dry look. "Congratulations. You built a very expensive bad decision."
Alex's grin widened. "I'm touched." Something seemed to occur to him. His expression sharpened with amusement. "Have you seen Chaos?"
Kashi's face did not change. "No. I just got here."
Alex's grin became immediately suspicious. "Perfect." He adjusted Zarri against his side. She had apparently become fascinated with one of the silver buttons on his shirt.
He gently removed her hand. She reached for it again.
Alex gave up.
"Come," he said. "There's something worth seeing."
He started walking backwards down the corridor, dragging a giggling Zarri with him.
Kashi remained where she was.
What exactly did Alex want to show her? Nothing good ever followed a Sergeyev. Unfortunately, curiosity was irritatingly persuasive.
Kashi followed. Alex's grin widened.
Ahead of them, the corridor stretched deeper into Club X.
Towards Chaos.
💜~~~~~
"I wanted more movement through the rear under acceleration, so we adjusted the differential mapping and softened the response through the second stage."
Jaden sat across Chaos's thighs as though the position belonged to her. One arm rested loosely around his shoulders, her fingers occasionally brushing the back of his neck as she spoke. A half-finished glass of whisky sat in her other hand.
Chaos held his own against the arm of the sofa, listening. Around them, the private room carried on without their attention. Conversations continued. Glasses moved. Someone laughed near the bar.
"I changed the rear setup again," Jaden said.
"On the LM-X?"
"Mm." She took a drink. "The original balance was too stable. For anyone with functioning hands."
That almost earned a reaction from him. Jaden continued before he could interrupt. "It's better now. Enough that I've stopped threatening the engineers."
Chaos took a slow drink. "So, barely."
Jaden ignored him.
"The car rotates cleaner now, especially entering a long bend. You can feel the rear loosen before it actually steps out, which gives you enough time to decide whether you want to correct or carry it through."
Chaos's attention sharpened. "You carried the full bend?"
Jaden told him the speed.
Chaos looked at her. She lifted one shoulder, visibly pleased with herself.
"That's too fast."
"It worked."
"That doesn't make it intelligent."
A faint curve touched his mouth. Jaden tapped two fingers against his shoulder.
"There's still one thing irritating me."
Chaos already knew from her tone. "The Marseille drift."
Her expression soured. "I still can't replicate it properly."
Chaos looked towards his glass.
"The initial entry is fine," Jaden continued. "I can get the weight transfer exactly where I want it, and the rear breaks cleanly. Halfway through, I'm correcting."
"You're anticipating the correction."
Jaden stared at him. There was no irritation in his face. That somehow made it worse. She exhaled through her nose and took another drink.
"I hate that you can do it."
Chaos lifted his glass slightly, tracing the movement in the air. "You start fighting the rear the moment it moves beyond what you consider recoverable."
Jaden's mouth flattened. "Stressful. I hate answers like that."
"I want the Marseille next month."
Jaden turned sharply. "You've driven it seven times."
"Eight."
The correction came with entirely too much pride.
Jaden's mouth curved.
"You really have abandoned Europe. I can apparently complete an entire private test session without you hearing about it."
Chaos turned his head.
Near the doorway, Xavier was speaking quietly with one of the security men, expression perfectly composed.
Jaden followed his gaze. "Perhaps your beloved assistant has finally grown tired of enabling you."
"That's impossible Jaden."
"We'll see." She took another drink and her expression softened by a fraction. "God, I missed racing with you."
Chaos laughed. "You miss losing."
Jaden slapped his chest lightly. "I have beaten you."
"Occasionally."
Her eyes narrowed.
"I'll perfect it before you come back to France—"
A voice came from the doorway, interrupting her.
"Would you look at this Laurent bitch."
Jaden stopped. Her entire expression hardened. Chaos's gaze shifted towards the door.
Jaden turned slowly. Alex stood there and that made her face soured.
"Sergeyev."
He grinned as though he had done absolutely nothing wrong. There was also a woman hanging over his shoulder.
Zarri lifted her head, hair falling wildly across one side of her face. Alex adjusted her casually, then lowered her carefully onto her feet. Zarri immediately grabbed his arm for balance.
Jaden's attention remained on him. "You have exactly three seconds to explain why you entered a room addressing me like that."
Alex considered the question, smiled and said "No."
Jaden became very still. She started to move.
Chaos's arm tightened lazily around her waist. "Leave him." His attention shifted to Alex. "And you. Be quiet."
Alex hissed through his teeth. "…Fine."
Jaden took another sip of whisky. "Coward."
Her gaze moved to Zarri, pretty, stylish and drunk.
Clearly attached to Sergeyev, which already suggested questionable judgement.
Zarri looked back at her.
Neither spoke.
Alex stepped slightly aside.
And Jaden saw the woman standing behind them.
Her attention stopped.
Kashi Saints.
There was no need for an introduction. Jaden knew the face.
Saints Group was not the kind of name anyone in their world failed to recognise. But photographs were one thing.
Standing face-to-face with Kashi Saints was another.
Anyone operating seriously within international business knew Saints.
This, however—
this was different.
Jaden's gaze travelled over her precisely. Kashi stood several steps inside the doorway, composed beneath the low lighting.
Her attention moved across the room, to Chaos and finally Jaden.
Silence. Only a few seconds but enough.
Jaden became lazily aware of exactly where she was sitting. Chaos's legs beneath her. His arm around her waist. Her own hand still resting loosely against his shoulder.
Her eyes returned to Kashi.
Ah.
Something clicked into place, months of unanswered calls from Chaos, distracted silences, the difference she had noticed earlier and his complete lack of interest in returning to France.
Jaden looked back at Kashi.
Kashi's expression revealed almost nothing.
Slowly, Jaden smiled.
So.
This was Kashi Saints.