Date: 2020-06-06
Publisher: Knox Publishing
Rights: Copyright 2020 Elizabeth Knox. All rights reserved.

Call My Bluff

A Las Vegas Themed Anthology

Elizabeth Knox

K E Osborn

Rae B. Lake

J. Lynn Lombard

Addison Jane

Sam St. James

H.J. Marshall

Evan Grace

Flora Burgos

Barbara Nolan

Kathryn C. Kelly

This book(s) is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the authors’ imaginations and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblances to persons, organizations, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book(s) may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in articles or reviews.

Conned. Copyright © 2020 by Elizabeth Knox

Vengeance. Copyright © 2020 by K E Osborn

Played With A Made Man. Copyright © 2020 by Rae B. Lake

Fighting Together. Copyright © 2020 by J. Lynn Lombard

What Are The Odds. Copyright © 2020 by Addison Jane

No Warning. Copyright © 2020 by Sam St. James

Altered Perception. Copyright © 2020 by H.J. Marshall

The Payback. Copyright © 2020 by Evan Grace

Luck of the Draw. Copyright  © 2020 by Flora Burgos

Redeemed. Copyright © 2020 by Barbara Nolan

Red Stiletto. Copyright © 2020 by Kathryn C. Kelly

Cover design by Clarise Tan, CT Cover Creations

Content/Copy/Line Editing by Kim Lubbers, Knox Publishing

Formatting by E.C. Land, Knox Publishing

Proofreading by Jackie Ziegler, Knox Publishing

Created with Vellum

Contents

Elizabeth Knox

Conned

KE Osborn

Vengeance

Rae B. Lake

Played With A Made Man

J. Lynn Lombard

Fighting Together

Addison Jane

What Are The Odds

Sam St. James

No Warning

H.J. Marshall

Altered Perception

Evan Grace

The Payback

Flora Burgos

Luck of the Draw

Barbara Nolan

Redeemed

Kathryn C. Kelly

Red Stiletto

Conned

Elizabeth Knox

Available Now

By: Elizabeth Knox

Series: Skulls Renegade

Reign

Redemption

Revenge

Relentless

Reckoning

Reclaimed

Regret

Reckless

Reclusive

Retribution

First Generation: A Skulls Renegade MC Boxset

Series: Steele Bros.

Tough as Steele

Stripping a Steele

Protecting a Steele

Steele her Heart

Stolen Hearts: The Steele Bros Complete Series

Series: Reapers MC

Scarred

Blackjack

Here Kitty, Kitty

Booger

Widow

Kade

Hawk

Bull

Cobra

Mouser

Dixon

Zane

Havoc: A Reapers MC Boxset

Chaos: A Reapers MC Boxset

Series: Iron Vex MC

Enraged

Series: The Clans with Iris Sweetwater

Promised

The Trade

Cherished

Deceit

Love is War

Defiant

Shattered

Ruthless

Covert

Heretic

Venomous

Sin City Fets with Linny Lawless & Aubree Valentine

Switched

Full Throttle with Erin Trejo

Against All Odds

Coming Soon

By: Elizabeth Knox

Surrender (Co-write with Aubree Valentine)

(Sin City Fets #2)

Rely on Me

(Royal Bastards MC: Baltimore #2)

Amara

(Reapers MC #12)

Playlist

Small Talk — Niall Horan

Worry About Me — Ellie Goulding & Blackbear

Jealous — Lennon Stella

This is Us — Jimmie Allen & Noah Cyrus

Kings & Queens — Ava Max

Come Undone — Tove Lo

Still — Niall Horan

Acknowledgments

My Betas, Courtnay, E.C., Jai, Chas, Tania, Janet, Taneesha, Kim, Isabelle, Heidi, Cynthia, Jojo, Vikki, & Lisa— Thank you guys so much for your feedback. I loved writing you guys into this story, and I can’t wait to see where your characters continue on in this mini-series. 😊

My Cover Designer, Charli— This cover is gorgeous. Thank you for doing what you always do and creating masterpieces.

My Blogger Team— You guys rock. I hope you enjoy this and can’t wait to hear what y’all think.

My Editor, Kim and Proofreader, Jackie— You two are the best team in the world. I love you both so much not only as my editing team, but as dear friends as well. Thank you both for being here when I need you the most.

Rae, E.C., and Raven— You three constantly make me feel like I can test my limits and try anything, so, thank you for giving me the courage to continue on with this story, even when I was nervous about it. Love you three, my soul sisters!

To the twin flames—who might not understand the why, how, or the what.

Time will pull you back together if you’re meant to be.

Follow your heart.

Trigger Warning

This book is intended for mature audiences only. If darker books are not for you, please do not move forward. After re-adjusting my trigger warning system, I will not be giving any spoilers. Please understand that this is not your run of the mill romance and tough subjects will be spoken about in this storyline.

Prologue

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

~ C.S. Lewis

Declan

10 years ago . . .

Sitting in my study, my elbow resting on the arm of my chair with my knuckles pressed against my lips. I still can’t believe it. All my life I’ve been the type of man who is logical. There is a reason for everything, but no matter what I can’t think of a reason for doing this.

A group of men scatter through my house, searching for anything she might’ve left behind. Something that could point them in her direction. The emotions haven’t fully hit me from today, so I sit here by myself and sip on the tall glass of scotch I poured hours ago. Not touching it until I heard the worst of the news. Fuck, I don’t even know if it’s the worst of it. I pray it is.

“Mr. O’Hare, are you alright?” Samira, my estate manager, asks from the doorway of my study. Her voice comes in softer than usual, attempting to soothe me right now. She’s terrified of how I’ll respond and I can’t even blame her. It’s not every day that something as ghastly as this happens.

Removing my hand from my mouth, I look up to her. She’s a sweet little thing, can’t be older than I am. I’m twenty-nine. Actually, let me take that back. I’ll be twenty-nine at eleven-thirty tonight. I gave her the job after her predecessor fucked with me. Apparently, he thought he could veto my decisions when this is my house. So, Samira was granted a very high promotion in my household. Now Edward empties the fucking trash and cleans the toilets.

I let out a deep breath before I answer her, “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just give me some time, Samira.” I just blatantly lied to the woman which causes me to take another swig of scotch. Fuck, this has been the worst birthday of my life.

This morning when I woke up I was a self-made man, never having to tap into the inheritance my mother left for me when she passed. My father on the other hand has offered to invest in my company for years, and I’ve denied him at every turn because I refuse to be like everyone else we know. The ones who are only successful because they’ve relied on their parents for everything in life.

I haven’t informed him about what my fiancé has just done, but I’m sure he’ll hear about it soon enough. Charli King was a fraud. The woman who slept in my bed every night. The first woman to ever make me want to settle down for the rest of my life. She was a fake.

I discovered the hard way that she took me for everything I earned. Charli is a gold-digging whore like all my friends said she was. In the beginning of our relationship I dodged so much criticism for dating a woman who worked at a local coffee shop. Alec, one of my longest friends said she’d stick around when she found out who I was. He was right. She stuck around, long enough to trick me into falling in love with her, implant herself into my everyday life, steal everything important to me and take the fortune I created for myself.

Charli King snubbed me.

Charli King made me look a fool, taking off with over eighty million dollars.

What Charli King lacks understanding of is how far I will go to even the odds. She may have tried to destroy my life, but I’ll make sure I’m successful in destroying hers.

Chapter One

“It’s hard to wait around for something you know might never happen; but it’s harder to give up when you know it’s everything you want.”

~ Unknown

Declan

Present Day

“No, you’re not understanding what I’m telling you. There is no way to safely do what you envision to bring it to code. It won’t be structurally sound.” I tell one of my new clients, Roger Saint, while we’re on a conference call with my team. He simply wants something that isn’t obtainable.

The old privileged man snorts on the other end of the line, reminding me far too much of my own father. Hell, they’d be best buddies. Maybe I should suggest he reach out to him and schedule a golfing trip, or perhaps a weekend getaway on the yacht. “You’re supposed to be the best of the best. So, you can make this happen.”

Immediately I roll my eyes, glaring down at the phone. “You aren’t understanding what I’m telling you. There is no way for me to build a hotel made of glass with the way you want it designed.”

Again, he begins to laugh. “What I don’t understand is how you’re the best if you can’t create a hotel like this. There’s another similar to my design in Tokyo.” I know the hotel he’s speaking of. It’s designed by a personal friend of mine, Vittorio Ricci. The only way V could construct it was because his client caved and accepted through the center of the structure there would be beams, killing some of the clean lines he wanted. In every corner of that hotel they have a small wall which covers up the support beams and concrete barriers. And I mean small, it was barely approved for the permits.

“You’re not creating a hotel, Mr. Saint. What you’re wanting me to build is a mass gravesite because the one thing I can guarantee you is that it will come crashing down, killing every man and woman constructing it. Listen up and for the love of God, don’t interrupt me again. I will not put my people, or anyone else’s team at risk like this. I will personally make it my mission to call every reputable architect in this business and let them know what kind of careless man you are. Is that understood?”

“I will take you for every penny you have,” Roger declares, sounding frustrated.

“Go ahead and try. Haven’t you heard, my fiancé did that to me once before. I’ll recover you old bastard.” I snarl, slamming my finger down on the button to end the call.

“Holy shit,” Courtnay, one of my interns from the local college blurts out. She’s new, inexperienced, but is an incredibly hard worker. She’s one of two interns I have here at my company. Tara is the other and I’ve about had it with her bullshit. She’s the type who will only ever be an assistant. Has those fuck me eyes and constantly goes after my executive team. She’s the type of woman who wants to ride her way to the top. It’s why I allow Courtnay to come to these meetings. At least she’s serious about the job.

“Do you have something to say?” Kim, my Director of Engineering asks her. She’s been with my company since I started it twelve years ago, being one of the first people who put their trust in me.

Jackson, my Director of Surveying chuckles from the other end of the table. “Pretty sure it’s Courtnay’s first time witnessing our big ol’ boss losing his shit. Get used to it, sweetie. Declan isn’t a fan of people like Roger.”

“You mean callous pieces of shit who have no regards for others safety? Yeah, not a fan.” I retort.

“I uh . . . I was just a bit surprised at the ex-fiancé confession . . . thing . . . you know the uh . . .,” The poor girl struggles with her words.

“I hated that woman the moment I saw her. I told you Declan. Didn’t I? I told you she was trouble!” Jackie, my assistant hisses toward me. I ended up stealing Jackie from my father’s office. She’d worked for him for years, but much like Kim, she had confidence in my abilities and decided to switch her career path. At the time my business started up she’d just returned from maternity leave with her first daughter and wanted something that might have part-time hours so she could spend time at home.

“How about we don’t get into this right now? Everyone here doesn’t need to know all my personal business,” I declare, making sure to look straight at Jackie and Kim.

“But it would be rude to not fill Courtnay in,” Kim states.

“Yeah it would be,” Jackie confirms, “Declan here had his entire fortune stolen from him from his piece of trash fiancé. She wired all the money to an offshore account and before anyone figured it out it was all gone.”

“What?! How in the hell does anyone get away with that!?” Courtnay gasps, placing her hand on her chest. Shit, she really looks bothered.

She got away with it because like the dumbass I was, I added her to my accounts. Every single one had her name on it, so in the eyes of the bank the account was as much hers as it was mine. She took advantage of it. It’s hard to believe ten years have passed by since that horrible day. “Naivety, that’s how.” I reply, picking up my tablet from the table, I exit the conference room and head straight into my office. I can’t blame anyone else beside myself. The only reason she was able to get that close is because I let her.

Since then I haven’t allowed another woman that close. Sure, I’ve had the one-night stands, but nothing more. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to open myself up in that way again. If I do, well, it’ll shock me.

I see a notification pop up, letting me know I have a new email and click on it. Scanning my eyes over the body of the email, I see an attachment and click on it. Dark roots fade out into a snow-white hair. I don’t recognize the woman until I scroll down and see the trinity tattoo on her collarbone. Fuck, she kept it after all this time.

I stare at the picture for what feels like minutes after I realize she must’ve had some plastic surgery done. Her nose isn’t crooked anymore, but is perfectly straight, giving it a button type of feel. Meanwhile, her cheekbones are even more defined than before. I exit out of the photo tab and go back to the email.

Her name was never Charli King. Meet Lola Wynn, Declan.

She’s back in Vegas.

Holy shit. I’ve been paying Heidi for the last five years and now she comes up with something. I was about to fire her and get someone else, but boy I’m glad I was patient just a little bit longer.

Chapter Two

“Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy.”

~Ralph Marston

Lola

There hasn’t been a day in my life where I thought I’d be back here in Las Vegas. The last time I was here I managed to scurry off with eighty million in an offshore account for Father. The man isn’t actually my father, but he looks at all of us as if we’re his children. Actually, in a way maybe he is my father. He took me straight off the streets when I was about to resort to prostitution, or other ways of making money.

I remember it like it was yesterday. How everyone in the town of small tents immediately shifted their gazes to him. He was dressed to the nines, in what had to be a suit worth thousands. If that wasn’t enough, the watch he had on his wrist sparkled from the few streetlights we had down there. The one thing I remember the most though is his defined facial hair and the tattoos covering his hands.

It’s crazy how fifteen years flashes by in the blink of an eye. Now here I am, barely able to recognize the woman in the mirror. All that time ago I had jet black hair with the deepest sea green eyes anyone could ever envision. I should’ve realized the night I met Father how everything would change. How I’d turn into someone else completely.

And I have. My hair is now black at the roots with snow white locks underneath, spanning down to my shoulders. My eyes have been treated and are now a permanent stone gray. Meanwhile, he recommended I get a little work done. He said it would keep me from getting caught but I’m certain he wanted something nicer to look at. So, my nose has been straightened and my cheekbones are more defined than they ever have been. Fillers were even injected into my lips a couple weeks back.

I don’t feel like Lola Wynn. I feel like a woman playing his game, on the search to find Father’s next mark. I laugh to myself lowly in my brand new apartment he’s secured for me. It’s nestled right in the city, only a few blocks away from the strip.

It’s hard to believe I was a seventeen-year-old when he took me in. Now I’m here, stuck in this powerplay of cards, never thinking I’ll be able to get out. There’s a saying when you’re one of Father’s children. You play the game for as long as you can, until the dominoes fall and there’s a bullet in your skull. It’s also a superbly fucked up rhyme, but as it insinuates, there will never be any way out.

Two weeks ago I was told who my next mark would be. Alec Rosseau. He’s one of the most famous artists across the globe. Holding gallery shows in Sydney, New York, London, Los Angeles, Moscow and he’s preparing for one here in Las Vegas in two-months’ time. He’s well known for his abstract pieces, although it’s rumored his new work is going to be something we’ve never witnessed him create— contemporary.

I’m sitting at my dining room table, overlooking the file Father’s secretary, Taneesha, handed me before I left. She has the task of putting every spec of accurate information we can find on a mark in a folder like this, ensuring we know practically everything about them before we send one of our people into the field. Considering the last time I got away with the amount I did, he felt I’d be the one best suited for the job. I’ve had experience mingling with the upper class, specifically in this area so I’m confident I can lasso the man into giving me exactly what we want.

We . . . I say it like I want it too. Taking a deep breath, I head over to the small wine fridge and pull out a bottle of red, pop the cork and pour myself a hefty glass. Sipping on it slowly I contemplate running, getting out of this life, but I know it’s no use. He’ll hire the Arcane and they’ll hunt down those who betray him like they always do. The Arcane are a hit-for-hire service. To sum it up, they’re assassins.

I’m pulled from my thoughts when I hear the deadbolt turning. Immediately my nerves are shot and I’m wondering who is coming through the other side of the door. It opens and I have my hand on my .22 caliber handgun, glad I put the suppressor on it earlier today. I have absolutely no problem gunning down anyone who threatens my mission. Because at the end of the day we know if I don’t follow through, I’ll be the one put in the ground.

The moment her eyes meet mine I’m immediately fueled with rage. “What are you doing here?” I bark.

“Sweetheart, calm down. Daddy dearest thought you might need some backup, so he sent your sisters to help.” Fleur states, shoving Nadia out of the way.

While I don’t mind Fleur and her smartass remarks, Nadia is . . . something else. She’s the type who always thinks she’s right, even if she isn’t. Plus, she’s a ‘my way or the highway’ kinda gal.

“I should’ve known he had something up his sleeve. A three-bedroom apartment all too myself was too good to be true,” I grumble, a bit sad I won’t be able to get some peace and quiet.

Nadia walks right past me, rolling her suitcase along with her and goes to the dining room table where the binder on Alec is sprawled open. I’ve been able to get the basics about him, but I haven’t gone in depth yet.

Fleur even heads past me, leaving the front door to our apartment wide open. Huffing, I walk up to it, shut it and lock the door before turning back to face the girls. Fleur is drinking straight from the bottle while Nadia is giving her a death stare.

Jesus. This is going to be one long job. “Oh, don’t give me that look. Hell, you wanna sip, Nads? You need it.” Fleur offers the bottle to Nadia, calling her a nickname she loathes more than anything.

Nadia rolls her eyes, “Of course not. We should be working, not drinking. We start tonight,”

“What?” I ask, looking to both of the ladies.

Fleur chuckles, “Why do you think I’m drinking? It’s called pre-gaming and everyone does it these days. Alec is a keynote speaker at the mixer tonight. Do you think he’ll take anything seriously if we’re sober as can be?”

Oddly enough Nadia looks directly at me. “Since Fleur is determined to be the party animal of the pack it looks like it’s on you and me. Father sent us out here to support your work. We both know our place and how you’re taking lead. It looks like right here Alec has a type, for snow white blondes.”

“Great. I need to finish reading up on that if you don’t mind.” I say to Nadia.

She nods, scooting the binder across the table to me. “Perfect. I’m going to get unpacked and then we can all discuss how we’re going to run our con.”

“Sounds good,” Well, this went better than I thought it would.

Chapter Three

When things change inside you. Things change around you

~ Unknown

Lola

Both Nadia and Fleur took the last couple hours to put away their things and get ready for the mixer we’re going to tonight. Nadia came out of her bedroom first and I handed her the binder before I took a shower, did my hair and put on a decent bit of makeup with an intense smokey eye. I even decided to go the extra mile and apply a deep matte red lipstick. Everything combined with my gold dress and I don’t think Alec won’t be able to notice me.

Nadia’s wearing her signature black with her hair in a wavy style, spanning down her back. Her makeup is light, but somewhat noticeable. Fleur on the other hand barely did a damn thing to her hair, but she has naturally straight locks with almost never having a strand out of place. It’s dark brown at the top and about half-way down turns into a gold blonde.

Each of us look a bit different. Fleur is the woman men drool over because she has curves for days and knows how to accentuate them. She always wears things tight around the hips, kind of like her clothes form to her body in an hourglass shape. Meanwhile, Nadia is the typical thin girl with an athletic body type. I on the other hand am not skinny, but I’m not overweight either. I’m a size eight and comfortably here. Nadia could be a four and Fleur is a size fourteen.

If I was into chicks I’d say Fleur would be my type. She’s the type of woman who’s beautiful beyond measure and you’d automatically know she could rip into a whole pie on the couch with you. Tonight, I’m digging her look. She has a black pencil skirt that goes from her mid-waist to her knees, black pumps and a mesh long sleeve top. I can see her black lace bra underneath it, but it adds to her look even more.

“Alright, do we have a plan on how this is going down?” Fleur asks.

Nadia huffs, immediately rolling her eyes. “When have you ever known me to not have a plan?”

“I only asked to screw with you. Relax, babe. When have we ever failed?” Fleur is right, however the three of us have never gone after a mark together.

We all grab our purses and exit the apartment. Heading down to the end of the hall we take the elevator to the parking garage below the complex and walk up to my Lexus LX. The mixer tonight is about a ten-minute drive further into the city at a coffee shop/bar that doubles as an art gallery for up and comers. Every artist has two pieces in the entire shop, able to be purchased by everyday patrons.

It takes us a little longer to get there than I anticipated, but we luck out and get a parking spot directly across the street from the shop. The three of us get out of my SUV, I lock the doors and we head across the street and stand in line on the black carpet. A man in a full suit stands at the entrance. It’s obvious he’s the bouncer since he’s tall, has large arms and the signature shades so he can look at everyone in line.

While it took us longer than we thought, we ended up arriving right before the doors opened which is the great part. It means we’ll be some of the first people to get inside.

The girls and I decided to spin the sister ploy. I’ve used it with other women who work with Father before. A few years ago I was on a job in Ontario and Cynthia, one of the newer girls portrayed my younger sister. She was able to keep my mark’s brother occupied while I went in and completed the job. Afterward we both fled our separate ways and avoided one another as our protocol states.

We’ve agreed that we all have the same father but different mothers, which is ironic yet true in a way. Nadia is the oldest and is using the name Priyanka after her favorite actress, Priyanka Chopra. Fleur is the middle and is using the name Ashlynn. Meanwhile, I’ve decided to use the name Tamara, after one of the most notable female painters. I’m hopeful when Alec and I are introduced he’ll see the connection and ask me about it.

The bouncer allows us entry into the coffee shop and the three of us immediately head up to the bar. We’ve realized after doing this job for years how a drink in our hand can make us seem less domineering.

I stick to my usual glass of red wine since it barely has any effect on me while the other two both grab a glass of white. We stroll alongside one another around the gallery taking in the many different styles of art. There’s a broad mixture of abstract, contemporary, and realism. With each painting I can see how it varies from oil, acrylic, watercolor, and even spray paints. During the mere twenty-minutes I’ve been here I can already tell how talented these new artists are.

“He’s staring right at you,” Fleur whispers lowly, motioning with her eyes for me to take a gander.

I cock my head back and look right at him. Alec is . . . ridiculously handsome. Within one instant I can tell this man is a womanizer who gets anything he wants in life. He’s wearing a perfectly fitted navy blue suit with a white dress shirt underneath. I’d put all my money on the likelihood of it being made of some extravagant silk. He doesn’t wear a watch like most men in this lifestyle do, but I notice some sort of beaded bracelet on his left wrist. Whenever I get close to him I’ll have to ask about its origin.

His eyes meet with mine and I smirk in a sinful way, fluttering my eyelashes and return my eyes to the painting in front of me. It’s filled with oranges, pinks, and reds. Scattered across the canvas I can tell it’s watercolor based on the lines and it speaks to me in a way that reflects a flower.

“He’s headed this way,” Nadia states, walking off. More times than I can count if there are too many people around us, our mark will get scattered and run off. Alec Rosseau doesn’t seem the type to give up on his conquests.

I look next to me and Fleur’s wine glass is empty, giving her a reason to walk away as well. She places her hand on my shoulder, “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Need a refill,” She winks at the end and beside me I sense the strong odor of cologne.

“You’re supposed to be the speaker tonight, are you not?” I ask, keeping my eyes trained on the painting before me.

“Yes, I am. It appears you already know my name. May I have the pleasure of learning yours?” I’m a little caught off guard when a slight French accent slips out. Now it seems a little easier to understand how he gets what he wants in life.

“Shouldn’t you be worried about practicing your speech instead of flirting with patrons?” I ask, cocking a brow before I look at him.

He’s caught off guard at my sassiness and chuckles, extending a hand. “The night has just started and I’ve already found someone much more interesting to talk to than the schmucks who fill the room.”

“Schmucks? You must not have any respect for those who’re trying to put themselves out there.”

He presses his lips together and dips his hands in his pockets. “If they were serious, they’d enroll in my school. I’ve offered half of them full scholarships and only three have accepted. The rest say they need to think about it. Who in the world would need to think about enriching their life, about accepting a free college stay at the best art school in the United States?”

“Things aren’t always so simple,” I say, allowing my personal feelings to slip out.

“What do you mean . . . Miss?”

“Tamara. Tamara Dare to be exact.”

Alec grins widely, “Tamara. Such a beautiful name. Anything to do with Tamara de Lempicka?”

“Yes. She was my mother’s favorite artist and who I was named after. But before we get sidetracked allow me to finish. The students who haven’t accepted your scholarship may have something else going on in their lives. Something which would make them afraid to leave their homes.”

“Like what?”

“Mmm, do you know anything about their personal lives? Do any of them have children, or sick parents, or those who depend on them? Accepting the opportunity you’re giving them wouldn’t be so simple if that was the case.”

Alec nods, “Very true, Miss Dare.”

A woman tapping her knife on a champagne flute causes everyone in the room to divert their attention to her. “Thank you all for coming here tonight. We’re so excited to have the Alec Rosseau as our keynote speaker. If he’s ready I think we can all get started and look forward to hearing from him.”

“It’s my cue to leave, Miss Dare. However, I do hope you and I can chat after.” Alec leaves and walks up to the small stage.

Everything is going according to plan.

Chapter Four

The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything

~ Theodore Roosevelt

Declan

Standing against the brick wall I have my eyes pinned on her like she’s an endangered species. It’s hard to believe she looks this way, like every other woman in this city. She’s wearing a short dress. It’s gold with sparkles and stops a couple inches below her ass. Damn, she wouldn’t even wear that kinda stuff when she was engaged to me. But I forget she was playing the part of a good Christian woman from a small town in South Dakota.

Two women were hanging out with her for a while until they both went their separate ways. My first thought is that they were in on whatever she’s up to, but then I realized they’re probably innocents in all of this too.

Back when we were engaged Charli— wait. I should call her Lola now that I know her real name. Anyways, back when I was engaged to her she had made new friends under her false identity. They were as much in the dark as I was. When she left, taking my money and everything I held dear to me, they were shocked. I remember how her best friend Abbey thought this was some big misunderstanding.

They met out in a club four months or so before Lola and I started dating. Dating, pfft. What I should say is before she started conning my ass. She had everyone fooled. Everyone she ever ran into.

Staring at her from across the room I want nothing more than to run over and wrap my hands around her scrawny little chicken neck. The only thing that’s keeping me from giving into my anger is the fact she doesn’t know what I do. She has no idea I know she’s undergone plastic surgery. She also has no idea I know her real name, that I’m onto her, or what I have planned.

Alec went up and chatted with her for a bit and in that moment, I think I realized who she’s going after next— him. Sure, there are a couple other guys in this room, but no one else who has his net worth.

Lola stayed and watched Alec’s speech for the first ten minutes or so and I watched it happen like I was a customer in the movie theater. Alec’s eyes drifted over to her, she stared at him and walked directly out of the shop. Meanwhile, the two women she was with stayed inside.

They must be innocents. If they were in this together, they would’ve all left at the same time.

I work my way through the crowd until I’m out of the store. I step out onto the sidewalk and look both ways until the sound of heels clicking against the pavement signal me to head right. I don’t know why, but I follow her, and I keep following her.

I had a plan. One that would’ve caught her off guard, but it went out the window the moment she left the party.

I keep on after her ensuring to keep a safe distance away so I’m sure not to spook her. Everything is going great until I’m caught behind a traffic light. She was able to walk forward and by the time the white crosswalk sign comes back on she’s nowhere to be seen.

“Hey stranger,” a pair of familiar arms wrap around me and I look down to see short stack, also known as Abbey. She’s maybe 5’1 and a hundred-thirty pounds soaking wet. “What’re you doing out this way? Back on the dating scene?” Abbey wiggles her eyebrows and laughs.

“No, never. I’m the scarred for life type, short stack.” Calling her the nickname I gave her ten years ago.

“You’re still sticking to one-night stands after all this time?” She questions, looking disappointed. Or maybe she just feels sorry for me.

“Yeah, can you blame me?”

Abbey is quiet for a minute but shakes her head before she speaks, “No I couldn’t blame you in the least bit. If the shoe was on the other foot, I’d have the same problem. I don’t think I’d ever be able to love again.”

I nod. Abbey understands my feelings exactly. There is no easy way to give trust or hand over your heart after someone you thought you’d spend the rest of your life with betrays you in such a way. “So, what’re you doing down here?” She asks, and I look around one last time before I accept defeat.

Lola might’ve been able to get away from me this time, but next time she won’t be so lucky. Next time I’ll make sure I confront her. A flashing neon sign indicating the bar next door is open is a sure fine signal Abbey and I need to go get a drink. “I’ll buy you a drink and tell you everything I know.” I say, grabbing her hand I don’t give her much of a choice.

We take a seat at the quiet end of the bar and I order my usual scotch while she opts for a sangria. “Okay, what’s going on? You’re going a bit pale.”

Abbey and I have kept in contact over the years. I wasn’t sure why at first, but after a while it seemed pretty simple. She was the only one who knew what it felt like to hurt in the way I did. “I found her,”

“Who?” She asks, narrowing her eyes in confusion.

One word should be enough, so I repeat myself. “Her, Abbey. She’s back.”

I watch as her dark gray eyes widen. Now she understands me. “How? When? Do you know why?”

“I can only assume she’s back to pull the same thing she did on me. I found out yesterday and I believe she hasn’t been back for long. But she looks different. Here,” I pull my cell from my pocket and open the email Heidi sent me with her photograph.

“Is that supposed to be Charli?” She questions.

I nod, “Her name is Lola Wynn, but who knows what she’s being called these days. I ran into her tonight.”

“What!?” Abbey’s mouth drops open and she immediately flags down the bartender. “Please get us another round of drinks, stat. A double shot of Don Julio too, please.”

For once I’m not annoyed she ordered another round of drinks. It’ll lessen the blow this news is going to have on both of us because I can guarantee it hasn’t sunk in yet. “She was at the party with Alec Rosseau.”

“Doing what exactly?”

“I’m guessing going after her next mark. She left the party and I followed her until I met you outside.”

“You lost her, didn’t you?”

“Gee, way to sound optimistic.” I joke, picking up my scotch I finish it off.

“Holy shit. I can’t believe she’s back. It’s been so long. Just wait until I see her again, I can’t wait to slap her silly.” Abbey admits, handing my cell back over to me.

“Speaking of it being so long and all. Have you gone out to his clubhouse yet?” Abbey recently told me her backstory a few months back. She was split up from her older brother when they were teenagers. Her grandmother ended up taking her in, but since her older brother had a different father she didn’t offer him a place to stay. So, the foster system took him in. After that they never saw one another again.

Heidi had a friend of hers she connected me with. Her name is Isabelle and she specializes in finding long lost family members. Within a week I had a location on Dixon’s whereabouts and told Abbey. I may have been grilling her ever since on why she hasn’t gone to pay a visit to her brother.

“No, I haven’t. It’s just . . . where do I even start, Dec?” Here she goes calling me by my nickname. It’s how I know shit is getting deep and personal.

“You don’t. You just start somewhere and hope it works out for the best.”

“Way to boost my confidence,” Abbey grumbles.

“Listen, kid. If I had any siblings, I would make it my job to reconnect with them. Your brother is the only other person on this planet who understands what you’ve been through. Sure, it’s been a hell of a long time, but . . . none of it will matter when he sees your face again. The only thing that will is the fact you’re both okay.”

Abbey’s bottom lip begins to shake, “Dammit. Why do you have to pull at my heartstrings like that?”

“‘Cause seeing you cry is like getting high.”

Abbey smacks me on the arm, “Oh stop it. You’re an amazing friend and I love you.”

Wiggling my eyebrows I decide to get cocky with her, “You love me, eh?”

“Not like that. Only in your wildest dreams would it ever happen.”

If there’s one thing I’m grateful for when it comes to going through what I did all that time ago, it’s the friendship with Abbey. If I ever had a little sister, I hope she would’ve been like her. What’s that saying? Family isn’t by blood, but who you make it. Yeah, or it’s something similar to that. Abbey just shows me how true statements like that can be.

Chapter Five

Loneliness is dangerous. It’s addictions. Once you see how peaceful it is, you don’t want to deal with people.

~ Unknown

Lola

I ended up galivanting across town, at one point taking my shoes off and ran as fast as I could to escape from Declan. I know it isn’t possible he knew who I was, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t freaked out. How is it possible the one man I’ve wronged in this city knew exactly where I’d be?

As soon as I was out of sight, I cut up the next street and across, heading back to the party I just fled. I pulled my phone from my small purse as I was rounding the block, almost back at the bar/coffee shop gallery and run straight into my mark— literally.

Stumbling, I try to gather myself quickly, but Alec grabs my arm and gravity pulls me down with Alec. Somehow, he topples over me. Luckily, his hands break his fall, but I’ve already hit the cement with a thud. “God, are you alright?”

“I was until I ran into you,” I groan, closing my eyes. I put my hands on the back of my head where it throbs from the impact.

Alec scoffs, “Please don’t act like that was my fault. You were the one recklessly staring at your phone like one of those stuck-up millennials.”

Immediately I open my eyes at his tone, “Seriously? If it wasn’t for you clawing at my arm like a feral cat, I would’ve been fine.”

“Fine, huh?” He grumbles, glaring at me.

“Yes. I would’ve been fine!” I hiss, placing my arms underneath me I push myself up and stand. A gush of wind makes me realize during my tumble I ripped my dress and there’s a high slit on my right side. Well, this went from sexy to huntress on the prowl really quick.

“Why did you run out of the mixer so quickly anyway?”

I suck in a deep breath, blink a couple times as I think about what to say. For the first time ever since starting this job, I decide to be honest. “I saw someone I wasn’t expecting to and decided to get out of there.”

Alec furrows his brows together, “What do you mean by that? Like an ex? Someone who hurt you?”

I put my hands up, immediately diffusing the situation. “No, he never hurt me. It was quite the opposite. I hurt him. Long story short, it was a bad breakup and I just . . . Shit, the thought of being in a room with him was suffocating me. I needed to get out.”

“Understandable,” Alec murmurs, somehow finding a way to relate with me. Alec places his hand on my shoulder and turns me toward the streetlight since it’s dark out now. He makes a very displeased sound. “I think you need to go see a doctor.”

“Why, am I bleeding?” God, I really hope not.

“No, thank goodness. I can’t stand the sight of blood.”

“And most of your paintings have crimson red as the feature color. Ironic, don’t you think?” I laugh.

After I read through his binder, I looked up every piece of art of his I could on the internet. He has a connection to the color. It’s obvious in the amount of red he uses in his work. Alec’s expression changes from concerned to impressed. “You must really be a fan of mine if you know that about my work.”

“Not necessarily. However, I do prefer your style. You somehow have a way of creating artwork that could fit in every atmosphere.”

He bows his head and smirks, “Thank you, Tamara. I really appreciate your kind words. Listen, I . . . I’m not normally so straightforward, however I’d love to take you out for dinner later this week perhaps. As long as you feel up to it. You should really have a few days to rest. But, if you don’t mind, could you put your number in my phone.” He’s already dipped his hand into his pocket and hands me his cell.

Bingo, this wasn’t so hard.

I input my cell number into his phone and save it under the contacts and hand it back to him. “I look forward to hearing from you,” I use every bit of charm I learned from Father to make him believe seeing him in a few days is going to be my highlight of the week. I blink a couple times and look down at the ground, smiling sweetly before I see Fleur walking out of the venue where the mixer was held.

“There she is!” I hear Fleur tell Nadia.

Alec looks behind him for a split second and returns his attention back to me. “You know them?”

Nodding, “Yes, they’re my sisters.”

He furrows his brows, doing a double take as he looks behind him and back to me. “Sisters? Uh, you all look so different.”

“We have different mothers but the same father.”

“Ah I see,” Alec smirks, turning around as Fleur approaches. “Your sister Tamara here took a nasty tumble. Will you see to it she rests for the next couple days? I’m not a doctor, although I imagine she has a concussion. I’m Alec by the way, and you are?”

Fleur looks concerned and fakes a smile, “I’m Ashlynn, and this here is Priyanka. Thank you so much for looking after our sister. We were so worried about her.”

Alec smiles softly, “Yes, well, I’ll be on my way. Have a wonderful evening ladies and I’ll see you in a few days, Tamara.” Alec walks in the direction he was going when we stumbled into one another and I’m just thinking how the hell I’m going to tell them Declan was at the mixer.

Chapter Six

I know I have to be careful because there is something self-destructive within me

~ Unknown

Lola

Nadia drove my Lexus back to the apartment and I took shotgun. Fleur was in the back scrolling around on her phone and we didn’t speak until we made it back safely inside. “What in the world caused you to run out like that?” Nadia asks, both judgement and annoyance evident in her tone. She walks around the island and goes to the wine fridge, pouring herself a glass.

“I saw someone there.” I coolly state, hoping my heart won’t begin racing like it did when I noticed him ogling me from the corner. Or at least I thought he was admiring me at first. Though, I quickly saw his glare and I truly felt like he knew who I was. There’s no way he could’ve though, right?

“We saw lots of people tonight,” Fleur points out, taking a seat on the barstool beside me.

Nadia on the other hand looks like she could reach across the island and slap me. “It’s not like you to do something so careless. Who was it?”

I blink once and feel my expression falter, looking right at her. “Who do you think would rattle me enough to have me running?”

Nadia takes a few moments. “There’s only one person I can think of, but he doesn’t know you’re back in town, and there’s no way he would be able to spot you. You look so different.”

“Who?” Fleur asks, shifting her gaze between the two of us.

Nadia picks up her glass of wine and huffs, “Declan O’Hare. Lola’s biggest mark ever, who happens to live in this city.”

Fleur sets her hand on my forearm, giving me a reassuring squeeze. “Sweetheart, there’s no way he’d be able to recognize you.”

I know I should have my sense about me, but in my gut I felt the anger in his gaze. It burned hotter than a thousand daggers piercing my flesh. Shaking my head, I’m honest with the girls. “I thought that at first too, but . . . the way his eyes kept sticking to me. It wasn’t right. He looked like a man on a mission.”

“Ironic, no?” Nadia chuckles, leaning against the white marble countertops.

“I’m sure you’re over-analyzing it,” Fleur speaks up, sticking with Nadia in her attempt to calm me down.

“Why would a man continue to follow me for blocks? If I was just some beautiful woman he was trying to pick up he wouldn’t have followed me that long. He wouldn’t have. I know Declan. He’s not that type of aggressive man.”

Nadia narrows her eyes, “You knew him ten years ago. A lot of time has passed and he could’ve turned into an entirely different person now, Lola.”

“Yeah, he may enjoy the chase these days.” Fleur adds.

I know they’re trying to help me relax about it, but it doesn’t sit right with me. Something isn’t the way it should be and I can’t put my finger on it yet, but I will soon.

I have two options right now. I can either give up and accept what Nadia and Fleur are trying to tell me. Or, I can do a little digging into what Declan’s been up to the last few years. I’m sure there will be something I find that I don’t like when I do. But as I start making my plan inside my head something else hits me.

“Ladies,” I start off, sucking in a deep breath. Both of the girls look directly at me. “When have you ever known Father to send the same person to a city where they’ve already pulled off a large heist?”

Nadia sips on her wine, sits it on the counter and responds, “He doesn’t. It’s against protocol.”

Exactly. It’s against protocol and yet he’s treating me differently. He’s sending me back here . . . putting me in a situation where I could be made.

Fleur clears her throat, “Whoa. Suddenly the air in here got a little heavier. It makes sense why he’d send us, considering we’ve never been to Las Vegas in this capacity before. But Lola, you. It doesn’t make sense. Why would he do that?”

Nadia puts her hands up, silencing both of us. “Calm down ladies before you get your panties in a twist. Lola had a little bit of work done. He might think that no one will recognize her because of it. That and combined with his faith in you from the last time you were here, he probably wants you to run lead on this assignment because of your success in your heists.”

Nadia normally isn’t so supportive, but she’s so to the book. She knows the first moment someone in your team starts getting spooked it’ll effect the overall mission. “You’re only saying that because you don’t want him to send the Dealer after us.”

Fleur immediately gets a chill and shivers, “Jesus. Do we have to talk about her? No one wants to be reminded of the Death Dealer.”

The Death Dealer is a woman on Father’s payroll who goes after those who can’t get a job done. She also hunts down runners, and people who he believes may flip on the organization.

“I’m not wrong to attempt and ease your worries. You know as well as I if you get freaked out too badly you could ruin this for the rest of us, getting Fleur and I killed in the process.” Nadia defends herself.

“Great, so appease me and let me do some digging into Declan the last few years. Fleur, can I have you try to hack into his emails and see what you can find? Meanwhile, I’ll do a search on his social presence, personal records and everything else I can get ahold of.”

Fleur giggles, “Digging through a man’s emails is one of my favorite things to do. You never know how much filthy stuff comes up. It gives me the biggest lady boner.”

Taking me by surprise, I burst out into laughter and Nadia joins me before she grows quiet. “Alright. Where can I help? We’ll look into him for the next two days and if nothing alarming pops up we’re going to let it go. Does everyone agree?”

I nod, “Sounds great to me.”

“What about when Father calls for his update? What will we tell him?” Fleur asks.

He has check ins periodically when his people go on new missions. It’s his way to make sure we’re not made and that everything is going according to plan. “We’ll tell him we’re doing research on Alec and Lola has a date planned with him later this week. Everything is going well, and we’re doing great.” Nadia suggests.

“Great. I’m going to go get changed and lay down. My head is killing me.” I state, now realizing just how bad my head’s been throbbing since I fell.

“Alright, but if you need anything let us know. Alright?” Nadia says.

“You got it.” I murmur back, walking over to my bedroom I immediately shut the door and head into the bathroom, stripping my clothes along the way. When I’m inside I flip the light switch and my eyes fall on the tattoo I have below my collarbone. The tattoo I got with Declan the night he and Charli were engaged.

Fuck.

Motherfucker.

He does know, and there’s no way I can convince myself otherwise.

Chapter Seven

I desire the things which will destroy me in the end

~ Sylvia Plath

Declan

Turning my wrist toward me, I look at the time and realize Jojo and Heidi are late. Jojo is Heidi’s business partner at her private investigator firm and they both wanted to meet with me in person to let me know everything about Lola Wynn.

Normally, I wouldn’t entertain the idea. My schedule is jam packed because my business is busier than ever. Although, I’ve waited long enough to get the news I deserve. My associates at my company can handle them and relay to them I’ve taken a personal day to handle some family issues.

I fell in love with Charli, but I don’t know anything about Lola Wynn except her name. When I saw her the other night I was so angry. I thought about wrapping my hands around her neck, pinning her down to the ground and screaming out every bit of rage I’ve kept bottled up for all this time. It seemed like it was a good plan at first, but it won’t do anything to make up for the pain she caused.

At this point Jojo and Heidi are fifteen minutes late, which is pissing me off. It’s one thing to request a meeting, but if you’re going to be tardy at least give someone the courtesy of letting them know.

Picking up my mug, I take a sip of the hot Colombian coffee this specific shop carries. Out of all the shops in Las Vegas this is the only one who carries this brand. It’s strong, possibly strong enough to wake the dead.

The bell which hangs from the handle of the front door rings, causing me to turn my attention. I see Heidi and Jojo walking up to me. Jojo gives me an apologetic look, but Heidi could give two fucks. She’s always been like that, but she does a damn good job.

They both have a folder in their hands. It’s as thick as a Bible and Jojo hands me one as she sits down. “We have a lot of information. So sorry we’re late. The printer ran out of ink and I wanted to make sure you had the exact same copy of the file as we did,” Jojo states in a thick English accent.

Immediately my anger has drifted away and I open the manila colored folder, and my eyes fall on a photograph of her that must’ve been taken when she was a teenager. Her obsidian hair comes just below her ribcage, but her eyes won’t even look at the camera. This is the same person, but she’s in no way the woman I knew. This young girl has no confidence whatsoever and if it weren’t for the fact I paid good money for them to look into her past, I’d assume someone was playing a trick on me.

Heidi clears her throat, “As you can see Lola had her entire world come crashing down on her when she was fifteen. She was put in the foster system, losing everything she ever had in life. Every bit of normalcy was suddenly gone.”

Scanning my eyes further down the paper it’s blacked out in specific areas. “Why is it blacked out?” I ask.

“Do you know how hard it is to get records on a minor? I had to bribe a few people to get most of this. I’d say it’s blacked out because she was a minor at the time, or it had something to do with her father’s death.”

Her father died? I had no idea. “How’d he die?”

“Depends who you ask. His death record said it was an automobile accident, but a close friend of his told me he was working for the CIA and they covered it up.”

At this point I’m chuckling, “Okay, did you two think you could get away with this?”

Jojo narrows her eyes in confusion. “What?”

“Did the two of you think you could fool me like this? Her dad’s friend said he was in the CIA. This is bullshit.”

Heidi stares me straight in the eyes, “No, it isn’t. His friend was able to obtain images of him at high social functions in foreign countries a man of his . . . reported stature wouldn’t have ever been invited to. I did a little digging and I do believe her father was in fact part of the CIA. Now, are you going to let me continue or shall I take all of the paperwork and leave?”

“Go on,” I’ll entertain the idea, for now.

“Her mother lasted a year before she resorted to drugs. She was using it as a coping mechanism after she had her mental breakdown. Her husband’s death was something she couldn’t ever live with. She didn’t know how to survive in this world after he was gone. She only knew how to be a mother to their daughter while he was away on work trips. For the past seventeen years she’s been in assisted living homes. The first two years she was in a state program, but then all of a sudden there’s a transfer for her to go to the creme de la creme.”

“That’s when you believe Charli started doing this?” I question, catching on.

Jojo nods, “Lola, and yes. That’s what we believe. Of course, it’s incredibly hard to gather information on con artists.”

“Alright, so she came from an incredibly troubling background. What else can you tell me about her?”

“Well, we’re still working on her. But, we have information on Wallace Wynn.” Heidi starts off, confusing me even further.

“Wallace?”

“Her father,” Jojo fills me in.

“Ah, alright. Go on.”

“We had our tech savvy girl at the office, Janet, do a scan to search for images of Lola, Wallace and her mother, Patricia.” Heidi states, going quiet all of a sudden.

“What did she find?” I ask, needing to know whatever it is that’s causing her to be so tight lipped.

“We found photos of Wallace.”

“Okay, so?” I’m sure there are plenty of photos of him. They just stated he was in images with foreign officials. It doesn’t pertain to what we’re looking into right now.

“They were from earlier this year, in London.” Heidi says.

Closing my eyes for a split second I try to cool my temper. “Alright, I think we’re done here. I’m done with your games.” I stand up from the table and turn to grab my suit jacket, but feel a tap on the back of my shoulder.

“Look at this photograph,” Jojo urges.

I don’t know why, but I face her and glance down at it. He’s aged but I do see the resemblance. “So, what does this prove, her father’s alive?”

“It proves exactly that. Wallace Wynn faked his own death, not even telling his immediate family. He let his wife lose her mind, and an immediate result of that was his only child going into the foster care system. Tell me, why would a man do that?”

“I don’t have the answer.” I state, looking at the both of them. These two better have the answer, though.

“We’re still working on this, Declan, because it will take time. But, there have been rumors about a man named Wallace being the kingpin of a con-artist organization.” Heidi fills me in.

This is all so much to process, but there’s one organization the FBI mentioned to me when they started the investigation on my ex-fiancé. “It’s The Fold,” I say, sliding my hands into my pockets.

The expression on their faces tell me my assumption is correct. “We have so much more work to do, but please take this with you and we’ll call you in a few days. Janet is looking for anything she can find . . . but Declan, I need to know if you’re going to contact the agent who worked on your case all those years ago?” Heidi asks.

“I might. Haven’t made up my mind yet. I’ll chat with you in a few days.” I say, walking out of the coffee shop with my suit jacket in hand

Well, I wasn’t expecting any of this today.

Chapter Eight

“I have found so much beauty in the dark as I have found a lot of horrors in the light.”

~ Unknown

Lola

“Lola, you free for a sec?” Fleur asks me from the doorway of my bedroom. I’m matching a pair of gold hoops with a crimson red bodycon dress for my date with Alec. He prefers the color, so I’m hoping this will work in my favor.

“Only a second,” I joke, encouraging her to come in.

“Alright so Declan has one hell of a firewall and security system. Luckily for you, my hands are like little soldiers,” She giggles, blowing on her acrylic nails. “Anyways, you were right for feeling the way you did. Declan hired that bitch Heidi and her team of wannabes to look into you. He’s had her on his payroll for years, girl, but she just found you. I found the email, here.” Fleur walks up to me and hands me her laptop. I look over the email and see the photograph that was attached to it.

“Shit. Does Nadia know about this yet?” I ask, and Fleur shakes her head indicating she doesn’t know.

“Alright. We need to think of something and fast. I can’t have Declan screwing this up.”

“I agree. We need to nip this in the bud as soon as possible. When people go poking around it’s always bad for business.”

“I need to see him,” I say, genuinely believing this is the only way to stop this.

“Uh, what? That’s a horrible idea. You don’t need to do anything remotely close to that. In fact, I think it’s common sense we all need to be avoiding him. Most of all though, you need to do what you did the other night and run if you see him again. He can’t interfere with this, Lola. The stakes are far too high.”

I know Fleur is trying to help me, but if I don’t meet him face-to-face this is going to end up getting worse. I know him. Hell, I spent years with Declan and I doubt he’s changed much over the time we’ve been apart. He has a good heart, and while he also has a stern spine . . . I feel like if I communicate with him he’ll drop it. Maybe he just needs closure or something.

“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking.” I mutter, handing the laptop back to Fleur. I hope she believes me.

“Mhm, I’m typically never wrong. Just be glad you said that to me and not Nadia. She would’ve called Father immediately and hogtied you.”

“I don’t know if she would’ve. She went against protocol the other day. What’s to say she won’t do it again?”

Fleur nods. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. Who knows, she might not have that stick up her ass anymore. She did have one hell of a reputation, though.”

“Guess we’ll find out on this assignment,” I laugh, securing the hoop earring in my ear. I grab a gold necklace that drapes between my breasts and walk over to my shoes. They have a gold buckle on the side which will naturally pull my entire ensemble together.

Fleur exits my room and I rush out the door, walking down the street to the five-star restaurant where I’m supposed to be meeting Alec for our date. It’s conveniently located underneath his studio and I now realize why Father snagged this apartment for us. He wanted us to be intimately close with Alec.

I turn the block and walk about thirty feet and approach the matte black doorway with gold handles. Earlier in the day I strolled down here to see the accents, wanting to look visually appealing, almost like if I were an accent to the restaurant. Alec is a very visual man, therefore I need to be even more particular about my appearance than I typically am.

I walk up to the hostess station and a gorgeous red-headed woman smiles brightly, “You must be Tamara. Mr. Rosseau is waiting for you. Please follow me,” she instructs and I do as she says, walking behind her until we pass through a pair of black curtains and enter a private room. There’s a small two-person table in the center of the room with a burning candle as the centerpiece.

“Tamara, you look . . .,”

“Breathtaking?” I say with a laugh, as the two of us kiss each other on the cheek. Alec pulls a chair out for me and I take a seat.

“Yes. That would be an accurate statement.” He smirks, taking the seat across from me. Once he does I see the paintings on the wall and now I’m the one who loses my breath.

“How? How did you get these here? One was in France at . . . wasn’t it in a museum?!” I smile dazzlingly at the drafted sketch of La Dormeuse because it takes my breath straight from my lungs. No one would know how much I genuinely love art, so being on this assignment doesn’t particularly irritate me.

“It was, but I know the curator and was able to purchase it.”

“He robbed you no doubt,” I state, unable to keep my eyes off it.

“No, he was paid handsomely for a one of a kind piece.”

Glancing down to Alec, I ask the question he’s no doubt wanting from me. “Did you do this for me?”

“I might have. After we met the other night, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Your name stuck with me, so, I made sure you’d understand just how much you’ve been on my mind.” There’s no part of me that makes me believe he’s interested in anything except sex. He probably uses this line on tons of girls.

“That is so sweet. Thank you,” I say, making sure to look at the floor like I’m bashful.

A waitress approaches us with two glasses of white wine. Ew. But I don’t get to choose my typical red here. All I have to do is make it through the night, try to slip out and then I can do what I need to.

Even if some might not agree with me.

What Nadia and Fleur don’t know won’t kill them. I need to make sure Declan won’t be a problem, so after Alec is satisfied with our date and I’ve started to hook him I’ll be taking a little trip to a place I’ve been to thousands of times before.

Chapter Nine

“All my life, my heart has sought a thing I cannot name.”

Declan

“You need anything else before I head out?” Samira, my estate manager asks. She’s standing in the foyer while I’m sitting on my plush armchair reading The Art of War for what feels like the millionth time.

Closing the book, I set it down on the small table beside me. “No, I don’t think so. We’ve barely seen one another today. So, how was it?”

Samira’s golden bronze colored skin flushes with bright pink. “It was . . . interesting.”

Samira went out on a date for the first time since getting out from under her family’s strict religious practices. Her father went off on her a few weeks ago, stating she isn’t the type of daughter he ever wanted. How she should’ve been married off in her early-twenties, how she should have children. It’s as if he’s living a hundred years in the past.

I helped her set up an online dating profile last week and she started talking to this guy named Matthew. He’s an oncologist at one of the biggest hospitals in the city and from what she’s told me about him, they really get along via texts.

“Oh, come on. You can’t leave me hanging there! Give me all the details. I helped make this possible for you. If I were to get a little dickish about the entire thing, I’d say you owe it to me.”

Samira laughs, ultimately rolling her eyes. “Sometimes I wonder why we’re even friends with the things that come out of your mouth.”

“I’m the only friend your family couldn’t push out of your life,” I remind her. It helps when the salary I pay her is enough to ensure her parents have a comfortable lifestyle. It isn’t Samira’s responsibility to pay their bills or buy groceries for them, yet she does it anyway. That’s just a difference in culture though.

“Smartass. Anyway, you want to know about my date, right?” She teases.

“Yes, continue.”

“He’s so nice, smart, kind, and he’s funny. He had me laughing the entire time . . .,”

“But?” I interject, knowing something must be wrong.

“He smelled like roses, like he had put on perfume. It was oozing off him and I remember he kept telling me how nice I smelled, asking what type of perfume I was wearing.”

I break out into a good laugh. “Alright, there are two options here. He either has some sort of perfume fetish, or he’s sleeping with another woman who’s trying to subtly mark her territory.”

“Seriously?” Samira’s mouth goes agape.

“Yes,” I nod.

“Wow. I never would’ve thought of that.” Samira shakes her head, “It makes me want to reevaluate the whole dating thing.”

“Why don’t you ask him about it? Be straightforward and all that. At least then you’ll get your answer.” I suggest.

“You know, I may do that this evening. But I need to get going. I told Mom I’d make her a late dinner. Dad is out with his friends and won’t be back from his trip until tomorrow.” I hate she has to get quality time with her mother when her father goes out of town on one of his ‘trips’. Honestly, I’m convinced he has a mistress or some dirty secret he’s keeping. I wouldn’t ever say that to Samira or her mother, though. They are far too good for him.

Samira makes her way out of my house and I stand in the doorway to ensure she safely gets in her car. I live in a gated community, but you can never be too careful these days. I think about going back over to my reading but opt to grab a glass of merlot from the fridge. Every time I drink it I think of Charli— Lola, I mean Lola. Fuck, I’m still not used to her name.

We’d sit over a plate of dried meats and cheese, laying out on the back deck and look up at the stars. Or we’d watch scary movies and attempt not to spill it on the couch. I was able to get most of the stains out but I still have the one from watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I’ve put an oversized pillow over it to cover it up. Samira suggested I get rid of it not too long ago, however I simply can’t part with it.

. . . Lola and I went through so much. She was pregnant with my child and miscarried at four months. It may sound awful but I remember it like it was yesterday. The appointment, the way we hoped to hear the quick heartbeat of our child. Instead we heard nothing and Lola changed. She fell into a deep depression, drinking every single night, hardly leaving the house.

That happened six months before she left with everything I had. After the meeting I had with Heidi and Jojo today I can’t help but let my mind wonder. Would have things ended up differently if she didn’t miscarry? Would she have still taken the money? Or, would she have confessed everything and asked for my help.

As much as I want the answers, I don’t think I’ll ever get them.

I loved her though, more than I loved anyone before her. I loved her so much I thought I’d die for her. Fuck, I thought I was going to die when she disappeared. The money, the materialistic shit . . . none of it mattered to me. Losing her was so much worse. She was the reason I stood up to my father and told him off. She encouraged me to stick up for myself and my vision. Told me he’d be pissed but after a while he’d understand and he’d respect me.

If only she knew what would happen between us. She was right about one thing though. He did end up admitting he respected me. However, it was in the heat of the moment. We were going at each other’s throats and our relationship is much more strained than it has ever been before.

My doorbell rings through my house and I set my glass of wine down, never even taking a sip as I head toward the front door. I’m betting Samira forgot something. She’s insistent on ringing the doorbell even though she has a key. For goodness sake, she manages the household and the team I have working here.

Without even taking a look through the peephole I swing the door wide open. My entire body goes cold at the sight of the woman I least expected. I figured I’d be the one chasing her around. Never did I think she’d come straight to my door.

Lola Wynn, in the flesh.

Chapter Ten

I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul

~ Neruda

Lola

He’s looking at me, yet it feels as if he’s looking through me. I knew once we received the confirmation he was onto me that I needed to come here. Fleur really doesn’t understand that I didn’t have a choice. He’d keep following me until he blew our operation to shit. That can’t happen. The moment it does I’d be the one paying for it, alongside Nadia and Fleur.

“Well, I’d be lying if I said I expected you to show up at my door.” Declan grumbles. He’s sliding his hand across the dark grain of the wood and I wonder if he’s intending to slam the door straight in my face. If he did, I wouldn’t even take offense. I deserve it, and so much more.

“You’ve been digging into things you shouldn’t be.” I state, trying to keep my tone as stoic as possible. I walk past him and stop at the armchair we bought at a flea market ages ago. I don’t want Declan to be able to read me. The same way I don’t want him to be able to see that standing in front of him after everything I did is making me shake in my heels. My heart’s beating so fast you’d swear I was having a cardiac event. On top of it all, heat’s coursing through my entire body.

Declan slams the door shut behind me, “You have some nerve showing up here after everything.” He’s doing the same thing he did when we were together. He keeps his voice stern, somewhat similar to when you’d hear an angry parent berating their child. Back then I told him he inherited it from his father.

“Don’t I know it. I shouldn’t be here right now. It’s the God’s honest truth. I shouldn’t be standing here.” I state, turning to face him.

The anger shows on his face, “What do you know about truth, Lola Wynn? Everything you ever said to me was a pile of fabricated lies.”

“Not everything,” I let my confession slip out of me before I even have a moment to think. “I don’t expect you to understand why I did what I did, Declan, because you won’t. As much as you try, you won’t ever be able to.”

He chuckles and I can tell in a split second how fake it is. “Why do you think I’d ever want to understand you? You’re nothing but a gold-digging scam artist, trying to pull the same thing on men like me. How many people have you fucked to get their money? Hmm? I wonder if you give a shit if they’re even married, or if there isn’t one line you won’t cross to get what you want.”

Releasing a breath, I try not to allow his words to affect me. However, they do. A little too much if I’m being honest. I breathe in and out slowly, trying to calm down but I can’t. It doesn’t help that Declan decides to keep going on his tirade.

“Yeah, you didn’t give a fuck. I can tell. You’ll fuck whoever you need to get the money. Isn’t that right, Lola?”

I can’t do this anymore. I can’t stare at him and have him speak to me like I’m just a gold-digging whore, because that isn’t who I am. Whipping my hand back, I slam it across his face. Heat pulsates up my forearm from the overall impact and I’m left staring at him, awaiting his reaction.

“I’m not a whore. I do what I have to in order to survive. You don’t understand. You won’t ever because you don’t owe your life to someone else. You aren’t under lock and key from someone who has connections and powerful allies everywhere. You can’t comprehend how if I don’t do a job, I’m signing my own death sentence.” Before I realize it my emotions are taking ahold over my body and I’m staggering backwards, hands shaking violently in the process.

“Let me ask you a question, Lola. Do you think I owe you anything? That I should give a shit about it after all this time? You could’ve made certain choices all those years ago and I might’ve been able to help you.”

Scowling, I glare at the man who I know has never been so cruel to anyone else in his entire life. “You may be treating me like trash in this moment, but let’s not pretend. You and I have a ton of history and neither of us can bury it. No matter how much we try, it’ll always be embedded in us.”

“Everything between us was a lie. I was in love with Charli, not Lola.” His words hurt more than anything else. He doesn’t know what I did, the strict instructions I was given and the punishment I experienced by not following a direct order. Then again, why should I waste my breath and even say anything now? Will it even matter?

I open my mouth to defend myself but shut it. There’s no point in me trying to defend myself. It won’t do any good. Not now, and not ever. “What is it, Lola? What were you going to say?” Declan asks, approaching me. He keeps coming until my back is against the wall and he’s towering over me.

The man I was with ten years ago was kind, but I can see time has changed parts of him. Back then I would’ve been a hundred percent confident he wouldn’t hurt me. Now? I’m not so sure. As my eyes scan over his body I take in the new changes, how he’s added even more tattoos. If I saw him on the street, I’d think he’s some sort of gang banger.

“I left when I did, the way I did . . . because they wanted me to wait until your birthday. Until you inherited what your mother left behind for you. He wanted it all and I . . . I couldn’t do that to you. So, I left ahead of schedule. I lied for you and said you were starting to catch on.”

He scoffs, keeping his eyes on mine. “How am I supposed to believe anything that comes out of your mouth?”

“You shouldn’t. I’m a woman who’s scorned you, but I’m being honest. I’m not lying to you, Declan. It’s why I wanted to come here. So, you’d know everything that’s at stake, including my own life and the lives of others I work with.”

Declan pulls his hand back and punches it straight through the wall. “Why do I give a fuck about them when they come after people like me? Everything you’re saying could just be more lies.” He steps back until he’s standing across the foyer from me.

I’m tired of doing this. He’ll either believe me or he won’t. But he doesn’t know what I went through by leaving my mission early. He doesn’t comprehend the type of person I work for, or the way people who fail are treated.

“I was thrown in a cellar, Declan. They said I left before my job was completed. They were right, I did leave early because I loved you and couldn’t bear the thought of taking everything from you. I knew your inheritance would be coming soon and made the decision to dip out early, risking my own life in the process,”

“I don’t want to hear this bullshit,” He puts his hand up, signaling me to shut my mouth. But I won’t. I’ll keep talking so he knows the entire story.

“I followed my normal protocol and they got the money in time. I laid low in Canada, an exclusive resort I’d been to a few times before. There’s someone we fear in my field of work. Her name is the Death Dealer, but she has a passion for torturing. When my boss is unsatisfied with a job, he’ll either order her to kill you, or wish you were dead. I was in a cellar three years, Declan. The only time I had person-to-person contact is when she came down for another session with me. At first, she used a cowhide whip, the type men out on the ranches use. It was enough to make me wish I was dead. The first couple of days she did that, repeatedly, even over open wounds. When she got bored, she dipped the whip in alcohol before she’d flick it against my flesh.”

Declan’s eyes are pinned on me. I don’t know if he believes what I’m telling him, but it’s the God’s honest truth. He’s the only person I’ve ever told about this.

“But of course, it wasn’t amusing enough after a time. One day I spoke back to her and she picked up a sledgehammer. She broke both of my cheekbones and knocked out almost every single tooth I had. I became much more compliant after that. How could I not? Every time I tried to stick up for myself . . . she made it a point to show me she always had the upper hand. Months had gone by and I didn’t act up for a while. But, spoiler alert, one day I did. She kicked me in my face and broke my nose. So, all of this work you see done. I convinced myself it was so I’d be protected on the next job I’d go on, so it’d be easier to stay unnoticed. Although, it’s all bullshit. I have this lovely makeover because I did the one thing I was never supposed to do.”

“What was that?” Declan asks, his voice barely coming out in a soft whisper.

“I fell head over heels in love with my mark. I’m sorry for what I did to you Declan. It was horrible and wrong, but I tried to protect you. I really . . . t-tried.” For the first time in years, tears slowly pour over both of my cheeks.

Chapter Eleven

I think most of who I was died

~ The Idealist

Declan

If someone would’ve told me she’d be here again, in my house, telling me her story I would’ve told them they were insane. How I’d never let her back in my house ever again. Yet here we are. Tears roll down her cheeks and as much as I want to believe her, I don’t know if I can. There’s a part of me deep at the bottom of my heart that tells me she wouldn’t lie about something like that. But, she lied about everything before.

“You can’t expect me to believe you, Lola. I’m sorry, but you can’t.” I dig my hands into the pockets of my jeans and lean against the wall. At least, I do until she opens up her purse and throws photos at me.

Leaning down to the floor, I pick the few up that’ve turned over and grimace at what the photographs entail. “What the fuck. Why do you have pictures like this?”

“She told me I needed to keep them on me every day. It didn’t matter the mission or the objective. How these photographs were a reminder of why not to defy him or his orders.”

Jesus Christ. Looking over the photographs I see busted lips, her back ripped into shreds . . . she reminds me of what zombies look like in that video game Days Gone. Her face is a disgusting combination of black and blue, and that’s when it all hits me. No one would’ve ever done this to themselves. Even if they were fucked up, this isn’t something anyone would want to be done. For what could possibly be the first time since I’ve known her, she’s telling the truth.

With the photographs in hand, I put my hands near the center and rip them to shreds. “You don’t need a reminder of this. That’s torture in itself.” I state, letting the pieces fall to the floor below me.

Lola’s bottom lip trembles and with it her entire body shakes, rattling to its core. “I tried. I tried to save you from as much hurt as I could. But I wasn’t successful. I failed and . . . I’m so sorry for all the pain I caused you, Declan. You don’t have to forgive me, but I hope you do.”

I want to fucking hate her right now. I crave to tell her to get the hell out of my house and go fuck herself. This woman has the audacity to come back into the home I shared with her, where we were prepping a room for the birth of our child and . . . she tells me a story that makes her look more like a victim than the villain. A story that gives me a gut feeling she’s telling the truth.

“The baby . . . you need to tell me. Did your boss do that too?”

Lola’s eyes go wide which I’m sure is from confusion. She quickly recovers and shakes her head from side to side. “No, that was . . . I lost the baby.” Just like back then she’s putting the blame entirely on herself.

“We,” I correct Lola. “You weren’t alone in any of that grief.”

“I apologize. I wasn’t trying to seem insensitive, I just mean . . . the baby died because of—”

“Our baby didn’t die because of you. Don’t even start with that shit. Fuck, you know how bad it pisses me off. Just like the doctor told us, sometimes it happens with no rhyme or reason. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the circle of life.”

“You sound like you quoted him word for word.” She mutters, wiping away her tears.

“Maybe I did. Though, he was a tad bit more insensitive.”

“He was the worst. I don’t know if he skipped all his bedside manners classes or what.”

“I’m pretty positive that isn’t actually a thing,” I say, lightening the mood. Lola giggles, indicating things aren’t so serious in the room right now.

God, that laugh. I shut my eyes for a split second and realize how much I’ve missed it. Even though I want to hate her for everything, how can I after hearing the things I didn’t know? She stole so much money from me . . . though maybe I should be re-directing my anger at the person she works for instead of his minion.

“I hired a private investigator firm to look into you.” I state, making sure my eyes are glued to hers for her reaction.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I know about everything from your dad’s death to your mother having her breakdown.” I decide to keep the faking his death bit to myself for now. It could prove to be useful later.

“Guess you know it all then,”

“No, just the tip of the iceberg. Let me ask you a question,” I push myself off the wall and go up to her, closely invading her personal space. “I need to confess something first. When I found out you were back here, I wanted nothing more than to destroy your life. I wanted to make you hurt in ways you could only imagine, however, given what you’ve told me . . . I think you’ve done enough hurting. Which leads me to the question I’m about to ask you. Do you want out of whatever you’re involved in?”

“There isn’t a way out of this life.” Lola is quick to dismiss me.

“How do you know if you’ve never tried?” I’m making assumptions, but if she’s still standing in front of me, I doubt she’s tried to get out.

“Declan, let me be clear. Everyone that tries to get out of this only ends up in one place. Six feet under.”

“Let me help you. I’ll look into whoever your boss is and I’ll help you get out. That is, if you don’t want to be doing this anymore.”

She blinks a few times and nods, “I want out, but we have to be smart about all this. Now it’s my turn to ask a question. Why do you want to help me?”

“Because I think you’ve had enough pain to last you a lifetime. Eighty-eight mil and you still don’t deserve what that woman did. No one does.”

Our eyes are glued to each other and we stand in the silence, merely looking at one another. There was a reason I fell in love with her before and maybe I wasn’t wrong in doing that. Maybe I fell in love with the right woman, someone who had such a sweet heart. While her actions were inexcusable, she’s just someone else’s pawn. Never did Lola act for her own personal gain. Instead she’s been doing the dirty work for some piece of shit scumbag.

I don’t know what takes over me but I press my lips firmly onto hers, reuniting them after being apart for far too long. My right hand snakes behind her back and down onto her ass, giving it a good squeeze. While my left hand stays firmly on her neck, applying a bit of pressure. I still hope she likes that. In the bedroom it was her favorite kink.

Our tongues dart into one another’s mouth and reconnect, exploring each other’s mouths after too much time apart. Lola releases a soft moan, allowing her body to go limp against the wall. She slides her hands over my shoulders.

I don’t think either of us saw this happening tonight.

My cock strains from the confines of my pants, jumping at the opportunity to enter her again. I’ve had one-night stands for ages. Never was there an emotional connection to them, but not with Lola. We’ve had chemistry from day one.

Releasing my hand from her neck I slide around to the back of her hair and interlace my fingers at the nape of her neck and yank. She groans, tilting her neck to the side and I place my mouth on her neck. Sucking in her salt and sweet skin.

“I’ve missed you,” She confesses. I growl in response, grinding my hips against her stomach until I feel her lifting her dress up, an open invitation for what we both want.

Removing my hands from her hair and ass I unbuckle my pants, free my cock and nestle myself between her legs. In one quick thrust I’m inside her, ramming my cock like I’m still a horny fucker in my early twenties. Ripping my lips from her mouth, I put my left hand on the side of her face and stare into those eyes. Ones I barely recognize since they’re a different color. “I’ve dreamed about sinking my cock inside you for so long, about how you’d come undone in my arms.”

“I’ve thought about this too . . . but I never thought reconnecting would be possible,” Lola admits.

“Is that what you want?” I ask.

Moments pass by slowly as I continue fucking her up against the wall. I believe she doesn’t want any part of it until I feel something soaking my dress shirt. Looking back to her face I see she’s crying and nodding her head.

“I wish I would’ve told you b-back then. I’m s-so sorry.”

“Shh, we can talk about it later.” I hush her, wanting us to both enjoy the moment. When I asked her if this is what she wanted I don’t even think I had the answer myself.

But I’d be lying if I said she didn’t mean anything to me. There’s a reason I never let another woman in my life the way I let her in. I was bitter about what she did, but I . . . I still fucking loved her and deep down I know I never stopped.

I’ll do whatever I can to make her life easier and get her out of this. She’s no angel, but I’m no saint.

Maybe we’re perfectly imperfect.

Time will only tell.

Chapter Twelve

I stopped being me such a long time ago. I can’t even remember who that was

~ Unknown

Lola

For the first time in many years I felt like myself. I didn’t feel like a tool of a powerful man, or the organization he created. I feel like Lola Wynn, someone who has needs and desires like everyone else. For so long I’ve pretended to people I’m literally not. I was given a folder with facts about the persona I was pretending to be and implemented those characteristics into my assignment.

A heavily tattooed arm is draped around me. I didn’t take notice of the new ink Declan had added until we’d made our way upstairs, entrapped in the other’s body. His left arm used to be bare, while his right had the full sleeve but didn’t have ink on his hands yet. It appears that’s changed as well.

On his left arm a Chinese dragon starts at his shoulder cap and cascades all the way down. His hand has a unique flower which is mostly made of black ink with a bit of definition in white. Meanwhile, his right arm pays tribute to the yin and yang, with coy fish swimming until it reaches the bottom of his hand. On his neck he added another tattoo. It’s the face of a Chinese dragon in the Chinese New Year parades. Or at least, it’s how I can easily describe it.

Glancing over to the clock on his nightstand table I see it’s past ten in the morning. Crap. I need to get back to the apartment. Anyone could be watching me. Quickly, yet quietly I pick up Declan’s arm and wiggle my way out from under his grasp until I’m out of bed. Standing, I look across the floor to see where the rest of my clothes have gone but quickly realize they’re downstairs.

“You trying to sneak out on me?” His rough voice asks.

Turning, I face him and see the sweetest smile sprawled across his face. “No, but I do have to go.”

“Before you do we need to go over a few things,” He states, positioning himself to where he’s sitting up in bed.

“Fine, but we need to make it quick and I have to get dressed. I think we left my dress downstairs in the foyer,” I start to walk toward the door of his master bedroom.

“Open the right side of the closet,” I think I’m hearing things, so I stop right in my tracks. There’s no way he could be telling me to look there. No, it’s impossible. “Lola, go look in your side of the closet.” He states, sounding much more commanding in his tone.

I head over to the right side of the closet, pull the barn door back and am shocked to see it’s practically the same way it was when I left. “Why didn’t you throw any of this out, or donate it?” I ask, making sure my eyes are on his as I turn back to face him.

“I don’t know. Many people tried to . . . tell me that’s what I should’ve done. Just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Subconsciously I wasn’t ready to let you go.”

Shaking my head, I’m having a hard time grasping what he’s saying. “You never had anyone else here?” There’s no way he didn’t have another girlfriend in all this time.

“I had women in my bed, but no one in my heart, or in my home. Is that what you’re trying to ask?” He questions, seeming so nonchalant about it all.

“Wow. I . . . I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. You and I do need to talk about how this is going to work. After what we talked about last night I believe you, Lola. Maybe I’m dumb to be putting my trust in you again. But, I do believe you’re telling me the truth about it all. That being said, we’ll need to meet up every few days if I’m going to help you get out of this.”

“Fine, but I need another phone. The one I have is paid for by the man I work for. He’ll be able to pull messages from anyone I’ve ever texted.”

“Alright. Meet me in two days, at nine in the morning. I’ll come in through the back door so no one is suspicious.”

“Where?”

“Cats and Coffee. It’s a café I own on the East side of the city. All the proceeds go to helping animals at the local shelters.”

“Okay, I’ll meet you there.”

“I won’t be alone. I’ll try to have Heidi and Jojo with me. We’ll need them to be in the loop about everything. Hell, I might ask Heidi to bring whoever she can on her team into this. I remember her assistant Vikki will help her with stuff from time to time. Lisa is one of her other investigators if I’m correct . . . I’ll call her after you leave and see what I can arrange.”

Not going to lie. The more people we bring into this, the more nervous I get. “Okay.”

“Lola, I know you’ll have to keep appearances up in the meantime while we’re doing this. I know you’re here because you’re on a job, but please don’t sleep with your . . . target.”

“I— fuck. If I don’t do certain things I’ll be made by my boss, Declan. I’ll try to refrain from sleeping with my mark, but I have to make sure everything looks like it normally does.”

“Let me be clear, I just got you back into my life— the real you, and I’m not looking to share any part of you with anyone.”

I nod, understanding his viewpoint. “I’ll . . . I’ll think of something.”

“Good. I’ll see you in two days. Be safe in the meantime and when we meet I’ll give you a new phone so we can keep in contact. Remember, nine in the morning.”

“Got it,” I mutter, going back toward the door.

“Why aren’t you going to put one of your sets of old clothes on?”

“Because, if I do it’ll look suspicious. If I go back in the dress I wore last night they’d think I’m sleeping with Alec. That dress will cover my tracks. Now I need to get going. I’ll see you in a couple days.” I exit the bedroom and head downstairs to put my dress back on. Holy shit, things are about to get complicated.

Chapter Thirteen

The reason I keep my feelings to myself is because I can’t explain them

~ Unknown

Declan

Watching her walk out my front door and get into her Uber was hard. The only reason I didn’t run after her and demand she stay within the confines of my home is because I know we’d see each other again very soon. Plus, doing that would be drastic and send a signal to her boss that something was wrong.

Like every other day I went down into my basement, hopped on the treadmill for twenty minutes before I picked up my boxing and did a bit of lifting weights. A shower comes naturally afterward and then I always prep myself to go to the office. However, today I didn’t. I called my assistant Jackie and told her to push my meetings back until later this evening. She of course wanted to know what was so important that I reschedule my entire day. I didn’t give her an answer, because she’ll give me her opinion regardless. Until I have things situated with Lola and she’s safe I won’t be filling any of my close friends in on what’s going on.

Before my workout I sent Heidi an email this morning and told her I’d be at her office around one in the afternoon. It’s now five minutes prior to one and I’m in the elevator going up to her floor. Heidi owns one of the biggest private investigator firms in the United States. While her office is rather small, it’s because she has a team in most cities. She contracts four to five people in each city to work with one another, more as a unit and they report directly to her. I think her team in this office is close to her other locations. At a maximum she must have five or six people.

The elevator doors open and I walk up to an adorable woman. I say adorable because she must be five foot one or so, with black hair that stops at her shoulders and the cutest almond shaped eyes. “Mr. O’Hare, Heidi told me she’d be expecting you. Please allow me to take you into her office.”

“Thank you . . .” I give the girl time to respond with her name as we walk past the receptionist desk and go in the direction of the offices.

“I’m Jai, and you’re welcome. Would you like a coffee, snack, anything like that?” She asks just before we arrive outside of Heidi’s office door.

“A black coffee would be great, please.”

“Sure,” Jai knocks lightly on the bamboo colored door and Heidi calls from behind it, telling me it’s okay to enter. Jai opens the door for me and says she’ll be back in a few minutes with my coffee.

I go into Heidi’s office and sit across from her in a modern white leather chair. Metal bars go across the outside of the chair, making it feel like a box. However, it’s oversized with plenty of room. She has four of these chairs in a diagonal pattern across from the other, and in the middle is a glass coffee table which isn’t straight in the slightest bit. It’s also off center.

In the back corner of the room she has her desk, computer and all of that bit. It seems to be organized to every bit over there, but here it’s dysfunctional chaos. “I wasn’t expecting an email from you this morning,” Heidi starts off, focusing in on me. Here she goes, trying to figure out what I’ve called a meeting for.

“Neither was I, but recent events transpired, and I’ll need your services in a more intense manner. I’d love to get into it if that’s alright with you.”

“If you’re okay with waiting, give us a few minutes. Jojo was just finishing up a call and I’ve asked Vikki to sit in on this with us. I hope you’re alright with it. She’s under a non-disclosure agreement like all of our employees.”

“You have another investigator in this office, right?” I ask, causing Heidi to cock a brow.

She nods, “Yes, why?”

“I think you’re going to need to bring her in on this.”

Heidi leans in and presses a button on the phone sitting on her coffee table. It buzzes and a woman’s voice comes through. “Vikki, please bring Lisa in with you.”

“Sure thing, boss. Be there in five.”

Five minutes pass by rather quickly. Especially after Jai brings me my coffee. Many people say coffee makes them anxious but I’m quite the opposite. It settles my nerves more than anything.

Jojo comes back in all smiles like every other time I’ve seen her and takes the seat beside me, while two other women walk in alongside the other. One has medium length sandy-blonde hair and takes the last remaining seat. The other woman walks behind Heidi and has curly black hair.

“Alright, what’ve you dragged me in here for? I have a case I’m just about to break, so how about we speed this up a bit?” Another thick English accent shoots out, and man I wasn’t expecting another one to be from over the pond. Her words fly out all at once, almost sounding jumbled together. All my money’s on the fact Lisa and Jojo are from two separate parts of the United Kingdom. Typically differences in accents signal to it.

I look straight to the woman in charge, Heidi, and expect the reality she won’t like what I’m about to tell her. “I need you to shift all of your efforts onto the man Lola works for. I want to know everything about him. Where he was born, who he loves, his banking information. Everything. I want to know about the people he’s close to, anything that can help me.”

Vikki writes things down on a notepad behind her boss and stops after a moment. “Wait. Wasn’t the focus Lola Wynn?”

I nod, confirming her assumption. “It was, yes. Now it’s her boss.”

“Why are we shifting our focus all of a sudden?” Heidi asks in a monotone voice.

Lisa and Jojo have their eyes pinned on me. “I’ve spoken with Lola and I’m going to help her get out of this mess. She’s accepted my help, and the only way I can help her is if we look into her boss. You showed me a photograph of him which means you have gotten close enough to get something.”

Heidi laughs, but not in a good way. More of the bitchy way. “She’s getting you back on her fishing line, ready to steal everything else you’ve built for yourself. Why are you letting her, Declan? Was once not enough?”

Heidi’s been working for me for . . . God, it’s been so long. But in working for me we have become friends. Which is why I think she’s being so outspoken right now. I clear my throat and speak sternly, so everyone in the room knows this isn’t up for negotiation. I’ve made my decision and it’s going to stick. “I don’t expect any of you to understand my choice, but it’s final. I’m going to help Lola get out of the mess she’s in. I know I might be acting like a fool right now. She very well might be trying to take the rest of what I’ve created. But, I don’t believe she is. I spent years of my life with this woman. A woman who was carrying my child and suffered a miscarriage. The same woman I intended to spend the rest of my life with and marry. I was never able to move on with anyone else after her. I’m not asking for permission, Heidi. If you’re going to be so adamant about airing your feelings than I’ll have Vikki take lead on this. But, if you can keep your personal feelings to yourself we can move forward as planned. Is there going to be a problem?” Every person in the room is looking to their boss, who’s breathing in and out rapidly with her fists balled up on her lap. Obviously, what I’ve said is pissing her off, but I don’t give a damn.

“I don’t want you to get hurt again, Declan.” Heidi’s voice comes out softer, more caring. I know how much she doesn’t want me to experience what I did before. Fuck, I barely survived the betrayal.

“I get it. I don’t want to go through it again either. Which is why you have my permission to look up records on Lola. She had facial reconstruction surgery and veneers put in. I’m sure there’s some sort of explanation on why they needed to be done. Find copies of whatever was uploaded and it’ll either confirm you’re right, and she could be lying to me. Or it’ll affirm Lola’s being honest with me.”

“I’ll get our new hacker, Tania, on that as soon as possible. Vikki, can you make a note of that?”

“Sure thing, boss.” Vikki instantly replies.

“You want to know everything about this man, correct?” Heidi asks.

I nod, “Everything about his life.”

“Alright, what about these women that have been living in the same apartment as Lola?” Heidi asks, turning her phone toward me. One is an Indian woman, while the other is a curvier white woman.

“Any idea who they are?” I question.

“I believe they’re here to make sure Lola doesn’t fuck up on her assignment. In most cases bosses in this field will send others in their profession here to ensure things go smoothly. They could just be here to offer backup to Lola on her current conquest.”

“Or, they might be spies reporting back to their boss,” Lisa speaks up, “In the U.K. they do that shit all the time. When they turn up dead it’s typically because their boss sent someone to keep tabs on them.” Hm. I didn’t think of that. Lola could become the mark if she doesn’t do what she’s supposed to.

I rise from my chair, looking back to Heidi. “I told her in two days we’d meet for coffee at my café that benefits the local animal shelters. I want you and Jojo to attend. Meet me here and we’ll go in through the back door.”

Heidi blinks a few times, “I can’t just clear my schedule for you. I have other clients.”

“Well, finish up the jobs because I’m willing to pay whatever I need to for the next month to ensure we put a stop to all this. I want her safe, Heidi, and she won’t ever be as long as that man is out there.”

“Shit, what did she do to you?” Heidi’s attitude pisses me off within one second.

“Listen, I won’t repeat myself again so keep your attitude in check or Vikki can take the lead. Let’s remember Lola isn’t the only person he has working for him. He may have thousands of other women with a bullet aimed at the back of their skulls too. Let’s put an end to all of this for them too.” Without so much as waiting for a response I open the door to Heidi’s office and head for the elevator. I might’ve been a tad rude with her, but she’ll either understand or she won’t. I can’t force people to think the same way I do.

Regardless, sitting back and doing nothing isn’t an option.

Chapter Fourteen

We try to hide our feelings, but we forget our eyes speak

~ Unknown

Lola

The entire ride back to the apartment and I still didn’t know what I was going to do. I would either walk right back in and act like I had a long night with Alec, making it appear that everything was according to plan. The only other alternative was probably confessing everything and running as fast as I could.

Luckily when I got back, Fleur and Nadia were nowhere to be found. Maybe they’re both out doing their own digging into Alec. I can only hope they’re working and not onto me. God, I can’t believe this. Ruffling through my clothes I’m packing a small duffel bag and putting it under my bed in case I decide to run. It has a few things of mine, including a photo of me with my mother and father. I think it was a month or so before he died, the last time I really felt normal. After he passed away everything in my life came crashing down.

Mom became less of a mom. She stopped going to work, stopped cooking, cleaning and every other domestic task she’d do. I remember making grilled cheese and tomato soup almost every night. How I’d resort to feeding her soup and giving her as much water as I could. She was like a shell of a person. Looking back now, I’m not sure how she survived.

She worked in the city and Dad was an international estate lawyer. He was barely ever home. Come to think of it, I might’ve seen him a couple days out of the month. Mom and I always dealt with it though. We were used to him being gone but when he was around we were so happy. Until I hit thirteen or so, then I remember the way they’d fight. They’d scream so loudly I’d hear them both from across the house. Instead of interfering I’d bury myself under the covers and close my eyes, wishing for it to stop.

Now that all of these memories have resurfaced, I wonder why I’ve held on to this photograph all of these years. I loved them both, but I resented my father for hardly being around. But most of all, for being stubborn and driving in London when he never had before. He always hired people to drive for him. I suppose after a time I resented my mother too, for making me be the parent and then for the way she resorted to drugs.

Now she’s at a cozy long-term care facility up in Utah. It’s one of the best, having a beautiful view of the mountains from her room.

Shaking my head, I slide the photograph back into the duffel and tuck it under my bed. Thankfully I hopped into the shower as soon as I got here and I’ve already changed into a new outfit.

A light rap comes to my bedroom door and I go over to it, opening the door. “Hey,” I say, seeing Fleur.

“Hey. You two weren’t here when I got back.”

“Yeah, we both wanted to get out for a bit. Nadia had a meeting with Father apparently . . . so, I made myself useful and kept looking into things. Figured you’d want to know everything I could find.”

I put my hand up, silencing Fleur, and take her by the arm, pulling her into my bedroom and shut the door. There’s a notepad on my dresser and I’m not dumb enough to think our apartment might not be bugged with recording devices from Father. Fuck, why am I thinking of this now? He might know everything.

A pen sits on the dresser next to my notepad. Quickly I pick it up and begin writing a message to Fleur. Fuck all this secrecy. I think I might be able to trust her. At the end of the day none of us ever chooses this life. It’s chosen for us, usually with something being held over our head.

I don’t want to talk. The apartment might be bugged.

“It’s not bugged. I did a scan the first day we arrived because I can’t stand being spied on. Father’s tried to plant bugs in apartments I stay at, but I destroy the fuckers within the first twelve hours. So, what’s gotten you so freaked?”

I breathe a sigh of relief. “I know everything I need to about Declan, because I went to go see him last night.”

“You what?!” Fleur’s eyes widen to twice the normal size. She’s baffled by what I’ve done. I don’t blame her. I’d be both terrified and shocked as well.

“Hear me out, if I didn’t go over, he would’ve been screwing everything up and you know it too.”

Fleur sucks in a deep breath and shakes her head, walks over to my bed and takes a seat. “What did you do, Lola? Actually, no, I know what you did. You started to fuck this up for all of us. You know we won’t ever be able to get out of this now, don’t you? You . . . God dammit!” Fleur breaks out into tears.

I can only imagine how I’ve made her feel. I know if the roles were reversed, I’d be terrified, scared out of my mind we’d have the Arcane coming after us. Let’s be honest, it’s what’ll end up happening. There’s no other option.

“Declan said he’d help me get out of this,” I say.

“You? What do you think will happen to Nadia, or me? Father will kill us regardless, Lola. He won’t give a shit if we had nothing to do with whatever you’re planning. He’ll kill us to send a fucking message! Excuse me if I don’t give a damn about what your old mark is going to do for you. Especially when you’ll get us killed in the process, all because of your own stupidity.”

I didn’t think about this before . . . not in full detail. Declan said he’d help me get out but the reality of what we’d have to do is bigger than he can ever imagine. It won’t ever be simple. It’s going to be terrifying every step of the way, because we’re both starting a war with one of the most powerful men on the planet.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about you or Nadia.” I confess to Fleur.

“Oh really?” She barks back sarcastically.

“I need to talk to Declan soon. We need to change our plans. Fuck, we need to re-think this entire thing.”

“Yeah, I’d sure say. What is the plan anyway?”

“To take Father down,” I reply.

“Oh, so it’ll be super easy to do. I’m putting my full faith into the both of you.” She’s continuing on with the sarcasm.

“Okay, I realize I didn’t think this through with him enough. We just decided on it this morning. I’m supposed to meet with him in two days to go over things.”

“Lola,” Fleur looks at me sternly, rises from the edge of my bed and places her hands on both of my shoulders, “We all need to run if you’re going to do this. I . . . damn. I’ve been thinking about it for too long. I’ll do it if you are, and Nadia really has no fucking choice. We’ll all be screwed over by your choice, so.”

“Where will you go?” I ask.

“I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out.”

All of a sudden an idea hits me, one I can’t go to Declan and ask him right now . . . but I won’t leave these women behind. They’re automatically damned because of the choice I’m making. “Come with me, Fleur. Nadia too. We’ll be stronger together.”

“Where are we going?” Nadia asks from behind me, causing me to jolt into the air. Crap. Just as I was starting to convince Fleur of the idea, now I need to get Nadia onboard too.

“Lola and Declan have decided to live happily-ever-after. He’s going to help her get out of this life, so you and I need to run as far and fast as we can to get away from Father.” Fleur catches her up to speed in the most insensitive way possible.

Nadia presses her lips together and closes her eyes, a tear falls from the corner of her eye. “I’m dead regardless. Do what you want.”

Bringing my brows together, I need to figure out what she means. “How are you dead regardless?”

She scoffs, “My last mark’s sister. She went to the FBI and Father has intel this is closer than they’ve ever been. He told me this is my last assignment.”

God. He’s given her the death penalty. It’s a signature move where he’ll let one of us work our last assignment and then soon thereafter he’ll put a bullet through our head. It happens in the most unexpected of ways, but we always know it’s coming.

It’s just a ticking time bomb.

My mind is made up. Declan and I don’t have enough time. We need to get out of here quickly. As a matter of fact, the sooner the better.

Chapter Fifteen

She was an angel craving chaos. He was a demon seeking peace

~ TheMindsJournal.Com

Declan

Staring down at my laptop for what feels like the tenth hour. In reality, it’s only been a couple of hours. I’ve been responding to emails, checking up on projects the company has around the world. It’s all a desperate plea to try and occupy my time until I see Lola again.

Samira walks into my home office, squints her brows together and speaks up. “Declan, you have a visitor here. Her name is Lola, and she says she was here yesterday . . .,” Samira no doubt believes Lola is some crazy woman who’s infatuated with me. There have been a few times where I’ve brought one-night stands over and they’ve shown up just like Lola has.

“It’s alright, let her in.” I say, trying to sound calm and collected when I’m worried why Lola’s come back so soon.

Samira exits my office and while I wait I finish typing up the email to one of my clients and shut my laptop. Samira escorts Lola into my office. “Samira, will you please shut the door on your way out?” I ask.

She gives me a look that only tells me she’s uncomfortable with doing so, but she will do it. After Samira shuts the door I walk closer to Lola. “What’re you doing here?”

“We don’t have much time, Declan. Things are in motion that I wasn’t even aware of. We have to run, there isn’t another choice.” What in the world? Where is all of this coming from?

“What are you talking about? This morning we had a solid plan in place.”

She nods once, “Yes, we did, but I didn’t know he plans on offing one of the women who are working with me.”

That doesn’t make sense. “Why would he kill one of his employees?”

“To sum it up, there was an issue on her last job. The way he typically does this is he’ll tell us before he or one of his hired hands comes for us. We’re to work our last assignment, which is the assignment she’s doing with me. After she leaves she’ll be dead, Declan.”

“Why does he tell you ahead of time?” Isn’t it just encouragement for them to run?

“Because he wants us to be afraid of what’s coming.”

“Shit,” I mutter, wiping my hand over my mouth.

“Declan, I want to do things the right way. I know we just started to orchestrate how we were going to pull this off . . . but I’m afraid our options are limited now. We need to act quickly, and I’m going to beg that it’s not just the two of us who leave. Please, from the bottom of my heart I ask you to let us bring Fleur and Nadia. Nadia is the one who will be dead soon.”

Everything I’ve said to Lola is true. I want to keep her safe. I want to get her out of this, and while she doesn’t know it, I expressed to Heidi and her team how I want to help others get out of the same position as well.

“Yes, we’ll take both of them.” I declare, trying to figure out where we can go. With my own disappearance they’ll connect the dots. I need a house that will be big enough to house the four of us, in a remote location if possible.

“How are we going to do this?” I can tell how nerve wracked she is.

“I have a friend who owns a private island off the island of Guadelope. He has a luxury resort on it with a few mansions for upper class individuals who prefer a more private oasis. I can reach out and see if he’ll give us a lease. It should help us stay under the radar. Very little people go there. But we’ll need a jet and while I have one . . . again it’ll look suspicious.”

“You’ll need to change the names on the manifest. Our names can’t be on it.” Lola states. I naturally assumed their names couldn’t be on it. Talented individuals could easily hack into it. Wait . . . I have a splendid idea.

“Actually, we will take my jet. I have a feeling I know who’s names we can use.” I grab my phone from the top of my desk and immediately call my friend Marcus, who is the owner of the island and spend about ten minutes telling him how I’m trying to give a few employees of mine a specific retreat for a bit, but how we’ll be working there as well. He’s offered to let me stay there as long as I need to free of charge.

I’m pleasantly surprised at this bit, but I did save his ass not too long ago when I stood up for him. This must be his way of repaying me for that. Now, I call Heidi and hope she’ll answer.

“Declan, why are you calling me at this hour?” It’s a little past ten in the evening. I don’t know why she’s freaking out.

“I want to buy a share of your company for 3 million dollars. You can have a fifty-one percent stake, and I’ll have forty-nine percent. You can veto any decision I make and have the final say on everything.”

“What? Where is this coming from?”

“I don’t have time to explain right now, but I need you and your team to meet me at an airstrip tomorrow morning. Pack a bag, bring your laptops and everything else you may need. We’re moving your office.”

“Declan, you can’t just call me and present an offer like this . . . and expect me to accept straight away.”

“Fine, then don’t accept it straight away. Just meet me at the airstrip with your essential personnel and let me show you what being a partner of mine can be like.”

Heidi grumbles something on the other end and the call ends abruptly.

“What’re you doing, Declan?” Lola asks.

“We’re doing what we have to. Tomorrow morning at ten, we’ll all be leaving. Go get your girls and make sure they know the plan. I’m going to bring you all on board and we’ll have on the manifest that I only have a certain number of passengers. No one will know you, Nadia, or Fleur are even onboard besides the pilot, and crew.”

She nods a couple times, biting the corner of her lip. “I’m scared,”

“Of course, you are but I’m going to get you three out of this. You do trust me, right?” I stare into her eyes and wait to hear her response. Her eyes glisten over with water and I can tell she’s on the verge of crying.

“More than you could ever know, Declan.”

I go right up to her, pull Lola in my arms and make a promise to her. “You’re all going to be okay. Tomorrow morning we’ll be on a flight, far away from here.”

The End . . . for now.

Authors Note:

Dear Readers,

I so hope you enjoyed this new novella I’ve written. Conned was something I was planning to write for just the anthology. However, I’ve made the decision that after the anthology term is complete I will be releasing this as a novella. However, the rest of this story will be released shortly thereafter. I’m thinking I might release one every month, or every two weeks until Lola and Declan’s story is complete.

They’ve worked together to figure out a plan that will keep the women safe. But, their story isn’t over yet. This is just the beginning and I hope you’re ready for whatever else is going to be coming our way.

I’m sure many of you are wondering where the next installment will pick up. I can fully say the first chapter of the second book will be as they’re on the flight to Guadeloupe. Expect to see the rest of this coming in Early 2021!

Xoxo,

Liz

Vengeance

The Chicago Defiance MC Next Generation Novella

KE Osborn

Blurb

The love of your family should be unconditional.

My lineage—a long line of MC presidents before me.

My role—to live up to the expectations of those who filled the shoes I now wear.

Through my self-doubt, the lights of Vegas shine a beacon of hope.

A phoenix to rise through the ashes.

When my VP goes rogue, putting the club in jeopardy for his chance at happiness, will I find mine when the dust finally settles?

Or will my darkest secret be the very thing that not only destroyed my past but also a chance at a bright future?

This story isn’t about finding a way through—it’s deception, misunderstandings, attraction, and lies.

Love—it’s possible.

But who will have their vengeance?

Chapter One

VIPER

I slam my gavel hard on the table at the end of church, the loud thump resounding through the room as I take in my men. My VP, Vex, who also happens to be my cousin, sits to my left and Socket, my baby brother and Sergeant At Arms, to my right. Around the table of the Chicago Defiance MC, it’s a real family affair. My other cousin, Highway, sits at the end opposite me. While the rest of the men of my club-family, not by blood but the men I’ve grown up with, surround the table—Kampai, Vegas, and Atomic.

The thing about us is we grew up here.

Every single one of us.

We’re all sons of elders.

Hell, Socket and I have the privilege of having an ex-president as our father.

Rylan ‘Torque’ O’Shea—his name is famous around the streets of Chicago.

Synonymous with winning fights against the Yakuza, coming up against an ex-POTUS, turning the leader of the Andretti Mafia into an ally, and bringing down underworld organizations, to name a few, yeah, Rylan ‘Torque’ O’Shea is like a myth, a fucking legend in these parts. So, it’s tough being in my position—the president of this club—while trying to live up to his image and all the good he did for the Chicago underworld.

But I’m trying.

We’re all trying.

And with my dad, the fucking legend himself here in the background as our ‘Wise One,’ he’s always giving my brothers advice about what to do.

My brothers stand from the table getting ready to walk out while my attention is brought back into the here and now. My blood brother, Socket, is loitering at the rear of the chapel, and Atomic is sitting at his tech station.

I exhale, aware of what they want.

So, I walk over to them.

“Look, I know what you’re thinking, but it can’t be a serious threat, can it?” I ask, my eyes focused in on Atomic.

He grits his teeth while typing something into the computer system. His father, Ace, still tries to come in and take over. Often. I guess you never stop being a tech guy for the club. “I don’t know if there is any other way to see it, Pres. Unless someone’s sending out false data, it’s pretty conclusive.”

I shake my head in aggravation. “I don’t want this to be true. We’ve had peace in the streets of Chicago for years. My father and the brothers around him brokered that peace, and now because of one stupid misunderstanding, that could all be blowing up in our damn faces.”

Socket grips my shoulder. “Look, I know you haven’t been wearing that president’s patch for a long time, but shit, brother, if you need advice, you know who to turn to. Dad knows these guys better than anyone. He’ll know what to do. There’s no shame in trying to nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand.”

I flare my nostrils. “Yeah… but fuck! Last thing I want is to go to Dad with this, but I see no other option.” I swipe my hand through my hair. “He’s gonna fucking kill us,” I murmur the last part.

Socket grimaces. “Want me to come with? You know, for back up?”

“Nah… I’m the president. I have to man up to my club’s mistakes.”

I turn, heading out of the chapel.

Music assaults my ears as Jada and Mish serve behind the bar, their tits practically hanging out of their tops. The two new prospects, Kaden and Ash, are drinking heavily, their eyes firmly set on the club girls’ cleavages.

I roll my eyes, walking past them. “Go! Clean the damn bikes, prospects.”

They both turn, dropping their beers to the bar with shock. “Yes, Pres,” they blurt out in unison and scurry off. I may not have been president for long, but being a third-generation president gives you mad respect.

I just hope I haven’t screwed it up in my first month of being in the damn chair.

My eyes continue to search the clubroom. It’s a mismatch of the old and new. The next generation is climbing the ranks while the older generation is slowly taking a back seat.

My parents have entered their early sixties.

Dad could have stayed on the throne. There was no reason for him to hand it down to me. He’s not sick, but he told me he wanted to spend more time with Mom and maybe travel. He spent his years behind the desk, and he wanted to pass on the gavel. That way, he could be here to guide me—well, Socket and me. When Dad did that, my Uncle Trax decided to do the same. So, his son, Vex, was promoted to VP.

Vex is just like his father—immature in his actions, irrational in his ways. They say deviance is an absence of conformity to the normal, and you better believe Vex is just like that. His moods are up, down, and all over the place. He’s a loose cannon.

Mom and Dad sit in the corner, all cozied up. It’s crazy, even at their age at how loved-up they still are. As I walk over, their heads turn up, and I grit my teeth.

“Hey, Pres.” Dad chuckles. “You don’t have any clue how fucking proud I am to say that to you, Beau.”

I scowl. “Dad, call me Viper. You know that.”

Mom smiles. “He’s just letting you know that you’ve come a long way, is all.”

Tensing, I understand what she’s referring to. “Mom, I don’t want to talk about that.”

Dad sits forward. “Pres, your time in the Army taught you how to be strong. You shouldn’t disregard it so easily.”

I cock my head. “Yeah, well, the Army is history now. I have bigger fish to fry at the moment. That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.” I grab a seat opposite them and plonk my ass down.

Dad shrugs. “You can always talk to me, kid. You know that.”

I let out a groan. “I don’t think you’re gonna wanna hear this.”

Dad sits taller. “What did you do?”

Rubbing my face, I let out a huff. “Vex did something…” I grimace, “… stupid.”

“Still taking after his father, I see.” Mom snickers.

Dad pulls his lips into a thin line, but I continue, “It’s to do with Nio Andretti.”

Dad’s face falls, turning red with obvious anger. “Nio isn’t like his mother, Viper. I don’t have control over the Andrettis now like I used to. What. The. Fuck. Has. Vex. Done?”

I rub the back of my neck to ease the tension. It doesn’t help. “You know how Nio was kind of seeing that girl, Isabella?” Dad nods. I exhale. “Vex is in love with her. Apparently, they’ve been dating each other behind Nio’s back and… he’s fuming.”

Dad slumps with a groan. “So, you’re telling me that after all this damn time, a new reign comes over the Defiance MC, and now the Andrettis and us are going back to war… over a fucking female?”

I roll my shoulders. “I don’t want it to come to that, Dad. That’s why I’m coming to you.”

Dad glances at Mom, the worried expression telling me everything. “Nio’s a loose cannon. He’s ruthless. Conniving. He lost his father and had no one to guide him.” Dad sighs. “I don’t know if I speak with Bianca that we can fix this, kid.”

Bianca is the matriarch of the Andretti Mafiosos. She ran the entire famiglia when her husband met his untimely end. She raised Nio and his sister on her own while being in charge of the most powerful mafia in Chicago. Bianca stepped aside when Nio came of age and took his rightful place as Capo Di Tutti Capi.

I dip my chin as a sense of courage fills my chest.

I can do this.

I can find a way.

I’m the motherfucking president of the Chicago Defiance MC.

We’ve been at war with the Andrettis.

We’ve been at peace with the Andrettis.

There’s no way we can’t make it through this again.

Through the decades this club has fought battles.

In love.

In war.

In life.

In death.

And we’ve come out swinging after all of them.

I might be new at the head of this club, but it doesn’t mean I won’t stand up. It doesn’t mean I don’t know this club inside and out.

This club—this club is a tightknit unit.

We’re family, and we work well together.

We bond together.

Anything that happens to any of us happens to all of us.

I take a deep breath, cracking my neck to the side. “Then, if the old generation can’t settle this brewing war, I guess it’s up to us. The next generation. Nio might be a loose cannon, but so is Vex. Having them both fighting over the same woman is like a fucking disaster waiting to happen. Leave it to me. I’ll think of something.”

“I know you will, kid, that’s why you’re the president. These shoes are yours to fill, Viper.”

I grip Dad’s shoulder, dipping my chin. “Thanks. Now I need to see my VP.”

Mom reaches her hand out, gripping my forearm. “Go easy on Vex. He might act all high and mighty, but deep down, he’s as soft as they come.”

I let out a snort. “Vex? Soft? You’ve met the douche, right?”

Dad smirks. “He takes after your Uncle Trax when he was the same age. Hot-headed. Damn moods all over the place. But deep down, he has a heart of gold. He just doesn’t want anyone to see it.”

“And you have?”

Mom’s lips turn up. “Aunts know these things.”

“Mm-hmm. I gotta go. I’ll keep you updated.”

“Please do. And kid…” I raise an eyebrow. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

I snort out a laugh, hightailing it to find Vex. I know exactly where he’ll be and make my way to the armory, my heavy boots stomping as I walk. Upon entering, the lights are bright in the stairwell for the Chamber. I was right. I take the steps two at a time heading down into the dank, musty room. It always smells like rotten mold whenever I come down here. I push on the heavy steel door which creaks with the heaviness of its weight, and I step into the dimly lit underground room.

This is the men’s room.

This is where shit gets done.

This is where men lose their minds to the madness of their demons, and their devils take hold.

This is the Chamber, and this is carnage. This place holds within its walls the beast inside us, and we let it rage, we let it ravage. In the Chamber, all bets are off, and you don’t want to be the man sitting in the silver fucking torture chair.

As my foot slides from the bottom step into the dimly-lit room, a drop of water hits the top of my head. The walls are solid stone, so no sound can escape. Moss grows through the hairline cracks, and the smell is not describable. The space is like an underground bunker. This is the place where Vex takes out all his frustrations, all his pent-up emotion, on whichever poor unwilling soul is his target.

But not today.

Today his target is the boxing bag as he pounds into it relentlessly in the corner of the darkened room. His cut and shirt off, his torso is glistening in sweat as it rolls off him. Vex is in the zone. He’s aware this war is brewing because of him. I don’t need to lay on any sort of guilt trip. Vex is temperamental, we all know that, but he also has a hereditary form of bipolar disorder passed onto him from his mother, Sparx. He’s medicated, and most of the time under control, but he’s always on edge. We just need to find a way to fix this latest shitstorm.

I walk past the silver torture chair and keep going. He knows I’m here, but he doesn’t stop his assault on the beaten-up, ratty old punching bag.

“We should kill him… that would solve every fucking thing,” he mumbles, then lands a right hook making the bag swing even harder with the brute force of his hands.

I fold my arms over my chest. “Sure, let’s do that. Then his underboss will come after us with the entire Andretti Mafia! And not only that, but we’ll have the one Andretti who is on our side turn on us, too.”

Vex stops punching, letting out a loud huff. “His mother, Bianca? She’s on his side anyway. As if she’s going to see this from our point of view.”

“Goddam, Vex! You’re sleeping with Nio’s woman. It’s a big fucking deal. If a Mafioso is promised a woman, then…” I scrape my fingers through my hair, “… she’s his.”

Vex stands taller glaring right at me, the pure venom in his eyes could kill me if it were lethal. “She’s not his. She’ll never be fucking his!”

I throw my hands in the air. “Then honestly, what the fuck are we gonna do about it? You won’t give her up. Nio won’t give her up. Unless polygamy is on the table, then I don’t see an option here, brother. You’re gonna have to let her go.”

He curls up his lip, pulling the Velcro off his gloves with heavy tears. “Thing is, Viper, you might be a damn good president, but you’re an asshole at being family.” He drags off his gloves, throwing them directly at my chest with force. I let out a huff as I catch them.

Vex picks up his shirt and cut, then heads for the stairs.

“You know this is the right thing to do, Vex.”

He flips me the bird before taking the stairs two at a time.

I’m unsure if I got through to him, but he didn’t fight me like I thought he would.

Maybe, just maybe, he’ll put the club first.

But my gut is telling me this isn’t going to be that easy.

Chapter Two

VIPER

We haven’t heard anything from the Andrettis regarding the situation with Vex and Isabella.

Vex has been unusually quiet today, keeping to himself. Basically, he’s sulking in his room like a spoiled little brat. I get it, I guess. Being told you can’t have the woman you love, and that she’s being forced to spend her life with a man she despises, is not ideal, but we all have to make sacrifices to keep the peace. Some of us need to sacrifice more than others. Is it fair? Fuck no, but it is just the way of the damn world.

He needs to step up, be the VP he was born to be. Otherwise, I might need to rethink his position at the table. Socket’s capable and nowhere near as emotionally unstable as Vex.

I’m sitting at the ‘summer camp tables’ aptly named by Mom eating my dinner when Sparx comes rushing through the clubroom holding a piece of paper in her hand. She scurries up to Trax making me narrow my eyes at them. As parents of Vex and his twin, Grace, seeing my aunt worked up over something has me intrigued.

They both make their way over to my dad to show him the note.

Dad’s eyes immediately fall on me.

And instantly, I know some shit’s going down.

Fuck.

I slide my plate away, stand, and walk over to the elders with a stern look on my face. “What is it?”

Dad exhales, handing me the note. I hesitate for a moment aware whatever’s written on it I’m not going to like. I peer down to see Vex’s handwriting which instantly has my back up.

Mom, Dad,

I’ve gone to get Izzy, and we’re leaving for a few days. Viper can’t see any way out of this, but I can. If I stop Nio’s wedding to Izzy, then there’s no way they can be together. I need to take that leap with her first.

I’d love it if you could be there to help us celebrate.

Friday, 9:00 p.m.

Chapel of Crystals

Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino (North Tower)

Izzy adores Grace and would love for her to be there. Honestly, she’s my twin. I can’t imagine getting married without her there either. I want all my family with us, but I understand if you can’t comprehend why I’m doing this.

I love you all.

Hopefully, Izzy and I will see you in Vegas.

Vex

I rub my forehead, glancing at Trax. “Do we think he’s gone manic, or have we misjudged how much he truly cares about Isabella?”

Trax exhales. “I hope it’s the latter. I don’t know what time he left, but it must have been sometime today. He’s probably already on a flight to Vegas by now.”

“We have three days to stop this wedding. Three days to get Isabella back to Nio before he detonates.”

Dad rolls his shoulders. “I’ll have a quiet word with Bianca. Let me test the waters, see where it all sits at their end. We might be able to find some version of a happy medium where this doesn’t blow up in our damn faces.”

“Do it! You work on it from this end. I need to hop on a plane and get my ass to Vegas. Make sure Vex is covered if any of the Andrettis decide to pay him a visit.”

“Take some guys with you, Pres. If Nio catches on, you’re gonna need backup,” Dad warns.

“Already have the guys in mind.”

Dad reaches out gripping my arm. “Be careful. Understand your limits.”

“Always.” I nod.

With quick steps, I make my way over to Kampai, Socket, Atomic, and Highway. They’re at the bar playing some stupid drinking game with Kaden and Ash. Of course, the prospects are losing because the game’s rigged with the prospects always forced to drink more. I walk up and slap Kampai on the back. His short black hair a stark contrast to his father’s dreadlocks. “Boys, we’re goin’ on a road trip.”

The prospects stop drinking, their eyes shifting up, shining full of hope. “Not you two, just patched brothers.”

Highway snickers, throwing another ping pong ball in Ash’s cup. He groans, taking the plastic cup and downing it. “Where we riding to, Pres?” Highway asks.

I tilt my head. “Not riding as such, we’ll need to fly where we’re going.”

Kampai raises his brow. “International?”

“Vegas.”

Atomic rubs his hands together. “Fuck, yeah! I can finally put my card-counting skills to the test.”

I roll my eyes. “We’ll be in a casino for a day before attending a wedding. But, in all honesty, we’re going to try and stop said wedding.”

Socket narrows his eyes on me. “Where’s Vex?”

His suspicions are warranted.

I grit my teeth as the other guys observe the room. “Nooo! Fuck, he didn’t?” Socket blurts out. He’s so switched on, my blood brother.

I rub the back of my neck, my stomach beginning to churn. “He damn well did. He took Isabella and shot through to Vegas to marry her on Friday night. His idea… they get married before her and Nio, and somehow that shit will end the brewing war.”

“End it? A match lit under it more likely. This will be like a nuke detonating,” Kampai grumbles.

“So, that’s why we’re going.”

Socket shakes his head. “We have to stop him.”

“Pack some shit. We’re leaving as soon as I can get Jada or Mish to book us a flight.”

“Got it,” Atomic affirms, then throws one more ball in Kaden’s cup. The idiot downs the drink, and we all walk off leaving the two prospects too drunk to care about anything right now.

I walk to the sleeping quarters, my stomach twisting in on itself as I head for my room to pack. My palms coat in a layer of sweat as fatigue hits me full force. My breathing is labored. I try to take in a deep breath, but I can’t catch it. I rush inside my room, shutting and locking my door behind me. My fingers tremble on the lock. My stomach rolls again, threatening to empty itself as I close my eyes trying to calm myself.

This shit’s nothing new. I know this feeling. I’m used to it. I simply need to deal. Walking past the mirror, I’m pale and pasty, my skin shiny from the sweat gleaming across my skin.

I felt the telltale signs—the need for my hit. When I get stressed, this can happen quicker. So I reach for the little black bag, and walk over to my bed, sitting down. I unzip it, grabbing the needle from inside and take in a long, deep breath. I don’t understand why I still hate the fact that I must do this. I shouldn’t be ashamed of it. But this stinking needle is the reason I was kicked out of the Army.

My hand trembles as I lift my shirt looking down at my churning stomach seeing the marks from previous injection sites. Taking a deep inhale, I press the injection to my stomach, the needle pierces my skin quickly. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. Dropping the syringe to the mattress, I feel a little less like a man for having to do this shit. I shouldn’t need it like I do. But without it, it’s like I can’t function, like I will inevitably fail at being the president I’m born to be.

Damned if you do. Damned if you don’t.

I’m sluggish, but the hit is working its way through my system. I wish it worked faster, but it usually takes about thirty minutes for me to feel the full effects. But I can’t sit around waiting for it to take hold. I have shit to do.

So I’ll force myself to do whatever I need to.

Even though it’s like I’ve been hit by a fucking bus.

First thing I need to pack are enough needles to get me by on this trip to Vegas.

The Next Day

Riding a bike always sets my mind at ease, no matter what shit I’m going through. The wind whipping at my face while riding in formation with my brothers at my back—yeah, there’s nothing like it, even when I’m on a rented bike. Riding along the Vegas strip at night, I have to admit, there’s something about Sin City that instantly has my adrenaline pumping.

We’re making our way through the crowded streets. For a Wednesday night, it surprises me how packed the nightlife is downtown. I guess that’s why Vegas is the city that never sleeps. Jada made a reservation for us at the same hotel Vex is supposed to be holding this stupid damn wedding.

Just in case, his parents and sister have flown down as well. Because if by some miracle, this wedding does go ahead, they want to be here for it. They’re driving in a Cadillac behind the convoy of bikes. We let the Las Vegas Defiance Chapter know we’re in town, in case we need backup at any point, and of course, to be polite that we’re on their turf. Their president, Trick, knows he’s on call and has our back if we need him.

We pull into the Westgate Resort & Casino, the high-rise is taller than I imagined, but then again, everything’s big in Vegas. The ‘I heart Westgate’ sign sits loud and proud at the front with visitors taking photographs in front of it like the tourists they are. We park our rides, handing the keys to the valet.

Trax pulls in behind us, and we all move about pulling our luggage out of the Cadillac. Sparx and Grace’s eyes light up. Seems they’re starstruck with this magical city. I understand why, the lights, the atmosphere, there’s something about this place that everyone loves.

“Okay, let’s check into our rooms. Then we can try to figure out where to find Vex,” I suggest.

“What? No going to the casino and having a bet on the tables?” Atomic asks with a smirk.

I narrow my eyes at his eagerness. “We find Vex. Then and only then will we have the night to unwind.”

“Fuck, yes. Okay, let’s find the asshole.” Atomic turns, then heads inside making us all chuckle. He’s on a damn mission.

As my uncle exhales, I walk beside him. “You think we’re going to convince Vex not to marry her?” he asks.

I crack my neck to the side. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

Sparx looks our way. “I don’t think anything will change his mind. He has his father’s stubbornness and my heart. He loves fiercely. He won’t budge when he’s made his mind up. Viper, I’m not sure how we’re going to fix this.”

Grace flips her hair over her shoulder and exhales. “Guys, he loves her. I’ve never seen Vex so worked up over any woman like this before. I’m playing the devil’s advocate here, but maybe we should let him have his happily ever after. It’ll change him. He’ll be a better man if he gets to claim the woman he’s been so desperately trying to have.”

We approach the reception desk as I narrow my eyes on my cousin. “You know him better than anyone, Grace. You honestly think we should let him do this? Even with the shit that will rain down on the club?”

“There will always be another option, another way out. We need to find it. Just because Isabella was promised to Nio, doesn’t mean Nio loves her. He wants her to marry into his family, which will bring power to the merger of the Andretti and Caparelli families. That’s all. It’s simply business for him.”

I furrow my brows. “You seem to know a lot about this, Grace.”

She shrugs. “Just because I’m not a part of the brotherhood, doesn’t mean I don’t take notice of the shit that’s happening around me. I’ve been a part of Defiance as long as you have, Beau. Don’t underestimate me.”

All our eyes bulge at her sassiness. I have to admit, Grace normally sits in the background, reserved and quiet. Maybe she does that on purpose because she’s watching, listening, and taking everything in.

“Noted. I’ll keep that in mind.”

We check-in then head up to our rooms. They’re fucking over-the-top, especially for bikers. Luckily, we’re all on the same floor and pretty much next to each other, which is damn convenient. So, after I put my bag away and freshen up, I call everyone out into the hall with a loud whistle. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s not the ‘done’ thing, but fuck if I care.

“Okay, I think the best way to go about this is for Grace to call Vex and tell him she’s here for the wedding, for him to tell her where he is, and then we’ll go visit and assess where his head’s at.”

Everyone nods as Grace pulls out her cell, dialing his number. She puts it on speaker, so we all hear, and he answers soon after.

“Hey, twin, you coming to Vegas?”

“Actually, I’m here. I’m in my hotel room ready to come find you and Izzy.”

He exhales. “Knew you of all people would understand. You don’t know how much this means to me, Gracie.” He takes in a large, deep breath. “We’re at the pool. Can’t wait to see you.”

“Love you, twin,” Grace offers, her eyes closing.

She feels guilty.

I can see it in her expression.

I get it.

“Love you, too.” Grace ends the call.

Sparx pulls her in for a hug. “You’ve done the right thing, honey.”

“He’s going to hate me…” She sighs loudly. “And I don’t blame him.”

“Hey, he loves you, Grace. He could never hate you,” Trax insists.

Grace gnaws on her bottom lip, and I signal to everyone to head down to the pool area. We enter the elevator, and it stops on a floor halfway down to let more people in.

The doors open.

My heart thumps in my chest.

A waft of fruity-smelling perfume invades my senses as a woman wearing a dealer’s uniform enters. Her brown hair is tied back with a red bandana, her plump lips painted bright red to match. Her eyelashes are curled to frame her big brown doe eyes as she stares aimlessly at her cell.

She steps in carelessly and bumps into my side. “My bad,” she mumbles under her breath.

Her voice is silky smooth and utterly enchanting. Her fruity perfume overwhelms the elevator as she stands beside me still staring at her cell. She has no idea she’s in an elevator full of bikers. This woman is oblivious to the world around her, but fuck if she isn’t the sexiest thing I’ve seen in as long as I can remember. Her frivolous attitude and the whole vibe she has going on right now is such a turn on.

My cock jerks against the seam of my jeans as I stare, taking all of her in. I want to reach out and touch. I want to talk to her, find out everything about her. But in a confined space with all my brothers—my family—in here with me, it’s more than a little awkward. The elevator halts on our floor. I hate to leave without saying anything to her, but the doors open, and my brothers all start filing out of the small space.

I hesitate.

Dammit! I have more important shit to do right now and have no choice but to leave her. So I turn walking toward the exit, but as I stroll out, I spin around taking one last look, glancing down at her name badge—Ember.

I pause, staring at her badge letting it sink in. Her name literally means heat. That’s what she’s done from the moment she walked into the elevator, she’s ignited my body. My eyes wander up to take in her face. As if to sense me watching, her attention shifts from her cell to me. Her eyes widen while taking me in. Then they wander up and down my body while the doors start closing. I take a step forward, and our eyes connect. Tension filters through the small space between us. We stare at each other, neither of us saying a word. My heart rapid fires. A slow smirk crosses her lips just as the doors completely close taking her away from me.

What the hell just happened?

Did we have a moment?

Or am I imagining shit?

“Viper, c’mon, man,” Socket calls out.

I turn, and they’re all headed toward the door for the pool deck.

I take a deep, centering breath getting my head back in the game.

Ember is a dealer.

If I want to find her, at least I know she’ll be in the casino.

But for now, I need to deal with Vex.

So, I spin on my heels, taking off to catch up with my brothers.

Chapter Three

VIPER

The pool looks every part like I thought a Vegas hotel pool would, even at night. The city lights are sparkling, lighting up the sky in the background. The music from the street echoes around filling the atmosphere with a buzz. The weather is hot for this time of year, it’s 81°F in Vegas tonight, so needless to say the pool is an excellent choice.

People are lying around the edge sipping on their cocktails as women in scantily clad bikinis float in the pool. It’s a paradise, if I’m honest, but that’s not why we’re here. We need to search for Vex.

“Okay, let’s find them,” I instruct, moving out together to go in search of the couple we need to find right now. As we walk, people take notice. I guess a group of bikers casually strolling around the pool deck searching for someone is a little on the suspect side, but we can’t help that.

“Found him,” Grace announces. “Over there…” She points. “By the bar.”

“Of course, he is,” I scoff.

We all march over. He’s sitting shirtless wearing board shorts, while Isabella is relaxing in the shallows sporting a black and diamante encrusted bikini. Her eyes are closed, and she’s wearing a ridiculously oversized sunhat. It’s close to nine at night. She doesn’t even need a hat.

Trax grips my shoulder narrowing his eyes on me, so I gesture for him to proceed. He steps forward cautiously. “Vex,” Trax calls to his son from behind him.

Vex chuckles, taking a sip of his beer. “I knew you’d be here, too, Dad.” He spins on his stool, a cocky smirk lining his face, but then when he spots all of us, his cheery expression falls.

“Fuck!”

Isabella opens her eyes, focusing directly on Vex. He flares his nostrils as she gnaws on her bottom lip.

“I told you they’d come,” she murmurs.

Vex rubs the back of his neck, stands, and moves to get in the pool next to Isabella. He wraps his arms around her pulling her to him. “We’re not leaving until after the wedding.”

I step forward, anxiety creeping through me like a whirling tornado. If we don’t find a way to rectify this situation, there will be hell to pay. I hate that I have to ask, but know I must. “Vex, are you taking your meds?”

He glares at me. “Fuck you, Viper. I’m not having a damn episode, and for you to even think that is insulting as shit.”

I raise my hands in surrender, taking a deep breath. “Vex, Isabella—”

“Izzy! Nio calls me Isabella. It’s so formal, I hate it. I might appear prissy. I understand I come from money and a tight-ass family, but honestly, Viper, I’m not as stuck-up as I look.”

Okay then.

Letting out an exhale, I grimace. “Izzy, I know you and Vex care for each other—”

“Do you? Do you really know what it’s like to be in love? A love no one understands or is rooting for? Because the only man I will ever want is Vex…” She trails off and takes a deep breath. “I swear I don’t want any part of marrying Nio. It’s my father who wants me tied to his family, and while you might think I’m not a good fit for your cousin…” she gleams at Vex with nothing but adoration and love oozing from her, “… I’m utterly in love with Vex. Have been for longer than I’ve even known Nio Andretti. Vex and I getting married is a natural progression for us. We’re not rushing into this because there’s a deadline attached to it, we’re doing it because the time is right for us. I don’t care that he is bipolar, I don’t care that you guys see it as a flaw in him. To me, it’s simply a part of him that makes him even more caring and amazing. Vex is nothing like Nio. I love Vex, and I will do everything in my power to make him the happiest he’s ever been.”

Fuck.

I glance at Trax.

He shrugs.

What in the hell do I say to that?

Grace steps forward, standing taller. “I support you. You know I do. I’ve known about you guys since the beginning of your relationship. I see how much you love each other, and I, for one, think this wedding should go ahead. I think we need to wait and see if Uncle Torque can come up with anything when he discusses this with Nio’s mother, Bianca.”

Vex’s hopeful eyes meet mine.

I grit my teeth, close my eyes, and count to ten. I guess we have time. I don’t need to make any rash decisions just yet. “Fine! I’ll wait to hear from Torque, but until then, keep your head down, Vex. I fucking mean it.”

Vex leans in planting a kiss on Izzy’s cheek. “I’m going to be spending all my time with my fiancée.”

“Does this mean we can go to the casino now?” Atomic starts.

I snort out a laugh. “Yeah, we can let our hair down for a while. But stay close together, and for God’s sake, don’t do anything stupid. You get into any kind of shit, call for back up. Last thing we need is to start some other kind of drama while we’re here.”

“Wanna go see Elvis?” Sparx nudges Trax.

“Renew our vows? Fuck, yeah! Grace, you coming? We need a witness.”

Grace groans. “Man, there’s weddings left, right, and center.” She rolls her eyes. “Sure, I’m coming. Vex? We were both at their first ceremony, wouldn’t be right without you?”

“Yeah. Wait for Izzy and me to get changed. We’re coming, too.”

I slap Trax on the shoulder. “Have a good time. I’m heading to the casino to check it out. Make sure everything’s okay. You run into anything, you call me. Got it?”

He nods, so I take off with the other guys by my side. They’re all excited about playing the tables. But I’m going in search of a certain hottie, who’s bound to set me on fire.

We make our way into the casino a short time later. Atomic’s buzzing as Socket talks to him about making sure he loses occasionally. Socket’s always the level-headed one.

Kampai nudges my side. “You look lost in thought, brother.”

I rub the back of my neck. “I can’t tell what this trip is going to bring, whether Nio’s going to end up attacking when we least expect it, or if Torque will broker peace behind Nio’s back with his mother. I hate waiting. I hate unknowns.”

He hums under his breath. “It is a hard game to play. But, until you hear from Torque, I suggest, when in Vegas…” He leaves the sentence open, then we walk inside and down to the casino. We enter the giant expanse, slot machines ring out, the sound crazy loud, as I shake my head at the man yelling obnoxiously into a machine. “Make it rain, you bitch!”

I raise my brow walking past him, my brothers in front of me bouncing around like freaking teenagers on spring break.

Maybe I do need to let my hair down, if only for one night. I mean how often do we get time to live it up in Vegas?

I slap Kampai on the back, tilting my head. “When in Vegas!” I tell him.

“Good, lad.” He punches my bicep as he takes off in the opposite direction for a room that’s billowing cigar smoke. All my other brothers have vanished as well. I roll my shoulders and stroll, slowly and casually, taking in the slot machines. I don’t fancy that shit. They’re basically like throwing your money in the trash can then setting it on fire. No way! I need to make my way to the tables. At least there you can use some skill, and perhaps you have a chance at winning.

Entering a vast expanse, tables are scattered around the room, some playing poker, some blackjack, a few roulette tables, and all the other games you can think of. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a fucking ‘Go Fish’ table there are that many. It would be stupid of me to go in search of Ember. Hell, she’ll think I’m stalking her. But maybe that’s what I want to do.

Is she a poker dealer?

Roulette?

Damn, I’d sure like to take her for a spin.

I chuckle to myself but keep walking. Then the hairs on my arms stand up, while heat creeps over the back of my neck. I turn, and Ember’s watching me from behind her table. A blackjack dealer. Ember passes out the chips, working them through her fingers effortlessly without even looking at them. She’s been doing this for a long time. Her eyes bore into mine. I stop, staring right back at her. All the noise, the music, the chatter evaporate while I watch her.

Ember’s talking as the two men at the table place their bets. But her eyes don’t leave mine for a second. A slow smile creeps up my lips. Her soft lips stretch, not quite reaching her eyes, but it seems so genuinely sweet that an unexpected rush of warmth passes through me, and then she winks.

The fucking vixen winked at me.

Ember’s eyes leave mine, focusing back on the table as she deals out her hand. My cock strains in my jeans as I rub the back of my neck. She’s sassy, got to give her that. I can’t not go and talk to her. Ember is full of fire, and I need to see if there’s a spark.

I stride over to the table standing right in front of her.

She deals out the cards so fast, it’s like she has lightning hands. “You need to be seated to play,” Ember says so nonchalantly without even looking at me.

Pulling my seat out, I sit, my lips turning up at the corners.

I’ve missed this round as she deals out the hand to the other two guys, who are going through the motions, but I watch her the whole time.

She doesn’t side glance me once.

“Dealer has twenty. House wins.” She drags both the men’s chips in.

They grumble, then walk away from the table.

I slide a hundred across to Ember. Her eyes meet mine as she takes the money, then hands me a pile of chips. I want to reach out and touch her hand, see if she does, in fact, set me on fire, but I don’t.

She deals me a hand, and I tap the edge of my card thinking out my game plan. “Please don’t touch the cards. Not until the house has dealt their hand.”

I smirk as she slides her card upside down over to herself, then an eight up the right way.

I love her sass. “You always this bossy?”

Ember’s eyes meet mine. The chocolate color has flecks of gold making me think the fire inside is trying to fight its way out. She’s a damn firecracker.

“You always breaking the rules?” she argues back.

I narrow my eyes. “Have you seen the cut? It’s the very definition of breaking the rules.”

“Is that supposed to impress me?” she quips and quickly follows with, “Would you like another card?”

I glance at my two fives, then tap the table.

She slides a king over placing it next to my ten.

“Impressed? No, keep you on your toes… maybe.”

“Hmm, well, I’m sure I like my feet firmly on the ground. Hit or stand?”

I peer down at my hand, adrenaline flowing through me. “Stand. Maybe you’re just too used to being on the level.”

“Player has twenty.” Ember turns over her upside-down card to show a ten. I smile wide, just what I was hoping for. “Dealer has eighteen. Player wins.” She slides my winnings over to me, then grabs my cards taking them away.

“Beginner’s luck,” I murmur, pushing a stack of chips equaling fifty dollars into the white circle.

She tilts her head at me. “Big spender or big ego?”

Is she like this with everyone?

“You really have a smart mouth, Ember.”

She shrugs. “I guess I have to keep you on your toes, Mr. President.”

I narrow my eyes on her.

She’s doing what I did. Read my name badge, or in my case, patch.

She slides my card over to reveal an Ace.

I waggle my brows at her. “If I get blackjack, will you give me the presidential treatment?”

Ember rolls her eyes. “Please… that was the worst one-liner ever. And trust me, commando, I’ve heard them all.”

Commando? Maybe she saw my dog tags.

Damn! She’s a hard nut to crack.

But hell, if her attitude is doing it for me.

I love her fight. Her sass. She’s a minx, and I want to spend as much time as I can with her tonight.

“I have plenty more one-liners, but you’ll have to deal the card you’ve been dealt.”

A dimple crinkles in her cheek as she beams. “Fucking hell… Dad jokes now? Are you trying to impress me or make me laugh at you?”

I smirk, as she slides me another card. “Both.”

She shrugs. “It’s working, commando.” Ember winks at me again as she slides my card over. Excitement builds inside me while an image of her wrapped around my waist while I fuck her on the blackjack table flashes through my mind. My cock hardens until it’s almost painful while a low growl reverberates in my chest.

“Blackjack,” Ember calls out, snapping me back into reality. My eyes flick to hers as she assesses me.

Her eyes drop to my cards, and I peer down at my Ace and Queen, while a slow grin forms on my lips. “I think you’re my lucky charm.”

“I can’t be your lucky charm if I don’t even know your name.”

My eyes meet hers. She stills her movements as we stare at each other. “It’s nice to meet you, Ember. I’m Viper.”

She pulls her bottom lip in with her teeth and nods, sliding my winning chips over. I take in my prize money pushing it up into a pile.

Right now, I really do feel like a winner.

I think I’m starting to love being in Vegas.

Chapter Four

EMBER

Viper’s been at my table for hours. Other patrons have come and gone, but none have been as lucky as he has with the deck. I don’t believe he’s counting cards, I just think he’s on a winning streak. The thing is, I don’t want him to leave. Our witty banter has me in stitches. Plus, he’s really freaking good to look at. That leather cut, his short brown hair, the close beard on his oval face, but his eyes—those haunted eyes—they’ve seen a well of torment. The blue in them pierces through me like the waves of the ocean crashing against the shore.

It moves something in me.

It’s indescribable.

I haven’t missed the dog tags around his neck, but I’m assuming if he’s wearing a biker’s cut, he’s ex-military. His broad chest makes me think there are muscles under his shirt that go on for days. Not to mention his arms, one of which is completely covered in ink, but both are muscular as fuck. He’s all my dreams come to life in a package right in front of me. I’m meant to be professional at work, but there’s something about Viper that has me acting out. I hate this job, so having a little fun tonight feels like the right thing to do.

My boss is an asshole anyway.

“What time do you get off?” Viper asks casually.

What time do you want to get me off? I giggle to myself.

“Bit presumptuous of you, isn’t it, commando?”

He places his fists on the table. “Okay, what’s with this commando thing?”

Busted! Think quick.

I reach over the table, picking up his dog tags. The cold metal sits lifeless against my skin compared to the warmth he’s exuding. “You were a commando, right?”

Viper’s eyes glass over like he’s reliving a memory. I let the dog tags fall to his chest, his eyes focus again like it snapped him back into reality. “Army pilot.”

I exhale. “Call sign, Viper?”

His lips turn up slightly, but there’s sadness behind his eyes. “You’re sexy and smart.”

I shrug. “I try.”

“That was another time, though. The club is my life now.”

We’ve stopped playing cards and are now talking. This isn’t allowed, but then again, fuck the establishment. I am sure I will cop it later, but right now I am interested in what Viper has to say. “Why did you leave the Army?”

Viper rolls his shoulders. “Discharged.”

Shit, that’s heavy. I don’t want to push, so I don’t. “You wanna play another hand and keep kicking my ass?”

He slides a hundred-dollar chip over. Viper’s amounted quite the pile of chips in the hours he’s been playing. I slide out the cards, getting on with the game when four security guards walk with purpose down the hall.

Someone’s in trouble!

Viper hits the table, I slide his card over, and he hits twenty again. I shake my head, letting out a small laugh as the security detail steps up beside Viper and me. My eyes widen, stopping what I’m doing as Viper glances at the guys.

Shit!

Damn!

Fuck!

“Ember, I’m going to need you and your player to come with us,” Scott, the security guard, advises.

Viper narrows his eyes on Scott as he sits taller, glancing around as if searching for backup.

“Guys, what’s this about?” I ask.

“Bates has been called in. He wants a word… with both of you,” Scott advises.

Great, we’ve skipped Tim, the pit boss, and are headed straight for the head honcho.

Viper sits forward. “What’s going on, Ember?”

“We have to go with them, we’ve been flagged.”

“What does that mean?”

“Enough! C’mon, let’s go,” Scott warns, shoving me a little as Garry grabs Viper by his cut, yanking him from his seat.

My eyes widen as Viper shrugs out of Garry’s grip, glaring at him. “You ever fucking touch my cut again, I swear to God I will tear your arm off at the shoulder then shove it up your ass.”

Garry widens his eyes holding up his hands. “Whatever! Just walk.”

I move out beside Viper, and we make our way with the guards. All the other dealers watch me understanding precisely what’s going on. I cringe, hating that they think they know what’s happening, but they have no idea.

Bates got it wrong.

Viper leans into my side, his woodsy aftershave teamed with the hint of leather is intoxicating. “Talk to me.”

“They’re taking us to the casino owner. He thinks I was letting you win,” I whisper.

“Bullshit!” he yells making everyone turn to face us. He glares at me. “That’s bullshit,” he repeats but in a quieter tone.

I shrug. “I know.”

He stands taller. “Don’t worry, I’ll settle it.”

I’m sure you will.

We turn down a smaller hall toward Bates’ office. The hall is dimly lit giving it an ominous ambiance. I want to grab hold of Viper’s hand, but that would be stupid. I’ve only known him for all of maybe three hours.

Scott leads the way. He opens the door to Bates’ office, and he walks in first, we follow behind him. The room is dull but massive. Scott leads us around the corner, past a large desk, and through to another room. When we enter, there are two chairs in the middle. It’s like an interrogation room.

Scott shoves me forward. I stumble slightly, but Viper grips hold of me before I fall.

He turns, glaring at Scott. “Touch her again, and I’ll shoot you, you motherfucker!”

Scott laughs, shaking his head. “Sit down. Both of you.”

I swallow a lump that’s firmly caught in my throat as I brush past Viper’s hand, leading us over to the chairs. A tingle shoots all the way from the tips of my fingers, right up my arm, and straight into my chest from simply touching him. I gasp. His eyes wander over my body as if he’s checking to see if I’m okay. Then he observes the room. I think he’s checking for exits, but the only way out is the way we came in. Though on the downside, Scott and Garry are standing at the entry guarding it.

“Is this normal?” Viper asks.

I shrug. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve never been in this situation before.”

A door creaks and footsteps echo in the other room.

“Okay, boys, our turn,” Bates calls.

Scott and Gary step aside as three men wearing black assault gear and carrying machine guns step into the room.

Viper stands abruptly, stepping in front of me.

I tense up, fear pummels through my body like a raging typhoon.

What the actual fuck?

“Who the hell are you?” Viper grunts out as Bates walks through the door.

“I could ask you the very same thing.” His gray suit appears expensive but barely covers his rotund stomach, his white hair excessively oily, and his overly red face obvious from too much cholesterol seems even redder today.

“I’m the motherfucking president of the Chicago Defiance MC. I ask again… who the fuck are you?”

Bates chuckles, walking in with his gun-wielding lackeys in tow. I’m not sure what the hell this is, but I want no part in it.

“I’m the owner of this casino. If I think my dealers are cheating the system, especially to lowlife scum like a biker, then I have something to say about that.”

Viper steps forward, but one of the men aims his gun, pressing it right into Viper’s stomach.

“Stop! Stop it! Jesus Christ, Bates, you know me. You know I’m not an underhand dealer. I’ve worked for you for a long time. I only met Viper tonight. He had a lucky spell.”

Viper’s glare on the man with the gun doesn’t ease. In fact, he pushes himself further into the weapon.

A dare?

Does he have a death wish?

“A three-hour lucky spell, which ended in you breaking a cardinal rule.” I drop my eyes to the floor. “What is that rule, Ember?”

I exhale knowing exactly what he’s talking about. “Don’t touch the players.”

“Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner. That’s the first sign that you’re dealing a unique hand. You reached over the table and took a look at his dog tags. You… reached over. The. Table.”

Damn! I sink in on myself. I knew it was wrong at the time, I just didn’t think it would lead to fucking men with guns.

“So, now we have a problem. We have bikers in our casino taking advantage of our system and the way we do things around here.”

“I’m not taking advantage of shit! You better watch the way you talk, Bates.” Viper’s mocking tone when he drops the name makes me want to laugh, but I’m far too worked up to manage it.

“Or what? You have no weapons on you, Viper,” Bates mocks his name in the same way. “I think you and your men better get out of my casino before we turn this discussion into something far more exciting.”

I open my eyes wide. I don’t want any more excitement for tonight.

“I’m all for exciting. But a word of warning… a biker always has a weapon on him.” Viper’s hands move quicker than I thought humanly possible. His palm sneaks into the back of his jeans, pulling out a small pistol, at the same time his free hand shoves the rifle away from his stomach. He spins the rifle slightly making the guard’s arm twist out sideways as his pistol slides straight up against the guard’s temple.

Bates laughs loudly, sending applause around the room. The other guard aims his rifle at Viper, while I tense all over, hoping like hell he doesn’t get shot in front of me, or worse, I get shot because of him. I slide back further into my chair, holding my breath at this intense standoff happening right in front of me. It’s like time is standing still. If I don’t breathe soon, I’m sure I will pass out.

“You are cunning, Viper, I’ll give you that, but you forgot about the other gun in the room.”

Viper smirks. “I didn’t forget. See where this rifle is pointed?” Viper jabs, gesturing with his head to the one by his side. The rifle he pushed is pointed directly at the other guard.

I let out my breath, a slow smile creeps up my face as my muscles begin to relax. His Army training has come in full force. “Now take note of where my hand is,” he adds.

It’s by the trigger of the rifle.

I let out a small giggle making Bates sneer at me. “You find this amusing, Ember?”

I sit taller. “I think Viper is actually skilled and has your guards at a disadvantage, so you better listen to him.”

Take that, you damn asshole.

“Thanks, Ember,” Viper praises.

Bates lets out an aggravated groan. “I knew you two were in cahoots.”

I stand, finding my strength and walk over to Bates with an exhale. “Honestly, Bates, you’re a prick of a boss. I hate this job, but I need the money, so I wouldn’t purposely jeopardize my place here. I’m telling you the truth when I say that before Viper came to my table, I hadn’t met him. Actually, I hadn’t uttered a single word to him.”

I’d seen him, though. Boy did I see him, but talk, technically, that’s a no.

“You’re making an assumption because of the cut I wear, Bates. Because of the club I belong to. Don’t tarnish Ember’s reputation because of who I am,” Viper demands.

Bates rolls his shoulders. “You made a fool of me here tonight, Viper. You need to make it up to me. I’m honestly not sure if Ember should keep her position.”

My eyes widen with a gasp.

Viper drops his weapon from the guard’s head, taking a step back, his hands shifting up in surrender. “Your beef is with me, with this cut. Don’t punish Ember.”

My heart races a million miles a minute, my stomach swirling as I glance from Viper to Bates and back again.

Bates grins maniacally. “Okay, tell me… What do you trade in? You have to do some underground shit, and I want in.”

I jerk back in shock. I knew Bates was a creep, but running in illegal shit that I had no idea about.

Viper rubs his chin, his eyes shift from me then back to Bates. “You tell me what you want, then I’ll tell you if I can accommodate.”

“You are a fucking smart sonofabitch…” Bates lets out a belly laugh. “Guns, asshole, I want guns! I’m aware Chicago Defiance runs them. You deliver me a shipment… I call us all even.”

I stand back. I don’t know how I feel about this. I mean, I knew Viper was a biker, obviously he deals in bad shit, but guns? Guns kill. Guns are used for mass shootings. I don’t like this shit at all.

“What’ll they be used for?” Viper asks.

“I have a hunting party. We go to Mount Charleston once a month. I want new guns to replace the old shit we have, and I don’t want to pay for them.”

I open my eyes wide. Is he for real?

“You’re a weird fucker. And if I’m reading this right, all of this… this charade, it was just to get these guns. Wasn’t it?” Viper asks.

I gasp, anger flaring inside of me so hot, my fists clench together.

No, he can’t be right.

But Bates lets out a guttural cackle. “Oh, Jesus, you are fucking smarter than you look.”

Rage explodes inside of me, it burns so hot I can’t contain it. I race forward thrusting my hands out trying to get to Bates. I let all my pent-up emotions take over, letting out a scream as I lunge for him. My hands punch at his face, connecting with his jaw as Viper rushes in behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist pulling me back and away from him. My legs kick up in the air. “You bastard! You fucking dickface!”

“Whoa! Whoa there, spitfire. Calm your girl down, Viper. I know I used you as a pawn—”

“As a pawn? As a pawn! You fucking…” I lunge at Bates again, but Viper holds me back. “This is my reputation on the line here, you giant bag of assholes!”

Bates grins maniacally as Viper wraps his arms around me tightly keeping me in place.

“Okay, okay… I might have done the wrong thing bringing you into this, Ember, but you and Viper were getting along so well. I thought I could use you as a way into Defiance.”

“Fuck you!”

“Do you want this job or not?” he grumbles.

I huff. “I’m seriously starting to question the answer to that.”

The asshole waves his hand through the air. “Of course, you do. I’ll see you back here tomorrow night for your shift. Viper, I’ll expect the guns by say…” he scratches his head, “… the third week of the month?”

Viper grunts, but I feel him nodding behind me. It’s only now that I have a second to calm down, I realize I’m in Viper’s arms. He’s surrounding me, wrapping himself around me like a shield. I’m warm and comforted in his embrace. Fuck if I don’t love the feeling of being right where I am. I lean back into him, just needing him a little more, getting lost in the moment.

“Right, I’m done with you two. You can leave now.” Bates waves his hand through the air effectively dismissing us. “Viper, I’ll be in touch. Ember, have the rest of the night off. You deserve it.” He turns, stepping out of the room, his armored guards walking with him, leaving me alone with Viper holding me.

A calm silence envelops the room. Standing, I try to gather my thoughts, though it’s hard with Viper wrapped around me.

“You okay for me to let you go now, Ember?”

Never.

“Yes,” I whisper.

His arms slowly drop from around my body, and I turn to face him. The tension in the air rises when my eyes meet his. Viper’s shine so brightly I want to get lost in them forever.

“Would you have shot those guards?”

His hand reaches out taking mine, a tingle shoots all the way up my arm into my chest again, and I inhale sharply.

Viper licks his bottom lip. “Yes, if they made a move to hurt you, I would have taken them both out. And Bates.”

I thought hearing that would upset me. Like knowing he would kill for me would be a complete turnoff, but seeing him in all his combat glory has only amplified my attraction to him. I step closer, now right in front of him. My free hand runs up his arm to his neck then rests on his cheek. He nuzzles against the palm of my hand as the atmosphere around us electro-charges and intensifies while we stare into each other’s eyes.

There’s something about him—he’s dangerous, yet he’s my safety at the same time. I don’t know him, but I feel like I understand everything about him. Viper’s hand comes to rest on my waist. His blue eyes seem even brighter somehow in this dim light. His other hand moves up to the back of my head, his fingers lacing around my ponytail.

I bite my bottom lip as my breaths come in short and sharp bursts. I look at his mouth, he licks his bottom lip, and I can’t hold back anymore. My heart’s pounding so damn hard if I don’t act on this, I might explode. I inch forward the same time he does. The atmosphere is popping and sizzling with the chemistry bursting through the air. Our lips connect, a spark, a jolt of electricity surges through my entire being. All the oxygen leaves my lungs as my mouth opens, letting his tongue dance with mine.

Viper’s beard tickles my cheeks as I kiss him. His hand on my ponytail tightens slightly, pulling my hair causing me to moan into his mouth. His grip on my hip pulls me to him, our bodies flush together.

I feel everything.

My hand slides up his muscular back touching leather beneath my fingers. This feeling is all new to me, but I love the texture all the same. Viper’s kiss is strong, it’s passionate, it’s forceful, and he’s taking what he wants as he backs me up against the wall.

I let out a small whimper when his hand in my hair moves down to my leg, hoisting it up to wrap around him. His cock presses right against my pussy, our clothes the only thing between us. My clit throbs so fucking hard. Needing friction as much as he does, I grind against him when someone clearing their throat startles us both.

Viper pulls his lips from mine, and we glance at the door with heat flushing across my cheeks.

“Sorry to interrupt, but… Bates wants you to get out,” Scott instructs.

I drop my leg from around Viper as he takes a step back from me, rearranging his crotch.

“Right,” Viper responds.

Scott hesitates but turns, walking out.

“Well, commando, I think you’ve really earned that nickname now.”

Viper smirks, grabbing my hand. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

Chapter Five

VIPER

We rush like teenagers through the halls of the hotel. I pull Ember back to me, pressing my lips to hers once more. I can’t get enough. Kissing her is everything I thought it would be. I burn for her. This woman ignites something inside of me I haven’t felt before. I don’t know what the fuck it is, but this feisty, sassy, crazy woman has experienced more with me in the past three and a half hours than most women I’ve been interested in.

I push Ember against a door, our tongues colliding. I grind my cock against her as she whimpers into my mouth. The sounds coming from her are fucking incredible. I need to take this from the damn hall to my room. Right the fuck now! We can’t stop fucking about for long enough to make it there.

Ember’s hands slide around my waist, then down to my ass, clenching my cheeks, pulling me closer to her.

Fucking tease.

She wants this just as badly as I do. I guess being in a near-death experience really does it for her.

Hell, I’m not complaining. I’m relishing in Ember’s frenzied state right now. I never thought for one second the action I’d be getting in Vegas would be this kind.

Groaning, I pull back from her. “My room’s not far… do you think we can make it?”

She bites her bottom lip peering up at me through her thick lashes.

Fuck, she’s sexy.

Her head slowly nods. So I grip her hand and take off running, making her burst out laughing as her tiny legs try to keep up with mine. It’s like we’re fucking school kids after prom as we race the halls.

My door’s coming up on the left, so I reach into my pocket for the keycard. I slow down our pace approaching my room, then pull her to me, turning my back to the woodgrain. Her body slams into mine, and she giggles uncontrollably while I lock my lips with hers. I back up against the door, running one hand into her hair, the other against the key lock. The click sounds, so I push the door with my ass, and it opens as I back us inside. My hands shift to her ass, and I hoist her up. Ember’s legs wrap around my waist as our tongues go rogue with each other’s.

My cock’s aching so damn much to be set free. I haven’t wanted to be inside a woman this bad for as long as I can remember. I’m not lacking in pussy, Jada and Mish are always available, but there’s something different about having someone who you’re deeply attracted to, someone you have a connection with.

Walking us in, her hands fist in my hair, and she tugs making my cock throb with need. I back her hard up against the wall, kissing her forcefully. I grab one of her wrists, slamming it back into the wall beside her head. She moans into my mouth while I grind my cock into her pussy. I bite her bottom lip between my teeth as she pants for much-needed breaths. We’re working ourselves into a frenzy.

“Fuck me, Viper,” she whimpers, her beautiful big doe eyes locking onto mine.

I stare at her, her golden flecks coming through so strong right now, the fire inside bursting to get out. A low rumble escapes me as I spin, walking us over to the bed. Then I throw her down onto the mattress, her ample tits bouncing with the movement.

I can’t wait to see them out of that uniform.

Bending over her, she watches me the entire time as my hands move to her black pants. I undo the button, then the zipper. My eyes shift to hers. I slide the zipper down. She gnaws on her bottom lip, lifting her ass off the bed as I grip her pants, yanking them down to her ankles. I make quick work of removing her shoes and pants, then I move back up to take a look at her. She has a tattoo on her left thigh of a phoenix. Of course, she does. The red, orange, and turquoise flames wrapping around her perfect thigh only makes her skin more beautiful to the touch.

I shake my head in awe, moving to her vest. She sits up slightly, undoing the buttons, then shrugging out of the stupid thing. Honestly, these uniforms were not made to get out of quickly. I stand back as she detaches her clip-on bowtie, which I can’t help but smirk at as she throws it to the floor.

“It’s cute,” I murmur.

“Cute is not what I’m going for right now,” she sasses back at me.

I wiggle my brows as she makes quick work of her shirt. It lands with her bowtie as she lays on the bed wearing a matching set of black lacy underwear. The sight before me is truly breathtaking. My cock instantly strains in my jeans.

“Trust me, Ember, you’re sexy as hell.”

She gets up stalking toward me on the bed on all fours, the move has me all kinds of worked-up. “And you’re far too dressed,” she replies as she reaches me, her hands making quick work on my Army belt.

I let her do whatever the hell she wants, pulling out my wallet from the back of my pants, grabbing a condom and throwing it on the bed. She undoes my belt, button, and zipper, then my pants fall to the floor. I step out of my boots, then jeans, as she sits taller on the bed.

Ember’s hands slide in under my cut as she moves to take it off. “Have I told you how attractive I find this?”

“The cut? Not me?”

“You in the cut, dickhead.”

I chuckle as she slides it off, placing it on the bed. Good girl. If she dropped it on the floor, we’d have a problem. “Maybe I should leave it on while I fuck you, then?”

She grins. “Leave that for round two. For now, I want to see you.”

I tilt my head, moving my hands to the bottom of my shirt and lifting it over my head leaving me tenting in my briefs. Her eyes take in my muscles, her hand darting out tracing the lines of my sculpted abs. Everywhere her fingers trail, a tingle follows. It’s like she’s shooting electricity under my skin. My hand moves down to her chin, and I lift her, bringing her mouth to mine. Her hands instantly wrap around my neck as I move mine to her panties, gripping and tearing them from her.

She gasps breaking our kiss. “What did you just do?”

“Something I’ve wanted to do since I first saw you in the elevator.”

She smirks but shakes her head. “They were a matching pair. Now I can’t wear the bra.”

“Well, then I’ll just have to keep that, too.” I run my hands around her back unclipping the bra and sliding it away from her, chucking it plus her now-torn panties to the floor next to my luggage. “They’re mine now, Ember. Got it?”

She raises her brow. “So, you can sniff them? You’re disgusting,” she teases.

“You can keep mine if you want?”

She rolls her eyes with a giggle. “You’re talking far too much shit right now.”

Sliding my briefs down with a grin, I kick them off. Her eyes widen as she takes in my size. Ember swallows a lump in her throat, while I pick up the condom off the bed, rip open the packet and slide it on. “Less talk. Hope you know what you’re in for, phoenix.”

“I think I have a good idea.”

“Then get your ass back on the bed and your legs up in the air.”

She salutes me, then falls back on the bed, her feet point straight to the ceiling. Kneeling at her pussy, I grab her legs and hoist her up. Ember’s back arches off the bed. “Bend your knees, phoenix,” I tell her inching her body toward my cock.

I want to ram into her, but I slide my finger into her folds to test the waters first. She’s so wet for me already. My finger edges up to her clit, and I press on it making her gasp. Her back arches higher off the bed as I circle on it hard then soft, hard then soft. I’m not going to make her come like this, though. I want her to climax with me inside of her for the first time. So, I continue to circle a few times as she bites down on her bottom lip, her fingers clenching on the bedsheets.

My cock throbs so fucking hard I can’t wait to be inside of her. Ember lets out a small whimper, and I’m done for. I can’t wait any longer. I grip her thighs, line up my cock, and pull her onto me. I slide into her warm fucking pussy like I’m always meant to have been there. I groan as she clamps down on me, her walls enveloping me like a warm fucking hug as she moans right along with me.

Now being inside of her, I let out a hiss through my teeth. I start to move, pulling her on and off me at the deeper angle, while at the same time, I work my hips. Her hands instinctively move to her breasts as she tweaks her nipples. The sight has me almost coming on the spot.

“Fuck, Ember.”

She pants while I thrust into her hard and deep, her eyes clenched as she rides the wave. Sweat coats my brow as my mouth begins to go dry from all the heavy breathing.

Fuck, not now!

I blink a few times, ignoring the warning sign. I keep thrusting inside of her, she feels so good I can’t stop.

“Harder,” Ember moans.

I want to please her, so I lean up on my knees, pushing myself into her deeper. She gasps as the angle hits her deep. I thrust harshly then faster, sweat working up on my forehead, but I’m running out of energy fast. A wave of nausea rolls through my stomach making me clench my eyes shut. I keep thrusting as it passes. She’s so fucking tight around me, it’s hard not to embrace the pleasure rolling over me. My breathing becomes shallow, but I’m almost there, and I know she is too.

Anger swarms through me that this is happening now, of all times.

“Fuck me, Viper,” Ember calls out.

She wants me to fuck her, then I’ll show her what fucking a biker is really like. My hand slides off her thigh, and I place it around her neck. I press firmly making her eyes widen as she takes in what I’m doing. She gasps as I choke and fuck her at the same time. It’s not enough to stop the airflow, just enough to scare her a little.

But it doesn’t scare her. The little firecracker smirks moving faster, an intense lust glazes over her eyes, and I’m fucking done for.

This is what she wants.

The bad boy.

I grip tighter, fucking her as my adrenaline spikes.

She begins to pant, her pussy clenching around my cock. Her fingernails dig into my biceps as she whimpers, “Fuck, Viper.” Her body trembles as she climaxes around my cock.

This is fucking heaven as she constricts around me strangling my cock. I lean down, pressing my lips to hers, devouring her. The tingle starts from the tips of my toes, shooting all the way to my balls. They tighten as my cock throbs with the pressure building inside. I groan into her mouth as her nails dig into my back, drawing blood. She clenches her pussy, and it sends me over the edge. My balls pull up, the pressure builds, then explodes as I come so fucking hard in the condom, I’m finding it hard to breathe. I break our kiss, jerking with my movements while unloading inside of her as the weight of my situation grabs hold of me.

I take a second to gather myself as she sighs running her hands up and down my back.

“Holy shit! When I pictured sex with you, I knew it would be great. But that, Viper… that was epic.”

I want to reply to her, but I’m having trouble even thinking let alone answering. I slowly pull out, then roll onto the bed.

Dammit! I know what I need to do, and I need to do it quickly before I crash completely. I pant for breath as the nausea hits again. It rolls through me like a tidal wave. Leaning over the edge of the bed, I try not to throw up.

“Hey, are you okay?” Ember’s voice is faint as I fall to the floor. “Shit!”

I drag myself over to the mini bar fridge and pull out the little black bag as she squats by my side. “Hey, talk to me. What the hell is going on?”

I ignore her, opening the black bag, pulling out the needle. She recoils looking at it like I disgust her. I jab it into my stomach, inserting the nectar of the gods where I need it. I drop the syringe to the floor, letting out a long breath hoping I caught the high in time.

“You’re… an addict?” she accuses, folding her arms across her body like she’s protecting herself.

“It’s not like that… I can explain. Just give me a minute for it to kick in.”

She moves to her pants, pulling them on in a rush and tripping slightly in her haste. “You have sex with me, then need a fix so bad after you fall to the floor. Were you high the whole time I was with you, and it wore off while we were fucking?”

A wave of nausea hits me, and I dry retch bringing my hand to my mouth, regret hitting me instantly. I should have stopped. I should have taken the damn hit when I knew I needed it.

This shit will scar her.

“Great, just great. Fucking me makes you physically ill. Well, thanks so much, Viper. Thanks for almost losing me my job, and single-handedly making me feel like the most disgusting woman on planet Earth. I’d say it’s been nice knowing you, but it really hasn’t.” Ember picks up her top, threading her arms through the sleeves, and starts buttoning it up.

I go to tell her I’m sorry, but another dry retch comes instead.

She curls up her lip. “Classy, real classy, Viper. Don’t choke on your own vomit!” She grabs her bowtie, vest, and shoes, then heads for the door.

My breathing’s erratic at best. I reach out, but I can’t do anything other than watch her leave.

I screwed this one up.

I’m a fuck-up.

I really need to get my damn life in order.

And I need to do it fast.

Chapter Six

VIPER

The Next Afternoon

It’s taken me all night and morning to recover from what happened last night. I let it go too far. On top of my high, I feel like shit for how I treated Ember. I wish I had her number to call and apologize for fucking up like I did. My time with her was amazing while it lasted, but I guess I need to focus on the task at hand, being the president of my MC.

We have a bigger issue to contend with.

As we sit on the edge of the pool, I sip on a sparkling water, while the other guys drink their alcohol. Grace and Izzy are bonding in the shallows as the rest of us sit discussing our game plan.

Trax shrugs. “Still no word from Torque?”

“Last I heard, he wasn’t getting anywhere in his discussions with Bianca. In fact, from what he was saying, when he told Bianca Vex and Izzy were here and about to get married, Bianca lost her shit. Big fucking time. So, I can’t help but think we might have some visitors at the wedding tomorrow night.”

Vex sits forward rubbing his chin. “So, we move the wedding.”

“As in venue?” I ask.

“As in from tomorrow to tonight. We bring it forward. Let’s get it done. Then Nio has nothing to come back at us with.”

I let out a groan. “I don’t know, man—”

“Look at it this way… if we’re married, we deal with the war that will inevitably come. Nio knows about us, he’s pissed anyway. We may as well get something good out of all this damn drama.”

I glance at Trax, and he shrugs in response. “It makes sense. Honestly, Viper, at this point, we’re going to war no matter what. Izzy and Vex may as well find some kind of happiness through all of what’s to come.”

My eyes wander to my brothers, each nodding their head in agreement. I exhale, rubbing the back of my neck. “Okay, fine! We move the wedding to tonight. Will the venue be okay?”

“Money talks. The cut helps, too. If not, I’m sure there’s an Elvis somewhere in this city that’s willing.”

We all chuckle as Trax slaps his son on the back. “You’re getting married, kid.”

Vex grins wider than I’ve ever seen as he glances at Izzy in the pool. “Izzy!” Her eyes meet his. “We’re getting married tonight. You okay with that?”

Her lips turn up, showing her perfect pearly whites. She’s stunning, I certainly see the attraction. But to me, she doesn’t hold a candle to Ember.

My chest tightens, and I take a deep, steadying breath.

I need to find a way to make it up to her, that is if I can ever find her again.

“Hell, yeah. I’ll marry you right here and now in this pool if I could,” Izzy calls back, making us all chuckle.

“Nah, babe, you’re wearing that dress. Tonight.”

I inhale deeply, unease rolling over my shoulders.

Tonight.

I can’t say how this is going to play out, but at least we’ll have a night of celebrations before the real world hits us hard. When it does, we’re going to be in a shit load of pain because Nio won’t hold back. Vex may have won this battle, but the mother of all wars has begun, and I’m allowing it to happen.

Who knows if this is the right choice?

I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

* * *

I have to admit, bringing this ceremony forward a night has been awesome. This place sure has pulled out all the stops. I don’t know what Vex did, but he’s made this small chapel picture perfect for his soon-to-be wife. I’m not usually one for all this romantic shit, but even I admit I’m getting the warm and fuzzies.

I’m standing back as Vex and Highway stand at the top of the aisle with the minister. The rest of my brothers sit in the pews waiting for Sparx and Grace to walk down the aisle before Izzy.

I scope the room.

I’m not stupid enough to allow myself to relax completely.

Sure, this is supposed to be a joyous occasion, but my cousin—a biker—is marrying into a mob family.

Without their knowledge.

Without them being here.

I imagine anyone could show up at any minute.

The Caparellis, the Andrettis, hell, even the real Elvis could show up at this point, and I wouldn’t be fucking surprised. I’m ready for anything. Hence, why Trick and a few of the Vegas Defiance are here with my guys. For added support if needed.

The music starts, we all turn toward the doors as they open, and Sparx walks out. She’s gorgeous as she walks down toward her son. It’s a nice touch that her kids were in her wedding, now she’s a part of her son’s. Sparx strides down the aisle as Grace enters next. She’s wearing a red dress. I have to admit, even though she’s my cousin, she’s absolutely stunning tonight. I smile at her as she walks past me and down the aisle. Then Izzy enters with Trax. He might not be her father, but he’ll be her father-in-law in a few minutes. The sentiment is clear as they walk past me.

I turn toward Vex, the adoration in his eyes is beyond anything I’ve seen from him before. Highway slaps Vex on the back.

I lean back against the wall folding my arms over my chest as Trax hands Izzy to Vex. I can’t hear what they whisper to each other, but Izzy giggles when Trax hands her over.

“We are gathered here tonight for the union of Patrick ‘Vex’ O’Shea and Isabella Caparelli. If anyone here objects to this union, speak now.”

I stand a little taller, my heart rate spiking while we all wait for anything or anyone to make their intentions clear, but silence falls over the chapel. We all let out a collective exhale.

The minister smiles. “Well then, let’s get you two married.”

Suddenly, the chapel doors swing open next to me as well as the two doors on either side. Andrettis flock in at every angle, and I tense, yanking my gun out the back of my jeans and aiming. The problem is there are so fucking many of them, I have no idea where to aim. There’s not enough of us, even with Vegas Defiance here. They swarm inside the little chapel as my brothers all stand, drawing their weapons, but I shake my head at them. The Andrettis saunter over to my men and don’t hesitate in throwing punches. I grit my teeth, rushing forward, pushing my way through to reach my guys as Izzy screams.

Nio’s walking in, his eyes firmly locked on Izzy as a fist lands straight into the side of my head. I stumble into a pew, and as I right myself, I turn and glare at the dick who just hit me. I rush forward, tackling him, pushing him backward, knocking over another two Andrettis as I go. I slam him into a pew laying a fist right into his eye socket. Another grabs a Bible, slamming it into my side. I furrow my brows at him as he drops it, then turns to run.

Fucking wimp!

His eyes are so focused on me as he runs away, that he doesn’t notice Trick holding his arm out in a clothesline. The wimp slams straight into Trick’s arm and crashes straight back onto the floor. Trick kicks him in the balls, then nods at me. I dip my head at him, letting him know I’m okay as he spins, slamming his fist into another Andretti.

As I turn back, Nio’s stalking toward Vex, venom oozing from every pore in his skin. I grit my teeth fumbling my way through the brawling bodies to reach them.

Vex pulls out his gun aiming it at Nio.

Nio directs his gun at Vex.

I aim my gun behind Nio pointing it at the back of his head.

It’s a three-way standoff.

Grace screams at the top of her lungs, “Stop it!” from behind a pew where Sparx and her are hiding with the minister. She stands taller, grabbing Nio’s attention. He turns, his eyes widening when he spots her. He raises his hand in a stop motion. The Andrettis halt their attack like some well-oiled machines. I raise mine to stop Defiance as well.

“Nio, stop this,” Grace reiterates, her voice wavering.

He lowers his gun, confusion written all over his face. Nio takes a step toward her, his chest heaving like he’s having trouble holding his shit together. “Grace, what the hell are you doing here?”

I jerk my head back.

Fuck me!

How the hell does he know Grace?

She exhales, taking in everyone watching her, but she steps forward toward Nio.

“Grace, stop! He’s dangerous,” Vex warns.

Grace’s eyes droop. “Nio won’t hurt me…”

What the fuck?

Her eyes meet his. “You don’t have to marry for business. You can marry based on love like your parents did—”

Nio scoffs, waving his gun through the air. “Look how that turned out. My father died before I was born—”

“Yes, but a love like theirs was eternal. Your mother adored Enzo. She still does. You don’t have to stop Izzy from living a life she wants, to have a life neither of you want. Nio, what do you want?”

He hesitates, his nostrils flaring as he relaxes his shoulders. “You.”

My eyes widen as Trax, Sparx, and Vex all stand taller like they’re ready to pounce.

“Like hell,” Vex grunts.

Grace holds her hand up dismissively to Vex, halting his tirade. “Then date me. Don’t let our mutual attraction be over before its had a chance.”

I did not see this coming!

“No fucking way. I won’t allow this,” Vex calls out.

Nio turns glaring at Vex. “While I’m enraged you foiled the merger of Isabella’s family and my family, Grace is right. I don’t want to marry Isabella. I never wanted to. No offense, Isabella, you’re lovely, but I don’t care for you. I care about Grace. So, Vex, I will allow you to take this merger off the table if and only if you allow me to date your sister.”

Vex scoffs. “This is bullshit! You’re making me choose between the woman I love or the safety of my sister?”

Grace steps forward. “Nio’s done nothing but keep me safe and made me feel protected, Vex. I promise you, he’ll never hurt me.”

Trax steps forward. “Do I get a say in this?”

Sparx grabs his arm pulling him back. “Shh… honey, don’t do the overprotective-dad thing just yet.”

Grace steps forward into Nio’s arms, and he smiles wide. It’s the first time I’ve seen the guy look happy.

This is not how I saw this going down at all.

Nio presses a kiss to her temple. “I wanted to take my vengeance out on you both, turns out I just needed acceptance.” Nio waves his gun at the minister. “Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s get these two married.”

I snort out a laugh while shaking my head.

Andrettis, you never can tell which side they’re going to be on.

One thing I do know for sure, they always manage to surprise you.

Chapter Seven

VIPER

Now the wedding is over, and the celebrations are underway, I find myself thinking about Ember. I sit back, everyone’s dancing and having a great time.

How did we get to this place?

A place where the Andrettis are on the dance floor with my cousins and brothers, and everyone’s drinking and being fucking merry.

The fact I’m not drinking is probably adding to my somber mood. Everyone else is completely wasted, while I sit here wallowing about how I wish I were drinking. But after last night’s episode, having any kind of alcohol would be a bad idea.

Trick steps up to my side and slaps me on the shoulder. “Turns out you guys know how to throw a killer party, Viper.”

I scoff. “Didn’t think for a second it was going to turn out this way, but thanks for having our backs in there, man. I know I’m new to the seat, but knowing we could call on you worked out well. Need the favor returned, I’m your man.”

His eyes shift to Nio and Grace who are slow dancing on the dance floor. “Don’t thank me, brother, I didn’t do shit. I came for the fireworks, but I have a feeling your family mixing with the Andrettis and the Caparellis, all the fireworks are going to happen back in Chicago. I’m gonna miss the whole damn thing. And I love fucking fireworks.”

Tension rolls over my shoulders. He’s right. Now Izzy Caparelli’s mob family is married into the family, and with Grace dating the opposition in Nio, we’re bound to have massive teething issues. I don’t know how the hell this is all going to work. Especially seeing as how the Caparellis and Andrettis were meant to be the ones to merge, and the one common denominator in stopping that merge was Defiance. I have a feeling we may have won a battle, but a war may be starting to bubble to the surface.

“You might be right, brother, you might be right.”

He nudges my shoulder with a smirk. “Thing is, though, Viper, you have presidential blood in your veins. If anyone can handle the brewing tension, you can.”

I needed to hear that.

“Thanks for having our back, man.”

He chuckles. “Right, I need booze, women, and sex. Maybe not in that order. Let’s get this party started!” he yells the last part rushing off into the middle of the room making everyone cheer.

Everyone is in fine party form having a great time and letting off steam. I can’t help but feel drained from last night, from today, and from feeling like crap about Ember. A party is not where I want to be right now, even if as president, I know I need to be here.

With the immediate threat to Defiance gone, and everyone having a good time, I think it’s okay for me to make my escape. I slowly edge out of the thumping room making my way down the hall. I exhale feeling like an ass for leaving, but sometimes too much watching other people having fun can be fucking shit, especially when I keep replaying last night over and over in my mind.

I want to see Ember.

I want to make this right with her.

Bates told her to come back to work today, so I’m hoping maybe she’ll be back at her blackjack table. I make my way to the casino to go in search of my fiery phoenix. I wander into the noisy room, searching each table for my bombshell, but I keep coming up empty. Not able to find her, I think what I can do to make my search easier.

So I make my way to Bates.

I don’t want to see the fucker again, but honestly, I’m going to be working with him anyway. I may as well call in a favor when the need arises. I walk down the halls to his office. Entering his hall, a silhouette walks from his office in a huff. As I walk closer, the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention, and the corner of my lips turn up knowing she’s near.

Ember’s eyes catch sight of me when I approach. She rolls her eyes moving to push past me.

I grab her arm, halting her. “Ember, wait!”

“For what, so you can actually puke on me this time?”

“I’m fucking sorry about last night. Please, let me explain?”

Ember yanks her arm free while glaring at me with nothing but disdain. “What? That you’re a junkie? Yeah, no explanation needed, commando.”

I flare my nostrils in anger.

Why the fuck won’t she listen?

“Stop being a pig-headed selfish brat, and let me show you what happened. I’m not a junkie, Ember.”

Her eyes widen as she sinks in on herself a little. “You swear?”

“Yes!”

“Fine! Show me what you need to.”

Ah-huh, some progress!

I reach out taking her hand in mine. She doesn’t fight me as I lead her to the elevator. The same one when I first saw her. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I ask, “Hey, why were you in with Bates?”

She shrugs. “I quit.”

“You quit? I thought you needed this job?”

She winces. “I do, like really bad, but Bates just makes it far too hard to work for him.”

“I know the feeling.”

The doors open, and we step inside, then they close leaving us alone. I turn to her, bringing my hand up to her face and caressing her cheek. “I’m truly sorry about last night. You’ll never know how bad I feel about my actions.”

Ember chews on her bottom lip, shrugging. “I guess when you tell me what’s going on, I’ll tell you whether I forgive you or not.”

She’s always so feisty.

I stare in her eyes, her beautiful brown orbs not showing as much gold as normal. She’s sadder, and that’s partly my fault. Even so, I can’t deny that pull, the magnetism that draws me in to her. With every second ticking by, I want to kiss her so badly, but now isn’t that time. I have to tell her what happened. I need to own my truth before she decides if I’m worth it or not.

The elevator dings, and the doors open. I drop my hand from her face, leading her out. As we walk down the long hall, the tension grows thicker and thicker. The last time we came down this hall, we were like giggling fucking teenagers. I’m glad none of my brothers saw any of that shit go down.

This time we’re far more subdued and serious. Once we reach my door, I open it, and we walk inside. When we step over to the bed, I gesture for her to sit. I can’t stop the flood of images of her naked and me fucking her swarming my mind. But I blink them away, moving over to the fridge. She widens her eyes, taking in a deep breath.

My brothers know about this, but it doesn’t stop the fact that it makes me feel like less of a man. I grit my teeth, opening the door, and pull out the black bag. I step back over to the bed and sit down next to her.

Ember’s eyes are wide as she studies the bag. I turn it over, unzipping the top pulling out the blood glucose monitor and prick tester. Her eyes widen. She’s starting to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. I position my finger and prick it with the lancet. She jumps even though it doesn’t do anything dramatic. Ember sits on the edge of the bed staring. I pull it back, placing the small white strip onto the tiny dot of blood.

Her eyes flood with tears as she stares at me. “You’re diabetic?”

I stare into her eyes—she’s coming back to me, the gold’s twinkling again. “Type one. I felt the blood sugar high coming on last night during… Damn! I didn’t want to stop to explain, so I kept going and well…” I pause, letting her remember what happened.

She rests her head in her hands as she lets out a loud exhale. “Oh God, I called you a junkie.”

“I feel like one most of the time, needing a fix when I get the urge.”

Her head snaps back up at me. “But why? Shouldn’t you be testing like this all the time? Shouldn’t you be injecting regularly?”

I cringe. “Technically, yeah.”

Ember’s eyes widen as she turns, grabbing my hand. “Viper, that’s dangerous. Why the hell wouldn’t you keep it under control?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose letting out an exhale. “It’s complicated.”

“Complicated? More complicated than the fact that diabetes can kill you?”

She’s got me there, I have no answer to that.

“Okay, harder to explain, then.”

Ember’s eyes soften as she tightens her hand in mine. “Try.”

Exhaling, I crack my neck to the side. “In the Army, I was somebody, and I was really good at what I did. A pilot. Top of my game… until I wasn’t. I started having these… episodes. I would crash, not my plane but my body giving out on me. Then it started happening in the air. I’d get shaky, nauseous, dizzy, and just fucking all over the place. I had no idea what was happening. My commander made me get some testing done. The results came back with diabetes, and it was completely out of control.” Ember’s eyes well as my chest constricts telling the story. “They medically discharged me. I felt like a fucking failure like I couldn’t even do my job. Like less of a man.”

Ember grips my hands tighter. “You know that’s not true. An illness doesn’t define the man, his actions do. His beliefs, his morals. You’re more of a man doing what you’re doing with this on your shoulders. You’re the bravest soldier I know.”

I weakly tilt my head. “Hence, why you call me commando?”

She bursts out laughing. “Ahh… no, that was because every time I called you commando, I was picturing you naked. You know… as in commando.”

Raising my brow, I smirk at her. “Oh, really?”

She peeks down at my tester avoiding the subject. “So, you finally did a test. Tell me, do you need an injection?”

My blood sugars are still high from last night. “Yeah, I do.”

She grabs the bag from me unzipping the other side. “Well, then, let’s start from today. You’re going to test and inject like you should. The proper way to try and stop yourself from having those crashes like you had last night.”

I like this side of Ember. She might be bossy, but hell if it’s not attractive to me right now. I grab the needle, and my eyes meet hers. I lift my shirt. She nods, and I place the needle to my stomach and push it in.

Ember’s hand comes up to my face gently caressing. “I’m proud of you. Shit! I’m so sorry for judging you.”

I place the needle back in the bag and close it, then shift closer, placing my hand on her thigh. “I get it. What you saw would have freaked anyone out. I wasn’t taking care of myself. Seems I need a feisty phoenix to come in and light a fire up my ass.”

She giggles. “I’ll do that any time you need me to.”

I run my hand around the back of her head and pull her to me kissing her forcefully. My lips tingle. It’s the same feeling I get every time I touch her.

We’re leaving for Chicago tomorrow, and I’ll be leaving Ember behind, but I’m not sure if I can do that.

My tongue collides with hers. I kiss her letting her know how much she has done for me in the last few minutes we’ve been together.

She’s made me believe in myself again.

She’s convinced me I am worth more than a broken man.

My illness doesn’t define me. I can work around it if I can control it, and if I keep to the routine I’m supposed to. I need to stop being a martyr and accept the hand life has dealt me, live with what I’ve got. I’m the president of the Chicago Defiance MC. I’m strong, even with my faults.

It took a woman with a heart of fire to show me that. A woman I am kissing right now with everything I have in me. A woman I don’t ever want to let go.

I pull back and gaze into her eyes. I have no right to ask this. Her life is here. I barely know her. But there’s something about Ember that makes me want to be better. To make this world better for her.

“Ember, you need a job,” I say matter-of-factly.

“Ah, yeah, we’ve established that.”

“How do you feel about Chicago?”

Her eyes widen. “It’s windy, why?”

“Phoenix, I’m not ready to say goodbye to you yet. What do you think about coming to Chicago, and we can work on finding you a job? The club has a ton of places where we could employ you, or I’m sure there’s a casino that will take on someone with your… talents.” I waggle my brows.

Her eyes widen. “While that sounds tempting, I have nowhere to live, Viper.”

“You can live at the club, or I’ll get you a place. Semantics. All I know is I want you back in Chicago with me. What do you say?”

Ember’s eyes light up, the gold shining through the brightest I’ve ever seen as she lunges at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Yes. Yes, Viper, I say yes. Hell, yes, I’m going to Chicago!”

Thrusting forward, I kiss her for all she’s worth.

I thought this trip was going to end in war, that vengeance was the point in all of this. Turns out vengeance was never the key factor—it was love.

Or at least the possibility of love.

Vex and Izzy are happily married.

Nio and Grace are dating.

And as for me, I’m bringing a phoenix home to light my fire.

The next generation might be doing things a little differently as in love, not war.

But the one thing I know for sure, Chicago’s definitely starting to look up.

The End

Go back to the beginning…

The Defiance MC Series

BLURB

We’re brothers.

Bound together, not by blood but by grit.

Our club - constantly under siege by mafia, yakuza, or from our broken pasts.

Our loyalty - strong, but only to those who remain true.

Even through the chaos, we find hope.

Hope for a better tomorrow.

One where we’re not constantly at war. Fighting until the bitter end - for freedom or blood. Whichever comes first.

Through the carnage, a glimmer shines.

A spark of new life, of love.

These stories aren’t merely about brothers, love and family—they’re about chaos, betrayal, conflict and turmoil.

Life—it’s worth living.

Because we are Defiance.

Find out more in the Chicago Defiance Series Books or Box Set.

Resistance – The Chicago Defiance MC Series Book 1

Penance – The Chicago Defiance MC Series Book 2

Deviance – The Chicago Defiance MC Series Book 3

Sufferance – The Chicago Defiance MC Series Book 4

Acceptance – The Chicago Defiance MC Series Book 5

Balance – The Chicago Defiance MC Series Book 6

Defiance – The Chicago Defiance MC Series Book 7

Allegiance – The Chicago Defiance MC Series Book 8

Chicago Defiance Box Set

Like your books in audio?

Resistance – The Chicago Defiance MC Series Audiobook 1

Penance – The Chicago Defiance MC Series Audiobook 2

Deviance – The Chicago Defiance MC Series Audiobook 3

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About the Author

K E Osborn

With a flair for all things creative, International Bestselling Author K E Osborn, is drawn to the written word. Exciting worlds and characters flow through her veins, coming to life on the page as she laughs, cries, and becomes enveloped in the storyline right along with you. She’s entirely at home when writing sassy heroines and alpha males that rise from the ashes of their pasts.

K E Osborn comforts herself with tea and Netflix, after all, who doesn’t love a good binge?

Turn lust into love at www.keosbornauthor.com

Played With A Made Man

Rae B. Lake

Acknowledgement

To my own made man, you keep me strong and making sure that I know my worth. Thank you for always being there for me and helping me keep my eyes on the prize.

To my gorgeous girls, never forget your worth. You are both priceless. Stay strong even when it feels like the entire world is crumbling around you.

To my readers, family and friends, I can’t wait for you guys to dive into my take on the Croatian Mob. Thank you all for staying with me on this journey and I hope you enjoy this story!

Chapter One

Kaja

I couldn’t believe it; I look down at my hand. Two Kings peeking up at me, I would wait for the river but I was sure with the third King already showing that I had this hand in my pocket. My pile of chips was impressive but at an 8-man table I was surprised that I didn’t have more.

I looked over toward Alexis, his pile never seemed to dwindle even when he lost, it was almost as if he had a never-ending supply of chips. I was determined to knock him out of the ring. He was arrogant, a showboat and he didn’t show me any respect. I was a made man, he should have been licking the shit off my designer A. Testoni lace ups.

The river ran, four of hearts, it did nothing for me and honestly nothing for anyone else.

I waited my turn and flipped over my cards to show my winning hand. There was a round of groans and cursing but it was Alexis Nicol Sr. who really made a show of losing.

“ Motherfuck boy, you are riding high off that beginner’s luck ain’t you.” He smiled and pushed the far end of my winning pot toward me. I collected it without a word to him, something about him was off but as long as I was winning, I wasn’t going to engage him.

“Look at that sexy ass, I wonder what it would look like with my cock shoved deep in it.” One of the players said on the other side of the room. It was loud enough for me to hear every word and to garner my attention. I turned to see a woman cringing away from his grip. It was evident that she didn’t want to be touched but she didn’t say a word. It was none of my business but something about her held my eye. Her hair was long but stringy looking, and I could see the green brown looking bruise on her face from here. This girl was not being taken care of. Again, it was none of my business but the more I tried to look away from her and focus on the game in front of me the more I felt the need to stare at the beautiful woman.

“You in or what?” Alexis asked drawing my attention back to what I was supposed to be doing, His son sat to his side peering every so often over his father’s shoulder, taking tips, I guess.

I threw my hand in, a deuce and a five, it wasn’t going to cut it. Not at this table.

I watched the woman again; she was serving drinks. I put my hand up to get her attention and slowly she made her way in my direction. She looked down at the table I was sitting at and for some reason she hesitated and watched the hand being played. She shook her head slowly and continued on her way to where I was.

Alexis Sr. leaned over in the chair and smacked the woman hard on the ass causing the few drinks that she did have on the tray to slosh back and forth spilling some liquid on her top. “Why don’t you get under this table here, I am sure you give better service on your knees.” He laughed loud and his son joined in on humiliating the poor woman. She turned slightly toward Alexis and I could tell by her body language that she wanted to speak out but she didn’t say a word. She turned back in my direction and continued to walk toward me. She leaned down in front of me and placed a cup of dark liquor on the table.

On a whisper I heard her say, ‘guarda le sue mani’ she stood up and went about her business. I was tempted to ask her what she said but the fact that she whispered it to me made me think that maybe she was trying to pull my coattail about something. I knew when to keep my cards close to my chest. The only problem was I knew very little in Italian, just enough to recognize it. I placed my idle hands on the tabletop and watched as the rest of the men continued to play. After a second of trying to interpret what the woman said I gave up and went to my technology. What was the point of having computers in our pockets if we didn’t use them? I pulled out my phone and opened up google, I heard her say something about sue mani, did that mean something about my hand? I typed in what I thought was the correct way to spell what she said and of course it popped up that it was in Italian. Some of the translations were a bit off but all the ones that made sense said the same thing. Watch his hands.

I immediately looked over to where the beautiful woman was busy handing out drinks and trying to stop people from fondling her. She was telling me that someone was playing me for a fool. Part of me wanted to bring what was going on to Felix’s attention but there was no way that I was just going to sit back and let anyone make me look like a jackass. No, I would find out what was going on, one way or the other.

Chapter Two

Sabina

I wasn’t built for this, not in the least, but if the alternative was death, I would take it. My entire family were gamblers. Craps, blackjack, poker you name it and we played it. Some of us were better than others. My brother, for instance, was shit when it came to blackjack, unfortunately, that was the reason that I was here. My brother was deep in debt with Felix but instead of killing him, Felix offered a once in a lifetime deal five years hard labor and the seventy-five-thousand-dollar debt would be clear. He split the time between myself and my brother two and a half years for him and the same for me. No one told me that hard labor basically meant that I was his slave. He could loan me out whenever he wished and people did whatever they wanted with me for as long as they wanted. I had 18 months left on my half of the five years and so did my brother. It was the only thing that kept me from running away. I knew that if I did, he would take it out on Stefan and I couldn’t have that.

Even though the boy got me in more trouble than I knew what to do with he was still my brother.

I turned my head as one of the men at the big spenders table raised his hand to get my attention. He was new, he had to be. Most of the folks that Felix got to participate in his games were seedy and disgusting individuals. I could tell just by how this man was dressed that he was none of the sort. I walked around the table but I had to stop along the way.

I was a master at poker, as good as anyone could get but what I was even better at was cheating. Alexis was cheating and no one seemed to notice. Either he was palming the chips or there was something inside his sleeve that was grabbing up some chips on the table. I distinctly watched him slam down ten hundred-dollar chips but when he pushed the pile to the winner only six remained. If he stole on every hand there was no way for him to lose, it was a good trick but it was the wrong company. If he was caught, they would beat him down. I shook my head and continued on my way. It wasn’t any of my business.

*Smack*

I tried to steady myself and not reach behind myself and rub my backside. Someone had just smacked me hard on my ass. Several of the drinks I had on the tray threatened to tip over but luckily only a small amount splashed on my shirt.

“Why don’t you get under this table here, I am sure you give better service on your knees.”

Alexis Nicol Sr. laughed loud and peered at me waiting for me to talk back. He knew I would be punished if I did. I had been loaned to both Alexis Sr. and Junior on several occasions. It wasn’t something that I ever wanted to experience again. I glared at him for a second, everything in my body wanting to just throw one of those drinks right in his slimy face, but I turned back to walk toward the man that was waiting for my attention.

Suddenly as I got closer to the meticulously dressed man a dangerous and risky idea popped in my head. I couldn’t call Alexis out on my own, but if one of the other players were to see him cheating that would be a whole different beast. It would be a bit of payback to see him get his ass beat after humiliating me this time and every time before.

I bent down to the man in front of me dropping off a cup of Jack Daniels, “Guarda le sue mani”. I watched him look up at me for a second, I shuttered slightly. His eyes were clear blue and piercing and not in a dreamy sort of way, more of a I will kill you where you stand sort of way. I could tell that he was confused and probably didn’t speak a lick of Italian but I could only hope that he would either let it go completely or try and figure it out somehow. I turned away from him and as calmly as I could manage, I walked away to tend to the next person that needed something to drink. I watched the beautiful man fold his hand and take out his phone. Outside conversations were not usually permitted at the table but phones were not taken away. I gave out a few more drinks and every once in a while I would glance over to the man trying to see if anything was happening. The longer it took the more foolish I had begun to feel about giving the tip. What if he told Felix that I was trying to get one of the players in trouble? What if he was in on it with Alexis? I was beginning to feel sick to my stomach. This was such a silly thing to do, I knew what to expect when I waited tables at one of Felix’s parties. Getting my ass slapped shouldn’t have made me react in such a way.

I looked back over to the man, he shoved his phone back into his pocket and glanced over to me quickly before staring at the hands of the men at the table. He figured it out. He figured it out and instead of getting Felix involved he was trying to figure it out on his own.

I breathed a sigh of relief; he wasn’t in on it and he wasn’t going to tell Felix. Maybe it would be ok. I could only pray that it was, I don’t think I could make it if Felix decided that I was to make amends with Alexis tonight. I just couldn’t stomach it.

Finally, as the last hand was completed and Alexis pushed the pot over to the winner I watched as the man I gave the tip to zoned in on his hands. He was noticing it. It was only a matter of time now before he would see that he was being cheated. I just hoped whatever he did after that didn’t involve me.

Chapter Three

Kaja

Something was wrong, Alexis’ winnings never seemed to dwindle. I watched him lose the last six hands all with big bets and his pot didn’t seem like it was getting any smaller. I prided myself on being observant and tactical. I had to make sure that he was cheating before I shot him in the fucking face. I would not be disrespected ever, especially not by no old two-bit cheat. If he was indeed cheating me, he would be a dead man before the night was over.

“You see this is how you play; poker is a man’s game.” Alexis said loudly leaning over to where his son was sitting and showing him his cards. I plucked up the corner of my cards and saw that I was sitting on an Ace and a queen; the jack and the king were already on the table. A seven of spades and a shitty three of clubs were showing. I called everything he called; I watched the chips that he threw out. He was already up to $2200 in chips. The river turned and it was my ten of clubs. I had a straight. He turned over his hand and he had three of a kind, a good hand but not enough to beat me. I turned over my hand.

“Ah, you little fuck, you should have bet much more with a hand like that.” he shrugged and looked over to his son, “That’s a novice for ya.” He then pushed his side of the pot over toward me and I watched every second of it. He used the butt of his hand to move the entire pot leaving only a small space between the felt of the tabletop and his hands, but when he retracted he did so with palms facing down. His $2200 in chips suddenly became $1400.

The fucking bastard was skimming chips.

I jumped up from my seat, nearly jumping over the table and grabbed his arm before he could put it all the way down. I didn’t want him to throw the chips on the floor and call it an accident. I wanted to catch him quite literally with the trick up his sleeve. I pulled him out of his chair and into a standing position.

“Hey, what the fuck do you think you are doing?” His son grabbed onto his father and everyone around the table got up. This was the last place that I wanted to have a shootout but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t. I would shoot every one of these fucks if it meant that I would protect my honor and my respect.

I glared at Alexis Sr. for one second and watched the sweat begin to bead on his forehead and his Adam’s apple bob up and down in panic. He was caught and he knew that he was caught. I flipped over his arm in an awkward position and pulled back the sleeve of his coat. I nearly laughed at the contraption I saw. It was state of the art, the metal was thin and the small hook like mechanism was small and silent. The eight chips that he took off the table still in the small area attached to his arm.

“You cheating piece of shit!”

“You fucking fraud!”

Everyone saw him for what he was now and they were pissed. Felix rushed over as I threw the old man back in his seat. I gathered up all Alexis’ chips and my own. There was no way that I was going to stay at a place where cheaters were running rampant.

‘Hold on a minute there boyo, he didn’t cheat just you! Some of that is ours!” One of the men called out from the side of me. Shit was about to get really ugly.

Felix came over, his sweet-smelling aftershave burning the hair in my nostrils. ‘Gentlemen, what seems to be the problem here? Let’s work this out.” He raised his hand to touch me on the arm but thought against it when he saw the look on my face. I was not to be messed with and he knew it.

“This is the kind of establishment you expect me to go back to the family with? It’s nothing but a two-bit circus, I promise you another made man will never step foot in here again.”

Felix raised his arms slightly trying to get me to calm down. ‘Wait a minute, just wait a minute. I had no idea that he was doing that. I would have never let him in here if I knew that but I promise you that I will take care of it.” Felix tried to barter with me. I knew that he was really counting on me giving the ok on his club.

I was a made man in the Croatian mob and even though we didn’t have a large following here in the States our numbers were growing because our Don, Marko Juric had gotten a residence here to be near his daughter. Our family was growing every day and the money we had grew right along with that. Felix wanted a piece of that pie.

“There is no need for you to take care of it. I will take care of my own problem.”

Alexis Nicol Sr. stood up from his chair and opened his jacket to show me his piece in his waistband. “What the fuck are you going to do about it? You don’t know me or my family. You don’t know what I am capable of, yeah I cheated you, you were wide . . .”

The shot was silent and deadly, I wasn’t going to go back and forth with him. I did exactly what I knew I was going to do, I shot Alexis Sr. directly in his face and watched as the back of his head splattered gloriously on his shocked son.

‘No! No! Da!” the son caught his father as he fell back toward the floor, tears trailing quickly down the young man’s face. No one should have to see their father die like that, unfortunately that was not my problem.

I looked around the table again just to see if anyone else had anything to say about the amount of money I was taking back or what had just happened to the fucking cheat laying on the ground across from me. No one said anything. I looked for one second at the waitress who tipped me off in the first place and could see the utter shock on her face. I guess she wasn’t expecting me to handle it the way that I had. Again, not my problem.

I picked up my stuff and turned to walk to the cash out table.

“Kaja, please, wait one second please!” Felix rushed behind me and tried to keep me from leaving. I would have no problem putting a bullet in his head as well if he tried to keep me here.

“Felix, I told you that I would give your place a shot and I did, it’s not worth shit. Let me be on my way before you get into something that you may not be able to get out of.”

He stood in front of me again, “Look, Kaja you know I have been a friend to you. A friend to the family for years. I fucked up. I’ll take care of the clean up here. Just give me one more chance. I’ll get better security; I’ll do whatever I have to do. I just want to be a part of the family. I want to be part of all that. I can be a great soldier. I just need one more chance.” he begged.

Felix wasn’t Croatian so he could never be a made man but we were always looking for soldiers but only if they were up to the job. So far what I had seen of Felix, he didn’t cut it.

“Felix, I don’t have the least amount of time for this shit.”

“What can I do, what do you want.” he looked around the room in a panic, “What about her? You want her? I saw you looking at her. Have her for as long as you want, do what you want and I’ll take her back when you are done. No charge.”

I watched him point to the waitress in the back of the room. The same one that had given me the tip earlier. She didn’t say a word but I could tell that she was either still afraid about the situation that had just unfolded in front of her or she was pissed that she was being pawned off.

“What do you mean that I can have her? What the fuck are you running here?”

“She and her brother owe me a debt, instead of the money they gave me time. She still has about a year and a half on her sentence. So, for that time she is mine to do with as I please as long as I don’t kill her or her brother. You can do whatever you want with her, just don’t kill her. She is trained well, I promise you are going to love her. Or you can have any other girl here, they are all here under the same conditions some times are longer than others. Whoever you want she’s yours.” He stood back and let me look around the room, his hands wringing nervously in front of himself.

“You will not hound me about coming back to this shit hole of a club, I’ll come back when I am good and ready and not a moment before, you got that Felix?

A huge smile broke out on his face, “Absolutely, I promise that it will be better the next time you come. I promise that.

“Whatever, get the girl. I am ready to go.” I looked over in the waitress’s direction.

“Sabina, get your shit!” Felix turned and screamed at the girl.

Within seconds she was standing in front of me with nothing on but a pair of dirty sweats and a thin jacket. That look on her face, the one that I couldn’t tell if it was fear or anger now clear as day.

Anger, this woman was pissed the hell off.

Chapter Four

Sabina

This bastard.

I felt like such an asshole, not only did I get a man shot but instead of maybe getting a tip or praise for doing the right thing I was being transferred from one jail to the next one. I was tired of being used by men. Tired of having to keep my mouth shut. I didn’t want anything to happen to my brother but I just couldn’t take this for much longer.

I gathered what little I was allowed to have and walked to the back of the room where Felix had summoned me. I was to go and play slut for this new guy. Kaja, I thought he called him. Before I thought him to be beautiful now his face seemed too angular and evil looking. This guy was going to be a prick I just knew it. I could only assume that Felix told him the deal the same as he told everyone else he loaned me out to. I could be used and abused but I could not be killed. I had to make it through my sentence. I had to, my brother’s life depended on me to.

The man looked at me for a second, taking in what I was wearing, and then turned his back to cash out his chips.

Felix grabbed me hard by the arm and pulled my head to his mouth, “You better keep this man happy, you do whatever he wants you to do when he wants you to do it no questions asked do you hear me? I want him back here and soon!” He growled in my ear before he let me go and waited for Kaja to turn around.

“You ready girl?” he asked me. I nodded once a scowl still settled deep onto my face.

Felix reached around to my back and pinched me hard enough to bring tears to my eyes, “Oh yeah she is so ready. I am sure that tight cunt is already nice and wet for you!” He laughed and I threw a smile on my face right away. I had a part to play. I had to keep him happy.

“I’m sure, let’s go. I don’t have all day.” Kaja turned to look at Felix. “Don’t expect her back anytime soon. I may even decide to let her work off the rest of her time with me.”

I heard Felix take in a quick breath but he disguised it well, “Yeah, of course. I’d probably do the same thing.” He laughed again, fake. He was nothing but fake.

Kaja put a handout so that I would start walking, I put my head high and made my way toward the exit. I didn’t look around; I had no friends here. No one who would miss me, hell I didn’t even have anyone here who would mourn me if I died. I was only trying to survive, and this was just another test.

* * *

I walked out into the brisk late fall air, the small jacket that I had did nothing to protect me from the bite of the air. I wrapped my arms around myself hoping that I would be able to keep in some of my body heat. I was very thin, to thin, so I didn’t have a lot to go around.

“Where the fuck is your jacket?” Kaja asked as he stood on the curb right outside the Chinese food restaurant that was the front for the underground gambling ring that Felix was trying to get started. It was only a few blocks away from the main strip, so it was in a prime location for those looking to lose their money. The glow from the legit casinos and hotels gave Kaja’s face an almost eerie look.

“This is what I have, I am so sorry.” I tried to sound as contrite as possible but I couldn’t stop the taste of bitterness from coating my tongue. I turned my head away from him so that he wouldn’t see the expression on my face.

“You better not get sick; I don’t have time to take care of anyone.”

I had to bite the inside of my mouth just to keep myself from answering back. What did he expect, he was all decked out in expensive fur lined coats while I was standing on the street with thin jeans and a jean jacket on. Why were we just standing here if he didn’t want me to get sick?

I watched as someone ran up to him from the other side of the street. It was the valet from the Italian restaurant across the way. Kaja reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys and gave them to the valet. The young man took off sprinting down the street. How the hell did he get the valet from the other restaurant to park his car. I looked at him for a second. Who the hell was this man?

The valet drove up in Kaja’s car and stopped directly in front of him hopping out and not even expecting a tip.

“Hold up.” Kaja reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded hundred-dollar bill and slipped it into the valet’s hands. “Thanks,” he said before he walked up to the passenger side door and opened it for me.

I looked at the door and then back at Kaja. I was confused.

“You going to get in or what?” Kaja asked, those steel grey eyes staring straight at me.

“Oh, yes, thank you.” I walked toward the plush car and sat down on the heated leather seat. I tried to give him a smile as he closed my door but I was too busy trying to get through my own shock. Usually when I was handed off by Felix the guys or the women were complete assholes. I don’t remember the last time someone held a door open for me. Not while I was on this fucked up journey at least.

Kaja got into his own seat and after putting his seatbelt on and making sure that his mirrors were in the right place, he looked over to me, “You good, are you warm enough?”

I couldn’t stop my eyes from going wide. This was a joke. I knew people with this kink. He would be super nice to me now and then when we got back behind closed doors he would be a sadistic animal. I heard one of the other girls talking about it one day. It was an experience that I had never had but I guessed I was about to.

“Yes, I am fine.” Now that I knew what he was about, it was hard for me to keep up the facade. I was pissed that I was in this position. I should have just kept my mouth shut. I should have just let Alexis Nicol rob this man blind and went on about my business. I knew better than to get involved in anyone else’s business. I turned to look out the window, I had never been in a car as expensive as this one but I couldn’t even appreciate it. I watched as the world whizzed by my eyes as I was taken to my next jail. 18 months, I only had to last 18 months.

Chapter Five

Kaja

I could see the woman pouting in her seat, it seemed the further away from the club that we got the more sullen she became. I would ask her what her problem was but it wasn’t anything I was really concerned about.

Honestly, I was more interested in what made this woman keep fighting. The security was not that tight at the small club we just came from. To be honest I was sure that she could run away and Felix would never find her. Yet she stayed there, I wanted to know why.

“What are you doing attached to someone like Felix?”

“I owe him, I always pay my debts.” She said nonchalantly, not even bothering to look me in the eye.

“I see, and you couldn’t think of another way to pay him back besides laying on your back?” I asked a bit of a chuckle in my voice. It always surprised me that some women chose this route instead of any other. Yeah, it was a quick fix but it always seemed to mess them up in the long run.

She sucked her teeth, lowly, but didn’t answer my question. It was rude and I didn’t like that shit at all. “You need to answer when someone asks you a direct question.” I squeezed the steering wheel, trying to divert some of my anger as I made the turn onto my secluded block.

“It’s what they want me for, I’m sure you will be pleased.” She answered with a fake small smile on her face, but it never reached her eyes.

I pulled into my garage and turned off the car. She was out of the vehicle before I could open my own door. It was like she didn’t want to be in the same space as me. I am sure that she assumed that I took her from Felix to serve as some sort of sexual slave, but that was not my thing. Not in the least. I walked over to her side of the car. As I made my way into her space she stepped back almost instinctively, her eyes never left the ground, although I could see that her hands were balled into tight fists. I took another small step toward her and again she moved back.

“Don’t move. No one is here to hurt you girl.” I snapped at her. I wasn’t used to playing this game. I usually got what I wanted when I wanted it with no push back. I took another step in her direction but this time she didn’t move.

I put a finger under her chin and pushed her face up so that I could get a good look at it. She was beautiful just like I thought in that dark, gritty underground club. Her eyes were almond shaped and a deep brown, her skin was fair, and her cheekbones were high and strong. Her hair although it was tied up seemed like it was long and thick. But just as I had expected she was beat the hell up. There was a major bruise on her face that extended from just below her eye to over her cheekbone. I pulled her bottom lip down and even though she did have all of her teeth, I could see that it had been a while since she had brushed them.

I let my hand push away the errant strands of hair that had fallen out of her bun and traced the dull bruise marks on one side of her neck and on her collarbone. I let my hand trail down her shoulder and down to her hands, I glanced back up at her face, her lip was trembling and I could see her face getting red with anger. She thought I was going to humiliate her. It was the last thing on my mind. Just like she said, I paid my debts. She looked out for me; I would look out for her. I picked her wrist up and looked at the angry ligature marks that were there.

“What is this from?”

“They tie me to the bed so I don’t fight back.”

“You are in the habit of fighting back?” I asked letting her hand fall back down to her side.

She found my gaze and without blinking said, “Every single time.”

I smiled slightly and backed up a bit. She was a fighter, rough around the edges but not so different from what I was used to.

“I want you to go in the house, there is a bathroom on the second floor as soon as you get up the stairs. Take a bath and wash all that makeup and shit off. I’ll have some clothes for you, or at least a robe.

She squinted at me trying to figure out if what I was telling her was a joke or had some type of ulterior motive. When I didn't say anything else, she just rolled her eyes and went inside the house like I asked her too.

I watched her walk up the stairs, her hips swaying sensually but tiredly as she made her way up. Even I could tell that she was rundown. She must have been going through hell with Felix. She turned around when she made it to the top.

"Look mister, if you are just going to do some fucked up shit to me while I am in the bath can we save it for another day? I am beat, or we can just do it here." She pointed back down to where the car was.

"I'm not going to touch you; all I want you to do is go upstairs and wash. I like my place clean and that includes the guests that I invite inside of them." I flicked my hand in her direction indicating that I was done with the conversation. She let out a soft sigh and turned.

I waited a few seconds before I took out the items I had in the car and made my own way into the house, the water was already running by the time I did get inside.

I could smell the vanilla essence wafting through the air. I had never used any of the essential oils that I had in the house, It was nice to have in case I ever did decide to entertain a lady friend but good old soap and water was just fine for me.

I let the scent bring me toward the bathroom and I could hear her splashing around softly and humming a tune I was unaware of. That sound is what beckoned me further in. Every note struck a chord in me that I had no idea existed.

I opened the door and she shrieked before trying to sink deeper into the tub.

"What was that?" I asked her, almost completely oblivious to the fact that she was laying naked before me with just a few mounds of fluffy bubbles keeping her body from being completely within view.

"You gave me your word!' She pulled her arm over her barely covered chest.

She thought I was in here to force her to do something sexual.

She was beautiful, from what I saw at the club her body was on point and she seemed like she'd be one hell of a lay but that was not why I was in here. I wanted to hear what she was singing.

"I am not going to do anything to you, I just wanted to know what you were singing, I'll even turn around if that makes things better for you.

"No way, I don't sing for people."

I glared at her, before today she didn't really have a choice what she would do for anyone now she is telling me that she didn't want to sing? Maybe I was being a little too soft on her. Last I heard she was mine to do with as I pleased.

She must have realized that she was making a mistake because she tried to back track. "If you really want me to sing I will but I'm nervous and cold and way to vulnerable, it will not come out right. I don't want you to get mad."

"I won't be mad; would you like me to turn?"

She nodded.

I turned around and waited . . . and waited.

A high perfectly pitched voice echoed through the bathroom, the operatic sound grabbed hold of my heart and squeezed. It was perfect, peaceful and pure.

". . . When you wake you shall have, all the pretty little horses, black and bays, dapples and grays, all the pretty little horses . . ." I let the sound lull my soul, it took me a second to come back to reality once I realized that she had stopped singing.

I shook my head and opened the door to leave, not turning around to look at her again. "I'll leave a robe for you on the doorknob."

I rushed out, ashamed to say that I was near tears. I watched a man have his entrails pulled out of his body, watched people trampled to death by bulls but I was brought to tears by the angelic music that came from her mouth. I guess it made sense, I lived in a world full of death and chaos, that something as sweet as that should break me down.

I went to my room and pulled out a robe, it was bigger than her but at least it had a sash that she could tie. I left it on the doorknob and made my way back to my room. I laid down on my oversized bed and felt uneasy, I wasn’t used to having anyone in my space. This was going to be novel if anything.

* * *

I waited what seemed like forever as she dried herself and made her way out of the bathroom with my blue robe wrapped around her body. Her hair was still damp although it did look like she tried to dry it some. She walked over toward me, fresh faced and smelling great.

“What now?”

I was stunned and almost instantly on guard, all the makeup that she had on before had made her look so much older than she was, I was concerned that I was housing an underaged minor. That was the last thing that I wanted right now.

“How fucking old are you? Don’t lie to me either.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Her mouth was getting more and more disrespectful. I grabbed her hard by the nape of her neck, making sure to tug slightly on the small hairs there.

“Enough with all of this back chat. When I ask you a question, I expect an answer. Not later or after a round of attitude, I want it right fucking now.” I released my grip on her neck but didn’t back out of her space. “Now this is the final time that I will ask, how old are you?”

“I am twenty-four years old.” She said matter-of-factly.

“Really?” I let my eyes roam over her body and her face, she didn’t look a day over eighteen.

‘Yes, you can ask Felix if you want, he has my birth certificate, social security card and my passport.”

“What? Why? Why didn’t you take those things with you when you left?”

She shook her head and looked away from me, “I belong to him. It’s what we signed up for.”

I would never say that I condoned what Felix was doing with these women but I understood. Those in our lifestyle had to show force, either you were killed or you were used as a commodity, there was no low that some of us weren’t willing to stoop to. Felix might have been a small fish but even he had to show his dominance.

“Serves you right, you must pay what you owe.”

I watched as the anger flared in her eyes, “So now you want to fuck? You want to tie me up or something? What kink are we playing tonight?”

I laughed and stepped as far into her space as I could without touching her. She thought she was in control of me. That through her insolence and her attitude I would just fuck her to get it over with. She was not in control; I had no intentions of taking her but it was funny to me that she thought she had any say on what I did and when I did it.

“Sabina, I am not going to touch you.” I watched the confusion bloom in her eyes and the wind fall from her sails, “I am not going to touch you until you are on your knees begging and pleading for me to touch you.”

She looked down at the floor, ready to drop, she was going to do it just because she knew that is what I wanted. “Don’t you even think about it, it will be genuine when you beg, you will want to feel me deep inside you more than you want to live. If it was a choice between me fucking you and your next breath you will choose me.” I whispered dangerously close to her ear loving the way her breath hitched every time I said something that surprised her.

I pulled back to look at her flushed face, “You understand?”

“It’ll never happen.” She answered full of attitude.

“Oh baby, I’d wager that it will happen sooner than you think.”

Chapter Six

Kaja

Sabina was frustrating as fuck.

I had no real use for her here but I knew that I couldn’t just let her leave. If she ran than I would owe Felix however much money she still had left on her debt. I wanted to thank her for her help but I didn’t care to thank her that much. I let her sulk around the house, but day after day I was regretting my choice. I didn’t want her to fear me but there was only so much that I could take.

I paced back and forth in my office trying to get my attention back on the phone call that I was on. Sven had called me earlier in the day to take his place at Michael Scalese’s charity event. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there to mingle, there was business to attend to.

“Da. I understand Sven. I’ll make sure that I show face. If he is dealing under the table, I will handle him.”

Sven was one of a few Capos in the Juric family, he had a direct line to Marko Juric’s ear and he trusted me. I knew he did. In fact, he trusted me so much that he was going to send me to attend a black-tie event. Michael Scalese was an associate of the family and he was also a dirty politician; he had given Marko some bad information. I was being sent there to find out if it was intentional. Everything always came down to respect, if the respect wasn’t there, then he had to die.

I walked over toward the massive bathroom on the other side of the hallway, I stripped out of my clothing leaving a trail of my belongings behind me as I made my way into the bathroom. I had an ensuite bathroom in the master bedroom but this bathroom had a one-way mirror that faced the outside. The wall was completely see through but no one could see inside. It was a great view of the desert and mountains that were littered all around Las Vegas. It always surprised me that you could have a town filled with so many people and traffic but just a few miles in any direction and you were completely secluded. It was a peaceful place. I turned the six head shower on and let the bathroom fill with steam, as I waited I thought on what I would do with Sabina. She had to be reined in. She was young and beautiful but she was too proud. I was surprised that she made it this long with Felix. It was truly a miracle that she didn’t end up dead somewhere.

She didn’t ask for anything while she had been here, in fact if I didn’t force her to change, she would have worn the same robe for the entire time that she was here. The only thing that she requested was a deck of cards. She played solitaire, poker, phase 10, all by herself. I tried to join in but it seemed like every time I took a step in her direction she would be on guard.

The room filled with steam, I opened up the bathroom door a bit just to let some of it out before I walked over and enclosed myself in the glass shower.

I let the strong pressure of the water wash away the worries I had about what to do with Sabina. I let it clear my mind.

I poured a quarter amount of shampoo in my palm and washed my hair. I rinsed the rich lather out letting my head fall back as I did. Once I was sure that all the shampoo was out I let my head fall forward again. My eyes zoned in on a shape that should not have been there.

Sabina was in the hallway staring in my direction, I knew she couldn’t see me, at least not clearly. The outside of the glass enclosure was highly frosted but just like the wall behind me I could see clear as day outwards.

She was staring at the outline of my body; her breath was coming quickly and she was biting her lip. The woman wanted me. I may not have been the smartest man in the world but I loved to say I was a genius when it came to reading a woman’s body.

I continued to wash myself slowly and watched as her eyes trailed brazenly over my silhouette. That was enough playing for me. If she wanted to watch, I would let her. I had nothing to be ashamed of.

I slid the door open quickly causing her to jump and curse out loud.

“Don’t move.” I command from my place in the shower.

‘I wasn’t doing anything, I was just, I was just . . .” She looked around everywhere but at me.

“Shut the fuck up.” I growled in her direction as I let the soap trail lazily off my skin. I used my washcloth to make sure that I took extra care to wash each and every crevice. I worked out hard and it showed.

“I should . . .” She tried to speak again but when I let the cloth drop to the floor and my hand dropped to grab my fully erect cock, she sucked in a breath speechless.

‘You know I don’t mind an audience; I never have.” I gripped my member and slowly began to pump back and forth, lazily, in no rush to reach the end. “If you wanted a show all you had to do was ask.”

“Fuck you!” She huffed at me, her voice no more than a breathy pant but I could still see the anger in her eyes. “I am tired of playing with you, either use me for what I am here for or send me back to Felix!” She stomped her foot, the only way to exert any form of control.

“Ah, you see, that is not the game I want to play, the bet made was that you would beg me to fuck you. That you would be on your knees willing to do anything for my cock. That was the bet. I don’t intend on loosing.” I caressed my manhood a bit harder. I could feel my release already starting to build up.

“I would rather burn in hell than to beg you.”

“Hell you say, I am made of hell. All you have to do is beg and we can burn in that flame together.” I steadied myself as I could feel the first signs of my explosion start. “It could be so fucking perfect Sabina, so perfect.” My head fell backwards slightly as all the water from my still running shower pelted my climaxing body. “Mmmm, Sabina, this should have been yours.” The thick white semen pulsed out of the slit on the top of my cock. I pumped slowly, letting the orgasm finish. I was complete but far from satisfied.

Sabina didn’t say another word, but I could see her pressing her thighs together, her cheeks were flushed from the adrenaline and her hands were rubbing up and down her legs. She was beyond turned on but she would not give in. Not today.

I turned in the shower and washed my body swiftly one last time, making sure that I wasn’t left with any of the mess of my impromptu jerk off session when I walked out of the shower.

I grabbed one of the large towels off the rack and walked toward her. She didn’t move, if I didn’t know any better, I would have thought that she was in shock. She was waiting for me to fold.

Never going to happen.

“Starting today, there is a new dynamic in play. You will stop fighting me. You will enjoy yourself. I am not here to hurt you but I refuse to have any more fucking disrespect. Tonight, you will accompany me to a formal event. The guests must believe that we are together, that is the only show I want to see from you tonight.”

Her mouth gaped open several times as her brain tried to keep up with what I was trying to get her to do.

“Wait a minute, you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend? That is not part of the plan.” She shook her head finally getting her wits about her.

“That is part of the new plan, get with it or get your shit and go back to Felix. I’ll be sure to let him know that you were not amenable to my needs.” I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Fine.” She answered quickly, too quickly. She showed her hand. Now I knew she was on a mission to keep me happy, if she went back to Felix and I was displeased I was sure there was going to be hell to pay.

“Fine.” I walked by her and tried to make my way to my room.

“What am I supposed to wear?”

“I will have something brought to you.” I said turning back to her for a second.

“You don’t even know my size, or what will look good on me.” She spoke again, this time with her hands on her hips.

“I bet you I do.” I smirked in her direction.

“Fat chance, what’s the wager?” She asked raising her chin up, waiting to see if I would pick up the gauntlet.

“Oh, are we betting? Fine. I bet that I can have a dress that is your size as well as within your honest taste, if I do, I get one song at the end of the night. One full song.”

She squinted her eyes in my direction, “A song? Like you want me to sing?”

“Yes, that is what I want.”

She looked away then back toward me, “Fine, and if I win, I won’t have to go with you.”

“Deal.” I nodded my head once and made my way up to my room to put in a call to Tyler, one of the best personal shoppers I had ever worked with. If there was anyone in the state that would be able to find something that I was sure even someone as rough as Sabina would love, it was Tyler.

Chapter Seven

Sabina

I rushed into the room that Kaja had designated for me and let all the air that I had been holding burst out. It felt like I had just run a marathon.

Kaja was getting all the way under my skin. I tried to keep him at an arm’s length but nothing about him was like anything that I had ever been witness to before. From the first day that I came to pay off my debt with Felix, I was made to know where I stood. I was trash. I was a slut and worth nothing to anyone who came across me. They used me physically and abused me mentally. I knew that I had to endure for my brother and after going through a year already I thought that I was doing a pretty good job. I managed to compartmentalize the abuse, push it away like it wasn’t happening to me but I was tired of waiting for it to happen with Kaja.

I couldn’t say that the man was caring because that was not the case, he was clinical and analytical but not caring. Everyday that I was here I woke up thinking today was the day that he would flip out and beat me, or today was the day that he would push me down and have his way with me. It never happened. I was tired of playing this game. Tired of being so close to trusting someone. I knew better than to trust anyone.

I thought that I had everything in perspective until that show in the bathroom, Kaja is by far the most attractive person I have ever been given too. Mostly all of Felix’s clients were old gentleman with either a beer gut or horrendous body odor. Not what dreams are made off. Kaja was the complete opposite. He was fit, meticulous with his clothing and appearance, and he always smelled so good. He was sexy. There was no other way to put it.

I wasn’t expecting him to tease me like that in the bathroom but I would be lying if it didn’t take all the willpower that I had not to rush to him and see just how deep he could get inside of me. It had been a long time since I wanted to have sex with anyone, being pawned off really kills the libido, but I wanted Kaja. I wanted to feel every glorious inch of him.

I fell down onto the bed in the room and tried to catch my breath. I couldn’t let his pretty face and chiseled abs trick me. I was just a payment for him nothing more. Besides, he was about to lose a bet, and I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when I walked out in the atrocity that he thought to buy for me.

* * *

After the little shower fiasco, I got no further instructions from him besides to wash up and flat iron my hair straight. When I came out of the shower there was a brand-new top of the line flat iron on my door. Instead of the forty-five minutes to an hour it usually took me to flat iron my hair, this time it only took me twenty minutes. My long thick brunette hair came out frizz free and shining. I loved the feel of it.

Ten minutes after I had combed my hair a hundred times on each side, there was a knock on the door. When I opened it no one was there, but there was a long dress bag hanging from the door along with a small makeup palette, with a tube of lipstick and mascara.

I laughed silently to myself. I was giddy just to see how bad he had done.

I laid the long bag on the bed and quickly undid the zipper and the smile I had on my face dropped away. Inside was a dark blue gown, with an intricate one shoulder design, the strap a beautiful combination of the dark blue and rich silver. I pulled it all the way out of the bag to find that the beautiful silver and dark blue transitioned into a modest train. I stood back and admired it. I gulped hard. I had lost one half of the bet already. This was the most gorgeous item of clothing that I had ever seen. I hurried and reached up for the tag. It said it was a UK size 34, I chuckled in relief. That would mean that it was a US 4, I had never worn a size four in my adult life. The smallest I had ever been was a 6/7. It looked like I was going to win this bet. I didn’t want him to think that I wasn’t holding up my end of the bet so I did my best on the makeup which was a bit fool proof as everything was perfectly coordinated and there was only a few options to choose from. I will say that once I was finished with the makeup and putting on the undergarments that he got for me, miraculously in the correct size, I felt like a princess. I had never felt like a princess. It was a great feeling.

A soft knock on the door broke me out of my fantasy moment.

“Yes?”

“Are you decent?”

“No, it doesn’t fit.” I answered him through the door.

I heard him shuffling a bit by the door. “May I come in?”

I looked down, I was in lingerie but I had already seen the man completely naked, this would put us on somewhat even ground, “Sure.”

He walked in and greedily took in my scantily clad form. I couldn’t decipher what he was thinking, his expression was solid. A great poker face. He looked over to the dress still laid out on the bed, the tags and cloth hanger still in place.

“You didn’t even put it on?” He asked.

“I didn’t need to, that is not my size at all.” I laughed as I stood and glided as ladylike as I could over to where he was.

“I think you are mistaken.” he said picking the soft material up from the bed. He took it off the hanger and made delicate work taking the tags off.

“How are you telling me what my size is, it is my size you know.” I glanced away as I saw the tag fall down to the floor. I didn’t get a great look but there were far too many decimal places on the price for my liking.

“If you would just indulge me?” He asked. He unzipped the dress and let it pool on the floor the opening wide enough for me to put my feet in.

I shook my head and picked up my feet one by one to step into the gown. “You should be smacked for humiliating a woman about her weight, I am telling you I am too fat for this!” I hissed out as he moved the many layers of fabric from beneath my feet.

He raised his eyes to mine, the gentleman now replaced with the beast, “Don’t you ever threaten violence on me again. I have killed women and will not fucking hesitate to do it again. Mind your fucking tongue.”

I swallowed a breath, Kaja held back a lot when it came to me but I had to always remember that he was the same man who shot another man point blank in the center of his head because he had cheated him in a game of cards. He didn’t care about the witnesses or the retaliation. He was cold blooded.

“Sorry, I just know this won’t fit.” I apologized looking away from his steel grey eyes.

He relaxed his arms a bit, “You have no faith, I don’t make bets I think I will lose.” With that he pulled the material up and over my rounded hips and helped me maneuver my arm to get it into the one shoulder opening.

He pulled me to the large, ornate full body mirror. The dress complimented my complexion perfectly, the length was perfect, the design was perfect, everything was perfect. I felt his fingers grasp something on the same level as the apple of my butt cheek. The zipper. This was the moment of truth. I sucked in a huge breath, almost praying now that this gorgeous dress would fit.

“Breathe normally.” he whispered as he stood up straight, bending slightly so his full lips were next to my ear.

I let out the breath and listened as the zipper glided slowly but easily up the dress with no effort on his part.

The dress fit perfectly.

He pushed the small cape train away from my body and let it flow to the side as it was meant, “Predivan” he whispered as he stared at me in the mirror.

“What was that?” I asked a smile on my mouth and awe in the tone of my voice.

He shook his head and took a step back from me, “No need to worry about that.” He reached around and turned me to face him, “Looks like you lost that bet.”

I looked down at the dress and back over to the shoes that still waited to be put on, no doubt they would be the correct size as well, “Yes, I lost the bet.”

“Are you going to honor your word?”

“Yes, is there any particular song you would like me to sing?”

He smiled bright, “Are you classically trained?”

“No, I just started singing this way, but I do know quite a few opera pieces. It’s the only type of song I ever felt comfortable singing.”

“Ok, tonight after it is all over with, sing me one full song. I don’t know any but I want to hear you sing, without holding back.”

I nodded once. I could do that. I would hate every second of it but as far as payments go, this was more than doable.

“Great, get your shoes on, I have a coat waiting for you downstairs. We should be on our way.”

He didn’t wait for an answer, just walked out and went about his business. I looked into the mirror; it was unbelievable how much I had changed over the years. The weight I lost, the anger that I always held in my face, the constant calculation that my brain was always doing. I was tired of living second by second. I was losing myself I could feel it.

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the pity party that was threatening to start in my mind. I had a job to do tonight and it had to be believable.

* * *

The party was nothing like I had ever seen, socialites, government officials and even men and women of the law rubbing elbows with mobsters. I watched as Kaja walked in the room and everything seemed to drop away. Men that were standing in his way quickly moved, drinks were given to him without him having to ask and everyone was clamoring for just one second of his attention.

“Predivan, stay here. I have a business matter to attend. I’ll come for you in a moment ok.”

It was the second time he had used this word, but I had no idea what it meant. I reached up and threaded my hand into his hair, his own eyes following my arm in surprise. I pulled up slightly and kissed him on his scruffy cheek before I whispered into his ear.

“What does that mean?” I let myself fall down from my tip toes.

He raised his hand and brushed a tendril of my hair away from my face before looking deep into my eyes, “Gorgeous.” He winked at me and let me go before turning to go.

I watched him go, an air of confidence and dominance around him. He chose a grey suit to wear and even though we didn’t have on the same colors we matched perfectly. Pretending to be close with him was so much easier than what I was expecting. He was charming. He held the doors open for me, introduced me to the people he did stop to talk to, asked if I was hungry, the small things that no one had done for me in a long time. Not even my own parents treated me like this.

I finished the rest of the light champagne that was in my glass before placing it down and finding my way over to the ladies’ room.

I never knew why most people think that the bathroom is the ideal place to start problems, but of course, as I fixed my dress in one of the luxurious stalls, I heard the slow deliberate clicking of high heel shoes. Two pair.

“Did you see Kaja today?” The first woman said.

“Yes, I can’t believe how gorgeous that man is.” The next woman said.

“Believe it, and you know his face is not the only part of that perfect specimen of a body that is gorgeous.” They giggled loud.

I took a deep breath in; I would not be jealous. I had no right to get jealous. I would . . . not . . . get . . . jealous.

“Girl, stop it! You are so bad! How do you know what it looks like?”

“Kaja and I have a long-standing relationship, he is just trying to make me jealous with that cow he showed up with today. You know teach me a lesson.”

Cow? Did she just call me a cow! I gasp silently in offense, I stood straight in my size 4 gown and relaxed my body. There was no way I was going to let them get the best of me. I had been fighting with far worse in the last few years of my life to be reduced to a punk because of two catty women. I opened the door, letting them both get a good look at me as I walked over to the sink and washed my hands.

I looked both of them in the eyes via the mirror but didn’t say a word to them.

“Moo.” One of them said under their breath as I turned to walk away.

That was the final straw.

I turned and put on as fake a laugh as I could, “Yes, that is truly a hoot. I’ll make sure to let Kaja know. He may not get back to you for a while though. He will have his hands full with me, and I just love the way he wrangles me. All night long.” I smile at both of them, the saccharine sweetness bubbling in the air. “You lovely ladies have a good night.” I turned and walked out, leaving both of them with their mouths open and their faces getting redder by the second. A second later I could hear their footsteps coming up quickly behind me as I stepped further into the main area, I guess it took them a while to either think up a retort or just want to fight. Either way I was ready.

“Sabina? Where did you go, I was looking for you?” Kaja’s deep voice startled me. I turned to the side he was coming from and could see from the corner of my eye the two women stop right in their tracks. Just like the men in the party not even the women wanted to go up against Kaja.

“I had to use the little girls’ room. Is everything ok?” I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him closer toward me. He came willingly but his face showed nothing. The man didn’t have one tell.

“Nothing that you need to worry about, everything good with you?” He asked finally turning his head to the side and glancing at the women who had followed me out of the bathroom.

“Penelope, is that you?” he asked shuffling us so that I was standing in front of him and his arms were wrapped lovingly around my waist. “It’s been quite a while, you look good. Very healthy.”

I nearly dropped right there in a fit of laughter. The woman had just called me a cow, and now she was the one being called out about her weight and by the same person whose attention she was trying to get. “Well it was nice to see you.” He said point blank, that was her signal to leave, and just like a good little girl that is exactly what the both of them did. Walked right off.

Once they were out of earshot, I laughed and turned in his embrace, “How did you know she was being a bitch to me!” I squeezed his waist and jumped a little, it was like we were completely in sync with each other. “I mean I could have handled it myself but I will never say no to back up.”

For the first time since I met him he laughed, it was deep and sultry, he rubbed a thumb along the bare section of my back, “We all need back up from time to time. I happy I am was able to assist.”

“That is a wonderful sound.” I said looking into his gorgeous face and suddenly wishing there were no other people around us.

“What sound are you referring to?” he asked.

“You laughing.”

He smirked, “Consider yourself lucky, I don’t laugh with just anyone. Maybe there is something about you?” He moved in closer to my face.

I don’t know when my joy and laughter turned into lust and need but sure enough all I wanted was for him to kiss me. I wanted him to ravage me, I wanted everything he was and I wanted it now.

My inner brat tapped her foot hard as I pulled my chin up further letting him have full access to my mouth.

“Beg.” He whispered harshly. His hand gripping hard on my waist and his cock getting harder against my midsection.

I gasped, not because I was offended but because I was so ready to do it. I was ready to make a complete fool out of myself and beg him to take me.

“Kaja, can I have one minute of your time please?”

I blinked a few times and looked over his shoulder. A large man with what looked like a fresh bruise and busted lip stood timidly waiting for Kaja to turn around.

“Michael, now is not the time.” Kaja barked at the man as he took a step back from me. I looked down at the hands that had just been gripping me with such a ferocity and could see that the knuckles were bruised. He did this to that man.

“I know, I apologize, I just wanted to keep you in the loop about what is going down. Tonight, that is.”

“What, tonight?” Kaja turned from me and went to go talk to the man. It was obvious something was not what they had planned on. I couldn’t be more grateful. He broke the spell.

I let my fists ball up at my sides, I was laughing with him. I was playing around with him. I was his captive; he was not my fucking friend.

By the time he finished talking business with the man I was thoroughly pissed off both at him and myself.

He tried to come closer to me again but as he glanced at my expression, he thought better of it. “I take it you are ready to go?”

“Yes.” I answered curtly.

“Fine, right this way.” He put his hand out indicating that I should walk in that direction. I didn’t even wait for him to open the doors for me, I just wanted to get back into the house where I felt like I was on solid ground. I wanted to get back to my overly plush jail cell.

The car was at the curb before I could even feel a real chill, again I wasn’t waiting for any doors to be opened for me. I hopped in and waited for him to get in.

“Don’t be fucking rude.” He growled at me as he settled himself into the car.

“Or what Kaja? What are you going to do? Beat my ass? Send me back to Felix so he can beat my ass? I am tired of playing this fucking game with you.” I yelled at him but didn’t get one muscle tick in response. “Whatever, can we just go please.” I sat back in my seat and waited, I crossed my arms over my chest and just focused on what I could see outside of my window.

I couldn’t believe that I just broke down like that, I was completely out of my league with Kaja. Felix I could deal with and even the usual scumbags Felix loaned me to I could deal with. I couldn’t deal with Kaja.

I looked in the side view mirror, my makeup was still almost as flawless as it was when I left the house but the anger that I had promised myself I would drop was plastered all over my face again. Something moving fast caught my attention and I eyed it in the side view mirror. There was a car that seemed to be swerving in and out of traffic. It was getting closer and closer to us but had not made it. Every time that a car cut it off, they would reroute and shoot up a different way.

“That guy seems like he really is in a rush.” I said out loud breaking the hanging silence that had been in the car since the moment I had my melt down.

“What?” Kaja asked glancing at me for a second before turning his eyes back to the road.

“That car back there, the black one, he seems to be cutting everyone off. I guess he has somewhere to go.”

Kaja looked into the rear-view mirror, his eyes darting back and forth from what was in front of him to what was behind him.

“Jebote!”

I felt the car lurch forward.

“Kaja, what’s wrong, just let him get in front of us.” I was beginning to panic. The world was whizzing by too fast in the window now.

“He isn’t trying to get by, he is trying to get behind us. Put your fucking seatbelt on.”

I looked at the black cloth already pressing down on my chest and abdomen. “It’s on, you mean that person is trying to get us? Why? What did you do? Why?”

“Hush, no questions.” Kaja answered.

I looked back in the side view mirror and sure enough that car was still weaving in and out of traffic trying to keep up with us. Then there was a gap between all the other cars and us. The car broke free and taking what felt like a second to be right on the side of us. I looked to see who it was but I couldn’t. It was a man I thought, but he had on a dark hooded sweatshirt, baseball cap and sunglasses. Whoever it was did not want to be identified.

“Kaja, what does he want?” I gripped the seat hard, fear settling deep within my gut.

“I don’t fucking know.”

Kaja pressed a few buttons on his interactive dashboard display but nothing happened that I could notice.

A sound that I had never heard in my life rang out in the air.

“Shit! Put your fucking head down!” Kaja screamed at me as glass exploded into the car. That same sound echoed again.

*POP, POP*

I didn’t need to look up, the man was shooting at us.

Chapter Eight

Kaja

I couldn’t believe the fucking nerve of whoever the fuck that was. No one does this shit to me! No one!

I had to keep my head together, Sabina was in the passenger seat screaming and crying and for the life of me I couldn’t tell her to shut up. She was scared and she had every right to be. She was being shot at.

I weaved in and out of the light traffic but the person in the pursuing car kept right up with me. I knew that I only had one shot and that was to get to the exit and into the parking structures of one of the hotels on the strip and out the other side before they were able to catch up to me.

The shots rang out again and I instinctively ducked when I heard a bullet ricochet off the metal of my car. I kept my foot on the pedal and did everything that I could to keep the both of us safe, it was getting harder the closer we got to the exit I needed to take. Then like a miracle dropping out of the heavens a large RV made its way onto the highway and I stayed near it for as long as I could using it as a shield, keeping it between me and the person shooting. About three hundred feet away from the exit I swerved dangerously around the large family vehicle and gunned it toward the off ramp, taking the curve at dangerous speeds.

I could hear the screech of the brakes as I tried to keep the car on the road. Once I made it to the local streets, I didn’t slow down. I raced toward the parking structure, racing around the complex garage system until I came out clear on the other side and was sure that no one was following us. I rushed the rest of the way home and parked inside my garage. Only then taking my hands off the steering wheel. Only then feeling safe.

“Sabina.” I called out to her, but she still had her head down and was crying and mumbling about not wanting to die. “Sabina, it’s over, look at me.” I tried to touch her hand but she swung out at me like a trapped animal. Her head popped up and she could see that we were in the garage, she barged out of the car, not even steady enough to step out on her on two feet. She fell down to her knees and crawled fast toward the stairs.

“Sabina!” I jumped out of the car and tried again to help her. I picked her up, once she got to her feet she smacked my hands away again. “Woman I am not to be hit!”

“No, fuck you Kaja! What the fuck kind of shit are you into! Look at your fucking car!” She screeched, panic and fear plastered on her face and in her tone.

I turned to look at the car that we both just exited, it was littered in bullet holes, the glass was all busted out except the windshield, head light busted, paint all scratched up. I was used to this. I had been around gunfire most of my life but it was evident that she was not.

“Sabina, it’s over now.” I tried again to calm her.

“Is it? Is that what you know? Tell me who that was? Can you tell me if they followed you here?” She glared at me waiting for a response. I knew that they hadn’t but I couldn’t be one hundred percent sure that they wouldn’t get here eventually.

“No, this I didn’t sign up for, I gave my life away so I wouldn’t have to worry about bullets flying by my head. I don’t want this. I’d rather go back to Felix.” She yelled at me and turned to run up the stairs and into the main house.

I sucked in a deep breath; I wasn’t in the business of coddling. I should have let her leave but with every second that past I felt like more and more of a failure. I had brought her here so that she would be repaid for looking out for me but at every turn, it has been worse than where she came from. I set out to make her life better and had done nothing but put her in danger.

I walked in the house after getting a grip on my anger. I expected to see her in the main room, crying or even having a drink but she wasn’t there. It wasn’t until I heard things bumping around upstairs that I realized that she was in her room. I walked in to see her ripping the dress I had given her off.

“Sabina, what the fuck are you doing? I would have helped you.”

“No! I am tired of your type of help. I just want to handle my debt and be free of this whole entire life. I am not built for this.” She yelled at me and dropped down to the floor on her haunches.

This woman, who looked me right in the face and tipped my hat, the same one who took on a sentence just to make sure that her brother didn’t have to worry about a debt, the one who would curse me out on the drop of a dime even though most thought that my gaze would melt them alive was breaking right in front of me. It wasn’t what I wanted for her and I was surprised to admit to myself that it wasn’t what I wanted for myself. I was drawn to this dark-haired minx in a way that I couldn’t explain. Loyalty and respect where paramount in my world and it was so hard to find a companion who possessed both those traits. I couldn’t let her break.

“God damn it woman,” I fell down in front of her and grabbed at her shoulder, her body still shaking from the adrenaline of running away from gunfire. “Look at me!”

She closed her eyes tight, causing a cascade of fresh tears to trail down her face.

“Predivan . . . look at me.” I tried to soften my words. It angered me more than I wanted to admit that she was hurting.

She sniffled a bit and blinked her eyes open, pinning me where I sat in that painful gaze. “Sabina, I am here. I am not going to let anything happen to you. It’s over now.”

“Oh Kaja, that is now. Today, what about tomorrow? What about the next time we go out? Will someone try to get in the house?”

I could see her panic begin to ramp back up.

“Hush! No one is coming in here. No one will come for you, I can swear that to you. I don’t know who it was that was shooting at us but I will find out and in short order. You are safe now.”

She let out a sigh and looked down at her hands, “Kaja, I want to go back to Felix. I don’t know what kind of game you are playing at having me here but the stakes are too high for me. I fold.”

I let her go and stood up. I was pissed, except I couldn’t tell if I was pissed because she didn’t believe that I was able to protect her or because she was actually going to leave.

I turned to the door, but before I left there was one thing that I wanted.

“Sabina, you owe me a song.”

She looked up at me, “Are you kidding? You want me to sing now? After everything that has happened?”

“Yes, you gave your word.”

She smiled lightly and stood up, letting the shredded dress fall down to her feet before she stepped out of it. “As you wish.”

She stood in front of me, in the finest silk lingerie, hair tussled and hanging long down her back, and expensive fuck me heels but the second she opened her mouth and let that first note free, she was my angel. If someone told me she sprouted wings and a halo at that very second, I would have believed them. I closed my eyes and just basked in the very beauty that was her voice. It was singular and unforgettable.

After about two minutes, I could hear that she was about finished with the song. Before I could stop myself, I rushed her and cradling her head in my hands I kissed her, tenderly, there was lust there sure but more than that there was cherishment. I wanted to cherish this little tigress. Unfortunately, I would never get the chance.

“Kaja.” She let my name float in the wind as I released her mouth from mine.

I turned abruptly, “I’ll bring your stuff so you can go.” I walked out of the room before she could say another word.

* * *

I dropped her clothing off on the doorknob of her room. I had shit to do but every time I tried to focus on either finding out who was brave enough to come after me, my thoughts trailed to her. I heard the shower coming on and I waited for a hum or note to come from her while she washed but there was nothing but the splashing of water.

Someone with her traits, with her strength, and with that voice deserved more than to just be working off a debt. She deserved the world. I could give it to her, but nothing in this world came for free. Even I knew that, I didn’t want to just give it to her I wanted to share it with her. I didn’t mind bedding women, or even entertaining them when I had to but I never once wanted to share anything with one. She was what I had been searching for without even knowing that I was looking.

I heard her walk up behind me, I looked down at the cards that she had been playing with on the table. I could just ask her to stay but that wasn’t my style, not in the least. No, this was the way. If it was meant to be then it was meant to be.

“Can I interest you in one final game before you leave?” I picked up the cards and stood up to look at her, keeping my face as clear as I could. I didn’t want her to see that I wanted this more than anything.

I watched her bite her lip, the girl was a gambler, and from what I did see she was pretty good. “Depends, what’s the wager?’

I placed the cards on the table and sat in one of the chairs facing her. “One hand. If I win, you stay here with me. For as long as we want to stay together.” I kept my voice even.

“And if I win?” She asked arching a brow at me, but already moving toward the table to take a seat.

“If you win, you can have whatever you want. Winner’s choice.”

“I like that kind of game, ok, deal me in.”

I made quick work of shuffling the cards and dealing.

Her face was stone, I wanted to know what she had but there was not one crack in her expression. It was driving me insane.

I flipped over the river; it was the moment of truth.

Chapter Nine

Sabina

My palms were sweating as he dealt the cards. I had been playing poker all of my life and for some reason it felt like this one hand meant more to me than anything. I thought it was because I was going to be able to ask to go home and maybe get him to tell Felix that I was a good little guest. The last thing that I wanted was to go back and be in trouble. Or even worse, get my brother in trouble. We were so close to being out of all this mess.

But the longer we sat there I realized that I wasn’t upset because I thought that I might lose but that I might win. It was that kiss. That kiss rocked me to my very core. It wasn’t sloppy or rushed like most of the men that I had encountered, it was warm and precious. Completely different from anything that I expected to feel from the cold man sitting across from me.

Now the thought of going back to Felix and being loaned out or beat on made my stomach turn. Kaja had shown me so much in such a short time and I wanted to know more. I wanted to feel that strength that he was so sure that I had. I wanted to be on his arm when he walked in and stopped a room. That power, that respect, that man. I wanted it more than living out the rest of my time with Felix. I would figure out how to get my brother out, I wouldn’t forget him but I could explore this too.

I watched as the turn hit the board. A king of diamonds.

Three of a kind.

I already had three of a kind, the odds of me winning especially with a high face card went up. I knew to keep my face stiff, my breathing even, my hands steady. I had to be stone. On the inside though, I was already celebrating. I waited for the river.

King of spades. Four of a kind.

I looked up at him and he didn’t even bother to turn over his hand. He simply pushed his cards in. Folded.

I turned over my two pocket kings, with the two kings on the board. I won.

I smiled brightly and looked at him, waiting for my praise. It was only right.

“Congratulations. You played a good hand.”

I stood from my seat, and let my hands fall to my sides. “You know what they say about lady luck.” I brushed off the compliment.

He stood from his seat and pushed his hands into his pockets.

“Well I hold true to my word. You won so winner’s choice. Speak your price and it’s yours.” he glared at me, no doubt waiting for me to tell him to bring me back to Felix.

I walked over to where he was standing, slowly but purposefully. I was focused, he moved back a step as I made my way into his personal space.

“Kaja,” I whispered, my voice sultry and thick. I hoped I was making the right decision but either way I was going to see it through.

“Yes?” He asked, his brows furrowing slightly.

The confusion transforming to complete shock as I slowly dropped to my knees in front of him. “For my winnings, I choose you. I want to feel you deep inside of me. I’m begging, please.” The words foreign on my tongue but they felt right.

The steel color of his eyes seemed to get darker as he stared at me, I could see the want. I could feel the tension radiating off of him but he made no movement toward me.

“You will stay with me?” He asked, the emotion and strain clear in his voice.

“Yes, I want to stay with you.”

In a snap he reached down grabbing the back of my neck and helping me to my feet. “Never again, you will never again be at another man’s feet. Always by my side. No matter what. You understand?” he pulled me hard against his taut body.

“Yes.” I answered on a breathy whisper.

He smashed his lips to mine as the boughs broke and the passion he was keeping pent up inside rushed through. He cradled the back of my head and wrapped one strong arm around my waist, squeezing me tightly against him. I let my hands run free over his clothed body and fought to get some room between us to open the buttons on his perfectly pressed button-down shirt.

He let go of me for only a second and ripped his own shirt off. I giggled, before I attacked his mouth again. He picked me up and wrapped my legs around his narrow waist. His large hands squeezing at my hips and thighs. We made our way to his bedroom, I looked around for the briefest of seconds. I had never been in his room.

I dropped my head back to his neck where I bit and sucked at his skin, he groaned and stilled for a minute.

“Fuck woman. I like that shit.”

I lapped at the skin and sucked some more. When I raised my head the hickey that I left on his fair skin was dark and raised.

He placed me on the bed and continued to take off his shirt and pants. I got up on my knees and made a show of taking the shirt and pants I had put back on off. His mouth was on my nipples before I could get my shirt all the way off. My abdomen clenched in pleasure and I pushed my hands into his hair keeping him in place.

“Kaja, yes. Just like that.” I moaned out as he continued to suckle and kiss at my tender mounds.

He ran his rough hands softly over my sides, caressing each one of my ribs, before he reached down and cupped my sex. My head fell backwards in pleasure. I was seconds and only a few more feathery touches away from release, and I knew he would give it to me. I didn’t know much about this man but I knew he would take care of me. Something deep within me on a primal level knew.

“Kaja . . .” I moaned. I didn’t have to beg. He swiped the seat of the panties I had on, already soaking wet with the juices of my arousal, to the side and slipped two thick fingers inside of my pussy. My body bucked involuntarily and my canal clenched down on him hard. I was cumming. That quick.

“Look at me. Now.” He orders and I have no choice but to comply. I raised my head and let my eyes find his. With one swirl and pump of his hand I was shattering into a million pieces and he was there watching me as I rode that wave.

“Yes, so gorgeous.” He pulled his fingers out of me and laid me down on the bed as he reached over and pulled a condom from the night table.

I stretched my already languid body out, I was already wrung out but I wanted so much more. I watched as he crawled over me, lifting my leg and kissing my calf on the way. Letting my leg rest on his shoulder as he pressed his shaft into my warm and ready folds. He sunk all the way in and my body held onto him tightly, my walls stretching and accepting his girth.

He held my leg up tightly and started a slow rhythm. I got used to it, my hips moved to meet each and every one of his thrusts.

“Kaja, it’s perfect, more please.” I reached up and let my hands caress his chest and rounded shoulders. My fingertips feeling the slightly raised skin of his tattoos.

He wrapped his other hand around my hip and picked up the pace. I mewled and scratched but it seemed like no matter what I asked him for he was there ready to deliver.

“Kaja, gimmie.” I said looking him straight in the eyes. Both of my legs were on his shoulders now and he was pressed fully on top of me.

“What? Tell me what you want.” He spoke as he bit at my lips.

“You, I want you.”

He closed his eyes and growled deep in his chest.

“No, I want to see you. Show me.” I caressed his face and waited as his eyes opened and found me.

“Sabina.” He muttered before the sweet agony of his impending release overtook his gorgeous features. He pumped into me harder and faster, his body now racing toward the finish line. “Oh.” He groaned and pulled me as close as he could get me, plunging deep inside me and letting his orgasm rush through his body.

He took in big heaping breaths of air as his body returned back to its relaxed state.

He pulled out of me and rolled to the side while I laid there knowing I made the right decision.

* * *

We spent the rest of the night talking of all things. He was still tight lipped about a few subjects but I saw that he was opening up to me as much as he could.

I told him about my family and about how all of us were gamblers, how my brother made a bad bet and now he owed Felix. There was no way that I was going to let my brother take a five-year bid on his own if I could help him. It was just how I was made.

“Do you even get to speak with your brother? How do you even know that he is still alive?” Kaja asked the tough question.

“I do, I speak to him once a month. Felix has him downtown, he is a male stripper in a gay bar.”

Kaja turned to look at me, “Is your brother gay?”

“No.” I answered looking away.

“Is he fucking clients?” Kaja asked.

I shrugged, “You see why I couldn’t leave him to fend for five years by himself. I got a shit deal but his must be a whole hell of a lot worse.”

“Fuck, I couldn’t do it.” Kaja shook his head and laid back down.

“You ever do that to someone?” I asked trying to dip my toe into uncharted territories.

“Fuck a man?” he turned back over to look at me.

“Well no, make someone fuck a man who wasn’t gay? Rape? Stuff like that?”

“I am a product of rape, I am not with that shit at all. So, no. But don’t let that fool you, there are way more sadistic things that can be done to people who welch on a deal or cross the family.”

“The family?”

“Yes, my family. Our leader is Marko Juric. He runs most everything over in Croatia but he is here now in the States. Where he is is where we are.”

He put his head back down, that was the end of that.

“Is that why people were shooting at us today?” I felt him stiffen.

“I don’t know, but I do need to find out.” he raised slowly off the bed. “I have to go downstairs to the car. I recorded the car with my back up camera, maybe I can find out some information that way.” He swatted me playfully on the thigh, “Aren’t you supposed to make me a sandwich or something?” And as if to solidify his request his stomach growled audibly.

“Jeez, and here I thought I was just going to get whatever I want.” I laughed and sat up wrapping the sheet around my chest. “You go get what you need from the car and I’ll go down and make us some food and we will meet back here. Sound good?”

“Yeah, I’ll be back in a second.”

We both walked out of the room and downstairs, he walked toward the garage and me toward the kitchen.

I pulled out a few things to make a cold sandwich and laid it all out on the table. I filled two plates up high and began to make my way back toward the room. On the way there, the cards on the main table caught my eye. We had left a mess.

I put the plates down and looked at the board. It was lucky for me to pull four kings out of the hat. I picked up my cards again just to look at them. I walked around to the other side and picked up his cards, he had the ace of spades and the jack of spades.

Wait a minute.

I looked back down at the table, the cards still there.

Four of clubs, queen of spades, ten of spades, king of diamonds, and king of spades.

The bastard had a royal flush. He won.

“So, you going to be mad now?” Kaja said from behind me.

I turned around to face him, “Why did you let me think I won? I know you know what this hand is. Why would you do that?”

“Sabina, I don’t want some slave I have to force to be here. I want a partner, I had to be sure you wanted that too. It had to be your choice.”

“And what if I would have chosen to leave? What would you have done then?”

“I would have turned around and let you walk away.” He said matter of factly.

I threw the cards on the table and slinked over toward him, “That was a pretty risky bet you know.”

He smiled seeing that I wasn’t upset with him, “I only play big, and I play to win.” He reached out and pulled me the rest of the way toward him, Catching my lips in another bruising kiss.

Chapter Ten

Kaja

I stayed in the bed with Sabina as long as I could but I knew I had more things to take care of. While it was great to win my prize in her, I had to figure out who the fuck had the balls to try and take me out. It wasn’t going to end well for them.

I pulled out my computer and uploaded the SD card that I took out of my car. The great thing about technology was that you could do so much with so little. My car with just a few touches would record everything happening using a dash cam and rearview cam. I hoped that the rearview cam was able to pick up some information about the car that was chasing us. Most rookies always made one of two mistakes. Either they didn’t properly protect their identities physically or there were clues that pointed to their identities.

I was able to pull the license plate number off one of the photos and gave it to one of my grease men to run it through the system. I got a name and photo within minutes.

Alexis Nicol Jr.

He was avenging his old man. It was time for him to die like him.

I looked over for a brief second at Sabina who was sleeping peacefully in my bed, she snored. That would take some getting used to but I was sure that there were quite a few things that she did that would take some getting used to.

I got up and walked into the main room, I had some calls to make. One in particular was to Sven. He was the person who ran pretty much everything on this side of the country. If the ask was major, he would put me in contact with Marko. Sven was who kept everything running smooth here, and he was damn good at his job.

It was three a.m. but I was sure that he was awake, the one thing that Sven couldn’t shake was the time difference, he was still on Croatia time no matter how long he had been here.

“Kaja.”

He answered, knowing exactly who was calling. I never knew him to save a number in his phone he just remembered them. He knew where people were calling from as well as where each area code was to. He was just chock full of information.

“Brother, how are things?”

“Oh you know, living the best life for mother Croatia.”

“Good, glad to hear it. I know it’s late but I have an ask. You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t a direct mark on the family.” I wanted him to know that I wasn’t just killing people to kill people. Alexis Sr. was a cheat, and Alexis Jr. disrespected me. As long as neither one of them wasn’t a made man or affiliated with one of our allies there shouldn’t be a problem. I had to make sure though. Alexis knew that I was made, he knew that I was with the Juric family and still he came after me.

“I am listening brother, I will say I am happy you called, I was about to make an unhappy visit to your area.”

“Is that so?” I kept my voice steady but on the inside I was nervous, I watched Sven hug a man and put a bullet through his head in the same second. He never made unannounced visits unless it was to kill. If he was coming to see me it meant that the higher ups were unhappy with me. I couldn’t see why though, I had done nothing.

“Yes, looks bad on the family for one of our own to be in a gun fight and car chase in the middle of downtown Las Vegas in full traffic, no? There were lots of calls made and plenty favors handed out to make sure that no heat came down on you for that. I am sure this ask has something to do with you handling Alexis Nicol Jr. Tell me was killing Alexis Sr. really the best course of action?” Sven had a thick accent but he was always proper when he spoke. English, Italian, Croatian, it didn’t matter he was always a gentleman when it came to his words, his actions were something completely different.

I had to shake my head, of course Sven knew exactly what I was calling for before I called for it. The man had all the answers. Always.

“Yes, that was in poor taste, I had no choice in the matter though. I had to protect my honor. He cheated me and then tried to make me out as a punk. This family is nothing if we don’t hold our respect.” I hoped that he agreed with me.

“Da, this I know. Alexis Jr. is nothing to this family but a loose end. Do what you must but be quick about it.” He hung up before I could reply. I had everything I needed though. He gave me the ok to take Alexis Jr. out.

* * *

“We have to go back there?” Sabina asked one more time as I pulled up in front of the Chinese restaurant that was the front for Felix’s gambling ring.

“I am not here to leave you.” I was focused on my itinerary. I was there to kill Alexis Jr. That was it.

“Do you think that Felix is just going to let me walk back out of there? I am just a slave to him, after you do all this he is going to want compensation.”

I turned to look at her, I wish he would try and strong arm me but she was right. She was still just a debt to him. It was time to wipe that out.

“How much do you owe him?”

“What?” She asked confused, first we were talking about killing now we were talking about debt.

“How much is left on your tab?”

“I don’t know Kaja, it was seventy-five thousand for five years work. We have done two years between the both of us.”

I shook my head and did a few calculations if Felix wasn’t being a dick that should mean that she was down to about forty-five thousand on her tab. I pulled up my phone and had fifty thousand transferred into my account. If he acted right, I would wire that over to him tonight.

“Let’s go.” I opened my door and walked over to open hers. I could see that she was worried, the clothing that I had bought her that day doing nothing to strengthen her confidence. She stepped out and tried to walk around me. I stood in her way. “Hey.”

She looked up at me, fear still evident in her eyes. She thought I was going to leave her. That I was bringing her back to Felix. It was so far from the truth, I was so far from done with her. In fact, I was pretty sure that I would never be done with her, only time would tell.

“You are my woman, either you are by my side or I’m leaving you behind. You with me?” I asked gripping her by the back of her neck. The spark in her eyes, the mischievous little twinkle coming back. I didn’t need a coy soft woman. I was living in a kill or be killed world, my woman needed to be ruthless. I knew she could be, but now was the time for her to show me.

“I guess it’s time to put my game face on.” She smiled and steadied herself as she snaked an arm through mine.

We walked into the dirty underground club, smoke booze and body odor permeated in the air. One of the bouncers tried to stop me as I made my way in, Felix was trying to make it an invite only club. I had my invitation it was tucked away in the back of my jeans. My gun was the only invitation that I needed. I watched as the man put a hand up as if he were going to physically stop me. He pulled up before he made contact.

“Fine, you can go in but she can’t, she has to go to the back with the rest of the help.” He grabbed Sabina’s forearm and she quickly ripped her arm out of his grasp.

“Oh, Madd Dogg, in case you missed the memo, I am with Kaja now. So, I am an extension of him, next time you put one of your filthy hands on me, I’ll make sure to tell him to chop it the fuck off. Understand?”

The man she called Madd Dogg blinked a few times, he looked from her back to me.

“I’d take care to listen to the lady.”

He backed up and let both of us in the door. She walked in her head held high, back into the den of miscreants and gamblers that she once served. Except now she was a queen.

“Ah, you have had your fill! She was worth it, wasn’t she?” Felix spoke from behind me. He reached to grab Sabina’s hand and she pulled away, tucking herself into my side.

“She’s mine, and I want her brother free from his debts as well.”

I spoke matter of factly, I felt her stiffen next to me but that was the extent of her outward change of expression.

“Kaja, of course I would do anything to stay in your good favor but that is a heavy price, she does good work for me and she and her brother still have three years left on their debt. I couldn’t just give her to you.”

“I will wire you the remainder of her debt, they have already given you two years of service. So, fifty thousand should cover it.”

Felix’s eyes bulged, he was probably sure that she would never be able to make it through. “Ahh, what about her room and board, her clothing.”

I stepped closer in his face; he was trying to play me. Trying to run me for more money. He had no idea how close he was from being a dead man, “Felix, I’m trying to do right by you, trying to cover your losses, but don’t think for a second that I won’t just put a bullet between your eyes and take both her and her brother. I say fifty thousand is a fair price, don’t you agree?”

Felix swallowed loudly before stepping back, “Yeah, I think that will work.”

“Good man.” I picked up my phone and e-wired the money to Felix. “Have her brother put up in a hotel until I can come collect him.”

I walked past him, my business with Felix complete. I turned to Sabina. “You are officially a free woman; you want to leave or is this still your place?” I asked indicating my side.

“I’m with you Kaja.”

I walked further into the room; every table was full.

“Kaja, if I would have known that you were coming, I would have saved you a seat, right now we are all full.” Felix said from behind me. I ignored him.

“This bastard!” A voice said from behind me, Alexis Nicol Jr. Dumb man, that was his only shot. “You let this scum in here. You will know what it feels like to have your brain splatt-” His words cut off as the bullet from my silenced weapon sliced through his head. He fell straight back, just like his father.

“Kaja!” Felix yelled out.

I stood still and looked around the large room, some people had stood up in shock that I had just shot him. Others already had their hands on their weapons.

“It seems like the last time I erased a nuisance from this world I didn’t stay around long enough to see if there was anyone else that had anything to say. Anyone feeling like they would like to avenge poor Alexis Jr. here?” I waited for someone to be bold enough to say something, but no one did.

“Isn’t that wonderful.” I put the safety on my gun and put it back in my waistband.

I walked over to the table that Alexis was just sitting at and grabbed his chair. “Looks like your short.”

There was another chair empty next to me and Sabina made a move to sit but another man stepped in front of her and tried to sit down. I pulled the weapon out of its place on my back and placed it on the table the barrel facing straight toward him. Before his ass hit the seat, he stood back up and moved away. Sabina smiled knowingly at me and took her seat.

I waited for the dealer to reset the table and deal the cards.

I plucked the corner of my hand, making sure that Sabina or anyone else couldn’t see.

“I hope you don’t think that just because you are a made man, I am going to take it easy on you.” Sabina spoke as she flitted one of her chips across her knuckles.

I laughed, “Just play the game baby, play the game.”

Epilogue

Sven

Pristine.

That was the condition of everything I owned. I made sure of it. My reputation included. Marko Juric was my leader, the father to us all, he trusted me with his life as he should.

The phone rang.

First three numbers 589. It was Marko. I answered immediately.

“Marko, you need me?” I asked ready for any directive the man gave me. My loyalty was absolute.

“I am hearing whispers. Something happening with Kaja that I should know about ?”

If he was asking, he already knew.

“Kaja had a bit of a problem with one Alexis Nicol Jr. The problem has been resolved.”

There was a sigh on the phone, “Good man. That means of course that his enterprises are up for grabs. No?”

“Yes, I am already sending a few of our people to go and gather the intel.”

Alexis Nicol Jr. and his father were small fish, but they were diving into deeper waters before they ran into Kaja. Nuclear and chemical black market deals, they had been facilitating them and they were really starting to make a name for themselves. Now there was an opening, people still needed their needs met and Marko Juric had his eyes on that prize.

It looked like we were about to be black market dealers. I was more than prepared for the task.

“Wonderful. I expect news within the next day. Stay blessed son.” Marko hung up.

I put the phone back on the table and walked over to the floor to ceiling windows, the plan on how we were about to take over the market already clear in my mind, by the end of the year everyone, be it the underground, the dark web, the government, everyone would know that the Croatian Mafia was here to stay.

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Reading List

By: Rae B. Lake

Wings of Diablo MC

Wire

Archer

Clean

Cherry

Prez

Ryder

Ink

Spawns of Chaos MC

Shepard

Eve’s Fury MC

Free

Surviving Romance Series

His Christmas Cabin

Fighting A Nightmare

Surviving His Romance

Fighting Together

J. Lynn Lombard

Chapter One

Spencer

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we have reached your destination. Please exit when the bus has come to a complete stop.” I jolt awake and look around, clearing the fog from my head. I didn’t mean to fall asleep, but I’ve been going non-stop for three days. Three days of cleaning up in dirty bathrooms, eating fast food and not sleeping. This trip has taken a toll on my body and mind but I’ve finally made it and am eager to get back into the gym.

I’ve been fighting my way up the MMA circuit for the past three years and when my trainer called giving me the news, I hopped on the first bus out of Michigan and headed to Las Vegas. Not my first choice of transportation, but it’s all I can afford. If I win these next couple of fights, I will make it into the championship. Something I’ve been dreaming about my whole life.

The bus comes to a complete stop and I grab my black duffle bag from under my seat. I make my way down the aisle, not making eye contact or conversation with any passengers. I learned the hard way they’re not like the people in my small city. Some are lost, some are running away and others will try to rob you blind if you give them a chance.

I step off the bus and breathe in a deep lungful of fresh Las Vegas air. The stench of body odor lingered heavily on the bus and it was making my already anxious stomach roll. The night air engulfs me and a light desert breeze blows across my skin. I walk down Fremont Street toward the Vegas strip.

“Hey, baby. Looking for a good time?” A woman’s voice floats from the darkness and I ignore her. At least I hope it was a female. I hurry my pace along the walkway, trying to avoid the homeless and hookers milling about. All I want to do is reach my hotel, take a hot shower and get something decent to eat. I sidestep a group of people huddled around a burning trash can and step out onto the Strip. The sight before me takes my breath away. Even late at night, cars are flying up and down the roadway, the hotels and casinos are lit up with warm and welcoming neon lights. A place that feels like home.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and check the address of where I’m staying. Somehow my trainer, Jeff, got me into a hotel called The Jade Hotel and Casino. It’s been around for a while, but from what Jeff told me, it’s trying to break into the MMA world. He was able to get all my matches at their new ring and my room for less than cost because I’m a fighter.

I step up to the hotel and look at it with tired eyes. The lights are soft, giving me a warm, welcomed feeling.

“Good evening, sir,” a bellhop says, opening the door for me.

I take a hesitant step inside and give him a nod. My boots echo down the marble flooring causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. I don’t know why, but I’m freaking out a little. Maybe it’s because the trip I was just on wasn’t the most pleasant of adventures and I’m in desperate need of a shower.

I walk down the marble hallway and the sounds of slot machines ring in my ears the further I go. The incessant ringing of bells and people cheering set my teeth on edge. A security guard spots me and approaches.

“Can I help you with something?” He rests his hand on the taser strapped to his side as he sizes me up.

“I have a reservation,” I gruffly reply, not taking my eyes off him.

“Down that hall,” he points to his left. I don’t reply and continue to walk, scanning my surroundings. I know I’m a well-built guy but his attitude pissed me off. I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m here for work and if this is the welcome I’m going to get, they can all fuck off.

I reach the counter where a woman with long dark hair stands, watching me approach her. Her gaze travels from my toes up to my face and back down again. She blushes and her pearly white teeth flash a flirty smile.

“Reservation for Bryant,” I say when I reach the counter. I set my duffle bag down next to my feet. She’s still staring at me with a look of lust in her brown eyes. I pull my wallet out of my front pocket and wait until she’s done ogling me. I roll my eyes and huff out a breath of annoyance. What the fuck did Jeff get me into? I knock on the oak counter, making her jump.

“Reservation for Bryant, please.” I grit out through clenched teeth. I’m tired, hungry and want to get up to my room as soon as I can.

“Yes, Mr. Bryant. May I see some form of ID, please,” she bats her long dark lashes and peers up at me through them. I hand her my ID and look around while she types on the computer. The set-up is pretty nice in here. Kind of old school meets new with the marble floors, a large seating area with a warm fireplace to the left, another set of glass doors and floor to ceiling windows behind that, leading outside to the Vegas strip. To my right is a set of gold polished elevators and a wide set of stairs made of marble.

I shift my eyes to the clicking of high heels against the marble floor. A woman with long brown curly hair that flows past her waist steps into view and catches my attention. She has on a tight black skirt that wraps around her slim waist and gives her tanned legs a long, lean look and a baby blue top that hugs her full set of tits. She’s talking to a man dressed in a black suit, moving her hands in a rapid pace. I can’t see her face but if that tight body is any indication, I’m sure the face matches. She's the first woman I’ve seen since I started on this journey that has my cock tightening in my jeans.

“Here you are, Mr. Bryant. You’re all set in the executive suite, top floor.” The woman behind the counter hands me a key card and my ID. “Take the elevators to the floor labeled ES and if there’s anything I can do for you, my name’s Jasmine.” I take my card and ID from her slender fingers and grab my bag.

“Thanks, Jasmine, I appreciate it,” I give her a wink and a smile. No point in pissing off the wrong people here. She giggles and her face burns bright red. I throw my duffle bag over my shoulder and saunter to the elevators. Pushing the button, I discreetly look around and catch the brunette from earlier watching me. Damn, she’s fucking hot with the complete package. She quickly turns her head away and acts like she’s looking at something else. I smirk in the reflective glass. The elevator opens up and I step inside, my feet sinking into the plush carpet. Turning around, I push the button labeled ES. As the doors close, I look up and see her staring at me again. Her clear blue eyes mesmerize me and I keep eye contact with her until the doors close.

The elevator swiftly climbs to the top, not stopping on any other floor. My stomach lurches from the quick ascend. Soft elevator music drifts around, relaxing me. I look around at the intricate detailing. The top of the elevator has gold-trimmed arches, there are mirrors all around me and the carpet is soft under my heavy boots. My mind wanders back to the leggy brunette downstairs and the possibilities I could do with her in this very elevator. The ding signals I’ve reached my room, ending my fantasy of fucking her against the mirror as her hot breath steams up the glass.

I adjust my aching dick and step out. The doors swiftly close behind me and I walk down a well-decorated hallway until I reach the room that matches my key card. I slide it through the box and it flashes green. I open the door and almost stumble in shock. How in the fuck did Jeff pull this off? It’s not like most hotels I’ve had to stay at. This place is bigger than my apartment back home. The sheer curtains are pulled back, giving the living room a soft glow that oversees the Strip. Lights from other hotels and casinos filter in, leaving me stunned. I step inside and the door closes behind me. I walk down the soft carpeted hallway to get a better look. The room opens up to a living room with a fireplace and an oriental rug placed in front of it, a sixty-five-inch T.V. above the fireplace. A black leather couch and chairs surround the fireplace. Off to the left is a small kitchen and island with a stainless-steel refrigerator, stove, dark oak cupboards and microwave. To the right is a closed double door that leads into the bedroom. I head to the closed doors and open them.

Inside is a king-size four-poster bed that sits four feet off the floor made of solid oak. The headboard has the same design I’ve seen throughout the hotel. There is a huge armoire against one wall. I set my bag on the bed and open another door that leads to an en-suite bathroom. The black and white marble tiles and jungle style shower has me peeling my dirty clothes off, chucking my boots off and heading right into a slice of heaven.

I turn the shower on and wait for the water to warm up. The water cascades down the marble tiles creating a steaming waterfall. I step inside and wash the grime of the past few days away. My mind drifts back to the leggy brunette in the hotel foyer. What is it about this woman that has me tied up in knots? Usually, I’m a fuck ‘em and leave ‘em type of guy. The ring bunnies swarm me before and after a fight and there’s no better way to release the pent-up adrenaline than to fuck hard and fast without even knowing their name or caring.

But for some unexplained reason, the image of that woman has me grasping my shaft and tugging hard as the water cascades down my muscled back. My fingers wrap around the base and I move my hand up and down at a rapid pace. I picture her plump red lips wrapping around my cock and taking me in her hot, wet mouth. She’d make a gagging noise as the head of my cock hits the back of her throat. She’s looking up at me through her lashes, her sparkling blue eyes light up my body and I come hard.

Once I come down from that fantasy, I finish washing my body and hair, turn the water off and step out. My bare feet hit the warm tiles and I dry myself off. My phone rings and I yank it out of my jeans left haphazardly on the floor.

“Yeah,” I answer.

“Spence, my man. My champ. How are you liking the accommodations?” Jeff says on the other end.

“Bro, I don’t know how you managed to pull this off, but this room is fucking awesome.”

“You can thank the owner of the hotel for that one. They love your style and your determination to win. You’re going to bring them in a lot of money.” Jeff responds. A giggle in the background has him distracted when he comes back on, “Hey listen, I’ve got to go. I just wanted to check in with my man and make sure you made it.”

“Yeah, man. I’m here. I’m going to take a nap then wander. Thanks for this bro, I wouldn’t be here without you.”

“Just kick some ass in the next few fights,” I can hear girls talking in the background and cards being shuffled. “Talk to you soon, Champ.” Jeff hangs up the phone before I can say anything else. I shake my head and wrap the towel around my waist. Grabbing my dirty clothes off the floor, I open the bathroom door and step into the bedroom. I dump my clothes in the corner of the room and open my bag. My body is screaming at me to rest. I slide on a fresh pair of boxer briefs and climb into the soft bed. Sleep takes hold and I drift off with images of the leggy brunette with captivating blue eyes I can’t get out of my head. I need to find out who she is and why she’s on my mind.

Chapter Two

Kyanna

Keith is getting on my nerves. I understand he’s my bodyguard and all, but sometimes he shows up at inappropriate times and it pisses me off. He needs to have a refresher on his boundaries. It’s not the first time he’s shown up in my room while I was indisposed. I’ve spoken to my father about it, but all my father says is, it’s his job to keep me safe.

Well, fuck that. I’m done with him meddling in my personal life. I can’t even have a personal life because of Keith. Tonight, when I was in the lobby of my hotel, I saw a man who was hot as hell and all I want is to relieve some stress. He was staring at me like he could take me for a ride, when Keith had to step in and demand to know who the hell he was, staring at me like I was his next meal. Maybe I wanted to be his next meal. The guy didn’t even have the balls to stand up for himself and he left, ruining my fantasy. I just want a guy who can hold his own and give me what I need. A man who will let no one run him off.

I know I’m an attractive woman and I’m not self-centered about it. I put hours in at the gym, training to defend myself against any harm. I don’t need to have Keith around, but my father insists. And with his health issues, I comply. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer and when the doctors gave him the news there was no cure, he went to the lawyers and had his entire life handed over to me. I still give him the courtesy of running certain things, but he leaves most of the decisions up to me. I’m not ready to lose my father yet.

This is why I’m sitting at the bar of my casino nursing a drink the bartender slid my way. He offered me a wink and went back to serving the patrons. I turn around and take in the scenery before me. My whole life is wrapped in this place. I grew up in this hotel with my father and he taught me the ropes of the business. When to hold and when to fold. When I went to him with my idea of holding an MMA fight night, he wasn’t too happy about it. But he told me that if this is the direction I want to go in, he will support me on it.

After months of searching for the right fighters, I came across a YouTube video of an MMA fighter in Michigan. His style is clean and there was something about his persona that attracted me to him. I called his trainer and he immediately agreed. Said Spencer Bryant will be out in a few days to get a feel of the area and he’ll make this place a lot of money. I check the time on my watch and see he’s due to arrive any minute.

I slide off the barstool and come face to face with Keith. “What are you doing?” Keith asks.

Keith is an attractive man, but he isn’t my type. His black hair is buzzed tight against his head in a high and tight. His well-defined muscles are hidden underneath his perfectly pressed suit. His brown eyes rake over my body, setting my teeth on edge.

“If it’s any of your business, which it’s not, I was heading off to find our new fighter. See if he’s made it here yet.” I push past him into the hallway. My heels click off the marble tile.

“It is my business. I’m your bodyguard. I need to know where you are at all times,” Keith grabs my arm and turns me to face him. I look at his hand wrapped around my bicep and glare at him.

“I suggest you remove your hand if you want to keep it,” I growl. He releases his hold and I continue to walk with Keith hot on my heels. “Don’t ever and I mean ever touch me again.”

We reach the lobby when I turn to face him. Keith stumbles to a halt almost slamming into me. “I’m not sure where you think you have the right to interfere with my personal life. You don’t. You are hired to protect me and protect the business.”

“Kyanna, listen.” The warning in his voice should be enough for me to shut my mouth, but I’m done with him controlling me. I’m done with him coming into my personal space. I’m done with him putting his hands on me.

“No, you listen, Keith,” I fling my hands up in the air, moving them at a rapid pace. “My personal business is not yours. What I want to do and who I want to do it with doesn’t concern you. As soon as you figure that out the better off you’ll be.” I look around the hotel lobby hoping no one is listening.

A man is at the counter with Jasmine. His back to me, wearing a pair of tight jeans that hug his ass. He bends down to pick up his bag and I turn my head before he sees me. Keith follows my line of sight and heaves a heavy sigh.

“Your fighter’s here,” Keith turns on his heels and walks away, giving me space. He knows if he keeps it up, I will de-man him.

Turning my attention to the man standing at the counter, a feeling deep in the pit of my stomach takes flight. This is the highly sought-after fighter. I slowly rake my eyes down his body and back up again. He’s a good-looking fighter, with inky hair long on the top and buzzed close to his head on the sides, a few day-old scruff, and muscle upon muscle under his straining t-shirt and jeans. Spencer gives Jasmine a smile that makes my panties melt and he wasn’t even directing it at me. He hefts his bag over his shoulder, his muscles flexing as he struts to the elevator. I watch as Spencer presses the button and steps inside. He turns around and our gazes lock. His deep green eyes hold me captive as the doors slide close and cut off the connection we had.

What the hell is wrong with me? This is ridiculous. I don’t get involved with clients and I sure as hell don’t get involved with MMA fighters. I’ve seen the ring bunnies ready to pounce before and after a fight and I sure as hell will not join their statistics.

I turn on my heels and make my way back to the casino. The slot machines ring the closer I get. I stand at the edge, watching my world before me. This is where I belong. This is who I am. I’m not a teenager anymore with hormones racing through my system. I’m not some floozy who throws herself at any man who gives her attention. I need to get my head on straight and back into the business before it all folds in front of me and I can’t do anything to stop it.

I don’t say a word to anyone as I make my way back to the elevators and push the button to take me home, to my penthouse suite. I need to get away and reset. It’s been a long and late night and I didn’t even get to greet our guest. I’ll have to find him for breakfast tomorrow and give him the Vegas welcome.

The elevator doors slide open into my penthouse suite. I step off, click the button to secure my room and I kick off my shoes. Thankfully, Keith didn’t follow me up here. I don’t want to deal with him anymore tonight. I unzip the side of my skirt and let it flutter to the ground before I even get into the living room. My blouse is next as I slide the fabric over my skin and let it fall to the floor, next to my skirt. In only my silk bra and panties, I step up to the floor to ceiling windows that overlook the Vegas Strip. No matter how many times I see this, it still leaves me breathless. The view is spectacular and I wouldn’t want it ever taken away from me.

I rest my palm against the cool glass and lean my forehead against it. I let my thoughts overtake me. Sometimes that helps to put things into perspective. Soon enough I’ll be without a father. It’ll just be me all alone in my world. No one to confide in, no one I can trust to talk too. No one to look at me with pride in their eyes. Maybe that’s why I’ve been acting so weird lately. I’m afraid of what’s going to happen when my dad is gone.

A tear escapes and trails down my cheek, followed by another one and one after that. Before I know it, I’m crying for things I cannot change. Things I cannot fix. Things I cannot take back. After a few moments of insanity, I straighten my spine and set my resolve. Staring out onto the Vegas Strip, I vow to myself I will let nothing break me. I won’t let these little moments define me. I will come out of this stronger than I was before and I’ll show everyone who ever doubted me my entire life that I can do this. I will turn Jade Hotel and Casino into a highly sought-after MMA fight club. I will succeed in turning my dreams into reality. And more importantly, I will do it before my father passes away.

Chapter Three

Kyanna

Sweat beads off my brow as I push my body to its limit. The hard whack of leather against leather pounds in my ears. I raise my wobbly arms and strike again. My muscles are beyond the point of exhaustion, but I can’t bring myself away from the swaying bag and rest.

After my mini breakdown last night, I showered and changed for bed. I laid down but couldn’t sleep. So, I got up, made a pot of coffee and when the time read four a.m., I changed into my workout clothes, threw my long, dark locks into a high ponytail and headed down to the hotel gym. I’ve been here for God knows how long, working on my boxing skills. Since I was a little girl and my father took me to watch a woman’s boxing match, I’ve always wanted to do it. But being the princess of Jade Hotels, it never took into fruition.

I swing with my left arm and punch the bag with a solid uppercut. God, this feels good. Hitting something without repercussions. I imagine the punching bag is Keith and I take out all my aggression on it. Punch after punch, kick after kick until I can’t move my arms and sweat is pouring off me.

“Wow remind me not to piss you off,” a deep voice floats from the other side of the bag.

My taped hands freeze wiping the sweat off my forehead and butterflies take flight in my stomach. I peer around the bag and inhale a sharp breath. Holy. Fucking. Shit. Spencer Bryant is standing in front of me, looking me up and down. He’s wearing a pair of basketball shorts, a white sleeveless t-shirt showing off his tribal tattoo on his right bicep and shoulder, leading into more under his shirt. His dark hair is pushed back and a few day-old stubble hides his strong jawline. His nose is slightly crooked but adds to the bad boy character he has going on.

“I’m sorry, what?” I ask breathlessly and push my dark locks out of my face.

“I was just seeing if the poor bag had any stitching left after that round,” Spencer smirks, showing off a dimple in his left cheek. My face flushes.

“Name’s Bryant.” He holds out his hand for me to shake. He has scars marring his knuckles and fingers. Fingers that could drive my body to the brink of ecstasy. A wanting need trembles through my body as I really look at Spencer. His powerful hands that could grip my hips hard while driving into me, his plump lips that could leave me breathless with one kiss, his smile that makes my panties combust.

“I know who you are.” Shaking the thoughts from my head, I push my way past him and grab a towel resting on my gym back. I wipe the sweat from my face, chest and arms. Spencer’s eyes burn into my back and I turn around. He’s looking at me like a wounded puppy and I release a deep sigh. This is no way to treat a guest. “I’m sorry I have a lot on my mind. My name’s Ky,” I extend my hand.

Spencer eats up the distance until he’s standing so close, I can smell his body wash, making my mouth water. He grabs my hand in a warm firm grip. “Nice to meet you, Ky. Would you like company?” I stare into his vivid green eyes and try to figure out his angle. It must be written on my face. “No pressure. I’m new here and would like to explore, but I don’t know where to start or what to do.”

“Don’t you have to work out?” I blurt. Please say no. Please say no. What the hell is wrong with me? I need to keep my distance, but something about him confuses my head and my body.

“It can wait if a woman as beautiful as you would like to join me,” Spencer offers me another smile. Words that make me melt.

“I would,” I smile back.

His lips widen and his green eyes light up, “Excellent.”

“Meet me in the lobby in an hour.” I release his hand and step away.

“See you in an hour.” There’s a look of longing etched on his handsome face, shining in his eyes. God, he will be the death of me. I swear I’ll combust of sexual frustration.

I turn and walk out of the gym, running right into Keith. His hands grip my arms to stop me from falling on my ass.

“Going somewhere?” There’s a hard edge in his voice as he peers behind me. He releases my arms and steps back.

“As a matter of fact, I am. I won’t be needing your protection today. Take the day off and enjoy life,” I step into the hallway and push the button to the elevator. The gym is located in the hotel's basement, a place of privacy for those who want to work out with no one watching them.

“What the hell are you doing, Kyanna?” Keith growls behind me. His breath fans across my neck, sending an unwanted shiver down my spine.

“Back up, now,” I growl. Keith steps away and the elevator doors slide open. I step inside and turn to face him. “You need to know your boundaries, Keith. You are a bodyguard, not my father and definitely not my boyfriend. If you want to keep your job, you’ll do as ordered and I’m ordering you to take the day off.”

The doors slide shut before he can say anything but by the rage burning in his eyes he won’t listen. The elevator ascends quickly and I release the deep breath I was holding. The air rushes out of my lungs and I lean back against the glass. I close my eyes and slow my beating heart.

The doors open and I step out into my room, pushing all thoughts of Keith out of my mind. I lock the doors and head into the shower. Stripping off my sweaty clothes, excitement thrums through my body thinking about spending time with Spencer. There’s something about him that draws me in and I don’t even know him.

I soap up my body, cleaning the sweat away. Emerald green eyes and muscular hands float into my head as I imagine Spencer in here with me, steaming up the bathroom. His scarred fingers working their way across my body, kneading my aching breast, traveling down further to my pussy. His mouth following his hands. I can’t help but tease my clit with my fingers, imaging it’s Spencer’s tongue. My legs tremble as my fingers work my clit, bringing my body to the edge. I come hard on my hand, images of Spencer’s powerful body hovering over me, pounding into me with everything he has.

I’m in deep trouble. I haven’t even had a normal conversation with Spencer and he’s already starring in my fantasies. I need to cap this attraction off until I get to know him. He might be an asshole and looking for a quick fuck. Or he could know who I am and be trying to sleep his way to the top. It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened.

I turn off the shower and dry myself off. Stepping out of the bathroom, I head to my walk-in closet. Rows upon rows of clothes and shoes are in front of me. Ranging from business to black tie, to gala. I head to the back of my closet where my comfortable clothes are, my feet sink into the soft carpet. I’m going with conservative instead of business and select my favorite pair of jeans, a red top and my favorite pair of running shoes. If we’re exploring the Strip, I want to be comfortable and high heels just won’t do it.

I get dressed and step out of my closet. I fix my hair, drying and straightening the dark locks. Then I add a limited amount of makeup. Just enough to make my blue eyes pop and my lips shiny. Once I’m satisfied, I put on a little perfume and check the time. I have less than five minutes to meet Spencer. My heart skips a beat in excitement as I grab my small purse and car keys off the table in the foyer and push the button to call the private elevator. It dings and the doors slide open. I step inside and push the button to the lobby. The elevator takes me down at a rapid pace. My palms are sweaty and I wipe them on my jeans. Nerves flutter in my stomach when the doors open. I spot Spencer before he sees me. He’s wearing a pair of faded jeans that hug his ass, a black t-shirt that stretches across his broad chest and a pair of boots. He turns and offers me a huge smile that lights up his eyes when he sees me. Spencer crosses the lobby in quick strides until he’s directly in front of me.

“You look beautiful,” Spencer says, grabbing my hand. He leaves a soft kiss on the back and releases it.

“Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself.” I blush and he smiles, showing me his dimple again.

“After you,” Spencer gestures with his hand, letting me lead the way. We walk past my security team. Keith is front and center, glaring at us. I ignore him, push my shoulders back and walk out of my hotel and onto the Vegas Strip. The sun is bright and the warm air wraps around my body. People are already out and about, clogging up the Strip.

“What is it you want to see first,” I turn to Spencer. He’s watching me with lust in his green eyes.

Spencer shakes his head, “I have no idea. I could use a cup of coffee and some breakfast.”

“Didn’t you use the continental breakfast the hotel offers?”

“My mind wasn’t on food,” Spencer replies.

“Oh,” my cheeks heat up at his words. “I know a great place to go to then. Follow me.”

We walk silently down the Strip, past the other hotels, shops and people. Every once in a while, someone bumps into us, pushing me closer to Spencer. The quietness is bugging me, “So, what brings you to Vegas?” I already know the answer, but I want to get a feel for him.

“My trainer set up a few fights for me here and I came in a heartbeat.”

“Fights? Are you a boxer?” I ask.

“MMA fighter. I live in Michigan but if things work out, I could see setting up something out here. There are more opportunities in Vegas than there is in Michigan.” His eyes light up at the thought.

“Do you enjoy fighting? What makes you want to do it?” I stop walking and wait for him to answer. The people around us keep walking with their heads focused on their phones or talking to each other while stepping around us.

“I love being in the ring. I love hearing the crowd chant my name.” Spencer stares off, lost in his head. “When I was a little boy, my dad took me to an MMA fight in our hometown. I saw first-hand how the men who did it had a sense of pride about them. The long hours, the training. And I was hooked. Been doing it ever since.” Spencer shrugs his shoulders. His green eyes land on me making me swallow hard, “What about you? What dreams do you have?”

“Well, my dreams are here. I grew up on this strip and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.” I need to change the subject before I spill everything to him. I’m not ready to go there yet.

“We’re here,” I motion to the quaint little building nestled between two hotels. Spencer turns around and scans the building. He opens the door and the bell chimes above us. The air conditioning blasts me in the face and I shiver.

“Are you cold?” Spencer asks with concern.

“No, the A/C always makes me shiver. I’d rather have heat than the cold.” I walk to the counter and place my order. Spencer does the same. The barista stumbles a little when she looks Spencer over. I sneak a peek at him and he’s oblivious to her. He’s looking at everything around us, taking in the artwork and details of the place. Then his eyes land on me, taking my breath away. I can’t pull my eyes off him no matter how hard I try.

The barista hands us our orders and we take them outside. There’s a park with an empty picnic table available. I head for it with Spencer on my heels. There aren’t many people out at this time. No kids are playing on the swing sets or sliding down the slide, playing tag. I take a sip of my coffee and look at Spencer. He focuses his emerald eyes on me making my heart skip a beat.

“So,” I say and trail off.

“So,” he copies me and I giggle.

“Tell me something about you that no one else knows.”

A wistful smile graces his full lips as he takes a sip of his coffee and sets his cup down. “Like what? I don’t have a lot of secrets. It’s hard to keep private life private when you’re in the eyes of the media.”

“I know how that goes,” I mumble under my breath, take a bite of my bagel, chew and swallow. Spencer watches me and it makes my heart skip a beat.

“What does that mean? What’s so important about you that the media has to tear you apart?” He isn’t looking for an angle, he honestly has no idea who I am.

“I meant my bodyguards. They’re everywhere and I don’t have any privacy because of it. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a conversation with someone and Keith wasn’t lurking in the background giving them the death glare.”

Spencer’s eyes harden as he looks around the park. I follow his line of sight and release a long sigh. Off behind the trees, hiding in the shadow is my bodyguard Keith. He’s staring at Spencer with rage in his eyes.

“Son of a bitch,” I growl. My hands hit the picnic table, making our cups rattle.

“What’s his deal?” Spencer asks. He pulls his eyes away from Keith and settles upon me.

It’s now or never. I inhale a deep breath and ignore Keith glaring at us, “My father hired him when I was fifteen to watch over me. Now that he’s sick, I don’t have the heart to tell him how Keith keeps interfering with my personal life. I want his last few months with me as painless as possible.”

“What’s wrong with your dad? Why do you need a bodyguard? You’re being cryptic, Ky.” Spencer’s jaw ticks and I need to tell him before he gets the wrong impression and leaves me sitting her wallowing in self-pity.

“My father is Vance Del Marco. My full name is Kyanna Jade Del Marco.” I cast my eyes down onto my coffee cup nestled in my hands. “He was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer. When we received the news, he immediately went to his lawyers and had Jade Hotel and Casino signed over to me. I’m the reason you’re out here, Spencer.”

“Wait, you’re telling me, you own the hotel and everything I’ve worked for to make it this far rests on your shoulders?” He blows out a long breath. “Wow. Uh, I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. I get it. I really do. You wouldn’t be the first to push me away because of who I am.” I settle my palms onto the tabletop, ready to leave.

Spencer’s hands quickly cover mine, stopping me from leaving, “I’m not pushing you away, Ky. I’m shocked but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to explore this thing between us. I had no clue who you were when I saw you last night. It’s been driving me crazy.”

“Really?” I raise an eyebrow and look at Spencer skeptically, trying to find his angle.

“Really,” Spencer responds, squeezing my hands gently. “I’m attracted to you, Kyanna. That has nothing to do with what you own or who your father is. Trust me when I say I know what you’re going through. You don’t know who to trust, who to confide in. Who’s going to rip the rug out from under you.” Spencer takes a deep breath, “I’ve been where you are. I know what’s going on inside that beautiful head of yours. So, if you want to head back, we can and call it a day or,” he trails off with a hint of mischief in his eyes.

“Or what?” I’m intrigued. Maybe he does understand. I do know I don’t want this to end between us. That I’m sure of.

“Or, we can ditch that overprotective security guard of yours and you can really show me Las Vegas.” Spencer waits patiently for my answer.

Do I want to do this? Do I really want to ditch Keith to spend more time with Spencer? I bite my lip and nod my head. “Let’s do it.” A genuine smile graces my lips and Spencer smiles back, squeezing my hands, sending a tingling sensation through my body.

“Ok, we’re going to act naturally and get up. Follow my lead. I know how to ditch people like a professional.” Spencer releases my hands and grabs our cups of coffee and his untouched food. He stands up and spots a homeless person laying on a bench nearby. We walk over to him and Spencer hands him the food and his coffee. The gesture melts my heart. The man thanks him and Spencer turns his big body toward me.

“Ready?”

“Ready,” I respond with a nod of my head. I’m excited I get to spend more time alone with him, but I’m nervous he will decide I’m not the woman for him. Or he will use me and leave me heartbroken. But I need to do this. I need to see where this goes from here. If I don’t, I will always wonder if I let the one slip through my fingers because I was afraid.

Spencer intertwines our fingers together, pulling me against his solid chest. I inhale his scent of sandalwood and my heart skips a beat. I peer up at him through my lashes. He’s staring down at me and swallows hard.

“Follow my lead.”

I nod my head and Spencer’s lips are so close to mine, I can smell the coffee on his breath along with the minty freshness of his toothpaste. It’s making my knees weak and my heart beat hard against my chest.

Just when I think he will kiss me, Spencer looks up, breaking the bubble we’re in. “It’s clear. Now or never.”

“Let’s go,” I respond breathlessly. He keeps ahold of my hand and we hurry out of the park and mix in with the Vegas crowd. I’m not sure where he’s taking me, but I don’t care at this point. All I care about is spending more time with Spencer without the watchful gaze of Keith leering around us.

Chapter Four

Spencer

Kyanna’s warm, slender fingers wrapped around mine sends my heart into overdrive. The way she’s trusting me to get her away from her bodyguard brings out a protective side of me I’ve left dormant for so long. There’s something about that guy that sets my teeth on edge. The way he leers at her, the way his eyes linger a little too long on Kyanna’s body, that’s not being a bodyguard. That’s an obsession.

I tug Kyanna closer to me when the crowd grows thick. She comes willingly and allows me to settle my arm around her shoulders.

She looks up at me with a spark of mischief, “Take a right, I have an idea.”

I follow her direction and we walk down a narrow alleyway. The sun is still beating down on us, the heat from the day sticking my t-shirt to my chest. It’s less crowded down here, but the last thing I want to do is let Kyanna go. She must have the same idea because she doesn’t move away from me. We’re surrounded by two buildings on either side of us and garbage containers every few feet. The scent of rotting garbage fills my nose.

She leads me to a thick metal door on the left and tugs it open. We’re plunged into darkness and it takes my eyes a little bit to adjust. Kyanna doesn’t say a word as she leads me deeper into the darkness. I hear the distinct sound of cards being shuffled and chips moving.

Kyanna turns to the right, taking me with her and stops at a door. She knocks three times and waits. I open my mouth to ask her what she’s doing but she shakes her head and puts a finger against her plump lips. I close my mouth and wait. A single knock returns, echoing through the dark hallway. Kyanna raises her fist and knocks one more time. A loud click vibrates followed by metal against metal before the door opens. A big burly man stands on the other side, looking me up and down with a sneer before his dark eyes land on Kyanna. A smile graces his bearded lips, revealing a missing tooth when he spots her.

“Jade, I should’ve known it was you with that dainty pound,” he steps out of the way and allows us to enter.

“Thanks, King. Just want to show my guy here the inside of Vegas,” Kyanna shakes his hand and we step into the room.

“Jade, remember you’re not a part of this world anymore but always welcomed,” King warns.

His threat sets my teeth on edge and I clench my jaw shut. Before I can say anything Kyanna pulls me away from King and further into the room. The sight before me is something I’ve never seen before. There are tables set up everywhere, covered with black tablecloths. Four people are surrounding each table with a dealer standing behind them. Each dealer doesn’t say a word as they wait for the players to tap or fold.

“Today is Blackjack,” Kyanna whispers. “It’s an underground gambling circuit. The best of the best are here gambling away their money. It doesn’t matter down here if you come from a rich family or the other side of the tracks. If you have the money, you’re in. If they win, it’s not reported to the IRS. But the person who sets it up gets a thirty percent cut.”

I look around at each table and see the designer suits mixed with those wearing jeans and t-shirts. “How do you know about this?”

“I stumbled upon it by accident when I was trying to ditch Keith one day years ago. Jed, the one who runs it, took pity on me and instead of kicking me out, he let me stay. After a while, I started setting up games and became a part of this world. I gave him more money than he knew what to do with and he gave me a place to hide out for hours, days or weeks at a time.” A sadness enters Kyanna’s voice.

“You miss it don’t you?”

“Sometimes,” Kyanna shrugs her slender shoulders. “But I’d rather have my dad and what he’s built.”

“Why can’t you have both?”

Kyanna turns and looks at me. Her clear blue eyes are staring right into my soul and all I want to do, in the shadows of this room, is kiss her. Her breath hitches in her throat and she licks her lips. “Because this is illegal. If I stayed here, I couldn’t take over my father’s business. It’s the way it works.”

Kyanna turns away from me, looking out into the room. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her back to my chest. She releases a small sigh and relaxes against me, causing my cock to stir behind the zipper of my jeans. We watch the players place their bets, the dealers deal the cards. Money being shuffled around, men and women leaving when they’ve lost all their chips after a little while. Then a man steps out of a hidden backroom causing Kyanna’s body to stiffen under my arms.

He’s as tall as me with slicked back blonde hair, a trimmed goatee surrounds his jaw. His cynical eyes settle on Kyanna and he heads in our direction. Kyanna doesn’t leave the safety of my arms, but I have the urge to push her behind me and protect her from his stare.

“Jade, what a sight for sore eyes,” he smiles wide extending his hand and Kyanna takes it. He engulfs her in a hug and her body stiffens, returning the hug.

“Jed, how’s it going?” She steps away from Jed and stands beside me, grabbing my hand. Jed’s eyes linger between the two of us and the smile fades from his face.

“It’s going well. Keith giving you an issue again? You know I can keep you safe.” The underlying desire in his voice sets my teeth on edge.

“I wanted to show Spencer a different view of Vegas,” Kyanna replies ignoring his question about Keith.

Jed’s gaze lands on me and he smirks, “So you’re the up and coming MMA fighter that has everyone talking.”

“You could say that,” I answer. “Spencer Bryant.” I extend my hand. If he’s someone important to Kyanna, I can play nice.

“Jed Combs,” he grips my hand and tries to squeeze it hard, but I don’t flinch. I’ve dealt with men like him for years. We lock eyes until he releases my hand. I return my attention to the tables. There are two men left sitting in the center of the room. One looks familiar, but it’s hard to see them from this angle and their backs are to us.

Jed follows my gaze and smirks, “The final two. The winner here takes home fifty K.”

“What about the loser?” I ask.

“He’ll owe his bookie close to one hundred K, if not more when all is said and done.” Jed shrugs his shoulders. He turns back to us, his eyes lingering on Kyanna. “It was good to see you again, Jade. Next time don’t wait so long.”

Jed walks toward the two players left and greets them both. His eyes keep lingering toward Kyanna and it’s pissing me off. The way he’s looking at her is enough to send the hair on the back of my neck on edge. I crack my neck from side to side, trying to relieve some tension.

“Come on, let’s go. It was a mistake to bring you here,” there’s something off in Kyanna’s voice. Like she’s afraid of something.

“Take me wherever you want. It wasn’t a mistake coming here. This is a part of who you are,” I grip Kyanna’s shoulders and turn her toward me. I cup her cheek with the palm of my hand. Her eyes flutter closed before opening again. The darkness surrounding us is intimate and sends a longing straight to my heart. “I want to know everything about you.”

“Do you mean it?” The vulnerability in her voice does something to my heart.

“Every word. Kyanna, we’ve only just met, but there’s something about you that draws me in. That makes me want to never let you go.” My eyes drift to her lips when she licks them and it creates a stir in my jeans.

“Come on,” she pulls me out of the darkness of the room and four heads turn our way. I stutter when I spot my trainer sitting at the table before regaining my footing and leave with her. What the hell is he doing here?

More questions than answers plague my brain as we step out into the alleyway. Why is my trainer in there? Is he in trouble? What does that mean for me? Are my fights in jeopardy because of this?

Questions I don’t have answers for run through my head when we hit the Strip. People around us are setting my teeth on edge. Kyanna must’ve sensed a change in my demeanor because she doesn’t say anything. She walks with me, my hand holding onto hers tight. We make our way down the Strip toward her hotel.

“Can I ask you something?” I ask.

We stop walking near her hotel and Kyanna turns toward me, “Anything, Spencer.”

“What happens when someone doesn’t pay their bookie?”

“Usually the bookie has a certain time for the debt to be paid. It depends on who it is. It could be two days, two weeks or two years. Some are more lenient than others. Certain bookies will make you pay with high interest and others will take it out in other ways. Those you want to stay clear of.” She stares at me with concern in her clear blue eyes. “Why? What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Just something I was curious about.”

“Promise?”

“I promise. I’ve never seen anything like that before and questions are running through my head.”

Kyanna smiles at me and leads me around the back of her hotel. We step onto a swimming pool area and pass cabanas with women in bikinis, drinking and flirting with the men walking by. I look at her with a raised brow.

“My way of sneaking back into my own home without alerting my bodyguards I’m here. Once they know, it’s game over for us and I’m not ready to end our day.” Kyanna steps behind a cabana and unlocks a hidden door.

“Lead the way,” I gesture with my hand.

She opens the door and takes me down a dark hallway then down a set of wooden stairs. The air is damp and sticking to my skin. Kyanna reaches for my hand and laces our fingers together once we reach the bottom. A tingle works its way up my arm and straight to my heart. We walk down another hallway and come to a service elevator. Industrial sized washing machines and dryers are through another door to the left. To the right is another room where workers are folding the sheets and towels.

“Before we head up,” Kyanna turns toward me. “I’ve wanted to do something since I first saw you last night.”

She steps into my space and tips her head up. My hands wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to me. Kyanna’s arms lock around my neck and she stares into my eyes. My heart is pounding hard against my chest as I gaze into her eyes. I lean down until our lips are a hair's breadth apart. Kyanna licks her plump lips and I can’t resist anymore. My mouth crashes onto hers in a heated frenzy. I draw her slender body closer until we’re chest to chest. A moan works its way up Kyanna’s throat and I swallow it up when she parts her lips. I plunge my tongue inside her hot wet mouth and savor her flavor. My dick is aching against the zipper of my jeans when Kyanna breaks our kiss, breathing heavily. Her chest rising and falling at a rapid pace.

“I could use more of that,” she whispers.

“Then more you’ll get,” I answer against her lips. Kyanna’s grin lights up the room.

She turns around and pushes the button for the elevator. We step inside and once the doors are closed, Kyanna is on me in a flash. We’re all lips, tongue and teeth. It’s messy but passionate. I need to taste her from head to toe. To savor her sweet flavor. Kyanna hits a button and the elevator lunges to a stop. I almost lose my balance but manage to stay on my feet.

“What are you doing?” I question, cupping her face and kissing her sweet lips.

“Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.” She fumbles with the button on my jeans. Once she pops the button, her long slender fingers dive in and wrap around my hard cock. She strokes my shaft and it makes my eyes cross.

“Holy fuck,” I breathe deep, steadying my racing heart. If I don’t keep it under control, this will be over as soon as it starts.

Kyanna continues to pump her hand up and down my cock. She runs her palm over the crown of my cock and uses the pre-cum as lube. Damn, I’m not going to last long. I kiss Kyanna as she works my cock and pops the button of her jeans. Sliding the zipper down, I move my hand into her panties and skim my fingers over her clit. Kyanna moans and my fingers slide further down and find her wet. I tease her pussy with my fingers as I kiss her. I slide my tongue into her mouth at the same time my fingers slide into her pussy. The palm of my hand presses against her clit while she rides my hand. She squeezes my shaft and strokes my cock to the rhythm I set. I’m close to blowing my load when Kyanna tightens up around my fingers and she’s thrown over the edge of ecstasy. The sight is beautiful with her flushed cheeks, the moans escaping her throat, her heaving chest.

Once she comes down, she drops to her knees and pulls my rock-hard cock into her mouth. She hollows out her cheeks, sliding further onto me. I’m a big guy and make inexperienced girls choke on the first stroke, but Kyanna deep throats me like a champ. I feel the head of my cock bumping the back of her throat. Kyanna sucks hard and I’m done for. I grip her head with my hand and move my hips to her rhythm, fucking those plump lips. Tingles work their way from my feet and travel up my spine into my cock.

“Oh fuck. Ky, I’m coming,” I grunt through clenched teeth. I look down at the same time, she’s looking up through her lashes and she keeps on sucking hard moving her lips up and down my shaft, coating it with her spit. The sight before me sets me off and my cock swells. I throw my head back; a deep guttural groan escapes my throat and I release everything I have into her greedy mouth. Kyanna sucks every last drop I give her. Once my cock softens, she licks again cleaning me up.

Kyanna rises from her knees and presses her body against mine, breathing hard. Speechless, I hold her against me. My legs are jelly but I hold us both up. Kyanna looks up at me and grins.

“That was spectacular,” she kisses me softly before I tuck my cock back into my jeans. She fixes her jeans. “Your room or mine?”

“Mine,” I answer right away. Kyanna hits the button to start the elevator up and my stomach growls loudly. “That worked up an appetite.”

“Then feed you, I must.” Kyanna pats my stomach. “I know a great place to eat. How about we meet up in a few hours?”

“I thought you were coming back to my room?”

“I think it’s best if we meet up. I have some business to handle.” She looks away and doesn’t make eye contact.

“Kyanna what’s going on?” I turn her face toward me. Tears are in her clear blue eyes making them a sapphire color. “You’re pushing me away suddenly. Why?”

“I’m not.” She shakes her head. “I have business to handle. Look, Spencer, I don’t want to make this weirder than what it is. I have some work to get done and you have to train. With as much as I want to spend this day with you, I can’t. My phone has been blowing up in my pocket for the past hour.” She pulls out her phone and there are several missed texts and calls from her father. “What if he took a turn for the worst and I was enjoying myself?”

“I get it,” I answer gruffly.

“You do?” She raises an eyebrow. “If something happened to him, I’d never forgive myself.”

“I understand.” I cup Kyanna’s face and kiss her gently, tasting myself on her lips. “I’ll go to the gym and you go see what he wants. Just next time, lead with that. Don’t push me away and make me feel used because you’re harboring guilt for enjoying yourself. Deal?”

“Deal,” she smiles and it makes my heart stutter in my chest. “Give me your number and I’ll call you in a few hours.”

I rattle off my number and she saves it in her phone. My phone vibrates in my pocket. “There, now you have mine too.” The elevator dings and the doors slide open.

I step out and turn back around, “I’ll miss you. Think of me while you handle business.”

“Trust me, you’re never leaving my head.” I kiss her quickly and step back. The elevator doors slide closed and a feeling settles deep in my bones. Something is off but I can’t figure out what it is. I walk to my suite and slide the card. Once the light turns green, I step inside.

“It’s about time you got back,” Jeff’s voice is coming from somewhere in the shadows of my room. I flip on a light and he squints while throwing back a shot of whiskey. “Was wondering if you forgot why you were here while banging the hotel owner.” There’s an edge of annoyance in his voice.

“I didn’t forget why I was here,” I respond. I step into the room and throw my wallet, phone and key card on the little table. “Did you forget or is gambling so much more important than making sure I made it on time?”

“I called, asshole. If I felt that you were in danger, I would’ve been here.” Jeff sets his glass on the table and stands up. “Listen, these next few fights will be tough. These fighters you’re going against want these wins just as bad, if not more than you do. So, you need to focus and win. If you lose, you’re done.”

“I’m not losing. I didn’t work this hard and make it this far to have it ripped away from me.” I clench my fists at my sides and narrow my eyes.

“Good, remember that fire, that passion and put it toward training. Not on a sultry brunette who can damage your career with a snap of her dainty fingers.” Jeff heads toward the door. “Remember she can ruin you before you get started.” He walks out the door and that feeling when I left Kyanna in the elevator settles deep in my stomach again. Something isn’t adding up. But Jeff has always had my back since the first day I stepped into the ring as a gangly teenager who didn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground. So, I have to trust what he says and push all thoughts of Kyanna out of my head.

Chapter Five

Kyanna

The elevator doors slide closed, leaving me alone. I lean against the wall and release a deep breath. Spencer has my head all in knots. I hate leaving him, but it needed to be done. There are other issues at hand and I have to put my company first.

I scroll through my phone and read the million text messages. Some are from my dad, some from Keith and there is one I don’t recognize. I click on it and my heart drops to my stomach. It’s from a bookie I knew years ago. Back when I was young and dumb and thought I knew everything.

I read his message and I feel like I’m going to be sick. Spencer is in trouble and he doesn’t even see it coming. I need to warn him. My finger hovers over the call button under his name. Before I can click it, the elevator dings and the doors slide open. Keith is standing in front of me with fire in his eyes.

“Where the fuck have you been?” he growls.

I tuck my phone in my pocket and square my shoulders, ready for a fight. “I was out. Not that it’s any of your business.” I push past Keith and he grabs my upper arm in a tight hold. “Let go of me now.”

“You need to stop these fucking games and act your age, not a horny teenager looking to get fucked.” He squeezes my upper arm hard enough, it will bruise. I hold back a scream and toughen my stance. I yank my arm out of his hold. The dark and deadly look in his eyes is enough to make my skin crawl. He’s lost his mind right now.

With as much as I want to tell Keith off, he’s completely off his rocker and I zip my lips shut. I know if I instigate a fight, he will come at me with both fists swinging. I can’t let him do that again. I step further away from him and closer to my room. I need to get away from him before he does something stupid. He moves with me. The crazed look in his eyes is scaring me but I refuse to back down from him. We’ve done this song and dance before. Keith doesn’t say a word. His jaw is set tight, he’s breathing heavily through his nose, making his chest rise and fall at a rapid pace. I have to tread carefully before Keith becomes completely unhinged and I end up hurt because of it.

“Keith, my dad has called several times. I need to call him back and see what he needs,” I turn on the sweet syrupy voice I’ve perfected with him over the years. “He might need something and I have some work to do before the MMA fights. Making sure everything is set up for tomorrow night. Can you check with your security team about the rules and restrictions for the fighters? Make sure they all know what’s expected of each fighter.” I slowly inch toward my door. Keith remains by the elevator and I move further away. “Then I need to call Abby and make sure we can use her girls for the ring girls. There is too much to be done and you’re right.” I pause waiting for him to come back toward reality and get his anger under control.

“Right about what?” He growls, raising an eyebrow.

“There’s too much to be done in order to make this a success. I should’ve been here instead of out. Forgive me for not thinking.” With as painful as it was to say, I knew it needed to be said. Keith needs his ego stroked before he flies off the handle and hurts me.

He narrows his eyes but his body is relaxing more. “I’m supposed to protect you, Jade. I can’t do that when you’re out fucking a fighter.” Keith only calls me Jade when his mind is so warped that he thinks I belong to him. I don’t. I never have and never will. This tells me where I need to take my next words.

“I didn’t fuck him.” Not in the way he thinks. Not yet anyway. “We went for a walk down the Strip and got some coffee. That’s it. I swear.” My hand rests on the doorknob. I’m so close to getting out of his path. One wrong move and I’m in trouble but I think I’ve got this. “Besides, like I said you’re right. I need to be here doing business and not with him. I won’t see him again for as long as he’s here.” The lie rolls off my tongue, but it worked.

Keith smirks, “Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Ok, Jade. I’ll let it go this time, but next time I won’t be so lenient. I’ll check with my team and make sure they know what’s going on for tomorrow night.”

“Thank you, Keith.” I open my door and step inside. “I’ll either be here or down in my office for the next few hours.” Come on, just leave already. This shit is stressing me out. Having to act all sweet and innocent for a crazed, unhinged man. I need to figure out how to get rid of him and fast.

“Ok, Jade. I’ll see you soon,” Keith enters the elevator and I hold my breath watching him as the elevator doors slide closed. I hurry into my room, flip the locks and crumble to the ground. There is something seriously wrong with my bodyguard. Tears leak out and I allow myself a brief break down before I pick myself back up and enter my suite.

Looking out over the Vegas Strip, I calm down and try to figure out a plan. I can’t ask Spencer for help. Not right now. He needs to focus on the match tomorrow night. I have to figure this out on my own. It’s like I’m stuck in an Alice and Wonderland movie with the Mad Hatter scene playing on repeat. I pull my phone out of my pocket and click on Spencer’s name. I send him a quick text.

Me: I can’t make it for dinner. Something came up and I need to address this issue quickly.

Spencer: Do you need my help with anything? I hear I’m pretty good at solving problems.

Me: You’re pretty good at solving certain issues, that’s for sure. This is something I need to do on my own. Kind of prove to my dad I can do it. I hope you understand.

My phone rings and Spencer’s name flashes across the screen. I can’t ignore him since I was just texting him. I hit the green button.

“Hey,” I answer.

“Hey, I hate texting,” Spencer responds. “Can I help you figure out your issue? I have a few minutes before I head to the gym.” My heart pounds hard against my chest just hearing his voice.

“Hmm . . .” I sigh into the phone. “No, I wish you could but I need to figure it out. Listen, if I can’t make it for dinner, just enjoy yourself and I promise to see you soon. I miss you already.” I stare out over the Strip, waiting for Spencer to answer.

“I miss you too, Kyanna. Is it weird that we just met but you’re all I can think about?”

“It would be weird if the feeling wasn’t mutual. That’d be an obsession.” Spencer laughs through the phone. “What are you doing right now?”

“Right now, I’m staring out the window to my suite, thinking what I’d do if you were here with me.”

“And what would you be doing?” I’m playing with fire, but I can’t help it. There’s something about Spencer that draws me to him and I don’t want it to go away.

“Well, first I’d trail kisses down that delectable neck. Then I’d peel that sexy top off and explore those plump tits with my mouth and hands.” Fire races through my veins imagining I’m with him right now.

“What else?” I whisper. No one has made me feel as wanted and sexy as how Spencer does.

“I’d peel those jeans down those sexy as fuck legs and kiss my way up every inch of your body until I reached your panties.” Our conversation is cut short when there’s a loud knock on Spencer’s door. A knock I recognize. “Hang on a second. Someone’s here.”

“No, Spencer. Wait!” I shout. He doesn’t hear me. A sinking feeling drops into my stomach when I hear him answer his door.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Spencer is angry, I can hear it in his voice.

“I’m going to warn you this one time,” Keith’s voice is harsh. “Stay away from Jade. She’s mine.”

Spencer laughs. “She’s yours? Tell that to my dick which was shoved down her throat a little while ago.” No Spencer! What are you doing? Why would you say that? Fear freezes my feet to the floor when I hear a growl and something smashing. “That all you got asshole? Kyanna isn’t yours. You’re an unhinged psychopath.”

A grunt followed by the crunching of bones against flesh fills my ear. Tears are streaming down my face, thinking Keith is killing Spencer. Shuffling and shouts fill the room.

“Drop it now!”

“On your knees, now!”

“Hands up, now!”

“Spencer? What’s going on?” I shout into the phone. My feet are moving fast toward the elevator. I push the call button but it’s taking forever to open. Sick of waiting with the phone pressed against my ear, I lunge for the stairs. I take them down two at a time, listening on the other end for anything. Any noise to tell me what’s going on. I reach the doors to the executive suite and slam my body against them. I fall forward with a grunt but catch myself at the last second so I didn’t face plant onto the plush carpet.

Policemen and women are surrounding Spencer’s door. I step closer, trying to see what’s happening.

“Ma’am you’re going to have to step back,” one officer wraps his hand around my upper arm that still hurts from Keith and yanks. I hold back a whimper.

“I’m the owner of this hotel. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Ms. Del Marco.” The officer releases my arm. I rub it gently. “We had a nine-one-one call about fifteen minutes ago from another hotel guest. They said there was arguing and fighting inside this room. They could hear a man and a woman’s voice.”

“That’s impossible,” I shake my head denying it.

“And why’s that,” The officer crosses his arms over his chest, widening his stance.

“Because the occupant in that room has been on the phone with me the whole time,” I hold up my cell phone and show we’re still connected and have been for the last thirty minutes. “So, you see the issue here.”

“What can you tell me then, Ms. Del Marco?” He pulls his notebook and pen out of his shirt pocket.

I open my mouth to answer when another officer comes out of the room with Spencer’s hands cuffed behind his back. He shakes his head no; his lip is bleeding and his cheek is bruised. Then a second officer comes out with Keith handcuffed. His bruised and swollen eyes narrow on me and his face beats red from the hatred pouring off him in waves. He looks worse than Spencer did. Now is my chance to get away from Keith. The opening I’ve been waiting for. I always thought karma was a bitch but now it’s my turn to get my life back. Get out from under Keith’s control. His crazy, psychotic, obsessive control.

“Sirs please wait. You’ve arrested the wrong man,” I gain the attention of the officers escorting both Keith and Spencer. “The one you need to arrest is this man, Keith Ryan. He’s been obsessively stalking me for years and even left bruises on me earlier.”

“Jade,” Keith hisses through clenched teeth. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Ignoring him, I keep talking, “He’s been posing as my bodyguard for the past several months. Every time I tried to get away from him, he’d threaten my father. This bruise,” I roll up the sleeve to my arm, showing his handprint on my skin. “Isn’t the only time he’s done this. I have footage and documentation of each time he’s put his hands on me unwanted.” Keith is snarling and shouting from his spot but I don’t back down. Not now, never again.

“I will need you to show us the proof, ma’am.”

“If you release Spencer Bryant, I’ll be happy to show you the proof. I need protection from this man and no offense to you, but I feel safer with Spencer.”

“Jade! What the fuck are you doing! You can’t do this! I will kill you, you selfish little whore! You’re a fucking slut, just like your mother!” Keith shouts. Spit flies from his mouth with every word and his face is beat red. He fights the officers with all he has, but they subdue him, face down on the carpet. “You will pay for this you high and mighty slut!”

I flinch from his words but hold it together. “See what I mean officer,” I turn to the man blocking me from Spencer. “Spencer was protecting me, not hurting me. Not the way he has.”

The officer nods to his partner and he removes Spencer’s handcuffs. Spencer leaps over a still thrashing Keith on the ground and sweeps me into his arms. His piercing green eyes roam over every inch of my face. His strong hands rub my arms gently.

I lightly touch the bruising on his face with my fingertips. “Are you OK?” I whisper.

“I’m much better now.” Spencer rests his forehead against mine, “Why didn’t you tell me the whole story?”

“I was embarrassed, Spencer. I was ashamed for letting him control me.” He wipes the tears falling down my cheeks with gentle strokes.

“Don’t cry, I’ve got you,” Spencer wraps his arms around me and pulls me against his chest. I can feel his heart beating hard against my ear. I breathe a little easier knowing he’s still here with me.

“Ma’am, I need you to come down to the station and file a report,” the officer who stopped me says from behind Spencer.

“I’ll be right behind you,” I nod my head.

The other two officers hoist a snarling Keith off the floor. He’s become completely unhinged, spit flying from his mouth as he shouts demeaning accusations at me.

“Get him the hell out of here.”

“Yes, sir.” They remove a kicking and screaming Keith away from us and out of sight. Once I can’t hear him, I release a harsh breath.

The first officer turns toward me, sympathy in his brown eyes, “Make sure you come down to the station. Without your report, we won’t be able to hold him for more than forty-eight hours.”

“Yes, I will be down. First, I have to get my documentation from my room.”

“Do you need one of us to go with you?”

“No, all I need is Spencer.” Spencer’s arms tighten around me, offering me comfort.

“See you in a little while then.” He shakes my hand and follows the other officers down the hallway and out of sight.

Spencer rubs my back and guides me to the door I flew out of a few minutes ago. We quietly make our way up the stairs. Neither of us says a word. The tension is unbearable and I break the silence first.

“I’m really sorry you’ve got caught up in all of this.” My voice is quiet in the stairwell.

“Kyanna,” Spencer gently grabs my shoulders, halting my forward momentum. He turns me toward him, “There are things that are beyond our control. I’m not a religious man by any means, but I do believe God put us together for a reason. So, stop feeling guilty for something you didn’t do.”

“If you never came here, you wouldn’t be involved in this mess,” I sigh.

“If I never stepped on that bus, you would still be living in fear. We never would’ve met and that isn’t something I want to think about. I’m in this with you until you tell me to leave.” Spencer gently pushes my dark hair out of my face. His big hands cup my face and he leans into me resting his forehead against mine. My heart is beating hard and butterflies take off in my stomach. “Kyanna, no matter what, I will be here. It’s not an obligation. You’re not an obligation. You’re a priority.”

Spencer leans down and captures my lips with his. It’s sweet and gentle, everything I need at the moment. Before we get too carried away in the stairwell of my hotel, Spencer breaks the kiss, breathing heavily. I smile and grab his hand, pulling him up the stairs with me. The tension between us disappears the closer we get to my suite. I open the door and straighten my spine. So much has happened in this room, that I don’t even want to think about. So many times, Keith has laid his hands on me out of anger. So many times, he’s taunted me with his words. I’m ready to put it all behind me and move forward.

“Wow, this place is impressive,” Spencer says walking to the floor to ceiling windows. What he sees as beautiful, reminds me of the pain I’ve suffered at the hands of an abuser.

I hurry to the safe hidden behind a portrait over the fireplace. I remove the artwork and open the safe.

“What you’re in awe of, is a reminder of what I’ve suffered.” I pull out all the photos and micro tapes in a brown envelope and shut the safe. “I’m ready to get out of here and never come back.”

“Was it that bad?” Spencer asks from directly behind me. His warm body is pressed against mine. He wraps his arms around me, pulling my back to his chest.

“Yes,” I whisper.

Spencer takes the envelope out of my hands and I close my eyes, revelling in the strength he’s giving me. He sets it on the glass coffee table and pulls me over to the windows overlooking the strip.

“Let’s take a minute to make a good memory in here instead of all bad. Where were you standing when I called you earlier?” Spencer’s voice is low and gentle.

“Right here,” I answer, my breath catching in my throat. Spencer runs his hands up my sides and gently grips my breasts. His lips caress my neck and I angle my head slightly to the side allowing him more room. He nuzzles the side of my neck his hot breath causes a thrill to tingle down my spine. I reach behind me and grip his head. I’m not sure where this is heading, but I know where I want it to go. I want to forget for even a few minutes. Spencer’s hands roam under my shirt and I lift my arms above my head. He drags my shirt up and tosses it behind us. Next, he unbuttons and unzips my jeans slowly, while kissing my neck down to my collarbone. He drags my jeans down my legs and I step out of them. Spencer tosses them behind us onto the floor.

“You were standing in this very spot when I told you what I would do if we were together?”

“Uh-huh. Right here when you made my body hum with need.”

Spencer grabs his t-shirt by the collar and yanks it off, adding it to the growing pile of clothes. His chest and arms are covered in tribal tattoos, expanding across the broadness of his chest. His muscles flex with every movement. Spencer unbuttons his jeans but my fingers stop him. There is confusion on his handsome face.

“I want to do it,” I say. Spencer holds his hands up and allows me to unzip his jeans. They drop to the floor and he kicks them out of the way. We’re facing each other. Me in my matching bra and panties, him in his boxers. I can see his hardness outlined through the material. An uncontrolled need thrums through my body, my nipples tighten in anticipation when I see the look of lust in his eyes. Even after everything we’ve gone through, he still wants me just as much as I want him.

I step closer to Spencer and rest my palm over his heart. It’s beating hard against my fingers.

“I need you, Spencer.”

His hands grip my hips and splay over my ass, tugging me against him. Spencer’s mouth crashes down onto mine. His tongue runs along the seam of my lips and I open for him. His taste causes a moan to work its way up my throat and he swallows it with his kiss. Spencer lifts me and I wrap my legs around his waist. His hard cock digging into my panties. I rub against him and he moans.

“You’re going to be the death of me. But at least I’ll die a happy man.” Spencer groans against my lips. I kiss him hard and long. Both of us panting by the time we break apart.

“Make me yours, Spencer,” I breathe into him. Spencer growls before walking forward and my back meets the cold window. He’s going to fuck me right against the window. One fantasy coming to life by this sexy as hell man.

Spencer leans back a little and his hips jolt up, causing his hard cock to push against my clit. A moan passes through my lips. I unhook my bra, letting it fall off my shoulders. Spencer dips his head and pulls one nipple into his mouth, nipping and sucking on it. I can feel the pull from his ministrations into my aching pussy. I shift my hips and rub against him, needing him inside of me. I toss my head back and Spencer drops his boxers. He releases my legs and sets my feet on the floor. He then pulls my panties down and I kick out of them. Spencer kisses his way up one leg while his hand trails up the other one, my naked back pressed against the cold window. Once he reaches my pussy, he licks his lips and stares up at me through hooded lashes.

Without a word, Spencer throws my leg over his shoulder and his tongue runs along my clit. He flattens it and a moan escapes my throat. He licks and sucks at my clit while his fingers play with my opening. I can feel the wetness coating my thighs but Spencer licks and sucks it up, lapping at me with no remorse. Tingles start in my toes. I’m so close to coming. I grip his dark hair and buck my hips into his face. He growls and it sends a vibration through my body at the same time his fingers plunge into my pussy.

“Oh fuck,” I groan. Spencer’s fingers pump in and out of my pussy at a fast pace while he sucks at my clit. I’m so close, but I want to come on his cock, not his fingers. I grip his face and pull him up my body. Spencer sucks one nipple on his journey up before his mouth lands on mine, kissing me. I can taste myself on him and it creates a want so deep in my core, I can’t wait any longer.

“Fuck me, Spencer.” I pant against his lips.

“You’re going to get fucked alright. Right here against this window.” Spencer lifts me and I spread my legs around his waist. His cock teasing my entrance. “I’m going to erase every terrible memory in this suite and replace them with good ones of you and me.”

“Then do it, please,” I plead. Spencer pushes me against the window the chill of the glass sends a tingle up my spine. I grip Spencer’s strong shoulders and push down onto his shaft. He slides in and a moan rips from my throat. He’s so big and it fills me completely, stretching my pussy to the point of pain. My pussy squeezes his cock, milking him for all he has. Spencer thrusts his hips up, his fingers digging into my ass causing me to push down at the same time he thrusts up again. We find a steady rhythm of give and take. Spencer pushes me back so my chest is in his face. His mouth captures my nipple and it sends tingles down my spine right into my pussy. He thrusts up hard and slams into me, causing stars to detonate behind my eyes.

“Oh fuck, Spencer,” I moan. I’m so close. My pussy tightens on his cock as he keeps up the punishing pace.

“Fuck, Ky, you feel perfect. Your tight pussy is made just for me.” Spencer kisses me hard at the same time he pumps his hips, his groin slamming against my clit.

“I’m coming,” I pant. And I do. I come so hard around his cock my body takes over, shuddering through my orgasm. Spencer’s cock swells even bigger before he grunts and comes hard right along with me. We’re a mess of sweat and harsh breathing.

I rest my back against the window, my legs still wrapped around Spencer’s waist. His hands still holding my ass. The chill of the glass cools my heated skin. Spencer leans in and kisses me hard. Our tongues duel back and forth and I feel another stir in my core.

“How’s that for a good memory,” Spencer asks, resting his forehead against mine.

“Perfect,” I answer, breathing in his intoxicating scent. He grows soft inside of me and releases my legs, gently setting my feet onto the plush carpet.

“I’m going to take a shower and then we need to go to the police station. Get this over with.” I walk my naked body toward my bedroom. I can feel Spencer’s eyes on me the whole time. I turn around once I open the door and sure enough, he’s standing near the window in all his naked glory watching me. “Are you going to stand there and stare or give me a hand?”

Spencer moves faster than I thought possible and lifts me up, tossing me over his shoulder. I squeal and laughter bubbles up in my chest. He slaps my naked ass with the palm of his hand and then rubs the sting.

“You know we’re never going to make it out of here if you keep flaunting that beautiful body.” His words send another tingle into my heated core.

“I’m OK with that,” I groan. Spencer’s fingers play with my pussy while I’m still draped over his shoulder and he walks us into the bathroom. He pulls his fingers away and sets me on the heated tile floor. He kisses me hard before releasing me and starting the shower.

I don’t know how long this will last between us, but I’m going to live in the now and not worry about the future. I still need to tell him about the bookie, but that can wait for another day. We’ve had enough drama to last us a while.

Chapter Six

Spencer

It’s been three weeks since Kyanna’s bodyguard was arrested. He’s still sitting in the county jail awaiting his trial. The evidence she had against him is overwhelming and I’m still shocked with everything she went through with him. She still warms my bed every night and the smile on her face is pure and genuine. I haven’t let her leave my side since this entire thing went down. I’m afraid if I don’t have eyes on her, Keith will show up and take her. Even though he’s in jail, he still taunts her throughout the day. Either with a phone call or someone watching us. It’s taking a toll on her mental state, but she keeps saying she’s fine. I know she isn’t. I can see it in the dark bags under her eyes. Immediately after we left the police station, I asked Kyanna to stay with me. She had the bellhops bring all her things down to my suite and we’ve been together ever since.

I had my first two matches already and won them both with TKOs in the second round. I’ve been training hard for this next fight tomorrow night. I’ve been on my own and haven’t seen Jeff since he showed up in my room three weeks ago. If I win this fight tomorrow night I’ll be crowned MMA Champ. The fights have run smoothly and Kyanna has put her whole heart into making it a success. Each fight has had a full house and the crowd chanting my name has been the best thing I’ve ever known.

Who would’ve thought Vegas was my place to be? I was hoping to make a name for myself here, but each time I step into the ring, it reminds me how big I’ve actually become. My name is whispered among the elite of MMA fighting.

“Hey fucker, there you are,” a familiar voice draws me out of my head. I look around the pool area trying to figure out where he is while a grin splits my face. I spot my big brother walking toward me in his leather cut. He’s smiling from ear to ear. Behind him are the rest of his MC, Savage Saints.

Ace reaches me and gives me a bro hug. “Holy shit, what are you doing here?” I’m shocked as hell.

“Can’t be letting my little bro have the biggest fight of his career without support. So we said fuck it and headed out. Wow, this place is incredible.” Ace lets out a low whistle looking at all the scantily dressed women around us. A few turn their heads and are blatantly staring.

Ace is the Secretary of Savage Saints, Mt. Pleasant. He also has his own underground fight club which I’ve attended a few times before my career picked up. Behind him is the whole MC. Kayne, the President, with his Ol’ Lady, Poison. Blayde, the VP with his Ol’ Lady, Siren. Stryker, their Enforcer with his Ol’ Lady, Holly. Then Rooster, Axel, Texas, Maddox, Talon, Knuckles, Tatt, Rebel, Butch and Duke. He’s right, the entire club is here dressed in their leathers and looking menacing.

“Wow, I don’t know what to say.” I’m shocked and excited they’re here for me.

Kayne steps forward and extends his hand, “Congratulations, Spencer. Now give us a tour before we scare off the guests.”

I shake his hand, “Follow me.”

“I want the Blackjack table,” Texas says from in the back.

“I call dibs on the motherfucking slot machines,” Maddox calls back.

“Bro, you can’t call dibs on all the fucking slot machines. This isn’t like back home, dickwad. Trust me there is enough for everyone.” Knuckles slaps Maddox on the back of the head.

“How the fuck am I supposed to know, asshole?” Maddox counters.

“I call dibs on the fine as hell woman walking toward us,” Tatt shouts. Someone elbows him in the gut and Tatt grunts. “What the fuck, bro?”

My eyes draw to Kyanna rapidly approaching us and tune the bickering out. Her black pencil skirt is tight around her waist. The gray silk blouse she’s wearing is hugging her plump chest and the killer heels she has on makes her tanned legs leaner. A smile breaks across my face when she reaches us with a raised brow.

“Is there a problem out here?” Kyanna asks, looking at all the bikers around me.

“Ky, I want to introduce you to my brothers and their Ol’ Ladies.” I wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her into me, kissing the top of her head.

“Man, what the fuck,” Tatt grumbles when he sees me grab Kyanna.

“Bro, there is so much pussy around here, you’ll be fine.” Butch’s rough voice makes Tatt shut the hell up.

“All these guys are related to you?” Kyanna asks in shock.

Ace steps forward and extends his hand, “I’m the blood brother, the rest are club brothers. Name’s Ace. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Kyanna is unsure if she should grab his hand but then she squares her shoulders and takes it, giving him a firm handshake. “Kyanna Del Marco. Owner of Jade Hotels.” She releases Ace’s hand and looks at the rest of the brothers. “Why don’t we take this inside? I had a few complaints from the elderly guests about some big dangerous bikers causing a scene. I can tell now they were just confused, but why don’t we grab something to eat. Then you can tell me all about why you’re here.” Handling the brothers like a true businesswoman, Kyanna leads us all inside. Her heels click on the marble floors as their boots echo around us. People stop what they’re doing and watch as we cross the expansive foyer and into the restaurant. It’s empty with soft music flowing from the hidden speakers.

“I’ll get the chef to prepare you all an amazing meal. Please sit wherever you like and I’ll be right back.” Kyanna tugs on my hand asking me to follow her.

“I’ll be right back,” I say to Ace.

“Sure, bro.” Ace looks around the restaurant and lets out a low whistle. “This place is impressive.” All the brothers and their Ol’ Ladies pull tables together and sit around it, laughing and joking around as Kyanna leads me into the kitchen.

“Wow, I needed a minute. That was a real test,” Kyanna releases a deep breath and smooths her skirt.

“I had no idea they were coming. They can be a handful but are loyal.” I feel the need to defend them.

“Hey, don’t stress.” Kyanna grabs my hands and pushes her body against mine. My cock aches from her intoxicating smell. “I called them and invited them out. I thought it would be a great surprise for you.”

“You did what? When? How’d you know?” I’m dumbfounded.

“I called Ace and didn’t realize he’d bring his entire club. But they’re your family and that’s what’s important.” Kyanna wraps her arms around my neck, drawing me into her warm soft curves.

“Thank you. This means a lot to me.” I hold onto her waist, digging my fingers into her hips.

“It’s a big night for you and I wanted you to have those who mean the most to you here.”

“But how did you know?”

“I have my ways.” The smirk on her face tells me she has connections even I don’t know about.

“Thank you, Kyanna. This is the best surprise ever.” I lean in and kiss her hard. She opens her mouth and I plunge my tongue inside, tasting her decadent flavor. A low groan rumbles up my chest.

Kyanna breaks the kiss, “I need to find the chef and have him prepare some food to feed those hungry bikers.”

“I’ll head back out and make sure they don’t cause trouble. Come out as soon as you’re done.”

“I will.” She kisses me again and I watch her ass sway in her skirt as she walks away.

Once she’s out of sight, I head back into the dining room. Laughter and joking rumble through the room and I smile. There’s been something missing since I’ve been here and this is it. These men and their women are what I’ve been missing. Savage Saints have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Blood-related or not, they’re still a part of me.

“Yo, Spence, come join us,” Ace motions for me to come over. I take a seat next to my brother and leave a chair open for Kyanna when she comes back. “So, tell me about this hot as fuck woman who called me out of the blue?”

“Well, her name’s, Kyanna and she owns Jade Hotel and Casino. We’ve been together since I stepped foot in her hotel.” I don’t tell them about Keith and what she’s endured. That’s her story to tell if she wants them to know.

“And?” Kayne speaks up.

“And, I think she’s the one. You know when you know.” I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t want her out of my sight or not in my bed. She’s captured me from the very beginning.”

“Good to hear, Spencer. Are you planning on staying out here permanently?” Poison, Kayne’s Ol’ Lady, asks.

“Yeah. Win or lose tomorrow night, I’m staying here.”

Ace slaps me on the back hard, “That’s what I wanted to hear. That girl wouldn’t go through what she did to get us here if you weren’t serious about each other.”

“What’d she do?” What the hell is he talking about?

“What time’s your big fight tomorrow night?” Blayde asks, leaning forward, his leather cut creaks. His blue eyes bore into me. He’s always been larger than life and I’ve always looked up to him.

“I take the ring at eight p.m.” Before I can ask more questions, Kyanna comes out of the swinging black door and crosses the room. She takes a seat next to me and looks at all the men and women surrounding us.

“The chef is bringing out food in a few minutes. I hope you all are hungry after your trip.”

“I’m starving,” Poison answers rubbing her belly.

“Woman, you’re always hungry,” Kayne growls against her neck.

“Hmm . . . for other things, yes. But since that’s not available right now, food will have to do.” Kayne growls again and Poison giggles.

“I’m sorry this barbarian biker didn’t introduce us,” Poison says and pushes Kayne’s nose away from her throat. “I’m Poison. That’s Blayde and his Ol’ Lady, Siren. Then Stryker and his Ol’ Lady, Holly. Followed by Rooster, Axel, Texas, Maddox, Talon, Knuckles, Tatt, Rebel, Butch and Duke.” Each member gives Kyanna a wave as Poison says their name.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I will try and remember all your names, but I can’t guarantee it.” Kyanna release a small laugh and her cheeks turn red.

“Don’t worry, we all still have on our colors. Just look at the names if you can’t remember,” Poison points to her name on her cut.

“Thank you,” Kyanna answers, her face is still red from embarrassment.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I pull it out. Frowning, I swipe the green answer button. “Yeah.”

“Spencer, I need you in the gym at three. Can you meet me here?” Jeff asks into the phone.

I check the clock and see it’s just after eleven a.m., “Yeah I can be there. You mean you’re going to act like a trainer and do your fucking job?” I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Jeff since he showed up in my hotel room weeks ago.

“Yeah, man. That’s my bad. I had some business I needed to handle. But it’s all good. We’re going to train light but fast so be ready to work up a sweat.” There’s something in his voice that’s off. I’ll have to figure it out later. I have my family here now.

“Yeah, I’ll see ya then.” I click the red button and end the call before he can say anything else. “My trainer wants me to meet him at three.”

“The one who hasn’t bothered to show up until now?” Kyanna asks with a raised brow.

“You’re still with that cocksucker, Jeff?” Ace asks, baffled.

“When he shows up,” I respond.

“Fuck that douche. I’ll train with you today. We’ll show that weasel dick motherfucker what it’s like to work out like a motherfucking champ.” Ace slams his hands on the table, making it rattle. Hoots and hollers echo around the dining room, making me smile. God, I missed these motherfuckers.

The chef brought out a huge spread of food and we ate everything offered. After everyone ate, they retired to their rooms. Kyanna got them all on the same floor with rooms side by side. I heard something about hitting the slot machines and Blackjack tables.

Kyanna and I are currently in her office. She’s on the phone with some vendors, looking out the floor to ceiling windows over the Vegas Strip. One thing I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter where she is, she always has this view. I can see why. It’s mesmerizing and comforting watching the glow of the city lights.

“Make sure you deliver as promised or there will be hell to pay tomorrow night. I can’t be having my guests short on anything.” Kyanna pauses and takes a deep breath. She’s agitated. “If you can’t deliver what’s ordered, I will be forced to go with another vendor and you’ll lose a lot of money tomorrow night.” She listens to the man on the other line. Watching her pace back and forth in that tight skirt, asserting her strength at this guy has my dick stirring. “Thank you. I will see you tomorrow.” Kyanna ends the call and rubs her temples.

“Problem with something?” I ask while standing up from the chair across from her desk. I approach Kyanna and rub her shoulders.

“Nothing I can’t handle.” Kyanna leans back and brushes her ass against my cock. “Hmm . . . that feels good.” I kiss the side of her neck while my hands knead the knots in her shoulders.

“There’s one place we haven’t christened yet,” I growl against her neck. I move my hands down the front of her blouse and cup her plump tits. They fit perfectly in my hands. Kyanna leans back and doesn’t stop me. I leave one hand massaging her tit while the other trails further down toward the bottom of her skirt. I lift her skirt and the garter belt she has on makes my cock throb even harder against the zipper of my jeans. My fingers brush along her panties and Kyanna’s breathing picks up. Her chest heaves against the palm of my hand. I wrap my arms around her slender body pulling her tight against me. My fingers work along the edge of her panties and she’s withering underneath me. I dive my hand into her panties and she’s soaking wet. I pinch her clit and Kyanna moans. Working her into a frenzy, I push one finger into her wet pussy while my palm rubs her clit. Kyanna’s hips buck into my hands. I trail kisses along the side of her neck and keep pumping my fingers in and out of her wet heat. Fuck she feels so good.

A sudden knock on her office door and Kyanna’s body stiffens in my arms. She’s so close to getting off I keep pumping my fingers, not letting up. The person knocks loud again and Kyanna pushes my hand away.

“Just a moment,” Kyanna shouts through panting breaths. She straightens her skirt and blouse, throwing me a look. I smile and stick my fingers in my mouth, sucking off her juices. The heated look in her green eyes makes me want to say fuck it to whoever’s on the other side, rip her skirt over her hips and fuck her senseless. But we can’t. This is her job and I have to respect that.

Once Kyanna is all put back together and her ponytail is fixed, she opens the door. “Ms. Del Marco, I need your signatures on a few things.” An older man with black and white hair pushes his way into her office and she gives him an exasperated look. He’s about my height but his skinny frame is hidden behind a dark suit. “They can’t wait.”

“Mr. Hannah, I’d appreciate it if you waited until I invite you into my office instead of just barging in whenever you want,” Kyanna says sweetly but the fire in her eyes tells me he’s done this more than once. He hasn’t seen me yet and I wait quietly to see how he responds.

“Yeah well, I’m here now so sign these so I can get back to work.” He plops the papers on her desk. My hands ball into fists at my sides. I’m ready to show this motherfucker who’s in charge.

Kyanna shakes her head at me. She grinds her teeth and narrows her eyes in his direction. She straightens her shoulders and faces him. “Did you forget who’s in charge here, Mr. Hannah?”

“Nah, I didn’t forget but I thought maybe you did. Seems how you’re never around.” His flippant attitude is grating on my nerves.

“I’m always here, Mr. Hannah. So, please leave the papers on my desk and show yourself out.” Kyanna handles herself like a professional, leaving the door open and motioning with her hand his dismissal. This douche stomps his foot like a two-year-old and mumbles under his breath as he passes her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that, Mr. Hannah.”

“Nothing, Ms. Del Marco. Just sign the papers and return them to my secretary as soon as possible.” He stomps his way out of her office and Kyanna quietly shuts the door. She leans against it, releasing an exasperated breath.

“Wow, he’s a piece of work,” I grunt.

“Yeah, he is. But he’s been with the company since my dad first opened Jade Hotel and Casino.” Kyanna pushes off the door and crosses over to her desk. She sits in her chair and picks up the papers he left. “He has an old school mindset and doesn’t work well with others. It’s part of the game we have to play.”

“Want me to have a word with him?” I ask standing behind her. I rest my hands on her shoulders massaging them again.

“As much as I’d love you too, no. There is no changing his mind. I just have to work twice as hard.” Kyanna leans into my hands and tips her head back to look at me. “Don’t you have to meet Ace at the gym?”

I check the time, “Fuck. Yeah, I do. But I don’t want to leave you.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m staying right here and getting some paperwork done. If I finish before you do, I’ll come down to the gym. I need a workout too.” She settles her hand on mine and squeezes. “I know you’re worried Spencer, but I’m fine, really.”

“It’s been three weeks, Kyanna. Why haven’t we heard anything yet?”

“Because the Vegas system is so overwhelmed with criminals, it takes a while. Don’t worry, Keith is sitting right where he needs to be. And if something changes, I’ll know as soon as it happens.”

“How though?”

“I have contacts on the inside. People who will look out for my safety,” Kyanna turns her head back and picks up the papers on her desk.

“I’ll trust you on this, but the moment it changes, I’m going to trust you to tell me.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know. Now go and meet Ace before you’re late and he hands you your ass.” She smirks.

“I’ll see you in a little while.” I lean down and give her a kiss to remember me by. By the time I pull away, Kyanna’s eyes are hooded with desire and my cock is throbbing against my jeans.

I walk out of her office and quietly close the door behind me. We had security set up where the door automatically locks and the only way to get in is through a code that only the two of us know. I hear the tumblers click in place, giving me comfort she’s safe behind that door. Because I have a feeling deep in my gut, she’s going to need it. I don’t know how or when, but we haven’t seen the last of Keith.

Chapter Seven

Spencer

This is it. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. The buzz from the arena vibrates the walls in the dressing room and penetrates my bones. Adrenaline is sneaking its way through my veins, making me edgy and ready for this fight. I shadowbox, keeping my muscles warm and ready to go.

Jeff never showed up to the workout yesterday with me and that doesn’t settle in my gut very well. He’s up to something, but I don’t know what yet.

My dressing room door opens and Kyanna enters with Ace and Kayne right behind her. She’s wearing a pair of black leather pants that hug her curvaceous ass, a blood-red tank top and red heels. She has her straight long dark hair pulled up in her signature ponytail. Her lips are painted a dark red and her eyes are smoky. Going for the whole bad girl sex appeal and she has my attention. Probably along with all the other hot-blooded males out there too. She smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Something is up.

“What’s wrong?” I ask grabbing her hands with mine.

“Nothing. Why would you think something's wrong?” Kyanna questions raising an eyebrow.

“Ky, I’ve known you for a while. I can read the signs. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to bother you with it. Whatever it is can wait until after your match.”

“Bullshit, Kyanna Jade. You tell me now or I won’t be able to concentrate.” I growl.

“Fine. Keith’s out. The judge let him go this afternoon and my guys lost him.” She whispers the last part, hoping I didn’t catch it.

My world falls away at my feet. My ears ring with rage. I turn to Ace and Kayne, “Call the fucking fight. I’m not going out there.”

“Spencer, you have to.” Kyanna pleads with me.

“I’m not fucking doing it. Not when this motherfucker is out there somewhere. You’re not leaving my sight.” I shake my head back and forth pacing the length of the dressing room. Rage is consuming my mind, body and soul. “You’re more important to me than a fucking fight.”

“Spence,” Ace grips my shoulders turning me to face him. “We’ve got her. She will be protected by the whole Club.”

Kayne steps forward, “Brother, we have her. She won’t be protected any better than by us.”

“Are you sure?” I question.

“Positive,” Ace confirms.

I release a deep sigh and stare at the ceiling counting down from ten. “Fine. But the moment it looks like trouble, we’re fucking out of there. I refuse to put Kyanna in a harmful situation.”

Ace and Kayne agree and Kyanna crosses her arms over her chest. “I can't just leave. This is my responsibility.”

I approach Kyanna and pull her into my chest. I know how to get her to agree. She doesn’t like the fact that I can control her body, but I do it anyway.

“Kyanna,” I lean in close enough where her breath is mingled with my own. “Let’s not talk about it right now.” I kiss her hard and she melts against me. “If Kayne and Ace say to move, you need to move.”

I cup her face with my hands and kiss her again, long, slow and torturous. By the time I pull back, Kyanna’s face is flushed with want. Her eyes are hooded with desire. “Do we have a deal?”

“Deal,” Kyanna pants against my lips. I smirk and she narrows her eyes when she realizes what I’ve done. “You asshole.” She grumbles.

Not one to go back on her word, she continues to shoot daggers at me, “I’ll make it up to you later.”

“You better, asshole.” Kyanna steps back and I nod my head to Kayne and Ace.

“Keep a good eye on her, please.”

“You got it, bro. She’s not leaving our sight.” Ace reassures me.

They all walk out the door, leaving me alone. Alone to contemplate what I’m going to do to this motherfucker who’s been after Kyanna. How I will rip his beating heart from his chest and shove it down his throat for hurting her. How I’ll tear his limbs off one by one. Starting with the hands that have left bruises on her beautiful body out of jealousy. Then I’ll move onto his feet. I’ll cut those fuckers off with a dull blade and make it as painful for him as it was for her each time he kicked or stomped on something so fragile. Then I’ll shatter his kneecaps with a claw hammer. I’ll swing the blade into his kneecaps and stomach. One for every time he touched her. By the time I finish with him, his mama won’t be able to recognize the face of the man who slid out of her cunt.

A loud pounding on the door has me up and ready. I slide my robe over my shoulders, throw the hood up hiding my face and open it. I step into the hallway and look left, then right. No one is out here. That’s fucking weird. Normally one of the ring escorts walks out with me. What the fuck’s going on? I walk down the hallway, toward the ring, following the base of the music. It’s cranked up to deafening levels. Suddenly a large hand comes down onto my shoulder, halting me in place. I try to spin around but they strong-arm me from behind and throw a cloth over my mouth and nose. The sickly-sweet taste enters my mouth and my body starts to fall into unconsciousness. My legs give out and I hit the concrete floor hard, smacking my head. Dizziness takes over and vomit works its way up my throat. I swallow hard, fighting off the darkness trying to take over.

“Give it to him again. Motherfucker is a fighter.” A pair of black dress shoes stand in front of me. I move my head back and forth pushing it back and connect with the person trying to hold the rag over my face. I feel bones crunch under my head and warm wetness trickle down my back. I stand up on shaky legs and stare eye to eye with the one asshole who’ve I’ve been itching to get my hands on. Fucking Keith is leering at me waiting for me to strike. And strike I do. I hit him so fast with a jab to the throat, he didn’t even see it coming. He wheezes and clutches his throat with his hands.

“Get him,” Keith croaks.

“Come on motherfuckers, try it.” I turn to fight off the men coming at me, but there are too many for me to handle on my own. They cage me in, jabbing me in the sides with sharp canes. “You fucking pussies can’t fight me without a weapon?” I tease and taunt. If I piss them off enough, they’ll get sloppy and give me a fighting chance.

One throws his weapon off to the side and comes at me. I jab kick him in the chest and send him flying across the room. He slumps against the wall not moving.

“Get his ass,” Keith wheezes. They surround me but I don’t go down without a fight. I kick and punch anyone I can find. One grabs me from behind while another comes at me from the front. The one from behind pins my arms to my sides and the other four take turns hitting me in the stomach, chest and face. I feel a crack in my ribs, blood coating my face, arms and chest.

“Enough! We don’t want him dead, yet.” Jeff comes into view. The motherfucking traitor. “Drug and gag him. We need him alive long enough to get her.”

“Jeff, what the fuck?” I slur through my swollen jaw.

“I’m sorry Spencer, but you need to forfeit this fight and Kyanna needs to find you. I warned you she will end your career before it gets started.”

“You’re not sorry. You’re a worthless piece of shit.” The same rag is thrown over my face and I’m too weak to fight them off this time. Darkness takes hold of the edge of my vision before I fall face first onto the ground. I’m out cold in a matter of seconds.

Chapter Eight

Kyanna

Sitting ringside, I’m nervous as hell. I keep looking over my shoulder wondering if Keith will show up and snatch me without anyone even realizing what’s happening. My stomach is in knots, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’m sitting between Poison and Siren. Kayne is on the left of Poison, Blayde is sitting on the right of Siren. Ace is next to Blayde near the aisle. Stryker, Holly, and the rest of the Savage Saints are sitting behind me, watching my back.

The amateur MMA fight before Spencer’s isn’t holding my attention. My eyes keep darting all around, looking for a threat. I know I should feel safe with these bikers, but they don’t know what Keith is capable of. They don’t know what I’ve endured over the last couple of years. How he went from my bodyguard hired by my father to my live-in stalker. How he manipulated everyone around him, including me. The beatings, belittling and threats I lived with on a daily basis. Hiding them from everyone and plastering a smile on my face and a badass attitude to go with it.

A warm hand settles on my knee causing me to jump in my seat. “Kyanna, it’ll be fine. These guys know what they’re doing.” Poison soothes.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t shake this feeling,” my foot taps on the concrete floor. “My gut is telling me something is off. We shouldn’t have left Spencer alone. Someone should’ve been with him.”

“There’s security all over this place, right?” Kayne speaks up, shouting over the cheering crowd.

“Yes,” I yell back. The MMA fighters are taking too long in this match. It should’ve been done with or close to it.

“Then he’s good.” Kayne leans over Poison, resting his arm behind her seat. “If security is tight, then you have nothing to worry about. Spencer will be out anytime and you’ll see.”

Kayne’s words should soothe me, but they don’t. I lean over to Ace, “I need to check on him, please.” Ace must see the worry written across my face because he nods his head and stands up.

“We’ll be back,” Ace says to Kayne.

“Take Knuckles with you,” Kayne agrees. A big burly man covered in tattoos stands up and shuffles his way out to the end of the seats. He looks around before letting me and Ace leave. We rush down the entrance ramp before a security guard stops us.

“Ms. Del Marco, is something wrong?”

“No. I just want to check on the fighters before their match. These two are with me.” He nods his head and lets us pass. We walk down the long corridor, the fluorescent lights above us are glowing and my gut is churning with each step we take. The sounds of the cheering crowd fade the further we walk. Once we reach Spencer’s door, Ace shoves me behind him. The door is open and Ace steps inside with his gun drawn.

“He’s not here,” Ace shakes his head.

The floor falls away at my feet. If something happened to Spencer, I’ll never forgive myself. I look left, then right trying to figure out where he went. Suddenly the lights flicker and I know it’s Keith. He’s here and he has Spencer.

I take off in a dead sprint down the corridor we just came from, my feet slapping the concrete creating an echo. Ace and Knuckles are right behind me, their boots echoing. The hall lights flicker again and I stop at a fork. Straight ahead leads to the arena, to the right leads to the hotel and the left leads to the basement. Turning left, I slip and almost land on my ass, catching myself at the last second.

“Shit, Kyanna are you ok?” Ace asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I look at what I slipped in and its blood. “Son of a bitch. He’s been here.” Ace, Knuckles and I follow the drops of blood down the hallway. They stop at the door leading to the basement. I push my way through the heavy metal door, tired of waiting. I know what Keith is capable of and I won’t sit back and let it happen to Spencer.

The dark stairwell sends a chill down my spine. I take them two at a time until I reach the bottom. My heart is pounding hard against my chest, my hands are shaking with adrenaline. I inhale a deep breath, steadying my racing heart. I reach up to push the door when Ace stops me.

“Wait,” Ace whispers into the darkness. He leans forward and quietly pushes the door open and slips inside. I quickly follow with Knuckles on my heels. We’re in the boiler room and the heat is making sweat bead on my skin. We quietly follow the maze of boilers and pipes until we hear muffled voices. The closer we creep, the better we can hear.

“Where is she?” Keith’s psychotic voice echoes around us. Ace, Knuckles and I hide behind a set of boilers and listen.

“I don’t know. She disappeared.” Another voice answers. One I don’t recognize.

“Find that stupid whore so she can watch what I’m going to do to her lover. She wants to spread her legs for this piece of shit, I’ll make him watch as I choke her to death, while fucking her.” Keith’s foot connects to something solid and an umph follows.

I try to step forward but Ace shakes his head at me. He holds one finger up in a wait motion. Heavy footsteps pass us quickly and I watch as three men hurry down the direction we were just in. Ace pulls out his phone and sends a text to someone. It buzzes back a few seconds later. He nods to Knuckles and I’m left out of the biker loop.

Ace sneaks around the left side of the boiler and I follow. Knuckles heads the other way and we circle around Keith. Spencer is bound and gagged in the middle of the room. His hands are tied behind his back, his feet are bound and a gag covers his mouth. Spencer is glaring at Keith with revenge in his eyes. Beside Keith is a man I vaguely remember from Jed’s Blackjack game. He’s leaning against a railing surrounding the three of them.

“What are we waiting for?” the man asks Keith.

“I’m waiting for that bitch to realize Spencer isn’t showing up to his fight. Don’t worry, Jeff. If you finish this, your debt with me is done with.” So, this is Spencer’s trainer. What debt does he owe and why would Keith care? He’s not a bookie.

“Don’t fucking remind me. Had I known owing Jed this money, I never would’ve bet it. Now my career is over.” Regret laces Jeff’s voice. He pushes off the railing and stands closer to Ace and me.

“Suck it up, asshole. Jed only called me to collect because he knows I want Kyanna. We both do. Do what the fuck I say or I’ll kill him now and you’ll still owe Jed.” Keith sneers.

Jeff looks at Spencer with pity, “I’m really sorry, bro. This wasn’t supposed to happen.” He pulls a revolver out of the waistband of his jeans and points it at Spencer’s head.

“NO!” I scream and leap over the railing lunging for Jeff. He turns around at the last second. I grab the gun at the same time I use my body weight and send us flying away from Spencer. The gun goes off and Jeff’s limp body pins me to the ground. I can’t move. Blood seeps into my clothes. Grunts and brutal pounding of bones on flesh echo around me. I can’t see what’s happening until Jeff’s dead body is thrown off me. I kick and scream afraid it’s Keith coming after me.

“Kyanna, it’s me, Spencer.” Spencer wraps me up in a tight hug. “It’s OK. It’s over.” He brushes the hair out of my face and I cling to him burying my face in his hard chest. He grunts a little but doesn’t release his hold on me. “I thought I lost you.”

“I thought I lost you too. Don’t ever leave me, please.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He lifts my face so I’m looking into his eyes, “As long as you’ll have me, I’ll stay by your side.”

Emotions swirl in my stomach and butterflies take flight, “I’ll have you forever.” Spencer closes the distance and kisses me hard. His tongue sweeps into my mouth capturing my breath in a soul-stealing kiss. One full of love and raw emotions. I kiss him back. We might not have said those three little words that impact a person’s life, but it’s all poured out between the two of us in this kiss.

“We good, brother?” Ace asks. I release Spencer’s lips and look around the room. Knuckles is standing over an unmoving Keith. Ace is standing over us with concern in his dark eyes.

“Yes, we’re good. Thanks, man. I owe you one.” Spencer responds. Ace extends a bloody hand and Spencer accepts. He winces in pain as Ace helps him stand.

“Spencer, you’re hurt,” I run my fingers over his ribs bruising by the minute.

“I’ll be fine,” he wheezes. “Just a few cracked ribs. I’ve dealt with this before.”

The door to the boiler room opens and boots stomp down the maze until they reach us. Kayne, Blayde and Stryker come into view and look around.

“Did you catch them?” Ace asks.

Kayne nods his blonde head, “Aye, they ran right into us. They’re currently tied and subdued upstairs.” An evil smile spreads across his face I don’t want to know about.

I turn my attention back to Spencer, “Let’s get you up to see the medics. They need to look at those ribs.”

“I’ll be fine, I promise.” Spencer kisses the top of my head and pulls me against him. His arms lock around my neck and I wrap my arms around his waist. “What about Jed?” My body stiffens in his arms.

“Butch and Rooster are out looking for him now.” Kayne’s phone buzz’s in his pocket and he pulls it out, reading the text. An evil gaze enters his blue eyes, “They got him right where we suspected. Kyanna, you’re going to need to call the cops and explain exactly what happened down here. Then when you’re done, you’ll need to send them up to your old suite. That’s where Jed is being held. I’ll have Rooster and Butch stay there until they arrive.”

My fingers tremble as I reach for my phone in my back pocket. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, what if one of you get into trouble?”

“Positive. There are too many people at play here for us to clean up and you need to uphold your reputation. Besides, if you leave this basement looking like that, it’ll only draw suspicion. You’re covered in another man’s blood.” Kayne informs me.

I look down at my clothes and Spencer’s chest. We both have blood on us. Knowing he’s right I dial nine-one-one and speak to the operator. I’m still in shock at what happened down here and it’s portrayed in my voice.

The Vegas PD showed up a little while later and after taking all our statements, they release us telling us all not to go anywhere until their investigation is complete. Keith was barely alive and taken to the nearest hospital and then will be arrested for kidnapping, aggravated assault, intent with a deadly weapon and coercion. Jed has been arrested for the same thing. Kayne and the rest of Savage Saints are thrilled at spending more time in Vegas. Spencer was seen and released by the medics with bruised ribs and a few broken fingers. His fight is postponed for another few weeks until he heals.

We quietly make our way up to our room and the first thing I do is strip down and take a long hot shower, washing away all the blood and filth from my body. Emotions hit me hard as I watch the blood swirl down the drain. Everything that’s happened comes at me full force and I hold back a sob. Flashbacks flit through my vision of Jeff’s death. The death was my fault. The shower door opens behind me and Spencer wraps his warm body around mine, holding me together.

“What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” he asks, kissing the side of my neck.

“I’m responsible for a man’s death.” Tears leak down my cheeks mixing with the water. “It’s my fault he’s dead.” I scrub at my hands trying to get the blood off. “I don’t know how to cope with it.”

Spencer grabs my hands with his own and turns me around so I’m facing him. He tips my head back and kisses me. “It’s OK not knowing how to cope. Just don’t hold it inside and keep me out. I will help you the best I can.” He kisses me again, settling my mind and soul.

“Thank you, Spencer. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.” I splay my fingers over his jaw and the scruff of not shaving scratches my palms. “You’ve become an important part of me.”

We stand under the warm shower for a while just holding each other knowing we will get through this together. Together, we will be unstoppable. Together, we will be stronger. Together, we will be unbeatable.

Acknowledgments

Thank you from J. Lynn Lombard

First off I want to thank Elizabeth Knox for trusting me to get this novella done. Thank you girl for this opportunity and pushing me past my comfort zone.

Second, a big round of applause to all the amazing authors in this novella. Elizabeth Knox, Flora Burgos, Addison Jane, Sam St. James, K.E. Osborn, Barbara Nolan, Evan Grace, Kathryn C. Kelly, Rae B. Lake, and H.J. Marshall. Thank you for welcoming me into the mix and the fun messages back and forth.

Third, my girls always by my side, my tribe encouraging me and pushing me past my boundaries. Joy, Krista, Monica, Michelle and Sarah. You ladies are the best and I couldn’t do this without you.

My Badass Bitches Readers group. All of you have played a huge role in my success. Thank you for sticking with me, even through these changing and trying times.

Finally, the best for last, all you wonderful readers picking up my books and giving me a chance. I’m grateful for your passion in reading. Thank you.

My husband and kids. Thank you for supporting me in my work. Thank you for believing in me and asking about each book I write. It means the world to me.

I will be continuing this novella and will eventually turn it into a full novel.

Other Works

By: J. Lynn Lombard

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What Are The Odds

Addison Jane

Blurb

I was your typical dirty secret.

My father—a wealthy casino owner in Las Vegas.

My mother—once his maid.

It could have been the dirty biker blood that ran through my veins, I wasn’t sure. But I’d spent nineteen years forcing myself to be okay with the fact that I was never going to be good enough for the elite status he boasted.

But maybe people could change.

My father was getting remarried.

And he was suddenly determined to force me into his perfect new family.

With his new wife.

My new stepsister.

And the stepbrother from hell.

The sexy, arrogant, lights-my-body-on-fire, stepbrother from hell.

Chapter One

Coralie

“You come here often?”

An amused smirk curled the corners of my mouth while my eyes continued to focus on the glass in my hand, and the liquid sloshing into it from the tap. I quickly flicked it off as the small head of froth hit the brim, holding my breath for a second, hoping I wouldn’t lose a droplet over the side. I couldn’t help but love a perfect pour.

With my grin growing bigger, I lifted the glass of beer onto the tray that sat waiting, full of shots and fancy drinks.

“Thanks, Cora,” Avery chimed, slowly lifting the tray from the bar and balancing it precariously as she stepped away and disappeared into the crowd.

The clubhouse was full, the party loud and obnoxious and spilling out the large roller doors to outside.

Turning away, I moved to the counter behind me, pulling clean glasses from the tray.

“You’re not going to answer me, huh?” the low rumbling voice tried again.

I shook my head, throwing a look at the guy over my shoulder. “I’m just the bartender,” I told him with a shrug, trying not to be distracted by the young guy’s perfectly square jaw and the light brush of bristles that covered it. “There’s plenty of girls floating around I’m sure would be dying for your attention.”

“And why isn’t one of those girls you?” he continued, clearly not taking the hint.

Which sucked, because honestly, he was freaking hot and just my type.

A little forward.

A little rough around the edges.

And the cherry on top—a little forbidden.

I wasn’t sure if it was because I’d grown up around bikers that I found them so goddamn attractive, or whether it wasn’t so much the biker aspect of men that pulled me in. Maybe it was more that asshole vibe that they threw off.

It was like a fucking magnet.

The more untouchable they seemed, the more I wanted them.

Daddy issues? Maybe.

Or maybe it was more to do with the loyalty these guys showed when they finally found their person. Maybe that was what I was so drawn to.

“You must be new here,” I announced, leaning back against the counter and wiping my hands on the apron that sat low on my hips. I had to raise my voice to be heard over the thumping music and chorus of voices inside the small building.

The Brothers by Blood MC clubhouse was full of members visiting from out of town. It’s the reason why the club president, Shotgun, had asked me to come help out at the last minute. But on strict conditions. I rolled my eyes at the blank look on his face, a little annoyed at having to explain. “I stay on this side of the bar and make drinks,” I stated very slowly. “And you stay on that side of the bar and don’t try to pick me up.”

His eyebrow raised which was almost kind of cute. “And those are the rules, huh?”

“Those are the rules,” I chimed happily with a heavy shrug. “Sorry.” Being hit on wasn’t a new phenomenon. While I studied business at Phoenix College on weekdays, I also bartended at the MC’s nightclub downtown a few nights a week.

Every single night without fail there were drunk guys trying to ask for my number or climb over the bar to gain my attention. It got old fast, which is why I actually began to appreciate the subtle approach like my friend across the bar had taken.

Unfortunately for him, despite his club cut and patches, and the way my body tingled when his dark gaze watched me—there was one person who he was never going to make it past.

“And exactly who made these rules?”

“I fucking did.” The guy sat a little straighter as Huntsman rounded the edge of the bar.

Everyone knew Huntsman. Not only was he one of the scariest damn bikers in the country, but he was also the president of The Exiled Eight MC, and just so happened to be my uncle. “Now fuck off and leave my niece alone. Don’t make me piss of Shotgun by getting blood on his good floors.”

The club member stepped back from the bar, his eyes suddenly narrowed on the ruthless biker beside me, dismissing me within seconds as he backed away, disappearing into the thick crowd.

Nothing unusual.

But still such a shame.

Shaking my head, I turned back to the tray full of glasses, picking each one up and stacking them onto the shelves to cool before another wave of bikers rushed the bar demanding liquor. “I’m never going to get a boyfriend with you constantly scaring away every man who looks at me sideways.”

“Don’t be fucking dramatic,” he growled, tugging at his salt and pepper beard before snatching up a glass of his own after he had reached for a whole bottle of whiskey off the shelf. I wasn’t offended by his sharp tone. Not like others might be. I’d grown up around the man.

Huntsman was gruff and he was ruthless—an ex-Navy SEAL. His road name exactly all the dark and stomach-churning reasons you could possibly imagine for why it had been given to him.

The man didn’t let anyone get too close, because if you did, you might just see vulnerability in his eyes. The look that you knew he would do whatever the hell he had to do to protect his club and his family.

“Time for you to go home.”

I choked out a laugh, propping my hip against the counter and folding my arms across my chest. “Ah, have you seen the number of people here?”

He turned a little to face me, that signature stern pinch to his features. “I’m sorry, did you think for some fucking reason this was a discussion?” he taunted, lifting his brows, trying to tempt me to argue.

I didn’t. Instead, I just gritted my teeth and scrunched up my nose.

I knew he was an asshole.

But he was also an asshole who cared about me and my mom when no one else gave a fuck.

“Prospect!” he called, ignoring the glass in his hand completely before lifting the bottle of whiskey to his lips and throwing back at least a shot. Tyler, a club prospect, appeared almost instantly, his eyebrow raised as he looked between us, before Huntsman even had the chance to swallow the sharp amber liquid. “Take Cora home.”

Tyler grinned.

The smugness in Huntsman’s face had not disappeared as he just turned and walked away, dismissing me completely, his decision made.

The crappy thing was, I knew there was no point in protesting.

He held the cards.

He was in charge.

Not many men in this room would have the balls to oppose him.

I tugged at the strings of my apron, huffing loudly as I tossed it onto the counter. “Come on, you can drop me at Holly’s place.”

Chapter Two

Coralie

“Cora!”

I paused for a second, a bottle of vodka in one hand and a cocktail shaker full of ice in the other. It was a Friday night at Empire and I was behind the bar, trying to mix ten fucking glasses of Sex on the Beach and get some of the crowd moving.

“Here…” Laken slipped in, taking the items from my hands and hip bumping me to the side. “Shake needs to talk to you in his office.”

My stomach instantly twisted.

It must have shown on my face as she began to laugh. “I don’t think it’s anything serious,” she called loudly, picking up where I left off and tossing a heavy dose of vodka into the silver shaker. “He seemed more a little concerned than anything. I’ll cover for you until you’re done.”

Stepping back, I wiped my hands nervously on my tiny black apron and nodded. Rushing for the end of the bar I barely missed Angel carrying a tray of beer. “Sorry!” I apologized with a deep frown while she just stood still, probably trying to get her heart to start again.

Shake’s office was past the bathrooms and toward the back of the building.

The club had always been amazing at working my hours around school and gave me time off when I needed it to study. They also paid me far more than any other damn bar or club in town would.

The boys, they had their finger on the pulse of Phoenix.

They were damn good at what they did—the business side, the way they treated their employees, and the way they handled issues. I guess that’s probably why they’d opened another club in town a few months back inside the old downtown theater.

I hadn’t worked a shift over there yet, but I’d heard it was just as damn busy.

Hesitating outside Shake’s office, I pressed my lips together and inhaled deeply through my nose, trying to calm my body. My heart was racing, and a wave of heat had rushed across my skin which caused sweat to build at my hairline. Feverishly, I dabbed it away, knowing it wasn’t exactly the best way to say, “Hey, I didn’t do anything.”

Another deep breath and I finally raised my shaking fist, slamming it forcefully against the hard wood a couple of times before pausing.

“Come in,” Shake’s voice called, and I once again wiped my hands on my apron before turning the handle and pushing it open.

Shake was sitting behind his desk, not looking at me.

I quickly closed the door behind me and inched forward, one small step at a time until he finally looked up. The amused smile that formed on his face instantly had me letting out that large breath of air I’d been holding. “Sit down,” he directed with a light chuckle. “And don’t look so damn scared.”

Scooting around the two large armchairs in front of his desk, I dropped my body into one, like it was made of lead. “You do shit like this just to keep your employees on their toes, huh?” I accused, sinking further into the chair.

“It works,” he admitted with a shrug.

“It’s evil.”

“Do you know Alexander Presscott?”

The sudden question caught me off guard, but not as much as hearing that damn name leave Shake’s lips. I choked out a laugh, feeling like for a second, I’d been kicked in the gut. “Uh,” I spluttered, trying to clear my throat. “Yeah.”

His brow was raised, letting me know he was waiting patiently for me to explain the connection.

I didn’t want to.

Alexander Presscott was a man who I heard from twice a year.

Christmas and my birthday.

Which I guess was lucky for him given they were only a couple of days apart. The rest of those eleven months I got nothing. It hadn’t always been that way. There was a time where I’d spend summers with him, and where he’d attended my preschool graduation. But at this point I had become accustomed to life without the man who chose his third wife—who I’d fondly nicknamed Cruella de Vil—over his only daughter.

“He’s my dad,” I spat out, twisting my hands in my lap and feeling my brow pinch together. “Or a version of a sperm donor if we’re getting really specific. I don’t ever see him these days and I barely hear from him.”

“Huntsman know this?”

“Yeah…”

Shake’s head shook back and forth, the gesture followed by an exasperated sigh. “These are the kinds of things we would appreciate a heads up about,” he explained as he pushed his chair back. “Alexander Presscott is kind of a big deal.”

He was.

A huge deal.

Not only was he on Forbes 400 and one of America’s richest men, he also owned one of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas.

He was a king there.

Which was why he had no time for a daughter who was conceived with the fucking maid.

Yes, I was a walking talking cliché.

The dirty little fucking secret.

Shake made his way around his desk and I rose, my eyes following in confusion as I walked toward the door.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that,” I apologized, shaking my head for a second, trying to clear out the rush of emotions that were slamming into me, one after another, not allowing me to collect my thoughts even for a second. “I guess we just figured it would never be an issue, given that for my entire life he’s never even been down to Phoenix to visit me.”

Shake reached for a door handle and turned it, before looking back at me. “Well, mark your calendar, because he’s upstairs in the VIP room asking to see you.”

It took a good four or five seconds for me to actually process what the hell Shake was talking about. And by then he’d already stepped out the door and I could hear his heavy shit kickers stomping down the hallway.

“Wait,” I murmured, instantly realizing I was talking to myself before almost tripping over my own feet to get out of the door and catch up with my boss. “I’m sorry… you’re joking, right?” I tried to laugh as I fell in step with Shake, breathless and confused.

“Not kidding,” he answered with a gentle laugh that did nothing to ease the tension in my body.

I hadn’t seen my father in a little over six years.

A three-minute phone call twice a year didn’t mean shit. I spoke with my bank more often than that. I spoke with the nurse who took my yearly smears more often than that.

We pressed through the crowds, the thumping music that I’d just been mixing drinks to suddenly felt like a baseball bat being slammed against my skull. I was so fucking confused.

Shake grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop at the bottom of the staircase that led up to the VIP area. “He was asking the girls upstairs about you,” he informed me with a narrowed stare. “Look, do I need to call Huntsman? Is this something he’s gonna want to fucking know?”

I snorted, thankful in that moment that my uncle had gone back to Vegas since the party last weekend. “Probably, but I’d wait. Huntsman isn’t Alexander’s biggest fan. So, it would be nice to know why the hell he’s here before my uncle puts a hit out on him.”

He looked skeptical like he was contemplating how to balance this shit. Especially given that Huntsman wasn’t just my uncle, he was also Shake’s father-in-law. Not only did he not want to piss the man off by keeping shit from him, he also wasn’t about to let anything happen to me in the process. They’d have my back, like they were right now with Tyler and James—two club prospects—meeting us at the bottom of the stairs and nodding to Shake.

“You don’t wanna see him, I can go up right now and let him know,” Shake reassured me with a slight smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth, obviously delighting in the idea that he could tell Alexander Presscott to get the fuck out of his nightclub.

That was the kind of reaction my darling father had on people. He was wealthy as hell, and he had worked hard to get to where he was. And by worked hard, I meant he wasn’t afraid to do what the hell he had to, or step on whoever the fuck he needed to, in order to get to where he was.

The king.

Right at the top.

Which was why I was confused as to why he was suddenly here.

In a Phoenix night club, looking for his illegitimate daughter.

It didn’t make sense.

“I need to know what he wants,” I answered, steeling my spine and forcing my shoulders back. It was a good show, looking like I was ready to face the world, but in actuality, I was feeling like a little girl.

The little girl I used to be, who was confused about why she wasn’t important enough.

The little girl who would watch all these other little girls with their dads—riding on their shoulders, going to daddy-daughter dances, and all that bullshit that never made sense to me.

We made it to the top of the stairs and Shake pressed his hand to my back, directing me toward the corner booth. I was surprised. It was usually the booth which was reserved for club members because of the way they’d lined the walls around it to keep some of the noise out. It made sure the boys could sit inside comfortably and have conversations or meetings with people.

This time though, there was my father.

Here we go.

Chapter Three

Coralie

Alexander Presscott spotted us and the moment our eyes met I felt myself push back against Shake’s hand.

He shoved a little harder, forcing me forward, almost having me land on my face as I stumbled ahead. “You want out, you just say the word and Ty and James will get you out,” Shake reassured me gently as we moved forward.

Alexander shuffled out of the booth, getting to his feet and buttoning up his suit jacket, his eyes watching me the entire time. He looked older than I remembered. His hair that had always been so dark was now a light gray. Its longish waves swept back from his face and curled behind his ear. It was unruly, but at the same time, completely tamed and perfected. His salt and pepper beard was much the same, streaked with grays and whites amongst the few dark bristles that were obviously still battling the aging process.

It was perfectly cut around his chin, though.

Shaped and manicured to perfection.

Because why would I expect anything less?

Shake stepped up beside me when we finally pulled to a halt, holding out his hand to my father. “Name’s Shake,” he announced, and the older man’s eyes shifted to Shake’s club cut before looking down at his hand for a brief second. I held my breath, but it was only a moment later that Alexander reached out with his own and shook. “I’m the manager, co-owner of the club, and Vice President of the Brothers by Blood MC.”

Shake wore his colors with pride.

Much like the other boys here, you would have to tear them from his dead body before he gave them up.

He didn’t give a shit what anyone else thought about them, and it was obvious at this stage that my darling father wasn’t all that fond.

“Alexander Presscott,” was all he answered, quickly averting his attention back to me. “Coralie,” he greeted with what seemed like a soft sigh. It surprised me slightly as he stepped back and motioned with his arm toward the booth. “Can we talk?”

It was awkward.

Uncomfortable.

But strangely, I didn’t want to walk away.

I wanted to know why he was here.

Why the sudden change of fucking heart?

Was he dying?

Was he going bankrupt?

Had he done something illegal and he was looking at jail time?

I don’t think any of the above would shock or surprise me.

I nodded, looking to Shake with a reassuring smile before I stepped past Alexander and slipped into the booth.

“Tyler and James will be here if you need them,” Shake announced with a nod and a look toward my father that resembled the edge of a blade—razor-sharp and dangerous.

It was a warning.

One that any smart man would have taken seriously.

I guess we were about to find out whether Alexander Presscott was going to do just that.

He slipped into the booth opposite me, his fingers intertwined and resting on the top of the table. “Would you like a drink?” he asked, nodding toward the short half-empty glass beside him. If I had to guess I would say whiskey—something expensive and probably much older than me.

My brow knotted, my head shaking back and forth. “No. I’m working,” I answered, pulling at the well-worn apron that covered my lap and pointing to the black shirt I was wearing with Empire’s logo clearly plastered across the front.

“Right,” he agreed with a nod, clearing his throat.

I couldn’t stop the soft laughter that bubbled up from deep within my gut. It was a reaction to the way my stomach was churning and squeezing, forcing out foreign noises. I couldn’t stop it, but it honestly spurred me on. “So, what are you doing here?” I demanded, raising my brow. “It’s not Christmas… sure as hell ain’t my birthday, so to what do I owe this pleasure?”

Woah! Tell the man how you really feel.

Tyler was standing a few feet away, in my line of sight, and I didn’t miss the way his eyebrows raised and the corner of his mouth twitched.

It was harsh.

My heart slammed against my chest as I raced to get the words out before I chickened out.

I wasn’t usually shy, I didn’t have trouble speaking to people, sharing my opinions or standing up for myself when need be, but at the same time, I liked to avoid confrontation wherever humanly possible. It just didn’t do anything for my soul. It didn’t make me feel good. Actually, it made me feel fucking ill.

And I was already starting to feel that swirling nausea creeping up on me.

I couldn’t help it.

I wanted to know.

Why now?

“Guess I deserve that,” he grumbled, reaching for his glass and taking a sip, the ice inside rattling around. I kept quiet as he placed the glass back down and dabbed at his mouth with the back of his suit sleeve. Was he nervous? “I’m getting married.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, scrunching up my nose with a gentle shake of my head. “I’m sorry, when were you not married?” I demanded, forcing my eyes open again, fighting the way they had begun to burn, the tears inevitable. “Where the hell is Cruella de Vil?”

“You shouldn’t call her that.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I practically choked out, throwing my hands in the air. “I have a few other creative names I could use. Maybe you’d prefer those?”

“Coralie,” he hissed, before sitting a little straighter, tugging on his jacket and rolling his neck. His eyes moved around, looking past me, checking to make sure no one was taking any notice of the scene I was making. That was me—the secret, the embarrassment. “It doesn’t matter. We got a divorce last summer.”

My brows shot up. “She’s been gone since last summer?”

Almost twelve months. Wow.

“I had some things to work through after she left,” he attempted to justify, his eyes finally meeting mine. There was something different. Something off about this man in front of me. I hadn’t seen him in years, hadn’t been in his presence since I was just a teenage girl, and yet I could feel some kind of vulnerability flowing off him.

It was in his eyes.

They weren’t dark and hard like I remembered.

And there were more wrinkles on his face.

That, along with the color of his beard and hair were serious signs that this man, who I had always imagined so powerful, so invincible, was in fact getting old.

“Did she take you for everything?” I wasn’t sure why that was the first question I asked.

He lifted his glass, pausing as it pressed to his bottom lip, and a cunning smile grew. “That is the beauty of a prenup.”

“What’d she get?”

“Not a fucking cent.”

My shoulders slumped and I leaned back into the seat. The reality that the bitch who had spent so many fucking years torturing me and driving a wedge between this man and me had walked away with nothing, and that right there was so damn satisfying. I just wish I’d gotten to see her squirm and scream as she walked out empty-handed.

Maybe I was more like Alexander than I thought.

“Part of me is glad, another part is furious,” I admitted with a heavy sigh. “But honestly, I’m kind of just wondering why the hell you haven’t learned your lesson? Ever tried being single? Sign up for Tinder? Have a one-night stand?”

He coughed, slamming his glass down on the table and beat his fist against his chest. “Jesus, Cora,” he choked out, fighting for breath.

“You know what Tinder is, right?”

“I should,” he answered, his voice still fighting to catch a break. “I own shares in it.”

My eyes rolled on their own.

I swear they did.

I had no control over what they thought was roll worthy.

“Of course, you do,” I snorted. “That how you met the new wife?”

He let out a soft chuckle, a warm smile coming over his face that instantly had me sitting a little straighter. That smile was different, it wasn’t tight, it wasn’t for show, it was something real—a rare sight. “I’ve known Dawn for a while,” he answered, the soft tone he used to talk about her, much different than I had heard before, even with Cruella. “Years.”

The question felt like little tiny pinpricks on the end of my tongue.

I should have just bit it, forced it back down and pretended like it had never even crossed my mind and just left it there. I could have just had a pleasant conversation with the man, appreciated that he was here, maybe even make it a first step.

But I couldn’t.

It burned.

It itched.

And that sadistic part of my brain that seemed to love to torture me, couldn’t help but damn-well scratch it. “You cheated on Cruella with her, didn’t you?” He stilled, his face changing almost mechanically. All signs of emotion now gone. “That’s why you’re getting married so quickly because technically you’ve been together for much longer than a year.”

“That’s none of your business,” he hissed, his eyes narrowed.

The burst of laughter that broke free from my lips made him jump. It wasn’t humorous, it didn’t have that same light airiness, it was simply pure shock and astonishment. Though, I wasn’t sure why. “I guess a leopard never really changes his spots, right?” I snarled at him, folding my arms across my chest.

I was protecting myself.

Protecting my fucking heart from this man who had ripped it out and stomped on it more than once. Family was meant to be your safe space. Family was meant to be people you could trust. Who you could rely on to have your damn back and protect you.

But honestly, it was your family who was the most dangerous.

It was them who could cause you the most heartache, the most destruction.

Because they were meant to love you.

They were not meant to have a choice.

So to have that person whose blood runs through your veins turn their back on you?

That was pain.

That was torture.

“I’ve made a lot of damn mistakes in my life, Cora,” he seethed, pressing his hands to the table and sitting forward. “But I won’t sit here and allow you to scold me for them.” Those eyes that I thought had softened were now steel—cold and calculated. This was the Alexander Presscott people knew. The businessman. The man who didn’t give a goddamn about who the hell he smothered as he climbed his way to the top.

One day you are reaching out, helping him up.

The next he has his foot on your face.

“All right, I think we’re done here,” Tyler interrupted, stepping right into the storm that was rolling in across the horizon. “Cora, let’s go.”

The tension whipped around us, the destructive force building, stealing my breath and making my heart race.

“I’m not done speaking with my daughter,” Alexander snapped, slamming his palm down hard. The sharp boom catching the attention of more club members who were scattered around the VIP area.

Tyler didn’t flinch though, ignoring the adult temper tantrum as he held out his hand for me.

“If you don’t want to get called out on your shit, then maybe you should try and keep your dick in your pants once in a while,” I retorted, taking Ty’s hand and allowing him to pull me from the booth.

Alexander followed us out, his shoulders forced back as he glared down at me. “Cora!”

“Get the hell out,” I ordered, stepping forward. I wasn’t afraid of him, not physically at least. He wasn’t the type to throw a punch or lash out in anger. But I was afraid of the damage he could do to my soul. I was now well-aware of just how un-okay I was with our relationship, and how much pain was still burning beneath my skin, just waiting for me to scratch at it so it could come out. “Do the right fucking thing for once and just stay the hell away from me.”

I knew there was music playing, and the world moving around me, but in that moment, it felt like complete silence. It felt like we were the only two people in the world. And I either wanted him to fight for me—to tell me this was it, I wanted him to tell me he wasn’t leaving and that this was the moment he was going to stand up and be the man I had always needed–or that he was going to walk out, and this was going to be done.

Forever.

He held my gaze for what felt like hours, each second that ticked over stealing another part of my soul, another piece of me that I would somehow have to repair. Then he sucked in a deep breath, his lungs filling as he pushed his shoulders back, before turning on his heel and walking away.

I watched him go.

His shiny shoes reflecting the flashing lights of the club around him.

And when he disappeared around the corner and down the staircase, I released the gut-wrenching sob that I’d been holding inside.

* * *

“Thanks for letting me hang out here tonight,” I told Kennedy with a forced smile. “I just didn’t want to have to go home and explain to my mom why I was so upset.”

She reached out, leaning across the small round table, and pressed my hair back from my face in a motherly gesture. I couldn’t help but pull my knees up, hugging them to my body and leaning into her touch.

“You are welcome here any time. I’m sorry about what happened with your dad.”

I fought the natural cringe my body made at the mention of that name.

Shake had sent me home early.

It was only 11:00 p.m. and I was meant to be working until close.

I would have tried, but instead, he got Ty to bring me to the clubhouse to just breathe for a little bit. I think he also knew that at the moment, all I wanted to do was feel safe. Not that I was scared of what Alexander might do, but more for the fact that the damage had already been done and he was giving me time to pick up the pieces.

“You want another drink, baby girl?” Avery questioned from behind the bar.

I looked at the empty glass in front of me, wondering whether this was really the moment where I should possibly let go of all my inhibitions and get trashed. I was three shots of tequila and a glass of gin deep in my own problems, so the shudder that washed through me was probably the answer I needed. “No. I’m fine. I should probably drink some water.”

“Coming up,” Avery answered with a wink.

“You need something to get your mind off everything,” Kennedy offered with a thoughtful look. “A booty call?”

I practically inhaled the water Avery had just handed me, slamming the glass down on the table and dropping my feet to the floor as I leaned over, trying not to fucking drown. Avery laughed softly, banging the heel of her palm against my back a couple of times before rubbing up and down.

“Shit,” I cursed, sucking in a deep breath and throwing my head back. “Fuck me.”

“Exactly,” Kennedy grinned.

Avery took a seat at the table too.

“She okay?” a deep voice questioned, drawing my attention to the double doors that led through into the club’s garage. Another of their businesses. Shotgun raised his eyebrow at me, and I held up my hand, nodding. “I’m okay,” I rasped between coughs.

“Kennedy suggested she get a booty call,” Avery teased, her entire face lit up in amusement at my predicament. “I’m thinking there’s a certain prospect in there with you that wouldn’t mind being the test subject.”

My jaw hit the floor.

I was damn sure of it.

“Ave,” I warned, which only served to make her smile brighter and wider.

Shotgun wasn’t much help either. “Ty!” he called over the banging and clanging. “Take Cora upstairs and show her a good time.”

The hooting and hollering from the garage full of men that followed had a rush of heat smacking me in the face. As though someone had dipped my head in gasoline and struck a damn match. “Oh. Geez…” I narrowed my eyes at Shotgun, desperately wishing I could get up and smack the smug fucking smile off his face. “I hate you.”

“I employ you.”

“You’re forgiven,” I quickly backtracked, waving him off. “As you were, sir.”

“That’s what I thought.” His deep scratchy laughter followed him back through the doors, even as they swung closed behind him.

“You talk like I haven’t tried before,” I huffed, rolling my eyes. “Did we miss the way every man between here and Nevada was shit fucking scared of a certain biker? Huntsman has been scaring away my boyfriends for fucking years. No one has the balls to stand up to him.”

Avery shrugged. “Some day, someone will. Trust me, you’re not the only one waiting for some guy to grow some balls.”

I didn’t miss the way her eyes drifted toward the door Shotgun had just disappeared through.

Kennedy and Avery were both club girls—at least, Kennedy once was, until a club member claimed her recently. Avery and I worked closely together behind the bar at Empire, so I’d gotten to know her quite well, and I knew she had no embarrassment or shame about what she was and what she did for the club.

I’d never judged her for it.

It wasn’t my place.

She was a single woman, so she could use her body in whatever way she wanted.

But I also knew there was a big part of her that had feelings for a certain club president, and I wasn’t entirely sure if those feelings were returned.

Chapter Four

Coralie

“I haven’t had a drink in like three days.” Holly grinned. “Are you proud?”

“Proud as a peacock.”

I really was. It was nice to have my best friend with me these past few days. She’d come to stay with me over the weekend since Shake had given me this week off. Given may not be the word I would use, more along the lines of forced upon after the emotional crash last Friday.

I loved this woman more than life itself. We’d been best friends since we were in kindergarten.

Our stories were similar.

Single children with single moms who worked their asses off doing meaningless jobs just so we could have everything we wanted. We both grew up with absentee fathers, and while I felt that hurt every day, I coped in my own way. Usually, by smothering those abandonment emotions with schoolwork and earning my own money while working toward being something or someone. Someone a father might be proud of.

Holly, on the other hand, was determined to desperately fill that hole in her heart she held for her father, and it just so happened she packed it full of a shit load of drinking, casual sex and unhealthy relationships with men.

It had gotten worse this year since I’d moved back in with my mom and started working more to help out and pay the mortgage while my mom was recovering from an accident. Holly, however, had dived right into the college lifestyle and joined a sorority. The girls there seemed lovely and they did a lot for the community, but they also did a lot of drinking and partying and God knew what else.

We pulled up to the curb behind a dark car—a Mercedes.

“Dang, you have some boujee neighbors,” Holly commented, slowly falling in love with the sparkling machine as we grabbed our bags and walked up the driveway. “You know whose car that is? Maybe I should go door knocking.”

“See, and you were doing so well,” I teased, closing the front door behind us and kicking off my shoes before heading for the end of the hall. I could see my mom sitting on the sofa with a coffee mug in her hand.

“Mom! Whose car is parke—”

“Cora…” my mom warned sternly as I froze in the doorway where it opened into the living room.

My backpack dropped to the floor with a heavy thump, my head already moving from side to side. “What do you want?”

Alexander looked up from the mug of coffee in his hands with a forced smile. “I couldn’t leave things like they were,” he hedged, reaching over and placing the mug on the small glass coffee table in front of him before getting to his feet. His hands tugged at his suit, this one a dark navy-blue pinstripe, probably the same price as a small car. “I thought maybe your mom might be able to help me get through to you.”

“You mean you thought you could come here and manipulate her like you used to.”

Holly’s laughter was the support I needed from afar. But being the smart girl she was she’d decided to stay back and not run her mouth. It was a hard concept for her to grasp but she just had too much respect for my mom to insert herself.

“Coralie Jayne Carter,” Mom scolded, leaping to her feet.

I couldn’t look at her, I knew that brokenness would be back. The same glaring pain she used to get when I was little, back when Alexander actually used to visit.

“You can sit, and you can listen to what your father has to say, and stop acting like a brat,” she hissed, stepping around the coffee table and hobbling toward me, trying to keep that stern look on her face and anger in her step despite the fact that she could barely walk.

Alexander’s eyes watched her, his fingers rolling into a fist at his sides.

“You need to sit and listen to what he has to say,” my mom ordered, taking my hand in hers and demanding my attention.

I pulled my gaze back, focusing on the woman in front of me. The strong, independent, take no shit woman who raised me.

On her own.

Without a man supporting her.

“Why?” I whispered, the fight in me melting as she brushed her hand across my cheek.

“Because I didn’t raise you to be vengeful.” Damn her. “I raised you to be forgiving.”

Well, shit.

Tears balanced precariously on my bottom eyelashes as I met her eyes. That pain was still there, it may have eased a little, might be well bandaged up, but the scars of what this man did to her would never leave. They would never disappear. And yet, here she was, asking me to forgive him. To give him another chance.

She wanted me to have this relationship with him. She always had. It was why she didn’t take him to court, why she never took him to the press and outed his cheating scandal to the world. It’s why she’d never allowed Huntsman to step in.

It was because he was my father.

He was a piece of me.

The part that had me so confused was why I would want to have a relationship with Alexander Presscott.

I should turn my back now, tell my mother no, that this was my choice because of what he had done to her, to us. I should kick him out, tell him to never come back and just be content with the fact that my father was not in my life.

But as it turned out, I was my mother’s daughter.

And she was right.

She did not raise me to be vengeful.

“Can I also give your new wife a fun Disney villain name?”

Sarcastic, maybe, but not vengeful.

* * *

“Spring break?”

Alexander nodded. “Your school finishes next week, and your break goes for two weeks.”

“You know far too much about my education.”

He continued, making no comment about how he was so up-to-date with my schedule. “I think that would be the perfect amount of time to come up, spend some time with Dawn and her daughter Eden. Get to know them a little.”

I turned to Holly who was still managing to keep her lips sealed while she stood back. “There’s a daughter.”

“Oh, I heard,” she reassured me, though her amused smirk didn’t help.

Surprise.

Alexander swallowed like there was a hard lump in his throat. “Yes. She’s eighteen, a senior in high school. I think you two will get along really well. She’s excited to show you around, give you a tour of the city. And Dawn is eager for her to have someone to look up to that doesn’t class Instagram influencer as their job title.”

I didn’t miss the way his eyes kept flicking to my mom, like he was checking to make sure she was coping with all this information.

Maybe he really didn’t want to hurt her.

Pressing my fingers to my temple, I shook my head. “How did you meet this Dawn?”

“We were friends in college,” he answered instantly. “We lost contact and she’s been living in New York with her first husband, but they divorced a couple of years ago and she just recently moved to Vegas.”

The story rolled off his tongue, like it was so damn easy. “So, you really like her, huh?”

Was he a part of my life? No. But I still knew him.

I’d spent years when I was younger, looking at photographs, analyzing the way he spoke, the way he moved and how he smiled. I was obsessed with knowing him even if it was, for the most part, from afar until Cruella came through and destroyed everything.

She pushed me out.

And he let her.

So instead of studying him, I decided it was better I knew nothing. I couldn’t be hurt if I didn’t know. Once I realized, I stopped looking at magazines, stopped Googling his name, and stopped asking him questions when he called. Which was probably why I had no idea he’d gotten divorced a year ago, considering that would have been major tabloid news.

“She would really like to meet you,” he explained, letting out a heavy breath and allowing his usually strong shoulders drop like a heavy weight had just fallen off them. I was that heavy weight. I was the person in his life who made him nervous and weighed him down. “And I’d really like for you to be a part of the wedding. And hopefully, maybe, start building up our relationship now that Cruella is gone.”

Pursing my lips as tightly as possible, I fought so hard to keep the smile from breaking through, but I couldn’t.

It won.

And I saw it mirrored in his face a few seconds later.

I smirked. “I thought we weren’t calling her that.”

“Bitch deserved it.”

Maybe I was in too deep, maybe I should have been angrier, fiercer, stood my ground and made him suffer a little more. But honestly, I think a part of me remained that little girl I thought I had grown out of. The one who still wanted a dad who would take me to the park, who would dance with me in the living room while I stood on his feet, and who would protect me from the world.

It was a feeling I couldn’t fight, despite the fact there was this nagging part at the back of my brain which was screaming at me to run.

To get the fuck out.

To move on and remember how okay I was without him.

Instead, I was about to go all-in and risk it all.

“Okay.”

Chapter Five

Coralie

The bright lights captivated me as we drove the length of the Strip.

It wasn’t my first visit to Las Vegas. I’d been plenty of times before this, though this time felt different. This time, instead of staying at my dad’s home out of the city, we were pulling up to Alexander Presscott’s hotel and casino.

There was a distinct difference.

Security guards fell into step beside us as we climbed out at the curb and headed for the front doors of the hotel part of the oversized building. Everything was bright, sparkling, overstated, and screamed luxury, but I didn’t know why I would expect anything less.

No one bothered to even nod or greet us as we walked straight past reception to the line of elevators, my short legs scurrying to keep up with his powerwalking.

“Mister Presscott!” Something flashed, stunning me for a second, before two of the bodyguards swept in around me, ushering me into the open doors of the elevator.

“Who is she, Alexander?

“Who is the girl?

“New girlfriend?”

The pounding in my chest echoed in my ears as I looked from Alexander to one security guy then to the other, expecting someone to explain something. Anything. “Um, hello,” I protested, waving my arms about just to get their eyes at least to focus in on me. “What just happened?”

“Reporter looking for a story,” Alexander announced, his brow furrowed and his fingers scratching at his hair. “I’m going to have to make a statement tonight.”

“A statement,” I repeated, shaking my head, letting him know I had no fucking idea what he was talking about.

“Yes. About you.”

Right.

He meant that now I’d been spotted, he was going to have to explain to the world, exactly who and what I was.

His love child.

The product of his affair with the maid while married to wife number one.

I couldn’t help but wonder which story he was going to go with.

My stomach swirled and I pressed my hand against it, leaning back against the moving mirrored box which we were now trapped inside of.

“What are you going to say?”

The question pulled his thoughtful gaze back to me, those wrinkles in the corner of his eyes and across his forehead growing a little deeper. “I don’t know,” he answered with a shrug, just as the elevator lurched to a stop with a loud ding.

My feet were already itchy.

They were telling me to run.

To get the fuck out of there and pretend like this never happened.

Why did I continue to put myself through this fucking punishment?

Like I was expecting him to have some kind of damn musical number ready to perform when the world finally figured out that this man they put up on their pedestal wasn’t so fucking perfect after all.

But instead, I remained the mistake he was unsure he wanted the world to know about.

I was still the dirty little secret he’d spent nineteen years attempting to hide.

“This is a mistake. I need to lea—”

“You’re home,” a bright, sweet voice called, cutting short my escape confession and drawing my attention forward. Suddenly, I was acutely aware of exactly what floor we were on—the penthouse. Of course. So damn exclusive that someone inside had to let you in, or if there was no one home, you could open a keypad and press in a number.

The penthouse.

The top floor on the keypad was lit up.

Fifty-three.

We were on floor fifty-three.

My stomach churned, my body stumbling back against the wall.

“Is this a bad time to say I don’t do well with heights?” I murmured, pressing my lips together as the doors finally opened all the way, and I found myself staring past the beautiful woman with the warm smile, to the endless view of the entire damn city that I could see through the glass at the end of the hall. “Nope. No freaking way. Not a chance.”

Alexander’s hand slipped between me and the glass wall, pressed to my back, forcing me out of the elevator, the death machine closing quickly behind me. “Cora, this is Dawn Mathews.”

Awkwardly I lifted my hand in some kind of weird wave, the unease of the situation more than likely going to hit me later. “Hi,” I snapped. “Sorry, I’m feeling a little like I could fall to my death right now.”

When my eyes finally settled on the woman, drawn away from the death drop, I couldn’t help but let my shoulders sag. Her warm smile was completely unexpected. “I was the same when we moved in,” she reassured me with another gentle smile, her arms welcoming Alexander home as he slipped in beside her. “I made some soup today, that should ease your stomach.”

Smiles.

Soup.

So much for my list of Disney Villains I’d been going over in my mind. With her short, dark hair and perfectly soft creamy complexion, she was more like Snow White and less like the evil queen than I had planned.

What did that make me exactly?

One of the freaking dwarfs?

What I would still like to do though, was take the smug look on Alexander’s face and smear it all over the fifty-third story windows as I gave in to the offer to ease my belly. “Soup would be great, thanks.”

“You two go,” Alexander urged, that deep look of concentration taking over again as he kissed his wife-to-be on the cheek and stepped away. “I need to make a couple of phone calls.”

Dawn ushered him away before turning her attention back to me, her smile growing a little more. “Come on, the kitchen’s this way.”

With a deep breath, I surged forward, following the woman in front of me as she practically glided down the hall. She is a damn princess. When we reached the end, she rushed over to the windows, hurrying to press buttons on a keypad which resulted in thick dark blinds rolling down over the windows.

“Thanks,” I croaked, stepping up to the island in the middle of the kitchen and hefting my tired body onto a stool.

“Not a problem,” she reassured me, busying herself. “I’m really glad you decided to come. After I heard what happened, I made sure the second he had a spare moment, he was back down there, apologizing for being an ass.”

Ah, so Snow White was responsible for this weird Prince Charming version of my father.

“Apologizing might be pushing it a little,” I scoffed, thinking of the way he went straight to my mom. Knowing he could still talk her into almost anything because she was a gentle soul, someone who was always determined to see the best in others. Always determined to forgive and forget the people who hurt her.

Maybe I was more like my father when it came to that part.

Dawn slipped the bowl of soup across the counter to me, the steam and smell that was wafting off it delighted my senses. “This smells good.”

“You sound surprised,” she chuckled softly, propping her hip against the counter. “I heard Cruella didn’t cook.”

The spoonful of hot liquid hovered in front of my mouth, it was taking everything in me not to release the laughter I could feel building and send the precariously balanced hot soup, splashing back into the bowl.

Was it too early to say that maybe Alexander Presscott had got it right this time?

What’s that saying?

Third time’s a charm.

“Touché,” I praised, holding my shit together long enough to sip at the edge of the spoon. The taste? Amazing. “You made this?”

She nodded. “I was the only girl with three brothers,” she explained, a warm smile crossing her face. “So, I was the one who had to learn how to cook, and who had to do all the cleaning.”

“No maid then?”

The snort that came from her made me jump. A noise that was rudely unladylike, but that proved just how real this woman was. She brushed her dark locks back from her face with a heavy sigh. “No, I practically was the maid. I definitely didn’t grow up in places like this.” Her eyes wandered the vast space, the kitchen itself almost the size of mine and Mom’s house in Phoenix. “Eden, on the other hand…”

“Is a spoiled brat,” a high-pitched voice cackled, as a young blonde girl stepping around the corner, almost as though she had been there this whole time, waiting in the wings for her perfect entrance. Her eyes ignored the rest of the room and focused on me. “Wow, you’re beautiful,” she gushed, her eyes widening, her smile growing with them.

“You seem shocked at this discovery.”

She huffed, slipping around behind her mother and grabbing a bowl from the shelf before scooping out her own helping of soup. “Well, I figured if that last piece of work he was with was his type, then I shouldn’t get my hopes up.”

“Eden…” Dawn warned while shaking her head.

Eden just shrugged. “It’s a good thing! It means she can come with me to the party tomorrow night, and everyone is going to lose their shit.” I was honestly surprised she wasn’t rubbing her hands together and cackling like some kind of evil scientist.

The contrast between Eden and Dawn was like night and day.

Where Dawn was soft and warm, Eden was loud and boisterous, her long blonde hair whipping excitedly around her face as she talked loudly.

I couldn’t help but question where that part of her personality came from.

Dawn’s eyes caught mine and she forced a smile. “You don’t have to go to any party tomorrow night.”

“Yes, she does,” Eden argued, spinning on her heel and narrowing her eyes at her mother before turning those light blue orbs on me. “You’ll come, right? Please? I’ve never had a sister before, and I’m so freaking excited to introduce you to the world and have them be so damn jealous.”

“Like I said…” Dawn repeated, the words barely making their way past her pursed lips. “… you don’t have to go.”

“No,” I argued, shaking my head. “It’s fine. I’ll go. And you can see first-hand just how unexciting I am.”

I should have taken my notes from Dawn on just how eager she was for me to stay here.

But I promised myself I would give this a go.

I promised myself I wouldn’t just give in when shit was uncomfortable or hard because this could be something great, if I gave it the chance to be.

Or it could be something so freaking horrible that I leave even more destroyed than when I arrived.

I guess my first step toward getting that answer was going to a party.

Chapter Six

Coralie

“I really like your dad,” Eden beamed as she weaved through the suburbs, the bright city lights disappearing behind us. “He’s been really nice to my mom and me.”

I tugged at the hem of the little black dress that was clinging to my body like a second skin. It was some kind of leather I was pretty sure—my mind already considering whether I would need a crowbar or a block of butter to get the damn thing off.

I’d let her put me in it.

Listening to her gush about how her friends were going to be so jealous of her new sister.

Like that was the aim of the game in these circles—using whatever ammunition possible to get one-up on the people around you. Your ‘friends.’

“Well, that makes one of us, I guess,” I scoffed, turning to stare out the window.

The lights flashed by and the further we drove from the city the bigger the houses seemed to grow. I couldn’t help but wonder where the hell we were headed.

“Sorry,” Eden murmured softly, drawing my attention back to her. Her hands gripped the wheel tightly, her bottom lip sticking out in an exaggerated pout that almost made me want to slap it off her face. “Alex hasn’t mentioned much about your relationship, but my mom said the last wife got between you two.”

Alex.

Not Alexander—Alex.

Eden had this whole innocent act going on.

But an act was all it was.

She played the dumb blonde act quite well. Around people she was this perky, energetic and over the top personality, but everything that came out of her mouth was devious and it was calculated. The girl was smart—smarter than she wanted people to know.

Dumb girls are a lot easier to tell your secrets to.

They wouldn’t know what to do with them.

Or how to use them against you.

But Eden was far from a dumb girl. And as much as I wanted to trust my eager new sister, I knew I needed to keep my walls up, because the second she found a weak spot, she was going to hammer at it until it began to fall.

The pouty look on her face said she was sorry, but the way her ears were practically growing by the second, searching for some information, something she could use, I knew it was an act.

“She was a bitch,” I answered strategically, not giving too much away, though I wasn’t sure why I would ever give a damn. I was definitely vocal about my distaste for the late Cruella de Vil. “But it wasn’t as though he fought for me. He simply let her rule the roost.”

Her head bobbed up and down in agreement. “Yes. That is so true. He could have done more to be there for you.” She smacked her lips together, flicking her long-bleached blonde hair back over her shoulder. “He’s trying now.”

“Is he, though?”

“Here we are,” she beamed, forcing me to look up. My eyes doubled in size as we cruised down the slim road with cars lining both sides of the street, leaving barely enough room for us to get through. “This is going to be so great.”

“People are already here?” I questioned, wondering where the hell the damn house was, but the packed suburban street seemed to be going on forever. “I thought this was your party?”

“It is,” she chimed, her sly smile growing as we finally pulled into the wide driveway. Two large security guards moving toward the car. “But who shows up to a party on time?”

“These people.”

“No one important,” she contradicted, the guard nodding for her to pull in through the large gates. The car jerked forward, my seatbelt tugging me back as she rolled up in front of the third garage and slammed on the brakes. “The entrance is everything. You want people around so they can notice you show up.”

“I prefer to blend in, not stand out,” I murmured, taking in a deep breath as I reached for the door handle. “You should try that sometime.”

“Sounds horrible,” she scoffed, throwing the car door open before looking back over her shoulder at me. “Come on, you’ve put that dress on, you may as well show off how amazing you look in it.”

* * *

This house was something fucking else.

It took everything in me to keep my jaw from dragging along the floor as Eden pulled me from one group to another, working our way through the mansion. It sat right on the edge of Lake Las Vegas, one of the most expensive parts of town.

It had its own damn beach.

An infinity pool that currently had at least three couples fucking in it—like that shit wasn’t freaking obvious.

Four living areas, a theater, six bedrooms and eight bathrooms later and I’d come to a conclusion—this was a house on fucking crack.

Whoever owned it, just had too much money, or too much time. Maybe both. I couldn’t imagine ever needing a house this big unless you had a huge family. Who would want to live in this massive, empty space by themselves?

“Come,” Eden urged, taking my hand and yanking my body back toward the opposite end of the busy room.

I could feel eyes on me as I trudged along behind Eden.

It shouldn’t have been surprising given the way these people seemed to track my every move. Shuffling from one group to another, Eden rattling off a bunch of names I would never remember.

This, though? This was different.

A more intense feeling.

That one you got when you forgot to close the curtains before it got dark, and you were almost sure someone was outside, looking in, and yet, you couldn’t see out.

That was how I felt.

Like I was in a room and everyone could see in, could see me, and I couldn’t see out.

I couldn’t see them.

I didn’t know who these people were, or what they wanted. The only thing I could feel was just how desperate they were to know me, or at least tell people that they did.

“And that over there is Striker.” Eden pulled me in beside her, her sharp witchlike nails pointing across the room to a pair of eyes.

His two dark orbs were glued to me, despite the chaos and crazy that muddied the space between us. Escape seemed impossible, even as I stumbled backward I didn’t want to look away, not after this fire in my stomach had been doused in gasoline and lit.

“I’ll introduce you to him later when he’s not so busy. He’s kind of a big deal,” Eden announced, her eyes scanning the crowd for the possibility she’d missed someone she could introduce me to, but at this stage I was almost positive I’d met every man, woman and versions of both who occupied the party. Even the ones living out their sexual fantasies in the pool out back.

The longer I stood there, holding this impromptu staring contest with a guy across the room, the more I found my body pulled toward him. I couldn’t help myself, inching forward, the corner of his mouth curling up with every movement as if he were daring me to come closer.

Who the hell was this guy?

Chapter Seven

Coralie

“So, what is there to do in Phoenix?”

“Uh…” I thought out loud. “There’s Empire and Dynasty, the two nightclubs. They’re pretty awesome.”

Eden’s friend Dara rolled her eyes and took a sip of her appletini. “But does it have anything as good as here? We’re in Vegas. We know clubs. We’ve been there and done that since we were like seventeen.”

I mulled over the question for a second before shrugging. “They have girls dancing on platforms and stripper poles.”

The young girl’s eyes lit up and she scrambled forward, her knee slipping for a second between her boyfriend’s legs and almost crushing his manhood.

She didn’t notice.

Or if she did, she honestly didn’t care enough to apologize to her man as he said a quiet prayer and thanked the Lord he still had the ability to produce children.

“We should go there,” Dara announced with a nod toward Eden. My new sister, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and sloshed her drink in the air.

“We have places like that here,” she argued, sinking back into her seat.

“But not owned by sexy men riding motorcycles,” Dara threw back, followed by a rush of support from the teen girls around us, oh, and a couple of guys, to which my lips curled and I pushed away from the arm of the chair I’d been propped up against.

“I’m gonna get some air,” I told Eden as I backed away.

“But—”

I cut her off with a wave, my eyes catching the reflection of the water through an open door. Eden’s protests quickly became background noise as I made a beeline for the exit, sidestepping several stumbling girls and a guy with grabby hands before I finally sucked in a breath of fresh air. I worked in a damn nightclub every weekend and that house was getting far too hot for even me. But maybe that wasn’t because of the people dancing, or the way people cozied up beside me when they figured out who I was.

Maybe it was more to do with the incessant attention.

The constant questions.

The stupid questions.

The offer of friendships, and boyfriends, and even the odd one who wanted to take photographs with me so if I got famous later they could say they knew me.

My brain hurt.

It didn’t work that way and I was seriously struggling to get my head around just how ruthless and determined some of these teens were. To get their name out there. To be recognized. This was the culture. One that was just so damn overwhelming.

Most of the people at the party must have been around my age, or seniors in high school like Eden. But I was so sure I felt like we were on completely different levels—or maybe our goals for the future forced us to approach life differently.

I stumbled, reaching for one heel and ripping it off, tossing it out onto the grass before going for the other. The music from the party behind me wasn’t like at Empire, it was more subtle, no thumping bass or a lot of upbeat tunes for dancing.

The music they had on was meant to be more for the environment. To create the atmosphere that promoted conversations full of gossip rather than to get hot and sweaty while dancing to.

I needed some peace, a moment to get back to being me.

Not Eden’s new sister.

Not Alexander Presscott’s daughter.

Stumbling off the edge of the lawn, my knees almost gave way as my feet sunk into the coarse sand. I paused, throwing my head back and squeezing my eyes shut. “Heaven,” I whispered, wiggling my toes and digging them deeper. The soft splash of water against the lake’s edge was like music to my soul.

Mom and I took trips to California to go to the beach whenever possible. There was something about being here that warmed me, something about standing at the water’s edge listening to the waves crashing and feeling the sand scratch at my feet. It was different like another world.

One where nothing else mattered.

One where I could simply take a moment to breathe.

And I needed that right now.

I was already considering whether I should leave right now, head back to the casino and tell Alexander that I just couldn’t do it. That I didn’t belong here. This rich, fancy, intense environment was too much for me. The people, the expectations, there was no way I could live up to those.

It wasn’t me.

A shuffling in the darkness had me sucking in a long breath, my body froze on the spot.

Eden said security doesn’t like to let people onto the small beach, fearful that they’ll be drunk and attempt to go swimming.

They’re probably not wrong.

“So, you’re the new sister, right?”

My heart leaped into my throat, my hand grabbing at my chest. “Holy. Shit!” I cursed, falling back onto my ass, sand instantly shooting right up into a million different places it was never meant to go.

I wanted to laugh and shake my head, but I was so entranced by the figure walking down the beach toward me with his stark white t-shirt which was tight around his chest and arms, highlighting a strong upper body. My eyes followed his shape as he moved closer, the ripped black jeans he had on also seemed to fit perfectly, but at the same time, sag in all the right fucking places.

Maybe I should have been scared. This guy standing out here on the beach, on his own, just lurking in the damn shadows, was probably waiting for an idiot like me to walk out here so he could kidnap me for some kind of ransom.

I wonder if Alexander would pay a ransom for me?

My common sense was telling me to get the hell out of there.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t in control at that moment.

Instead, a rush of heat began working its way up my neck and across my cheeks. Maybe because I looked like a damn idiot, but more than likely because my potential abductor was fucking gorgeous.

He worked his way through the sand, coming to a stop right in front of me. When I looked up, my heart stuttered. His mouth was turned up at the corners in this devious but delicious fucking smirk that had me fighting for breath. His hair was thick, and just long enough to fall to the side after he swept his fingers through the front to try and keep it away from his face.

He held his hand out, my eyes dropping to the tattoos that circled his wrist. “You need help?”

I cleared my throat, shaking my head. “No, I’m fine. I’d look stupid with three anyway.”

The deep roll of his laughter was a ride of its own. The low, raspy tone moving through my body had flicked open the door on the cage full of butterflies that had taken residence inside my stomach and let them free. Their wings fluttered frantically, stirring my nerves, urging my heart to beat a little faster to keep in time.

“Yeah, and how would I give two thumbs up with only one,” he agreed, stepping back as I fought with the sand, slipping and sliding on my mission to get back on my feet without flashing this guy, and also not losing myself to the wave of giggles that had suddenly caught me off guard.

Stupid hand joke.

“She likes horrible dad jokes. I’ll make a mental note.”

“Don’t tell the tabloids, they’ll have a field day,” I teased, shaking my head and looking up at the smirking stranger as I ducked past him, determined to get to the water. I almost didn’t make it, the heat radiating off him causing me to pause for a brief second, pulling me in like a moth to a flame. It was teasing me, trying to draw me closer, and tempt me as the cool night air swept off the water and whipped at my bare skin.

Which just happened to be most of it.

What the hell was going on here?

One after another, he met me step for step, his eyes holding mine as I backed toward the shore.

“Swimming is dangerous at night,” he warned, his head dipping and his eyes watching me from beneath his brow. The shadows of the night disguised his eyes, hiding the color, making my heart race a little faster.

It was intimidating.

Intense.

Like a predator stalking its prey.

My foot finally hit the water and I sucked in a deep breath, falling back a step and allowing a shudder to move through my entire body, goosebumps crashing like a wave across my skin as the cool water became knee-deep. “I’m not swimming,” I argued with an airy laugh, fighting the chill, but enjoying the way it stole my breath at the same time. “I’m just dipping my feet. Paddling.”

“Uh-huh,” he hummed, unconvinced, and once again matching my steps one for one as I walked down the water’s edge, swishing my feet gently through the water.

Maybe it wasn’t the water stealing my breath.

The waves my feet made in the water skewed the lights from the house, making them sparkle differently.

Twinkling like stars.

Transporting me somewhere else.

Somewhere different to the house full of wannabe socialites.

“Are these parties typical around here?”

“Not enjoying Eden’s little get-together, huh?” the mysterious man enquired, tucking his hands into his pockets and drawing my attention back to the tattoos that wrapped around his wrists and up his forearms. “She can be intense.”

“Interesting word,” I teased as I pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth, biting hard as I narrowed my eyes in the darkness, trying to make out just what the intricate art really was. “Maybe not quite the one I was thinking of.”

“Loud?”

“Obnoxious.”

“Hey, you kids! Come out of the damn water,” a voice screamed at us from up by the house, a spotlight blinding me for a brief second before two hands grabbed my shoulders.

“Play along,” my new friend whispered, placing his body between the security guard and me.

“With wh—”

He dipped his head, his lips finding mine in a feverish kiss that had my head spinning. I clutched his shirt in my hands, feeling my body lean in, pressing against his, that warmth now fucking irresistible.

His tongue swept across my lips, urging them open.

I gave in.

The fight in me totally smothered by this fire that had begun to burn in the pit of my stomach, the heat radiating out, making it harder to breathe, harder to think—my entire focus on just how goddamn good his body felt pressed against mine. How my hips pressed forward with a mind of their own as his fingers swept up into my hair.

“You guys need to get off the damn beach or I’ll throw you ou—”

My captor pulled back suddenly, his hands still holding me hostage—like he wasn’t fucking done yet—as he turned his head just enough so he could see over his shoulder. “There a problem?” he growled, the warning in his tone full of authority and the kind of attitude that was more than just a teenage boy with an attitude.

“Shit! Striker,” the security guard stumbled to apologize. “Sorry, man, I’ll head back around the side of the house.”

Our bodies stayed frozen as we listened for the scratch of his boots against the concrete path.

I should have pulled back.

Should have said thanks and walked away.

But instead, my hands continued to stay twisted in his shirt, holding his body close, as he turned back toward me. His intense gaze dropping to mine, the light from the house finally lighting up the rich dark blue color, much like the ocean, pulling me beneath the surface and stealing all my senses.

It was like every nerve in my body was alight.

Every inch of me so damn aware of him and of his touch.

I wanted more.

“You keep looking at me like that…” his deep rasp dared. “See what happens.”

It was a warning.

One I maybe should have heeded, because I was starting to get the feeling that this guy was something else. Something more than what I was prepared for.

“Striker, is it?” I whispered, one of my hands falling to the waist of his jeans, the nervous limb shaking profusely despite the confidence I was attempting to feign.

“It is.” His fingers tightened in my hair, the sharp tug forcing a gasp from my lips as he leaned in. “Now, let’s see how it sounds when you scream it.”

Chapter Eight

Coralie

We rushed around the side of the house, me trying not to laugh like a nervous schoolgirl and him acting like freaking James Bond or some shit.

He yanked open the garage door, dragging me inside behind him and slamming it shut before flicking the lock over and pressing me back against the cold metal.

I sucked in a sharp breath, the cold of the door against my back, the heat of his body pressed to my front—I couldn’t decide which was more satisfying.

His fingers curled around my wrists, pulling them up over my head. Striker moved them both to one hand, holding me hostage while his right hand cupped the side of my face. His head dipped forward, his lips finding my neck, sucking and nipping at the skin, drawing soft, gentle gasps from my mouth.

My hips ground forward, pressing hard against the growing bulge forming in the front of his pants, my mouth dropping open as I felt just how damn big it was.

I wanted more.

I wanted everything.

At this point, every inhibition I had was replaced by this desperate need to just feel his body wrapped around me.

Jesus, what was it about this man?

This guy I’d never fucking met before but that I had this ache for, one I couldn’t explain.

I was in total shock.

Not just at the way my body felt in response to his, but in how easily I was finding it to give in.

Every inch of my skin felt electric.

Every time he touched me felt like another surge of power shooting through me and I just couldn’t get enough. My breathing was intermittent and light, trying to catch a little bit of air as his mouth followed the curve of my breast, his fingers rolled down the skin-tight leather as one breast popped free.

I closed my eyes tightly, my hips grinding forward, desperately seeking some kind of touch as he dipped his head and pulled my nipple in between his teeth. “God,” I groaned softly, tilting my head back and pressing my chest forward, his hands still refusing to let me go, refusing to let me touch him as he tortured my body with his mouth. “Please.”

Striker’s amused laugh was the last thing I needed, his free hand gripping my breast almost painfully, his tongue flicking back and forth across the hardened bud that was at his complete and utter mercy.

“What do you want, Cora?” he taunted, tugging it hard between his teeth before he drew his face back to look at mine. The sound of his zipper electrified my body to the next level, followed closely by a distinct rustling sound of a condom being opened.

“You know my name,” I rasped, my mind swirling, wondering when I’d told him my name but then remembering he’d probably heard Eden practically scream it through the house the entire night.

“What. Do. You. Want?”

His hand began to follow the curve of my hip, his fingertips tickling over my skin as it followed the hem of my dress.

My very short dress.

“You.”

“Hmmm,” he hummed, almost sounding amused.

Why wouldn’t he be, though? He was in total control, his hands roaming my body, convincing me to say whatever the hell he wanted me to say because I wanted him so bad. He grabbed a handful of the barely-there mini dress, yanking it up to my waist, the entire thing now pooled around my middle.

“I wanna touch you, trace every fucking part of you and see just how many ways I can make you come,” he murmured, grabbing my hips and lifting me off the ground, forcing my legs around him.

My body shivered in anticipation, his words making my hips move on their own, desperate to have him inside me. He grabbed my panties in his fist, yanking them to the side as he lined up his cock with my pussy, his length already slipping through its wetness.

“But I ain’t got the patience for that right now, because all I can think about is how good my name will sound falling from your lips.”

His cock nudged my clit and I threw my arms around his neck, clinging desperately to him, my nails digging into his skin as just that one touch almost sent me over the edge.

Striker slammed my back against the door, the sound rattling and echoing in the large three-car garage, making my heart race, and my eyes flick toward the door I could now see. The one that I was pretty sure went straight into the house where the party was still raging.

Jesus, I was going to hell.

Striker ground his hips forward again, this time, finding exactly the right spot and slipping inside me. “Damn it,” he hissed, pinching his eyes closed and pressing his forehead to mine, the both of us fighting for a freaking breath.

My mouth fell open in total awe of just how fucking good he felt, sliding ever so slowly inside me, filling me up to the damn brim. “Wow,” I gasped softly, but the word was barely comprehendible, even to me. When he bottomed out, he pushed a little further, just to give me that jolt of pain mixed with overwhelming pleasure.

He drew back, and continued to torment me with slow strokes, in and out, using my back against the metal door as leverage at the perfect angle. He wasn’t afraid of letting me feel everything, making me beg for more. “Striker,” I moaned, raising my hips to meet his to try and get him moving faster. It only brought a fucking smirk to his face though, almost as if he was waiting for something more. “Please.”

Striker hooked his arm under one of my legs lifting it higher and pushing it closer to my body, creating a new angle. One hard thrust and I let out a surprised and excited cry, his cock hitting the exact spot I needed. “Is that it? Right there?” he taunted, doing it again and getting the same response.

My heart pounded in my chest, knowing that if he would just keep going, I would no doubt explode into a million pieces within seconds.

But he was determined to torture me and I had no fucking idea why. He pulled back again, his length barely dipping inside.

I squirmed, my nails scratching at his neck. “You’re an asshole,” I told him through gritted teeth as I tried to balance that line between seeing my orgasm on the horizon but then watching it slip away when he retreated.

“Maybe that’s my plan,” he threw back as he pressed in again, holding my body captive on the brink of ecstasy. “Get you to think I’m an asshole, so you don’t see this coming.”

The air left my lungs as his arms wrapped right around me, pinning my body to his while he rapidly began thrusting inside me, hard, and fucking fast. I couldn’t catch my breath. “Striker!” I called while fighting for breath.

My heart pounded. My body tingled.

It was like I could feel everything and nothing all at the same time.

The burning fire was already lit. It had been slowly burning, but now, Striker had just thrown on some gasoline, and within seconds I was bursting into flames. “Oh, my fucking God, yes!”

Striker didn’t stop. He didn’t give up as a wave of heat crashed over me and my body bowed, my pussy clenching so hard around his cock that I was surprised he could even move it. “Oh, Striker… shit!”

“Fuck,” he cursed, squeezing the air from my lungs as he held me captive, his dick buried deep inside me as he pumped every last drop of cum out. “Holy shit,” he growled, his entire body twitching, forcing another sharp gasp from my mouth.

The air in the room was hot and humid, I struggled to find my breath, my whole body feeling like it had been lit on fire.

“Damn you look good like that,” he murmured quietly, his breathing heavy and uneven.

“Like what?” I whispered, leaning back against the door, the freezing cold metal not shocking my body but cooling it perfectly this time.

“Satisfied.”

My body was still trying to keep up, my hips moving on their own as my pussy continued to deal with the aftershock of the quick but intense orgasm. “It’s honestly been a long time since I was…” I laughed, sweeping my hands up into his hair, “…satisfied.”

“Mmm,” he hummed, pressing his slightly damp forehead to mine. “Well, since you’re going to be in the area, you need any satisfying any time soon…” He let the offer hang in the air.

And I already knew the likelihood I would take him up on that was almost a sure thing.

“I’m sure I heard something out here…”

“Shit!” I cursed.

Striker almost dropped me on my ass as he lowered me down onto two shaky legs. We both ducked as the door that led into the house opened with a creak while I tried to pull this stupid dress over my now sweaty body. Striker was attempting to dispose of a condom while at the same time not zip his dick up in his pants.

“You really think they could be out here? Lenny said he saw them out on the beach like twenty minutes ago,” Eden’s voice answered in confusion.

“Lenny was right,” Striker called suddenly, reaching for the taps at the sink just a few feet from us. “We’re just washing the sand off our feet, so we don’t traipse it through the house. You know how much the owner of this place hates that.”

The clip-clop of Eden’s heels making their way toward us through the maze of cars and household mess, fell in time with my heartbeat. While it had slowed, it was now climbing again because the idea of being caught right now made me feel like I wanted to freaking vomit.

“Hey, you guys,” she beamed excitedly, her eyes scanning the scene.

Striker was now crouched down in front of me with a towel, looking like he was cleaning away what was left of the beach.

“I was hoping I would be the one to introduce you guys, but I guess I’m a bit late for that.”

“Yeah, we met outside, bonded over dad jokes.” I laughed, stepping back when Striker climbed to his feet, his eyes never leaving me as I slowly put some space between us.

“Yeah,” Striker agreed with a soft rasp, his head tilted just slightly. “A real connection.”

Eden’s eyes brightened and I swore she almost jumped up and down in excitement.

“Oh wow, this was what I was hoping for, the three of us… best friends, invincible, unstoppable,” she rambled, clapping her hands together. “This is too perfect.”

Striker wasn’t saying anything, not even as my gaze flicked between the two of them in confusion. “I’m sorry, the three of us?”

Eden frowned for a second, rolling her eyes. “Yes, silly, obviously Striker and I are already close, given we are siblings…”

Oh, God—I didn’t hear another word.

My eyes grew wide, my gaze flicking to his.

There was nothing.

His eyes had hardened, his arms folded across his chest.

“But now you are going to be our stepsister, we are going to rule this place. Three gorgeous, smart, determined people…”

She kept rambling but I heard nothing.

This wasn’t happening.

Fuck!

To Be Continued. . .

Other books

By: Addison Jane

If you enjoyed this book, you will love:

Harmony

The Club Girl Diaries Book 1

Click here to purchase

Blurb

I was a club girl.

I made no excuses for who I was or what I've done.

We had our purpose--to cook, clean and keep the men happy.

After a lifetime of watching men walk in and out of my life, it was strangely comforting, and feeling I'd grown accustom to.

All I wanted was to have fun, play my music and finish college.

At the club, I could do that.

No strings attached, no risking my heart.

At least, that was the plan.

I was born to be president.

The Brothers by Blood MC was my family--my home.

The club ran in my veins.

I wasn't looking for much more.

The last thing I expected was to find Harmony--a club girl with all the makings of a perfect old lady.

She was beautiful, strong and fiercely independent.

The walls around her heart were up, but the fire in her eyes and her love for the club fueled my need to have her by my side.

And on the back of my bike.

When her safety is threatened, I'll do everything to protect her and get her to trust me. But after a lifetime of broken promises, will it be enough?

Other books in the series:

Chelsea – The Club Girl Diaries Book 2

Blizzard – The Club Girl Diaries Book 3

Hadley – The Club Girl Diaries Book 4

Family – The Club Girl Diaries Book 5

Wrench – The Club Girl Diaries Book 6

Skylar – The Club Girl Diaries Book 7

Shake -The Club Girl Diaries Book 8

Meyah – The Club Girl Diaries Book 9

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About the Author

Addison Jane is a born and bred kiwi girl with a passion for romance and writing.

When she gets the chance, she enjoys the little things in life such as reading, dancing, music, and Facebook, but her world really revolves around the little girl who calls her Mum. It’s an awkward balance between alpha males and Disney princesses, but it works.

Growing up on a small farm next to the beach will always make her a country girl at heart. But since moving away to a small town close to the city, she’s discovered a dangerous love for shopping.

Writing stories has been something that’s come naturally since she was young, and with the massive support of her friends and family, she finally decided to step out of her comfort zone and share them with the world.

She enjoys bringing her books to life with strong female leads, sexy, passionate men, and a rollercoaster of twists and turns that lead to the happily ever after that her readers desire.

No Warning

Sam St. James

Blurb

I knew the chaos and pain didn’t end when the battles of war were over.

Setting up Siren Security would bring veteran women together. Build on their strengths to protect and serve the innocent.

We are a team of women, stronger together, fighting for those who need us. Even those who think they don’t.

My life—turned upside down in an instant.

Everything I’d ever been afraid of happened before my eyes.

So, I’m turning my pain into power.

I will overcome everything that’s sent to destroy me.

But first, I need to save the next target.

Chapter One

HONOR

Nevada straight doesn’t give a fuck.

Every mile I had covered getting here this morning reinforced that as fact. And the crazy just got more real in the center of Las Vegas.

Wondering if she was here, I scanned the crowds as scantily dressed young women were smiling and flirting with overweight middle-aged men, with teens weaving around them, shrugging heavy backpacks, and adjusting headphones just trying to get to school.

It’s just before 7:00 a.m. and I felt like I had been awake forever.

In my mind I went through the plan again. Nothing mattered except keeping her safe. If I could do this, get the agency up on its feet, it would provide a career for the women who had served alongside me, by using their skills here in the civilian world. But first I needed to save Grace.

Being here felt foreign, and I needed to get my shit together, so I wouldn’t be the reason anyone died today. Unless they really pissed me off, then it might be justified.

Leaving everything else, I grabbed my phone and adjusted the corset I’d put on at my last stop forty miles outside of Vegas. Locking the car, I shoved the key into my concealed pocket and took off.

Rounding the corner, my view was obliterated by the rising sun glaring off the windows of the huge new casino building. Getting in wasn’t going to be difficult but getting in unnoticed was going to take skills I don’t think I possess.

Lightly touching Ravi’s name on the screen, I lengthened my stride. Walking in like I owned the place, my secret weapon since junior high was going to have to suffice as a cover.

“Hmmmffttt?” Ravi’s mumbled greeting was a relief. I hadn’t been sure she would even answer because we had worked so late last night.

“Morning. I’ve arrived, and I need you to go over the floor plan. Guide me in.”

“This may surprise you, but the floor plan of the casino and hotel hasn’t changed since we went over it at midnight.”

“Well, Rav, I need to look busy and as if I belong here. Talking to you sounds legit and will keep anyone from asking if they can help me… at least until I can get upstairs.”

“Did you just say that I am the only one who can help you?” Hearing the laughter in her sleep-clogged words made me smile.

“Nope, just that I needed a cover until I get upstairs.” I threw my hair over my shoulder as the defiance in my words became a physical action.

“What’s the place like?” Knowing Ravi’s question was more than professional detachment, she was curious, I slowed my stride.

As I entered the massive cavern that passed for a lobby I looked around, spotting the long reception counter, bright neon blinking through open doorways to the gaming area, the calm of the currently silent cocktail bar, and the clusters of lounge chairs that beckoned in a darkened corner.

I sighed. “No way anyone can walk through this lobby and believe they can win. Every inch screams opulence and glamor, and that’s with me heading up the back stairs.”

“That’s a shit description, I need to live through your movements. You have to send me photos later. ‘Cause nothing much is online yet, at least until they officially open. Think of the intel I can help with once I can see it all. Ohh, better yet, FaceTime me, just like a tourist would. I gotta take in the atmosphere!”

“You should be here instead of me.” The words slipped out of my mouth and the full meaning of what I said punched me in the gut. Ravi should be here, she’s much more suited to this than I am. Her training, her life, has gotten her ready for these types of jobs. My training feels like a lifetime away. It was, two lifetimes away, and two heartbreaks.

“I can do whatever you need from here. Find out what your room is like and get back to me.”

Pocketing my cell, the heavy fire door slid shut silently behind me and I start counting the steps past the elevator to 812, the room the casino has set aside for my use while I was here. My heart dropped, seeing that the door was open slightly.

Gently pushing it with my foot and stepping quickly inside, then guiding the door almost shut again, I let my eyes adjust to the dark. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I stepped sideways with my back against the wall into the room. I held my breath listening for any sound to tell me if anyone was in here with me. Inside I was screaming at myself trying to remember the floor plan of the room. I held my breath and cursed the plush carpet that muffled the sound of footsteps, not being able to place exactly where they were coming from.

Damn curtains were pulled shut, and due to the block-out material used I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. Suddenly, I felt more than seeing the presence, their breath sounding loud in the quiet darkness. Grabbing my gun from my corset, a bright light suddenly blinded me, making me snap my eyes shut.

Forcing them open, all I could see was the form of a man, carrying a large bag as he stepped silently into the hall. As the door closed, I caught a glimpse of him reaching the stairwell.

Once again in the darkness, I took slow, shallow breaths to listen for anyone else in this room who was meant for me. As the seconds passed, my gut told me I was on my own again. I pulled my sleeve over my hand, drawing down on the handle and again flooding my face with light from the hallway.

Repeating the same action again I opened the heavy door to the stairs and strained to hear anything that could tell me where the welcome wagon that I hadn’t been expecting had scurried off to.

Not much shook me anymore, but so much was riding on this. Whoever had been in that room sure as hell wasn’t leaving extra towels.

Why in the dark?

If they legitimately needed to be there, why the hell hadn’t they done whatever it was with the light on or curtains drawn?

I wanted air, to figure out what my next step was.

I needed to get a plan in place.

Remembering two floors up there was a large garden off a cocktail bar for high rollers, so I took the stairs two at a time to use up some of the adrenaline flooding through my body. Stepping out into a tropical oasis there were carefully placed tables spaced so the conversation could be carried out in private, with palm trees and exotic bird-shaped plants which made strange shadows in the bright morning sunshine.

At the moment, everything felt eerie, poised on the edge of waiting for something—guests, I supposed. This place, like Vegas, was made for night time, for shiny lights and glitter. The day time wasn’t kind, and even the newness of everything around me highlighted the fact that it needed people to come alive.

I took a deep breath and double-checked the safety was on, as I lifted the hem of my shirt and held it under my chin, quickly fastening my weapon back into the beautiful corset. Okay, well, not actually beautiful, but I felt sexy as hell wearing it. And it was so much easier than the holsters I had been so used to wearing.

Feeling my cell vibrate, I turned to take in the Strip, the people below, and the desert beyond before I glanced down. Seeing a number I didn’t recognize, but knew by the area code was local to where I was standing, I swiped to answer.

“Powell.” Answering with my last name as I had done for years felt right again. It was a habit I hadn’t really tried very hard to break when I was a society wife. It suited me in ways that being arm candy hadn’t.

“This is Sawyer Ford, Ms. Powell. Can you tell me when you’ll be arriving? I’d like to meet you, and have your room ready when you get here. “

My eyes squinted at his words. I was glad he couldn’t see me, as I bit my tongue thinking now of how ‘getting my room ready’ had taken on new meaning.

“Ms. Powell?” he asked again impatiently.

“Thanks for your call, Mr. Ford. I will be with you inside an hour.”

He might be the one paying for me to be here, but his emails had been my only contact with him so far. The deep rumble of his voice surprised me, and it didn’t match with the mental picture I had, or the awkward teen photographs online from the party scene which had given him a questionable reputation over a decade ago. He had become an enigma since then when his father had died suddenly. Nothing online, no society headlines, just his name listed as the head of the company that had been in his family for three generations.

I understood that well. How once you lost everything, the shiny façade you showed the world no longer mattered.

I wanted to have another look around before I met with him and his team. I would go back out, grab all my things, and come in fresh and FaceTime Ravi like a tourist. She was right. The information she could glean from seeing inside this place would be valuable. And if it made me look like a freaking tourist I didn’t care.

“Okay, I will let the front desk know, and see you in about an hour then.” His words were polite but they came out like a growl.

The call disconnected in my ear, even as my lips formed a reply. Well, well. The fact that I wanted to snap, “Yes, Sir!” back shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. And it made me smile.

I can do this.

Turning to walk back into the hotel, a slight movement caught my eye. The white rubber tips of a popular sneaker, just like the ones on my feet, were bobbing up and down. Instead of the nearly gleaming pristine white of my shoes, these were scuffed and worn. They had seen battles and had the look of a favorite defiance. Ripped and torn designer jeans came into view next, and with another step, I could see the upturned smiling face, eyes closed, hoodie, and headphones transporting her to another place. She couldn’t be more than thirteen or fourteen.

I stood transfixed. I had spent so many hours dreaming about what Kylie could look like, what her likes and loathes might have been, had she lived. And for just a moment, I let all the what-ifs wash over me.

I waited for the sharp pain that sometimes caught me by surprise if I was in Walmart and a group of young girls were laughing in the aisle next to me, or a young boy was whizzing round with a ball, car, or Nerf gun.

Just at that moment, her eyes opened, and her head tilted slightly and with a soft smile she said, “Hey.”

When I didn’t reply right away her brow furrowed, and she asked, “Do you need me to go?”

“Nope. I’m not really supposed to be here either. I wanted a quiet place to think. Didn’t realize anyone else was here.” My shared confidence made her smile again.

“Yeah, when this place opens it’ll be a bummer, ‘cause then it will be different. I have been so used to it being quiet. It’s nice. For now, it is a great place to…” the momentary pause almost screamed hide, but she quickly covered it with, “… think.”

“Are you listening to them?” I motioned to the concert tee she was wearing, with the latest album cover of the band tipped to have the hit of the summer, that seemed to be on constant rotation radio play this morning on my drive from Los Angeles. They also happened to be playing the opening concert of the casino-hotel where we were standing in less than a week.

“They are awesome, but not really my style. The shirt is more to look cool for school. I am listening to Blueface.”

I grinned, thinking of the rap sensation, wondering at the young woman in front of me.

“Speaking of school, I’m late.” Then she grabbed her backpack and checked her cell another time before gracefully getting up and ducking past me. “See ya,” she tossed over her shoulder before placing her headphones back over her ears and disappearing around the palms in front of the doors leading to the inside of the hotel.

It was only then I realized that the pain hadn’t come like normal and I wondered to myself if what I was doing was healing. If even more than the drive I felt to create this business, to right the wrongs, if it was helping the hurt to become less.

And what that would mean for everything else I was about to do?

Chapter Two

SAWYER

I nodded to the young man behind the desk as I replaced the phone. The possible hour to have up my sleeve, to wait, to watch, gave me insight money couldn’t buy.

I headed over to the cluster of club chairs, choosing my favorite, a spot where I could see everything and not be seen.

“Ry, my man!” The booming voice calling my brother’s name caused my head to jerk to the open doorway of the casino. My brother, still dressed as he had been last night, was greeting a group of men just outside. His shirt hanging loose was the only indication of his late-night as he led the group of men across the lobby. They headed into the elevators and disappeared inside just as a young mother and her son came into the lobby.

To give the new staff practice we had joined with a local charity to provide a break for teen parents. It gave the staff experience before the doors officially opened and it felt good to give back to young families who often couldn’t afford to stay in places like this.

She held the young boy’s hand tightly, but he was reaching for something, squiggling, trying to twist away. He returned to her triumphant and spoke to his mother with excitement asking if he could keep it. I saw her scan the whole lobby, her eyes resting for the briefest second on mine, before she kneeled before her son and said, “Before you can keep it, you need to make sure it doesn’t belong to someone already here. Go and ask the elderly man over there if it belongs to him.”

I saw him, his fist tightly squeezed as he walked toward the cluster of chairs, and looked back over my shoulder, to see where he was heading. Who the ‘elderly’ man was. As my head came back, I realized the blue-eyed tyke was stopped at my knee with his mother watching carefully from several feet away.

“Did you drop this, Mister?” His small chubby hand turned over to reveal a very crumpled twenty-dollar bill.

“Nope. I’ve been here a while. Waiting for someone. Haven’t seen anyone else drop it either. Must’ve been meant for you.” His eyes never left my face, but his smile grew with each word I said. “You tell the man at the desk you found it, and I say it’s yours. Finders keepers, right?”

Watching him run as fast as his little legs would carry him back to his mother, it sunk in that she saw me as old. Elderly even. I mean I felt it, but it shouldn’t show. Shit, this was so far away from what I thought my life would turn out like.

I looked down at my flashing screen and could have groaned. Picking up my cell I saw the business day had started, by the number of messages and email alerts coming through. Rylan’s message was top of the screen and his ‘Ready when you are’ barely registered as I opened the message from Grace’s school. My heart stopped at the automated message asking me to confirm that she wasn’t attending today.

My fingers shook as I dialed her number, my ears straining before being told by a monotone robotic voice to leave a message. Damn. I dialed again. Then sent a text. I would go up to our rooms and check, then once I knew she was okay I would head into the meeting.

Striding across the lobby, intent on my cell and getting a response, I collided with someone.

“Ohhh… hello, gorgeous.” I heard from the other end of the video call she was on and now desperately trying to disconnect from, as her eyes met mine. Her wide smile was disarming, it actually made me want to smile in return.

Nope, not gonna happen.

So I cocked an eyebrow instead and slightly narrowed my gaze, my eyes not leaving hers. Her feet still hadn’t moved. I saw her eyes flick to where my hands were grabbing her arms in an unnecessary effort to keep her upright. My senses were totally overwhelmed, she smelled faintly of cookies or some damn shit.

“You okay? You can let go of me now.” Even though I was listening, it took a full two beats for me to release her.

Taking a deep breath, I had to swallow as she turned and bent over right in front of me. All I could think was that her ass was perfect, as she grabbed what I then realized was my cell from the floor.

Holding out my phone to me, she scowled slightly as she said, “This lobby is big enough for both of us. Next time watch where you’re going.”

I turned and stalked to the bank of elevators, jamming the button to take me to the ninth floor. I realized I hadn’t uttered a single word, and I also hadn’t gotten a message back from Grace.

“Grace?” My voice boomed through the rooms that felt empty. Knowing she often had her headphones on, music blaring at a level that would have seemed tame to me at her age, but now defied all reason as far as I was concerned, I called out again as I reached the door to her bedroom. I checked for any signs, her backpack, laptop, or everything else was missing.

I called her school to let them know that Grace should be there. Then I called down to reception.

“Yes, sir?” a young girl answered immediately before the second ring.

“Bring my car up, and the driver in the town car. I need them both ready to go by the time I get back down.”

“Right away. And sir? Ms. Powell has arrived.”

Good. She could come with me, and I can fill her in on the way.

My setting up the casino security meeting with Rylan was going to have to wait. He could earn his way for a change and lead the meeting. I needed to focus on Grace. It had been so tempting to confide in Rylan. Hell, he was the one person I should be able to share all this shit with. But the nagging feeling that I needed to keep my guard up, that I couldn’t trust those closest to me, won.

Each time in my life that I had ignored my gut, it bit me in the ass.

This time too much was on the line.

This time it was Grace.

Chapter Three

HONOR

“Woo-hoo, they grow men hot in Vegas!” Ravi was still enjoying my encounter with tall, dark, and glowering.

“Yeah, it was a real bump-and-run. He didn’t even say sorry for knocking me into next week. Good thing he was hot-as-hell ‘cause his manners left a lot to be desired. Look, I just checked in, now I am cooling my heels waiting for Mr. Ford to make an appearance.” I had hardly thought about the job again, except to call Ravi back and try to convince the guy at the front desk I needed to switch my room. This wasn’t like me at all, but I couldn’t get Mr. Bump-and-run out of my mind.

Just at that moment, the man we were going to stop talking about any second rounded the corner. Maybe if I hadn’t been so distracted by him, I would have taken note of the guy behind the check-in counter standing straighter, or the valet rushing for keys, or even the uniformed driver who stood as he appeared. But I barely noticed any of those things, partially because my pulse quickened as I willed him to notice me again, and mostly because I was scrambling to figure out why I found him so attractive.

Oh no. The realization hit me hard. It was him. It had to be. The him that needed me to fix this for him. The him that I needed to build the agency on. As he took the keys from the valet his eyes finally met mine.

“Gotta go,” I mumbled quickly to Ravi and shoved my cell away. I lifted my chin and crossed to where he stood. At least the surprise in his eyes told me he hadn’t known who I was earlier either.

He quickly introduced me to Jon, the driver. He told Jon he wanted him to drive along the bus route to Grace’s school and look for her, while we took the city streets which would get us there faster.

Once he and I were alone in his car, he started to talk, “Grace didn’t make it to school.” I could hear the concern laced in his voice.

“Do you remember what she was wearing this morning?” I had only just asked the question when the entire interior of the car seemed to ring, and the elfin face of the young woman I had chatted with in the closed cocktail bar this morning appeared on an obscenely large screen in the center of the dash. He suddenly pulled over, and touching the picture on the screen before he said, “Grace?”

“Hey, Dad!” Her breezy demeanor flooded me with relief. “Before you even say anything, I was late this morning. Not a lot, but the school said the message had already been sent. I didn’t want to bug you, but I also didn’t want you to worry or anything. I just saw your messages on my phone. I thought it would be better to call you back.”

“Where are you now, munchkin?” His term of endearment and the softness at the edges of his voice told her he wasn’t angry.

“I am just heading into first period. I kinda missed homeroom though…”

“Hey, I am glad you called me, I was worried. How about I pick you up after school?”

I was feeling a bit like a voyeur, not able to escape the father-daughter phone conversation coming through the car speakers.

“Can a friend come, too?” I noticed she didn’t use the word home, and I wondered if it was deliberate.

“Sure.” He chuckled. “Sounds good.”

As Grace disconnected the call, I felt all the tension leave him, and he stared straight ahead for a minute. I watched him send a brief message to Jon and gave him the afternoon off.

“How about we get a coffee, and I can fill you in? I sure am glad you’re here Ms. Powell.”

Needing the coffee, and a minute to get my crap together, I agreed, probably too fast. I would blame it on a latte addiction if anyone asked, but I was dangerously close to freaking out inside. At the moment, all I wanted to do was go check she actually was at school. To make sure, and lay eyes on her myself.

“Hey, how about we grab some after we check the school? We’re almost there, aren’t we? Why don’t we just head in and lay eyes on her?” When he didn’t answer I kept going, “I would like to see where you normally drop her off and pick her up, and where her classrooms are. From now on, I think I should drive her to and from school.”

His quiet, “Good idea,” in response let me know I had won this battle. But I needed to make sure that it was because of my now—the circumstances around Grace—and not my past haunting me. I took a deep breath, and as he pulled the car away from the curb heading into the action, I needed to get myself centered again. I sighed, thinking maybe this time I could make a difference.

Later, sitting across from Sawyer, holding my fancy coffee, I watched him as he lifted his mug and deeply inhaled before he took a mouthful. His eyes almost closed, breathing in the aroma of the brew. The cup I needed both hands to hold, looked like a child’s in his strong grip. He caught me watching him as he set his coffee down and leaned back, draping his arm along the back of the booth seat. His eyebrow raised in question and he didn’t smile.

“How much does Grace know?” I asked.

Sawyer kept looking straight into my eyes as he answered, “She knows you’re here to help, but I don’t think she understands how serious it is right now. In her words, it’s not a big deal.”

“I’m relieved that you told her the truth about why I’m really here.” No way I could handle lying to Grace when I would be with her twenty-four-seven now, by playing his girlfriend, or whatever other cock-a-mamie stories he might have come up with to hide the truth from everyone else. That I would have to keep up with in addition to protecting his daughter.

It gave me new insight into what I would be asking the other women at the agency to do. How hard it would be to become part of another person’s life and still protect them. I knew the agency would provide an amazing service, save lives, and help people who were exactly where I had been a few years ago.

“Yeah,” he said slowly. “I made it a rule when she was about four, never to bring anyone into her life that I couldn’t see there permanently. Grace never would’ve bought it.”

“Who do we need to convince then?”

“Pretty much everyone. Rylan knows, but all the other staff must think your mine. That’s another reason moving your room next to mine is a good idea.”

As I lifted out my laptop to show Sawyer the electronic tracing I had already been doing of all Grace’s communications and online contacts, I wondered silently what his other reasons were?

Chapter Four

SAWYER

Walking into the security meeting with Honor at my side an hour later felt good. After talking, planning, and seeing her intensity in keeping Grace safe, it finally felt like I wasn’t alone. Rylan introduced me to several of the new security guards. Everyone was here today for training, to grab their uniform, and to get their hours for the next few days. I wanted to be impressed, and while most of the guys seemed cool, a few of them looked different to what I had hoped for. None of them were the ex-cop, ex-ranger types I had told my brother I wanted for the clubs. In this room full of sixty or so of our newest security crew, only a handful sported buzz cuts. Two of them were women. There were even a couple of ponytails—if that’s what you call them on a dude.

I acted like I was showing Honor around, but when she patted my ass as she left the security briefing room I nearly choked. The other guys laughed, she knew because she looked back at me and winked. Winked! I needed to focus, not to get the hots for the specialist I’d hired to stop my daughter’s stalker.

Rylan was suddenly in front of me with a scowl on his face. “That’s who you’ve hired, instead of letting my team handle it?” The anger in his words caused droplets of spit to form at the edges of his mouth. Before I could begin to reply, he went on, “What the hell kind of protection is she going to be? You need someone who’s going to intimidate this little fucker… not just fuck you. Do you need some ass, bro? Wanna get laid? ‘Cause I can sort that out for you, get you some real pretty ladies. This shit with Grace is real. You need to let my guys deal with this. We can stop this punk kid.”

I wasn’t sure with Rylan’s little speech what to be pissed off about first. He was out of line that much I knew. I itched to put my fist to his jaw, the way I would have settled it when we were younger.

“You really think Grace is gonna be okay with one of your hulking guards being with her every day? Watching her hang with her friends? Be part of her life? Those huge men are perfect for the drunks at the bar, drowning their sorrows, and for the casino floor, keeping the players in line, but not for this.” I bit back everything else I wanted to say. The fact that he was so sure he had it all figured out—that Grace’s stalker was another kid—made him blind to all the other threats. It was just another reason I wasn’t about to let his security team and he get anywhere near my daughter.

“No, man. I got a couple of great tech guys. One of them would be perfect. We put in the right equipment. He can see everything from in here. You gotta get rid of her. We should be handling this, man. As. Family.” To emphasize his last words, he smashed his fist down onto my desk.

I knew his frenzy came from a place of wanting to protect my daughter. I thought back to how I had felt, across the table from Honor this morning, making a plan and watching how calmly and methodically she took me through the steps she had taken so far.

I knew we needed her.

I wanted her here.

“Let me know how the mock-ups run this afternoon?” I had hired a whole lot of actors to come in and cheat, play the tables, and machines. I offered a bonus to any of the actors who got away with cheating. I needed to know the security weaknesses before we opened on the weekend.

I wanted to fix it all. Be done. To have the hotel and casinos already open, the burger joints and cocktail bars doing a good trade, but mostly just have the asshole that threatened my daughter arrested, or better yet buried.

As I walked out, heading into yet another meeting with the local FBI agent—this time with Honor—we needed to go over what had happened in the first room I had booked her. She had gone in, found wireless bug-style microphones and two cameras. Then she insisted on searching Grace’s bedroom, and as soon as she found the night-vision surveillance cameras, she wanted update the FBI. We were trapped in a no man’s land, the stalking was escalating, but the Feds and local law enforcement needed a crime to be committed before they could take action.

Well, I wasn’t going to wait until something happened to the one person in this world that I was meant to protect. I would fucking burn this building down before I let anyone hurt her.

I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that the whole security team needed my attention. But too much was going on.

For now, it would have to wait.

Chapter Five

HONOR

The school parking lot was jammed with luxury cars, the odd minivan driven by an exhausted nanny, and teens listening to music, trying to play at things like they didn’t notice each other. It was a huge contrast to the sedate and quiet lot it had been on that first morning.

This was my third afternoon picking up Grace.

It was the first time though, that I was picking her up with Sawyer.

My eyes were scanning for her in the crowds of teens as he said, “There she is.”

That impressed me, that he scanned crowds almost as well as I did. But if I was honest with myself, several things about Sawyer Ford impressed me. This afternoon, less than twenty-four hours before his big casino and hotel grand opening, he was taking the afternoon off to spend time with his daughter. Grace was zombie obsessed and with all the other shit going on, he decided to take her, and two of her friends to play some sort of zombie tag. Ugh. He was making it difficult for me to stay professional in this carefree-happy mode he created for Grace.

He sang while he made Grace her breakfast because I’d walked in on that twice when I was picking her up to drive her to school. The nights he was working late, he would stop whatever he was doing at six and have dinner with her, and they would both talk about their day. Anytime another contact was made from the person stalking Grace, he dropped whatever he was doing, and made time to plan. That had happened three times in the four days I had been with them.

Arriving at the apocalypse-style warehouse just out of town, I began to feel a tingle in my fingers and toes I hadn’t felt for a long time. The long building with stripped cars covered in graffiti and large military-style Humvees with red paint dripping from stuffed zombie bodies heightened my awareness and made my chest feel tight.

Walking together into the large reception area and gift shop, the girls ogled the merchandise, as Sawyer turned to me and asked, “What’s up?”

Every time we spoke now our eyes held for just a beat too long. I was aware of him, his strength, whenever we were together in the same room.

“Just doin’ what you’re paying me for.”

I needed to get my mind back on track, stop drooling over him the way Grace’s friends were drooling over the young veteran getting the gear ready for our group.

“Are you feeling this isn’t safe? I thought the spontaneity would be good. No one knows we’re here. What’s going on?”

Smiling, I decided I’d let him know truthfully exactly what had been on my mind as I showed my concealed carry permits and released my holstered guns into the lockbox for the duration of the zombie tag game. “Most women come into places like this, and they do just what Grace and her friends are doing. Looking at the pretties, the baubles, the stuff designed to catch your eye. Wanna know what I see?” He nodded. “Seven exits, eight windows, four of which are too high to be easily broken into, fourteen lights, approximately ten switches, and three smoke alarms. It’s what makes me good at my work, makes things safer for Grace.” I swallowed, reflecting that I hadn’t been so bluntly honest with anyone else before.

His eyes softened, and the corner of his mouth almost twitched into a smile. “I’m glad you’re here… for both of us.” As he turned, covering the space in only a few long strides, he stepped over to where the girls were, and for those few seconds all I could see was him.

As soon as we were all geared up, helmets, protective vests, and goggles, the girls couldn’t stop giggling. They were having a blast and it showed. Grace’s eyes sparkled and she was talking constantly with her friends. I was quiet just sticking to her side like glue. Holding the assault-style rifle felt natural, as did wearing camo gear again, as we walked into the tent that served as a briefing room. A former Army Ranger Staff Sergeant gave us all the specifics of our ‘mission.’ I was touched and amazed that Sawyer had chosen this, a veteran-run business, for his time to unwind and bond with Grace.

We moved as one group down a long narrow passage before coming out into a mini ‘bombed city.’ There were no doors, just open doorways to check for zombies, who needed to be shot.

Hell, no problem then.

Which should have prepared me for when the gunfire started in the distance, the lights flickered, and the girls shrieked. I needed to focus and get my erratic heartbeat under control.

Not making eye contact with Sawyer, I moved in closer to Grace. I took a deep breath, and thought, I need to treat this like a training mission. It’s nothing like Afghanistan.

Take a deep breath.

Keep the mark safe.

Focusing all my energy on Grace, I took another steady breath. Better.

Eventually, we came into a large hollowed out open space. There was a lot of dark debris at the edges of the space, everything from dumpsters to packing crates. The gunfire was sudden and rapid, and all I could think was that I needed to get my helmet off.

I couldn’t breathe.

The numbness in my hands made it impossible to wrench open the clasp locking the strap at the side of my face. I was sweating and gasping for air as I sunk onto my heels against a large wooden box facing the wall. Just as the clasp released, my helmet clanged against the box. The noise was swallowed by another round of rapid-fire. Yanking off my goggles, realizing that tears were streaming from my eyes, I covered my head with my hands forcing my head onto my knees.

Counting.

Squeezing my eyes shut.

Then forcing myself to stand, I grabbed the cast aside helmet and goggles by the straps and turned to face the room. At war with my racing heart and thoughts scrambled by memories, I tried to focus on Grace. She needed me and that would be enough for me to fight through.

Pulling my sleeves down to cover the palms of my hands, I raised my chin and let go of the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

My eyes crashed into Sawyer’s as he walked straight across the battlefield toward me, coming to a stop inches from my chest.

“Not a great field tactic, launching yourself straight across the open and away from the enemy.” I felt pretty witty considering how scattered my thoughts were at that second. “And now you are blocking my sightline of the girls.” The cockiness of my words lied even in my own ears. I felt the heat and the strength coming off him in waves and I was longing to lean into and surround myself in him.

His eyes hadn’t left mine, and his hand came up to my face. I winced. His hand didn’t falter, and he stroked the side of my face with just the tips of his fingers. My eyes drifted shut for a moment and my head leaned in toward his gentle caress. Seeking his comfort for a second, stilling my racing heart and focusing all my energy on the here and now, I opened my eyes and I found myself looking longingly at his lips, before once again meeting his now intense gaze.

He dipped his head and brushed his lips against mine, pulling away for a split second before kissing me again. So tenderly. I waited for a full heartbeat before smiling, all the emotions swirling at the edges, but joy won out and took over.

I had never kissed anyone, with both our eyes open and so connected to each other. For the first time I saw Sawyer smile, his eyes crinkled at the corners. He looked so pleased with himself as he took a full step back, and he raised his rifle and shot me.

Well, fuck!

He shot me.

Then he showed me his back as he turned and walked away.

Son. Of. A. Bitch.

Rage swirled inside me as I realized exactly what he had done. Dammit! I was out. What a fucking fuck-nut. Urgh! I was back to needing to count my breathing again, as a woman I realized looked familiar to me, approached. Her eyes said she had seen what had happened. We both watched as the group moved on, and he didn’t even look back.

Her soft, “Hey, Major Powell,” told me I should recognize her too.

It only took me a second to place her kind face—her wearing fatigues helped. Shaking her outstretched hand, I said, “Captain Moran, it’s good to see you. When did you get back stateside?” I knew it must have been a few years.

“It’s been a while. No more Captain Moran, I’m just Angel now. Do you want to get your stuff? It will be a little bit before they finish, they still have another forty-five minutes or so inside the game.”

I nodded and we walked back through the briefing tent to the waiting area and gift shop. Heading to the locked boxes, I asked, “Are you still working as a nurse?” I remembered she had been an excellent nurse, provided the best care I received after the gunfight with hostiles that had seen almost seventy of my squad injured or killed, and got me sent back stateside. It usually felt like a lifetime ago, but it was surreal seeing her in this place, where it all felt so close.

“No. Not since I was discharged. Too many memories. Not many of them good.” She lifted the drawer with my things onto the counter. “You feeling any better now?” Her soft question reminded me that she knew I had panicked. Lost my shit. What she didn’t know was that the girl I was meant to protect had continued in the game without me.

“Yeah, thanks. Which door will they come back through?” As I holstered one gun on my leg, and the other in the corset I was beginning to adore, she never stopped watching me.

“That one,” she pointed toward the door on the other side of the gift shop. “So, not just a fun family outing?” she asked motioning to me tucking my Shield .380 into one side of my corset and a magazine of bullets into the other.

“I am working. I run a protection and investigation agency. Ravi is working with me. Do you remember her?” Thinking of my friend made me long to spill my guts and tell her everything that was going on.

At Ravi’s name, Angel’s face broke into a wide, genuine smile. “Who the hell can forget Ravi?”

At the same moment we both boomed, “Oorah,” just as Ravi often did whenever anything got in her way.

“I am gonna video call her… will you say hi? I know it would mean a lot to her.” My cell was already in my hand, and Ravi picked up right away. “Guess who I bumped into?”

I turned slightly so Ravi could see Angel in the screenshot. “Hey, Sergeant Adams. Good to see ya.”

Ravi reacted as only Ravi could. “Holy Shit! Captain Moran! Damn, it’s good to see you. How did you two run into each other? Major, are you wounded?”

“I am not a nurse anymore, sergeant, I work with other veterans helping the public slay zombies. Sound fun?” As soon as Angel had finished asking the question Ravi answered with a snort. “I’m gonna give my number to Major Powell. You message me, okay? It has been too long. I gotta get back to work, I’ll let you two catch up. It is good to chat with you again.”

I turned my attention to Ravi. “How are things there?”

“Wait a minute. You just ran into her? At the zombie place?”

I kept in nearly constant contact with Ravi, mostly over text, so she knew exactly where we were all the time. “Yeah, I didn’t realize how realistic this whole setup would be. I lost it in the main gunfight with the zombies. She had to pull me out.” I was omitting the biggest part, that I had been kissed and then shot by the person who had hired the agency. I figured I could fill her in on that little tidbit later.

“You lost it? Like what? Panic? Is it all too much, boss?” Only Ravi truly understood how much this job was costing me. How the need to protect Grace swamped me, keeping her safe consumed me. If I could save this girl, it might ease the ache. So that no one, but especially not Sawyer, would ever have to know the pain of losing their child the way I did.

“What happened?”

“The rapid gunfire, the yelling, the shadows. I tried the breathing stuff, but nothing from our training worked. I couldn’t get the helmet or gear off quick enough. I was panicking, I guess. I even teared up for a minute but then I got it back together.”

“Why did you have to leave the principal then, if you got it back together?” Ravi was smart and quick. She knew I wouldn’t have left Grace’s side unless I couldn’t do my job. At least not willingly.

“He kissed me. I kissed him. Then he shot me at point-blank range. I was out,” I said bluntly and without emotion.

The stunned silence on the other end of the call should have been enough.

“Well, fuck me,” was all Ravi said before the side door banged open and Grace launched herself across the open space to me. She flung her arms around me, and for the first time, I hugged her back.

“Hey, you okay?” I asked trying to get a look at her face.

“Yeah, it was awesome! Thanks so much for coming along. Dad said you didn’t feel great, but you came anyway. I know it’s only to keep me safe. Before anyone else comes out I wanted to say how great I think you are. I am just so happy.” She bounced off again as her friends came through the door with Sawyer right behind them. I watched as he bought a stack of matching t-shirts and a zombie phone case for Grace.

Angel was by my side a moment later and handed me a scrap of paper with her number on it. “I’d like to hear from you again. And give my number to Ravi. If after everything she has been through, she is still up and going, I want her in my life.”

Sawyer was beckoning to me from the counter. I was still way to pissed off to act like nothing had happened.

Angel said, “The photographer got some great shots from your session. I think he needs your help to choose which ones to buy.” She raised both her eyebrows and smiled before going to help another family who had just arrived.

As I walked over to join Sawyer and Grace, I pocketed the scrap of paper safely, thinking about how I might need Angel’s number soon.

Chapter Six

SAWYER

Hell. Looking down at the pictures in my hand I saw several with my daughter, eyes sparkling, a quick grin, and looking too grown up in the army vest and helmet. The two photographs that stabbed me in the heart though were of Honor. Exactly as she was when I saw her, almost squatting, head in her hands, helmet at her feet. I could almost feel the pain she was in from looking at the image. The next shot of her, standing at full attention, chin raised and the shine of tears still in her eyes, had been taken seconds later.

What the hell had I been thinking?

I thought it would be a bit of fun.

I thought I was so smart to get the zombie thing in for Grace and hoped to score some points with Honor. I actually thought she would enjoy the whole camo and shoot ‘em up thing.

What had she been through?

What the fuck was I playing at?

She was damn strong though—she recovered so fast.

Then as soon as my fingers touched her skin I wanted more. I saw she was back, getting stronger as I stroked the side of her face, and the haunted look in her eyes had gone. For that moment she was soft as a kitten, leaning into my touch, and all I could think about was making her mine.

I was getting fucking hard just sitting here thinking about kissing her. Shit. I was like a horny teenager. She was fucking amazing. I wanted to tell her, to explore whatever this was between us, that had me rock solid at the thought of her smile.

But first I had a casino to open.

* * *

I could smell the pizza long before I got to the doors of the security room. What the hell they were celebrating I didn’t know. I had to pay out over thirty thousand dollars in bonuses to the actors that scammed and swindled the tables and machines. Neither the security team nor the dealers had done much to curb the blatant cheating.

I was beginning to doubt the wisdom of opening a casino with my brother as the head of security.

As I walked into the room his head came up quickly. “Brother!”

I wasn’t fooled by his jovial tone, I knew we were both mad as hell, but for different reasons. The security team was slowly coming together, but I needed to have them all ready and now. I nodded a greeting to several guards, looking over the schedule and roster to see who was on the casino floor. I wanted more men in ‘Decked’ our high roller room. It had its own dining room and dealers. The gamblers could get almost anything tableside twenty-four hours a day. Even massages. I wanted more security in there, and I had told him before so I wasn’t going to be put off tonight.

“I want more staff on at Decked. Twenty-four hours a fucking day. Clear?” My demand silenced the room.

Rylan looked bored, as he replied, “We have it under control. My tech guys are amazing. Look here, we can see everything.”

I thought about explaining to him once more that it wasn’t just watching for someone to fuck us over. It was about the presence, about having people we trusted on the floor. I wondered what word I could use to get it through to him. When did it all get so hard with him? It had been a while, sometime after Dad died and Grace came, when I had been in a haze of my own grief, that I didn’t notice losing pieces of my younger brother.

I took a deep breath and said, “Okay, show me the tech. Show me what you are excited about.”

We walked closer to the two men controlling the cameras. Standing behind them, I watched as they typed in keywords for the AI computers and controlled the cameras to zero in on someone, the footage so clear I could probably read the serial numbers on the hundred dollar bills gamblers flung down on the tables.

I hadn’t been concentrating on what he was saying, but Rylan continued, “From this control room we can see the gaming areas, cocktail bars and restaurants, both front-of-house and behind the scenes. That is as well as monitoring the entrances. And these tech guards are in constant contact with the floor staff.”

As Rylan spoke, we saw a drunk-looking man approach the front doors. The younger of the two guards in front of me spoke into his mouthpiece, and a uniformed guard stepped in front of the drunken man.

“Let him in,” I growled to the whole room, making yet another demand. It was strange, trying to control what happened down on the floor from up in this room so far away. The young guard turned toward me in his chair, and the anger in his eyes caught me unaware, before he spoke again into the mouthpiece and the customer was let in.

“They need more training, Rylan. They should know who Bobby is. This is exactly the sort of mistake that can cost us.” Bobby’s a well-known professional poker player. His medical condition may make it a challenge for him to walk, but seated he was a machine. He played high-stakes and brought in other professional players. It was a big deal that he was even here tonight.

Rylan stepped in, “We will keep working on it. Right now, you should be down there greeting customers.” Looking through the screens being monitored in the security room, I could see the lines of gamblers waiting, and I agreed.

“Before you head down, this arrived today.” Rylan was holding out another slim courier bag. It looked like more pictures from the zombie apocalypse thing. Because Honor hadn’t helped me choose any prints, I had paid for two sets of every image. It made sense that the second set would be sent separately.

Except as I looked at the photographs these were grainy. It was like they had been taken from far away. Before and after the professional images, maybe even snapped at the Earl of Sandwich, where I had taken everyone before we started the drive back into town last night. My gut was churning.

What the fuck?

No-one except Honor had known, and I had only sprung it on her as she was leaving to get Grace from school.

I tried to think.

Had I used the phone in my room to make the reservations?

Or had I used my cell?

Was that the link?

Another photograph fell out of the plastic envelope. This time of Grace, sleeping. This one was different, not grainy, like I took it on my phone. Looking at it I felt like I was going to puke.

On the back of the picture was written in red ink. She’s mine. I’m coming for what’s mine.

Rage clouded my thoughts as I turned and punched the wall. How was this asshole still hiding?

The last photograph, the one of Grace, must have been taken in her room.

While I was there!

As I turned, I slid the courier envelope with all the photographs back into my jacket inside pocket.

I wanted to hand these over to the FBI.

But not until Honor got everything she needed from them.

* * *

Before the elevator doors pinged shut, I knew I should have taken the stairs. Seeing the two women wearing so much make-up and false lashes, I wondered how they kept their eyes open. From far away, once they were in costume and when you were watching them dance on stage they looked amazing, but up-close-and-personal in the confined space of an elevator it was all too much. I am sure their names were Ashley and Brittany, but because I couldn’t remember who was who I stuck to a clipped, “Ladies.”

“Oh, Sawyer, I’m so glad to see you. We are just thrilled to be opening the show tonight. You hear me? Thrilled. This opening is absolutely the only event in town.”

When the elevator doors opened again, I could have groaned. Two of the couples known to be high rollers stepped in. “Well, Mr. Ford, hello.” The breathy greeting of one of the wives as she tucked her hand under my elbow made me stand up to my full height, nearly a head taller than everyone else on this hellish descent with me. I also rolled my shoulders back, and it shook off the bird-like grasp of the married woman at my side.

As the elevator slowed for a third time, I was ready. I was going to take the stairs. Except that, as the doors opened, my head of staff stood before me.

“There you are. The security team said you were headed down. Just before we get there, I need your…” he droned on as we pounded down the steps.

All I wanted was to see Honor. I just needed to get this opening over, then I would tell her.

Opening the door to the rooms Grace and I share just after 3:00 a.m. I realized how tired I was.

The flickering of the television showed me that Grace and Honor had both fallen asleep on the couch watching a movie. But they had made me a chocolate cake, set out in the tiny kitchen, with the logo of our casino almost legible in sprinkles on the top. Everything else was forgotten as I realized this was what I wanted most.

Walking closer I tried to figure out how I could wake Honor without getting shot. I attempted to clear my throat, but neither of them stirred. Taking my chances, I called her name as I touched the side of her face again. She smiled, even before she opened her eyes. As she stood before me, I leaned in—kissing her the only thing I could think about.

Her hand shoved me square in the center of my chest. “Go disappoint the next bitch. I’m busy.”

Before I could even figure out what she meant she was gone, the door closing with a thud behind her.

Chapter Seven

HONOR

Damn.

Shit.

Fuck.

I left my phone in Sawyer and Grace’s room. Waking up to him and walking away from his kiss messed with my head, and I left it behind in my scramble to leave. Now I have to go back. Urgh. I knock on his door then I knock again, this time a cop-type knock. I’ve been knocking and waiting for more than four minutes.

“C’mon Sawyer, I know you’re in there. I am sick of being in the hall outside your door at nearly four in the morning.” I can’t call him, so I knocked one last time even louder.

Suddenly, he was standing in front of me with only a towel wrapped around him and dripping wet in the open doorway. It made me want to touch him. All. Over.

“What the hell are you doing here?” His question was a pure growl.

“I forgot my phone.”

Sawyer stepped away from the door and pushed it open wider in an invitation to enter. As I walked past him it was all I could do not to run my fingers over his muscled chest. He caught me looking, though.

“I can’t do this,” I heard him say as I stood before him, feeling my nipples harden under his heavy gaze.

“Yes, we can.” I could easily see him hard under his towel. “This is between consenting adults.” I didn’t want to feel guilt—I was taking my power back.

The slow burn that had been building inside me for days caught fire, and I practically climbed onto him. My shirt was off before he closed the door. Sawyer moved us both over to the couch before he was tugging off my jeans and mouthing my nipple through the lace of my bra.

Everything else faded away, including the rest of my clothes.

Sawyer took my nipple back into his mouth, as his tongue hit the sensitive nerves that made my toes curl and my mouth fall open in anticipation. It felt almost too good, but I wasn’t about to stop him. I couldn’t because he had pinned my arms behind me while he held me to the couch. His hard-damp body was so warm against mine, the heated friction threatened to swallow me whole.

His mouth continued to travel downward, tracing slow, wet circles against my stomach, my hip then moving slowly inward to my thigh with such intense concentration like he had never wanted anyone but me.

“Sawyer,” I whispered, quickly drowned out by a long moan when he pulled my thighs open and stayed kneeling between them. He pulled me to him, practically spread-eagled in front of him, leaving him totally in control.

“You are so fucking beautiful,” he murmured, just before he used his tongue to touch me in all the places I needed, buried his face against me where I was hot and wet and so ready for him. I whimpered as he pushed his tongue inside of me, mimicking the way he was going to take me later. At first, long and slow, and then, hard and fast enough to make me see stars.

I was nearly out of my mind when I came against his face, but he didn’t stop licking, sucking, teasing.

He slowed all the motions, but stayed there, bringing me through my post-orgasm haze, then gradually increasing his movements, adding his fingers until I felt my body begin to clamp down again and contract.

By the time he had kissed his way up my body, I had managed to control my panting somewhat, but the desire that had started with his first kiss hadn’t been sated.

There was no place I would rather be, no man I would rather be with.

Sawyer had been watching me carefully as he got off his knees and steadied me with his hands on my hips until I put my arms around him. I ran my fingers through his hair, then touched his jaw, letting the day’s growth scrape my fingertips.

“You’re shaking,” he said roughly as if he wasn’t used to caring. Then he wrapped his arms around me, and with a small shove, expertly rolled us onto the couch cushions without breaking our embrace.

I landed half on top of him, and so I used that to my advantage, sucking one of his nipples into a pebble. My hand traced a path to the strong male part of him, stroking him the way I had done in my fantasies, the way that made him roll his eyes back and moan my name the way no other man ever had.

He reached over to the drawer in the coffee table finding a condom and opened the package with his teeth.

“Always prepared?” I asked.

“It should be my motto.”

I took the condom from him and slid it down over his hard length slowly because I could see it was making him crazy. My hand lingered, teasing, and stroking between his legs.

“Put me inside of you…” he told me. “I need to be inside you now.”

I loved knowing that I was in control at that moment. As I spread my legs, I paused for a moment, moving back and forth rubbing gently over him, just enough to push him to the edge. Finally, when I couldn’t stand it anymore, I slid him inside me, and we both groaned at the same time.

“You’re so wet, so warm. All for me,” he ground out as he thrust inside me.

His words made me push my hips up and down, taking him deep, then slowly grinding against him. My skin began to feel electric, and my belly tightened with that beautiful sensation as I arched my back and came in a shudder over him.

He orgasmed closely after mine, moaning my name again, as I collapsed on top of him. We stayed like that for a while, as I tried to catch my breath, my cheek to his chest listening to the steady beat of his heart.

He shifted under me, moved slightly so he freed himself, and I wondered if this was when he would voice his regret. I really, really, hoped not, because I had none. Especially after this.

“Um… Honor?”

“Yeah, Sawyer?” My gaze met his, and the way he was looking at me, his eyes caressing my body all the way up and down, well, I guessed he wasn’t going to ask me to leave.

“I still have a problem.”

I bit my bottom lip, I wanted to keep my tone light. “Only one?”

He smiled at me again. “I didn’t finish showering.”

Before I could respond, he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder and started walking with me down the hall so easily. And the thrill that fluttered in my belly earlier started again, it reached down to my toes from my bare skin rubbing his.

He didn’t put me down until he had started the shower and stepped in. He eased me gently off his shoulder but still held me tightly, and I closed my eyes and let the water wash over me.

When I opened my eyes, he was still looking at me. “Want me to wash your back?” I asked.

“Mmm, you owe me more than that for interrupting me in the first place,” he said. “But don’t you worry, I will let you make it up to me.”

“I am sure you will,” I murmured as he leaned in and kissed me again.

I knew I wasn’t ready to stop anytime soon.

Chapter Eight

SAWYER

I didn’t want to let her out of the shower too soon, but when the water began to run cold, I wrapped her in a large towel and loved her again on the tiled floor.

Now, we were back out on the couch, I was half-sated half ready to go again.

Honor had pulled on one of the t-shirts from the zombie place. She was so pretty. I was really impressed that she had managed to hold it all together after everything. Honor had continued on with her work, and she was excellent at it. It took a lot to move me, but I put it down to seeing someone doing a job they loved to do.

It’s because you are falling for her.

Holding her against me, I remembered the tears in her eyes, and asked, “What did you see yesterday?”

She stilled, and for a bit I thought she wasn’t going to answer then it came on a whispered breath. “It was a lot like the last time I was in Afghanistan. We ended up blocked in. Most of the team were shot or didn’t make it.”

I had seen the scars, the puckering across her side, and wondered if she had more scars inside than I could see.

“Why did you start the agency?”

Her eyes met mine, then quickly darted away. I stayed still knowing if she answered, if she shared this with me, there was no going back. For better or worse she would be a part of me now.

“My children were kidnapped, the driver was knocked out, and the school didn’t notice. No one did. They were taken and within twenty-four hours a ransom was demanded.” Her voice sounded flat, like she was far away, so I waited for her to continue.

“Ben, my husband, he didn’t want to pay the ransom. He listened to the Feds, and they froze all our assets. He had more than ten times what they were demanding. I wanted him to pay. He wanted to do what he saw as right… to not give in to the kidnappers demands. I screamed more at him about that than I ever have in my life. Until I had no more voice, no more tears. I wanted to pay the ransom, arrange for it to be collected, and go in all guns blazing to rescue our babies. I needed to fight for them, not sit and wait.”

A single tear ran down her cheek, and her voice was thick with emotion as she said, “They dumped their bodies three days later, in the park, near our house. Kylie was seven, and my baby, Ben, had just turned six.”

She pulled a hoodie on over her head and yanked the sleeves down to cover her wrists. “The day of Kylie and Ben’s funeral, everyone came back to the house. He walked straight into his study and shot himself. I think he couldn’t bear the thought that he could have saved them and didn’t even try.”

Reaching over to gently wipe away the tears from her cheeks, I saw her draw a deep shuddering breath.

“This agency is my way to right some of the wrongs. To fight back. It’s too late for Kylie and Ben. But for Grace and others like her, we can make a difference. We have to train, and use our military skills, but there are too many soldiers, too many Marines coming back and not being able to use their skills. And as women we have a strong urge to protect, to fight.” She struggled to lighten the mood. “Besides, what else was I going to do with all the money I inherited?”

I pulled her into me. And as I held her, I felt her tears slow. When I knew she was ready I said, “The crash that killed my father also killed Grace’s mom. My dad was drunk, she had gone to pick him up, and he insisted on driving. Witnesses say he was a real belligerent asshole. Grace only survived because of her baby seat. The hospital kept him alive for two days before he passed away. I hated him those two days more than I had ever hated anyone in my life and almost every day since.”

Her arm wrapped around me, and I felt comfort for the first time in a long time.

“Will you stay? I can only offer you the couch with me…” I suddenly realized that I still had the photographs that had arrived, the new threat against Grace, and I hadn’t even mentioned them.

Honor looked so tired, so exhausted. She needed sleep.

Grace was safe, sleeping.

I would let Honor have some rest, it could all wait until the morning.

Chapter Nine

HONOR

My cell mocked me from the coffee table where it had been all night. I sneaked to the door, and my body was tender in places I had no right to be. Smiling, I replayed the night in my mind.

Grace and I had a blast making the cake for Sawyer. She was smart, funny, and easy to spend time with. It took her the better part of the movie to finish cutting out the logo to create a sprinkle decoration for her dad. We decided to watch another romantic comedy because she was desperate to hear all about the evening straight from her father.

Tomorrow night was the big concert, and I knew she was desperate to go. Ravi and I were trying to come up with a plan. So far, the only safe way would be to watch from the side of the stage.

If I hurried, I could grab a quick shower and check in with Ravi before breakfast with Sawyer and Grace.

Getting dressed after my shower, I thought about what Grace needed to be safe at the concert. I couldn’t see how I could take her unless I knew she was as safe as everyone else would be there.

I heard my cell ringing from across the room, and realized I was hoping it was Sawyer before I spoke to Ravi.

“Okay, boss, what’s the plan?”

“Morning, Ravi, I was hoping you could tell me.”

“You’re going to have to be more specific. Are we talking about Grace and getting her to the concert, or… the… kiss?” Ravi’s instincts served her well, but she could be exceedingly difficult to keep secrets from.

“I think the best thing for the concert tonight is to keep her to the right of the stage, the band doesn’t go on and off so much on the right. And it looks like the second curtain back is the hardest to see, either from the front or above, because they store all the curtains in the walks above. So, that’s my call on that.”

I could hear the smile in her voice as she said, “And about the kiss? I think you should say ‘fuck it.’”

“Thanks, but I’m not sure I can do that. I am way too involved now. I am worried about freezing up.”

“No, if you say ‘fuck it,’ you’re saying, you know, whatever happens, happens. If it’s not perfect, then, so what? I’m gonna try my hardest, give it my all, and if I fail, then “fuck it.’”

I laughed. It was so good to have a reality check with Ravi. She was the most dangerous, kind-hearted, funny person I had ever met. “Well, if I take your advice, I may need you to stick around and pick up the pieces.”

“Damn, woman. You know even if I could, I am not going anywhere. Now, go get ‘em. Message me when you’ve had a look backstage. Security footage shows the band is setting up their instruments and lights now.”

Because it was Saturday, Grace and I decided to go and make use of the salon and the shops downstairs. The thought that we didn’t have to set foot outside of the casino to get our nails done, or have our hair styled, or get new jeans blew my mind. But I really wanted today to be fun for Grace.

The fact that it was two years to the day that I had to bury Kylie and Ben had almost nothing to do with it. For the past two years I’d had nothing to do, no one to make smile, just emptiness. Now I was filling my entire day by bringing another girl joy.

Today, that was enough.

Ravi had been correct, it was the perfect spot, between the curtains backstage to see the show. Well, mostly the back of the show, but Grace was a good sport about it. We decided to get pizzas and have them brought up to the room while we waited for Sawyer to come back. We were told it would be a while because of all the extra concert-goers, and neither of us minded much, as we walked slowly past the other storefronts, the main casino floor and the cocktail bars to get back to Grace and Sawyer’s rooms.

While we waited, we decided to re-watch the movie we had fallen asleep during and missed last night. Grace and I had put out blankets and curled up on one at each end of the couch. I couldn’t stop thinking of the way Sawyer had touched me, and I felt content.

I was waiting to hear a knock at the door, and when an hour later the pizzas still hadn’t arrived, Grace and I decided to call down to check.

We both got up and went to Sawyer’s room, where the connected phone was located. Strangely being in his room didn’t feel as intimate or as close to him as being on the couch had.

Everything seemed odd because I smelt the pizzas before I actually became aware of someone else being in the room with us. They had entered the room silently. Turning quickly to face the open door, I pulled Grace behind me, so she was shielded, and I was firmly between her and whatever was coming for us.

We were far away from the panic buttons I’d installed at the other end of the suite, near Grace’s room.

We were going to have to face whoever was here on our own.

Chapter Ten

SAWYER

Sitting in my office I realized it was nearly six o’clock, and Grace at least would be expecting me for dinner. I hope Honor would be there, but we had made no plans. All day I had been smiling, happy, and relaxed. As a teenager I would have credited it to having gotten laid, but I knew that it was more.

Grace was so happy this morning, planning her day with Honor.

And yeah, the sex had been a big part of my relaxed happy attitude today.

But I had more than my fair share of one-night stands in the past, and none had ever left me feeling this content. It was Honor. She was what I was missing in my life.

As I signed the final documents, I felt a huge surge of relief.

The construction was finished—I could breathe more easily now.

Shit! I had forgotten to talk to Honor about the grainy pictures and the threat written on the back of the photograph of Grace sleeping.

Dammit! I would head out now, and we could talk things through before anything got worse. I wanted to hand over everything we had to the FBI and get Grace out of here. I needed her to be alright now until they had time to catch him. Actually, he didn’t matter at all anymore, what I needed was to keep Grace safe.

I hadn’t told Rylan yet, but I wanted to sell the casino and buy him out of the business. Not being able to trust him had made the opening a hollow victory. I knew as motivated by money as he is, he would be happy with his cut, he always was.

As I pushed the elevator button, I thought it a bit early for dinner, but today I was ready to celebrate.

Chapter Eleven

HONOR

Keeping Grace tucked behind me, I strained to listen for any sound coming from the hall.

How can someone else be in here?

How is it possible?

The room had been locked up tight.

I tensed, my focus moving from Grace behind me, across the room and out into the hallway. Someone was coming down the hall, slowly, deliberately, taking his time as he anticipated the encounter.

I reacted on instinct. Forcing Grace to take a step back, then I silently reached behind me to push her downward. I had to hope that she would understand I needed her to stay down. I reached again under my shirt and held the gun loosely, my finger away from the trigger until I knew exactly who we were dealing with.

We were trapped in this room, on the ninth floor. There was no way out except back through the living room, down the hall.

“Come out, come out wherever you are!” He came slowly along the hall, calling out to us in a singsong voice.

I pressed my legs against the end of the bed, raising my weapon, bracing myself for the recoil.

“Did you think you could come here and stop me from being with my Grace?” he called from just outside the room. “Did you think I wasn’t watching your every move? I know every square inch of this building. Every little nook and cranny. Every single one of your hiding places.”

He was outside the door now. I could see a flash of his uniform reflected in the window.

“I used to watch Grace all the time until you got here.” He went on, “Grace, I could even sneak inside this suite and stand at your bedside while you slept.”

I was trembling, picturing him creeping around the rooms, watching Grace sleep. Watching me.

“Then when I saw you, Grace, wearing that special t-shirt, I knew it was meant to be. I knew it had to be you. You would be my first.”

My grip tightened, and I felt Grace’s hand gently work the gun out of the holster strapped around my ankle.

“I need you to come with me tonight, Grace. I know you’re close, I can hear your heartbeat. Can you hear mine?”

I knew on some level that it was my own heartbeat thudding in my ears, but I still wanted to press my own hands to my ears and scream.

“Come out, Grace. Come out and see what I have for you.”

He pounced, more quickly than I was anticipating pulling his gun out. I fired one shot, slicing through his upper arm, wounding him but not felling him. He staggered back, his eyes wild as he gripped his arm and took a deep breath.

Coming at us again, I took another shot, just as the bang sounded from his gun. He froze for a split second and then he toppled backward to the floor, his eyes open as he stared blindly at the ceiling.

I rushed to Grace’s side, checking to make sure she wasn’t hurt, then trying to hold her close.

In the distance, I heard someone call my name before everything went black.

Chapter Twelve

SAWYER

Hurrying through the long hospital corridor I realized how much I wanted to be there when Honor opened her eyes. The doctors had said it might be hours, but Angel told me in her experience Honor was a fighter, and it wouldn’t be anywhere near that long.

When I arrived at her hospital room it was just in time to see her wake and remember some of the horror that had happened the night before. As soon as the doctors and nurses left, I stepped away from the wall and took the only chair in the room, pulling it close to her narrow bed before sitting.

“Are you—”

“I’m fine,” she replied quickly, then reached out with her good hand. “How are you? How’s Grace?”

“Grace will be excited you’re awake, she has been worried about you. You were rushed away and into surgery to remove the bullet. Good news, it didn’t hit anything vital.” My attempt at humor felt flat as I longed to see her smile.

“I am so glad you and Grace are both okay.” Her voice was raspy, so I offered her the ice water near her hospital bed.

Placing the drink back on the side table, I said, “In all the commotion, we haven’t had time to discuss us.” Smiling down, I waited for her response.

“What’s there to discuss?” Her nonchalant tone stung a little, but I hoped the more we talked the more she would understand how much I wanted her in my life.

“I should have listened to you. You asked me three times to look into the background of all my brother’s security hires. I didn’t want to make things worse between my brother and me, so I didn’t check, and in doing so I put you and Grace at risk. I’m sorry.”

“Did the agents find out anything about him?”

“Yeah, he had a shit load of previous convictions. Never should have been working in security. He had absolutely been Grace’s stalker. The damn asshole had photos of her everywhere in his home. My brother hiring him, and several others, was part of my brother doing a ‘solid’…” I used air quotes, “… to help out his drug dealer. He had been hoping to have a nice business running drugs through the casino.”

Rylan had gone into rehabilitation this morning, finally admitted he needed help. Partially because his actions had meant Grace’s life was at risk. Mostly though because he needed to work through his grief.

“Grace wants to see you.” Everything in me wanted to claim her, demand her attention, to tell her it was not just Grace, it was me, I wanted her. But I couldn’t want it enough for the both of us. She needed to fight for us too.

“I’d like that. I’d like to spend time with her.” She watched my face carefully as she said, “But what does that mean for us?”

“I’m not going anywhere.” The words were out, and it felt good to tell her I was in this for the long haul. I watched her face fall. The nurse walked in and Honor looked me straight in the eye, and said, “I’m really tired. I’m going to sleep.”

Thinking I would give her a few hours to sleep, and visit her again, maybe make some plans to bring Grace tomorrow, I walked out of her hospital room feeling in control.

Chapter Thirteen

HONOR

Angel arrived as the sun was rising, exactly one week after I had arrived in Vegas. I was ready, the bag of the bloody clothes I had been wearing shoved in the garbage. I had asked her to help me get back to Los Angeles, then I told her she could come up to Portland with me, or I would help her if she wanted to start over someplace else.

But I had everything crossed she would come back with me and join the agency. She would be a huge asset, and Ravi and I both trusted her already.

Angel brought me in a bag that had a soft, fluffy set of cheap sweatpants and a hoodie, all brand new, with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Tucked inside were the underwear I needed, and a pair of slip-on shoes. I felt supported and cared for. Exactly what I needed.

When I stepped out in all my new not-quite-finery, she gave a low wolf whistle, and we both giggled.

“Whaddaya think?” I drawled at the nurse who had brought in my rushed discharge papers, and she was currently strapping my arm in a sling. The nurse smiled and shook her head as she left the room.

“I’m free!” I was pretty sure that the only reason they had let me go so quickly was because Angel and the head nurse on last night had trained at nursing school together, and had kept in touch over the last few years.

“Well, I’m not free. But I can be cheap and easy for the right person,” Angel snapped back with a head bob from side to side that made her large hoop earrings swing erratically.

As we made our way quietly through the corridor, and out through the lobby, I spied my trusty car pulled to the curb.

“You’re brilliant! How did you get my car?” Realizing that the back seat held all the belongings I had brought with me and left in my room at the casino, I felt blessed and thankful again for the amazing woman now sliding in behind the steering wheel of my car.

Leaving Las Vegas was bittersweet, the thought that I wouldn’t see Grace or Sawyer again burned a little.

Once I was home, I would send Grace a care package. But for now, it was probably for the best, if I guarded my heart and headed out of town.

I tried to convince myself I straight out didn’t give a fuck.

Epilogue

SAWYER

The large furniture truck pulled slowly away, the driver waving a friendly greeting as Grace and I pulled into the driveway of the picture-perfect two-story house on a tree-lined street in Portland. It was almost too pretty to be real, and Grace was grinning from ear to ear as we climbed the steps to the front porch.

“Okay, so all this is for how long? Will it be a project?” Grace was trying to hold back her excitement.

I realized how much the largescale projects I had done as she was growing up cost her. She hadn’t had any place to really settle, to grow roots. I still wondered if that was part of the reason she had worn the t-shirts of bands she didn’t like, just to fit in. Create a quick identity, that helped her fit in easily wherever we landed.

“Well, I think Portland is pretty cool. You need to stay put and study now and do well in high school so you can go on to do great things.”

Taking a deep breath, I continued, “How about if we stay here until you graduate? It’s ours now for as long as we want. I gotta warn you though, sometimes it snows here in the winter, and this street is crazy about Christmas.” No matter what, I wanted to give whatever was left of her childhood a bit of magic.

The movers and cleaners looked like they were just finishing placing the books on the shelves and fluffing the couch cushions in the living room, as we walked upstairs to see the bedrooms. All the furniture we had purchased so far looked great, and I was looking forward to choosing a couple more things with care, now that we were in the house.

“Can we go get something to eat?” Grace seemed to have hollow legs, and since the movers now seemed to be taking up all the space unpacking and putting away things in the kitchen, I said yes. There would be lots of time now that we were here to make our new place a home.

“Feel like a burger?” I asked once we backed out and were driving into the center of town.

“When will we see Honor?” Grace’s quick question came straight out of left field.

The truth was I didn’t know. “How about we stop by and ask her to join us for lunch?”

Grace’s quick reply of, “Yes,” was all I needed to know that my life was finally beginning to go in the direction it was supposed to.

Pulling open the heavy door to the discreet entrance of the agency was not what I expected. It looked like any other massive apartment block on the edge of Laurelhurst. The room we walked into was a small waiting room, and the only door at the far end was locked.

“How can I help you?” a polite but firm voice was loud in the small empty room, seeming to come down from the ceiling.

“Grace Ford here for Ms. Powell.” I had always found that the people who acted like they had appointments were much more likely to be seen, or at least offered another time.

Then everything was silent for so long that I was just about to tell Grace we should go.

The door at the far end of the room buzzed and the voice from the ceiling said, “Come through, please.”

I felt more nervous than I had for a long time. It was only a month since I was sure our attraction could grow into something more. I vowed to let Honor lead, at least for a while.

Then there she was right in front of us.

Grace ran and wrapped herself around Honor in a giant hug. I could faintly hear her say that she had missed Grace so much.

Grace’s face popped up. “Then come to lunch with us. I have so much to tell you. But I am huuungry. So first, burgers.”

I could read the hesitation in Honor. “Please join us. We never got to say goodbye, and I would like to thank you properly.” It wasn’t easy to see, but it looked like Honor may still have been favoring her injured arm.

Honor insisted on driving herself the short distance to a quiet local burger joint with a 1950’s theme.

As her eyes met mine over Grace’s head, I realized that I would desire this woman as long as I lived.

Once we were seated in a corner booth with a huge basket of curly fries in front of us, Honor simply asked, “What are you two doing in Portland?”

Grace stated excitedly, “We live here now! Dad sold the casino the day you got hurt, and so we’ve been looking for the perfect place. We bought a house, and I start school soon, but we are staying in Portland. I really want to show you my room. I think I want to paint it. But first, I need to choose the best color.”

Honor looked at me. “Why Portland?”

“I am not much for long-distance romance.” I shrugged. “I want to date you. See if what we have can grow.”

Our burgers arrived and we both let Grace lead the conversation onto safer topics.

After a relaxed lunch as we walked Honor back to her car, Grace saved me the pain of being rejected by asking her to come to our house for dinner. When she heard our address, she couldn’t stop laughing. “Well, I better get my visits in now, before I can’t get near your place at Christmas.”

“That’s okay,” Grace said wisely. “We can come to you.”

And just like that, the two people I wanted to be with more than anything, each took one of my hands in theirs and all was right in my world.

The End.

The story will continue late 2020.

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Siren Security Series is coming soon!

No Warning - Book 1

Shots Fired - Book 2

Lines Drawn – Book 3

Strings Attached – Book 4

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About the Author

Sam St James is a kiwi who grew up and went to college in the Pacific Northwest.

Reading has always been her sanctuary, often taking books everywhere and reading every chance she got.

Sam St James started writing romance for her friends at school, turning her friends and their awkward crushes into saucy flirtations and swoon-worthy stories passed between classes.

Career highlights so far are connecting with readers and receiving an award for writing ‘Devastatingly Sensual Sex Scenes.’

When she is not writing she can often be found dancing in the kitchen. With her children.

Altered Perception

H.J. Marshall

To the wild side of everyone. Embrace the adventure, it’s always worth it in the end.

Synopsis

Alex gained a reputation in Las Vegas as the illustrious Mistress Alexandria and had built Club Perception to be the most sought-after adult club in the city. Surrounded by affection, deep down, Alex is isolated and allows herself a moment to be carefree, hoping to push the loneliness away.

Gideon ventured to Las Vegas, looking to make his mark on the city, and had quickly made a name for himself. Hiding his family connections, he focuses on opening the hottest new casino on the Strip. This should be his only motivation but one night with a mystery woman changed his entire world.

When these two damaged people meet, sparks fly and passions rise, but both have secrets that Sin City refuses to let stay buried. When truths begin to unravel, can these two come out winners or will they roll snake eyes?

Prologue

Alexandria

With each thrust of his hips, I felt another piece of my facade drop away, stripping me bare to my soul. He stared deeply into my eyes, his hand pressing against my throat as he worked his thick cock deeper and deeper into me.

“Fuck your pussy feels amazing.” He purred, licking his thumb and bringing it down to my clit.

My back bowed off the bed the moment he pressed against me, every nerve ending firing with electricity as I came harder than I ever had before. He smirked down at me and winked. On a normal day, I wouldn’t tolerate his cocky attitude, but tonight, his dominance was driving me insane with need.

Withdrawing his thickness from my quivering pussy, he flipped my legs to one side and smacked my ass. “Get on all fours, baby. I want to see that ass shake while I’m riding you.”

I closed my eyes briefly before connecting my gaze with his emerald green eyes. He licked his lips and I assumed the position in front of him. I felt him place a knee on the outside of each leg, pushing my knees together as he ran the thick head of his cock against my wet lips. Gripping one hand in my thick black hair, he yanked my head back just as he slipped his cock into me, both of us moaning a deep groan into the room.

“Oh! Oh!” I chanted with each slap of his hips against my ass.

His grip on my hair relaxed and I let my head fall to the bed as he powered faster into me. Strong hands held my hips as he grunted behind me, his thick cock splitting me open. My pussy began to flutter, and I reached my hand between my legs, rubbing my sensitive clit. Chills broke out across my sweaty skin when his hand joined mine, pressing against my clit as my walls squeezed him tighter and tighter.

“Cum on my cock.” He ordered and I felt the dam explode deep inside of me.

My vision grew hazy as my world splintered into a million pieces, scattering into the universe. I felt him grow thicker inside me as he pressed himself as deep as he could. Warmth filled the condom he was wearing and for a moment, I wished he was filling me with his cum. A flash of the last time that happened, and the consequences of that fateful decision, filled me with remorse before I shook off the heavy feelings.

Now, with this sexy fucking man, wasn’t the time for regret. That could come later, when the shame kept me awake. He fell against me on the bed and I turned my head to look at him. His black hair was wet with sweat and stuck to his forehead. Smiling at him, I watched as he caught his breath from the hours of frantic sex we just had.

Leaning up on one elbow, he turned his naked body toward me and offered me his hand. I slipped my fingers into his and he tugged me off the bed. With a quick motion, he had me in his arms and was walking toward the bathroom. He sat me down and started filling the jacuzzi tub as he disposed of the used condom.

“You don’t have to do this. I’m okay with heading out.” I explained, the intimacy of the situation becoming more than what I wanted tonight to be.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m offering you a hot bath after some incredible sex. Not my hand in marriage.” He winked and stepped into the tub, leaning against the end and spreading his legs.

Sighing loudly, I stepped into the hot water and settled between his spread legs, my back pressed against his toned, tattooed chest. His strong hands began to rub my aching muscles and I groaned, the tingling in my neck and shoulders reminding me how much stress I carried around. His touch reminded me how lonely I was and for a moment, I wasn’t on my own.

We didn’t speak as the water grew from hot to cool. We just stayed resting against each other, small touches and gentle kisses giving me a false sense of affection. Allowing the moment to fill the empty part of me. I relaxed as he carried me back to bed and slipped in beside me. I slept deeper than I could remember, his arms wrapped around me, keeping me safe and protected.

I woke the next morning to the unfamiliar room and it took a minute to remember the amazing night I had with him. His suitcase was gone, and I flopped back in the bed, relieved we didn’t have to do the morning after routine.

Slipping on my clothes from the night before, I was walking out of the suite when I found a note taped to the door.

Alex,

Thank you for the amazing night. I’ll see you again. Very soon.

Gideon

Chapter One

Alexandria

1 year later

“He’s here again.” My assistant remarked as she handed me a glass of red wine.

Glancing up from the mirror, I smirked, trying to push my nerves down and not let her see how much the news affected me. Setting the red lip stain on the counter, I swiveled in my chair. For a year, he had been showing up once a month, sitting at the same table in the center of the room, openly eyeing me as I made my rounds with my guests.

He never spoke and I never acknowledged him, yet I could feel his eyes caressing me with each moment he was there. I could feel his fingers gripping into my skin as he pressed his thickness deep into me, touching places no other man had. I remembered every filthy whispered word, every mind shattering orgasm.

Just his presence was unnerving me, showing the cracks I had fought for years to hide. I didn’t know why he was here and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t push down the butterflies that took flight every time I saw him. I had tried to not want him, but every month, like clockwork, he showed up and parked himself in the middle of my life. In the middle of my club, Perception.

Gideon Mathews.

“Make sure he’s taken care of tonight. Drinks are on the house.” An evil grin broke out on my face as she nodded her head and turned to leave. Just as she reached for the door handle, I remarked, “And move him to my booth. It’s time I introduce myself properly.”

“Are you sure?” Maggie asked as she turned toward me with a worried expression on her angelic face.

Standing, I walked to her and gently caressed her cheek. Leaning into the embrace, I kissed her, a gentle brush of my lips to hers. Pulling back, I watched as she blinked a few times, her eyes heavy with lust and need. She bit into her pouty lip but never made a move to deepen the embrace.

“It’s time he finally met the Mistress.”

Stepping back, I opened my robe and allowed it to whisper to the floor at my feet. Maggie eyed me up and down, my bare pussy throbbing with unfulfilled need as she licked her lips and sighed deeply. I had been attracted to men and women since I was a teenager but pronouncing yourself bi-sexual usually came with explanations I didn’t feel the need to justify.

“Why do you torture me like this?” she asked, and I watched her squeeze her legs together. I knew she was fighting the lust growing in her, but she also knew my rules.

I never played at Perception.

I would discipline, but never experience the pure unadulterated desire that you could experience inside the walls of my safe haven. It was my personal penance for a lifetime of misplaced guilt and shame.

“Because I can.” Winking, I turned and took my dress off the hanger, effectively dismissing her.

Maggie chuckled as she closed the door behind her, leaving me in my dressing room alone. Exhaling deeply, I fell back into the chair and turned my gaze back to the large mirror adorning the back wall. The reflection staring back at me looked nothing like the scared young woman who climbed off a bus almost six years ago, dreaming of a new future.

After six years, I got a future I could have never dreamed of and along with it, the isolation that accompanied it. For almost four years, I’d spent four evenings a week surrounded by the admiration of my members and spent every night alone in my huge house, the solitude of my life reminding me of what I did to survive.

Shaking the depressing thoughts off, I slipped on my favorite red dress, the deep v in the front pushing my natural double d’s together and lifting them to perfection. Smoothing the tight material around my hips, I smoothed the imaginary wrinkles out and slid my feet into a pair of four-inch Jimmy Choo peep toes.

Glancing back at the mirror, I saw Mistress Alexandria standing where naïve Alex once stood. Running my hand across the intricate tattoo swirling across my chest, neck, and shoulders, I smiled, the reminder that my ink was my armor. My arms, legs, back, and stomach all were adorned with various pieces of art, but the design on my chest was my favorite. Flowers and vines, black and grey that looked like steel, wrapped around a wounded heart with a dagger sticking out. It was the visual reminder of who I was and what I had become.

Licking my lips, I exited my dressing room and walked down the small hallway leading to the front lobby of Perception. My usual hip sway helped center me as I fully became Mistress Alexandria with each step. She was the illusion that I had built my business from and I fully allowed her to take over as I entered the front lobby. Maggie was behind the counter, her curled black hair pinned to perfection. Bright red nails and lipstick stood out against her flawless pale skin and a black dress clung tightly to her curves.

I had been training Maggie to replace me when the time came, only I used the advice as a guise to teach her. I would never leave Perception, but my time as Mistress of the House felt like it was coming to an end. For over a year, I had been melancholy, waiting for the rest of my life to start. Wondering if my current reality was what I had to look forward to.

After a visit from my ex-girlfriend Annalise last year, watching her safe in the arms of her fiancé Sebastian, seeing her loved and cherished, made me realize there had to be more to life than what I was experiencing. After they left Las Vegas, knowing they had married and were living their lives, I went onto the Strip, an area I avoided at all costs, and had allowed myself to be vulnerable for one night.

Shedding the safety of Mistress Alexandria and allowing Alex a moment to be free. I pulled my hair into a messy bun, and my make-up subdued as I walked into the casino. My usual skintight dress was gone, and I was wearing a comfortable pair of distressed jeans with a soft off the shoulder shirt paired and my three-inch black leather knee boots. I wanted to blend into the tourists and get lost in the bright lights of Las Vegas.

The sounds of the slot machines rang in the background as I made my way to the bar in the middle of the casino, in need of a drink. I found an empty booth and settled in to watch the people as they won and lost their fortunes. I felt someone sit down next to me and lean over, taking a deep inhale from the side of my neck.

I turned, ready to give the asshole a piece of my mind when I was met with the most amazing emerald green eyes and a sexy smirk. Jet black hair, a strong jawline, and hypnotic cologne had invaded my personal space and for once I was glad to be around a man who wasn’t intimidated by me.

Of course, I looked nothing like the Mistress I portrayed to my guests. I was just me, Alex, the lonely woman who hid herself away. Appraising him with lustful eyes and a smile on my lips, I realized I didn’t recognize him, and I knew all the major players in the city. He had to be a tourist hoping to get laid while on vacation and at that moment, I decided I would let Alex have her fun.

I let him buy me a drink and we slowly closed the space between us until our legs were resting against each other’s and we were each taking the liberty with soft touches and subtle exchanges. When he asked me to accompany him to his room, I followed, eager for a night of freedom. He fucked me on every surface of his suite and when he was finished with me, he carried me into the jacuzzi tub, rubbing the soreness from my aching muscles. It was unexpected and made a memorable night even more so.

I fell asleep and when I woke the next morning, I was alone in the suite with a note from him thanking me for an amazing night and a promise to see me again. I laughed it off, knowing it would never happen. He lived somewhere else and I wasn’t the person he thought I was.

I went back to my normal life, happy with the memories of my night with Gideon. The following month, I walked into Perception and saw him sitting in the middle of the room, a sly grin on his face. He patted the chair next to him and I shook my head as I retreated to my office. Anger overtook me. I had let him push me from my club and I refused to cower to anyone.

Walking back out with my head held high, I ignored him all evening. The following month when he returned, I started to wonder who he really was. That’s when I reached out to my head of security to run a background check. No one got inside the walls of Perception without showing an ID and signing a non-disclosure agreement.

I was astonished to find out my one-night stand was the new owner of the Double Down Casino that was scheduled to open on the Strip. Mortified at my rotten luck, I continued to ignore him, hoping he would get the hint and leave. After half a year, I started to look forward to his monthly visits. I wasn’t sure what changed, but tonight, I decided to find out why he kept lurking in my club and what he wanted from me.

I needed to know why my vulnerable moment had come back to bite me in the ass and was now sitting in my booth, waiting for me to arrive. I would never admit it, but I had looked forward to seeing him, even if it was only from across the room.

“Has he been attended to?” I asked Maggie as other guests entered, each greeting me before they entered through the heavy wooden doors and into my inner sanctum.

“Yes, Mistress.” She smiled softly and I winked at her.

“I’m going to make my rounds before I check on him. I want him on edge before I finally go to him.”

“Always keep them on edge. It gives you the upper hand.” She remarked, remembering one of my many rules.

“That’s right, my pet.” She beamed at me with pride clear on her beautiful face.

Pushing open the doors, I walked into the club and watched as all eyes turned toward me. With a subtle nod of my head, my guests went back to their conversations, some with their pets on leashes and others looking for their evening’s fun. Perception wasn’t a BDSM club, per se, but more of an open-minded club where people are free to express their individual kinks in a safe place.

I had gained a reputation of being a stern Mistress, but I was fair. Allowing my guests to play, giving them a safe outlet to express themselves, left little discipline to be doled out. With the constant flow of tourists and eager locals, there was always a full house.

Moving through the crowd, a newer guest walked up, bowing her head slightly as she approached. “Mistress, may I speak with you for a moment?”

“Of course. Let’s get a drink.” I instructed, needing the liquid courage before I approached Gideon. I couldn’t let anyone see how he affected me, or I feared they would all see through the unsteady foundation I had built my life on.

Listening to her ask a few questions and proper protocol for approaching a new partner, I slipped my hand into hers and walked her down the hallway to the closed door at the end. With a single knock, the door opened, and I handed her off to the Dungeon Master, relaying my instructions to them both and watching as she approached the man she was interested in spending time with. I might be shit at my own love life but helping someone else open themselves up so they could experience the true pleasures of life had been my motivating factor when I opened Perception.

After quick introductions, she was guided into one of my private playrooms and I turned to leave the Dungeon. Just as I stepped out of the doorway, I walked face first into a solid wall of muscle and brought my hands up to catch myself from falling. Strong hands gently gripped my upper arms, steadying me.

Looking up, my eyes met the sexy smirk of Gideon Mathews. I should have dropped my hands and sent him back to my booth, but as hard as I tried, I couldn’t seem to remove my hands from his toned chest. His intoxicating scent was surrounding me, reminding me of every moment we spent together, exploring each other.

“If coming in here was what it took to get you back in my arms, I would have followed you a year ago.” He husked, his eyes alight with lust and need.

I could feel his thick cock pressing against my stomach, and I wanted nothing more than for him to sink himself balls deep inside of me and help the loneliness disappear. I pushed back from him and he released his grip, allowing me the space I needed. I refused to let him, or anyone here, see the vulnerable part of me I kept hidden, using Mistress Alexandria to cover the wounds.

“It would take more than a little stalking to get me back in your arms.” I replied and walked to my booth.

I could feel him following me, all eyes in the club watching us as I slid into the booth and he followed, dropping the gossamer curtains over the front, giving us the privacy we would need. Locking eyes with him, I sat there, waiting for an explanation on why he was here.

Chapter Two

Gideon

Watching her thick, juicy ass sway in her tight red dress had my cock throbbing with need. Every time I looked at her, I remembered her moaning my name as she came apart, bouncing and writhing on my length. After our night together, I wanted more but soon realized; she wasn’t exactly who she said she was.

I had been staying in a suite at my cousin Anthony’s casino, looking for a way to make my fortune in Las Vegas. This town was made for easy money and I was ready to make my mark. Having been raised as the illegitimate son of Frankie Morellis meant I was clean, but my money wasn’t. My mom had sent me away when the Feds started breathing down my father’s neck and with me, the bulk of the cash he had given to her throughout my life.

I didn’t know about his illegal activities growing up, only that he rarely came around and Mom said I was better off without him in my life. I never understood what she meant until she got sick my senior year of college and he explained his absence in my life. She had been a mistress of his and when she became pregnant, he promised to take care of us but would never be a part of our lives. He already had a family. His words. Bastard.

After he explained he wouldn’t be there, she moved and raised me alone, while she struggled for everything we had. I never understood why she didn’t spend the money he gave her and she refused to answer the question. No one knew I was connected to him and that kept me free of the legal trouble that swirled around him and my two half-brothers. They didn’t know about me and when I disappeared, so did the money.

Anthony wanted nothing to do with the cash until I explained to him how I was trying to start fresh and as far as I knew, the money was clean. His father and my mother were siblings and with some hesitation, he agreed to help me. Reinventing myself, Anthony introduced me to the right people who helped me establish myself in the casinos.

He and a few of his friends helped me gamble the cash to clean, factoring in the amount the IRS would flag and staggering the payouts to look legit. I worked full time making my mark on Las Vegas, and with it, I rightfully gained a reputation for being a ladies’ man.

It took close to a year for me to become respectable in the eyes of the right players in the city and after some research, I was presented with an opportunity to buy some land on the Strip for a steal. With a little money in the right palms, they handed me my building permits for my casino in record time and I was on my path to riches.

I had a few financiers who wanted to invest, but I refused. The Double Down might not be the biggest or the flashiest casino on the Strip, but when it was finished, it would be all mine. The plans were drawn up and I was eager for the construction to start. My mom gave me a chance to have a real life and I was grateful for every sacrifice she made. I was still hopeful she would move out here with me, but she insisted the retirement community she lived at down in Florida was paradise.

It was my last night in town before I went back home to finalize some last pieces of business. I was looking to blow off some steam after the crazy ride I had been on with watching the Feds arrest my family. Not that any of them would claim me if they even knew about me. Heading down to the hotel bar, my eyes were immediately drawn to the Latin beauty with the amazing tattoos sitting alone, nursing a drink. She turned her head and I was struck by her amazing brown eyes, the color of an autumn leaf shining in the waning afternoon sun. She had a sad smile on her face, and I knew I had to make her happy, even if only for a minute.

After a few drinks, I saw her demeanor had changed. Gone was the strong woman and in her place sat a vulnerable woman in need of affection. When she agreed to join me in my suite, I gripped her hand tightly and practically dragged her to the room. The night we shared was explosive and I’ve used it to get myself off more times than I can count.

My cousin had her followed the next morning and reported back to me the location she was dropped off at with a knowing smirk and a chuckle. He wouldn’t explain why and the following month after I moved into my temporary rental house, I visited her. Imagine my surprise when I walked into her sex club, discretely hidden between a bakery and a closed down florist a few miles from the hustle and bustle of the tourists and casinos. Anthony’s reluctance to tell me about Perception made sense as I watched her walk through the room, commanding the attention of every man and woman in the building.

Her long, thick black hair brushed against the top of her tight, rounded ass that I remember rutting against with clarity. She had at least one new tattoo on her kissable shoulder, and I was eager to explore her curvy body for more. No one else seemed to notice the melancholy look in her eyes as she engaged her guests, and I knew I had to find out what put the sadness in her gaze.

Every month, like clockwork, I came back to Perception, hoping she would at least give me a minute of her time. For a year, she ignored me, and I could tell each visit got her interest piqued more and more. Whatever changed tonight in Alex, I meant Mistress Alexandria, was my stroke of good luck.

Little did she know I was at the end of my rope. I was debating on throwing her over my shoulder and taking her back to her office so I could fuck her like we both wanted. She was the last woman I had been with and something about her had changed me. I wasn’t used to chasing a woman, and this game she and I had been playing seemed to be coming to an end.

There was little I could find out about her. Only that she had arrived here six years ago from Nashville and had a sister and a nephew still living there. She bought the building a few years ago during a courthouse auction for a fucking steal and soon afterward, she opened Perception. Her reputation in the industry, and the whispered words around town were highly praising of her open-minded club.

She never took part in the activities here that I observed. I was beginning to wonder what led Mistress Alexandria to my arms all those months ago. Sitting in the booth, her pouty red lips begging to be kissed as she sipped on her drink was testing my patience.

I kept my eyes locked on hers, forcing her to look at me as I took a sip of my whiskey. She smirked at me, set her glass down on the table, and leaned back in the booth. Her legs brushed against mine and the heat shot straight to my crotch.

Discreetly adjusting my length, I broke the silence. “How have you been, Alex? Or should I call you Mistress?” As hard as I tried, I couldn’t keep the husk out of my voice. Just being near her was driving me crazy with need.

Her eyes cut to the curtains then back to mine with heat and anger in her gaze. Leaning in, she whispered. “Do not call me Alex. What the hell are you doing here, Gideon? What game are you playing at?” Her temper was beginning to show, and I wanted nothing more than to work her frustration out with countless orgasms.

“I told you I’d see you again. I’ve been waiting for almost a year for you to acknowledge me.” Smirking at her, I sipped my whiskey and set the glass down on the table before leaning into her. “Why the big facade? You could have told me who you were.”

She leaned closer to me, her lips inches away from mine. “I have my reasons and you have some explaining to do. How did you find me?”

She licked her lips and ran her fingers across the tattoo covering her chest and shoulders; her rising bosom pushing against the tight red dress. The memory of tracing every line with my tongue was strong as I reached out and softly stroked her hand, admiring the blue rose inked on the back. She turned her hand and I linked my fingers with hers, allowing the energy we had to flow freely between us.

Ignoring the last question, I responded, “One night wasn’t enough, Alexandria.” I purred, bringing her hand up to my lips and placing a gentle kiss on the back.

“Is that what this past year’s been about? Fucking me again?” Her eyes turned from lust to sadness in a moment before the anger reappeared and I could see she was battling something deeper than my presence.

I slid around until my body was pressed against hers. Reaching up, I turned her head to me and pressed a chaste kiss on her red pouty lips. Her eyelids fluttered and I could see her breathing increase as I caressed her cheek. She leaned in before clearing her voice and pulling away from me. Her eyes moved back to the curtains and the sound of a demonstration from the stage sounded into our private bubble.

Bringing my mouth to her neck, I kissed her once and whispered, “It’s never been about fucking you and you know it. If you give me a chance, I’ll prove it to you.”

“I don’t know what you want from me.” Her whispered words ringing true in our private booth.

“I don’t want anything, Alex. I just want a chance to get to know you. The real you, not all this.” I remarked and gestured to the club.

“And what do you get out of it? Perception is my life and I’m not willing to give that up for you or anyone else.”

“I didn’t ask you to. Just a chance, Mistress. Take a gamble and see where it lands.” I leaned back, leaving the decision up to her. I wouldn’t give up on her, but I wasn’t the type of man to beg. If she wanted me, she would have to make the move.

Her gaze tracked up to mine and she whispered, “Call me Alex.”

I smiled at her as she moved farther away from me and snapped her fingers. Her front of house manager peeked her head through the curtain a moment later. “Yes, Mistress?”

“I’m leaving you in charge tonight.”

The fair skinned woman glanced at me before she smiled and cast her eyes down to the table briefly. Locking eyes with Alex, she was stronger in appearance. “Thank you, Mistress. I won’t let you down.”

“You never have pet.” She replied and the curtain was opened for us.

I could see looks cast toward the table as I slid out and offered her my hand. She placed her delicate hand into mine and rose from the table, her long legs and curvy figure drawing the attention of everyone in the club. Standing, she released my hand, turned without a word, and started moving through the crowd of people. They parted as she moved, her sinfully curvy body exuding sex with each sway of her hips. I followed, unsure of the protocol, refusing to embarrass or degrade her in her club.

There had to be a reason she met me as Alex and not Mistress Alexandria and I was going to get to the bottom of it. I wanted to put the smile on her face I saw that night we shared, when she opened herself up to me and we experienced the edge of heaven together. I had gone from woman to woman whenever I wanted, to taking myself in hand for the last year. Stepping through a doorway, I recognized we were alone in a dressing room. The mirror reflected her perfection and I couldn’t wait another moment to have her in my arms.

Kicking the door closed, my two large strides ate the space between us. She turned at the loud noise and I picked her up, wrapping her tanned, toned legs around my waist as I pressed her against the nearest wall and slammed my mouth to hers.

Fingers gripped into my back as our kiss quickly grew frantic. I began to move my kisses down her neck, biting and licking away the sting as she moaned and rocked against me. Not wanting the audience our sex would bring, I pulled back, fighting to catch my breath. Her eyes were glazed over with lust and the heat from her core was pressed against my dress pants, teasing my needy cock.

Setting her on unsteady feet, I gripped her shoulders as her hands moved to my chest and her eyes locked with mine. Moving in, I pressed myself harder against her and groaned into her ear.

“Let me take you home so I can worship you the way I’ve been dreaming about. A year is too long to go without experiencing your perfection.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “There’s no way you’ve waited for a year for me. I know you’ve had other women.” Her sad eyes glanced down before locking with mine, hurt shining back at me.

“The last person I was with was you. After tasting your amazing pussy, feeling you squeeze my cock when you came, it was indescribable. Why would I want to fuck someone else when your pussy was made just for me?”

“Yeah, right.” Rolling her eyes, she glanced over my shoulder.

Bringing her gaze back to mine with the stroke of a finger to her chin, I stared her down, making sure she understood. “I’m not the type of man to lie. Why do you think I’ve come here every month for the last year? It’s not for the show, Alex.” Pecking her on the lips, I saw her glistening eyes looking deep into mine. Rubbing my hard cock against her, I groaned when she flexed her pelvis against mine. Nipping her on the neck, I whispered. “Tell me, Mistress Alexandria. Have you let anyone else into my pussy over this last year?”

Licking her lips, she silently shook her head again, her eyes locked with mine in strong defiance. I brought my lips crashing back into hers and forced my tongue into her mouth as I let my hands roam over her full tits. Plucking the taut buds through her thin dress, I felt her shake against me.

Bringing my forehead to hers, I asked, “Can I take you home?”

“Please.” She whispered and I softly kissed her again before linking my fingers with hers and practically dragging her through the rear entrance of Perception. She giggled as the cool desert air hit our skin and it was music to my ears.

The car service I used was waiting in the private lot for guests. She gave them an address and when we were comfortable in the back seat, I raised the partition, isolating us from the driver. Turning, I kissed her with more passion than I had ever felt before. The need to taste her was riding me hard as I pushed her down on the seat and followed her until she was comfortably under me. Where she belonged.

Sliding my hand up between her spread legs, I found her wet pussy waiting for me. Strumming my finger against her clit, she pushed into my hand as she kissed me harder. Working my way down her neck and across her chest, I kneeled on the floor and urged her to sit up, her bare pussy resting near the edge of the seat.

“Tell me what you want, Alex.” My fingers slowly rubbed her clit as I watched her hips begin to rise from the seat.

With a needy voice, she responded. “Make me cum, Gideon.”

With a feral smile on my face, I ran my nose up her leg, inhaling her intoxicating scent before taking a giant lick of her pussy. She tasted as good as I remembered, and I hummed into her as I battered her clit with my tongue. Alex rocked her hips on the seat, her hand woven into my hair as I brought her higher and higher, waiting for her to crash in euphoria.

My eyes tracked up her body, her dress bunched around her waist as I slipped two fingers into her tight channel and pumped into her, dragging my fingertips over her sensitive spot. Her eyes were closed, and her head rested against the seat as she rocked her hips shamelessly, reveling in the pleasure I was giving her.

“Oh, fuck! Don’t stop! Don’t stop!” she moaned, and I doubled my efforts, working her clit in time with my finger fucking until she splintered apart, shouting my name into the car. “Gideon!”

Using the tip of my tongue, I worked her softly, forcing aftershocks from her as she sunk into the seat, her face glowing and her eyes closed in ecstasy. The car slowed, and I leaned in, kissing her and letting her taste her delicious flavor. She grasped my cheeks and moaned as I pushed into her mouth.

A knock on the door had me turning my head as Alex lowered the window and spoke to the guard at the gate. With a tip of his hat, he pressed a button and the gate opened, allowing us entry into the private community. We stopped at the last house in the neighborhood and quickly exited the car. I instructed the driver I’d call when I was ready and followed Alex into her impressive house.

Chapter Three

Alexandria

I was nervous, unlike I had been in years, as Gideon followed me into the house and onto the back patio. I picked up the remote and turned on the fireplace and jacuzzi, allowing the water to steam away in the chilly night air. Turning, I saw Gideon pouring us both a drink from the small bar near the kitchen, making himself comfortable in my home. He strolled across the patio and placed both glasses on the table before pulling my body against his and slamming his mouth to mine.

Licking the seam of my lips, he pushed his tongue into the wet recess, and I groaned at the taste of pussy, my pussy, on his lips. He pulled back and his eyes locked with mine. Tucking a lock of hair behind my ear with a gentle brush of his hands, I felt the need for him grow with each passing moment.

Linking his hand with mine, he tugged me toward the oversized couch near the fireplace. Sitting down, he handed me my drink and took a sip of his, his strong body turned toward mine. I could feel the heat coming from him and my pussy throbbed with need. Blowing out a breath, I sat my drink on the table and stood. Gideon matched me and I placed my hand on his strong chest.

“I’ll be right back.” Leaning in, I kissed him chastely before I entered the door next to the fireplace and entered the secondary bedroom I used to entertain, on the rare occasion I had company.

I needed a minute to process what was happening. A man I barely knew, but who knew me more intimately than anyone ever had, was waiting on the patio, ready to give me the emotional and physical release I desperately needed. I may be a Mistress, but I wasn’t a whore. Not anymore.

Ignoring the voices whispering in my head, I looked around the room. I smiled at the king-sized bed on a raised platform against the side wall. My bedroom was upstairs, the colors light and airy compared to the sexy dungeon feel I had decorated this room to express. The walls were a dark grey and the bed was covered in black satin sheets with a soft grey comforter, red pillows and small art pieces adorning the room. This room was pure Mistress Alexandria. Alex slept upstairs, alone, every day. The last time I used this room was the night my ex-girlfriend, her now husband, and I shared the most intimate moment of my life, up to that point.

Until Gideon.

The night I shared with him changed me more than I was willing to admit, even to myself. Smiling, knowing there was at least one more night of passion between us, I grabbed the small wooden box on the dresser and returned to the patio.

Gideon was leaning back on the couch, his suit jacket laying on the chair next to him. His tie was gone, and the top buttons of his dress shirt were open, allowing his tattoos to show. He had one arm resting on the top of the couch and his leg crossed over his knee. His sexy green eyes ran up and down my body and I felt his caress across the space.

Setting the box down on the table, I ran my hands down my ass, smoothing my dress as I sat down next to him. Fingertips ran along my shoulder and I tilted my head toward the box. Leaning forward, he opened the box and chuckled. Inside was full of rolled joints, my personal strain that I had grown to enjoy. He closed the box and turned to me fully.

“Let’s leave the mind numbing for another night.” He smirked.

Nodding my head, I let the silence overtake us and relaxed in the peace that came along with it. Normally, I hated to let the conversation lull, but with Gideon, it felt right. But there was so much still left unsaid and unasked.

“How long have you lived here?” he asked, his eyes scanning the large backyard and lit pool.

“I bought this house about two years ago. A friend of mine built it but after some personal matters went sideways, they offered to let me take over the mortgage and now it’s mine.” I remarked, taking a sip of the aged whiskey from the tumbler.

Being purposefully vague, not wanting to explain too much, I let the answer linger in the air. No one needed to know how I earned my money when I first arrived in Las Vegas. Not that I had done anything illegal, but some people, my parents specifically, wouldn’t approve. Even though they were both dead, I still felt their anger and condemnation deep in my soul.

Their actions are what put me on the path I walked today and as hard as I tried, I still felt shame. They stripped me of something so beautiful when I was younger and forced me to suffer through their decisions.

Michael . . .

“Where did you go, just now?” Gideon asked, setting his drink on the table and taking my hand into his. I gave him a questioning look and he exhaled. Reaching over, he stroked my cheek and spoke, barely above a whisper. “I see the pain in your eyes.”

I snapped my head at him. The anger for his assumption, even though it was right, made me defensive. Standing, I wrapped my arms around me and stood in front of the fireplace. I closed my eyes and fought the tears that threatened to fall. No one had noticed the fakeness of my smile until him.

Strong arms wrapped around my stomach and he pulled my back to his front. I could feel his growing length pressing against my ass, but he didn’t do anything to push me. He just held me as we stared into the dancing flames, letting the warmth overtake us. Moving the hair off my shoulder, he placed small, soft kisses against my neck, forcing a small moan from my lips.

Whispering against my ear, he husked. “Let me take the pain away, Alex. If only for tonight, let me make everything better.”

I nodded and he spun me in his arms, placing a soft kiss on my eager lips. With a quick movement, he had me in his arms and was walking toward the steaming jacuzzi tub. He set me on my feet and ran his eyes up my body. His fingers toyed with the straps of my dress as he slowly slid them down my arms.

The dress followed, pooling at my feet on the ground. Reaching out, I attempted to unbuckle his belt. He reached down and stopped me. My eyes snapped to his and I watched in rapt attention as this beautiful man lowered himself to his knees in front of me. His head bowed slightly as he pulled me closer to his face. I could hear him inhaling deeply near my needy pussy.

He looked up my naked body and I ran my fingers through his black hair, smiling down at him. Gideon rose from his knees and with soft grips into my hips, he picked me up and sat me on the edge of the tub. The warmth flowed up my back as he stepped between my spread legs, pushing his hard length against my hot flesh.

His hand reached around the back of my neck and he brought his soft lips to mine, spearing his tongue into the hot recesses of my mouth. With every stroke of his tongue, his hands trailed farther and farther up my spread legs. The first contact of his hand to my pussy had me jumping slightly, his soft touch a deep contrast to his urgent kisses. His lips trailed across my jaw and down my neck, his fingers strumming me faster and faster.

I felt my core clench and my channel contract around nothing as the first waves of pleasure radiated out from me. My hands were gripping onto his shoulders as I exploded on his fingers. This was the second orgasm he had given me, and I needed more. With each touch from his skilled hands, he pushed Alexandria further back, allowing Alex to experience the affection she craved.

“Gideon.” I moaned and I felt him smile against my neck.

He removed my shoes and gently set me in the warm water, letting the last of my orgasm tingle through my body as the jets massaged my muscles. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched as he unbuttoned his shirt, tossing it to the table. His pants and boxer briefs quickly followed, allowing his hard cock to bob against his stomach.

He was long, thick, straight, and knew how to use his . . . talents. I knew virtually nothing about him besides he was the owner of the most anticipated casino opening this year, yet, I felt safer with him than I had with any person I had ever known.

Gideon sat on the edge of the tub and slipped beneath the warm water; his strong tattooed arms stretched out wide. My wet hair swirled around my naked tits and I saw him lick his lips before he winked at me. I smiled and bit my lip before moving across the tub and straddling his lap.

His thick length was pressed against my folds and I slowly rocked up and down, rubbing my clit against him as I passionately kissed him. He wrapped one arm around me and rocked his hips in time with mine. Bringing his other hand up, he grasped my wet hair and arched my neck back, giving him access to my neck and tits.

He licked and slurped my hard nipples while he continued to rub himself against me. The tingles grew deep in my stomach, and he moved faster, nipping at my huge breasts. Just as I was about to come, he stood from the tub and slipped his cock into me, pulling me down on his full length, splitting me in two.

The orgasm was quick and hard, and I moaned my release into the air as he thrust faster into my eager pussy. With each slap of his skin to mine, my orgasm grew stronger and stronger. Gideon had a hand under each ass cheek as he spun me to the edge of the tub and power fucked me. My head slammed against the back wall of the enclosure as my fingers dug into his shoulders.

“Fuck, Alex. You feel so good, baby. Better than I remembered.” He panted the words out between our frantic thrusts and sensual moans.

The water was sloshing against us as we lost ourselves in explosive passion. He placed his forehead against mine and we stared into each other’s eyes as we raced faster and faster toward euphoria. My pussy constricted around his thick cock and he groaned.

“Gideon, fuck!”

“Alex, baby, I can’t . . . I can’t hold off much longer.”

I reached a hand between us and stroked my engorged clit as he slammed harder and harder into me. His movements faltered as I felt him growing thicker inside of me. I shouldn’t want him to cum in me, but every part of my brain was screaming for it to happen. It was reckless and dangerous, but I wanted it, none the less.

“Cum in me.” I moaned.

The feral look in his eyes scared me briefly before his thrusts faltered and he sunk balls deep, filling my pussy with his seed. I was on the birth control shot and hoped he had been honest earlier when he said there had been no one else.

His lips descended to mine and with a push of his tongue, we were connected, mind, body, soul. Sighing deeply, Gideon sunk us back into the jacuzzi, slipped his still hard cock from me and placed my back to his front as he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my temple.

I rested my head against his shoulder, looking up at the stars shining brightly in the dark sky. He ran his fingertips along my wet skin and hummed a tune into my ear as I sunk against him. For a moment, I could see us years from now, embracing and loving each other as the world floated by us.

Silently laughing off the crazy idea, I turned in his arms and placed a gentle kiss against his soft lips. He smirked at me and I winked back, enjoying the free feeling floating through my soul. Leaning against the other side of the tub, I watched as he ran his wet hands through his black hair, slicking it away from his face. Green eyes twinkled in the flickering fireplace lights as I climbed out of the jacuzzi, allowing the cold air to chill my skin.

Glancing over my shoulder as I walked toward the bedroom, I saw him standing fully naked on my patio, water droplets falling down his toned, inked chest. Giving him a sultry smile, I swayed my hips as I walked into the house, waiting for him to follow.

Fast steps sounded behind me before he scooped me into his arms and carried me to the shower. We spent hours exploring each other, touching, kissing, and caressing every inch of skin. When we fell asleep, I felt secure in his strong arms as I let the dreams wash over me.

Chapter Four

Gideon

After three weeks, Alex and I had settled into a comfortable routine. We met for lunch twice a week, usually ending with us back at her house fucking until we were exhausted. I took her on a real date once a week and she insisted we eat locally, avoiding the tourist areas and casinos. She worked four nights a week at Perception and as much as it killed me; I stayed away while she was working. It was too hard for me not to push her up against a wall and have my way with her.

We had yet to have the serious conversation about why she lived two very separate and different lives, and I hadn’t told her the truth about how I ended up in Las Vegas. I was unsure how she would take learning who my father was, and I really didn’t want to explain how I got my money. Something about her and how hard she worked for what she had told me she might not appreciate the thin line of legality the money carried.

Double Down was scheduled to open for the grand opening this week, and I was in final preparations for the party. We had already soft launch to huge fanfare, every room booked solid for a month and plenty of players spending their money trying to make their fortune. The grand opening was on the same night Alex had a scheduled guest performer at Perception and she promised she would join the party as soon as she could get away. Kissing her breathless, I reminded her how eager I was to show her off to the world. Her small smile hid answers to unasked questions and once again, we ignored them.

I wanted pictures of us together, letting everyone know that I belonged to her and she belonged to me. Alex was a stunning woman that people, men and women, couldn’t keep their eyes off of. Standing just over five foot seven with a full round ass and natural tits that women paid good money for, she was a walking wet dream.

Tattoos adorned over half her body, and her caramel, sun-kissed skin contrasted perfectly with her jet-black hair and soft brown eyes. We had been having a late afternoon swim when she mentioned her ex-girlfriend and her husband in passing. When she told me about her bi-sexuality, I nearly came on the spot. I wasn’t surprised, just highly aroused. The thought of her fucking another woman had my cock diamond hard.

Alex was lying on a float, her long black hair twisted into a complicated knot on her head, an oversized pair of sunglasses on and nothing else but her tattoos as she soaked up the sun. After some pushing, okay begging from me, she told me about their evening of fun last year. I pulled her off the float and set her on the edge of the pool before I shoved my cock into her, fucking her until she came twice.

She left me floating in the water as she walked into the house to get ready for work, a sensual sway in her full hips. A part of me hated that she worked so hard at Perception, but I had been putting in just as many hours with Double Down, so I had no room to complain. Another part of me hated that she gave them a piece of her I had yet to understand.

One’s a casino. One’s a sex club.

I had no room to judge what she did for a living, but a small part of me did.

She said she didn’t play at the club, but had she ever? What changed? I knew she wasn’t a saint and I certainly wasn’t an angel, but how many men had she taken to bed? I had fucked my way through countless women, but how many men and women had she allowed to touch her?

I knew it was a double standard, but the caveman deep inside wanted to be the only one. She had finally let me into her real bedroom upstairs after the first week and I had to remind myself she was showing me the real part of her that no one else got to experience.

Alex Nicole Rancer, Not Mistress Alexandria.

Leaving the pool, I slipped into the shower while I heard the hair dryer going in the other room. Dressing quickly, I knocked on the door. She turned, her whole face smiling as she let her eyes roam up and down my body. I was wearing one of my newest custom fit suits, complements of my cousin.

Dress for the part you want, and the rest will come to you.

She walked to me and ran her hands up my chest, straightening my tie and brushing against my shoulders. I gripped her hips and pulled her into me, the thin silk robe she was wearing barely covering her amazing body. She smelled like roses and I groaned before leaning in and kissing her softly. One small hand ran up my neck and she stroked my cheek as she pulled away from me slowly.

“Are you coming by after you finish up tonight?” she asked, turning and sitting at the chair in front of the large lit mirror.

Shaking my head, I moved behind her and locked eyes with her through the mirror. “I’ve got to meet with the gaming board in the morning to run the final tests on the machines then the liquor commission has to come crawl through my ass after lunch. I’m going to crash in my penthouse tonight. You’re welcome to join me.”

She smiled sadly, “I’ve got to close tonight with Maggie sick, and I’ve got the guy coming in the morning to check the electrical issue I’m having with the second story. I really need to get it fixed so I can get the contractors in by next month.”

I didn’t realize it until a few days prior, but Alex owned all three stories of the building Perception was in, and she had been saving for a year to expand her endeavors. I worried she would work herself into the ground and I’d see even less of her, but I kept my opinions about her club to myself.

Kissing her on the top of her head, I smiled. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll come by and see you before you open tomorrow. I should be done by five.”

Turning, she hugged my midsection from her seated position and I gently stroked her hair. I loved when she was vulnerable like this, leaning on me for comfort and support. With her eyes closed, she appeared to need the reassurance I was still here.

I knelt so I was eye to eye with her and brought my hands to her face, tilting her head and angling my mouth to gently brush against her pouty lips. Placing my forehead against hers, I whispered. “Have fun tonight.”

“You too.” She returned and I left her alone to finish getting ready. I couldn’t watch her turn into Mistress Alexandria. I had to go be the hot-shot casino owner that I had portrayed myself to be but was unsure if I still wanted that kind of fame.

I smiled to myself as I drove to the Double Down, inching my way through the shitty traffic near the Strip. Something was shifting in me and for once, I was ready to jump feet first without looking. Pulling into valet, they took my car and I walked in, loving the sounds of people winning and losing on my machines. The smell of cigarettes hung heavy in the air as the alcohol flowed.

We were in the first weeks of opening with the official party in a matter of days. Rooms were booked, food and drinks were being enjoyed, and my waitresses were turning heads throughout the building. Skimpy shorts, tight tops with no bras, high heels, and sexy makeup were required attire for all my waitresses. I wanted people to think and feel sex when they walked in, hoping to win their fortunes.

I nodded my head at the general manager and started my walk toward him, smiling as I maneuvered my way through the flashing machines. Just as I was about to leave the slot area and enter the blackjack tables, a waitress bumped into me and spilled her whole tray of drinks down the front of my suit. The cold liquid quickly soaked through and I jumped back, trying to brush it off. She dropped to her knees and dabbed napkins on my crotch.

“Oh, Mr. Mathews. I’m so sorry. Let me help you.” She rambled quickly as she patted my semi-hard cock through my pants.

Her eyes cut up to mine and she smirked slightly before she rose from her feet and collected the glasses that had fallen.

“It’s okay . . . Misty.” I responded, glancing at her name tag as I pull my crotch from her touch. I was still hard from being with Alex and the sultry smile on Misty’s face made me believe she thought she was the cause.

“Please, let me make it up to you.” She purred, pushing her fake tits up and licking her lips.

“It’s all right. Just try to be more careful.” I walked around her as her smile faltered and motioned for Wallace to follow me.

My general manager walked to a discreet corner as I attempted to dry my wet pants and he chuckled at my expense. “She’s been making eyes at you throughout her training and the first time you see her is when she drops a tray of drinks on you.”

“What are you talking about?”

He sighed and shook his head. “You earned a reputation for fucking everything with two legs and a pair of tits, yet somehow, you’re a monk now. What the hell gives Gideon?”

Smiling, I leaned in, wanting to tell someone my secret. I had met Wallace the week I moved here, and he got his gaming license so he could come to work for me. He was one of the few people I considered to be a friend and he wasn’t a gossiping hen like some people I had met here. He was also a lifelong resident of Las Vegas and knew everything about everybody that mattered.

“I’ve got a girlfriend.” I smirked and discretely showed him a picture of Alex and I last week at lunch. She was fresh faced and had a carefree smile as we posed with our heads together.

Wallace let out a low whistle and I slid my phone back into my suit pocket. “Holy shit, man. She’s hot as fuck. Why hasn’t she been around?”

“She owns her own business and works as much as I do. She’ll be here for the grand opening party, but it will be later in the evening.” I purposely left out what kind of business she was in. I wasn’t embarrassed, but it was still hard to wrap my head around the sweet woman I spent time with compared to the walking orgasm that was Mistress Alexandria.

“Hmm.” He replied and his forehead drew in as if he was thinking hard about something. Shaking his head, he picked up his tablet and we went over the schedule for the next day.

After discussing a few other matters, I slipped into my private elevator and went to my penthouse to change suits. I returned to the floor and it took me a few hours to go through all the departments, checking for kinks in the system or problems that needed to be addressed.

Grabbing a drink from the bar, I wandered through the casino floor, shaking hands with some of the players and posing for pictures when requested. A few women slid their numbers into my pocket, but I didn’t think twice about refusing their offer. Having Alex in my life made all the other women fade into the static of the city.

Why would I want an average woman for one night when I could have an extraordinary woman forever?

Smiling to myself as the night grew later, I sent Alex a good night text, knowing she was home by now and curling into her king-sized bed to enjoy the book she had been trying to read over the last few days.

As I fell asleep in my lonely bed, I chuckled, knowing Alex had changed me forever. Long gone was the playboy, and I was still unsure who was left in his place. All I knew was I couldn’t wait to find out.

Chapter Five

Alexandria

The contractor took longer than expected and I was exhausted from the last few days. Maggie was feeling better and was covering the club tonight so I could get some rest. After signing the contract for him to rewire the top two floors of the building, one for the expansion and one for an apartment I designed on the top level with roof access, I met with the staff about some planned changes.

Dragging my tired ass to my dressing room, I sank into the chair in front of the large mirror and leaned back. Closing my eyes, I promised myself it would only be for a minute. I was startled awake by the knock on the door. Clearing my throat, I sat up and wiped the drool from my cheek.

“Come in.” I remarked, opening a bottle of water from the mini fridge, and drinking quickly.

“Gideon’s here, Alex.” Maggie said, a happy lilt in her voice. I wasn’t the Mistress of the house yet, and Maggie had learned to navigate between the two, aware of the distinct differences.

I considered Maggie a friend and she was one of the few people who knew about my past. She was encouraging when I told her about Gideon, but she reminded me there were truths I would have to tell him in order to have a real relationship.

I just wasn’t sure how to explain everything and still have him look at me the way he does.

“Show him back, Maggie.”

She glanced at me and quickly stepped into the room, closing the door softly behind her. I looked up at her with raised eyebrows, waiting for her to explain the sudden secrecy. She stepped closer to me and spoke low, her eyes remaining locked with mine.

“You need to tell him, Alex. For your own sake. I can see how stressed you are and don’t tell me it’s the expansion. You’re the happiest I’ve ever seen you and you’re still so sad inside. If he cares about you like I can see that he does, it won’t change anything. Not really. Unburden yourself from the guilt you carry that you don’t deserve. Life is so much happier when you let it go.”

I stood and looked at her, her soft skin and bright blue eyes shining back at me. I knew she wanted nothing but the best for me, but it was still hard to admit what had happened and how I handled the years following. Shame wasn’t a strong enough word for what I carried around.

A hand snapped in front of my face, breaking me from the cycle I always sunk into when I thought about my family, my past, and the future I wanted more than anything. I looked up to find Maggie shaking her head and sadness pouring from her.

“Please, Alex.” She whispered as she turned and silently left the room.

Sinking back into the chair, I stared at the door, waiting for Gideon to enter. If he cared about me as much as he professed, I needed to tell him the whole truth and let him decide if he wanted to stick around or if he wanted to bail. I wouldn’t blame him. My ex-girlfriend did, but not for the reasons I feared he would. She left to give me a chance that wouldn’t happen if my parents were still alive. She left to give me a future. I feared Gideon would leave after seeing me the way I saw myself.

Dirty. Worthless. Whore.

A quick knock sounded into the room and I plastered my fake smile on as Gideon poked his head around the opening door with a huge smile on his face. His steps faltered slightly as he entered the room and closed the door, leaving us in privacy from the early starts to Perception. The dungeon masters, bartenders, waitstaff, and bouncers were arriving, and the noise was growing.

Gideon walked to me and grasped my hands, pulling me from my chair into his strong arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on my tiptoes, kissing him with a deep need. Every second with him was electric and if he changed his mind after I told him my secrets, I needed every moment to count.

He forced his tongue into my mouth and his hands slid down my back and gripped my ass, pulling me flush against his growing cock. I moaned, my pussy throbbing with desire. He pulled back and I panted, trying to catch my breath from the intense embrace.

“Fuck, I’ve missed you.” He groaned, nipping against my neck as I leisurely ran my fingers through the back of his soft hair.

“I’ve missed you.” I admitted and he pulled back, a huge smile on his face.

“You ready to head home?”

“Hell, yes. It’s been a long damn day.” I remarked as he let me go and followed me into my office.

He linked his hand with mine and we walked to the parking lot as I got small acknowledgements from the staff, all with smiles on their faces. I expected him to kiss me goodbye, but he opened the passenger’s side door to a black sport utility vehicle with darkened windows. I turned with a quizzical look and he winked before picking me up and setting me inside.

He jogged around the front and climbed in, starting the truck with the push of a button. Turning the radio down that started blasting loud rock music, he chuckled and turned to me. “Do you like it?”

The leather seats were buttery soft and there were more gadgets than I could understand. It was a total guy's truck and nothing like I thought Gideon would buy. I expected another flashy sports car, but this truck looked like it could go for a good mud ride and be just fine.

“I love it.” Running my hand across the leather dash, “When did you buy it?”

“I ordered it a few months ago and they delivered it today to the casino. I thought I could drive you home and maybe cook dinner.”

As he pulled onto the highway, I looked at him and brushed my hand down his cheek. His skin was soft, and he smiled as he reached up and linked his fingers with mine, bringing the back of my hand to his lips and placing a lingering kiss.

“I thought you had to work tonight.” I reasoned as he got off the exit that took him to my gated community.

“My general manager is handling everything. I wanted us to have a quiet night, just the two of us, before our lives get crazy for the next few months. With the grand opening the day after tomorrow and your construction set to start soon, I thought we deserved some alone time.”

“I’d like that very much.”

I decided that tonight was the night I told him about what brought me to Las Vegas. I would start with the small secret and if things went well, I would tell him the shameful truth about Mistress Alexandria. He stopped at the gate and I signed the form to allow his vehicle to enter without stopping and they issued him a gate pass.

I enjoyed knowing he was the first and only person I gave unfettered access to me. He helped me from the tall vehicle and followed me into the house. I slid my shoes off and rubbed my sore feet against the soft carpet. My shoes were tighter than usual, but I chalked it up to nearing my period and the bloat that always came with it.

Happy that I was off my feet for the night, I ran upstairs and changed into a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top. He loved when I didn’t wear a bra, remarking that my natural breasts bounced and swayed with each step, making me more beautiful. I disagreed and explained that my nipples poking through the material made them sensitive. He would fall to his knees and kiss them better, always delivering a toe-curling orgasm while he worshipped my tits.

Walking into the kitchen, I saw him looking into the refrigerator, his jacket and tie gone, and his sleeves rolled up, revealing strong, tattooed forearms. He closed the door as I sat down at the island and he leaned against the counter, his arms crossed over his muscular chest. I had scrubbed my makeup off, needing to be myself tonight when I finally got the nerve to tell him the truth, no matter how painful it was.

He smiled and with large strides, cut the distance between us and had me in his arms. Soft lips descended to mine and as he pushed his tongue against my lips, I opened, enjoying the gentleness of his embrace. Too often, we would get caught up in the passion of each other and it turned to frantic fucking. I was glad he was keeping his actions gentle and careful, almost like he knew I needed tender handling.

Pulling back, he tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear and I leaned into his caress. Smiling, he stepped back and took the seat next to me.

“You need to place a grocery order.” With a smile he continued, “Let me order some takeout and we can settle into a movie or would you rather spend some time in the jacuzzi?”

He knew how stressed I was, even if he didn’t fully understand all the worries I carried around and was generous with my time in the hot tub. I smiled at him, knowing a glass of wine, the bubbling hot water, and maybe a joint would relax me enough to talk.

“That sounds perfect.”

He pecked me on the lips and pulled the takeout folder from the drawer, thumbing through until he found the menu for my favorite pizza place. It was just down the road and they were always quick with the fresh-made pies. He called them and they gave us a thirty-minute window for delivery as I walked into my playroom and grabbed the small wooden box from my dresser.

Stepping out into the still blazing afternoon sun, I grabbed a bottle of water from the mini fridge and sat down at the table with the large red umbrella. The temperature was still stifling hot but being out of the sun made it bearable. A few minutes later, Gideon exited the back of the house wearing a loose pair of cotton shorts and nothing else.

His upper chest and arms were covered with intricate black tribal tattoos that led down washboard abs to those indentions in his hips that made my mouth water. I could see his cock brushing against his shorts as he grabbed a water and joined me at the table.

With a wink, he leaned back and took the joint from my hands before lighting it and taking a deep draw. His eyes cut to mine as he passed it to me, and I couldn’t help but laugh. A friend of mine created this strain for me and it was smoother than anything you could buy at the premium shops in town.

Drawing the sweet smoke deep into my lungs, I allowed the buzz to roll through my body as I exhaled into the sky. There was no cough associated with my strain, only a full body high that lasted for hours, all with a sweet fruity flavor. We took turns passing the joint until it was burned down to nothing.

Gideon leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, a silly smile on his handsome face. This was the first time he had smoked with me and it was funny to see him so . . . relaxed. My phone chimed with an alert from the front gate and I stood to meet the driver. Gideon went to stand, and I placed my hand on his shoulder and kissed the top of his head, showing I would go. Sinking back into the chair, he propped his feet up and crossed his hands over his abs.

Returning, we devoured the large pizza and sodas he had ordered. I placed the cheesecake in the fridge for us to enjoy later and returned to the back porch, just as the last rays of sun fell behind the horizon and the darkness of the desert crept into the edges. I moved to the couch and he lit the fireplace before he joined me, placing his strong arm around me and pulling me into his side.

I rested my head on his shoulder and knew this was the time to talk. Staring into the grey sky, I let the words drift from me.

“When I was sixteen, I got pregnant.”

He stiffened next to me and I pulled away from him. Wrapping my arms around my stomach, I kept speaking, not wanting to see the disappointment in his eyes.

“My parents were uber-conservative and couldn’t stand that their daughter would make them look bad in the eyes of their community or their church.” I scoffed and shook my head, the memories coming hard and fast. “They decided that I didn’t deserve to go to school and to be a bad influence on my classmates, so they made me miss a full year until I gave birth. They even refused to pay for homeschooling, and I had to close all my social media accounts.”

His hand came up and he began to slowly rub my back. It was then I realized I was shaking as I spoke, and tears were falling fast and hot as I thought of every hateful word and painful fist I endured all those years.

“My dad had a horrible temper and used his fists to get his way. My mom was subservient and took whatever he dealt out with sick pleasure. I swear she felt like the more she took, the more he loved her. She didn’t stand up for me when I told them about the baby and when I woke up the next morning, they had decided what would happen. I had no say in my own life or the life of my baby.”

Placing both hands over my face, I bent at the waist and let the shaking sobs break free as I felt Gideon pull me into him.

“Shh. It’s okay.” He whispered as I cried, placing gentle strokes of his hand against my hair.

After a few minutes, I sat up and walked to the fireplace, a sudden chill running through me. Gideon walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around me and placing his warm chest against my back as I let the fire soothe me.

“When Michael was born, my parents forced me to sign all my parental rights to my older sister and her husband. They forced me to watch as my sister raised my son, never giving me the chance to form any kind of bond beyond an aunt. I finished high school and enrolled in college, hoping to be the kind of daughter they insisted I become. That’s where I met Annalise, my ex. We were inseparable and it was with her, I embraced my bi-sexuality and my love for taking care of people.”

“Why did you two break up? You speak so fondly of her.”

“Her parents had died in a wreck that severely injured her brother a few years prior. Her grandparents who died right after she finished high school raised her. She inherited their house and offered me a place to live.” I sighed contently, remembering the way we took care of each other during those difficult times. “My parents said they wanted to see where we would live and found two women sharing a bed. It was awful. They yelled and screamed about how dirty and disgusting I was. They reminded me that a gay whore wouldn’t be allowed to see my nephew. Only he was my son and they dangled that piece of him over my head.”

“Fucking assholes.” He muttered and I nodded my head, wiping the tears that flowed down my cheeks.

“She let me go, hoping my parents would change. After a year, it only got worse, so I sold everything I owned but a single suitcase of clothes and hopped on the bus. Four long days later, I stepped into the Las Vegas sun and I’ve never looked back.”

Smiling sadly, I felt him turn me in his arms. He used his finger to lift my head and I saw understanding shining down at me. He kissed me softly, no rush, no urgency, and I felt the weight begin to lift from my shoulders. He wasn’t running and maybe, with time, I can tell him the rest. For tonight, I had filleted myself open enough.

Chapter Six

Gideon

After listening to Alex tell me how horrible her life had been back in Nashville, the pieces of the puzzle started to fit into place. I still didn’t fully understand her transformation to Mistress Alexandria, but I refused to question her tonight after she had bared her soul to me. The rest could come later. She had fallen asleep tucked under my arm, a soft blanket across her legs. I absently stroked her long black hair as she slept contently.

Seeing her so vulnerable, so broken from the pain made me want to wrap my arms around her and protect her from the world. Realizing that at least a part of her Mistress side was where she found her strength, I vowed to give Alex all the love she could ever want. She stirred in my lap just as a cool breeze cut through the patio.

With delicate movements, I stood from the couch and lifted her into my arms, trying not to wake her. She looked like a beautiful angel in my arms and she had never allowed herself to be this exposed with me. Carrying her up the staircase, we entered her bedroom and I gently laid her on the bed. The soft pinks and light grey a stark contrast to the ‘sex room’ she had downstairs.

Sitting down on the edge, she stirred and blinked her soft brown eyes up at me as I gently stroked her cheek. Leaning in, I placed a gentle kiss on her pouty lips. She slowly reached her hand behind my neck and ran her hands through the back of my hair. With slow movements, I kissed across her jaw and down her neck.

I settled between her spread legs and she sat up, removing her shirt and allowing her heavy breasts to be free. Taking one in both hands, I lavished her taut nipple with stinging nips and soft licks. Working between the two, I had her squirming against my thick length as she sought more from me.

My tongue traced the intricate tattoo on her chest and my eyes caught her glistening gaze as I placed a gentle kiss over the wounded heart. Her wounded heart. She smiled at me and I pushed her tiny shorts down her legs and positioned myself between her knees, using my shoulders to expose her fully to me.

“Gideon.” Her soft voice whispered into the room and I felt like a king.

My name on her lips was pure heaven as I placed kisses on her inner thighs and slick lips. Moaning at her flavor, I licked up her center with a flat tongue, curling it against her swollen clit. Battering it gently, I leisurely worked her up. I didn’t want to rush tonight. I wanted to show her how I felt about her, even if I couldn’t say the words . . . yet.

“You taste so good.” I growled into her pussy and pressed two fingers into her clenching channel.

Alex arched back on the bed and clamped her legs around my head as I kissed her pussy, slurping, licking and sucking her wet center, needing her to cum. Running my eyes up her prone, naked body, I watched as she pinched her nipples and tossed her head back and forth. I pulled her clit into my mouth, pumping my fingers into her. With a gentle bite on her engorged button, she sat up, screaming her release into the room as her hand gripped the back of my head, forcing me to continue my ministrations.

An army of men couldn’t pull me away from her perfect pussy.

She fell back onto the bed, her breathing fast, making her tits shake and sway as she let the waves of pleasure flow from her. I slid my shorts down and kicked them to the floor before I settled between her legs. Grasping my hard cock, I ran it up her wet center before I pushed into her.

“Oh!” She panted at the same time I moaned my pleasure into the air.

Soft, wet heat surrounded me as I pulsed my hips, working deeper and deeper into her. Locking eyes with her, I leisurely pumped my hips, meeting her soft thrusts. Her legs were locked around my waist and I linked my hands with hers, pulling her arms over her head as I made slow love to her.

The tingles built in the base of my spine, and I needed her to cum with me. Licking my thumb, I brought it down and rubbed her clit in time with my thrusts. Sharp fingernails dug into my hand and she pushed her heavy tits against my chest as she squeezed the life out of my cock, her orgasm flowing from her and pulling me along.

I filled her to overflowing with my seed, kissing her breathless as small aftershocks rocked both of us. I stayed in her arms, rolling onto my back and positioning her on top of me. Her head rested over my heart and I held her in my arms. Feeling tears on my chest, I encouraged her to sit up, my hard length still nestled inside her warmth. Reaching up, I stroked her cheek, holding her jaw as I smiled up at her.

“Thank you for trusting me with your secret.” I said, needing her to understand how much it meant that she trusted me enough to tell me about her son.

“Thank you for not running away.” She returned, her eyes cutting to the side table, not looking at anything.

With a nudge, I regained her gaze and sat up. Wrapping an arm around her, pulling her closer to me, I kissed her, placing my forehead against hers. Pulling back, I stared deeply into her eyes as I explained. “There is nothing you can tell me that would make me run from you. All I’ve wanted to do since the moment I saw you sitting across the bar was to run to you.”

She placed her small hands on both sides of my face and kissed me, her salty tears mixing with the embrace. We took a shower, taking turns washing each other, unable to stop touching. I carried her into bed and pulled her into my arms, her head on my chest and her arm wrapped around my waist.

I slept with Alex tucked against me all night.

I wasn’t sure if she loved me, but after hearing what her parents put her through, how much pain she survived, I knew that I was head over heels in love with her. I wanted to ask more about her son, but she had told me enough for the picture to grow more complete.

I remembered she told me her parents died a few years ago in a household accident. Carbon monoxide was too good for them. She had told me her sister got divorced and was raising her son, Alex’s son, Michael, alone. I wondered if they would ever move here and what kind of relationship they had now. My estimation was Michael was almost ten years old and she had already missed so much.

I hated to leave her alone in bed asleep, but I had to meet with Wallace to discuss the final touches for tomorrow’s grand opening. I wanted everything to be perfect and I couldn’t wait to get Alex into my bed. She hadn’t seen Double Down or been in my penthouse yet. All our time together was spent at her house, but I wanted her to be comfortable in mine, even if it was on top of a casino.

I knew she had a full night at Perception, and I was needed at the Double Down early for the ribbon cutting ceremony, so this was the last time I would see her before tomorrow night. I lingered in the doorway, watching her sleep, her full breasts rising and falling against the thin sheet had my dick waking up.

She was so beautiful and after last night, she was all mine. I was the lucky bastard who was claimed by Mistress Alexandria and, I think, loved by Alex. I kissed her head and she settled deeper into the covers. Locking her inside her house, I made my way into morning traffic.

Leaving my SUV with the valet, I went directly to my apartment and took a quick shower. I looked good in the custom suit and I hardly recognized myself. Long gone was the thug who bed every woman he could, and in his place was a lovesick casino owner who wanted nothing more than to spend every waking minute showing Alex how much she meant to me. Together, we could rule Las Vegas.

Deciding tomorrow night would be the perfect time to show her, to explain how much she meant to me, I jotted down a few notes for the concierge to handle. Taking the elevator to my office level, I exited to a flurry of activity. It was Friday but Las Vegas never slept, so my staff worked seven days a week to keep everything flowing smoothly.

“Good morning.” I said to the receptionist as I made my way into my office. A cup of coffee quickly appeared, and I placed an order for some simple breakfasts to be delivered for my meeting.

Wallace came in and we started going over the notes from last night. After half an hour, he followed me to the boardroom where all the department heads were waiting. Every detail of the grand opening was covered, and they informed me the local news wanted to do a feature story on me. The publicity would be good for the Double Down and would give us an edge until we cemented our reputation.

Three hours later, the meeting broke and I went to walk the casino floor with Wallace. Misty had a drink in my hand a few minutes after I hit the floor and was always somehow in the same area as I was. Wallace chuckled next to me as we went into the kitchen and verified the menu for tomorrow. As we reentered the casino, Misty was waiting, her smokey eyes hooded with unfulfilled need. I smirked at her and sat my empty glass on her tray as I walked by.

“She wants to ride you like a bucking bull.” Wallace retorted as I entered the pit and I laughed loudly, drawing attention from the pit boss to my left.

A year ago, I would have fucked her against a wall and made her scream my name just for fun. Now, the thought of any woman but Alex anywhere near my dick was unimaginable. What a difference one night, one person, could make in your life.

I chuckled, “Don’t they all?”

“What time should I expect your girlfriend to arrive tomorrow?”

“Her best guess is eleven. And her name is Alex.” I smiled at him and he shook his head with mock disappointment, but I could see the laughter in his eyes.

“I’ll greet her and bring her straight to you.” He looked at his watch and nodded before leaving me alone.

Leaving the gaming floor, I went to my penthouse to make sure the first items had arrived for my evening tomorrow with Alex. Placing an order for dinner, I looked at the clock and realized I had missed my window to talk to her before she left for Perception. I quickly ate and freshened up before going back downstairs. The next hours were gone in a blur, lights and music playing, people cheering for their wins, and the alcohol flowing freely.

I had a few too many and stumbled to my penthouse, falling face first into my lonely bed, wishing I had her curvy body tucked against mine. The next morning, I woke up with the start of a hangover and quickly made myself a cup of espresso, needing the caffeine to get through the day. At twenty-eight, I was having a harder time rebounding from my party nights. Smiling, I knew with Alex, the need to drink myself stupid every night would be a distant memory.

The ribbon was cut, and photos were taken as the heat from the day grew. I met and glad-handed high rollers who wanted to check out the new gaming floor in town and smiled when a few friends patted me on the back, happy that my dream had come true. I sent a quick text to Alex, letting her know I had a delivery coming for her at Perception and how excited I was for her to be a part of the party tonight.

I lost track of how many people came up to congratulate me and by the early evening, my pockets were full of business cards, phone numbers offering a good time, and potential business opportunities. Making my way up to my office, I quickly sorted the papers into usable piles and threw the women’s numbers away.

A small envelope caught my eye and I turned it over, finding nothing but my name scrawled on the front. Opening it, I pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded the yellowing document. The bile rose quickly in my throat as I looked down, finding a newspaper clipping of Alex, a much younger Alex, trying to hide behind a pair of sunglasses, her hand held out toward the camera defensively. There were a few other women with her, but she was the one they singled out in the picture. She wasn’t named, but I knew it was her, minus all her signature tattoos. I scanned the article and wanted to throw up. The women were busted during a prostitution sting, resulting in the fall of a United States senator and an up and coming presidential candidate.

The article described how they had set the men up on camera, hoping to blackmail them with the videos, but an anonymous tip resulted in the bust before they could execute their plan. Speculation was they had been doing it for years, but there was no proof. Is that what she planned to do with me? Set me up to fall, taking everything I had worked to build, just for her own selfish greed? The feelings of betrayal were quick, and I let the anger build, fueling the disgust I was experiencing.

She could have told me that she was a whore. At least then, I knew what to expect. I could have left some money on the dresser and my heart would have never gotten involved. Thinking of the plans I had put in place for us tonight, wanting to share my feelings with her, made my vision grow red. How could she use me like that? What else was she hiding from me?

Going to the bar, I ordered a double whiskey and threw the shot back, allowing the liquid fire to roll down my throat, driving the animosity that kept building. The article was burning a hole in my pocket and I looked down, realizing she would be here within the hour. Raising my hand, I ordered another drink, needing to numb myself before I did something stupid, like tell her I love her.

Chapter Seven

Alexandria

I watched the demonstration happening on stage, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I felt such immense relief after I told Gideon about Michael that I was thinking I could tell him the rest. The scandal that nearly derailed me. It happened over five years ago and every day, I worry someone would find out. I had done nothing wrong, but I was connected with those who did and guilt by association stings, none the less.

Shaking off the memories, knowing they compensated me for their mistake, allowing me to buy Perception, I smiled, realizing sometimes you had to go through hell to come out reborn. I took the bullshit and turned it into gold. Looking around at how much my club had grown, I was proud of how far I had come.

The voices from my parents were finally growing muted and their words held less sting than before. Knowing the change was Gideon, I felt my heart soar. Excited to get to his grand opening, I contemplated leaving early, but that would be rude to my guest, my friend, that was gracious enough to give a demonstration tonight.

He finished up and joined me for a drink in my booth. I had spent quite a bit of time with Maximus before I opened Perception, learning different aspects of his lifestyle, hoping to find myself. He helped me realize the inner caretaker, The Mistress, that was a deep-rooted part of me. His advice had helped guide me into making Perception what it was today and I’m forever grateful.

“You seem happy, Alexandria.” He remarked, taking a sip of his whiskey.

Max was scary handsome in a Viking kind of way. Standing just over six foot six with broad shoulders, a full beard, and muscles on top of muscles, he intimidated most people who met him. Yet, he was one of the most revered and respected Doms on the West Coast. Hypnotic blue eyes, sandy brown hair that brushed his shoulders and a disarming smile that made you feel loved.

“I am Max. For the first time in I can’t tell you how long, I’m actually happy.” I smiled, tucking a fallen lock of hair behind my ear.

“You look fucking amazing.” He purred, knowing I wouldn’t fuck him, no matter the circumstances. Max was my friend and my confidant and would never be anything more. He had never tried to be more, and for that, I always felt safe with him.

Licking my lips, I took a sip of wine and raised my eyebrows with a smirk on my face. I was wearing the present Gideon had sent me and I never felt sexier. My breasts were pushed up in the purple dress, giving me more cleavage than ever before. The straps held the tight dress to me, feeling like a second skin as it hugged every curve with perfection. It fell a few inches from my bare pussy, allowing most of my tattoos to be on display, and I paired it with a pair of four-inch heels that strapped up my calves to my knees. My hair was falling down my back and I had two braids on the top, allowing for a few soft curls to frame my face.

“It was a gift.”

“Lucky bastard, whoever he is.”

“I’m the lucky one.” My eyes fell to the table and I felt Max slide closer to me.

He waited, his eyes boring a hole in the side of my head until I turned to look at him. He smiled sadly at me and brushed my hair back. His touch was comforting, and I sighed heavily. He knew the whole truth of my past and he was never one to push or to judge.

“His name is Gideon and I met him last year, right after Annalise and Sebastian went back home.” I told him the whole story, up to my confession last night and our plans for the evening.

“I’ve been telling you for years that a good man would come along.” He smiled, running his finger down my cheek. “Why haven’t you told him about what happened?”

“I . . . I don’t want him to look at me differently.” I reasoned, knowing it was a thin excuse.

“If he cares about you like you say he does, the way anyone who’s lucky enough to get a piece of your heart should care, he won’t treat you any different. Alex, you did nothing wrong. I just wish you would believe it.”

I felt the tears building in my eyes and I blew out a deep breath. Turning to him, I explained for the millionth time. “I should have known what was going on. How could I have been so stupid to trust someone that much?”

It took time for Max to break through the walls I had built after the scandal and since then, I tell him the truth whenever asked. He understood the misplaced guilt and shame that I carry for my part in what happened, resulting in my inability to form relationships.

Until Gideon.

“For the last time. You were young. You were inexperienced in the Vegas way of life. You did nothing wrong.” His hands found mine and he linked his strong fingers with mine. “Look at you now, Mistress Alexandria. You’ve persevered, and you’re strong and wiser for the mistakes of the past. Remember what I told you, that what doesn’t kill you . . .”

“Makes you stronger.” I finished the mantra he drilled into my head until I finally believed it.

“Too right.” He smiled with a wink and slid out the booth, leaving me alone as he made his way through his adoring fans, effectively dismissing me.

I would see him tomorrow for lunch before he drove back to Los Angeles, so there was no need for goodbyes tonight. I hoped to bring Gideon to meet the most influential man in my life, the man who helped me learn what kind of woman I wanted to be. The man who was now hitting on Maggie, making my second-in-command blush like a schoolgirl.

I chuckled as I left my booth and exited the rear of the building, leaving Perception to its own devices for the evening. A car was waiting to whisk me to the party and on the drive through town, I relaxed with a glass of champagne from the minibar. The lights of the Strip were shining through the window as we inched our way through traffic and I watched the tourists walking up and down the sidewalk, enjoying the chaos that is Las Vegas.

The car dropped me at the valet area of the Double Down and I let my eyes take in all that Gideon had built as I entered the lower lobby. Mirrored columns reflected the grey walls, dark wooden floors, and lit sconces, giving the open lobby a seductive feel. Gideon had instructed me to check in with the concierge and someone would be down to escort me to the party.

I waited for a few minutes before a familiar face walked up to greet me. I hadn’t seen him in years and from what I remembered; he was a nice guy. Standing from the bench, I smoothed the purple dress down my body and extended my hand to him.

“Wallace, it’s good to see you. What are you doing here?”

“I’m general manager for your boyfriend. I’m surprised he didn’t tell you. How are you, Alex?” he asked, leaning in and kissing me on the cheek.

“I’m doing great. We don’t talk about the casino all that much.” I shrugged as he offered me his arm. I slipped my hand into the crook as we walked toward a private elevator away from the others.

The doors slid closed and he released his arm before taking a step back against the wall. I smiled at him and was caught off guard by his next remark.

“I’m glad to see you survived all that crap. You didn’t deserve any of the shit those vultures did. It was a damn shame you got caught up in it.”

“Thanks.” I replied and looked down at the floor.

If he remembered, what’s saying he hadn’t told Gideon before I had the chance to explain. The local media had run the story before checking their facts and my name was dragged through the mud. I got a retraction and a hefty settlement, but the damage was already done. That’s when I reinvented myself and withdrew from any kind of real relationship.

“I haven’t told him, if that’s what you’re wondering. It was all bullshit anyway.” He smirked and I relaxed somewhat.

The car slowed and the doors slid open to a dance club in full swing. The bass was deep, and the bodies were undulating against each other on the darkened dance floor as Wallace took my arm and guided me through the throngs of people celebrating Gideon’s accomplishments. I was so happy to see him successful and I couldn’t wait to properly congratulate him.

We wove through the people and I could see Wallace’s head swiveling through the crowd, trying to find Gideon. The lights were bouncing off every surface, making it hard to see as the strobe lights pulsed in time with the music. I let my eyes scan the crowd hoping to catch sight of Gideon when suddenly, I felt Wallace freeze next to me. He tried to tug me behind him, but I stepped away, following his line of sight through the crowded room.

Sitting in a booth on the back wall was Gideon and next to him were two blondes, each with their hands running up and down his body. His shirt was unbuttoned halfway down his chest, and he had an arm thrown around both of them, his hands fondling them openly. From the look of it, he was drunk as fuck and I could see his cock pressing against his pants as the women molested him for everyone to see. His eyes were glazed over and just as he made eye contact with me, he turned and grabbed one of the women, kissing her with the same passion he had shown me last night.

I felt sick to my stomach and I deserved an explanation on why he would embarrass me this way. We had never spoken of exclusivity, but I assumed we were monogamous. I took a step toward him and someone grabbed my wrist gently, stopping me from approaching him. Turning, I saw Wallace with a grim look on his face as he shook his head.

He leaned in, speaking loudly into my ear over the deafening music, “There’s press here tonight. You don’t want that kind of attention, Mistress.”

I snapped my head to him, and he nodded grimly. Perception was no secret and we broke no laws in Nevada, but the last thing I wanted was to have my name splashed across the media again. I barely survived their salacious gossip last time. With the advancements in social media, it would bury me.

I felt my nose begin to tingle and my eyes were burning as I tried to fight the tears that threatened to fall. Looking back, Gideon pulled back from the first woman and grasped them both by the back of their heads, encouraging them to kiss in front of him. His eyes locked with mine and the hateful glare cutting across the club sliced me to the bone.

The women stopped kissing and they both turned to Gideon as he brought their faces to his. One final look with a sickening smirk and he began to vigorously make out with them, moving between the two. He palmed one’s tits and the other's ass and that was the final straw for me.

I spun on my heels and marched back to the elevator, the music drowning out the sound of my heart turning to dust. Rubbing my chest, feeling the pain leaching from me, I pushed the button and prayed the elevator was quick. I couldn’t be here, knowing what was about to happen. Knowing everything we shared was a lie.

A hand came up to my shoulder just before the elevator door opened. I turned to find Wallace standing there, a look of remorse staring back at me. I shrugged his hand off and stepped into the elevator. The anger and betrayal were cutting deep into my fragile heart and I closed my eyes, remembering who the fuck I was.

Right before the doors closed, I told him, “Let Gideon know I received his message loud and clear. I’ll leave him alone and he leaves me alone and we won’t have a problem. But tell your boss if he ever steps into my club again, I’ll make sure he limps out. You know I’ll do it too.”

There were a few details of what happened all those years ago that the media never got ahold of. Details that had been whispered throughout the underbelly of the city since it happened and with the passing years, had been brushed off as legend or exaggeration. I promise you, this Tennessee girl doesn’t approve of being taken advantage of.

His eyes grew wide and he nodded solemnly as the doors closed. I fought the impending breakdown as the elevator dropped off and picked up passengers. The facade of Mistress Alexandria was falling away, and Alex was nearing a breakdown. Finally arriving on the ground level, I flagged down a cab and was driven away from the Double Down, away from the only man I’ll ever allow myself to love again.

The entire drive, I stared out the window, letting the numbness fall over me. I had been a fool to open my heart to him and now; I knew better. Whores like me don’t get to experience love. All we’re good for is a roll in the sack and a pat on the ass as they leave. I had no idea what changed with him in such a short amount of time and I would have to wonder for the rest of my life why he did what he did.

What he’s about to do.

Fuck! The pain in my gut was tearing me apart and I didn’t want to be alone. I had the cab drop me back off at Perception, needing the comfort my club could give me. It was selfish of me, but I couldn’t bear the thought of going home, seeing the bed he made love to me in empty. Pushing the front door open, the receptionist who was covering for Maggie met me. Her eyes cut to mine and grew wide as I turned and walked down the hallway to my dressing room.

Being here now, I realized it was a mistake. I couldn’t keep the pieces together another moment and I rushed into my private room. I closed the door and fell against it; the tears falling hot and fast as I sobbed into the empty room. The pain of his actions was tearing me apart and I fell sideways on the floor, curling into a tiny ball and purging the years of agony from me. A soft knock sounded into the room, followed by Maggie’s sweet voice. “Alex?”

“Go away.” I croaked out and crawled to the couch across the room, the hard floor digging into my knees.

Pulling myself up, I fell into the couch and doubled over, the agony of his betrayal deeper than anything I had ever felt. A louder knock sounded into the room, followed by a deep voice.

“Alex, open this door right now or I’ll bust the fucking thing down.” He would too, so I moved to unlock the door and meandered back to the couch.

Max and Maggie walked in, both with looks of concern on their face. Max moved in front of me and squatted down, getting eye level with me. He wiped my cheeks with soft touches as the tears kept falling. I hated to be vulnerable with anyone, but Max and Maggie had never judged me.

What had I done wrong?

Was hearing about Michael what pushed him away?

Why was I so unlovable?

Dirty whore. Queer. Slut. Worthless.

My parents’ voices silently screamed in my head and I grabbed my ears, praying it would stop. Max took both my hands into his as Maggie sat next to me, rubbing her hand up and down my back, both waiting for me to regain my composure. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, finding my center.

Letting my watery gaze meet his worried look, I smiled sadly. “He doesn’t want me anymore. I told you. I’m unlovable.” The words came out strangled as I fought to not cry again. My bottom lip trembled, and Max pulled me into his strong arms as the dam of emotions burst again. Maggie placed her head on my back and wrapped her arms around both of us.

I heard whispers behind me but couldn’t understand what they were saying as I cried into my friend’s arms. All too soon, I felt Max pick me up and carry me out the rear door to a waiting car. He slipped in with me on his lap and Maggie promised to come by in the morning to check on me.

Max held me all the way home. Max carried me into the house, got me dressed for bed, taking delicate care of me as he climbed into bed and settled me against him. Holding me in his arms, his thick back leaning against the headboard, I let exhaustion overtake me as Max held me all night.

Chapter Eight

Gideon

My head was pounding, my mouth was as dry as the desert surrounding Las Vegas and tasted like I had licked a dirty ashtray. A steady knocking was coming from the front door of my penthouse, making the pain in my head intensify. Falling off the couch onto the floor, I caught myself on my hands and had immediate pain in my palm. Looking down, I saw a thin piece of glass sticking out of the pad of my thumb. I pulled it out with a hiss and tossed it to the floor. There was a small amount of blood pushing to the surface and I stared at it, confused.

“Open up, Gideon.” Wallace shouted through the door and I stumbled to catch myself as I stood from the floor.

Glancing around the penthouse, I saw shattered glass and roses laying on every surface, the beautiful smell filling the destroyed room. The evening was foggy, and I was struggling to remember the fit of rage that caused this devastation before I passed out. The insistent pounding from Wallace snapped me from the haze I was swimming in as I shuffled carefully through the remains of the flowers and expensive vases.

Opening the door, I’m met with an angry Wallace who shoved a cup of coffee in my hand and pushed me backward into the room. I cradled my injured hand as I turned and walked into the kitchen off to the side. There was little devastation in this room, so I set the coffee down and ran my hand under some water.

Hearing the door shut behind him, I turned as my general manager, my friend, stalked into the room. I wondered if he was about to take a swing at me with the amount of anger coming from him. His fists were clenched by his side, his body was full of tension, and he was red in the face. I had never seen him so mad and I was worried I might not make it out of this room in one piece.

He blew out a breath and moved past me, shoulder checking me as he started a pot of coffee.

“What the hell, Wallace?” My tone was incredulous, and he turned toward me, his eyes meeting mine.

“I should be the one asking you that, you stupid fuck.”

I took a large swallow of the hot coffee he had brought and allowed the caffeine to rush through my muddled brain. I needed to remember what I had done last night and fast. Too much whiskey too quickly resulted in a large chunk of my evening being blank and his anger for whatever happened was directed at me.

Leaning against the cabinet across from him, I reached for a towel to wrap around my bleeding palm. He made no move to help me and I started running through yesterday as he silently watched me with judgmental eyes. I recalled the ribbon cutting, the pictures and interviews, and it was at that moment I remembered the newspaper article. Alex’s betrayal that led to me drinking too much and trashing my penthouse on what should have been the best night of my life.

Bitch.

“Call her a bitch in front of me one more time and I swear I’m going to pop you in your arrogant mouth.”

“She is a bitch. She set me up.” I reasoned and silently sat down, nursing my hot coffee as he poured himself a cup and joined me. He exhaled and I was starting to think there was more to what happened than I read in the article and I may have fucked up the best thing in my life.

“She set you up? You stalked her for a year, and she set you up? Unfuckingbelievable! You need to tell me what the fuck happened yesterday. One minute you’re eagerly waiting for your girlfriend to arrive and the next minute, you’re a drunken asshole who fucked up royally.”

“What did I do?” Running my hand through my hair, I struggled to pull any memories past sitting at the bar shortly after finding the article, only to draw a complete blank.

“What happened?” he barked, and I jumped back a little.

The pounding in my head was getting worse and the need to throw up was growing with each passing second. I stood from the chair and held up one finger to him as I quickly went to the bathroom and grabbed some headache pills from the medicine cabinet. The sad motherfucker staring back at me, dark bags under his eyes and the same rumbled suit from yesterday was a disgrace to everything I had worked so hard to achieve.

Just as I was about to turn from the bathroom to rejoin Wallace, I noticed there was lipstick on my collar and I briskly walked back to the kitchen. Wallace was filling up the tiny chair, his arms crossed over his toned chest. He shook his head and nodded to the chair. I sat down, an understanding that my sins were about to be laid at my feet.

“You will tell me what changed yesterday. Now.”

Swallowing the pills and finishing the cup, I set it down and absently pushed it back and forth in front of me. I looked up and he was pouring me another cup. I guess I need more caffeine. Shit! What did I do?

“I went to my office after the last interview. I needed a minute to catch my breath and I wanted to grab a fresh dress shirt. I emptied my pockets when I found this.” I reached into my pocket and slid the envelope containing the article to him. “I went to the bar and had a drink, but after the second one, things get dark.”

He took the weathered paper out and opened it. Quickly scanning it, he stuffed it back in the plain envelope and tossed it at my head. The corner hit me on my forehead and the throbbing intensified briefly. I rubbed the small pain and leaned back.

“Did you think to come ask me about this whole thing before you decided to blow up the best thing that will ever happen to you?” I went to speak, and he continued, talking over me and my quickly growing fear. “Of course not. You went off half-cocked like some wet behind the ears little boy and in the process, you lost her. Jesus, did you even ask her about it?”

I shook my head and he sighed loudly, his gaze wandering into the trashed apartment and back to my disheveled appearance. Leaning forward, he met my gaze.

“I’m going to tell you something that isn’t my business, but you need to hear it. She had no part of anything you read in that article. She wasn’t responsible for the senator or anything else that happened. Wrong fucking place, wrong fucking time. The people she worked for took advantage of her and the media dragged her through the mud. Go look for the article now and her name appears nowhere. Rumor has it she sued them and won. You humiliated an innocent woman who fought like hell to build a good name for herself after what they put her through. And you didn’t even trust her enough to talk to her about it.”

He stood from the chair as I jumped up and ran to the trashcan, throwing up and feeling the tears threaten to fall. I hadn’t given her a chance to explain and now I needed to find her. I went to grab my phone and Wallace gripped my arm, halting my movements into the destroyed living room. He took my phone from me and slid it into his pocket.

“Give it back. I need to call her and apologize for getting so drunk last night.”

He shook his head and walked to the front door, opening it and letting in the cleaning crew. They got to work cleaning up the shattered glass and broken roses as Wallace rejoined me in the kitchen. He crossed his arms over his chest, his tight t-shirt pulling over his muscles.

Why had I never realized he was so toned? Probably because he wasn’t threatening to beat your ass before.

“It’s a little more than you drank too much last night. You really don’t remember, do you?” he turned a quizzical look to me.

Shaking my head, I finished the last of the coffee and leaned over the sink, my arms rigid as I asked the question I feared I already knew the answer to.

“I fucked around on her last night, didn’t I?”

His response shocked me. “No, you passed out in the elevator after I threw you into it. Security dragged you into the room and from the looks of it, you redecorated. You made a fool of her last night.”

Turning, I asked, “How?”

“She walked in looking like a million fucking dollars only to find you with your tongue shoved down not one but two women’s throats. All in plain view of the entire dance club. You made a rather raunchy display and rubbed it in her face. She left humiliated and . . .”

“And?” I croaked out, not remembering anything he said. I’ve never blacked out while drinking before and the missing time and my careless actions were killing me.

“She said she received your message. She’ll leave you alone and you’re to leave her alone.”

I fell against the counter and he sadly continued, “She got eaten alive all those years ago and last night, you threw her away. All because of your selfish ego. I hope you’re proud of yourself.” He shook his head and a moment later, I heard him and the cleaning crew exit my penthouse.

I walked into the immaculate room, not a sign of the devastation I was feeling. Looking for my phone, I realized Wallace had plugged it into the charger before he left me alone. I picked it up and tried to call Alex’s phone only to have it go straight to voicemail. I left her a message, begging her to let me explain, to let me apologize before I sent a text to her saying the same thing. The text showed undelivered and I tossed it across the room, hearing the screen crack as it hit the wall.

Quickly taking a shower and brushing my teeth, I called down to have my car brought up from valet and requested a large coffee to go from the café in the lobby. Picking my coffee up, I jumped into my car and made little time driving through the early Sunday morning traffic. Pulling into her neighborhood, I tried to use my gate pass, only to find she had revoked my privileges.

I tried to reason with the guard, “You know me. I just wanted to surprise her with a hot coffee.” I held the now empty cup up, hoping he would take mercy on me.

“She specifically called this morning and cancelled your pass. I’m sorry, Mr. Mathews. There’s nothing I can do.” He tipped his hat and returned to the air-conditioned guard shack that was keeping me from Alex.

I returned to the Double Down and sent someone to replace my phone. I tried all day and into the evening to contact her, but she wasn’t responding.

For three weeks, I tried to call and text her, but she had gone radio silent. No Instagram posts, no Twitter updates, and her phone never rang. I knew I fucked up, but she wasn’t even giving me a chance to say I was sorry. A few times I had sat outside Perception, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. She never appeared and I was getting worried.

Finally, one afternoon almost six weeks after my epic fuck-up, I saw a huge man that reminded me of a Viking walking out of the club. I had seen him off and on over the last few weeks when I drove by and I decided to ask him about her. I was desperate and if he was inside during the daytime, maybe he knew where she was.

I jogged across the street from my parked car and called out to him just before he entered the coffee shop next door. He turned and brought his meaty hand up to his face, blocking the sun from his eyes. In an instant, he dropped his hand and took a step toward me. I stopped in my tracks and stood my ground, willing to fight this massive man for information.

“You don’t know me but I’m looking for Alex.”

He stepped closer to me and instinctively, I stepped back. The dominance, the sheer anger rolling off him told me he knew who I was already. Swallowing deeply, prepared to take a fist to the face, I held my ground.

“Go home, Gideon. She’s no longer your business.” He smirked at me and I felt the anger growing. Who the fuck did he think he was, acting like Alex was his when she belonged to me?

I just needed to remind her.

“Who the fuck are you?” I asked, clenching my fists at my side.

The Viking laughed at me. Taking one step toward me, he looked down at me and spoke, a deep timbre in his voice. “I’m the man that picked that beautiful woman off the floor after you threw her away. I’m the man who fought to get her to eat when all she wanted to do was cry. Over you!” he shouted, poking me in the chest hard. A few people turned toward us, but they quickly moved past when they saw how mad he was. “I’m the man who wants to kick your ass around your head, but I promised her I wouldn’t touch you. So once again. Go. Home. Gideon.”

He turned and I grasped his large shoulder, spinning him around to face me. “You don’t get to dismiss me. I’ve tried everything I can think of and she keeps ignoring me. I deserve a chance to apologize.”

He reached into his pocket and took out his phone, holding it up to me, he remarked. “Go ahead. I’m recording. You can tell her how sorry you are. Then go the fuck away.”

I looked at the camera and back at him, my mouth opened in outrage. He placed it back into his pocket and he leaned in. “You can stop stalking the club. She’s not here.”

He turned to enter the coffee shop and just as he went to open the door, I asked. “Where . . . where is she?”

He sadly shook his head and responded. “She went back home.”

“Is she coming back?” I asked, the pain of her absence growing larger knowing she ran away from me.

He shrugged his shoulders and entered the shop, leaving me alone on the sidewalk, afraid I would never see her again. I looked up at her club and heard the construction going on inside. There was a new sign hanging, but they covered the name with heavy tarps and ropes. I felt the pit in my gut grow with each step back to my car. Casting one last glance to Perception, I drove away, praying fate gave me another chance with Alex.

This time I won’t fuck it up.

Chapter Nine

Alex

8 weeks later

My phone rang, waking me from my nap. I was at my sister’s house in Nashville, hiding from my life back home. The last two months have been wonderful and terrible, all at the same time. Michael and I were developing a relationship beyond what my father had allowed, and my sister had started dating a new guy who seemed really sweet.

I picked up the now silent phone from the table next to my lounge chair and looked to see a missed call from Max. He had been pushing me to return home, reminding me Perception needed me as much as I needed it. I didn’t know if I agreed with him on that, but I couldn’t hide forever. Eventually I would have to confront the pain and betrayal from Gideon, but every time I thought about him, I remembered his hands all over those two women and I felt sick all over again.

I was about to set the phone down and jump into the pool to cool off from the humid Tennessee summer when my phone rang. Seeing it was Max again, I answered.

“Hey!” I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and leaned back on the chair, the large umbrella shading me from the direct sun.

“Hey yourself. How’s life in Music City?”

“Same old Nashville.” I shrugged like he could see me and took a sip of the too sweet tea my sister loved to make.

“It's time to come home, Alex. You can’t run from this forever.”

Leave it to Maximus to bulldoze the situation. He had been overseeing the construction at Perception and was staying at my house. After my mini-breakdown, Max offered to take care of everything while I came home and tried to find myself again. He suggested that by confronting my parents, even at their graves, I might be able to move past the pain.

I didn’t think it would work, but after yelling at their headstones, I felt better. My sister held my hand and let me shout out the years of neglect and abuse they put us through, and she was even able to purge some of her misplaced guilt over adopting Michael. I had to remind her that by her doing that, she allowed me to be a part of his life, and for that I was grateful.

I sighed loudly, knowing he was right, yet again. Max had a way of kicking through the layers of excuses people used to justify certain things in their lives. He doesn’t reason his way through your mess. He just tells you like it is and that’s that.

“I know. I just don’t know if I’m ready.”

“Cut the crap, Alex. You’re hiding from a man and I thought you were stronger than that.”

I sat up in my chair, offended by his comment. “Screw you Max. Gideon had nothing to do with me coming home.”

Chuckling through the phone, his deep timbre resonating through the speaker, “Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better. But you have some final approvals for the changes and you still have to submit the name change into the state liquor board for approval. Those are things I can’t do for you.”

I knew I had asked a lot of my friend but after he remarked how he needed a break from Los Angeles and the vapid assholes that frequented the club he worked at; I knew Perception could be his new home. After a night of too much wine and weed, he agreed to move to Las Vegas and help me with the next stage of growth. He wasn’t aware that I signed a quarter of the club over to him, but that was a surprise for later.

“I’m supposed to have dinner with Annalise and her friends tomorrow, but I’ll catch a flight out the day after. I want to take a run at my sister about moving again, but she seems happy with her new guy.”

“Don’t worry. Everything will work itself out.” He cryptically responded and after saying our goodbyes, he hung up.

Leaning back, I envisioned all the changes Perception had undergone while I was hiding in Tennessee, licking my wounds from Gideon. Shaking my head, I fought the tears again and hoped one day soon, I wouldn’t be so sad over losing him.

I stood from the chair and got dizzy, the landscape tilting as I tried to take a step. Sitting back down, I took a sip of the cold tea and started to feel better. Leaving the pool, I went to find my sister and Michael to let them know I had to go home. I would miss being able to spend time with them, but Las Vegas was my home and I needed to get back there.

After tears and understanding, I packed and booked my flight for early in the morning, day after tomorrow.

Dinner with Annalise and Sebastian was hilarious. They invited me to their building in downtown Nashville and before long, all the building's residents joined us. I got to meet the hilarious Ivan and his girlfriend Daniella and the unbelievably handsome Nathaniel and his wife Serenity. Seeing Christopher walking across the rooftop to hug me had me crying tears of joy. To see him so healthy and happily in love with Sebastian’s brother, Jonathan, gave me hope that even through pain, love could be found.

My sister and Michael drove me to the airport with a promise to visit after the club’s relaunch. Seeing my son so happy, my sister thriving and in love was reassuring as I made the four-hour flight home. I slept the whole way and when we landed, I ordered an Uber, insisting there was no need for someone to pick me up. I wanted to see the work at Perception, for the remaining time it was called that, and to check in with Maggie.

Max texted that he would meet me there and after the car dropped me off, I grabbed coffee and pastries for us. Walking into the club, I was met with newly painted black walls with red accents popping everywhere. Gone were the tables in the center, allowing for more mingle space on the first floor. The booths had been redone and there were now ten new ones for the guests to use.

I set the coffee and donuts down on the bar before I climbed the stairs to the newly renovated second floor. The sound of hammers from the third floors construction rang into the space and I smiled as I turned, taking in the club's newness.

“I thought I’d find you here.” Max remarked, making me jump and grab my chest.

“It looks amazing.” I replied, my eyes taking in the sensual feel of the room. “Thank you.”

He walked to me and pulled me into his arms, placing a soft kiss on the top of my head. It felt good to be held and I wrapped my arms around his waist. Pulling back, I saw the coffees and donuts were now sitting on the newly installed bar, and we walked over, needing the sugar rush to get us through the next few hours.

The contractor came in and we discussed final construction before the decorators could finish. There were six private rooms for play on the second floor, along with a public area, if that’s what their kink was.

After filling out the paperwork to change the club's name legally, I found myself on the couch in my dressing room, the need for a nap pushing me hard. Max joined me and I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, I was once again being carried out of Perception by Max.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and placed my head on his shoulder as he walked into the bright sunlight. A noise from the side drew my attention and there, standing next to his black SUV was Gideon. He had a bouquet of red roses in his hand and a sad smile on his face. I tapped Max on the shoulder, and he set me on my feet.

Placing a kiss on my head, he whispered. “At least listen to him so he’ll go away.”

I cut my eyes to Max and he winked. Turning, I slowly walked toward Gideon, fighting the rising bile with every step. All I could see was him fucking those two women and the tears grew in my eyes. I was about ten feet from him when the need to throw up hit me hard. I rushed to the nearest trashcan and purged the coffee and sweet treats, the same dizzy feeling overtaking me that had plagued me for a few weeks.

Gideon and Max both rushed to me, and Max caught me just as my knees gave way. He scooped me into his arms and hustled back into Perception. Gideon tried to follow, and Max shook his head. Gideon nodded sadly and left the roses by the back door as he turned and silently left.

Was it really that easy to walk away?

To be continued

Want to know more about Annalise and Sebastian? You can meet them in Seductive Sacrifice (Amatory Book 1). Enter the doors to Amatory and discover your favorite SIN.

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About the Author

H.J. Marshall began her love of reading and writing at an early age and has always dreamed of being a writer full time. A nomadic youth exposed her to different perspectives of life, community, and culture, resulting in a lifelong love of food, music, and history. When she is not writing, she enjoys the music of all generations and genres and living in her quiet cabin in the woods. H.J. is an avid traveler who has spent significant time in the Caribbean and Bahamas, meeting amazing people and seeing wondrous sites. Currently landlocked, H.J. dreams of her beach house, salty air, and a life filled with laughter.

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The Payback

Evan Grace

Chapter One

Lara

The noises coming from the slot machines ring in my ears as I strut through the main casino floor of the Silver Zephyr. This is one of Las Vegas’s oldest casinos and a part of the original strip.

Brighton Banks built it in 1945 and since then it’s gone over multiple cosmetic overhauls. The most extreme was when his grandson Braxton Banks II took over— he still runs it today, but he’s preparing now to pass the baton to his son, Braxton Banks III.

As I look around, I can’t help but wonder if any more changes will be made. I walk over to the nearest bar, turning on the sex appeal I’ve mastered over the past four years.

I lean against the bar, making sure my ample cleavage is on display. I brush some of my golden blonde, wavy locks behind my ear, and wait . . .

“Can I buy you a drink?” Thirty seconds . . . damn, I must be off my game.

I plaster on my signature smile and turn to the man next to me. He looks like he stepped out of a bad eighties movie. I keep my smile in place as I look over the hideous suit he’s wearing. Are those shoulder pads?

His eyes travel down my body and instead of turning me on, it’s turning my stomach. Especially the way he keeps licking his lips . . . barf.

“I’m sorry, I’m waiting for someone.” A tall gorgeous blond walks by, and I reach out grabbing his arm. “There you are honey? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

He looks at me and the guy standing in front of me. Realization hits him and his smile morphs into one that’s big and bright and he wraps his arms around me. “Sorry babe.” Mystery man kisses my temple and then turns to the eighties man. “I hate leaving her alone because look at her, she’s fucking gorgeous. Thanks for keeping her company.”

Eighties man gives a short nod and then slinks away. I let out a breath and turn to my rescuer. “Thank you for that. I kind of had the feeling he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.”

“It was no hardship playing your rescuer.”

Oh . . . I like his smile. I wouldn’t mind spending a couple of hours burning up the sheets with him. I’m supposed to be working but playing sounds so much better. “Can I buy you a drink to thank you for coming to my rescue?” I purr, letting the underlying intentions be known.

Slut shame me, I don’t care. For so long I waited for things to happen for me and now— now I make them happen. I smile up at him, “I’m Lara by the way.” Holding out my hand my pussy clenches when his large palm slides over mine.

“I’m Matt.” He gets close. “How about we head up to my room and order a bottle of champagne.”

My body buzzes with anticipation. “Lead the way, Matt.”

He wraps his arm around my waist and leads me toward the hotel’s elevators. “So, Lara are you here for business or pleasure?”

I want to tell him we don’t need the small talk, but I shake my head. “Neither, I’m a local— born and bred. What about you?”

“Business, but pleasure now.” His voice drops to a seductive whisper.

As we wait for the elevators to open, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me in for a breath-stealing kiss. He pulls back as the elevator doors slide open and pulls me onto it. There are four other people on with us and he maneuvers us so I’m standing with my back against his front.

I suck in a breath when I feel a very large erection against my back. When we reach his floor, he practically drags me toward his room. The moment we’re in his room my panties are ripped from my body and I’m in Matt’s arms with my legs wrapped around his narrow hips.

My body heats up as he carries me through the room and then my back hits the mattress.

* * *

Matt snores softly from beside me and I can’t help but smile. We had a great time fucking, fucking, and more fucking. I quietly ease out of his bed, grabbing my dress from the floor. On silent feet I tiptoe into the bathroom. I’m able to fix my makeup and fluff my hair to look good enough to go back downstairs to work.

On the counter I grab his toothpaste and quickly brush my teeth with my finger. I set the toothpaste down and that’s when I see what is clearly a wedding ring sitting on top of his shaving kit. Nausea pools in my belly because I may love sex and make no qualms about getting it, but I don’t fuck married men.

I quickly throw my dress back on and then head out into the room. He’s still sleeping so I grab his pants, pulling his wallet out of them. I flip it open and sure enough there’s a picture of a petite brunette, holding a little girl smiling at the camera.

Disgust bubbles up in my belly as I look at this piece of cheating trash. I look through his wallet and find three hundred dollars cash. I pull it out and stuff it in my clutch. On the hotel stationary I leave him a note.

Matt,

I assume your wife doesn’t know you’re a cheating scumbag and I don’t fuck married men. I think you owe me— thank you for the cash. I’ll go buy myself something pretty.

Later asshole,

Lara

I ride the elevator down to the lobby, slip my mask back into place, and push the disgust I feel out of my head as the doors slide open. I step out and strut my way to the poker tables. My gift from douche bag will get me more chips than I was going to play with.

I glance around finding just the right table to sit at. The men all look up as I approach. “Boys do you mind if I sit down?”

The oldest man at the table stands up and pulls my chair out for me. “Have a seat beautiful lady.”

After thanking him I set my cash on the table and the dealer hands me a stack of chips. I scope out the main casino floor looking for him. I let these older players think it is nerves and my tell.

I lose the first hand and then fold the second, by the fourth hand these boys are losing their shirts. They’re just too stubborn to admit that a woman is beating their asses.

When I’m up four grand I take my leave, giving the dealer a hefty tip, and smile as I listen to the old-timers grumble as I walk away with my stack of chips. I carry them toward the cage to cash out and my steps almost falter when I see him, Braxton Banks III.

I hate that he’s so good looking. He’s at least six foot three, with a long lean body. His hair is so dark it looks almost black and is slicked back, but not in a greasy way and his ends curl around his collar. I know if he was closer, I’d see that his eyes are so dark they look almost black and are surrounded by the thickest lashes I’ve ever seen, except for on one other person.

Braxton looks like the devil and that’s fitting because he is in fact evil.

I slow my steps and watch him, and his entourage, walk through the casino’s main floor— he thinks he’s a god and they’re all his faithful followers. When he walks by me his eyes run down my body and I know he likes what he sees.

Chills run down my spine, but I won’t let him use his powers on me, not again— he doesn’t really have powers, but women fall at his feet for a night with him. Since I’ve started watching him there have been many, but do they really know what a monster he is?

I quickly get my cash and then walk in the direction that Braxton went. I spot him over at the craps table, but I don’t approach— instead I stop at the bar and order a glass of champagne.

While I keep my eyes moving, so he doesn’t catch me, I sip the bubbly beverage. This is the most boring part of my job— listen to me talking like I have a regular old 9-5 job.

Nope, not me, I’m a thief, a con artist, and am gearing up to pull my biggest job— then I’m out of here, leaving Las Vegas for good.

Chapter Two

Lara

I pull into the driveway and take a deep breath. What a fucking night— I was so close to having Braxton approach me, but then his personal security came and got him, and they disappeared.

I waited for two hours, but he never came back. I grab my clutch and then climb out of my car. My stilettos click on the sidewalk as I make my way up to the front door of my home. I flip the deadbolt as I step inside.

“Shit.” I hear muttered from the kitchen.

One of my roommates, Holly, she calls herself the whiz, it’s her nickname for herself, sits at the kitchen table with her noise-cancelling headphones on, click clacking on her laptop.

I tap her on the shoulder and crack up as she jumps clear out of her chair and has her hands up like she’s going to box me. Holly pulls her headphones off. “You scared me, bitch.”

I grab her and pull her into a hug. “Sorry I couldn’t resist. Is Emilie still asleep?”

“Yeah I peeked in on her before I came down here. How did it go tonight?”

I pour myself a cup of coffee and sit down across from Holly, taking a big sip. “It went alright. I had him on the line, I swear he was going to ask me to join them and then he got called away.”

Holly turns her laptop toward me. “I managed to get past their firewall and got the blueprints for the living quarters and the offices.” Braxton lives in one of the hotel’s penthouses that are on the same floor as the offices.

I was surprised to learn that he lived at the casino. I figured he’d live in a huge ostentatious mansion that matched his father’s. Most casino owners live in a gated community about thirty minutes from the strip.

“This is excellent.” I cover my mouth and yawn. “I’m hitting the sack.” I set my coffee cup in the sink and come around the table, kissing the top of Holly’s head.

There are four of us who live here, well okay technically five. We call ourselves the lost girls. Tragedy and circumstance brought us all together when we met five years ago. I’d been a scared nineteen-year-old who didn’t have a clue about life.

Holly and I met first when she came into the diner I worked at. She was always on her laptop, and little did I know she was breaking the law. We got to talking one day and she learned about my situation, suddenly mysterious envelopes of cash started showing up for me.

I never should’ve kept them, but I was desperate. When she finally confessed that it was her I tried to give it all back, but she said she’d just hack into my bank account and put it there.

Not too soon after that she introduced me to Asia and she’s the one who taught me how to be invisible, to pick pockets, and how to con people to give me their money. It didn’t take long before she knew that I was a natural.

We worked on changing my appearance little by little— I wanted to erase who I was before. Larissa Renee Peters died, and Lara Ann Foxworth was born. It was then when my scams became larger and larger— before you go thinking I’m a terrible person, I tend to only con men, especially the assholes, the cheats, the misogynistic jerks. I have to have some boundaries.

In my bedroom I strip out of my dress and walk naked into my bathroom. I brush my hair out before I put it in a knot on top of my head. In the shower I scrub myself from head to toe, wanting to get Matt’s stink off of me. Once I’m finished, I step out and quickly dry off.

I rub my favorite lavender lotion all over my body and then throw on a black tank top and a pair of purple cotton panties. I step across the hall and slowly open the door.

My six-year-old daughter, Emilie, sleeps soundly in her pink princess bed. I move further into the room and sit down on the side of her bed. I reach out and run a hand down her dark brown locks. Her eyelashes are so dark and thick just like her father’s.

Here’s the deal, Braxton and I went to school together. He and his cronies used to torment me endlessly— you know the poor, chubby nerd, but then right before graduation the attention he was giving me changed.

We began dating and in no time, I foolishly fell in love with him, gave him my virginity, and then he humiliated me in front of all of his friends. He threw me away like I was trash.

Six weeks later I found out I was pregnant. His father intercepted me when I went to tell Braxton. Braxton II told me that if I told his son about the baby that he would claim I was unfit and have my child taken away from me and then he’d put the baby up for adoption.

For a brief second I thought about terminating the pregnancy, but then one night I dreamt of a little girl who I’d love forever and ever and the next morning I cancelled the appointment.

Emilie believes her daddy went to heaven and maybe it’s wrong to lie to her but why tell her that her dad is the devil and wouldn’t have wanted her if he knew about her anyway. He didn’t deserve to know her after what he did to me.

I grab the picture that sits on her nightstand. It was the day I had her and I was sitting on my bed with her in my arms. That scared teenager is long gone. She was a borderline chubby, brunette, and had crooked front teeth, but she never looked happier— I never looked happier.

Now I’m a blonde, I stopped eating carbs, I found a love of exercising, got my tits and nose done, and then had my teeth fixed.

For our plan to work Braxton can’t recognize me at all, and I don’t think he will because I barely recognize myself when I look in the mirror. I hate that now there is no resemblance between me and my daughter at all. Now all I see is her dad when I look at Emilie, but it’s a small price to pay because when the job is done my daughter and I are going to take my cut and then we’re out of here.

Her eyelids flutter open and she gives me a sleepy smile. “Mommy your home.”

“Hi baby. I didn’t mean to wake you.” I crawl under the covers with her and wrap my arms around her. “Go back to sleep and Auntie Holly will get you up for school in a few hours.”

“Okay, love you.” Emilie mutters sleepily and then begins doing the deep heavy breathing thing she does while she sleeps. Thankfully it doesn’t take long before I fall asleep too.

* * *

I work out at Gold’s Gym not too far from the strip. This place is basically a meat market, but it gets the job done on my physique. As I use the leg press my eyes go to the mirror in front of me and that’s when I see him walk in.

What is Braxton doing here? As long as I’ve been working out here I’ve never seen him. I need to get out of here because I don’t have my armor on; my makeup, dresses, and heels. After quickly going through the rest of my workout I grab my bottle of water and head toward the locker room.

“Do I know you?” I freeze because I’d recognize that smooth, velvety voice anywhere.

I look at him over my shoulder. “No, I don’t think so.” I keep my steps relaxed even though being so close to him short circuits my brain.

I’m almost to the locker room when a hand grabs my arm. “I wasn’t done talking to you.” Oh God, he’s got that air of superiority down.

“Well I was done talking to you.” I remove his hand from my arm. “See ya.”

I’m only able to relax when I’m inside the locker room and hiding in a bathroom stall. I hold up my hands and they’re trembling. I shake them out until the shaking stops.

He still causes riotous emotions inside of me. Braxton causes my brain to short-circuit every single time I see him. I need to get a handle on that before I have to get extremely close to him.

I take a deep cleansing breath and then head to my locker. I grab my phone and see I have thirty minutes before I have to pick up Emilie after school. Then after she goes to sleep, I’ll head to the casino and try to make my approach tonight.

On quick feet I head out and hustle to my car. I can’t be around him without my armor. I don’t feel protected without it. When I finally get to the school, I find my princess in the same red plaid skirt and white polo that I used to wear.

Her Avengers backpack is almost as big as she is. My sweet Emilie is obsessed with those movies, Spiderman is her favorite. When I pull up, she climbs into the backseat. “Hey Mommy, I had the best day.”

She leans between the seats to give me a kiss before sitting back down in her booster seat and buckles her seatbelt.

“That’s great pumpkin. Why don’t you tell me why you had the best day while we eat cupcakes?”

Emilie claps her hands. “That’s a great idea.”

We head to The Cupcakery and order a dozen. Hand in hand we walk over to a bench and I hand her a cupcake covered in pink frosting. I take the same kind. I smile at my daughter as she takes a huge bite of it.

I reach out with my napkin, wiping her mouth. “You’re a mess.” Leaning down I kiss her lips that taste like the sugary buttercream. “Tell me about your day.”

“We had a guest come to the school today. He owns a casino.” My stomach turns, what if it was Braxton or his son.” That wouldn’t be possible because why would either of them even come near a school.

Plus, it’s not like they’d know who Emilie was. Her last name is my mom’s maiden name, which is also what I changed mine to as well. “Oh yeah. What casino was it?”

My pulse races while I wait for my daughter to answer. “Umm . . . something about shoes.”

“Oh, the Horseshoe?”

She nods, while taking a bite of her cupcake. “Das da one.” Little pieces of cupcake fly out of her mouth.

I’m able to relax as I peel back the paper of my tasty treat even though I need to avoid treats like this I take a huge bite. The last thing I want is for my daughter to have body issues like me.

I swallow it down and enjoyed every second of it. After sticking the rest of my cupcake in the box I grab Emilie’s hand. As we walk back to my car, she talks my ear off, “Bailey is going to talk to her mommy and then I might be able to have a play date with her. Can I please?”

I’m a little overprotective of my girl. My sisters, my girls all call me Momma Bear when it comes to my girl. I’ll never let what happened to me happen to her.

Chapter Three

Lara

I bend down kissing Emilie’s forehead. “Goodnight my beautiful girl.”

“Night night Mommy. I love you.”

“I’ll see you in the morning.” I step out of her room, shutting the door behind me. In the hall I take a deep breath before heading into my room to get prepared for my night.

Tonight, I decide to wear my blue sequin dress that hugs my breasts— pushing them up to make them pop. I throw on my pair of Manolo Blahnik Tama Mesh Leather Sandals.

I snagged them on sale and the things they do to my legs makes it totally worth the price I paid for them. My eyes are smoky, and I have a pink dewy glow on my cheeks. My lip gloss is nude, since my lips are naturally plump and pink, I don’t really need too much color.

A quick spritz of perfume and I’m ready to go. I open my door and find Asia on the other side with her hand up, ready to knock. “Hey babe.” She pulls me into a hug and then kisses me on the lips. It’s completely innocent she’s just one of those affectionate people, especially with those she loves.

“How do I look?” I strike a pose.

“He’ll be eating out of your hand.” She leans in close and whispers. “Things are moving along nicely.” Asia is “dating” the head of security at Silver Zephyr. Her plan is to use her charms to earn his trust and then steal his ID badge so we can make a copy of it.

“That’s great. I’m hoping to get the invite from Braxton tonight.” Asia’s the only one who knows that Braxton is Emilie’s father. When I brought my plan to her she demanded to know why the Zephyr. I had no choice but to tell her. After all she’s done so much for me and Emilie.

I am who I am now because she saw something inside me. Yes, I know what we do is wrong, and honestly I’m not going to apologize for doing what is necessary to make sure my daughter is well taken care of.

I’ve got a contingency plan in place if I ever get arrested, but so far we’ve played it really smart.

“Have fun and be safe.” She kisses me once more before disappearing into her bedroom.

Downstairs I find our other roommate, Amber. “Hey girl,” I say as I step down the last stair.

She looks up from her laptop. “Hey, you look great.”

“Thanks. What are you doing?” I ask as I take a seat next to her. Her curly auburn hair is up in a bun on top of her head, but I reach out, tugging on the stray curl hanging down in the back.

“Nothing just making some wish lists for stuff I want when the job is over.” Amber works for a local locksmith and that had actually been a coincidence because she worked there when we met. When I get a lock on the type safe she’ll work on getting it open.

“I’ve got to head out, but I’ll have my phone on me if you need me.” I pat her leg before I stand up. I decide to take an Uber instead of driving myself. I really need to step up my game and I’ll need alcohol . . . lots of alcohol.

* * *

I’ve been here for an hour and the only thing I’ve done is win a couple hundred dollars on the slot machines. I decide to treat myself to a nice dinner. I make my way toward Urban Fyre— the Silver Zephyr’s most popular restaurant. Braxton is the one that is in charge of it and every six months he brings in guest chefs to glam up the menu.

The hostess takes me to a little table in the bar and I take a seat. With a quick look around I’ve got a prime view of the entrance just in case he comes in or walks by.

I order a glass of red wine and their signature beef tenderloin. While I wait I pretend to be reading on my phone. My waitress sets my salad down in front of me. I smile up at her. “Thank you.”

I’m just finishing it when a hand touches my back. “Mind if I join you?” I keep my body loose and turn, letting my eyes wander over his body until I look up at his stupid handsome face.

“Sure.”

He takes his seat across from me and signals to my waitress. “Yes, Mr. Banks?”

“Bring over a bottle of Cristal and I’ll have what she’s having.” The whole time he speaks to her he keeps me locked in his stare. She nods and scurries away. “I feel like I’ve seen you everywhere lately. Do you know who I am?”

It takes everything I’ve got not to roll my eyes— he still loves himself more than he’s ever loved anything. I shake my head, “no, sorry.”

Braxton doesn’t say anything at first. I worry that I may have played that wrong and he’s going to leave. Instead he throws his head back, laughing. Fuck, why do I like that sound coming from him?

“What’s so funny?” I cross my arms in front of me.

He doesn’t answer so I push back my seat prepared to leave, but he reaches out, grabbing my wrist. I ignore the sparks that shoot up my arm and the way my nipples harden. "I wasn’t laughing at you. Sit down, gorgeous. I’m just not used to people not knowing who I am.”

His thumb strokes over the back of my hand. “Well, I’m Lara.”

“Braxton.” He turns his hand over in mine so he can shake my hand. Except Braxton doesn’t shake it, he pulls it toward his mouth, kissing the back of it. “You have got to be the most gorgeous woman I’ve seen around here.”

Our waitress comes and interrupts us with a bottle of champagne, two flutes, and one of those fancy contraptions that you set the bottle in the water and the water is spun around the bottle keeping it cold. “Leave us.” He tells her before taking the bottle, pouring us both a glass.

He hands me my glass and I take a sip, letting the bubbles tickle my tongue. I drink it down and he pours me another glass. Our dinner comes, I’m not surprised they put a rush on his.

I inhale the delicious scent and then smile at the waitress. “Thank you so much. This looks wonderful.” When I turn back to Braxton I find him watching me. “What?”

Braxton shakes his head. “Nothing at all.”

I cut into my steak and the moment I place the bite in my mouth I moan softly. Fuck that’s some good meat. Braxton is watching me, I can feel it. I set down my fork and grab my champagne.

“Tell me about yourself Lara.” Here we go— I’ve practiced my backstory so many times I could say it in my sleep.

“I grew up near Urbandale, Iowa. I went to a small high school and was a cheerleader.” I take another bite of my steak. After I swallow it, I look at him. “I came here to go to UNLV.”

“What do you do?” He’s a lot more attentive than I thought he would be.

I smile. “I’m a freelance graphic designer.” I know the bare minimum about computers. Emilie knows more about my cellphone than I do.

“Really? I didn’t peg you for the computer type.”

Our waitress comes over to check on us. “We’re fine.” Braxton says with an arrogance that makes me turn to the waitress.

“Everything is delicious. Thank you.” As soon as she walks away, I turn back to Braxton. “You could be nice to your waitstaff. I waited tables through college, and you’d be surprised how shitty people treated me just because they thought they could.”

Shit I should’ve kept my mouth shut. Now he’s going to leave . . . shit, shit, shit.

“You know most people are scared to talk to me like that.” Here it comes, the brush off. “I like it and you’re right.”

We finish and our waitress comes to take our plates. I don’t miss when he hands her a fifty-dollar bill. “Thank you, Mr. Banks.”

Braxton pulls out the bottle of champagne and tops off both of our glasses. He surprises me though when he gets up and brings his chair around to sit right next to me.

The scent of his cologne wraps around me. It’s a mixture of spice and woodsy, if that’s even a scent, but it works. I try to ignore how much I love it. He wraps his arm around the back of my chair.

“What are your plans for the rest of the night?” Braxton says, his lips against my ear. Goosebumps pop up all over my body, but I ignore them or I try to, but it’s so hard— fucker.

It’s time to turn it up a notch as I lean in close to him and place my hand on his thigh. “I’m not sure.” I’m proud of the way I sound so casual.

He brushes my hair over my shoulder and his fingers skim over the skin of my back. My pussy clenches and I mentally tell it to shut up. We’re not letting him in there again . . . ever.

The plan is to give him just enough, so he brings me upstairs. I need to be up there long enough to scope out the layout. Maybe even accidentally wander into one of the offices.

“Come hang out with me tonight.” Of course, he doesn’t ask. He just expects me to agree, but who the fuck am I kidding— I’m going to hang out with him. I just can’t fuck him, I can’t.

“Okay, I’d like that. Can you excuse me?” Braxton stands, and helps me up from my seat. “I’ll be right back.”

Chapter Four

Lara

I grab my clutch and make my way toward the restroom. Once I’m inside I suck in a breath and blow it out slowly. I quickly fix my makeup while I suck on an Altoid. After I use the bathroom I wash my hands and then dry them.

I let out a little squeak because Braxton is standing in the doorway. “What are y . . .” He cuts me off when he slams his lips down on mine. My brain immediately short-circuits as he brushes his tongue against my lips. I open to him, moaning into his mouth as his tongue brushes against mine.

All too soon the kiss is over, both of us are breathing heavily, and when I look deep into his dark eyes I feel that pull. I close my eyes to break the connection. Braxton threads his fingers in my hair. “I want you so fucking bad right now.” He whispers against my lips. “I bet your pussy tastes so fucking sweet.”

My knees are weak, but I conjure up as much strength as I can to ward him off because right now I want him to lick my pussy and that absolutely cannot happen. I just need to ditch him and go fuck someone.

Before I can do anything, he grabs my hand and pulls me down the hall and out of the restaurant. He wraps his arm around my waist and leads me toward the nightclub, Fantasy, and of course he’s ushered right in and set up in his own private little VIP section.

We’re able to see the dancefloor packed with writhing bodies as the bass thumps through the speakers. I swear I can feel myself get wet just from the music alone.

A bottle of Grey Goose VX and two highball glasses with ice and lemon twists are set in front of us. She pours some of the vodka into each glass before walking away.

I pick it up and take a sip— I’m surprised how delicious it is. I’m surprised his arm stays around my waist, keeping me close. It’s so loud I’m surprised I can hear myself think.

Braxton holds court while all of his minions come and bow to their master. Women all vie for his attention, and they can have him. I sip my vodka as I watch the people dance. I’ve always loved dancing. When all of us girls are home, we always crank the tunes and we have a dance party with Emilie.

I lean into Braxton. “I’ll be right back.”

He nods and lets go of me. I slide out of the booth and make my way down the little stairs to the dancefloor. As soon as the next song starts I start moving my hips, closing my eyes and just move to the beat.

Song after song I dance, completely forgetting what I’m supposed to be doing but right now I don’t care. Hands slide around my waist. I freeze, turning to tell whoever is touching me to get lost, but I look up into Braxton’s dark eyes.

He leans in to whisper in my ear. “At first I thought you were out here trying to tempt me with that sexy fucking body of yours, but then I could tell you were just feeling the music. I honestly think you forgot I was even here.”

Braxton and I begin moving to the music— fuck he’s a good dancer. I wind my arms around his neck, my body plastered to his, and we move. One of his hands slides down my back and over my ass.

I don’t miss his large erection pressing against my stomach. He grips my chin, “kiss me.” Braxton doesn’t wait for me to make a move. The moment our lips touch it’s like I’m transported back to the first time he kissed me— it had been after our third date, but he’s such a better kisser than he used to be.

He dominates my mouth and paired with the hand on my ass I’m putty in his hands. Before I can think better of it I cup his cheeks with my hands. When Braxton pulls away I can see the fire in his eyes.

Without a word he grabs my hand and pulls me toward the exit. He says nothing as he drags me along except to his men that come walking toward us. “I don’t want to be bothered the rest of the night.”

They nod and follow us to a separate set of elevators I’ve never seen before. He pulls a keycard out and when he swipes it the door opens, and he leads us inside. His two men try to follow us, but Braxton shakes his head.

I watch as they step out and as the door slides closed. Braxton moves fast and he’s got me up against the side of the elevator. He wraps his arm around my leg, bringing it up and over his hip.

A moan bubbles up from my chest as he attacks my mouth like before. He immediately thrusts his tongue into my mouth. I grab him by his suit jacket to pull him even closer.

The ding of the doors opening causes him to pull away from me, but then he scoops me up in his arms and carries me toward a set of double doors. He sets me down long enough to open the doors and lead me inside.

The doors slam shut and then Braxton wraps his arms around me from behind. He brushes my hair off of my neck right before I feel his lips press against my neck as his arm wraps around my waist.

“You’ve got my cock so fucking hard. You’re perfection.” He licks up the side of my neck with the tip of his tongue and then nips my earlobe when he reaches it. “If you’re going to back out, do it now.”

There’s my out, there’s my chance to leave, but fuck, my legs won’t move. My chest rises and falls. When my legs finally start to move they carry me a few feet away. He shoves his hands in the pockets of his pants and just watches me.

My eyes stay locked on his as I reach behind me and slide the zipper down. I know I’m making the biggest mistake right now, but I can’t stop myself. I slide one strap down and then the other, holding it at my breasts. Braxton bites his lower lip as he watches the sequined material slide down my body, pooling at my feet.

I leave my arms hanging down at my sides and I’m standing in front of him in only black lace panties and my stilettos.

Braxton stalks toward me like a predator. He walks around me in a slow circle, and it’s taking me a lot of inner strength to keep relaxed. Then he stops in front of me and holds out his hand.

I take his offered hand and he leads me through his penthouse to his room. He turns a light on but dims the light until the huge space is lit by a soft glow. A huge California King bed sits in the middle of the room covered in dark sheets and down comforter.

Of course, all of the furniture in his bedroom is black. I can’t look too much longer before Braxton is back in front of me. He pulls his shirt from his dress pants and unbuttons it. Fuck me, he’s lean, but ripped.

I step up to him, raking my nails down his chest. I press my lips against his chest and follow the path of my nails with my lips. When I get down on my knees I reach for his belt buckle, quickly undoing it. His cock is so hard it’s testing the strength of the stitching of his boxer briefs.

He moans as I rub my hand up and down his cotton covered cock. I grab the waistband and pull it out and down. His cock is as beautiful as I remember. I lean forward and swipe my tongue across the head, but before I can suck his cock into my mouth he picks me up and tosses me on his bed.

Braxton crawls on the bed and over me until we’re chest to chest. He grabs both of my wrists and shackles them in one of his hands. “One thing you need to learn about me is I like to be the one in control. If I want you to suck my dick, I’ll tell you.”

Before I can even respond he bends down and sucks a nipple into his mouth. I arch my neck, moaning. While he sucks on one nipple he pinches and twists the other. He switches back and forth between both nipples until my panties are so wet.

He releases my nipple with a pop and begins kissing down my stomach. When he reaches the apex of my thighs I hear him inhale. “Fuck, you smell like heaven.” Braxton licks me through the lace. I cry out, gripping his hair in my fists.

With a quick tug he rips my panties off. He holds my gaze as he bends down licking me from bottom to top. Braxton sucks my clit into his mouth and I grind against him.

He pushes two fingers inside of me and begins rubbing my G spot. “Oh God yes, right there.” The desire to pee hits me and I know what comes next. Braxton sucks my clit hard and then I explode, coming harder than I ever have before.

Stars burst behind my closed eyelids as I moan loud and long. I pant as I feel him crawl up and over me, spreading my legs and settling between them. He sucks and nips at the skin of my neck, causing goosebumps to pop up all over my body.

Braxton kisses me deep, I taste my arousal on his tongue, and I feel him move his cock over my slick pussy. He reaches out and I hear a drawer open. Once he puts the condom on he doesn’t give me any time to prepare before he’s thrusting his cock inside me.

I cry out into his mouth as he starts to fuck me slow, but hard. “Fuck baby you’ve got the tightest cunt.” He whispers hoarsely. “Put your hands above your head and hold on.”

Doing as he says I reach back and grab the slats of his headboard. “Hang on.” Is all he says before he starts hammering his cock into me. Fuck, I forgot how huge he is. On each thrust he bottoms out and it borders on pain, but the delicious kind.

Braxton grabs my thigh, lifting it so he can sink deeper inside of me. He gets up on his knees, spreading his legs as he opens mine farther and begins fucking me with abandon. With every thrust I feel him hit my clit and the desire to come again hits me hard.

“I’m gonna come.” I moan just as the pressure builds and then I explode— coming and coming. I’m barely aware of him being close to coming before he buries his face in my neck, groaning against my sweat-slickened flesh.

I whimper as he pulls out of me. “I’ll be right back.”

He walks naked into his master bath and I take that as my cue to leave as quickly as possible. On quick feet I run into the living room, grabbing my dress, and slipping it on. I’m thankful he kept my heels on. I grab my clutch from where I dropped it and am out the door quickly.

I press the button for the elevator and the doors open immediately. It’s not until I climb on and the doors slide shut that I’m able to relax. I catch my reflection in the mirror on the elevator and I look like someone who has been thoroughly fucked.

When the doors open downstairs, I walk on quick feet toward the exit where my Uber should be waiting. It’s not until I’m reaching for my front door that I realize I didn’t even look for the offices.

Chapter Five

Lara

Everyone is asleep when I get home. I quietly head upstairs and quickly take a shower, washing Braxton off of me. Under the hot spray I let my tears fall when I remember the day I realized he hadn’t been in love with me— I was nothing but a joke.

I check myself one more time before I head out to meet Braxton for our date. Who would’ve thought that the one boy who loved torturing me and picking on me throughout school would turn out to be the love of my life.

My cheeks heat up when I think about all of the times I’ve been with him sexually. I was a virgin before him, and the first time we made love he was so sweet and tender with me. I didn’t know what to expect, but he’d taken such good care of me and had made me feel so special and above all else, loved.

I touch the diamond pendent around my neck and smile. He’d given it to me last week and I had cried like a baby. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. He’d only gotten it for me because he’d been out, saw it, and couldn’t imagine anyone else wearing it.

Mom pulls into the driveway and I cringe when I see her. Her hair is a ratted mess, her makeup is smeared, and she wobbles on the stripper heels she’s wearing. I open the door before she reaches it. “Hey Momma.”

“Hi my beautiful baby girl. Don’t you look pretty.” She kisses my cheek and I hold my breath. Between the scent of BO, cigarettes, and booze she reeks.

“Thank you.” I look at the clock on the wall. “I need to go, but are you gonna be okay?”

She smiles and I don’t miss that one of her front teeth is starting to turn a greyish color. “Of course, baby. Don’t worry about me.”

I watch her ping pong down the hall toward the bathroom. Sadness washes over me because she never used to be like this. Sure, we were always poor, but she took care of herself and me. Our clothes may have been from Goodwill, or churches when they had clothing drives, but she always made sure we were clean and presentable.

Now she bounces from one dirt bag to another and I swear I think she’s a prostitute. I don’t ask though because I don’t know how I’d react to that news. I only hope and pray that someday Braxton will take us away from here so we can start a new life together.

Mom and I share the car so I grab the keys from her purse that she left in the hallway. “Mom I’m leaving.” I call through the bathroom door.

I hear her muffled goodbye and head out into the unbearable Vegas heat. Our car doesn’t have air conditioning but luckily she left the windows down. I grab my bottle of Febreze from under the seat and give the interior a quick spray, hoping to mask the smell from my mother.

Nerves assail me as I make my way toward Galaxy. The restaurant Braxton took me to for our first date. I know we’re only eighteen, but I swear I feel like something special is going to happen. He asked me to meet him there instead of picking me up.

That stinker is going to surprise me, I know it. When I pull into the parking lot I opt to park myself instead of using the valet. I’m always embarrassed of our piece of crap car.

That’s okay though because I got accepted with a full ride to Nevada State College where I’ll be going to become a radiation therapist. Once I graduate I’ll be able to get a good job somewhere far away from here. My only hope is Braxton will come with me.

I know his father expects him to take over running the Silver Zephyr, but he told me that’s not what he wants. He told me one night lying in my bed as he held me— that he wanted to go into law enforcement, but his dad wouldn’t pay for school if that’s what he went for.

My mom may be a mess but at least she believes in me enough to make my own decisions. I check myself in my rearview mirror. I kept my makeup light— Braxton likes it that way and have a light pink gloss on my lips.

My chestnut brown hair is down in loose curls just the way he likes it. I’m wearing the fanciest dress I own— a lavender and pink swirly designed maxi dress— it makes me look not so chubby even though Braxton says he loves my curves.

I make my way inside and stop at the hostess stand. “Hi, I’m meeting my boyfriend here. Braxton Banks.”

“Oh yes, they’re in the party room. It’s toward the back and through the double doors.”

They’re? I thought it was just going to be us. His friends don’t like him being with me so we spend a lot of time alone. I hate it because they are his friends, but they were always mean to me. Especially before Braxton and I started dating.

I slowly push open the door and step inside. The second the door closes behind me I feel tears fill my eyes. There’s a picture of me up on the wall, one that Braxton took of me. I’m lying on my stomach smiling at the camera. It’s very obvious I’m naked.

In red marker are the words whore and slut. A speech bubble is by my mouth and it says, “moo.”

“Did you really think that I was in love with you?” I bite my lip to keep it from wobbling. “No one could love a fat, bucked tooth, loser like you.” Braxton comes toward me. His eyes are so cold and I back up as he comes closer. He reaches out grabbing the necklace, pulling it from my neck, and causing me to gasp. “Get out of here Larissa. Go back to that fucking pathetic excuse for a mother.”

He grabs me by my upper arm. “Please B-Braxton. Why a-are you doing this?” A sob escapes my lips. “I-I love you.”

“Fuck, you’re pathetic.” He leans in close. “Did you really ever think I could love you? Shit, you’re so gross I’m surprised I could even get my dick hard.” His laugh causes my heart to shatter and the next thing I know he’s pushing me through the open door.

I cover my mouth to muffle my crying as the hot water runs over my body. Once my tears stop I turn the water temperature to as hot as I can stand it and proceed to rub my skin raw, washing every bit of him off of me.

I rinse off I climb out and wrap my towel around my body. In my room I change into a pair of cotton sleep shorts and a tank top. I quietly step across the hall and climb into bed with Emilie.

I reach out and brush her hair out of her face. My daughter saved my life— after Braxton had humiliated me, I had been in such a dark place but becoming her momma gave me purpose.

I roll her little body until her back is against my chest. I kiss the top of her head and smile. Her hair smells like strawberries. In no time I, thankfully, feel my eyes get heavy.

* * *

It’s been a week since I made the mistake of sleeping with Braxton and thankfully he doesn’t know who I am so he can’t find me. I told Asia I needed a little break from everything, but I didn’t share why.

Emilie and I are heading to stay at Planet Hollywood and then going to see Gwen Stefani at the Zappo’s Theater tonight. I need this time with my girl and I’m looking forward to us getting pampered tomorrow.

“Mommy?” My daughter asks from the back seat.

“Yes, baby?”

“Can we have steak tonight?” Emilie loves steak. She’s a total meat and potatoes girl.

“Of course.”

When we reach the hotel I hand my keys to the valet and help my girl out of the car. Hand in hand we walk into the hotel. Our room faces the strip and Emilie presses her face against the window, checking it out. “Mommy come look.” Her voice is laced with wonder.

I step up behind her and look outside. I don’t dare tell her that the thrill of Vegas never appealed to me. The Silver Zephyr is in the distance and my stomach turns. Sleeping with Braxton has awoken those feelings that have long since been buried, but luckily my hatred for him overrides every bit of love I have ever felt for him.

“Okay, let’s get ready.”

She pumps her little fist in the air, making me laugh.

We ride the elevator downstairs and I smile at our reflection in the mirror. She wanted us to look like twinzies so that’s what she got. I put both of our hair up into buns on top of our heads.

I gave us both dewy looking cheeks and pink gloss on both of our lips. Emilie’s maxi dress is pink and cream swirls and her sandals are tan. My maxi dress is covered in blue and white paisleys and my sandals are white wedges.

We head into the steakhouse and luckily we’re able to get a table. Our waitress takes our drink order and then disappears. “This place is nice Mommy.”

“It is isn’t it. Are you hungry?”

She nods. “I want a big steak, and a side of macaroni and cheese.”

I seriously don’t know where she puts it. Emilie is on the tall side and skinny. I was chubby through my childhood and teens, but that was from my poor diet because I had to take care of myself for the most part. I ate what was easy and cheap.

Braxton’s always been fit and I’m sure she gets it from him. Our waitress comes and takes our order. I’d love to have a big steak and some mac and cheese, but instead I order salmon and veggies.

Emilie tells me about a boy at school that she likes and I want to tell her to stay away from him because boys turn into evil men. Oh I’m sure there are good guys out there, but not for me. “That’s nice, baby. Does he treat you right?”

She nods while smiling. “He always gives me his snack and we sit together every day at lunch.”

“Well maybe we can set up a playdate with you two.”

Emilie claps excitedly and continues to clap because our waitress just brought us our food. The waitress smiles at her and then at me, “Does everything look okay?”

“Yes, it looks great. Thank you.”

After I cut up her steak I set it back in front of her. My girl digs in with gusto and I take a bite of my fish, wishing it was steak. While I chew my bite of food the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

I glance around the restaurant, but don’t see anyone lurking around or anyone staring at us. I ignore it and turn back to my meal and my daughter.

An hour later and we’re heading toward our seats. This is Emilie’s first concert and I splurged on good seats. She has a prime view of the stage. Her soda is clutched tightly in her hands and she’s now sporting a Gwen t-shirt over her dress.

I sip my vodka tonic and we wait for the show to start.

After the concert is over Emilie is grinning from ear to ear. She loved every second and even though she didn’t know a lot of the songs she still shook her little booty. My throat feels sore from singing along, but it was worth it.

We make our way back toward the hotel and are waiting for the elevator to open when that creepy feeling comes back over me. Once again, I look around but see no one. I’m not sure what I’m looking for, but nothing seems to be out of place.

Chapter Six

Lara

I’m back at the Zephyr. I sit down at a video poker machine and put my card in. I begin hitting the button as my eyes scan the floor. Asia knows now that I had fucked Braxton and it kind of messed my head up a bit.

I told her I was going to have to come up with another plan, but I needed a little bit of time. Asia showed me the security card that she lifted from her “boyfriend” and duplicated it on this little device she has. She did it so fast he didn’t even know it was missing.

Now my plan is to let him see me, he may not approach because I’ve never seen him with the same woman twice. I’m hoping— well I don’t know what I’m hoping. I was supposed to meet him and start earning his trust to be in his inner circle.

Instead, I let my hormones take over and did something extremely stupid. I’m up five hundred dollars when I feel someone tap me on the shoulder. It’s a man in a black suit. “Please come with me.” I pull my card and shove it in my clutch right before he grabs me by my bicep.

My heart hammers in my chest as he leads me through the casino toward the private elevator I rode with Braxton. “W-Where am I going? What did I do?”

As we step onto the elevator he says firmly. “Mr. Banks would like to see you.” The doors slide shut and I feel my stomach pitch. What’s he going to do to me? When the elevator stops and the doors slide open I freeze.

Braxton is standing there his eyes so dark it scares me. He grabs my hand and yanks me out of the elevator. The doors slide shut and it’s just the two of us.

Braxton moves fast and suddenly he’s caging me in against the closed elevator doors. “Explain yourself.”

“W-What?”

“Why did you leave?” He’s so close his chest is brushing against my breasts. The scent of whiskey comes from his mouth. My brain short circuits and I grab his face bringing it down to mine. I kiss his lips with gusto and thrust my tongue into his mouth.

Braxton lets me control the kiss for about two seconds before taking over. He grabs my leg, hoisting it over his hip, and he grinds his hard cock against my pussy. His lips travel to my ear. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about your sweet cunt. I’ve craved you. I’ve woken up with the taste of you still in my mouth.”

I whimper because as much as I hate him, I have craved him too. “Please I need you.” I’m begging, but for what?

“Fuck yeah you do.” He slams his lips back down on mine. The sound of his belt buckle echoes in the lobby of his floor. He then reaches under my dress, ripping my panties off.

In a flash he’s inside of me. I wrap my arms around his head as he lifts my leg again, pulling his cock almost all of the way out before driving his dick into me over and over.

Braxton grips my hair at the base of my skull and keeps eye contact with me as he fucks me roughly. Over and over he pounds into me until I explode, crying out as my orgasm flows through every inch of my body.

He thrusts once, twice, and then buries himself balls deep inside of me coming over and over inside of me while a ragged groan slips from his lips. When he stops fucking me the only sound that can be heard is both of our panting breaths.

His softening cock slips from my body and he lets my leg down. Braxton kisses me slowly, sweetly, but I pull away. I don’t want him being sweet. He needs to be the same evil asshole he’s always been. “That can’t happen again.” I growl.

Braxton laughs softly, “Okay babe, if you say so.” He removes his condom and then tucks his cock back in his pants. He grabs my hand and drags me down a long hall. We step inside a large office, and he leads me over to a chaise lounge against the wall.

“I have a little work to do and I don’t want you running off.” I roll my eyes and cross my arms defensively over my chest, but then I realize where I’m at and I sit back and start casually looking around.

His office is bigger than our living room and dining room combined. Braxton has a wall of monitors that show the casino floor— that are, obviously, how he knew I was here— dammit. “Were there cameras on us out there?” I make myself appear mortified.

Braxton doesn’t look up from his computer. “No, the only cameras up here are on the safes.”

Safes, plural, I’m going to have to talk to Asia about this. I think we need to rethink our plan. “Hmph . . . good.”

He gets up and comes to sit next to me. Braxton places his hand on my thigh, making my pussy quiver. I’ll just keep fucking him until the job is done and then Emilie and I will be gone. No harm in that . . . right?

I feel his lips touch my ear. “Why did you leave me that night? I wasn’t done with you yet.”

“I figured you were the one and done type.” I whimper as he nips at my neck. “I left before you could kick me out. I’m the one who leaves.”

His hand lands on my thigh and slowly moves up as he licks and nips at my skin. “One time was not nearly enough time with you. I think I’m going to need seconds, thirds, and possibly fourths.”

I spread my legs enough for him to reach my bare pussy, stroking it, and making me moan. His fingers glide through my arousal and then he rubs my clit.

“Boss we nee . . . Sorry to interrupt.” A man I’ve never seen before, in a black suit, stands in the doorway.

I try to close my legs, but Braxton keeps rubbing me. Even when I try to push his hand away, he keeps it right where it’s at.

“Give me five minutes. I’ll be right there.” The other man leaves immediately, leaving us alone. “Sorry about that. Where were we?”

“Yeah I don’t think so.” I shove him back enough to stand up. On quick feet I head out of his office and move toward the elevator.

“Stop walking away from me.” Braxton grabs my upper arm and turns me around to face him. “What did I tell you? I’m not done with you yet.”

I yank my arm from his hold. “I don’t give a fuck.” I press the down button, tapping my foot while I wait for it to open.

He spins me around, his hand going around my throat, not hard, but enough to show me who is in control. He pins me to the elevator doors and leans in close, “I always get what I want, Larissa.”

The doors open, I step on, and I hit the down button. We lock eyes as the doors slide shut. It’s not until I step off the elevator downstairs that I freeze. “He called me Larissa.” I whisper.

I hustle out of the casino like my ass is on fire. The whole way home I feel sick. Does he know I’m playing him? How does he know who I really am? I pull up in front of the house and rush inside.

Holly is sitting in the living room with Emilie asleep next to her with her head on her auntie’s lap. “She had a nightmare.”

My eyes burn— I should’ve been here with her, not having sex with her dad. “What was it about?” I whisper as I sit down on the other end of the sofa and pick her up until her head is in my lap so I can stroke her hair.

“She said she couldn’t find you and she was scared because there was a monster chasing her.”

“Thank you for taking care of her.” I reach out and grab her hand. “I love you.”

Holly smiles and squeezes my hand. “I love you, and I love that little munchkin. You guys are my family.”

“Ditto. Can I tell you something I should’ve told you a long time ago?” She nods and I proceed to tell her about Braxton, his betrayal, and that he’s why I picked the Silver Zephyr. “I shouldn’t have kept it from you, but I was afraid if you all knew that it could make things complicated. Asia’s the only one who knows.”

“That’s why after you changed your looks you changed your name.” Again, I nod. “I’m sad that you couldn’t tell me the truth, but I get it. That also makes the end game much more satisfying. Let’s take all of that fucker’s money.”

Chapter Seven

Braxton

“Larissa Peters.” I whisper after the doors shut. I’d suspected that was her after seeing her at the gym. With her makeup on and hair done it’s difficult to see it, but fresh faced and make up free I fucking knew it was her. Plus, I’d never forget her voice.

What really clenched it was the first time I sank my cock into her tight pussy. Where has she been the past six plus years? The last time I saw her was the night we let it be known that we played her. My buddies, guys I don’t even talk to anymore, had bet me that I could get her to fall in love with me and give me her virginity.

I was an asshole and hurt her— then she just disappeared. What is she doing coming around now? It’s no secret that she knows my family owns this casino. She is clearly pretending not to know me, but why?

In my office I walk toward the monitors and watch them. I spot Larissa as she practically runs out of the casino. I pull out my cellphone.

“Yeah boss.”

“The blonde that was just up here took off through the casino. She’s heading toward the parking garage. I want you to follow her. Report back with her address.” I don’t even wait for his response. Blake is loyal to me and he’ll find her.

My phone rings and when I see the display, I roll my eyes. “Yes?”

“Is that anyway to speak to me? No fucking respect.”

I rub my eye as it starts to twitch, which is a common occurrence when I’m dealing with my father. We have a love/hate relationship and lately it’s been more hate. He’s a lying, conniving piece of shit and he’s been riding my ass for the past year about handing over the reins to me for good.

“What can I do for you, I’m busy.”

Dad sighs, “Busy what? Fucking the whores that you pick up? The blonde tonight looked familiar maybe I’ve fucked her too.”

I curl my hand into a fist. What I wouldn’t give to choke the shit out of him. Larissa hated my father— therefore he’d only be lucky enough to fuck her. “Yeah I doubt it. She’s new in town.”

“So territorial. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you had a thing for this one.” I hear rustling around. “Remember to wrap it up I helped you dodge a bullet when you were eighteen, I don’t need to do it again.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? What bullet did you help me dodge?” My eye twitches, and why do I fear what he’s about to tell me.

“That girl you tricked into sleeping with you. Fuck, I don’t remember her name. She was chubby and poor. It was pretty fucking funny watching her follow you around like a lost puppy. Anyway she showed up one day and said she was pregnant. I told her to get rid of it and don’t ever come back or I’d have her found an unfit parent and I’d take the child and put it up for adoption. She never came back around— she probably aborted it. You’re welcome.”

I’m speechless— I don’t know what to fucking say. I need to speak to Larissa. “I have to go.” I disconnect the call and press the down button.

I send Blake a quick text.

Braxton: Any luck? He’s probably driving.

While I wait to hear back from Blake, I have Hunter go get the car and meet me out front. A fire swirls in my belly and I want answers from her. As I step outside I look at my phone and see a text.

Blake: I’m sitting in front of her house. She didn’t see me. What do you want me to do?

That’s the million-dollar question.

Braxton: Text me her address. I’m on my way. Then you can head back to the casino.

Blake does what I say and when Hunter pulls up I climb inside. The whole drive there I have no clue what I’m going to say. There seems to be this web of lies surrounding her.

Thirty minutes later we pull down a residential street and we pull up in front of a Spanish style home. I get out of the car and bend down to speak to Hunter. “I’ll text you when I’m ready for you to come and get me.”

“You’ve got it boss.”

As soon as he pulls away I turn to stare at the house. I stick my phone in my jacket pocket and walk up to the front door. I knock, waiting for someone to answer. The front porch light comes on and a blonde woman answers the door. “Where is she?”

I push past her and freeze. Larissa is sitting on the sofa with a little girl’s head in her lap. She freezes when she sees me, except to wrap an arm around the little girl. “She’s mine?” I look down at the sleeping child.

Larissa closes her eyes and nods, slowly. “Y-Yes. Her name is Emilie.”

“Did you do it on purpose?”

I don’t miss the fire in her eyes. “God, no. I was eighteen. I had no business having a baby. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t work my ass off to take care of her.” She looks at the blonde. “Can you take Emilie upstairs?”

“Are you sure you want to be alone with him?” I can feel her eyes on me, but I keep my eyes on Larissa or Lara.

She nods and then stands up with our daughter in her arms before she transfers Emilie to the blonde’s arms. The child is so tired she doesn’t even move. Larissa sweeps her dark hair out of her face and kisses the little girl.

Once they disappear I step toward Larissa. “Why the lie? Why is this all different?” I signal to her whole body.

“How did you know it was me?”

She backs away from me, but I keep advancing on her. “That day at the gym I knew I recognized you, but I couldn’t remember where I knew you from. The first time I sank inside that hot pussy of yours I knew exactly who you were.”

“W-Why didn’t you say anything?”

I shrug, “I wanted to see where this was all going. Tell me what you’re up to.” I’m not asking her, I’m telling her.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

I cage her in against the wall. “Don’t fucking lie to me. I know you just didn’t show up out of the blue— you knew who I was.”

“Yes, I knew who you were, but I wasn’t playing any games.”

I take a deep breath. “My father told me what he told you when you were pregnant. Is that why you stayed away?”

She shakes her head and then nods it. “You threw me away why would I want you around my baby. Yes, I wanted you to know because it was the right thing to do, but honestly, I figured you would’ve reacted the same way your father did. My daughter wasn’t going to know that kind of rejection.” Larissa places her hands on my chest and pushes. “Now back up.”

“I want to meet her.” I’ve never in my life wanted to have children but knowing that upstairs my daughter sleeps I want to meet her, to know her.

She doesn’t say anything at first. Then she shakes her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. When you walk away from her I don’t want her confused about why.”

“Who says I’m going to walk away?”

“Listen I know you, and the type of man you are. My daughter is not going to be a pawn in any mindfuck game you want to play with her or me. I played that game remember and I fucking lost.”

I lean down and hold her eyes. “Oh baby you don’t have any idea about the type of man I am.” I lower my voice, “but you’ll find out soon enough.”

I’ll let her stew on that as I turn around and walk right out of her house. I text Hunter to come back and get me. He wasn’t far because he pulls up a few minutes later, and I climb in the car. “Hunter, I want you to find everything you can on Larissa Renee Peters and her daughter Emilie.”

“Yes sir.” We pull away and I need to come up with a plan.

Chapter Eight

Lara/Larissa

It’s been two days since I’ve seen Braxton and I’m on edge. Is he staying silent because he’s planning something? A part of me keeps waiting for a lawyer or policeman to show up and try to take my daughter.

I’ve wanted to keep her home from school, but I don’t need her being anxious like me. Instead I wait until she’s at school before I get high, hoping it calms me down.

Asia calls my name and asks me to come downstairs. I get up from my bed and walk downstairs. I find her, Holly, and Amber sitting in the living room. “Oh God is this an intervention?” I joke as I sit down next to Holly.

“I want you to hear us out before you say anything.” Asia says before sitting down across from me. “Braxton knows who you are. That throws a wrench in our plans. We need you to date him, let him get close to you and Emilie. That’s the only way you’re going to get close enough to him to find out more about those safes up in his offices.”

I bite my lower lip and ball my hands into fists. “You guys want me to include my daughter in our plan?” I’m getting angry just thinking about it. “Do you have any idea what that could do? Braxton’s father once said he’d prove me to be unfit and then take my daughter. He’s a bastard and would still do it.”

“Talk to Braxton. Tell him you want him to meet his daughter, but with the understanding that he can’t tell his father.” This comes from Amber.

I close my eyes and steeple my fingers as I lean forward. “I need to think about this. I . . . we’ve all tried to protect her from everything we’ve done. What happens if this backfires? What if they try to take my girl from me?”

“We won’t let that happen.” Holly says, her voice laced with conviction.

I want to believe her, I want to believe they’d do whatever it takes to protect my daughter, but Braxton III is a powerful man. Braxton has always been under his father’s thumb— who is to say that it wouldn’t happen again, but my daughter would pay the price.

“The minute I feel like my daughter is in danger I’m out and we’re gone.” I stomp up the stairs and go to my closet. What does one wear when she’s out to seduce the asshole who broke her heart, and also the father of her child? It can’t be too sexy because I don’t want sex to cloud my brain.

I settle on black skinny jeans, a white tank top, and royal blue baggy, light cotton, three-quarter sleeve cardigan. I throw on some black toeless ankle booties. My makeup is more natural with the exception of my red lips.

My blonde locks are in soft beach waves and hang down my back. I take a deep breath and grab my purse. “Holly, can you pick up Emilie?” I ask as I step down the stairs.

“Of course.” She walks toward me. “I won’t let anything happen to our girl, you know that right?”

I grab Holly and pull her into a hug. “I know.” I whisper. “Tell Emilie that if I can’t be here by bedtime I’ll call her.”

“You’ve got it babe.”

Out in my car I crank the air conditioner and pull out of the driveway. The whole drive to the Zephyr I pump myself up to do what I have to. I leave my car with the valet and head inside the casino. I’m on a mission as I move through the main floor and head to the elevator that leads up to Braxton’s.

A man in a black suit stands in front of the elevator. He stops me when I reach for the button. “Can I help you?”

“I need to speak to Braxton.” I try to keep my voice carefree sounding. “I’m a friend of his.”

“He’s on his way down right now.”

I step back and wait for the doors to open. A minute later a ding signals the arrival of the elevator— the doors slide open and I immediately feel sick. Braxton is standing there with a leggy brunette in a tiny dress. His arm is wrapped around her.

When his eyes meet mine they widen. I shake my head then laugh, it’s a harsh sound, and I start walking away.

“Larissa, wait up.” I hear Braxton shout, but I ignore him. There’s a big group up ahead and I use them to disappear.

I hide out for a while in the gift shop before it’s finally safe for me to leave. Why did it hurt to see him with someone else? Fuck, it hurt bad. I knew this was a bad idea, but those three women have been there for me when I didn’t have anyone, and I owed it to them to help pull this job.

My mom died shortly after Emilie was born. She never took care of herself, even for me, and her granddaughter. By the time we found out, she was already in end stage liver failure. She died within three months. I had to pawn most everything we had to pay for her to be cremated.

I shake off thoughts of my mom, and drive home. When I get back I quickly climb out of my car. Inside I find my baby girl sitting at the kitchen table eating an apple. “Hi my beautiful girl. I thought maybe you and I could go for a hike. How does that sound?”

“Hi Mommy. Yes, that sounds awesome.”

I go upstairs to change and to grab some clothes for Emilie. I quickly throw on my Fleo shorts that are black with pink flamingos on them and a pink racerback tank top. On my feet I wear my black Nikes.

In Emilie’s room I grab her some pink jogging shorts and a purple t-shirt. She comes up a moment later and I hang up her uniform after she takes it off. I quickly braid her hair and then we take off.

When we’re halfway down the street a black sports car races by— I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s Braxton, but fuck him.

With the skill of a Nascar driver I manage to get to a spot deep in another neighborhood where I can hide out for at least long enough for him to know that I’m not home.

I wait ten minutes before I pull away and we head to Red Rock Canyon. “Mommy it’s so pretty here.”

“It is isn’t it. Let’s go walking baby.”

Hand in hand we walk the trail at a leisurely pace. We get to a spot that overlooks everything and we stop to enjoy the view. “Mom wants to talk to you about something.” I tell her. My stomach turns thinking about what to say to her.

“What is it?” She looks up at me with eyes identical to her dad’s. “Are we going on a trip?”

I smile and shake my head. “Not yet, but soon. I wanted to talk to you about your daddy.”

“My daddy’s in heaven with Grandma.”

I’m the worst parent ever. I never should’ve lied to her, but I never thought she’d meet him. Why get her hopes up about possibly having a daddy and then have him let her down— or worse— hurt her like he hurt me.

“Your daddy isn’t in heaven. I found him and he wants to meet you. Do you want to meet him?” I squat down in front of her.

“Does my daddy want to meet me?” Her eyes sparkle with so much joy and happiness I can’t take it.

“He does, very much.”

Emilie throws her arms around me and squeals right in my ear. “I have a daddy.” She whispers.

My phone rings and I grab it, I don’t recognize the number, but I’m certain I know exactly who it is. “Hello?”

“Where are you?”

“Red Rock Canyon, Emilie and I decided to take a little hike. I just got done telling her that you’d like to meet her.”

“Is that my daddy on the phone?” Emilie chirps in the background.

“Was that her?” Braxton asks. The tone in his voice a lot gentler than any tone I’ve ever heard him use.

I tilt my head back. “Yes, that’s her.”

“I’ll be there in thirty minutes.” He disconnects before I can say anything else. We head back down the trail and I grab our water and snacks.

I watch her happily munch on her peanut butter crackers when that black Audi from earlier pulls up next to my car. Braxton climbs out in grey basketball shorts and a black t-shirt that molds to his lean muscled chest.

Emilie sees him and jumps up, running over to him. “Hi. I’m Emilie.”

My girl has never met a stranger and I approach them, worried about how he’s going to react to her. Instead he shocks me by getting down on his haunches in front of her. “That’s a beautiful name, for a beautiful girl. My name is Braxton, I’m your dad.”

She throws herself into his arms and he hugs her tight to his chest. He looks at me, his eyes unreadable, and then he closes them— like he’s savoring this moment. I look away before my feelings get all jumbled up again.

He doesn’t want me, he’s a man whore, and that’s fine— whatever, but I’m not going to be one of many, I can’t be, I deserve better than that. I let them have their moment and walk back over to the picnic table, grabbing my bottle of water.

When Braxton stands up he’s got Emilie in his arms. He walks over to me. “Do you ladies have plans for the rest of the evening?”

I shake my head.

“Good let’s go back to my place and we’ll order dinner.” He looks at Emilie. “Does that sound good?”

“It’s a great idea.” My daughter can’t contain her excitement but nausea pools in my belly.

“What about your dad?” I ask quietly. “He’s obviously going to know that she belongs to you. How long before he realizes who I really am? Is he going to make good on his threats from before?” Fuck me, I should’ve thought better of this. Plus, I still have a fucking job to do.

“Don’t you worry about him. I’ll handle it if I need to.” He seems sincere, but I also know that he can be real convincing when he wants to be and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

All I know is I’m going to have my guard up at all times, because if Braxton Banks II tries to pull any shit I’ll make him sorry he was born.

Chapter Nine

Larissa

While my daughter talks Braxton’s ear off during her tour of his penthouse and his office I make mental notes of everything I see. One of the cronies brought our pizza up a half hour ago and while Emilie scarfed down two pieces of cheese, I picked at one piece and then rolled my eyes while Braxton ate his with a fork and knife.

When they finished eating, Braxton wiped off Emilie’s face with a napkin and wouldn’t stop smiling about it. All I could think was, who was this man and what did he do with the devil himself?

Now I follow sedately behind them, typing out messages to Holly about the lay out of the office and where the video cameras were. I delete the thread after Holly tells me she got the messages. I don’t need Braxton “accidentally” looking at my phone and seeing something that could bust me.

“Mommy look at all the TVs.”

I step into his office and when my eyes land on the chaise lounge, I feel my cheeks heat up. I remember what happened the last time I was right there. Ignoring it, I turn to the monitors on the wall.

Asia appears on screen and I turn Emilie away before she sees her aunt and blows this for us, of course, it’s not her fault. I sit down on the end of the chaise lounge and watch Braxton take my daughter over to the safe.

From the looks of it it’ll require his thumbprint, and that’s easy enough. I’ll just need to find something I can lift it with. When it opens, I try not to seem too eager to look inside.

“Wow, that’s a lot of dollars.” Emilie smiles up at her dad and then looks at me. “Mommy look.”

I pretend to be uninterested. “Yes, I see that baby.”

Braxton pulls out a little box and opens it. “These were my mom’s.” He shows her whatever is in it.

“Does that mean I have a grandma? Mommy’s mom went to heaven when I was a baby.” My eyes burn at the mention of my mom.

“I didn’t know that.” Braxton says quietly. Of course, he wouldn’t, how could he when he cast me aside like I was garbage. “My mom went to heaven too.” His mom couldn’t take her husband’s mental abuse and his very public infidelity and committed suicide when Braxton was thirteen.

“Oh, I’m sorry Daddy.” Fuck, I’m not ready for her to call him Daddy at all. I want to tell her to call him Braxton, but I don’t. My precious, kind-hearted girl throws her arms around him, hugging him tight.

We need to get out of here. “Baby why don’t you say goodbye to Braxton and thank him for the pizza and the grand tour.” I stand up.

“You’re leaving?” Braxton stands up, walking toward me with Emilie’s hand in his.

I nod, “She’s got school in the morning and she takes her shower before bed. You’ll see her again.” Not if I can help it, I think to myself.

“When can I see both of you again?”

I shrug, “During the week she’s obviously got school, but I guess you could see her this weekend.”

Braxton moves until our bodies are practically touching. “I want to see you again, too.”

“Emilie why don’t you go press the button for the elevator and I’ll be right there.” She hugs Braxton around the waist and skips out of his office. “Listen, it was fun, but I don’t really share so let’s just call it quits and focus on you knowing your daughter.”

He wraps his arm around me and grabs my hair at the base of my skull, forcing my head back. Braxton leans in so close his breath tickles my lips. “She’s nobody and I’ve never fucked her, or at least not recently. It’s nice to know that you’re jealous.” His cocky grin makes me want to stab him with something sharp.

I laugh harshly and try to shove him away. “I’m definitely not jealous.”

“Fine you’re not jealous, but we are going to fuck again because if I close my eyes I can still taste you on my tongue and I can still feel your tight cunt wrapped around my cock. Remember what I said I always get what I want.”

Our kiss is hard and urgent, and I’ll never admit that this is all it takes for my pussy to be aching and wet. He pulls back, and I mutter, “Fine, I’ll be back at ten.”

“Good. Wear something like this. It’s a good look on you.”

I roll my eyes and turn to walk away, yelping when his hand smacks my ass. Ugh, why do I like that? He follows me to the elevators where Emilie is standing by the doors. “Are you ready to go?” I ask her when she sees us.

“Yep, I can’t wait to tell Auntie Holly, Auntie Asia, and Auntie Amber that I finally have a daddy.” She runs back to Braxton and hugs him tight. “Can I sleepover?”

He picks her up. “Maybe we can have a sleepover this weekend.”

She throws her little arms up in the air and screams, “Yes!” After Emilie hugs him Braxton sets her down and the doors slide open. The three of us step onto the elevator and ride it downstairs. He leads us to where we parked and opens the door for our daughter who climbs in and buckles her seatbelt. “I’ll see you this weekend, okay. Your mom has my number so you can call me anytime.”

“Okay, bye Daddy.” I smile as I shut her door.

Braxton smiles at her and then turns to me. I step in close, whispering, “If you hurt her I will destroy you.” I walk around to my side. “I’ll see you later.”

* * *

I ride the elevator up to the penthouse and I don’t know why but my heart is racing and I’m nervous.

Earlier after Emilie’s bath she called Braxton and they talked for a few minutes before she started yawning. She told her dad she loved him and that she’d see him later. When she hung up I tucked her in, read her a story, and then crept out of her room.

I took a quick shower and then put on another pair of Fleo shorts and a tank top. Instead of tennis shoes I opted for flip flops. I don’t know why he wants me to come looking like this— I don’t like being around him without my armor.

When the elevator dings the doors slide open and Braxton is standing on the other side, looking as sinful as ever. He’s wearing jeans that are worn in all the right places. His signature black t-shirt stretches across his chest.

He grabs my hand and pulls me close, kissing me deeply. Our tongues tangle and I moan into his mouth. His fingers sink into my hair and he grabs handfuls, holding me immobile.

When we finally break apart, he leads me quietly toward his office. “What are we doing?” I ask.

He leads me silently into the room. I move to sit down on the chaise lounge but Braxton stops me. He situates me in front of the monitors. I feel his lips against my ear. “Watch this.”

My eyes are glued to the monitor as my image comes up on the screen. The first is from my first night scoping out the floor. I may or may not have lifted a wallet from an asshole who kept following me around.

The second is one night I played poker with a group of college douche bags and took all their money and then let the hottest one take me up to his room and fuck me all night long. Braxton has video of us in front of his door and then disappearing inside.

My heart starts hammering away in my chest. There are several more clips just like that. Plus the one from the night the married asshole and I had sex and then I stole money from his wallet.

“W-Why are you showing me this?” I whisper.

He kisses my neck as the other monitors kick on. Amber and Asia both appear on the screens. Braxton’s hands grab me by my hips and then slide around the front and up until he’s cupping my breast, pinching my nipples.

I know he’s fucking with my head right now. He’s making me feel discombobulated. “B-Braxton what-what’s going on?”

“Baby are you planning on stealing from me?” One hand stays on my breast and the other slides down, rubbing my clit through my shorts. “You know what’s going to happen now, don’t you?”

Fear overwhelms me but mixed with the sexual desire flowing through me my body is short circuiting. I come with a sharp cry and he milks it from me until I sag in his arms.

“W-What’s going to happen,” I whisper, I pull back and turn to face him. “Are you going to hurt me?”

He shakes his head. “No.” Braxton stalks toward me as I back away. “But you’re going to pay.”

Well shit.

The End for now???

Luck of the Draw

Flora Burgos

Chapter One

Sunday

“That’s it, Rico, I’m done. Over it. No more. I want out.”

I announced this as I stomped into my boss’s office, yanking long dangly, shimmery earrings from my lobes and letting the door slam shut behind me.

I shoved them into my handbag, and without looking up, I bent over and unbuckled the strap on first one outrageously high thin heel and then the other before turning back to open the door once more. I lobbed them back out the door and into the hallway.

Slamming the door shut once more, I straightened and smoothed a hand down the skirt of my tight, tiny, blood-red dress. I hated wearing stuff like this to stand at the arm of some gross, rich man who thought he could buy whatever and whoever he wanted simply because he had the money.

I was an escort, not a prostitute, and it was a distinction that some of my clientele didn’t seem able to grasp.

In a full-on rant, I moved deeper into the room and kept complaining, dancing from foot to foot while shoving down one thigh-high. I kicked out my foot several times and shook it off, hopping again to push the other down, “I’m sick and tired of men who can’t take no for an answer. So, fuck it, I’m done. It’s time to swallow my pride and go back home to Indiana to my alcoholic, bat shit crazy dad, and take a job waiting tables at Beula’s. I swear! If one more creep tries to shove his shriveled hand up my dress—“

I looked up in the middle of my crazy lady rant after tossing the second thigh-high in the general area of the patent red leather couch, and it was then that I realized my boss wasn’t alone.

Across from him sat a man who, at a quick glance, looked to be in his mid-thirties. He was the sexiest thing I’d ever laid eyes on, and my face heated in mortification right along with the rest of me.

He had a serious face, all rigid lines, and steely gaze. And those steel-gray eyes were staring dead at me.

No.

They were studying me.

Assessing.

As if I were some kind of fungus grown on a Petri dish in a lab, or on a plate of forgotten leftover lasagna found in the back of the fridge.

I froze where I stood, shoeless, gaping jaw, and horror coursing through my veins.

The tan-skinned, heavy man who ran Lush, the high-end escort agency that I was contracted with, grinned at me and spoke, “Hello to you too, Har. Please, won’t you barge in and interrupt my meeting?”

I forced myself to unfreeze and rolled my eyes. So, yeah, I’d barged in, but I’d seen Rico angry, and this wasn’t that. There was concern because over the years that I’d worked for him, he’d gotten to know me, and he knew what hid underneath the ranting. He knew I was getting closer and closer to reaching my breaking point. I’d only kept the job so long because it paid well enough to cover my expenses and my brother’s long-term care. It was also because I loved the hell out of Rico.

But three months ago, my brother had died and that had left me all alone in the world, except for my boss.

When I’d stood alone, but for Rico, as my brother was laid to rest, I’d decided that there had to be more to life than what I had.

So, I’d quit.

Well, I’d tried to quit, but Rico offered me a higher cut and my pick of clients. It didn’t suck to have a higher percentage in my pocket, so I’d signed a contract. I’d work for another six months, or as long as it took to buy out my new contract, and then I was free to go wherever I wanted with his blessing, and I’d walk away with enough money to start my life somewhere else.

I knew why he’d done it. He was worried about me.

Right then, we both knew I was blowing smoke. I couldn’t leave him. I’d given my word, and he was the closest thing I had to family that cared.

But I could moan and bitch and whine about it while he listened with a placating smile and then shooed me off.

Tonight had been a one-off, because another of his long-time girls, Veronica had needed to stay home with her kid, and I was the only girl available from the client’s choice of preferred escorts. I could have turned it down and risked Rico losing one of his best clients, but hindsight was 20/20. Now, he’d lost the client anyway because he didn’t tolerate a man doing anything his girl didn’t want.

Honestly, I should have freaking known that it would backfire on me. I had stipulations in my contract for a reason. And backfire it had, spectacularly, in a way that meant I found myself cornered in a coat closet, pinned against a wall, and being groped against my will by a man bordering on geriatric who outweighed me by at least a hundred pounds. A knee to the balls had gotten his attention and realizing his fuck-up, he’d started apologizing, but too little, too late. I called Ted, Rico’s driver and jack-of-all-trades and he’d driven me here.

Rico held up a placating hand and said jovially, “Mami, you know how I love to listen to your little snits, but my companion and I have business to see to. Business that doesn’t involve you, I’m afraid.”

I rolled my eyes.

It had to be one of the high-rollers. They were in town for a championship underground blackjack tournament, a championship that was being played off the books, and only the best of the best were invited. The winner was walking out with a crap-ton of cash.

I turned my gaze back to the man. He still studied me intently, his face shuttered, and thoughts indiscernible. It was almost as if I could feel his fingers lightly tracing over my skin as he took me in from head to toe. I bit my lip and grappled for control.

It was my job to be cool and poised at all times, in all situations, so instinct kicked in and I grinned playfully and batted my eyelashes at him while purring to Rico, “Who’s your friend?”

Rico chuckled, on to me and my shenanigans, but the other man’s face shifted, almost imperceptibly.

He totally liked what he was seeing.

I refused to let him see my mortification and pulled my seductress shield up. I couldn’t tell if he was buying it, so I ramped it up a little. I added a sway to my step as I walked a little further into the huge office.

I was refusing to think about the scene I’d caused with my shoes and hose. Besides, men thought bare feet were sexy, right?

I approached the desk and perched on the corner, swinging my legs around, I bent in, resting my chin on my curled fist, elbow on my slanted knees. I grinned at him, giving him knowing eyes and preparing to play with him, then Rico ruined my fun when he tossed a friendly, but firm, arm around my shoulder and eased me off my perch.

When I was standing, feet once more to the cold floor, he gave me a gentle but firm push toward the door and said, “Your fun’s over, Mami. Time for you to go. We can talk later about what’s on your mind.”

I deflated a little. I didn’t really want to talk about what was on my mind. Not now and not later, but there was a part of me that knew I had to make a change, and I was being a brat coming in here like this. As we hit the door, I turned and said softly, “Seriously, Rico. I think I want out. I think it’s time I get away and make a fresh start.”

His face softened, and he brushed a lock of hair behind my ear, “With Edgar gone, I know you need to escape, but I’m damned if I’ll let you go back to that motherfucker that raised you. We’ll talk about it later. Come by the house tomorrow night for dinner. We’ll hash it out and find a solution.”

I studied his face and nodded. What else could I do? He was going over and beyond what anyone else in his shoes would. He loved me and wanted what was best.

It didn’t stop the guilt from hammering through me.

I stopped in the hall to pick up the shoes I’d tossed and moved to the elevator.

I felt like I was on display the whole entire way.

Chapter Two

I hadn’t even made it through the door of my apartment when my cell rang. Checking the display, I saw Rico’s name. I kicked the door shut with my bare foot and tossed the shoes across the room with one hand and dropped my keys on the side table with the other. I was breathless when I answered, “Hello?”

He took a deep breath and then asked, “Do you really want out? You’re done?”

His tone of voice stopped me dead in my tracks. He was being careful and cautious. Two things that the boisterous and lively Rico rarely was.

I swallowed and spoke, “Well, yeah. I mean, I know we have a deal, and you went out of your way to help me, so yes, but I’m not abandoning you.” I waved a hand out in front of me, struggling for words, “I was mad, but you know that you’re the only family I have. There’s no way I’d ever betray that.”

His voice lowered a few octaves and warmed when he said, “I don’t doubt your affections, mi amor. I don’t doubt your loyalty either. I have an interesting,” he hesitated before finishing with a sigh, “proposition for you.”

Inexplicably, my heart rate skyrocketed, and I fumbled to reach for the couch, easing down, as dread filled me. “What kind of proposition?”

Damn. Even my hands were shaking.

“The man that was in here earlier?”

“The high roller?” I asked.

He chuckled and confirmed, “The high roller.”

“What about him?”

“He’s only in town for this one week, and then he’s going out of town for a while. A long while. He needs an escort for the week and he’s offered to buy you out of your contract.”

Huge, gargantuan moths came to life deep in my stomach and practiced their best swan dives. “He’s willing to give you the quarter of a million dollars I agreed to make for you? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes, Har. That’s what I’m saying. He’s setting you up with a nice bonus as well. I offered the other girls, but he wants you.”

Those moths froze mid-flight, and I felt real fear when I whispered, “I’m not selling my body, Rico.”

His voice cut through my racing thoughts when he snapped, “You think I would entertain the idea, much less present it to you, if the man wanted a prostitute? Dios Mio, girl, you know better than that. I gave you a home when you and your idiot brother had nowhere to go. I got you papers to cover both of your tracks. I would lay my life down for you, yet you think I would offer you up to a stranger for sex?”

Real shame trickled through me. It was molten and hot as it choked me from the inside.

He was right.

I’d shown up with my younger brother. A brother who had long ago stopped fighting to survive my father’s abuse and had turned to drugs to numb the pain. Rico had literally saved my life. He’d tried to save my brother’s as well, but Edgar refused to quit. He managed to sneak drugs in, no matter what we did to try and prevent it, and it ended the way I’d always feared.

He found his fix and let his demons win out.

I’d come home from a job and found him face down in his own vomit. Emergency services had managed to revive him, but there was too much damage, and he’d never woken back up.

I’d started escorting to make more money so I could afford to take care of my little brother and keep us safe from my father. I’d kept doing it to afford to keep my brother in long-term care.

I would have never been able to take care of him without Rico having my back, fronting the money to get my brother admitted, and then keeping his best clients for me.

Rico’d had my back through thick and thin, and he deserved my trust. “I’m sorry. My head’s everywhere. This is weird, right? That’s a whole lot of money. If that’s not it, then what does he expect? Because he has to know after our encounter that I’m not exactly what you would call ‘polite’ company.” I cringed just thinking about the ridiculous little show I’d put on for him.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, and I could picture him tugging at his collar, the way he tended to do when he was uncomfortable, “That’s the thing. He doesn’t appear to want anything other than your company this week while he’s in town. After this, he plans to pay off your contract and leave.”

I nibbled on my thumbnail, thinking.

This all sounded a little too good to be true. I knew better than to hope and dream for a fairy tale. There was no Prince Charming showing up to save the day for me, I’d given up on that dream years ago. I was a lot of things, but Cinderella wasn’t one of them. I’d given up wishing for that the first time I’d spat out a tooth, loosened by the angry swinging fist of a man who was supposed to protect me.

When I didn’t speak up, Rico kept going, “He’s willing to pay for a separate room for you to use this week, as well as pay for any clothing and accessories that you may need. All you have to do is accompany him for the remainder of this week and take whatever daily necessities you can’t live without. You’ll stay with him at the Laredo until Friday, collect your bonus, and then you’re free to do whatever you’d like when he leaves. I also want you to know that I have other positions you can fill, corporate positions. This can be your very last client.”

That was more than fair. I knew if I asked, he’d forgive the entire contract, but that wasn’t fair, and that wasn’t the kind of person I was. “I’ll take it. I don’t know about working internally, though. Give me the week to think about it?”

I knew he was grinning from the inflection in his voice when he said, “Sure thing, Mami. You think about it. In the meantime, you’ll need to be at the office dressed to kill at three-thirty tomorrow afternoon. The first game is tomorrow night, and Nick wants you ready.”

I stopped and took a moment to really consider it. This was going to change everything. Was I ready for that?

I pictured the blank look on my baby brother’s face as he’d lain on a hospital bed, machines working to keep him alive. Then I thought about the old man who’d pinned me in the closet only hours before.

Oh yeah. I was so ready.

Decision made I said, “Alright, I guess I’ll see you after lunch.”

It was only then that I realized that Rico had been holding his breath waiting on my response. He let out an exhale and sounded like a load had been lifted from his shoulders when he replied, “Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He’d been worried about me.

It was then that I knew I had just made the right decision.

Chapter Three

Monday

Standing in my room, looking at the utter chaos surrounding me, I was worried.

I’d never had overnight clients. I didn’t even know what the protocol was for such an occurrence. I mean, would I need to keep on a full face of makeup? Could I take sweats?

This was a huge decision.

I needed sweats.

I lived in them when I wasn’t dressed to the nines to hang off some old rich guy’s arm.

Fuck it, I decided. I was taking them. I’d hide in my room if I had to. I wasn’t compromising on my comfy off-duty clothes.

Over the next half hour, something strange happened. My inner crazy person peaked out, realized this was her time to shine, and then took over.

When it was all said and done, I had two suitcases packed.

For one week.

I needed clothes for five days, I wasn’t moving in with the man. I was losing my freaking mind.

Ed would be laughing at me and my overthinking and overpacking if he were still here. He’d say something like, “Calm down sis. It’s a dude who watched you take your clothes off and rant like a madwoman, he already knows you’re a lunatic.”

When he was sober, my little brother was hilarious. I missed him so damn much.

I took one more look at the mess around me and sighed, tossing the balled up sweat pants into my suitcase. I needed to sit on it to get it to zip, and all I could hope for was that it didn’t spring open and send a thong flying in the client’s direction, or something equally as mortifying. He’d already gotten an up close and personal gander at my legs.

Nope. I wasn’t going to think about that just then. I’d have enough time to ponder the utter wreck that I was when all of this was said and done.

I wheeled my suitcases out and locked the door behind me. Halfway to the elevator, I panicked at the prospect of leaving something on and burning the old building down, so I spun on a heel, since I was dressed to the nines as requested, and hurried back to my door.

I checked everything from the coffee pot to the straight iron before taking a breath and forcing myself back out. When the elevator dinged, I had one last flash of panic, what if I’d left the refrigerator door open?

Nope. That was ridiculous. In all the years I’d lived here, I’d never left the door open to anything. I was a creature of habit, and I was procrastinating. I sucked in a deep breath and forced myself to take that one step over the gap between the floor and the elevator and stared at my reflection as the doors slid shut, and I lurched downward.

I was pretending that my stomach wasn’t flipping and turning at the prospect of seeing the drop-dead gorgeous Nick again.

I climbed into the car that Rico had sent for me and greeted the driver cheerfully, “Hey, Ted! How’s it going?”

The man behind the wheel tossed a friendly smile over his shoulder before pulling out onto the street and saying, “Doin’ just fine, Miz Spencer. How’re you?”

I answered him honestly, on a laugh, “I’m a nervous wreck.”

He braked at the light and turned back quickly, assuring, “Nick is good people. You’re in good hands.” Turning back to face the front, he continued, “My advice? Enjoy it. Drink a little too much, have fun, and go out on a great time.”

I grimaced, “Rico told you I’m out after this?”

He nodded his head, “That he did.”

He turned left when he was supposed to turn right. I typically wasn’t one to tell someone how to do their job (this was a lie; I so totally was), but I really didn’t want to be late to something this important. I cleared my throat and said, “Ah, Ted? I think Rico said that I should meet Nick at Lush?”

I asked it as a question, but it was only so I didn’t feel as guilty about pointing out his error.

He snorted, and his shoulders bumped up once in humor before he informed me, “Change in plans, Miz. I’m to take you straight to the Laredo and take you up to Nick’s suite.”

There were a few things I wanted to dissect there, but first and foremost I demanded, “Ted, why is it that I’ve been asking you to call me Harlow for almost five years and you still call me Miss Spencer, but this stranger comes along, and you call him by his first name?”

I couldn’t stop the snark from flooding my voice. I was genuinely hurt. He’d known me for years, but this new guy pops up, and suddenly they were on a first-name basis.

Such B.S.

“I’ve known Nick for years. He’s a pain in the ass, you’re a beautiful lady.”

He said nothing further, and I felt properly chastised. “You think I’m a lady?”

His voice softened as he flicked on the blinker and pulled up to the entrance of the towering building of the Laredo Hotel, “Of course I think you’re a lady. Why wouldn’t I?”

I felt weird when I reminded him, “Uh, Ted, I’m an escort, a step above a hooker, and my brother was a drug addict.”

He said nothing as he slammed the car into park and exited the driver’s seat. Moving around the car to my door, he held it open and waited until I exited the car and he slammed the door shut turning to me and saying, “Harlow,” I felt that as a gut punch because it was unexpected and very serious, “you have a job. One that others may choose to do under questionable circumstances. Your brother was an idiot. None of that reflects poorly on you. You stepped up and took care of your brother and Rico when neither had a soul to depend on. You became family to both of us, and our hearts broke for you when Edgar died, but that doesn’t reflect on you. So, if you don’t mind, I’ll stick with Miz Spencer.”

I melted and did something I’d never done before. I threw my arms around the older man and squeezed as tightly as I could. Neither of us spoke, though he returned my hug. Once he was free from my grasp, he moved to the trunk and pulled out both of my suitcases, setting them on the ground and said, “If you’ll follow me, Miz Spencer, I’ll show you to your room.”

I dutifully trudged along behind him and into the elevator. He hit the last button, put in a card and then up we went. The doors slid open, and we moved into the hallway. I followed him to the door where he knocked twice, perfunctorily, then slid the same card into the slot and turned the knob.

My breath halted in my chest.

He was every naughty dream I’d ever had come to life. I’d known he was gorgeous but seeing him like that stole the air from my lungs.

From black socks to creased tuxedo pants, up to his tucked-in white dress shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a tie, loose and hanging around his neck, all askew.

Instant heat flooded my nether regions, but it quickly turned to ice when he glanced up and waved me away while speaking in rapid-fire Spanish. Waved me away.

Ted stepped around me and moved to a door on the left, opened it, and pulled my suitcases inside. He left the door open and moved past me, giving my shoulder a friendly pat as he walked by. At the door, he turned and nodded to Nick and disappeared from sight, closing the door softly behind him.

I stood awkwardly while Nick continued to pace and speak. Being around Rico, I’d picked up a few words in Spanish here and there, but his conversation was moving entirely too fast for me to keep up.

He paced the length of the living room, then turned on his heel and headed back in my direction. He caught sight of me again and covered the phone with his palm saying, “Your room is right through that door. Go get settled in, unpack, or whatever you need to do. As soon as I get this taken care of, I’ll let you know. We don’t have to leave until 6.”

And with that, I was dismissed.

He waved me off and was already back in the midst of his heated conversation.

I was completely forgotten.

I shrugged. Whatever. He wasn’t paying me to stand here staring at him, and it helped that his piss poor attitude completely detracted from his hotness factor.

Finally, feeling like I could breathe for the first time since I’d stepped foot out of my apartment, I shrugged it off and did as I was told.

Chapter Four

A half-hour after he’d dismissed me and sent me to my room, ugh, he knocked on the door and then entered, not bothering to wait for my approval.

Yay. This was going to be a wonderful week. Not.

“Harlow, I’m so sorry about that. I had to work out some details for next week, and no one seems to be able to do as they’re told in my life.” He paused thoughtfully as he looked around at the neat room. I was unpacked, and my room now truly looked like a bedroom. “Except you, apparently.”

The smirk he sent me did things to my body that I wasn’t prepared to analyze just yet. I decided that detached and businesslike was the way to go, so I nodded and said, “I’ve always taken direction fairly well, it’s one of my best attributes, or so I’ve been told.” Why did I feel like I’d ultimately failed at the whole detached, businesslike thing?

Those lips ticked up, and he gave me a glimpse at his perfect white teeth, “I can’t say that I agree. I’ve seen those legs, and they’re supremely better than your propensity for obedience.”

It was utterly ridiculous that my cheeks flamed at his comment. Again, why had I felt the need to put on a show without even bothering to look up and see if Rico had company? I was well known for my dramatics. It was a quirk, and most days, it was a quality, but I was also an unobservant dunce. I sank to the bed, sitting on its edge, and dropped my face into my hands, refusing to respond to him.

I could feel his stare, in the drawn-out silence, so I finally lifted my head and met his eyes, “Why are you staring at me?”

He was leaning back casually against the doorframe, arms crossed on his chest, one ankle crossed over the other. He looked like a man at ease. King of the castle. And a man I really, really wanted to jump right then and there.

Focus Harlow, you slut-minded nit-wit.

His eyes danced over my face, ever-present naughty grin still firmly in place before remarking, “Because you’re even more beautiful than I remembered.”

Abruptly he pulled himself up to his full height and said, “Get your shoes on, Baby Doll, I’m taking you out to dinner before the game.”

He didn’t move. Didn’t leave the room. Just kept that laser beam focus on me. Self-conscious, I stood and moved to where I’d taken my shoes off. I stood on one foot and leaned to buckle the clasp on the first one, no problemo, I was a pro at this. But, the second one, well, that one was disastrous. I lost my balance and started tipping, overcorrected, and almost ate the floor anyway.

Instead of laughing as he watched me sprawled over the floor, as I’d half expected him to do, Nick reached out a hand and steadied me, not letting go until I was back on two feet.

My face was blood red, and no amount of makeup, contouring, and highlighting could hide it. This day just couldn’t get any better. Yes, that was sarcasm. I was the mother-effing queen of sarcasm and snark.

My snark was no match for his charming grin and ease though, so it died out before I had a chance to test it on him. Instead, I nodded amiably and went along. Something I was not known for. I was in uncharted territory here.

Both feet firmly on the ground, he threw an arm over my shoulders and gave me a friendly squeeze. I snagged my bag with my ID and credit cards and walked, tucked under his shoulder, through the apartment, and out the door.

We walked down the hall and into the elevator, steps in sync, and not speaking a word. It was as weird as it was comforting.

I stayed tucked under his arm until we hit the lobby. The older, perfectly groomed gentleman behind the desk asked, “Will you require a car, Mr. Foster?”

Nick looked pointedly down at my feet and nodded, “I don’t think it wise to ask a lady like this to walk in shoes such as these.”

With a knowing grin, he nodded and said, “Excellent, Mr. Foster.”

Before I could catch my breath, I was whisked away in a limo, and we were pulling up next to one of the fanciest restaurants in town. Nick helped me from the car and led the way through the throng of people waiting their turn for a table.

You’d think this would be surprising, but I’d been out with men who would walk into a restaurant and be ushered straight to a table, and once the waitstaff actually moved the diners at a table to another area.

Money bought power.

We were quickly shown to our table, and luckily no one was rushed from their seats. The waiter gave a small bow and spun smartly on his heel and hurried away. I turned my attention to Nick and widened my eyes.

He laughed out loud. It was beautiful and inspiring.

I could write sonnets to that laugh.

Wax poetical on the way it sent thrills through me.

Instead, I shook out my napkin and laid it over my dress.

His eyes landed on my cleavage for a moment before they flicked away. I busied myself, lining the silverware up perfectly, though it already had been. I got fidgety when I was nervous, though I was rarely nervous in this situation anymore.

“Harlow?”

I looked up at him. His face was warm and soft, his eyes searching. I didn’t speak.

“You have a beautiful name. Is it a family name?”

I snorted, then jerked a hand up to cover my mouth. Why the hell had I done that?

I cleared my throat and sucked in a deep breath, I was acting like a ninny, and I needed to get it together now.

“Not really, no. More of a,” I floundered then recovered, “one-off.” There was no way I could tell him what my real name was.

The name I’d had before.

Before, I’d lost everything.

Not that I’d ever had much, to begin with.

He studied my face, and whatever he read there gave him pause. I watched as he made the decision to let it go. Then he shocked me.

“So, how did you get so tight with my uncle?”

“Your uncle?” I wracked my brain. Was he talking about Ted? Or Rico?

He answered my question before I voiced it, “Uncle Rico. Brother of my mother. The only sane person in the family.”

Rico had a family?

I felt ashamed that I hadn’t known that.

“Don’t.” His voice was firm but still held warmth.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t feel guilty. I’m the only one he acknowledges, and I’m rarely around. You have nothing to feel guilty about.”

And just how did he know that?

Clearly, I was an open book with him because he had an answer for my thoughts as well, “It’s written all over your face, Baby Doll.”

That bore more thinking at a later time, a time when he didn’t have an up-close view of my facial expressions. Instead, I answered his initial question, kind of, “Rico was one of the first people I met when I moved out here.”

I thought about it for a second then asked a question of my own, “Why didn’t he tell me you were his nephew when he was trying to sell me on this gig?”

Something moved behind his eyes then he answered, though I sensed he was holding back, “Rico didn’t want you to agree to spend time with me out of loyalty to him. He wanted it to be completely your decision. I agreed.”

I pursed my lips and lowered my lashes, softening further. It was a good answer. I loved that pain in the ass, and the next time I saw him, I was going to lay a big, sloppy, wet one on him. Not out of lust, but out of love for the man who stood in as my father and more than made up for the one I shared DNA with.

“God, you’re so fucking beautiful.”

My breath caught in my throat, and I choked for a second. I’d been called beautiful before. I knew I wasn’t ugly by any means, but for him to just lay it out in that voice that was raw with its honesty, it shook me.

What did I say?

Thanks?

You too?

How could I express that he had just shaken me to the core with his words, but more, in the way he spoke them?

He saved me from figuring it out, “I know you know you’re beautiful, how can you not, with that face and that body? But, it’s something deeper than that. I don’t know if I want to strip your clothes off with my teeth and ravish you until you can’t move or fall to my knees and worship at your feet.”

Oh. My. Gosh.

The waiter showed up with a bottle of wine, saving me from finding a response. My pulse thundered through me, my mouth had gone bone dry, but my heart felt fluttery and light.

The waiter showed Nick the bottle, and he spared only the quickest of glances at it before nodding and shifting his intense focus back to me. I had the feeling that he was studying me, looking for a crack or crevice, some way to wiggle his way into my soul.

I wasn’t even making sense to myself, but this whole experience was surreal.

A predatory look moved into his eyes as he watched my reaction, and if I wasn’t mistaken, he seemed satisfied.

Our glasses were filled, and the waiter turned smartly once again and moved away.

Uncaring of what wine he’d chosen, I jerkily snatched my glass and tipped it to my lips. Anything to give myself even a second to figure out what was happening.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work. I was no closer to understanding what was going on now than I had been moments before.

My hand shook as I set the crystal glass back on the table and picked up my napkin to dab lightly at my lips.

He waited, not speaking or really moving, just studying me. I felt like I was being hunted. Like if he pounced, I would be eaten alive; and I was equal parts worried and intrigued.

He waited until our meals were served, meals we hadn’t ordered. Pretending that I had some measure of cool left in me, I lifted an eyebrow and asked, “You ordered for me?”

The grin came back, heating a path from my face to my heart. Damn. I was going to be in big, big trouble if I wasn’t really careful.

“I made our reservations yesterday after I saw you at Lush. I knew I wanted you, even if just for your company, though I assure you, Baby Doll, I want so much more than that. I wanted, I needed, and I hoped. I wanted you right where you are. So, I planned ahead. The best wine on offer, only the most prime cut of steak; everything I could think of to ensure you don’t regret making a reckless choice and throwing in your lot with me, even if it’s only for one week.”

There was a lot there. First and foremost, the way he’d said, “even if it’s only,” but I wasn’t going to let that sink in just yet. There’d be time later tonight after I’d offered him the arm candy he was paying for, and I’d returned to the sanctity of my room. For now, I wasn’t going to think.

My client was gorgeous. He was related to someone I loved dearly, and I wouldn’t mind climbing him like a tree.

Twice.

At the very least.

I’d never had a fling with a client. I’d never hinted at anything even remotely inappropriate, and it had been a long time since I’d felt a man’s hand slide over my curves and bring me pleasure.

With that in mind, I locked my emotions, and please God, my heart away and settled into flirting and sipping the smoothest wine I’d had in ages. I let my lips curl up, dimples on display, and pulled out the woman who’d brazenly flirted with the drop-dead gorgeous stranger the night before.

I leaned forward, well aware the vee in my dress gave him a pretty spectacular view and didn’t even have to fake the huskiness in my voice when I informed him, “No regrets in sight, handsome. Now tell me more about what you plan to do with those teeth.”

His wicked laugh caused a quiver deep down inside.

This was going to be fun.

Chapter Five

I sat awkwardly on a hard, very uncomfortable seat, a chair that had been created purely for aesthetics and not comfort, crossing and uncrossing my legs, trying not to shift too much and draw attention to myself.

The chair was hard, I was hot, and Nick was up; his stack of chips growing and growing with each hand.

He’d explained it on the way over, twenty hands, ten men to a table, ten tables in the tournament. At the end of the night, whoever had the most chips after the twentieth hand was the winner and would move on to the second game, which would be played on Wednesday night.

Wednesday would be ten men and two tables, and the winners of each table would face-off on Friday in a winner takes all game.

I shifted again as the ninth hand was dealt and glanced up when a slinky, definitely slutty blonde perched on the arm of my chair, ex-cu-se me and lifted her wine glass to her face. She didn’t take a sip, only used it to hide her mouth as she purred to me, “How do you know our guy?”

I wasn’t sure what the story was between them, but what I did know was that she was a bitch and she was talking about Nick. I wasn’t being ugly either. Call it female intuition, the way we recognized a woman who was out to shake things up for another member of the sisterhood.

This woman had drama and manipulation seeping from her pores like she’d bathed in her granny’s ninety-year-old bottle of knock-off perfume. She was out to cause trouble, and I wasn’t buying it.

“Oh, Nicky?” I simpered ridiculously, “he’s a friend of the family,” I winked insinuatingly, “if you know what I mean.” There. Let her chew on that for a little bit.

The last hand was called, and all the cards were thrown in the middle of the table for the dealer to organize. Chips were stacked, and they rose from their seats.

My newest best bud stayed seated on the arm of my chair as we both watched as Nick moved to the suited man holding a tray of red wine-filled glasses. He scooped up two and met my eyes.

That naughty, secretive grin assured me that I had read the situation, whatever it was, with the blonde, correctly. He wouldn’t be so focused on me if he had something to hide.

As far as I could tell, he hadn’t even noticed the other woman. He was that focused on me.

I heated all the way through and struggled to ignore the way my belly flipped at that look.

I didn’t fight the involuntary grin that curved my lips. It would have been an impossible battle. I was happy. It was absurd, but I was. I wanted to ride this, and him, out for the week. When the job was done, he would go on his way, and I would have some choices to make about my own future.

He stepped into my space, towering over me, and handed me one of the thin stemmed glasses.

Then he blew my socks off.

The large hand that had held delicate crystal between its fingers only seconds before, wrapped around the back of my head and yanked my face up to meet his.

I wasn’t sure that I succeeded in preventing my wine from sloshing over, but I was convinced that in that moment, with his lips moving over mine, promising me so much more, I honestly didn’t give that first fuck.

He devoured me, his mouth moving over mine until I forgot. Forgot we were in a room with over a hundred other people. Forgot about my nemesis, and I still didn’t know why she was my nemesis. Forgot my plans to enjoy him, but not get attached. I forgot every single thing except the way his mouth moved over mine.

An eternity later, he slowed his beautiful, incredibly masterful assault on my senses, and pulled back. There was a breath between us, just that. His lips curved, his eyes lit, and I felt a pang in my chest that I’d never felt in quite the same way before.

My hand lifted to cover my breast to rub at the pain of something I couldn’t identify. His eyes caught sight of it, and he reached out and lifted my hand to his mouth, holding my gaze intently as he brushed it with the softest of kisses.

I was in so much trouble.

His intensity lessened, never dying away completely, as he rested his forehead against mine, and slowly our surroundings sank in.

Ragged breathing to my left drew first my gaze, and then his. I felt his body stiffen, but it was a jerk of surprise. He lifted to his full height and turned assessing eyes on the other woman for seconds before he spoke a single syllable, “Nat.” His tone of voice was neutral and gave not a thing away.

Then he turned his attention back to me, and I watched as his posture loosened, and his face lost its severity.

He bent again and brushed a kiss to my nose before standing and tossing me a wink saying, “You better drink that wine, Baby Doll. I have plans for you as soon as this game is over.”

Then he turned and walked back to the table.

An older man had his eyes on her, this woman Nick had called Nat. They were shrewd, and they weren’t happy. They trailed Nick and then briefly flicked over my face before returning back to her.

The announcer requested all players back at the table for the second half of round one, and the man dropped his gaze and stalked to the table. His fists clenched and unclenched as his jaw ticked. Whatever all of this was about, it didn’t look good.

The last ten hands went by fairly quickly, and not long after I’d tipped up my glass for a final sip, they were done and announcing the winners.

Nick won his table, the man who’d looked so frustrated won his table, and eight others were declared winners of the night.

Nick didn’t so much as glance at the blonde as he stalked in my direction, making me feel like prey once more. I recovered quickly, though, just thinking about that kiss he’d laid on me.

I surprised myself at the giggle that left my lips, a girlish sound that I wasn’t sure I’d ever made before. Another time I’d give in to the embarrassment, but right in that moment, the only thing I felt was excitement and white-hot heat.

He crashed into me, careful not to take me off my feet and buried his face in my neck, nipping lightly. He gave an answering laugh at my shiver and lifted, spinning me in the opposite direction and speed walking us out of the room.

The elevator doors slid shut behind us, but he paid no attention, backing me into the wall and ravishing me. Neither of us noticed as the doors slid open once more until someone cleared their throat. I groaned and dropped my head on his shoulder when I saw who it was. Of course. Nat and her date.

Nick chuckled darkly and nipped at my lobe before gesturing to the panel on the wall and saying, “Go ahead, Fred. I got a little distracted.”

After Fred pressed the button to their floor and slid his card, letting me know that somehow, we’d gotten the not so great honor of sharing the same floor with them, he awkwardly cleared his throat and then offered his hand in my direction. My hands were still firmly buried under Nick’s suit jacket, so I had no choice but to release my grip with one hand and hold it out. Nick wasn’t moving, his face buried back in the curve of my neck as he did something that should be illegal there. Something that made the whole situation uncomfortable and bizarre.

We lightly shook, and I awkwardly gave a small wave saying, “Nice to meet you.”

Nick snorted in my neck, and Fred cracked a smile.

Nat stood, arms crossed, and anger radiating from her every pore.

Whatever.

Ten years later, the elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. Nick brushed a soft kiss to the spot where he’d been busy seconds before, and I tried to turn the moan into a cough.

I knew the rat was laughing because as he turned to drag me from the elevator, hello caveman, his shoulders shook. I didn’t bother to look back as we walked to the end of the hall, and he dug out his key to slide in the lock.

I was steps into the living room of our suite when he slammed the door, shed his jacket, and snagged my hand, yanking me back to him before I’d even had a chance to breathe.

His mouth covered mine, and I was a goner. In record time, my dress was bunched on the floor. In the heated madness of our foreplay, I tried to reach for my thigh highs to shove them down and kick off the shoes, but he stopped me, “Nu-uh. They stay.”

My thighs clenched, and I pounced. The momentum of my bodyweight crashing into his knocked him off balance, and we landed on the couch. I didn’t even slow down.

Desperate hands tore at his tie until I’d pulled it free, then slid to his buttons. I had never wanted a man so badly in my life, and I was in a hurry for all the teasing to pay off.

He chuckled as my fingers fumbled on his shirt buttons and his teased lightly over my skin. Every place he touched sparked the fire inside me higher and higher. When he lifted to shove out of his shirt and my apex ground into his hard, rigid length. I moaned and almost climaxed where I sat.

He shed his shirt and wrapped his arms around me, unclasping my bra and pulling it down my arms. He tossed it aside, and leaning forward, his teeth closed lightly over my nipple.

I came hard, keening, and wrapped up in all that was him.

The orgasm hadn’t even left me yet when he bucked his hips up and got enough momentum to flip us and grind himself against me. I moaned loudly again. The quivers hadn’t left me from my first orgasm when he started building another in me.

He nipped, nibbled, and licked his way from nipple to nipple and then blazed a trail further south.

A lifetime later, he came hard, and so did I.

It was number five for me.

I’d had more orgasms in one long night of fucking a stranger than I’d had combined in my entire life by a hand other than my own.

I couldn’t find the energy to climb off of him and go to my own bed. I worried he would think that I was reading more into this than I actually was. I worried right up until I passed out, sweaty, hot, breathless, and exhausted, draped over his chest.

Thigh highs and pencil-thin heels still strapped firmly on my feet.

Chapter Six

Tuesday

If I’d had the time to dwell on it, I would have worried about my every move, probably retreated into myself and become an awkward mess, but Nick was a master at this.

At least with me.

Instead, I woke up at half-past two in the afternoon, to a smack stinging my ass and a question that should have embarrassed me into silence, instead of making me giggle myself stupid. “Did my monster dick hurt you?”

And that’s how I ended up laughing my ass off, laying naked on top of a high roller card player who’d hired me to be his escort for a series of card games and was related to my boss.

I nuzzled into him, again without thinking, and answered honestly, “I haven’t moved yet, but I imagine I’ll walk a little funny at first. I can’t even remember the last time I had sex, much less pulled an all-nighter.”

His arms wrapped tight around me and squeezed. Warmth spread through me, but it wasn’t the warmth of too much wine and a libido on fire like it’d been last night, this time, it was, as strange as it seemed, affection and happiness.

He brushed a kiss to the top of my head and squeezed once more saying, “Well, let’s get my girl a shower and some food then we’ll see what we can do to get you limber and ready for round two.”

And somehow, this had become my life. Joking about sex with a man that, in a perfect world, I would want for myself. Instead, he was a man that would make an indelible mark on my life, and I’d be lucky to make the cliff notes of his.

I bit that thought back and promised myself that I would have plenty of time to pull out my dented and scratched up heart when he moved on with his life and left this memory behind.

I got another squeeze, and his voice sounded like he was concerned when he prompted, “Baby Doll? You alright?”

I lifted my head and faked a grin. He didn’t know me, not really, so surely, he wouldn’t know it was fake, brittle and surface deep.

I had a sinking feeling that he could and did, as he took in every nuance of my expression, and his face lost the playfulness and became serious.

I was terrified that he would read what I wasn’t really good at hiding, and we would have to have the humiliating conversation where he reminded me that this was just an interlude and nothing more.

I’d known him for three days if you counted our disastrous meeting on Sunday, and yet, it felt like he was a cornerstone of my existence already.

I was completely failing at holding myself back.

Maybe it was the palpable connection between us that defied logic; maybe it was that he was fun and easy to be around, and I’d never experienced that before. Hell, maybe it was that I was an easy target, and he thought this could be something we picked up anytime he came through town.

My heart told me it was number one.

My gut said it was number two.

But, my brain, that cynical bitch, was absolutely certain that it was door number three.

In the way that he seemed to be able to do intuitively, he distracted me, tickling my ribs lightly and pulling me from my thoughts. I gave in to the playfulness of the moment and jumped up and dashed to the bathroom off of his room. It was the one I’d been using anytime we were in the common area, so I didn’t really consider it and just made a beeline for it. I cleared the bathroom door before he swung me up in his arms and spun me around once.

Just like that, I was no longer pretending. I was content. Happy, even.

After our shower and another quick round of goodness, I was wrapped up in a fluffy robe and hurrying to my room; it was a sweats day. I’d decreed it as such when we’d been coming down from the high of another orgasm, and Nick had laughingly agreed.

So, I was booking it across the living room, happy, relishing the sheer fun of the last couple of days when someone knocked on the door.

I didn’t stop to consider who it could be since only a handful of people knew we were there. Instead, I skipped happily to it, unlocked the door, and pulled it open, grinning, and ready to share my good cheer.

And the smile froze on my face.

I didn’t snarl, even though I wanted to.

And I didn’t react to the look of disgust on her face as I stood there, wet hair around my shoulders, scraggly and stringy from a quick toss in the towel, wrapped in a bathrobe way too big for me and naked underneath.

I was far from the coiffed, sophisticated look I’d rocked the night before.

Her lip curled up, and neither of us spoke for a long moment. We were at a stalemate, a standoff, and the person to speak first would lose.

I felt him before I heard him, Nick walked up behind me talking, “Tell whoever it is to go away. I need to fuck my girl and get some food in her before I—“

Finally, seeing our visitor, he stopped speaking, pressed to my back, right arm wrapped around my waist and pulling me back into him.

It was a magic trick, it had to be, that her eyes had filled with tears so quickly, fake as all hell as far as I could tell, and her face took on a look of utter devastation.

She spoke for the first time since I’d opened the door, and she did it to wail, “Oh Nick. It’s— Oh God,” she spared a glance for me but had lost the disdain, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t catch your name, but can I please borrow Nick? I— oh!” She wailed loudly, and the crocodile tears raced down her cheeks, “Nick, please.”

What. The. Fuck.

It was the only thought in my head. Seriously, what the fuck?

Involuntarily, I took a step back, moving further into Nick’s frame in shock. His arm tightened, and he bit out, “Jesus, Nat. Shit, I’m in the middle of something, can this wait?”

She jerked her head from side to side and continued to wail, babbling incoherently.

“Fuck, fine. Go to the bar downstairs, I’ll be down there in a sec.”

She didn’t have a chance to fully nod before he had yanked me out of the way and slammed the door shut.

He let me go, and my blood froze in my veins. Was he about to call this off? Tell me to get out so he could go do whatever with the incredibly blonde and petite Nat?

Ugh. I was not that girl.

I wasn’t falling down that rabbit hole of self-doubt and insecurity. So, I steeled my shoulders and braced for whatever he was about to say. I had no illusions about what we were, so if he did tell me to get out, I’d go. The only man I’d ever groveled in front of had been my father, and that shit would never happen again.

All happiness was wiped clean out of me.

Then he shocked a huff of breath out of my lungs when he said, “Fuck, I can’t stand that bitch.”

I stood there awkward and unsure, then said the only words left in me, “Uh, what?”

He read me fast, scarily fast given that we barely knew each other, and said, “Fuck that. I see what you’re thinking, and that wasn’t what she was. She was convenient. She didn’t make me laugh as easily as she made me hard, nothing like you. Nothing.”

I liked to think of myself as a women’s woman, a warrior for the sisterhood, an unflagging figurehead, though only in my own mind. But damn if that didn’t make me happy.

Though, I felt guilty enough to ask, “You weren’t, you know, with her, when we, ah—“

He yanked me into his arms and left no room for doubt when he said, “I haven’t laid eyes on Nat in over a year and a half. No way would my uncle have given me the go-ahead if I had anything else in play.”

He tipped my chin up and dropped a kiss to my upturned lips before saying, “Go get dressed, we have a change in plans. I’ll slip on some pants and a tee and run down there to see what she has up her sleeve, only because if I don’t, she’ll be right back up here, causing a scene again. You get dressed, do what you gotta do, and meet me downstairs as soon as you can. We’ll grab a bite to eat and see what kind of trouble we can get into tonight. He lightly brushed his lips to the tip of my nose, and I was a goner.

It made absolutely no sense, but with that gesture and the way my heart reacted, I knew that when he left, I was going to be devastated.

I’d always heard that bullshit line about it being better to have loved and lost, and I now knew that I would have an educated opinion on this in a matter of days.

I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind, buried them under the things I rarely thought about, you know, things like, do two exact same make and models that come off the assembly line at the same time have the same miles per gallon on the highway? Or, who on earth looked at the round mostly circle-shaped vegetation and decided, “I shall call this tomato.”

I forced an answering smile, even though I knew he saw through it and stood a little taller on my tippy toes to brush my lips on his, “You got it, darlin’. I’ll be down there in two shakes of a stick.”

As it was meant to, that made him smile and washed the worry from his eyes. I wouldn’t be able to fool him forever, but then again, I really wouldn’t need to.

We only had three days left, and one of those was already more than halfway gone.

Chapter Seven

I briefly debated changing into something nice and putting on some makeup, but I nixed that idea fast. If I was going to find myself in the middle of a domestic dispute, then I was going to be comfortable while doing so. Instead, I brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and spritzed some spray to keep the frizz at bay, then slid on my Chucks.

I took one last quick peek in the mirror, deciding that while I wouldn’t win any beauty pageants, I was far from ugly, and shoved my wallet into my pocket. I gave the room a quick glance, considered going back to the bathroom to check my straightener, even though I hadn’t used it, and let the door shut behind me.

It was weird, finding myself in this situation. If I could call him mine, I could sally forth and claim my man, but he wasn’t, and he wouldn’t be.

So, I was in uncharted territory.

I looked around as I drew closer to the bar and easily spotted him. Nick was sitting on a barstool, a beer behind him on the bar, and he was facing me.

Nat was almost pressed into his side, not that he was letting her get that close, and was bent at an angle where he could, should he choose to do so, look straight down her bra.

I knew that ploy.

I respected it.

Hell, I was pretty sure I’d already pulled that one on Nick, though I’d been far more successful than she was.

His eyes scanned the room before landing on me, and his face broke out into a megawatt smile.

Not a smirk or a grin, a genuine smile.

Like he’d missed me and was happy to see me.

I told myself it wasn’t real, but I found myself smiling right back at him.

My feet skipped to bring me closer to him, and when I was within arm’s-reach, he snagged me at the hip and pulled me between his legs, facing him.

Lazily he looped his fingers into the waistband of my joggers and asked, “You ready for a drink, Baby Doll?”

I wasn’t one for nicknames. Other than a few people calling me Har, and Rico calling me Mami, no one else got away with it. But I wasn’t bothered in the least when he did it. In stark contrast, when he did it, my heart gave a funny bump, and my cheeks perked up in a silly grin. I couldn’t help myself. I was a glutton for punishment.

I tipped my head down and rested my forehead on his and said, “I could go for a drink.” Then I did something I had rarely done in our acquaintance and made the first move, touching my lips to his.

I was aware of the fact that we were out in the open with what amounted to his ex-booty call closely looking on, so I kept it short and sweet. I wanted to show him I appreciated the gesture and, even though it wouldn’t last, I wanted to soak up every moment like this that I could.

It would be cold comfort when he was off galivanting to wherever he was off to next, and I was wherever I was going to be, miserable and alone.

Nick looked over his shoulder, the opposite side of Nat, and caught the bartender’s attention. He grinned and said, “Coming right up, bud.”

When he grinned up at me, I asked playfully, “You already ordered it for me? Wasn’t that a little presumptuous of you?”

“That’s why it wasn’t sitting on the bar waiting on you. I didn’t know for sure, so I gave him a heads up.”

Arms around his shoulders, I gently brushed my nose over his. It was so easy to get lost in him and forget the people around us, and I did, until she cut in using a ridiculous baby voice and said, “I remember when we were that way.” Then she let out a wistful sigh.

All ease left him in an instant. I dropped my arms and wrapped them around myself at the bitter coldness in his expression, though he didn’t let me move away completely, keeping his thumb around my waistband. I could either standstill, as he obviously wanted, or risk showing every patron of this hotel bar my bright pink thong.

Obviously, I stood still and waited.

Thank fudge, I’d worn my comfy clothes.

“That’s it. We’re done. Don’t approach me, don’t approach Harlow, don’t look in our direction and don’t breathe either of our names. What we had was a convenient piece of ass that I couldn’t stand being in the same room with unless my dick was in you, and having had the best, I can assure you that you Nat, are subpar, at best. Don’t try and fuck with Harlow’s head because what we have is nothing like what you and I had, and I say that loosely since what we had was absolutely nothing.”

Then he waved at the bartender and pointed toward a table in the back corner, grabbed his beer while rising, and used the thumb in my freaking pants to guide me to a seat.

I was thanking every star I’d ever seen when I looked back up, and she was flouncing from the bar.

The handsome black man tending the bar brought my glass of wine and asked, “Did you guys want to see a menu?”

I looked to Nick to see what he preferred and almost laughed when he took over, “No need, my man. Get us a large pizza, everything, and all the fixings. Bill it to my tab. Oh, and add a bottle of the red.” he gestured at my glass, “Can you send it up to our room?”

With a knowing grin, the other man winked and said, “Sure thing, brother.”

We sat and finished our drinks; in my case, that meant drinking it since I’d only just gotten mine and talking.

“What are you planning to do when this is all said and done, Baby Doll?” He asked before tipping his beer up for a swig.

I shrugged, “I have no idea. I’ve been the breadwinner since I was fourteen, so I’ve never had the freedom I’m going to have in a couple of days. It’s scary, but it’s exciting. The possibilities are endless. What about you? What are you going to spend your ten large on?”

A strange look crossed his face, and he asked, “You think the winner walks with just the seed money?”

I shrugged and took a drink of my wine before saying, “Honestly, I have no idea. I’ve never been a risktaker, so by default, I’ve never been a gambler.”

“Harlow, the buy-in was ten thousand, the pot is ten mil.”

I gasped and choked on the sip of wine I’d just taken. It took a few moments for me to calm enough to demand, “You’re going to win ten million dollars?”

My voice was shrill, and I didn’t care. Did that kind of money even exist?

“Well, not quite.” The giant jerk paused to take a drink of his beer, then finished, “House takes a thirty percent cut.”

I quickly did the math in my head. Math hadn’t been my strong suit as a student, but even I could work a basic percent and subtraction. Seven. Million. Dollars.

He watched as everything sank in and then roared with laughter when I said, in awe, “No wonder you had no problem forking over the money for my contract and a bonus on top. Holy hell, dude, you’re loaded!”

“Technically,” he interjected to burst my bubble, “I only get the money if I win. Otherwise, someone else walks away with all of it. Though,” and there was the cockiness of his grin, “I never lose, so there’s that.”

I had questions. Dozens. Nay, hundreds. But I settled on asking, “What are you going to do with that much money, besides pay taxes on it?”

The cocky grin morphed into a sexy, cocky smirk. The things that man could do with his mouth, some of which I was very well acquainted with. My cheeks heated, but I ignored it, waiting for his answer. “First of all,” he informed me, “it’s an underground championship. That means no taxes. It’s all cold hard, most importantly untraceable, cash. As far as what I plan to do? I’m making my way to the border, and swapping Nicholas Foster for Nick Reyes. Then I’m driving until I find a stretch of beach to call home, opening myself a little beachside bar and learning to surf or something equally dangerous.”

“Little beachside bar?” I asked.

He tipped up the bottle, drank the last of his beer, and set it on the table, confirming, “Little beachside bar.”

“That’s actually,” I grinned, “that’s an incredible idea. I’m so jealous.”

The easy never left him even as he rocked me with an offer, we both knew he didn’t mean, “Come with me. We can do it together. All the booze we can handle, a beach as our office, you in a skimpy little bikini. Fuck yeah.”

I sighed. “I wish. I can’t intrude on your dreams, no matter how amazing that sounds.”

He grinned and raised his empty beer to me in salute, “Well, here’s to winning it all, and both of us getting everything we want.”

That I could drink to, so I did. And I didn’t set the glass back down until I’d emptied it.

Those knowing eyes flickered over my face, but he didn’t say anything besides, “Come on, Har, let’s get upstairs before the crazy chick comes back. Dinner should be coming up not far behind us.”

I nodded and stood, but he didn’t let me get far before he used a finger to snag my waistband and bring me to a halt until he caught up and tossed his arm over my shoulder.

He brushed a heartbreakingly tender kiss to the crown of my head and pulled me away.

The whole time my heart was aching.

The whole time he was whistling.

Chapter Eight

Wednesday

I had officially drunk more in the last week than I had in the last month. Mostly it was to quiet the pain in my chest that reminded me constantly that I was driving a hundred and ten down a bridge where the middle had fallen out.

And when I hit that hole and crashed to my death?

It was going to hurt like a bitch.

The sun was beating through the window, the only indicator that at some point, we’d made it to one of our beds. I just wasn’t sure which.

Then my phone cut through the blessed silence once more, a tone set just for Rico. Groaning, I threw my arm over my eyes and begged, “Please find my phone, tell your uncle to kiss my ass, and then throw it out the window so five hundred and seventy-two cars can run it over, and I never have to hear that fucking sound again.”

He chuckled. It was raspier than usual, so I figured he was feeling it too, but it was abundantly clear he was in better shape than I was because there was no way in hell I’d find anything to laugh about for at least the next ten years.

Before I could tell him this as well, he reached over to the nightstand, snagged my phone, and put it to his ear, informing Rico, “We’re hungover, and you’re annoying. Call back never.”

Then he just hung up.

It shouldn’t have, you’d think I’d know by then that there was no predicting what Nick would do, but this shocked me to the core. “I— you— I don’t even know what to say right now. You can hang up on Rico, and the world doesn’t end? I’ve never hung up on Rico, and I’ve known him for years.”

He snorted then reminded me, “I’m his favorite nephew, and you’re his favorite female on Earth.” He stopped for a second lost in thought then informed me, “You may actually be his favorite person, blood or not. I’m pretty far down on his shit list these days. I’d bet even more after that, and I’m a bettin’ man.”

Before I could respond, my phone started blaring again. I was so killing him just as soon as I was sober again.

He answered once again and laughed, “Fuck off. Yes, she’s right here. No, you can’t talk to her.” Pause then, “She’s busy, that’s why.” He finally relented with a groan and handed me the phone. Then he bent and kissed me in a way that I didn’t care one iota about the open line on my phone with a man I considered the closest I had to a father.

Nick leaped from the bed, naked as the day he was born, dick swinging in the breeze, not a care in the world.

I shook myself and put the phone to my ear, greeting, “Hey Rico.”

“Harlow, how are you?”

I decided to mess with him, “Well, your nephew tied me up and has decided to turn me into his love slave. I’m not sure how long he plans to keep me, though. Everything ok?”

He chuckled and said, “All’s well. I just wanted to touch base with you. Your job is almost over, so I want to know where your head is.”

He was never going to find out where my head was. My head was dreaming of impossible dreams, dreams of living on the beach, selling booze next to the gorgeous man making his way across the room to me holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.

He was a freaking catch. Too bad, I was going to have to release him soon.

Then I promised myself I wouldn’t mope again for whatever time we had left. I was tucking it back in the corner and living in the moment, even if it killed me in the end. I was living my fantasy for as long as I could.

“Well, I’m definitely done escorting. I’m not sure about the job offer yet. I’m really thinking about spending some time traveling, seeing what else is in the world. Sea to shining sea, kind of thing, you know?”

“My nephew has wild dreams, I’m undecided if this bodes well for me when it comes to you.”

That was sweet, so I made sure to tell him, “I’m not running off with your nephew and corrupting him—“

I didn’t get to finish because Nick snatched the phone from my hands and laughingly held it out of reach as he informed his uncle, “I didn’t want to tell you this, but I’m stealing your girl, Tio. Taking her off to a foreign land and making her queen of my harem.”

No matter how hard I fought to snatch the phone back, I just couldn’t reach it. I collapsed in giggles as he used dirty tactics and tickled my ribs to keep me from making contact.

Finally, I decided to fight fire with fire and started poking at his ribs. I learned something very valuable in that moment; Nicholas Foster was ticklish.

Extremely so.

He laughed and yelled, “Sorry, Rico, gotta go!” Hanging up the phone, he tossed it to the floor and pounced on me.

* * *

I was running late, hopping from foot to foot while I slathered and smeared moisturizer, primer, and foundation on my face. We were going to be late if I didn’t pull it together and get done.

It was the second game, and there was a really good chance that Nat was going to be there. I didn’t want to look homeless. I’d already rocked that look once before for her viewing pleasure.

Nick stood in the doorway to the bathroom, watching me, completely at ease and ready to go. If he felt any urgency, he sure didn’t show it. He was the picture of calm.

He just watched me, as intently as he always did, with a grin teasing at his lips.

After eleventy billion years, I was finally presentable and only needed to buckle on my shoes.

I hadn’t even gotten the dress on before Nick had caught sight of my thigh highs secured in place with a garter belt this time, and jumped me, hence the running late. So, there was no way I was putting the shoes on before we were about to walk out because they were going to turn him on.

I’d officially had more sex with Nick than I had anyone else combined, and I couldn’t wait to have more of it, but knowing he had seven freaking million dollars to lose, I wasn’t taking any chances.

He went on full alert when he got a load of the whole outfit, eyes lingering on the fuck-me shoes, and I watched as he talked himself down.

I’d never felt so powerful and wanted in my life.

We walked in, and he grabbed a glass of wine for me, then led me to a different seat than I’d used the last time. This seat was in full view of the table. I understood why, when he said, “The other day, the way you kept crossing your legs and shifting in your seat? I want you to do that tonight, right here.” He pointed to the table, saying, “I’ll be sitting right there watching you put on your show, and I’m going to be thinking about all the ways I’m going to fuck you tonight. First, I think we’ll start with you bent over the couch, that perfect ass in the air for me to do with as I please.”

I crossed my legs and shifted, not because I’d been told to, but because holy fuck balls, that was hot.

He chuckled darkly, his laughter full of heat and promise then said, “Yeah, Baby Doll, just like that. My eyes are going to be on you all night long.”

I was breathless when I asked, “Won’t that be a problem? Since you need to focus on your cards?”

His voice was full of promise when he hovered his lips a breath from mine and spoke, “I can play this game in my sleep. So, I think I’ll have my cake and eat it too.” I waited for him to make contact, but this was Nick we were talking about. He changed course and went for my neck, nipping lightly and sending shivers through me. That was when he came back to my lips, brushed them gently, and winked before striding away.

How dare he walk away and not even look affected when I was halfway to an orgasm right there in my seat.

I wouldn’t have even noticed she was in the room if Nick hadn’t stiffened with a frown for a second before turning his attention back on me. I glanced where he’d looked and saw Nat sitting in the same seat I had on Monday. Her posture was rigid, and she stared at Nick.

The first ten hands were over, and the dealer was switching the cards for new ones. Nick snagged a glass and walked past Nat without sparing her a glance.

He held out something that was very clearly not red wine and announced, “Watching you, I’m getting all sorts of ideas for what I’m going to do to you later, and I think I want you completely sober for that.”

Gulp.

I nodded and took the glass, taking a sip and finding bubbly water, to cover my embarrassment because he’d just announced that in front of the waiter making his way past and the very young, big breasted woman to my left.

I’d already given up on having a normal complexion around him. He made me blush entirely too much for that to work, but I was sure that the color of red radiating from my cheeks was probably visible from the moon.

Making it worse, I had to ask, “Can you point me to the ladies’ room?”

He looked at his watch and offered his hand, “I’ll do one better, I’ll take you there myself.”

In for a penny, in for a pound at this point, so I stood and took his hand, lacing our fingers together. This felt real, it felt natural, it felt amazing. So, I was going to keep on living in my dream world where this was something I could look forward to for the rest of my life, and reached across my body with my left arm, wrapping my fingers around his forearm, holding on to him doubly.

There wasn’t a line, so I handed off my clutch to Nick and hurried inside. I was tossing the paper towel into the trash when Nat walked in. She brushed me in that way that bullies do when they’re trying to intimidate you and tripped over her own feet.

Instant karma.

I cheered a little inside and walked out, taking my clutch back from Nick and letting him escort me to my seat, holding on to him again.

He waited until I was seated and then handed my drink back to me, bent and kissed me softly, then rocked my world when he brought a hand up and cupped my cheek, he smiled, the real smile, and whispered, “I’m a lucky man, Baby Doll, getting to have you by my side. Even if I walk away a loser, I’d still be winning.”

I couldn’t hack it. I couldn’t stop myself from melting, couldn’t stop myself from wishing, and couldn’t find it anywhere inside to remind myself this was a just for the week romance. What I did was surge up in my seat and attack his face with my lips.

That, of course, set us off on another one, and it was the shouting voices that pulled us apart.

“That bitch did this on purpose! I want her out of here, Frederick. She ruined my dress!”

That was Nat. I pulled back slightly and looked to the door where she stomped in and searched the room. My stomach sank when she found me, smirked, and declared, “Get her out of here! She poured her red wine all over my dress because she knows Nick and I used to be together, and she’s jealous.”

I was frozen solid. How was this even happening?

I immediately looked to Nick and stuttered, “Nick, I— I swear I didn’t do anything!”

All eyes were on me, and his jaw ticked with fury, then he declared, “Fred, I’d lose her if I were you. Harlow is drinking sparkling water, which I brought to her myself, and you can ask the young lady beside us.”

The girl I’d been judging secretly only minutes before jumped to her feet and declared, “It’s the truth! He brought it to her before he took her to the restroom, he said some stuff that had me panting and hanging on to his every word wishin’ it was me he was talking to. That bitch,” she jabbed a finger in Nat’s direction, “is a liar.”

I turned back to Nat and Fred and waited to see what would happen next. This was a complete shitshow.

Nat turned to Fred and assured, “Frederick, darling, you know I wouldn’t do this.”

He studied her face and then turned back to Nick and I scratching his chin awkwardly and saying, “Now, Nick—“

Nick cut him off, “Fred, the bitch came to our room yesterday crying, threw a fit and asked me to meet her at the bar, I got down there, and she said you were threatening her and she needed me to keep her safe, then tried to make Har uncomfortable by reminding her that we fucked a few times. I’m not shitting you, man. This bitch is trouble, and she’s lying.”

Two scary official-looking men walked over to us and asked what was going on. After the back and forth and everyone relaying the story, he looked at poor Fred and demanded, “She goes one way or the other, either alone or you forfeit and go with her.”

Fred pulled back and said, “She’s going.”

Nat gasped and started to object, but he cut her off, “Natalie, you give great head, but it’s not worth losing out on seven mil. Go. I’ll meet you in your room after.”

She pouted, glared, stomped her foot because clearly she was two, and then stomped out of the room.

Fred looked at me and said, “I truly apologize. I had no idea she would behave in such a way.”

I shrugged, there was nothing I could do about it. Then the dealer called everyone back to their tables.

Nick walked me to my seat and kissed me hard, gave me a soft look, and swaggered back to his table.

The part of me that had worried that he was only putting on a show for his ex, took her last gulp of air and died a painful death. He hadn’t needed to do that, and if it had all been an act, which I’ll admit had been a stretch even for me, he definitely wouldn’t have kept his heated gaze pinned on me while he won the second game of the championship.

But his eyes hadn’t left me for more than seconds as he went from hand to hand to hand.

Chapter Nine

In the elevator, he, once again, had me pinned to the wall.

And I didn’t give a fuck.

Nick had just won the second round, and that meant it was down to just him and one other player. Friday, winner would take all. It didn’t affect me when it came down to it, but I was hyped up and, in the mood to celebrate, none the less.

The ding indicating we had reached our floor rang out, and he pulled away, taking my hand and pulling me down the hall quickly. I was laughing so hard I couldn’t keep up, so he turned and wrapped his hands around my waist, pulled me close and lifted me over his shoulder then hurried down the hall.

He was laughing as hard as I was, and I could only hope that he didn’t trip and send us both down in a heap.

He managed to get the door open with only one free hand and hurried inside, slamming the door behind us. He hit the couch and dropped me to the seat. I poofed out a breath and reached for him, wanting to feel his mouth conquering mine.

Then the impatient rapping came at the door.

Knock-knock-knock. Pause. Knock-knock-knock.

I groaned, threw my head back, and lifted my head as he climbed off of me and turned to the door.

It wouldn’t be.

No way.

She wasn’t that stupid.

Oh, but she was, and I had that instinctive feeling that standing on the other side of the door was my nemesis, the manipulative little blonde who, apparently, gave good blow jobs.

I was on my feet before I’d had the conscious thought to do so and rushing to catch up with Nick.

Too late, he yanked the door open and declared, “You have got to be shitting me.”

He didn’t get a chance to say anything else though because I ducked under his arm, gave myself a mental pat on the back for calling it, and crossed my arms, blocking Nick from Nat.

“What do you want, Nat?”

She made a huge error in judgment when she laid hands on me. I’d grown up getting abused and taken every self-defense class I could find when we got to the city. If my father had ever gotten word of where we’d gone and came after us, I wanted to be fully prepared to defend not just myself but my little brother.

Just because I’d never used it, didn’t mean I forgot a single thing. I was tiny, but I could kill a man with my own two hands, or at least beat the shit out of an idiotic gold digger.

I balled up my fist and punched her as hard as I could. Then shook out my hand muttering, “Shitshitshitshit.” because that was not as painful when you were practicing. That shit hurt.

I didn’t have a chance to feel more than the first twinges of pain before she came at me again, this time going for my hair, the idiotic little twit.

We went down, and I easily got the upper hand. It wasn’t very long before I felt strong arms circle my waist and lift me off of her. I shoved my hair, now in utter disarray, back from my face and taunted, “What d’you got now? Huh? Come at me.”

Nick laughed, full-on belly laughing, bending at the waist and forcing me to do the same. I caught sight of Fred holding Nat, but instead of trying to come at me again, she was clutching him crying.

“Ca-calm down, scrappy.” Nick choked out over his laughter.

She turned to look at us at his voice and evident laughter, and I grinned and snickered when I saw the trail of blood trickling down her lip.

I was a weapon of mass destruction. Hell yeah.

Too late to do any good, two bulky security officers stepped from the elevator and, on high alert, searched the hallway.

They relaxed, seeing that the drama had de-escalated, and stomped to us. “What’s going on here?” The scarier looking of the two demanded to know.

Nick answered, still fighting to regain composure from his laughing fit, “Nat beat on the door, attacked my girlfriend and then got her—“ he stopped to laugh and compose himself once more then finished, “she got her ass beat.”

I tried to pull out of his arms, but he laughed and held me tighter. Urg.

They asked a few more questions and then told us we could go back inside before turning all of that intimidation on the other couple.

We walked back in, still finding the whole thing funny, and Nick led me to the bathroom. He picked up my brush and pulled it through my locks in silence before asking, “Where’d you get moves like that, Baby Doll?”

I shrugged; it didn’t matter if he knew at this point, so I told him the short version of the story, “My dad beat me and my little brother our whole lives. When I turned seventeen, I had had enough. My little brother had his first overdose. It scared me, so I packed us both up, stole the two grand the old man kept in his safe, and we bought bus tickets and headed west. Vegas seemed like a big enough place for us to hide.”

“Shit, Har, I didn’t realize—“

I met his gaze in the mirror and cut him off, “Nick, honey, it’s fine. I found a job working at night to clean businesses, and with the money I’d taken, it was enough to keep Edgar and me safe. One night, Rico was working late and found me helping my little brother with his homework and offered his office. He helped Eddie with his math while I did my job, and while they were together I guess little bro told him about our last year and Rico made sure to stay on the days we were here, we became close, and I learned about his business, and he offered me a job working as his secretary, I wanted a bite of the big money though and started escorting for him. At first, it was just people he knew personally so he could make sure I was safe. Self-defense was his idea, and eventually, I moved on to the bigger paying clients. It kept us fed and comfortable, especially with the new IDs. He kept us hidden, and he’s been my rock. I don’t know if I would’ve survived losing Edgar if it wasn’t for your uncle. He became the family we’d never had.”

He took all that in, studied me, and decided to focus on an insignificant part of what I’d said. Thank goodness.

“I’m sorry, Harlow. I hate that you went through all of that. Even though it was spectacular watching you teach Nat a lesson.” There was no natural segway, but I was effectively distracted when he asked, “Wait, so Harlow Spencer, isn’t your real name?”

I grinned, “Nope. My name is Harley, and Spencer is nowhere near my actual last name.”

“Harley.” He tested it then grinned, “It brings to mind a sexy woman who takes no shit, so it fits you to a tee.”

My hair was tangle-free, so I turned in his arms and looked up at him, oddly content given that my body was starting to ache from my battle minutes before.

He did that thing that made me feel like, maybe I wasn’t the only one feeling big things, and brushed his lips to the tip of my nose. I was an ooey-gooey mess inside, even though I wasn’t fighting it tooth and nail.

Then he stole my breath when he asked, “You given any thought to running off to Mexico with me? We could start our mornings naked, making love, spend the afternoon on the beach soaking up the rays, watch the sunset from our own piece of heaven and end every night the same way we started the day, fucking each other senseless.”

I grinned.

“That sounds like heaven. I wish I could.”

My hair was still in his grip, and he gave it a sharp, but not painful, tug and demanded to know, “Why can’t you? Rico can make it without you, but I’m not sure that I can.”

He was flirting, being sweet, and making the moment all the more bittersweet. So, I answered him honestly, “We both know that’s not where this is going. You don’t know how much I wish it was, how I’m feeling things bigger than myself, but we have to be honest. We have two days left, and then this is going to be a memory. You’re off to Mexican beaches and days in the sun, but my life is headed somewhere else.”

“Where do you think your life is headed, Harlow?”

I flinched. Now that he knew my real name, I didn’t like hearing my fake one slip through his lips. “You can call me Harley now, Nick. I know this isn’t forever, but while we’re us, I don’t want lies. Harlow isn’t a real person. She’s a high society escort who flaunts around Vegas and only accepts the highest paying clients. Harley is a girl from a trailer park in the Midwest who tried her damndest to be the heroine in her own story.”

He was silent, thinking over, I assumed, the things I’d just revealed. I probably should have left it alone, let him go on thinking I was Harlow. But, the girl who’d spent the last few days falling in love with him was Harley.

A look crossed his face that didn’t make any sense to me, and then he nodded and kissed me breathless.

I figured the conversation was over when he randomly asked, “Have you thought about packing up your place and putting your non-essential stuff in storage? It’ll cost a whack traveling sea to shining sea and paying for a place in the city.”

It was so out there, so far from anything that had been on my mind, that I answered without thinking, “Well, no. I hadn’t really planned it out yet.”

He nodded and said, “Let’s call Rico.”

I found myself nodding back though I was floundering with trying to keep up with him.

He dropped my hair and gave me a smile that made everything feel right in the world, then pulled his phone out and called his uncle.

I listened as he told his uncle that I was moving and needed to get out of my rental agreement and packed up over the weekend so I could start my ‘new life’ first thing Monday morning.

Last Saturday, I’d gone out to a charity dinner with a man old enough to be my father, and as respectful as he’d been, I had hated every second of it but knew there was no way out.

Now we were planning on me uprooting my whole entire life and starting a new life a week later. I couldn’t find it in myself to be scared. I was excited, even though I was heartbroken at the idea of never seeing this beautiful man again. I knew I would miss him every day for the rest of my life.

Nick ended the call and tossed his phone on the cabinet, then grinned and said, “Rico’s taking care of it. He said there’s a wait on your apartment, so they’ll be happy to let you out. Evidently, they kept your rent to the rate you paid your first year even though everyone else is paying today’s rate. I’m sure my uncle had nothing to do with it,” he winked, “but he says they’ll jump at the chance to free your place.”

I was going to have words with Rico later because I could see him threatening them, or blackmailing given how much he knew about so many people in this city.

“That’s well and good, but I still have to find somewhere to store my stuff.”

He was shaking his head then informed me, “That’s all taken care of too. He’s sending boxes and moving shit over, and we can go pack it up tomorrow on our off day. He’ll send someone to come pick up the shit and store it for you.”

And just like that, the next chapter had started in my life.

Thanks to a man who ran an escort service and his high rolling nephew.

Chapter Ten

Thursday

I woke up to Nick, his head buried between my thighs, and his tongue working overtime. Before the sleep had left me, I was arching off the bed and moaning out my orgasm.

I laid face up, ankles locked on his back, and my heart thundering in my chest for several long seconds before I looked down my body and met his eyes.

“Morning Baby Doll, I’ve had my breakfast already,” he winked, “what are you hungry for?”

My lips curved, and I answered him, throatily, “You.”

A predatory look crossed his face as he moved up my body, my ankles falling to his sides, and he covered my mouth with his. I tasted myself on his lips, and I didn’t care.

Heat was building in me again, so I shoved, taking him by surprise, and once he landed on his back, I slithered down him and took him in my mouth.

His hands balled into fists wrapped up in my hair, and he bucked his hips in time to my bobs. He let me take control then quickly took it back, getting a grip on me and dragging me up his body. Once I was in position, he surged up and filled me.

We’d had the talk and had done away with condoms quickly, so we now had the freedom to go at it with no worries.

Before long, I was gasping once more, laying over his chest and memorizing every second of this, though it would be cold comfort on lonely nights when he was gone forever.

I trailed my fingers lightly over his cheek and asked conversationally, “You said you have a family. Where are they? You don’t say a lot about them.”

He tangled his fingers in my hair and answered in the same tone, “My parents are rich. My father is the head anesthesiologist for one of the biggest hospitals in LA, and my mother is a woman who was raised as a normal person and became a vapid, judgmental lady who lunches and drinks a full bottle of scotch three times a week. They’re nothing like Rico. I split when I graduated and moved out here, found I have a talent with cards and made my own fortune. I haven’t seen my folks in years, and honestly, I don’t feel bad about it at all. I’m happy, and I’m free, and those are two things every man searches for.”

I sighed. Being tied to a woman would take that freedom. I locked that thought away. There was a lifetime to go over every detail of my heartbreak when he was gone.

He gave me a squeeze and asked, “How do you feel about carnival games and fried food?”

Sadness firmly locked away, I grinned and lifted a little, so I could look down at him, “Like fried Twinkies, funnel cakes, Tilt-O-Whirls and bumper cars?” I was smiling bigger than I ever had before.

He took that in and smacked my naked butt demanding, “Go get dressed woman. We have some teeth to rot out.”

I scurried off of him and found my feet before I reached out a hand and practically dragged him off the bed in excitement, “Hurry!”

He laughed and jokingly took his time trudging with me to the bathroom to shower off our early morning festivities. “The way you jumped off my dick so fast, I was prepared to be offended. You’re lucky you waited for me, or I’d have paddled that ass and fucked you again before you got to eat anything fried.”

I laughed, still tugging him along, “Threaten me with a good time. Seriously. You missed your window, so it’ll have to wait for another time.”

He yanked me back into him and dropped my hand so he could wrap his arms around me and whispered in my ear, “I don’t know how I got lucky enough to find you, but fuck if I’m not ecstatic that I did.”

“You say the sweetest things.” I fought around the lump in my throat to say.

“Only to you, Baby Doll. You stick with me, and I’ll say it every morning when you wake up lying on my chest.”

In another life, I’d marry this man and spend the rest of my life making him feel just as special as he made me feel when he spoke to me like that.

We hurried through our shower, and I realized that I hadn’t taken a shower by myself since I’d arrived, and I didn’t mind it one little bit.

I put on leggings and stole one of Nick’s Metallica band tees, tying the back up in a knot. It hadn’t been intentional, but if I’d known that Nick would be drawn to the small space of bare skin above my waistband, I would have totally done it on purpose.

Outside the lobby, he flagged down a car and ushered me inside, giving the driver directions.

I watched the city fly by and felt the tiniest of tugs at my heartstrings that I wouldn’t see this place again for a very long time after I woke up Saturday morning.

I shook it off and snuggled into Nick.

He took me to a carnival meets arcade that had to take up two solid acres, at least.

I spent the day gorging on fried everything. If it looked good, we tried it. So, I was a little drunk and a lot happy.

I kicked Nick’s ass at air hockey, and then he killed me eight times at laser tag. We stopped for lunch and had greasy pizza and warm beer before hitting the arcade and accumulated a crapload of tickets.

“Hopefully, we can afford more than a spider ring!” He laughingly said.

I giggled, “A mood ring, at the very least, right?”

The sun was setting, and I was a little drunk when we hit the shop to exchange our tickets.

There, I learned that Nick had a seriously unhealthy obsession with banana Laffy-Taffy.

He also bought a mood ring, which he promptly slid onto that ring finger. I stopped breathing for a heartbeat, then snapped back and laughed, and you could tell it was forced, saying, “Come on, you crazy person!”

The girl behind the counter, at least, bought it and she laughed telling me, “You guys make such a cute couple, I hope my boyfriend and I are like y’all when we get old.”

I stiffened; this little brat had just called me old.

What the heck.

Nick had seen me in action, so he stood and pulled me into his arms, dragging me away, great body shaking laughter coming as he said, “Calm down, Rocky. We don’t need to beat up every person we meet.”

I looked up at him and glared.

He pulled me even closer and led me from the building.

Snotty little brat aside, this had been one of the best days of my entire life.

That seemed like something I should share with him since I probably would never get the chance. We had tonight together, and then he was moving on to follow his dreams while I got in my car and tried to figure out what my dreams were.

Aside from the man holding me close as the car pulled up and we climbed inside.

Nick seemed unaffected by the fact that this was our last night together. In his normal fashion, he joked, teased, tickled, and brought me to orgasm, but as far as I could tell, it didn’t concern him in the least that this was the last time he’d lay down and pull me into his arms.

He’d been far more successful than I had at keeping his heart out of it, I guess. Otherwise, he would be treasuring every second the way I was. But for him, it seemed to be business as usual.

Chapter Eleven

Friday

It was still dark out when Nick’s phone broke the silence and shocked us both to awareness. He groaned and rolled over, letting me go, so he could answer it.

I was already wide awake and braced because, in my experience, middle of the night phone calls always heralded bad news.

Nick answered with a grunt and then sat up quickly, “Yeah. No. It had nothing to do with the game.”

My mind went into overdrive, and the edge to his voice made me think that something had gone wrong. Maybe they’d recounted, and he wasn’t the winner. Maybe someone had run off with all the money, it was cash so it could happen, or, or, or. I was good at looking for the worst-case scenario. Nick, somehow in the darkness, sensed my distress and reached out, taking my hand and bringing it to his mouth for a quick kiss before continuing his conversation.

“That was provoked, and the instigator was removed from the building.”

Oh. My. Gosh. Was he talking about our scuffle? He had to be. He was using words like provoked and instigator. If I caused him to lose out on that money, he would hate me. Hell, I would hate me. I wouldn’t be leaving him with memories of a phenomenal week; instead, I’d become the girl that caused him to lose millions.

He squeezed my hand, and it felt reassuring. I had no clue why he would be reassuring me at a time like this.

“Right.” He spoke again, “makes sense. Okay, yeah. No worries. See you Saturday. Right. Two in the afternoon. Got it.” Then he hit the red button to end the call and tossed it to the nightstand, not speaking to me, but pulling me back into his arms.

He wiggled and moved me until we were in a more comfortable position and said, “Gotta ask a favor, Harley. Because security was called last night, they’re worried about the boys in blue catching wind of the last round, so they rescheduled to tomorrow. Is there any way you can stick with me one more day? I know that means you’re losing a day, but we can get you packed up today, and you’ll still be on track.”

Relief made me careless with my words, “I’m here as long as you want me, handsome.” I wiggled my rear to find the spot in his lap where it fit perfectly and sighed happily. There was no way I was going back to sleep now that I knew I had a one-day reprieve. I was going to memorize every second of this, and if he wanted to help me move, hey, who was I to discourage him? With two of us, we could have my little two-bedroom packed in a day, no problem.

“How big is your place?”

Eyes still closed I said, “Two bedroom. One bath, small kitchen. It’s more of a studio, but we have doors.”

“You have a roommate?” There was a hint of annoyance in his tone, and I smiled, lying to myself with the thrill at his jealousy.

“No. We got it when Edgar was still alive. It was our first real place. I’ve wanted to move since I found him, but I never did.”

His arms around me went solid, and he asked carefully, “When you say ‘found him’?” He trailed off, but I knew he was connecting dots. It wasn’t impossible that Rico had mentioned bits and pieces over the years.

“I told you I ran with him because he was into drugs and overdosed. Well, the battle didn’t stop, even when we had a better home life. He went to rehab three times. Turns out the third time isn’t a charm. I came home from a client and found him dead. I called 9-1-1 and did CPR until they got there, and they hauled him off. He was in the hospital for fourteen weeks before he died, but he was gone before I found him. I stayed with Rico for a while, then eventually, I had to go home. I don’t run, I’m honest with myself, and I had to face the fact that no matter how hard I’d tried, I couldn’t save my baby brother. Rico sent in the cleaners, had all of Edgar’s things packed away in boxes and stored in his bedroom, and I went home.”

I stopped talking because my voice had gone tight and cracked on the last word. It hadn’t been home since, even though it was the first one we’d ever had.

Nick skimmed a hand down my side, but it wasn’t meant to be sexual. He was offering comfort and security. I turned in his arms and fought back the tears when it occurred to me that since I’d lost my brother being here, in Nick’s arms, was the first time I’d felt like I was somewhere I belonged.

Before I drifted too far down that path, Nick spoke up, “Well, I’m definitely going to be there helping you while you close this chapter. Give me a kiss, Harley, and let’s go face the day.

We didn’t even stop to eat, I had food in the fridge at my place, hopefully, and he seemed on a mission to get this done, so I happily went along with him, the way it seemed I always did.

The car drove through town as the sun slowly peeked out to start the day.

“This is my favorite time of day.” It was an inane thing to say, but nonetheless, it was the truth. “Everything is on the cusp of coming to life, and in that solitude, you feel like you’re alone, but not. Like you’re being blessed with a sacred secret.”

He bumped me with his shoulder and said, “You know a place to watch an incredible sunset? The beach.” He gave me the wicked grin and finished, “In Mexico.”

I snorted and leaned against his arm, resting my head on his shoulder and informed him, “You’d be tired of me in a week. I snore, and I’m a slob. I live in sweats and sometimes forget to brush my hair unless I have to go out. Then it takes me twenty years to get dolled up and ready to go. Really, I’d drive you insane in a week.”

“Baby Doll,” his tone was pure irony, “I’ve lived with you for a week, snoring, cover hogging, slob-like tendencies, sweats, and messy hair. I love every bit of it.”

My stomach hollowed out when he said the word love. He wasn’t saying he loved me, but he was insinuating something very much like it.

I wasn’t touching that one with a ten-foot pole.

I shrugged, playing at cool and said, “Yeah, for a few days. And that’s with separate rooms! Just imagine what a monster I’d be in a month.” I shuddered, “Or a year. Don’t take my word for it; we’re about to be there, and you’ll see. I panicked while trying to figure out what to bring this week and left the contents of my closet spread far and wide across my bedroom.”

He just grinned his infuriatingly handsome grin and nudged me again.

We fell into a comfortable silence and didn’t say anything until we got to my door. There was an envelope taped to my door with some very familiar handwriting on it. I yanked it off the door and ripped it open, not even bothering to unlock the door. I had to give Nick credit, he rolled with my crazy and waited while I opened it up.

It was a note and his emergency key to my apartment, which he would no longer need. Though, it irked me that he’d left it there when someone could break into my place.

I unfolded the paper and read it.

Har,

Daughter of my heart, while it saddens me to see you spread your wings, I cannot wait to see you fly. Don’t fret as you take this journey, Mami, I’ve waited for it to happen for years. You are ready for what comes next. Do not forget to call and check in with me daily, every other day at the very least. For holidays I expect you at home, and yes, before your mind wanders and you get lost to your thoughts, I mean mine.

While this isn’t goodbye, only I’ll see you later, I can’t bear to say the words. When you call me to yell about the landlord later, please don’t dwell on it. We’re family. Nothing means more than that, and you will always have a place to call home with me. Call me. Don’t put it off.

I will come find you.

I took the liberty of having most of your things packed up. The only thing left is your bedroom— which was a wreck— and your bathroom. The perishables are being delivered to Nick’s hotel room, and everything else is safely stored in my unit.

Live life to the fullest, mi amor, and make an old man happy.

I’m proud of you. The scared little girl I let crawl into my heart has turned into a fierce woman who can have every little thing her heart has ever craved.

Be Safe,

Rico

I was sobbing when Nick took me into his arms, pulling the letter from my grasp. My lover read the letter over my shoulder and then pulled me closer, kissing my forehead, another thing I’d cherish forever, and said, “My uncle is a big ol’ softy. If word got out about that, no one would fear the big bad wolf of Vegas.”

I laughed. Rico had a formidable reputation around town, it was the reason none of the clients of Lush ever crossed the line. When they did, as my date had last week, they were removed from the list and banned. I hadn’t asked, but I knew Rico, so I knew the man who’d pinned me down last weekend had already been blacklisted.

Finally composed, I put the key in the door and let us in.

If I hadn’t read the letter first, I would have panicked. Everything I owned had disappeared, and the only thing not nailed down that I could see were the two bottles of champagne sitting next to a box of Pop-Tarts. There was a note, it appeared to be from Ted, scrawled on a napkin.

H,

Drinks in the fridge.

Boxes and tape in the bedroom.

Package for Nick on your bed.

Leave your boxes, and I’ll pick them up in the morning.

I will return my spare to the super then.

-T

Nick read over my shoulder and laughed. “When you said you’d feed me, I pictured eggs benedict or breakfast soufflé, not children’s food.”

I grinned and scurried to the fridge, yanking it open and whooping when I saw that not only had they left water, there was chocolate milk and orange juice waiting for us in single-serve bottles. I called out, “OJ or chocolate milk, hot stuff?”

“Do you have anything for grown-ups? Maybe some water or black coffee?”

I curled my lip at him and asked acidly, “Why the judgment? You drink OJ or brown cow juice with Pop-Tarts. None of that water or coffee bullshit. There’s, like, a law against it or something.” I decided he could have OJ and grabbed a bottle of each.

He was frozen in thought, then looked at me silently.

I set his juice down in front of him and opened the tiny milk carton to take a sip. He still wasn’t speaking, so I shrugged and grabbed the box of our heavily processed, extremely delicious breakfast and tore it open, shaking one of the silver packages free and pulling it open. I shoved the box toward him and tore a corner off of one of the rectangles, popping it in my mouth and chewing.

When I swallowed, and he still hadn’t spoken or moved, I caved and asked, “What?”

He shook his head slightly and said, “I’m worried.”

I cocked my head in question and tore off another piece of maple and brown sugary goodness, waiting.

“It should be a turn-off. The way you have no problem mixing sugar with more sugar. The way you leave shit lying around, and Baby Doll, it isn’t just your room that’s a mess. You’ve made your mark on my room as well. Yet, I find it endearing. And I find that I want nothing more than to lay you on that carpet,” he nodded toward the living room floor, “and worship at the altar of your body.”

I grinned, “Told you I was weird. Good thing I’m not actually coming with you. It’d be bliss for a few days, then reality would give you a boot in the ass, and you would see I’m not all that I’m cracked up to be.”

He shook his head again, but I noted and refused to process, the steely determined set to his jaw.

In no time at all, my bathroom was packed, and my closet had been sorted into the things I was taking and the things I was storing. I’d done an impromptu fashion show that focused heavily on my panties as Nick decided what should stay and what should come along on my journeys. That, of course, had led to sex, which had led to the munchies and then had seen me placing an order at the Chinese take-out two blocks away that would feed seven people.

That was what happened when you slugged down two bottles of primo champagne with a man who made you high with just a look.

We walked out the door, laughing and holding on to each other for dear life. Nick stopped at every opportunity to kiss me, which threw me off balance because my body went from happy drunk to slutty horndog in the time it took to say, “Boo!”

It took twenty minutes to make the normally seven minutes top walk, but it was worth it. I was drunk on him, high on the feeling, and caught up in a fantasy. The walk back went a little faster because we bought two bottles of Saki and walked out with two bags of food.

Back at my apartment, we opened all of the boxes and, using the plastic forks since mine were all gone, we dug in. He shoved a bite of octopus in my mouth even though I resisted, and I retaliated by shoving a bite of crab into his face.

He opened one bottle of Saki, and we took turns taking glugs from it. It was the absolute best night of my life.

Something occurred to me as I chewed. I quickly swallowed my food and shared, “There’s this place near the strip, they sell the most delectable French sweets. Let’s go there! I could use some sugar in my life.”

And that was the last thing I remembered when I woke up sprawled, as usual, across Nick’s body with a pounding head and a ring that was nothing like the mood ring I’d sported before, sitting shiny and proud on my left ring finger.

Oh, fudge.

Chapter Twelve

Saturday

I’d scratched myself reaching up to touch my face. That was how I knew something was different.

I lifted my hand, watching it twinkle in the sunlight flooding my bedroom, turning it this way and that as I wracked my brain to try and remember how it had ended up there.

Nick brushed a hand down my naked back and moaned, opened his eyes, and panicked.

“Oh, shit!” My heart sank. If what I was recalling bits and pieces of actually happened, and it was looking like they had, he was panicking about the fact that he’d married me.

In an Elvis chapel, if I wasn’t mistaken. Because Viva Las Vegas was running on a loop in my head.

I moved off of his chest as he bolted upright and reached for his phone.

Then froze when he slumped back into bed and murmured, “Come here, Harley. We still have time. I want to hold you.”

Mechanically, I did as I was told, but I couldn’t keep my mouth from moving, “Did we, uh, get married last night?”

His body rocked with laughter, but I was finding absolutely nothing funny about this whole thing. “I’m hurt. You don’t remember saying yes to me?”

There was a note to his voice that I couldn’t unravel. I trod carefully when I said, “I definitely remember Elvis. I think I danced with him.”

He laughed heartily at that and said, “That, my dear wife, you did. We met up with our friend, Melvis, at the bar where we stopped to grab a drink and sang karaoke. Badly. He asked why we weren’t married, and when I told him it’s because you won’t commit, he bought us each a shot, asked me if I loved you when I said yes, he asked you and then it gets a little hazy until we walked into a chapel that looked straight out of the fifties, you panicked, and I kissed you. Next thing you know, we’re hitched and living that wedded life.”

“Is it legal?” I asked in horror. We’d have to get lawyers involved to dissolve this mess if it was.

He stiffened, and for the first time in our time together, he sounded pissed. At me. “What the fuck? Hours ago, you were over the moon, happier than you’d ever been before, and in love with me. Now you want to know if our marriage is legal? What the hell changed between then and now?”

“Nick—“ I stopped, gulped, and tried to compose my thoughts, and it was awkward as all hell laying in his arms and having this conversation.

That was when it hit me.

“You wanted to marry me?” I heard the awe in my voice, so I knew he did.

“Baby Doll, I took one look at you and fell headfirst in love.” He squeezed me, and my heart grew ten sizes, seven more than the Grinch’s, and I jerked out of his arms, but only to swing a leg over his waist and straddle him as my hair cascaded around us.

My voice cracked when I asked in a whisper, “You fell in love with me?”

“Har, I’ve been trying to talk you into moving with me since pretty much our first day together. Hell, I’ve got proof.” He squeezed my hip then tipped his to the side, dumping me softly on the bed. I rolled to a sitting position as Nick, in all of his naked glory, strode across the room and picked up a manila packet, and when he was close enough, tossed it on my lap.

His name was scrawled on it in Rico’s familiar handwriting.

“Go on, I know what’s in there since I asked for it Tuesday. Open it up and see.”

He dropped to the side of the bed, turned his hips, and brought his knee up. With shaking hands, I opened the envelope and dumped the papers out that were inside.

There were two passports, so I checked those out first. The first was a picture of Nick and had his name listed as Nick Reyes. I picked up the other and was startled to see that it had my most recent driver’s license photo, but what stilted my heart was the name across it.

Harley Reyes.

“I had to message Rico Wednesday after our talk so he would use your actual name. When we drive across the border, we become ourselves. Who we really are under the walls and the illusions. I’d give you my real last name, but for this to be a fresh start, I have to leave Foster. I got as close as I could and gave you my abuelita’s last name. It means more to me than Foster ever did.”

I reached for him, and when he held it out, I took his hand and brought it to my lips, brushing kisses to his knuckles the way he had mine. Then I set my shoulders and womaned the hell up.

“I love you. It’s crazy how quick it happened, but I really do.”

He’d been holding himself stiff, waiting, I realized, on me to freak and run. But I had his ring on my finger and his granny’s last name. He’d been fighting for me this whole time, and the biggest obstacle he’d battled had been my stubbornness.

It was time to show my man I was worth it; messy habits, sugar addiction, and all.

And he hadn’t been around long enough to learn of my obsession with Sam and Dean Winchester.

He wouldn’t mind, though. I understood now that he would take me as I was and love it. Harlow/Harley or whoever I labeled myself as. I knew this because looking at my left hand, I knew there would never come a time again where I didn’t fight for him and take him as he was.

Flaws and all.

In the middle of this serious, life-defining moment, his alarm started its annoying bleep-bleep-bleep. He shut it off and turned his attention back to me.

I shoved all the paperwork off of my lap and leaped at him.

He caught me, pulled me across his lap, and laid a hot one on me.

We kissed slowly, enjoying the moment and the realization that our time together wasn’t coming to an end. Instead, it was only beginning.

Then the alarm cut through the haze, and we surrendered to time. We had forever now, so I reluctantly climbed off of his lap.

I carefully gathered up the paperwork while he put the kitchen to rights, then I balled up the covers and shoved them into a box. Eventually, once we were settled, I’d open that box and remember the morning I’d woken up a married woman.

I closed the box, took one last look around to make sure nothing was amiss and closed the door on the room I’d spent the last several years occupying.

Instinctively, I looked across the hall and saw my brother’s room. I couldn’t fight the urge to walk across the hall and stare into his room one last time.

I could remember the day I’d shown him the apartment and how cool he’d thought it was that he had his own room and his own closet. The clothes were long gone, and the only thing that remained were the ghosts of my memories.

I turned to walk out and saw the spot where he’d lain as I’d fought desperately to breathe life back into him.

My hand settled over my heart, and tears stung my eyes as I whispered to an empty room, “I miss you, Edgar. So much. I hope you found peace. And I wish you could’ve met Nick. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted. You’d love him.” My voice, thick with emotions, trailed off, and with one last glance, I shut the door and walked to the kitchen.

Everything was boxed up now. The trash that had been overflowing was now empty, so I knew Nick had taken it out. He walked back through the front door and announced, “Lucy, I’m home.”

Just like that, he’d chased the ghosts away, and it was only him and me. I didn’t stop myself from rushing to him and leaping in his arms.

He caught me, barely shifting at my weight, and I informed him of something he already knew, “I love you, Nick Reyes.”

He grinned up at me and countered, “I love you, Harley Reyes.”

I didn’t even try to hide the happiness that stirred in me at his proclamation.

His blasted alarm started it’s incessant beeping once more, and I narrowed my eyes on my husband, “If you don’t do something about that phone, I’m going to. There’s a perfectly fine toilet right through that door that will be more than happy to ruin your phone for you.”

He laughed, hefted me once, and set me down on my feet then moved across the room to snatch it from the bar.

He walked into the kitchen and came back with a carton of chocolate milk and a bottle of water, grabbed the two shiny packages on the bar and announced, “Time to boogey, Baby Doll. We have a game to get ready for.”

I nodded and followed him to the door, turning back to take one last glance and then shutting it behind me, locking away the past and heading into a future.

Chapter Thirteen

Even though I’d nattered on about the ridiculous amount of time it took me to get ready, when I was motivated, I could get it together. So, get it together, I did.

We hit the hotel, showered together for nothing more than the intimacy of it since we were on a deadline, and I was putting myself together in record time.

Nick finished way faster than I did and took up his post leaning against the doorjamb.

Where days ago, it had turned me into a nervous wreck to be watched so closely, today I just smiled and kept doing my thing.

I added a dash of perfume to my neck and inner wrists, slipped into my shoes, heels tended to have a certain effect on Nick, so I saved them for last since we were in a hurry.

He guided me out the door and into the elevator with his hand resting intimately on the small of my back. It burned through me, but instead of hyperawareness from being self-conscious, this time it was because I knew in just a couple of hours, I was going to be bent over the couch, taking it from behind and I couldn’t wait.

For now, I had to keep my game face on and not fantasize about the deliciously wicked things he could do to me with his body.

I squirmed, and he chuckled in that dark, sexy way of his, sending thrills through me.

It didn’t bode well for me that he could read me so easily.

Adding insult to injury, or you know, whatever the horny version of that statement was, he brushed the hair from my neck and pressed his lips there, his tongue darting out teasingly to taste my sensitive skin.

We moved into the room where each of the games had been played so far, and I noted that it was far emptier now than it had been for each of the other rounds.

He led me to my seat and waved the waiter over to bring me a drink. I thought it was odd until he pulled me into his arms and kissed me breathless. He was prioritizing, and I liked the way he was thinking. He didn’t lift his head until the waiter delicately cleared his throat behind us and offered him my drink. Reaching over, he took the offered glass and held it for me to take. I did so and grinned when he bent to whisper in my ear, “When this is over, we walk out millionaires, and I’m going to make love to you until the sun rises.”

It happened so fast, the way everything seemed to with him. The pile of chips in front of Nick grew and grew, even though his eyes stayed glued on me for just about the whole entire time. At the midpoint, the cards were pulled and replaced with a new deck, and Nick was in my space, holding out a new glass to replace the one I’d emptied.

Something occurred to me as I stood there, sipping expensive red wine in a dress that cost hundreds and a huge ass rock on my hand. “Did I get married in sweats?”

And there was the blush that I constantly wore with him, only this time it was because I was mortified at the possibility.

He grinned and nodded, “Oh yeah, you did. And we decided at some point that we were framing them and keeping them in the bedroom for the rest of our lives.

I groaned and dropped my head on his jacket-covered chest. Then I remembered I was wearing make-up and jerked my head back up, checking to make sure I hadn’t ruined the material.

Nick tipped my chin up and held my eyes as he said, “I’ve said it before since you sashayed your sweet ass into my life, but it bears repeating. I am a lucky fucking man, Baby Doll.”

Tears filled my eyes, but I was determined to blink them back. There was no way on earth that I was ruining my make-up when there were still ten rounds to go.

He watched me fight to rein it in and nodded with a grin.

“Luckiest Man Alive, Har.”

The game ended, and Nick was the clear winner, the other player shook his hand, and quickly left the room. Not that I blamed him. Being that close to winning that much money and then losing would be enough to send anyone away in a hurry.

Nick waited around, talking to one of the men and then nodded, shaking hands, and heading my way. I stood to meet him, and my hands shook, where I held them clasped together. He’d won. He was a millionaire and had won it literally playing cards.

I was living in a world that I’d thought only existed on television.

He practically dragged me from the room in such a hurry to celebrate his victory, and we’d almost made it to the elevator when someone stood from one of the chairs and moved toward us.

Nick didn’t even try to hide his annoyance as Nat, the woman who had the persistence of a gnat, moved into our path.

He cut her off before she had a chance to speak. “If you so much as glance at my wife, I’m going to find out every dirty deed you’ve done in your life, and I’m going to spread that shit far and wide. I put up with your shit while the championship was happening, but bitch, it’s done, and I am not afraid to ruin your life and make it so you can’t hook a rich guy again for the rest of your life.”

That gave both of us pause. He was serious, and he was brutal, not pulling any punches. He was dead serious. It was plain on his face that he wasn’t bluffing. Not even a little.

She wavered, considered her options and then in a small voice, one I hadn’t known she was capable of she asked, “Why her and not me?”

I braced because it was a question I’d asked myself during our time together. He didn’t even attempt to soften the blow when he told her, “She walked into the room, and Nat, I lost my breath. My heart stopped beating in my chest, and my whole life was turned on its ear. The more time I spent with her, the harder I fell. Eventually, I looked up and realized I was in so deep that I was never going to get out, and I liked it.”

Oh, man. That was a good answer.

At least for me. Nat looked like she’d been punched in the face and stabbed in the heart. The women’s woman in me poked her head up and urged me to offer comfort, but the bigger part of me, the one that knew Nat had crossed lines you just didn’t cross, shoved her back down and crossed her arms, ready to fight for her man.

“I wanted to be that for you.” And I believed her, mostly.

He didn’t, though. “Nat, I tried to like you, tried to find something in you other than empty sex that I could connect to, but it wasn’t there. I’m really not trying to be hateful when I tell you this, but someone has to tell you. Love isn’t something you can force. And I hope you find your man and experience what real love is, but that man isn’t me, and you won’t find one worth keeping if you keep trying to manipulate every dick in your life and don’t start trying to find you.”

She stood where she was, but Nick was done with her. He showed this when he took my hand, pulled me around her, and into his chest, and walked with me tucked there, not letting me go until we’d crossed the threshold of our suite.

As soon as the door closed behind us, Nick pounced, using nimble fingers to unzip the gown and watching with heated eyes as it pooled on the floor around my feet.

I stood there in a lace thong, my standard lacy thigh highs and the tallest pair of fuck-me heels in my arsenal, and his eyes went molten.

In five-minutes flat, he had me moaning his name.

The next morning, we checked out of the hotel, loaded his rental with the belongings we’d be taking with us, and headed straight for the border.

We traded cars, returning the rental and loading up into a car he’d already purchased, and we crossed the border and headed to the coast and our life together.

Epilogue

The wind blowing in from the sea glided through my hair and made it dance. Using my free hand, I shoved some of the stray locks behind my ear and kept walking the length of the beach.

There was a storm blowing in so it wouldn’t be long before Nick locked up and hung the “Closed” sign on the door and came to find me.

We’d been here a little over a year, and I was more in love with him than I’d been even on the day we left Nevada to start a new life.

I had a florist who would make weekly deliveries, putting flowers on my little brother’s grave and getting rid of the old.

And Rico, well, Rico was never far away. He stayed in Vegas and still ran his business, but more and more frequently, he talked about hanging it up and coming down here to spend his retirement chasing loose women in fast cars. He’d brought my boxes and belongings down about six weeks after we’d left, right after we’d found a house we both loved, and that had been that. The culture, community, and scenery, both female and nature, hooked him. His visits had become more and more frequent since. The bonus was that every time he came, he brought Ted, giving us all a chance to catch up. Ted and Rico being the closest thing to family that Nick and I claimed.

I heard him call my name and turned to see my husband walking down the beach, his flip flops dangling from a finger on one hand.

He was the picture of ease, the laid-back bar owner who was quick with a laugh and always down for a good time.

Two months after opening the bar, Luck of the Draw, fitting since that was how we’d had the money to build it, Nick had decided on a once a month fiesta where we dressed in our finest clothes and sipped champagne. The locals loved it, but I knew the real reason he had done this was because he missed seeing me in fancy dresses and lacy underthings. The first night, after we’d closed and sent our two waitresses home for the night, he’d hefted me onto the wooden bar top and peeled them off with his teeth.

It had been erotic and one of the top five hottest things he’d ever done to me.

So, I’d started incorporating those thigh highs and heels with some of my day to day outfits, for no other reason than the fact that it turned him on when he saw the heels, and it didn’t matter if they were paired with leggings or the finest of silks.

All he cared about was the package underneath.

The wind blew hard and lifted my hair, bringing chaos to my locks, but I no longer cared because, in about two steps, I was going to be home.

Not a physical dwelling or a city or place, no, home for me was wrapped in my husband’s arms.

I didn’t stop walking until I had crashed into his arms. He dropped his flip flops, bent and wrapped an arm under my rear, lifting me up higher and grinned, “I had to close up shop so I could come find my sea nymph. It’s time to go home, Baby Doll, there’s a storm brewing, and I’ve spent the whole day fantasizing about fucking you until you scream, and not worrying about the neighbors as the thunder shakes the house.”

I tipped my head down and brushed his lips, “That sounds like heaven to me. Put me down and lead the way, hot stuff.”

He smiled, and it was the one that still made me quiver with its intensity, then he did what he was told, setting me gently to my feet and picking up his flip flops.

Though he didn’t calmly lead the way, no, not my man. Instead, he raced down the beach, holding my hand and laughing into the sky.

For a brief moment, the clouds broke, and the sun peeked through, shining down on us, then as fast as they’d parted, they settled once more, and the first few raindrops floated down.

I liked to think that this was my baby brother shining down on me, happy and at peace, and knowing that his big sister had found her happiness and peace as well.

Nick squeezed my hand and pulled me into him, tossing his arm over my shoulder and dropping a kiss to the crown of my head.

I was a very lucky girl.

The End

Redeemed

Barbara Nolan

Chapter One

Joker hated waiting.

When he was Vice President of the Raiders MC the guys waited for him and hung on his every word. All he had to do was nod his head, or crook his finger and his every damned wish was met. He’d lived that life for over ten years and the power and notoriety was a tough habit to break.

The wooded area surrounding the Raiders’ clubhouse in upstate New York provided the perfect cover for the surveillance van while being close enough to receive perfect reception on the black and white monitors.

Joker shifted in the uncomfortable bench seat of the van he’d been forced to sit on for the last forty-five minutes. But since his girl, Daisy, con woman extraordinaire, was scamming Digger, the psycho president of the Raiders, Joker felt compelled to watch this shit go down. Especially since she was doing it for him.

“I don’t get it.” Sheena, Daisy’s best friend and fellow con woman, nodded toward the monitors. “Why would anyone want to be a biker? That clubhouse is a shithole.”

Joker once called the tumbledown building home. He’d grown up in the club, then swore to defend his brothers. Until that turned out to be a fuckin’ joke on him.

“It’s supposed to be about not caring about society’s rules. Being loyal to your brothers and living free.”

Sheena whipped her head in his direction. “How’d that work out for you?”

Not good. A month ago, his son, Derek laid in a hospital bed hanging onto life with a bullet hole in his chest because of a power struggle within the club. Luckily, the kid survived but it was Digger who put him there, and that was one grudge he wasn’t willing to forget or forgive.

“The living free part gets a little fucked up when you got an egomaniac like Digger running the show,” Joker said.

Joker could handle anything Digger sent his way but using his son as a pawn in their dirty game went way over the line.

“It’s the egomania that’s going to work in our favor.” Sheena adjusted the monitors, and a picture flashed onto the screen. It showed Daisy and Seth, another con, sitting at a table in the Raiders’ clubhouse.

Joker peered out the window into the pitch blackness. He’d given his whole life to the club and thought that living as an outlaw biker was the only thing that mattered. Until it wasn’t.

Joker stood as much as his six-foot four-inch frame would allow, and tried to stretch the kink out of his spine. He leaned over Tobias, the tech genius who assembled most of the equipment. The guy’s bulky build resembled a prize fighter not a computer techie.

Joker peered at the monitors as Digger entered the picture heading straight for Daisy. Fuck, he hated seeing his girl having to deal with that scum, but she assured him she knew what she was doing, and that it was the first step in taking Digger down.

* * *

Daisy and Seth sat in the now familiar clubhouse at Digger’s table. The first time she’d entered the rundown roadhouse the smell of smoke and beer along with gruff male voices assaulted her senses. The fear and anguish of her days as a biker chick came hurtling at her, but what she had to do now would finally put a stop to the pain. Both hers and Joker’s.

Of course, Digger made them wait. The guy was manic about having control over every situation, big or small. Oh yes, taking down this scum would be sweet.

A few guys milled around the bar and pool table, and some girls draped themselves over the couches, but it was only ten o’clock. Early in the biker world party zone.

Daisy’s game face was firmly in place, but she longed for the day when this con ended. Digger, the president of the Raiders MC, was even worse than Joker described. His cold, flinty glare made her feel dirty when he looked at her. Thin lips in a permanent smirk and a bulky body he didn’t mind using to push people around. Literally. Two nights ago, when the bartender didn’t bring his drink fast enough, he grabbed the poor kid by the T-shirt and slammed his face into the bar. The kid dropped to the floor unconscious, and Digger laughed. Most times he was jacked up on something which did nothing for his already psychotic personality.

“Hey motherfuckers,” Digger bellowed across the room. His usual greeting returned by fist pumps from his fellow bikers. Although over the last week, Daisy definitely observed some of the bikers weren’t totally receptive to Digger. They hid it well, but she’d caught the side-eye some of them exchanged behind his back, along with a general tension vibrating through the dilapidated clubhouse.

Digger ambled over to them, all swagger and false bravado. There was not one redeeming quality about this man. From his matted hair, and gnarly beard to the stained T-shirt barely covering the hairy, beer belly protruding over the waistband of his grubby jeans.

He plopped himself into the chair closest to Daisy and leered at her. She dressed the part of a Hollywood director in a classy mix of business casual with enough cleavage, while Seth played the geeky studio lackey. They each carried the proper fake credentials, but once Daisy mentioned Digger starring in HBO’s version of Sons of Anarchy five days ago, the con was on.

Digger leaned in. The plastered smile on Daisy’s face tried to ignore the onions on his breath, and the body odor from the T-shirt he’d worn for the last three days.

She leaned away slightly, but he grabbed her hand in his massive claw and squeezed her fingers. She focused on the skull tattooed to the back of his hand, and the letters etched on each of his fingers spelling out Death.

“Shall we get down to business?” Seth pulled out his pad for note taking, and Daisy fished her little recording device out of her purse.

He opened his fist and examined her fingers. “Nice hands. Sure would look good wrapped around my cock.”

Daisy ignored the comment, but inwardly cringed for two reasons. The obvious of touching anything on Digger’s disgusting body, no less his cock, and knowing Joker had visual and audio in the van and could see and hear every word.

* * *

“You see what I’m talking about?” Joker slammed his palm against the inside of the van, then glared at Tobias. “This ends now.” Joker pulled on the door handle of the van and pushed it open.

Tobias crowded behind him. “Chill the fuck out.”

“And let that crazy fucker say shit like that to her?”

Taking a backseat was its own brand of hell, because Joker wanted to barge into the Raiders’ clubhouse, and blast Digger once and for all.

He’d fantasized about all the ways it could go. Slow and painful or fast and sharp, but those dreams remained hidden in the darkness of his mind, because Joker swore to turn his life around. Be a better man, be a man his thirteen-year-old son, Derek, could respect.

Joker flopped into the captain’s chair in the front of the van, barely controlling the hate he harbored for Digger. He’d run the Raiders MC into the ground with his shady deals and double-crossing allies, and the need for retribution lived in Joker’s soul like a cancer.

“I can’t stand this fuckin’ waiting,” Joker grumbled scrubbing his hand over the stubble on his jaw.

In reality, it had been three weeks ago that Digger shot Derek in the chest on a crowded subway platform. Two weeks ago, Daisy, owner of Joker’s heart, and hot as fuck, devised a scheme to take Digger down, and one week ago he’d promised not to interfere. Of course, at the time, Daisy’s sweet body was squeezing him in a way that made his eyes cross. Note to self. Don’t make decisions when you’re balls deep in a beautiful woman.

“Daisy knows what she’s doing.” Sheena assured him.

Truth, he trusted Daisy with his life. They’d met in Miami. Him doing a last deal for the Raiders, and her going by the name of Charlie while trying to escape a ruthless drug lord. When their fucked-up situations inevitably fell apart, they were forced to work together and rely on each other. Great if you believed in storybook endings, not so much if you were a realist dealing with vicious fuckers who never gave up.

“Three rules of a good con.” Sheena held up her fingers. “Finesse, self-control, and patience.”

She annoyingly emphasized the last word. And yeah, she was right, but the cramped, humid van amped up his instinct to knock down the door and throw a fist.

Tobias looked over from the monitors. “The beauty part of this scam is it’s outrageous enough to play on Digger’s ego, but not too wild that he won’t take the bait, or suspect he’s being conned.”

“No problem there, he’s as stupid as he is shady,” Joker said.

Plus, the Raiders were one of the most notorious biker clubs on the East Coast, so going to the cops wasn’t an option either.

“Normally, money is the prize, or the promise of money.” Tobias smirked. “But with this guy it seems his thirst for power and notoriety will end up kicking him in the ass.”

Chapter Two

“Let’s see, where did we leave off yesterday?” Daisy rescued her hand from Digger’s calloused paw and ignored his remark.

“But of course, your hand would not be as good as those sexy lips sucking me off.”

One of the club girls made the mistake of appearing at that moment. She placed a beer in front of Digger, and he grabbed her wrist, forcing her to her knees. “Show her how it’s done, Crystal.”

Crystal’s eyes widened, but she didn’t hesitate to fumble with the waist of his jeans.

Daisy’s stomach churned with disgust and a desire to save this poor girl.

“Your onscreen presence will be so dominate,” Daisy spit the words out fast, hoping to distract the big ape.

“What?” Digger growled, apparently not used to interruptions.

“Your camera presence, it’s unique.” Daisy shot a look to Seth. “Don’t you agree?”

Seth nodded sagely. “Definitely unique.”

Digger still had the girl in his clutches so Daisy soldiered on. “Your persona is real and raw, very believable.”

He’d certainly convinced Daisy he was a bullying pig.

Digger loosened his grip, but the girl remained on her knees, watching this scene play out.

“You think I’ll get a lot of free shit. I heard those guys from Sons of Anarchy got to keep their motorcycles.”

“Absolutely.” Seth shifted in his seat, and Daisy could barely contain her eye roll. “Cable shows about outlaw bikers are in vogue, and HBO can’t wait to start production.”

“It’s amazing you don’t have any training as an actor,” Daisy added.

“Your innate flair, and instinctive gravitas will bring such reality to the part.” Seth grinned at Digger’s blank expression.

“Get the fuck away from me.” Digger flung the girl away with such force, she landed with a thud on the hard wood floor. Digger howled with laughter, chugged his beer, then released a loud belch. “I’m gonna have bitches lining up to suck my cock.”

The girl scurried away and Daisy inwardly sighed with relief, then clenched her jaw at his repulsiveness.

“There’s probably a lot I could fill your writers in on too. Like the way our enemies know not to fuck with me.” Digger flung his massive arm over the back of her chair.

Daisy leaned forward away from his touch, amazed how the promise of stardom made Digger spill club business.

“I take out the pliers and the butane and those motherfuckers know how it’s gonna end.”

Over the last few days, Digger enjoyed regaling her and Seth with the club’s notorious jobs and the ways they’d dealt with enemies. Exactly what they needed to take him down when Sheena and Tobias would storm in revealing themselves as DEA agents. Fake DEA agents, but Digger wouldn’t know that, and neither would his buddies when they realized he’d sold them out.

They’d lured him in and gained his confidence. Now, they had enough information to pull the cord and subjecting herself to this cannibal would be a distant memory.

* * *

An hour later, Joker, Sheena and Tobias met with Daisy and Seth in the parking lot of a local diner across the street from the small motel where they were all staying. Decent food, under the radar, and far enough away from the Raiders’ clubhouse. An out of the way spot hunters used in season and totally off the grid of the outlaw bikers.

“Hey.” Daisy linked her arm with Joker’s.

“I know I agreed to this, but watching him near you, touching you.” Joker heaved out a heavy sigh. “Fuckin’ hard.”

“Keep your eye on the prize. We’re almost done.”

And over the last week that was bugging him too. Daisy’s plan was good, it would definitely work, but would it be enough. Joker’s emotions were twisted when it came to Digger. The urge to settle it himself and put that bastard in the ground roared against his newfound attitude to do the right thing and be the parent Derek deserved.

“You don’t sound very convinced.” She pulled him in for a kiss.

The heat of her body soothed him. Like some magic potion able to calm him with her touch. He cupped her ass and leaned against the van laying her against him as he nipped at her lips.

“Got a lot of shit swimming around in my head.” Joker hugged her to him.

“Geez, will you two get a room.” Seth laughed.

“Yeah really, you’re making me lose my appetite.” Tobias slammed the van door.

Sheena patted Tobias’ bulging biceps. “I don’t think anything short of nuclear war could ruin your appetite.”

Joker released Daisy, but she pulled him to her. “You alright?”

“Fine.” Joker slung his arm around her shoulders as they followed the others into the diner. She’d done so much for him, and he better get his shit sorted out before it got all mixed up in their relationship.

They settled in their booth in the back as their usual waitress, Monica, approached. It was the only place around, and after eating there six nights straight they were on a first name basis with the waitstaff and the menu.

“Hey darlin’, lookin’ good.” Tobias beamed at the petite blonde like she was the only one in the crowded diner. “I know you know what I want, but I’ll order off the menu first.”

Monica blushed as she did every night and Joker rolled his eyes at Tobias and his tired pickup lines.

Everyone placed their order, as Monica scratched at her pad, then scurried away.

“Do you think you could come up with something more original?” Joker deadpanned.

“She’s crazy about me,” Tobias argued.

“Right,” Seth chimed in. “That’s why every night you’re sleeping in that twin bed in our room.”

“Ahhh.” Tobias held up his finger. “But did you ever wonder what I’m getting up to before I hit that twin bed.”

“No,” Seth muttered.

“Let’s just say that I never realized helping somebody close up a diner could be so much fun.”

“Shit.” Seth eyeballed the table. “Please don’t tell me.”

“Nah, we keep it in the kitchen. That storage closet and the big table—”

“Geez.” Sheena grabbed up her knife and fork, then wiped them with her napkin. “I don’t need to hear this. Especially since my dinner is coming out of that kitchen.”

“Relax.” Tobias threw up his palms. “We keep it all . . .”

Monica reappeared with their food, and an uneasy silence fell over the table followed by mumbled thank yous.

They all dug in happy to be diverted from Tobias and his late-night kitchen sex.

Seth reached across the table and nabbed a handful of Sheena’s fries.

“Eat your own food.” Sheena tried to slap his hand but missed.

“I did.” Seth pointed to his empty plate.

Tobias shook his head. “I don’t know where you put it all. You’re such a skinny shit.”

“Hey, I got lean muscle.” Seth flexed his bicep. “And I had no trouble passing myself off as a mean ass DEA agent in Miami.”

“The DEA windbreaker and the phony badge might’ve helped too,” Tobias said.

Seth smirked at Joker. “I’ll never forget the look on your face when we stormed that room. You were like I’m fucked big time.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Joker pushed his half-eaten food to the side trying to ignore the gnawing in his gut.

“You’re not gonna eat those?” Seth pointed to Joker’s pile of uneaten fries.

Joker pushed the plate toward him.

“What, you got a fuckin’ tape worm?” Tobias shoulder butted him almost knocking him out of the booth.

“I got a healthy appetite.” Seth popped a fry in his mouth. “You’re just jealous cause every time you put something in your mouth you gain ten pounds.”

“Not everything I put in my mouth.”

“Please.” Daisy held up her palm with a pained expression. “Can we stay on topic.”

Seth tapped the recorder he’d put on the table. “We got everything right here. I thought he was gonna show us where the bodies were buried. He sure takes pride in his work.”

Even though Joker’d lived that life he’d never bragged about it. Brought up in the club by his crazy-ass biker father, it was the only life he’d known, but when his son was put at risk it was time to get out.

“All we need now is you two,” Seth pointed to Sheena and Tobias, “as the DEA agents, asking questions, dropping hints about the shit Digger bragged about, and it’s all over.”

“Play that tape for his biker buddies and let them know how he sold them out for a fake television show.” Daisy smiled. “He’ll be screwed, and not in the good way.”

“It’s all bullshit.” Joker pointed to the recorder. “Everything you got on that tape is useless.”

“Not when his buddies hear how Digger’s been shooting off his mouth—”

“It’s not enough,” Joker said.

“I’m confused,” Daisy said.

Seth furrowed his brow. “You want to cut him loose?”

“The club is falling apart. Most of those guys are either too afraid of him or too burnt out on drugs. They’ll give him a beat down, that’s all.”

“I thought that’s what you wanted,” Tobias said.

“I thought so too, but now—” Joker leaned in. “I don’t want him to have a black eye and a few broken ribs. I want him to pay in a big way for what he tried to do to me and what he did do to Derek.”

The others exchanged a look.

“You want him dead,” Tobias ground out.

The statement hung between them.

Seth rearranged his silverware. “I don’t think any of us are . . .”

Tobias cracked his knuckles. “After listening to him all week I’d be happy to rearrange his limbs, but killing somebody . . .”

Joker locked eyes with Tobias. “I’d never ask you to do something I wouldn’t do. We have a charter club in Vegas who's been very dissatisfied with the way Digger’s been handling shit here in New York.”

“Why don’t you get one of his club buddies here,” “Daisy said. “I’ve seen the looks they give him. It’s not admiration.”

“It’d never work,” Joker said. “Most of them are too strung out all the time to keep it together. The last thing we need is one of them bringing us all down because they’re jacked up and shooting off their mouth. It’d be way too risky.”

Daisy shot a glance to the others. “We know some people in Vegas too.”

“And I am missing that desert we call home,” added Sheena.

“The Serpents are a bunch of tough bikers but they respect family,” Joker said. “They’ve been looking for an excuse to get rid of Digger, and once I tell them Digger involved my kid in his bullshit. He won’t stand a chance.”

“The Serpents,” Seth said with an air of reverence. “They definitely have a rep out there. And nothing says fuck you like dropping a body in the desert.”

“Now, we have to get this asshole out to Vegas.”

“Easy.” Daisy smiled. “He kept asking me when we would start filming, and now I’ll tell him he’s the star. The idiot will jump at the chance.”

“Right, all we need is an empty studio, some cameras . . .”

“And Vinnie Black.” Daisy popped a fry into her mouth.

“Exactly.” Sheena, Tobias and Seth chimed in.

Chapter Three

The elevator rose with an initial whoosh, and then silence until Daisy and Joker reached the fortieth floor. They exited the elevator, found their room and entered a luxurious suite at the Capri Hotel. The marble floored foyer led to an open living room with another door off to the side Joker assumed was the bedroom.

“You weren’t kidding when you said someone would set us up.”

Daisy flicked some buttons on the intricate wall panel, and the sheer panels covering the floor-to-ceiling windows opened. Joker admired the Las Vegas Strip, and a crystal blue sky, with a mountain range in the background. The whole thing looked fake, like a Hollywood backdrop.

“Some of my contacts out here are still pretty good.”

“And this Vinnie Black is the hotel manager?”

“You could say Vinnie manages all the premier Vegas hotels. He’s the man you see for more select entertainment. Every doorman, bellhop and concierge has his number. You want it, he can get it.”

“Sounds like an interesting guy.” Joker marveled at the waterfalls, fountains, even the Eiffel Tower. “Like Disneyland for adults.”

Daisy joined him at the window. “I think that’s actually in some of their ads.”

“And I’m guessing most the stuff this Vinnie gets is illegal.”

“Some yes, some no. He only does things to benefit himself.”

“I get that.”

Joker wanted to soak it all in. This had been Daisy’s home before she hooked up with him in Miami, and he wanted to get a feel for the place. According to Daisy; Sheena, Seth, Tobias and her all worked for some mastermind schemer, but when the IRS caught up with him they all scattered. Daisy fleeing to Miami, and Sheena, Seth and Tobias waiting tables at the Pirate’s Cove, a theme restaurant on the Strip.

“Do we need some fancy cover story for Vinnie?”

“No, that’s the beauty part. I play the savvy con woman who saved his ass many times, and you play the pissed off biker who wants retaliation for his son.”

“Do I wanna know how you saved his ass?”

“Let’s say when two, three-hundred-pound meatheads were chasing him through a restaurant kitchen I accidentally tipped over a bubbling cauldron of boiling lobsters.”

“Are you shittin’ me?”

“True story. Vinnie got away, the meatheads suffered serious, but not fatal burns, and when the police came they found some agitated lobsters, then locked up the meatheads for outstanding warrants.”

Sounded logical, but guys like Vinnie never gave anything away for free.

“And here I thought I knew everything about you.”

“And there were plenty of other times I saved him. Widowed and divorced heiresses he’d wronged, irate financiers he’d ghosted. Believe me, he owes me this suite.”

Of course, she’d had a life before him, they’d dissected the seamier sides of both their pasts in Miami, but the stories he didn’t know would drive him crazy in another way.

“That’s what scares me about you hanging with Seth, Tobias and Sheena. They know all my secrets.”

“Looks like I’m gonna have to have a private sit-down with them.” He drew her into his arms, and when she burrowed into his chest, he inhaled her scent. Sweet and citrusy like an orange orchard. He would’ve loved to make believe it was just the two of them and they were in Vegas for a getaway.

“We have about an hour before we have to meet up with him.”

“More than enough time.”

“Mmmm. You have something in mind?” Daisy snuck her fingers between them.

“Haven’t you learned about teasing me yet?” He scooped her up and carried her into the spacious bedroom.

“I’ve learned teasing you usually gets me exactly what I want.” She yelped when he dropped her on the king-size bed, not wasting any time as he pulled her T-shirt over her head and unsnapped the front closure of her bra. He cupped her breasts then teased her nipple with his tongue.

No matter how many times he had her, it was never enough. Daisy saved him in Miami. Not just in the physical way, but in all the ways that counted. She’d healed the hole in his heart left by his first wife’s suicide and filled all the empty spaces that made him want to do more than just exist. She helped him realize his goal of getting out of the club, and if not for that bastard Digger, Daisy, Derek and him would be living together worry free.

“Hey.” Daisy ran her hands through his hair. “Where’d you go?”

“It’s nothing.” He rolled his shoulders trying to get back in the moment. Trying to shake off the anger and pain.

“I thought we said we weren’t going to do that anymore.”

His brow knitted together.

“Shut down and keep it all in,” Daisy said.

Joker drew in a deep breath. “You’ve done so much for me—”

“Just as much as you’ve done for me.”

“But I feel like I’m still putting you through shit. Still making you clean up my messes.”

“Whose idea was this to come out to Vegas?”

“Yours.”

“And do I seem reluctant or angry about helping you?”

“No.” But the fact remained. His bad shit was still following them.

“Then can you please shut up about it and get busy here.”

“Bossy little bitch, aren’t you?” Joker undid the button of her jeans, holding her eyes captive as he slid down the zipper, slipping his hands around to cup her ass. “Looks like I’m gonna have to give you exactly what you want.”

She squealed when he grabbed her ankles, anchored his fingers in the hem of her jeans and yanked them off, flinging them to the floor.

He fumbled with the button and zipper of his jeans, then pushed them to his hips seconds before she pulled him to her. He ground against her, feeling her heat, knowing there was nowhere he’d rather be then right between her thighs. He nuzzled her neck nipping the sensitive skin craving the little purring sounds he’d come to love.

“Ahh, fuck.” He pushed his palms against the mattress. “Condoms are still in my duffel.”

She cupped his face. “How about we forget about them.” She laughed at his confused expression. “I’m on the pill, and we were both tested when we got to New York.”

“Right.” Wow that rocked him. Using condoms was the regular for him. He could be falling down drunk, but he never forgot to strap up. Taking Daisy real made her even more special.

“I lost you again.”

“No, babe. You’ll never lose me. I just get blown away by everything bouncing around in my head. All those feelings I thought were gone forever, and you brought them all back.”

She nudged him closer. “You’re good with this?”

“Taking the woman I love raw, and giving her everything I got? Oh, yeah, I’m good with that.”

He nestled himself against her, shifting to get the right angle, then slowly slipping into her wet heat. This was the best, nothing beat having Daisy under him, surrounding him, giving him all he needed and more.

He took it slow, until they found their rhythm. Two people in sync body and mind. His brain flashed to Miami. The crazy way they met, then running away from the cartel. Daisy acted all tough and in control until he found out she was hurting as much as him. Maybe more.

She grabbed onto him digging her nails into his shoulders, bringing him to the present. “Look at me.” Her breathless demand snapping his face to hers.

They’d shared all their secrets in Miami, and when Derek got shot, she vowed to help him. Yeah, his girl was loyal.

He pumped into her harder, letting her know he was loving her. “Best fuckin’ thing ever, feeling every part of you.”

Her body trembled under him. He sucked the soft flesh of her neck, and she shook and shattered around him.

“So fuckin’ good feeling you squeeze me.”

He let her ride it out, then he jerked his hips, slamming harder, growling into her neck, mumbling her name. Her body milking him making him go rigid and then exploding around her, in her. His biceps flexed, he dropped his head between his arms, panting, spent. He levered himself over her brushing a soft kiss to her lips, then breaking away because he still struggled to breathe.

“You all right?” She scraped his wild hair away from his face.

“Better than all right.” He smiled loving her gentle touch and the way she asked after him. Even when she was conning him in Miami there was a part of herself she couldn’t hide. The hurt little girl nobody wanted peeked out at the oddest times making her all the more vulnerable.

It was that part of her he vowed to keep safe and protect.

Chapter Four

After a shower and a change of clothes Joker and Daisy made their way through the main casino of the Capri. Joker hated acting like a tourist, but he couldn’t help it. The energy in the massive room turned his head in every direction. Slot machines pinging and dinging, roulette wheels spinning, and the rise and fall of cheers and jeers from the craps tables. He’d been to Empire City in New York, but it was nothing like this place. Celebrity restaurants, indoor tropical rain forest complete with a waterfall, a collection of antique cars driven by dead gangsters, and that was just on the casino floor.

“This place is fuckin’ ridiculous,” Joker said.

The theme of the Capri was ancient Rome which required every worker to dress in either a toga for the women or a gladiator costume for the men complete with sword and helmet. Fuckin’ crazy.

“Funny thing when I lived here, I hardly ever came to the Strip unless I was . . .”

“Running a con?”

“Look at all these tourists waiting for the next big win. Although I’m glad I’m out of the game, it was exciting.”

“I get it.”

Daisy led him into the main bar in the center of the casino. “You sure we can trust this guy?”

“I’ve known him for years and the beauty part is, I have more on him than he has on me.”

Joker understood that. In his biker days, the best allies were fuckers as badass as him. Mutual outlaws meant mutual trust.

As they zeroed in on the upholstered, wraparound bar Joker picked out Vinnie Black, then thought, nah too obvious. Unfortunately, like most times, Joker was right. Vinnie was all sharp suit, and crisp white shirt opened at the neck with a gaze that focused on nothing but saw everything. A few gold chains and Joker would’ve thought they’d stepped onto the set of Goodfellas.

Vinnie stood when he saw Daisy and opened his arms wide. “Charlie it’s been too long.”

He totally ignored Joker at her side, and at six-four he was kinda hard to miss. So yeah, the guy was a douche.

Daisy walked into his embrace but kept her arms at her side. Vinnie did not, and it took all Joker’s newfound self-control to keep from ripping her away from this asshole. Plus, it pissed him off that he called her Charlie, short for Charleen. The name she used in her scamming days, but she wasn’t that person anymore. She was Daisy now, his Daisy. Of course, the guy probably only knew her as Charlie, and Joker’s anger was irrational, but fuck him anyway.

This new logical thinking was gonna kill him or give him a raging ulcer.

Vinnie stepped to Daisy’s side and glanced at Joker. “What are you her bodyguard?”

“No, he’s my . . .”

And as Daisy searched for the word that described them Joker’s jaw tightened.

“He’s not my bodyguard,” Daisy finally said.

Vinnie shrugged, turned his back on him and concentrated on Daisy talking bullshit about mutual friends in Vegas. A dick move for sure.

The female bartender circled around, shot Joker a big toothy grin, then leaned over the bar flashing her cleavage in his direct line of vision. He contained the eye roll and ordered a beer on tap. Yeah, it was only eleven-thirty in the morning, but this was gonna be a long fuckin’ day.

His beer came, and Vinnie nodded to the bartender. “Put it on my tab.”

Joker didn’t argue. Let the douche pay for his beer.

Daisy opened up their little circle and squeezed Joker’s forearm. “Vinnie has everything we need.”

She’d already filled Vinnie in on their plan when they were in New York.

“Great.” Joker sipped his beer as he and Vinnie eyeballed each other. Joker couldn’t contain the smirk. Did this asshole think he was gonna bitch him down in his designer suit and shoes?

“Let’s go over the plan,” Daisy said. “That is if the two of you can put that ruler away.”

Vinnie smiled and Joker huffed out a laugh. Leave it to his girl to cut to the chase. Perceptive as always. Joker circled his arm around her waist, drew her close, then placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. A subtle move that said she was his. He enjoyed Vinnie trying to not have a reaction.

“I’ve got a small studio out in the desert,” Vinnie said. “It’s been used for a lot of different things, but it definitely looks professional, and will work for what you have in mind.”

“The object of the game is to get this fucker Digger out here and make him think he’s gonna be HBO’s next big star,” Joker said. “Only thing is his costars are gonna be real bikers with real bullets.”

Vinnie mashed his lips together. “Some interesting things happened in that studio, but never murder.”

“You don’t even have to be there. We’ve got our own people, and a clean-up committee.” Joker sneered. “Plus, you’re getting paid for it.”

“But still.” Vinnie paused. “I’ve got a whale coming in tonight from Macau. You remember Choi?” he said to Daisy, then turned to Joker. “Macau’s casinos are even bigger than Vegas, so a few times a year Choi likes to come here to relax and kick back.”

“And what does this guy have to do with us?”

Vinnie shot a look to Daisy. “Back in the day, before Macau exploded into a gambling capitol, Choi spent all his time in Vegas. I guess you could say he was Daisy’s mentor.” Vinnie narrowed his eyes. “Taught her everything she knows . . . about being a card mechanic.”

Was this fucker kidding, or what? He made sure he paused in just the right place, but Joker kept his game face firmly intact. Staring down jacked up thugs in Rikers made this guy look like a joke.

Vinnie gazed at Daisy. “He’d love it if you were the dealer at his private game tonight. Penthouse suite overlooking the Dancing Waters, premium liquor, piles of money, and all you have to do is deal the right cards.”

Joker released his arm from around Daisy’s waist and took a half-step forward. “She doesn’t do that kinda shit anymore.”

“Letting a man talk for you, Charlie? That doesn’t seem like you at all.”

Joker’s jaw was aching, and if he ground his teeth any harder they might disintegrate.

“He’s right, I’m out of all that.”

“Hmm, shame. Choi will be disappointed. When I told him you were coming home, he was excited. Probably the main reason he made the trip. Seeing how you’ve made his former stays memorable.”

“I sincerely doubt Choi flew all the way from Macau to see me.”

“That might be true, but here’s another truth. If you don’t run this game,” Vinnie jerked his thumb at Joker, “he doesn’t get my help.”

Silence as they all waited the other out. First to talk was the loser. Didn’t matter if you were a Wall Street broker, an insurance salesman, a con artist or an outlaw biker. Joker knew the rules, and apparently so did Vinnie.

“Hey guys, there you are.” Seth sauntered toward them.

Okay, match point. Nobody folded, but the question still hung in the air, and there was no fuckin’ way Daisy was running some crooked card game for some Asian whale. And he’d make sure he told her once they got away from this asshole.

“All right,” Daisy said. “I’ll do it.”

Joker’s mouth fell open, then he clamped it shut hoping nobody noticed his break.

Off to the side, Seth quietly observed their little drama.

“That’s my girl.” Vinnie directed the comment at Joker, then leaned into Daisy and kissed her cheek. “I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me.”

Joker kept his expression blank. Fuck him if he’d give that bastard the satisfaction of a reaction. Vinnie smiled at Daisy, then left with the cocky swagger of a man who just got what he wanted.

Daisy touched his forearm and he flinched. “You keep clenching your jaw like that you’ll get TMJ.”

Joker huffed out a breath keeping his eyes on Vinnie as he meshed into the casino crowd.

“That was a cross between a snarl and a growl.” She cupped his face in her hands. “This has nothing to do with him and everything to do with getting this job done.”

“I know that,” Joker ground out.

“Then please relax your face muscles before you have a seizure.” She pulled him to her planting a nice big kiss on his lips, and the tension subsided. A little.

“I’m going to the room and call Digger. Give him the good news that he’s the next Charlie Hunnam, and that he needs to get out here for his first screen test.”

“Stupid fucker. He’ll probably catch the redeye,” Seth said.

Daisy kissed Joker on the cheek, then turned to Seth. “Try to get him to relax.”

“Looks like somebody could use a drink.” Seth motioned to the barstools, then slapped him on the shoulder. “Sit your ass down. I’m buying.”

“Jack Daniels neat,” Joker told the bartender, as Tobias flanked him on the other side.

“What is this, a tag team?”

“I’ll have whatever you got on tap,” Seth said.

“Same,” Tobias added.

They settled on the barstools and Seth turned to Joker. “Don’t let Vinnie get up your ass.”

Joker stayed silent until the bartender returned with their drinks. He swigged at it enjoying the burn as it slid down his throat.

“Do they have a history?” Joker wasn’t known for his tact. He never thought about what came out of his mouth, but this time he wasn’t sure he was ready to hear the truth.

“By history you mean—”

“You know what the fuck I mean. Did Daisy and him—”

“No.” Seth focused on his beer.

“Shit, I don’t think she even liked working with him on jobs.” Tobias drank deep from the beer glass.

Interesting. Was there a reason Daisy didn’t want to be alone with him?

“She told me all the shit you guys got up to before she skipped to Miami, so you can be straight with me.”

“I am being straight.”

“There was a guy in Miami she was running a con on, big, dumb fucker. She had him so wound up he came at me with a tire iron and a blade.” Joker drank deep and flagged the bartender for another. “I guess what I’m asking is, do I have to worry about Vinnie?”

“Not like that,” Seth said. “Vinnie’s been running shit here for a long time. Others go down but somehow he’s still standing.”

“That’s what worries me. I’m sure he’d sell out his mother if it saved his sorry ass, and I don’t want Daisy—”

“I get what you’re saying, but she’s been taking care of herself for a long time and you gotta have some faith.”

“Hmm,” Joker grunted.

“Was that an I agree with you grunt or a you’re full of shit grunt?”

“Ahh, leave him alone.” Tobias cuffed him on the shoulder. “Daisy can be a handful, but she’s worth it.”

“Ride or die all the way,” Seth added.

And that’s what worried Joker. She’d go to any length to help him, even if it meant putting herself in danger. And losing Daisy the way he lost Desiree would wreck him.

“Let her play this out. Her dealing at the game is Vinnie’s form of leverage. It’s harmless. Just a bunch of high rollers making big bets and throwing it down like they’re mad at their money.”

“Either of you gonna be there?” Joker asked them.

“Nah, only room for one pretty face in that room.” Seth thumped him on the shoulder. “I gotta save myself for the long con.”

Tobias rolled his eyes. “I’m heading out to that studio in the desert. Make sure it’s as secluded as Vinnie says, and that everything’s where it should be for our shoot tomorrow night.”

Seth smiled. “Shoot, good choice of words, man.”

They raised their glasses to what Joker hoped would be an easy job.

“You still tryin’ to hit it with Sheena?” Tobias smirked.

Seth tried to blow him off with a furrowed brow.

“Are you fuckin’ kidding me?” Tobias laughed. “Serious now, we all see the way you eye-fuck her.”

“Whoa.” Seth held up his hand. “I don’t eye-fuck her and there’s nothing going on between us.”

“But you sure wish there was,” Tobias said.

Seth drained his beer and motioned for another. “I’m not her type.” Seth waved over his lanky body. “She wants the guy with jacked up muscles.”

“Like me.” Tobias flexed to piss Seth off.

“I’m just a skinny con-artist who’s fast with the cards and good with disguises,” Seth said.

“I’m telling you, give it a shot.” Joker finished off the Jack and pushed away from the bar and looked at both men. “Thanks for getting me straight.”

“Go upstairs and make it up to your lady.” Seth sipped at his beer. “You know you got a good one there, right?”

Chapter Five

Daisy paced the room, then settled in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the strip. Vinnie and Joker clashing wasn’t a surprise. Two alphas that kept themselves alive thinking they were top dog. Each with their own agenda, each stubborn and single-minded.

Only she loved Joker and wanted more than anything to do this for him after the way he’d helped her in Miami. Use her connections and skills, then set up Digger so it would be safe for Joker to bring his son home. And if dealing a private game for some high rollers made that happen, shouldn’t Joker understand and be onboard?

She mentally rehearsed her upcoming conversation with Digger. It wouldn’t be hard convincing him they wanted to do a screen test, but phrasing it right was important.

She swiped his number and her heart kicked up. Playing her part and keeping the revulsion out of her voice had its price. She knew better than to make a job personal, but this job had been personal from the beginning and there was nothing she could do about it.

“Yeah.” Digger’s gruff noxious voice boomed through the phone.

“It’s Charlie.” Using her other name gave her a sense of separation.

“My Hollywood director with the sweet ass.” Digger chuckled.

Daisy drew in a deep breath. “Good news. The studio wants you to come out for a screen test.”

“No shit. They want me to come to Hollywood?” he shouted to others that must’ve been with him.

“No, we’re filming in Las Vegas.”

“Vegas. Even better.”

“Can you get out here by tomorrow?” Daisy asked.

“Fuck, yeah. Are they paying for my flight?”

“No, this is only a screen test. If you do well, and I’m sure you will, then everything will be compted.”

She heard shifting and again he yelled to whoever else was with him. “I’m gonna be a fuckin’ movie star.”

“Text me your flight information so we can have someone meet you at the airport,” Daisy said over the whoops in the background.

“Am I getting a stretch limo?”

“Of course.” More like a rented sedan driven by Seth.

“Can’t wait to see your bangin’ body again,” he shouted through the phone.

Just the thought of Digger’s company made her skin crawl.

“Maybe you and me can get together.” He paused and she pictured his disturbing smirk. “You know, private like.”

“We’ll see.”

Another lascivious guffaw and the line disconnected.

Just talking to that idiot on the phone made her want to take a shower.

She turned as Joker entered the suite. His face serious or maybe pensive. Since they’d boarded the plane to Vegas his moods confused her. She understood his edginess about getting this job done, but something else seemed to be tugging at him.

She couldn’t shake the feeling something was off with them. In Miami although many times they were on opposite sides, and most times disagreed, they’d always shared their emotions. Now, he seemed closed off and shut down. Like he didn’t want her to know what he was thinking, and it bugged her. No, it scared her. She’d lost him once and she wouldn’t recover if she lost him again.

“Everything all right?” She’d said those words a lot over the last few hours.

“Sure.”

“I made the call to Digger.”

“How’d that go?”

“He didn’t need any convincing. He obviously sees himself as the next big thing.” She sucked in a deep breath. “He’s an idiot.”

“A dangerous idiot. The worst kind.”

She moved closer to him putting her palms against his chest. “Are we good?”

“Of course,” he said way too fast, then covered her hands with his.

“I know Vinnie can be a bit much, but—”

“I don’t wanna talk about him.”

“I want you to know . . .”

His phone buzzed, he fished it out of his pocket, and read the message. “It’s Cobra. I gotta go meet with him.”

“Right now?”

He flipped the phone so she could read the name and address of the bar Cobra texted him.

“That’s a few blocks from here, right off the strip.”

He texted Cobra and slipped the phone into his pocket. “I won’t be long, just gotta set it all up with him and his club.”

She already felt alone and he hadn’t even left yet.

He quickly kissed her lips, and when he left a sadness surrounded her. An emptiness she couldn’t define. Like something shifted without her permission, and she didn’t know how to fix it.

* * *

Joker left the hotel suite unsettled at the uneasiness that had crept between him and Daisy. In Miami they’d started out enemies, and quickly became lovers and then they fell in love. He saved her from her life and she saved him from drowning in desperation. They’d found strength in each other, and then she vowed to help him set up this sting, but since they’d hit Vegas she seemed off.

He felt out of touch here. Not knowing the players or how things worked, and worse putting Daisy in an unsecured situation. When he was with the Raiders he ran the show. Now he was flying blind without a net, and maybe putting Daisy in danger too. He’d lost her once and wouldn’t recover if he lost her again.

The Strip was a crazy mix of every vice ever imagined. The noise, the lights, the crowds, and the constant jangling of the slot machines messed with his head. And he didn’t care what people said about the low humidity, it was still fuckin’ hot. By the time he’d walked the four blocks his T-shirt was stuck to him, and then the too cold air-conditioned bar sent a chill over his damp skin.

Connecting with Cobra was the last link to their plan. Sure, he wanted Digger to pay for all the shit he caused, and yeah, Digger deserved it, but didn’t doing this deal with Cobra make him just as responsible as if he pulled the trigger himself?

Fuck, if this newfound conscience didn’t bite him in the ass. In the old days he wouldn’t have given this a second thought, but then Daisy came into his life. They’d promised each other to do better, to be better and that was what he wanted, right?

Joker stepped through the door of The Gold Mine and immediately felt at home. No frills, no fancy cocktails prepared by a celebrity mixologist, just the smell of cigarettes and the pounding beat of hard rock. He picked Cobra out at a corner table off to the side. They’d met twice at the big motorcycle rally in Sturgis, and Joker remembered him as smart, perceptive and subtly dangerous. They did the usual fist bump, male hug thing, then sat.

The clang of slot machines sounded in the background. Joker quickly learned slot machines were all over the place in Vegas, and right now that fuckin’ sound was standing on his last nerve.

When the waitress appeared they each ordered a beer, and when she left Cobra leaned in. “You made me and my club very happy with this job.”

Just as Joker remembered, Cobra got right to the point. No flexing, no bragging, no bullshit.

“It’s been a long time coming. Digger’s been outta control for over a year.”

Cobra lit up a smoke. “It’s not good for the rest of us.”

Joker waited as the waitress placed their beers in front of them. “The blow he’s been shoving up his nose has him thinking all kinds of delusional shit.”

“Running his mouth about club business, taking on more than he can control.” Cobra’s lazy voice belied the tension in his jaw.

Joker sipped at his beer. “The others follow him outta fear, but they don’t respect him.”

“I heard you were first choice for the president’s seat.” Cobra let the question hang between them.

“I’d just lost my wife.” Those words usually gutted him but being with Daisy eased the hurt. “And I had my son to think about.”

“Family first.” Cobra raised his beer glass.

The Vegas Serpents ran muscle for hire, loansharking, and some of the biggest unsanctioned weed farms in the state, but they respected family.

“The whole club’s gone down since he took over.”

“We can’t have that.” Cobra dragged deep on his smoke. “Especially when it gets personal.”

Joker had already filled him in on the basics. Digger selling Joker out and putting a contract out on him in Miami, then turning his shit on Derek.

“How’s your kid doin’?”

Joker nodded to the pack of Marlboros on the table, and Cobra shook one out for him. Joker stuck the smoke between his lips, lit up with Cobra’s Zippo and dragged deep. That first hit of nicotine. Fan-fuckin-tastic. He’d promised Daisy he’d quit. He’d gone a full two weeks without a smoke, but Vegas wired every street-smart nerve in his body and he needed something to calm the static.

“He’s good, but I got him locked up tight in a private school in Nebraska,” Joker said around the smoke. “He’s not happy, I’m not happy, but I’m not bringing him back till shit is safe.”

“I feel you.” Cobra ground his cigarette out in the dented metal ashtray. “Gotta protect family.”

“Exactly.” Joker drummed his fingers against the table. “There’s this guy, a connection of Daisy’s out here. He’s gonna loan us his studio out in the desert for the job. Secluded, off the grid. Probably uses it for porn flicks, but whatever.”

“Vinnie Black?” Cobra said.

Joker nodded.

“He’s good at what he does. We do some business with him.” Cobra pulled on the serpent stud in his ear. “Doesn’t like to get his hands dirty.”

“Don’t trust him.”

“You don’t have to, as long as he delivers what he promises.”

Joker couldn’t see Vinnie and Cobra working together which made him wonder what business they shared.

“Tell me about this plan.” Cobra twisted his lips in a deadly smile. “Always wanted to be a movie star.”

Joker drank deep letting the cold beer slide down his throat. Cobra could play the thug without a doubt. A Hollywood casting department couldn’t have done any better.

Everything was coming together.

All he had to do was let Daisy deal in an illegal card game, set Digger up for a fake screen test, and make sure Cobra pulled the trigger ending Digger’s miserable life. What could go wrong?

Chapter Six

“I think you’re worrying over nothing.” Sheena crunched on some pretzels from the mini bar. “Just the way Joker looks at you says it all. That man is fuckin’ crazy about you.”

“Since we’ve been out here though something’s off,” Daisy said.

“He’s got a lot on his mind. His son’s future rides on this scam going off right.”

“I know.” Daisy arched her back against the sofa. “I hate sounding needy. It’s just—”

“It’s you in love with a man and worrying about him. Granted, something you’ve never experienced but real just the same.”

Daisy let Sheena’s words sink in, but she couldn’t shake the uneasy sensation that surrounded their relationship.

“How about you and Seth?”

“There is no me and Seth, because that man can’t get his ass in gear.”

“Give him a chance.”

“I’ve given him plenty of chances. He looks but he never touches. I’m not waiting around forever.” She wiggled her hips in the chair. “A girl’s gotta have it, ya know?”

Daisy laughed at Sheena’s antics. She envied Sheena’s honesty and knowing what she wanted especially since Daisy’s brain twisted with what ifs and what nows. They both stilled as the door opened. No matter how many times Joker entered a room, Daisy’s stomach did that fluttering thing. His rough good looks and his deep-set dark eyes paired with his amazing body draped in jeans, a white T-shirt that hugged his tatted biceps and his biker boots. Her addiction in living color.

Joker’s silence had Sheena crumbling the empty pretzel bag, then standing from the couch. “I’ve got to check on a few things.”

Total lie, but even Sheena sensed the tension following Joker into the room. Sheena purposely walked behind him and bugged her eyes out in her usual animated way. Then she made the sign with her hand that said ‘call me.’

When the door slammed behind Sheena, Daisy said, “How did it go with Cobra?”

In three large steps Joker closed the distance between them, circled her waist with his huge hands, and crashed his lips against hers. The kiss bruised her lips while his tongue plundered her mouth. She gasped for air not wanting to break the connection as he pulled her to him harder, then turned and crashed her against the floor-to-ceiling windows.

He fisted the hem of his T-shirt, then ripped it over his head. The fire in his eyes seared through her as she untied the waist and neck of her halter top letting the silky material flutter to the carpet.

“Fuckin’ need you.” He slapped his hands against the glass, and his belt buckle ground into her. “Strip me.” His guttural demand lit her up.

She gazed over her shoulder at the forty story drop on the other side of the glass wall. The dizzying height made her fingers fumble with the leather strip.

He smiled. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you?” He popped the button on her jeans and she wiggled out of them and her thong, her bare ass hitting the cool glass.

He fisted himself with one hand while bracing his palm against the glass with the other. “Fuckin’ crazy view. Your sweet body and a four-thousand-foot drop.”

“Let’s hope it holds us.”

“Ahhh c’mon, you’d take a chance with me, right baby?”

His words hit her hard. He was talking about much more than the death-defying height. And the question hung between them. Was she ready to plunge into life with him?

“Trust me to hold you tight, trust me to keep you from falling.”

Since their time in Miami they’d declared their love for each other, but never nailed down their future together. Could you love someone, and then not have a future with them?

His tone suggested they were no longer talking about the glass wall supporting them. Her silence made him grind into her hard, slapping her hips into the glass over and over bringing her higher. She dug her fingers into his tangled strands and pulled. Hard.

He arched his neck into her grip and released a howling growl. A cross between a trapped animal and an erotic deliverance.

“Answer me,” he panted out.

“Can’t form words.”

He drove deeper, angling his hips, tightening his grip with both hands cupping her thighs as her ass slapped against the glass.

“C’mon baby.”

“Yes, yes. I trust you.”

But was it enough to sustain them? Would it get them through the first scam either one of them ever pulled that was personal and had a direct effect on their life. She’d said the words he wanted but they both knew it wasn’t enough.

He groaned into her neck. Almost a painful sound. The desperation radiated off his body. His driving force relentlessly pushed her to the next level where logic and reasoning didn’t exist. She dug her nails into his shoulders leaving her mark, wanting him to feel her passion.

He drove into her one last time and her body broke apart releasing her from within, and making her hope whatever came next they would meet it together.

He panted against her neck and it warmed her skin, and when he pulled away a chill surrounded her. He released her thighs and her feet found the floor. She leaned against the glass for support marveling at the structure withstanding Joker’s punishment.

He stared at her and she waited, but he stayed silent, examining her with his dark soulful eyes.

Her phone buzzed on the coffee table and she reluctantly stepped away from him, reaching for it. She hated the electronic device for pulling her away. When she saw the caller ID her inner calm imploded. She answered, responded in one-word answers, then hung up.

Joker righted his jeans but left them undone. Another shade of sexy with them hanging on his hips, abs exposed and that trail of hair accentuating his sexy as hell V. Clothed, half-dressed, naked, it didn’t matter, this man lit her up in a way she’d never experienced.

His full lips were in a definite pout. “Who was that?”

“Vinnie. He wants me in the penthouse by ten tonight so we can go over everything before the game starts at eleven.”

“And do these guys know what Vinnie does for a living?”

“Not exactly. They think he’s a sort of promoter, an organizer.”

“Why are all these high-rollers and whales willing to take that chance when they can play at any table downstairs?”

“No limits at the table, no worrying about the IRS if you win big. Plus, it’s a private, exclusive, invitation only no limit game, with the chance of hitting it big and outsmarting Vinnie Black. When you have that kind of money it doesn’t matter. Bragging rights are more important than winning.”

“Hmmm. And you’re the lady who makes all this magic happen.” His voice laced sarcasm and sadness together.

She bent to retrieve her clothes. “You ever think about what we’ll do after this.”

“After what?”

“After we’ve done this scam with Digger.”

Long pause. Just a few heartbeats, but long enough to show he was as baffled and confused as her. “We can do whatever we want.”

“Right, but what will that be?” She held her clothes in front of her as a barrier against his indecision.

He opened his mouth, then mashed his lips together. “You better get ready.”

Wow, it was worse than she imagined. He couldn’t even express himself.

“That’s the best you can do?” A shiver snaked up her spine. A weaker person would’ve crumbled right there on the plush ecru carpeting. She did admire him for not spewing bullshit at her or telling her what she wanted to hear. Pretty lies were a cushion for the inevitable fall, but it hurt just the same.

“I don’t know what you want me to say.” Joker fumbled with the zipper and button of his jeans.

Daisy squared her shoulders. “I told you my story when we were in Miami, but there was one little part I left out. At fifteen, I left that crappy trailer in West Virginia. I stole, got caught, got better and didn’t get caught anymore. Pickpocketing led to scams, which led to elaborate cons, but all the while I had a plan. At first, to eat regular, then to get money. I foolishly thought money was the answer, but we both know how that worked out. And then I met you, and I thought this is where I belong, this is where I should be, until now.

He nabbed his T-shirt off the floor, shoved his arms in the sleeves, and flung it over his head.

“I’m not doin’ this.” He stormed past her heading for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Out. I can’t breathe.”

* * *

No bullshit, his lungs constricted with the pressure of a Harley doin’ a wheelie over his chest.

He couldn’t think of their future until this job was done, but that wasn’t all of it. He hated Daisy dealing again. Hated her putting on her designer clothes and playing the role, falling back into the con. Sure, she was doing it for him, but was the price too high. They’d come out here for one reason, but now it was all tangled up and complicated.

He didn’t want her selling herself out for him. It left him terrified that something was bound to go wrong.

He dug his phone out of his pocket and texted Cobra.

Joker: Where you at?

Joker boarded the elevator. The people getting on and off on the different floors seemed overly happy or overly depressed. He guessed the casinos brought on a lot of mood swings. The doors whooshed open and Joker exited just as his phone binged.

Cobra: Still at the Gold Mine.

Joker: On my way.

He’d hang with Cobra, do a few shots and beers and try to get his head straight. Like forgetting what Daisy was doing for the next few hours.

* * *

Daisy stared at the door after Joker slammed his way out of it. She’d merely asked about their future. A future he’d said he wanted with her, and now he acted all shady and evasive.

After he stormed out, she’d called Sheena and told her and Seth to be on the lookout for him. She didn’t like the thought of him wandering around the Vegas streets angry.

* * *

“Hey, wait up.”

Joker turned and Seth and Sheena were closing in fast.

“Where’re you going?” Sheena asked.

“Out,” he barked out the one word hoping to make a point.

“Great, we’ll join you.” Seth clapped him on the shoulder as they fell into step with him, flanking him on each side.

“Daisy text you?” Joker asked.

“No,” Sheena said much too quickly.

“Tell you to keep an eye on me?”

“Again, no.” She dazzled him with a smile that probably sold a million cons.

Four blocks later, after a brief stop to admire the Dancing Waters in front of the Bellagio, they stepped inside the Gold Mine. The crowd doubled since earlier, music louder, lights lower, people rowdier. A typical biker bar on a Friday night, and Joker felt at home.

He found Cobra at the same table. They approached and Cobra kicked a chair out for Joker while eyeing Seth and Sheena.

“They’re cool,” Joker said.

Seth pulled over chairs for him and Sheena and they all sat.

Cobra waved the waitress over and they placed their orders.

“What brings you back here?” Cobra’s gaze intent on Joker.

“Just looking to chill.”

Seth and Sheena exchanged looks, then said, “We’re gonna go check out the slots.”

“Your New York club is falling apart, and you’re two thousand miles from home.”

He remembered Cobra as a no-nonsense type of guy and appreciated his directness, but even Joker didn’t know what he wanted.

“Gotta lot of shit goin’ on for sure,” Joker admitted.

“Funny thing. My VP just had his fifth kid, and his old lady isn’t up with him going out late, staying out late or not coming home at all. And since the mother of his kids is hot as fuck even after pushing out five babies, my money’s on him cutting us loose. Thing is, I need a full time VP.”

Joker weighed his words but didn’t chomp on the bait.

“Back in New York I had a custom bike shop. Did rebuilds, repairs, any kinda shit to make the bike hum. Always wanted to expand, but Digger wanted to keep it for washing money. Wouldn’t let me promote it.”

Cobra lit up a smoke and offered one to Joker, but he waved it away. “That’s what made Digger stupid. He wanted to be gangster all the time. The Serpents have plenty of legit businesses.” Cobra motioned around the bar. “We got another one of these down in Henderson, and a strip club up in North Las Vegas. Of course, our main moneymaker is our private games funded by our agriculture business.”

Joker smiled at Cobra’s choice of words. His crew had trailers all over the desert cultivating weed of all varieties. And even though it was legal in Nevada, growing it without government input meant you could sell as much as you wanted when you wanted, where you wanted, and not be taxed.

“Look, I gotta tell you, don’t much care how it gets done, ‘cause Digger is a liability we can’t afford,” Cobra said.

The future stood still until all this played out. Probably why Daisy’s questions unraveled Joker in the hotel.

“But you don’t understand why I’m not doin’ it,” Joker said.

“I get it. Never been into relationship shit, but if you got yourself a good woman . . .” Cobra dragged deep then smiled around the smoke. “Looking forward to putting Digger in the ground.”

Joker scrubbed his hand over his face. “Much easier when I felt the same way.” He locked eyes with Cobra. “Not easy to let go of the biker ways when you’ve been living them since birth.”

Cobra barked out a laugh. “Didn’t grow up in a club, didn’t dream about getting patched, never even rode a bike until I was in my twenties.”

Joker cocked his head.

“I won’t bore you with the bullshit of my life, but let’s just say living in a shit-box of a trailer in the middle of the desert made anything look good.”

“Fuck, a trailer in this heat?”

“Like getting cooked in an oven at 400 degrees.” Cobra ashed his cigarette. “Left one day and never looked back. The club became my life, and I’m down with whatever makes it work, so you don’t have to sell me anything to get this done.”

“I guess I sound like a pussy.” Joker huffed out a breath not knowing what he wanted or how he wanted it.

“Nah, you sound like a guy who’s trying to do the right thing.” Cobra shrugged. “Not always the safest bet, but don’t let it get twisted. You change your mind I’ll step aside.”

Joker fantasized how sweet it would be to take Digger out.

Cobra nudged him, then pointed his cigarette at Sheena standing by the bar. “She taken?”

“I don’t know.” Joker nodded at Seth sitting at a nearby slot machine. “Can’t figure those two out.”

Chapter Seven

Daisy hated to admit it, but she was excited. Of all the cons and scams she’d pulled over the years, she loved working as a card mechanic. It took brains, concentration and skill. She’d trained with one of the best right here in Vegas years ago. A retired magician who showed her all the ins and outs of dealing from the middle of the deck, the bottom of the deck and everywhere in between.

But it was much more than working the cards, it was a show, a performance. Her mind did the work, while her perfectly manicured fingers stole the show. No flashy, bright colors, just a nude shade on her squared off nails.

Daisy’s reflection shone against the glass windows overlooking the multi-colored carnival of lights lining the Strip. She wished Joker had returned before she left, but Sheena and Seth would lookout for him.

She inserted the key card for the penthouse floor, then rode the elevator until the doors whooshed open into the foyer of the huge space. She examined her surroundings, something she did before a job. The situation of other rooms, and doors. The deep murmuring of male voices in the main salon.

She smoothed down her lavender, sleeveless sheath. The rayon material hugged her curves but not too snug giving her a classic 50’s look made popular by Audrey Hepburn. She squared her shoulders and prepared herself for the night’s entertainment.

Her phone buzzing in her purse broke the mood. Once she was in the other room, all cell phones were collected. A precaution against alleged cheating. Big joke on them, with the many ways she could manipulate the cards.

She swiped her phone and a message from Sheena popped up.

Sheena: Good luck tonight. Seth and I are on the way back.

Daisy: What about Joker?

“Ah Daisy, there you are.” Vinnie closed the space between them glancing at his Rolex. “Always so punctual.” He placed his hand at the small of her back and led her into the main living area. Then plucked away her phone. “You know the rules.” And placed it in a basket with all the others.

Her gaze followed the phone longing to send one more text as the obvious questions boomeranged around her brain. Where was Joker? Why wasn’t he with Seth and Sheena? What was he doing?

Seven pairs of male eyes turned to greet her, as Choi wrestled his large body out of the chair and approached her. “It’s very good to see you again.” He held her at arm’s length. “I’ve missed you.”

“The pleasure is mine.” Daisy smiled demurely knowing what Choi expected.

“Beautiful as always.” The extravagant Asian billionaire considered himself a ladies’ man.

“Shall we start, gentlemen?” Vinnie asked from behind her.

Daisy claimed the only chair left and began. As she shuffled the cards, she gave each man a few seconds of eye contact. She did this to make sure by the second or third game they’d concentrate on her face, not her hands.

After the first round, her fingers flew over the cards, and every gesture, every word fell into place. The room filled with the light chatter that went with losing or winning thousands of dollars a hand. These weren’t men you recognized in a restaurant, and you’d never find their picture on TMZ. They were the ones quietly collecting their millions while retaining the pleasure of anonymity.

Time stood still or sped ahead, but she didn’t know because the zone of her performance enveloped her in a tight cocoon.

* * *

Sheena and Seth wanted to check out some other casinos on the Strip, but Joker stayed at the Gold Mine with Cobra. He felt at home in the biker bar and even managed to remember some good times from his biker days before his father fell deep into dope, and before Digger took over as president and turned everything to shit.

“Give some thought to what I said before?” Cobra asked.

Joker didn’t have to think about going back into the club life with all the secrets and violence. Funny thing, biker life was set up to set a man free, and yet most times there were more damn rules and backstabbing from people you were supposed to trust.

“That life is over for me,” Joker said.

He’d swore off the biker life in New York for the sake of his son, and he sure wasn’t about to get ass deep in it again.

“That’s why you’ve been here twice today.”

“The life gets in your blood.” Joker stared at his now warm beer. “But it don’t mean I want the blood back in my life.”

“I think it’s more about losing control.” Cobra pinned him with his icy blue eyes knowing he’d hit a nerve. “You’re used to being the boss and now you’re not.”

Joker grabbed for the bottle, not wanting the warm beer, but aching to distract himself from the reality of Cobra’s words.

Cobra let the unanswered statement hang between them for a few seconds.

“One way to fix it.”

Joker gripped the bottle tighter but didn’t bring it to his lips. Cobra sucked in a long breath, his expression steady like a man who’d just spit out a sage truth.

Joker pulled out a wad of money and extracted a twenty.

Cobra waved away his money. “The beer’s on me. Go take care of your business.”

Joker sucked in the dry night air, a drastic change from the overly chilled air of the Gold Mine. One thing about Vegas they didn’t skimp on the AC.

His heavy boots ate up the pavement, as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, scanned his contacts and hit Seth’s number.

“What’s up,” Seth said.

“Get me into that poker game Daisy’s dealing.” Telling worked better than asking.

“Why?” Seth’s voice wary.

“Just do it,” Joker barked. Aggression another valuable tool.

“It’s a closed game, invite only, plus the access is a private elevator.”

“Right, easy for guys like you and Tobias with all those important contacts in Sin City.”

Seth’s frustrated breath hissed through the phone.

“Unless you guys were just fronting and bullshitting me this afternoon?”

Silence, more deep breathing and then. “I’ll get a hold of Tobias and see what—”

“I just left the Gold Mine. I’ll be by the elevator banks of the Capri in twenty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes? Fuck, I gotta—”

“You got a lot to get together in twenty minutes, so I suggest you get off the phone and stop screwin’ around.”

Joker disconnected the call and smiled. Cobra was right, it felt damn, fuckin’ good to be in control.

* * *

Daisy forgot how much she missed this, how hard it would be to give it all up. The thrill, the rush and all the nuances in between made her a cut above the rest, a pro.

Vinnie appeared at the side of the table after the last hand and suggested a break in the action. A customary move to let everyone refresh and reset themselves. A gourmet buffet occupied the dining area along with a full bar, but very few of these men indulged. Alcohol and decision making were rarely compatible.

Now that she was out of the zone her thoughts flew to Joker. Her gaze tracked the ornate wire basket holding her phone captive knowing it was off limits, but craving it just the same.

Vinnie discreetly herded Daisy off to the side of the room where another spectacular view of the Strip unfolded. The night was so clear she could see the digital clock counting down a jackpot at one of the casinos across the street.

“Is all going as planned?” Vinnie asked.

A ridiculous question, because although Vinnie stayed apart from the game, he observed every subtle expression and sound of every player. Who was winning and who was losing. The question was a courtesy and a way to get her to open up about any problems.

“As you would expect.” Meaning she’d done some fancy dealing letting the winning and losing seem organic and natural. Her standard answer from the old days when they were both coming up the ranks. Him running games in smoky clubs while she cruised the patrons out front relieving them of a plethora of watches and wallets. He’d only let her deal the weekday games then, reserving the weekend slots for the more experienced mechanics.

Ahhhh, the good old days.

Chapter Eight

Joker paced the hallway in front of the penthouse elevator banks. The security guard already gave him the once over, but Joker was used to that. He would’ve thought the guy wasn’t doing his job if he hadn’t given him the fisheye a few times. A six-foot-four guy with a scar cutting through the scruff on his jaw, tats circling his neck, shaggy hair, and his general fuck you attitude usually had store managers, cops and security guards on high alert.

Joker gripped his phone with one hand while he raked his fingers through his hair with the other. Now that he had a plan of action, he wanted to do the fuckin’ action part. He swiped his phone, glanced at the time, then huffed out a frustrated breath. Three minutes past the meet time, three minutes more than he wanted Daisy with that bastard.

“You are fuckin’ unbelievable,” Tobias said as he approached the elevator bank.

“He’s pissed ‘cause for the first time in weeks he thought he was gonna get laid.” Seth shoulder bumped Tobias.

Sheena rolled her eyes, as Tobias flashed the keycard. “You’re welcome.”

Sheena backed away from them, and Joker asked, “Aren’t you coming?”

“Oh no.” Sheena threw her hands up in a dramatic way. “I don’t want Daisy to think I was any part of this nonsense.”

“Chicken.” Seth grinned.

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” She admitted. “You do realize how pissed she’s gonna be?”

“I’ll deal with it,” Joker muttered.

Joker turned and the three men approached the private penthouse elevator.

“HmmHmm. You sure will.” Sheena called after them.

Tobias waved the card at the guard as they boarded the elevator. He didn’t look happy, but he couldn’t deny the card was legit.

When the doors closed Seth laughed. “That’ll teach him to be so judgy in the future.”

“Aren’t you even gonna ask how I got this precious piece of plastic?” Tobias slid the card in the slot on the elevator panel.

“Don’t matter.” Joker shrugged.

“Just so you know, Helena at the VIP registration desk expects two front row tickets to Jennifer Lopez.”

“You hit up Helena?” Seth chuckled, then turned to Joker. “She is one demanding woman.”

“If this goes the way I want, I’ll get her four,” Joker said.

“What exactly is the plan?” Seth asked.

“I’ll take care of everything,” Joker assured them, although he didn’t have a fuckin’ clue how this would go down.

“Now, I’m worried.” Tobias and Seth shared a look, and less than a minute later the doors whooshed open onto the marble foyer of the penthouse.

Soft music played in the background, and muffled voices could be heard coming from the living area.

Joker expected some muscle, a guard or a bouncer, then realized that wasn’t necessary. No one could get up here without the keycard. Tobias had definitely done him good.

The foyer emptied into a room with a large table and chairs probably used for business meetings. Beyond that was the living area. Every room faced the floor-to-ceiling windows and the black night lit by a million LED lights.

Joker replayed Seth’s question in the elevator. The plan was simple. Locate Daisy, tell her he didn’t want her doing this, and leave with her at his side. Simple. Easy. Two words that never worked out for him, especially where Daisy was concerned.

Joker stood in the doorway and observed. Seven suits milled around an extensive buffet and freestanding bar while hostesses in skimpy Greek costumes served with fake smiles. Joker hoped they were tipped well.

Suddenly the room shrunk to a pinpoint as his heart tried to punch its way out of his chest. He clenched and unclenched his fists as Vinnie leaned into Daisy’s ear with his hand firmly planted just above her ass. Oh, no fuckin’ way.

“That fucker thinks he’s getting away with putting his hands on my girl?”

This shit ended now. Daisy turned slightly and when Vinnie’s palm moved to her waist he stormed into the room.

“Joker wait—” Tobias reached for him, but he pulled out of his grasp.

Seth said something behind him but the roaring in his ears and the growl in his throat made hearing anything else impossible. He and Daisy hadn’t come this far for him to lose her to some slimy Vegas fixer.

In four large steps, Joker closed the distance between them, and lunged. He grabbed Vinnie’s shoulder and spun him around. His shocked expression was priceless along with the crunch of his jaw under Joker’s balled up fist. The blow sent Vinnie reeling backwards into the other room, but he stayed on his feet.

Daisy grabbed Joker’s arm, but he shook her off. He sensed the others in the room pressing in closer, but his main focus zeroed in on Vinnie. Joker slammed another solid shot into his face which laid him out. The blood gushing from Vinnie’s nose filled Joker with satisfaction, but he stayed alert. Years of underground fighting taught him to never give up until your opponent went limp or tapped out. He pulled his fist again, and two large hands pulled at his shoulders heaving him away from Vinnie.

Seth jumped between them, as Tobias held Joker firmly from behind.

“Back the fuck up!” Seth shouted in Joker’s face.

Joker struggled against Tobias, but their size and strength was equal, his hold on him tight and unyielding.

Joker’s vision cleared and the bright light of the room sharpened every point. Men in expensive suits, Vinnie struggling to his feet, and a hostess offering him a napkin for his bloodied nose. Then Daisy. Her expression flat and devoid of emotion. The silent storm behind her eyes the only giveaway.

Vinnie dabbed at his nose as the other men jostled closer. No threats there. Most of these guys looked like they couldn’t fight off a mosquito.

“Shall I call security?” One of the hostesses asked.

The room fell silent, everyone waiting for the next move.

“No, I’ll handle this myself.” Vinnie turned to the other men. “I apologize for this disturbance, but it seems our evening will have to come to an end.”

“Ladies,” Vinnie glanced at the four hostesses. “Please help the gentlemen collect their things.” Vinnie’s gaze burned into Joker, while Daisy stood stock still.

Her years of running cons made reading her expression and emotions impossible, but the tiny tic in her jaw told him she wasn’t pleased and it was probably going to be a long fuckin’ night.

Vinnie followed the men to the elevator, mumbling his apologies.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Tobias said between clenched teeth.

Another man touching his woman, that’s what was wrong with him. What the hell did they expect him to do, ask that fucker nicely if he’d remove his goddamn hands?

Vinnie returned a few seconds later with a fresh napkin. Joker’s lips tipped at the red welts popping up on Vinnie’s cheek bone. His nose stopped bleeding, and Joker could tell it wasn’t even broken. Fuck, he’d done worse damage at club parties when things would get heated.

“For a man who needs a favor, you’re acting very undeserving.” Vinnie dabbed at his swollen lip with the napkin.

Joker hated the bullshit way Vinnie talked. He would’ve rather the guy take a shot at him. That he understood.

Daisy stepped forward. “This is an unfortunate misunderstanding.”

“No fuckin’ misunderstanding.” It pissed him off she was apologizing for him to this asshole. “He had his hands on you.” Saying the words sent a bolt of heat up his spine.

“It wasn’t—”

“I don’t wanna hear it.” Joker pointed at Vinnie. “He knows what he did and what he’s been trying to do since we got here.”

“I think your imagination is working overtime,” Vinnie said. “This little outburst cost me money tonight, but since Daisy’s done quite a few favors for me in the past, I’ll let it go.”

“What the fuck is ‘done favors for you in the past’ supposed to mean?” Joker shifted but couldn’t break away from Tobias.

“We’ll go ahead with our original plan, and you can still use my studio in the desert.” Vinnie’s beady eyes shifted to Daisy. “Although I do question your choices.”

“Is this guy fuckin’ kidding me right now.” Joker struggled against Tobias’ hold.

Seth locked in on Joker. “Let. It. Go.”

Joker didn’t want to let it go. Vinnie screwed with him since the minute they met and him making Daisy come here tonight was the final fuck you. Joker wasn’t used to feeling strung out and it fuckin’ sucked.

“No harm done,” Seth said.

Daisy mumbled something to Vinnie but Tobias already had Joker out in the foyer. The guy was like a brick building. Joker remembered Tobias’ strength from Miami when he’d passed himself off as a DEA agent.

“Are you fuckin’ crazy?” Tobias whispered between clenched teeth. “You don’t screw with this guy.”

“He don’t scare me.” Joker squared his shoulders.

“Maybe he should,” Seth said.

Chapter Nine

“I guess that could’ve gone worse,” Seth said from the back of the elevator.

“Yeah, dumbass,” Tobias quipped. “Maybe if the whole room lit on fire.”

“I’m just sayin’,” Seth said.

Tobias’ evil glare shut Seth up and they rode the rest of the way in silence.

Joker expected Daisy to blow up the minute they entered the suite, but she remained mysteriously quiet.

He made a beeline to the bar and poured himself a healthy glass of Jack while she headed straight for the bedroom. Any other night he would’ve been right behind her, but he liked his dick exactly where it was and wasn’t looking to remove any body parts.

He occupied himself with the whiskey burning down his throat and the view of flashing lights along the Strip. If she didn’t come out by the time he was finished with his drink he’d venture in. Fuckin’ crazy. He outweighed her by about a hundred pounds, yet right now she was scaring the piss out of him.

“I thought you were all about changing, being a better person.”

He turned to face her, but she still wore a blank expression.

“I’m a little rusty at being a good guy. I haven’t had a lot of practice.” He decided to go with flip. Probably not the best angle.

“So you pop off like a thug.”

“I shouldn’t have let you get involved in my shit. I should’ve handled it myself from the start.”

“What exactly did you think was going to happen there?” She moved further into the room. “We were playing cards, that’s it.”

“That’s not it.” He struggled to keep his voice in check. “You were bottom dealing, stacking the cards, playing those guys and doing the exact shit you said you wanted to get away from.”

“And I was doing it for you so Vinnie would cooperate.”

“Exactly. Because of me you were thrown back into that mess.”

“I wasn’t thrown, I went willingly. I wanted to help you. I thought that was clear.”

He mumbled under his breath, and she moved closer to him. “I’m not Desiree.” He glared at her but she pushed on. “I’m not some naive teenager you need to protect. I thought I proved that to you in Miami. If I remember correctly you said you thought of us as equals.”

He scrubbed his hand over his jaw. “Maybe I was wrong.”

“About us being equals?”

“About a lot of things.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I saw the way he was looking at you.” And yeah, he sounded like a dick but he couldn’t seem to control his mouth. “I saw how close the two of you were standing. Heads together.”

“You’re lucky he’s still letting us use his studio, and that he didn’t press charges.”

“Let him,” Joker growled.

“Vinnie’s connections out here are much better than mine,” Daisy said.

“Meaning he’s got a few cops on his payroll,” Joker scoffed.

“More like he’s got dirt and ways to blackmail half of the cops on the Metro force.” She shook her head. “What’s wrong with you?”

“You know that’s like the third fuckin’ time you’ve asked me that since we’ve been here.”

“Tell me what’s really bothering you.”

“I just did.” He stalked to the bar. “I don’t like that fucker and I don’t trust him.”

“And I call bullshit, because he’s just a means to an end.”

“Call it anything you want.” He splashed more Jack into his glass. “He wants to get in your pants,” Joker shouted.

“Tell me why you’re acting like a jealous jerk?”

“Jealous? Of that douche? I don’t think so.”

The way he’d been feeling sucked the life out of him, pissed off and— Shit, could he be jealous?

“You never answered me earlier.” Her voice jarred him out of that terrifying realization.

“About what?”

“Our future.”

Fuckin’ scary question.

“Is that what’s bothering you?” Daisy asked. “Not knowing what you want to do.”

“Maybe before when you were in that private penthouse with Vinnie at your side you got thinking what it might’ve been like if you stayed in Vegas. Fancy cars, celebrity restaurants.”

“If I wanted that I could’ve stayed in Miami working for Rico.”

“Right, but instead you got me. A thug, with no job and—”

“Stop,” she shouted.

“Is that what all those fuckin’ questions were about before? Wondering about your future? Trying to figure out how to get rid of me? You got all the connections out here.” He spread his arms wide. “Maybe you don’t need me at all.”

“What are you talking about?”

“When we met up with Vinnie in the casino he asked you who I was and you couldn’t answer him,” Joker said.

“And that’s what’s bothering you?” She threw her hands up in the air. “You know you’re acting crazy, right?”

“So, what are we?” Her silence surrounded him. “That’s what I thought.” He smirked. “I’m out.”

He bolted for the door and slammed it behind him. He stood in the hallway for a few seconds, then stomped his way to the end of the hall. He banged his fist against Tobias’ door until it opened.

“Daisy throw your ass out?” Tobias smirked.

“No, I left.” Joker barged past him into the room.

Tobias looked a little rough, shirtless with his jeans pulled on and not buttoned.

“What are you doing, baby?” A naked blonde entered the room, and wrapped herself around Tobias, her huge tits on full display.

“Joker, this is Helena.”

As pissed as Joker was about Daisy, he couldn’t contain the smirk. “I guess I should be thanking you for getting that keycard.”

She gave him the once over, and smiled. “A threesome would be a great way to say thank you.”

Joker took a step toward the door. “Sorry.”

“No man, stay.” Tobias turned to Helena. “We’re gonna have to cut this short.”

“I don’t mind waiting.” She flicked a look at Joker. “Especially if it means getting with both of you.”

“Nah, babe. You gotta go.” When she pouted Tobias added. “We’ll pick this up another night.”

She ran her fingers over his bare chest. “I’m very disappointed and I’ll expect you to make it up to me.”

Tobias swatted her ass. “Now put your clothes on and get gone so I can talk to Joker.”

She flounced her naked body into the bedroom and returned a few minutes later in a tiny scrap of material masquerading as a dress. She kissed Tobias full on the mouth, then stopped at Joker’s side and squeezed his bicep before leaving.

The minute the door slammed behind her Joker barked out a laugh. “I’m sorry, man, really.”

Tobias attacked the mini bar. “You did me a favor. You can’t satisfy that woman. She would’ve kept me up all night.”

Joker slumped onto the couch. “I fucked up, man.”

“Shit, Daisy must’ve really got up your ass.”

“I should’ve trusted her.” Joker shrugged. “Going up to that penthouse was a mistake.”

“I think I might’ve mentioned that in the elevator.” Tobias pulled an extra pillow and blanket out of the closet and threw them onto the couch. “I’m going to bed. Big day tomorrow.”

Joker toed off his boots, pulled his T-shirt off then arranged the pillow behind his head and stretched out on the couch. Daisy definitely pushed some of his buttons before, and all these twisty feelings were new to him. He wasn’t a fan.

Okay, he was measuring himself against another guy, wondering what Daisy was doing when she wasn’t with him, tracking her every move when she was with him. Fuckin’ crazy realization, but true. For the first time in his life he experienced jealousy. He’d acted like a fuckin’ asshole when all she was trying to do was help him.

No wonder she’d questioned about their future, but tomorrow he’d fix that for damn sure.

Chapter Ten

The day started with a stiff neck and a crick in Joker’s back. His large body didn’t appreciate the narrow couch in Tobias’ hotel suite. Joker’s mind drifted to that shithole motel he and Daisy shacked up in in the Florida Keys. Running for their life with two hundred thousand in hot money, and Daisy was as cool as ever. Just like she handled herself in Vinnie’s penthouse last night. No matter how far he spun out she stayed calm and composed.

He loved and envied her control, and swore to put aside all the pain, passion and anger burning inside him.

He contemplated calling Daisy but decided to wait until the job was over and then they’d start off fresh. No more jobs, no more secrets, and then later today he’d make a solid commitment so Daisy would know exactly where their relationship was headed.

Joker eased himself off the couch, stretched and followed the sound of Tobias’ snoring. He kicked the foot of the bed a few times until Tobias lifted his head.

“Get up. I wanna make a stop before we head out to the desert.”

Tobias squinted at him grumbling. “Shit man, you’re a real pain in the ass.”

“So I’ve been told. Now, hurry up.”

Forty minutes later they were pulling into a huge jewelry store right off the Strip that Tobias suggested.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen.” The clerk adjusted his tie while his gaze skated between Tobias and Joker. A square block of cement, and an edgy thug. Joker could’ve sworn another clerk slid his hand under the counter trying to locate the silent alarm. “May I help you?”

“He’s looking for a ring,” Tobias said.

“I see.” The clerk focused on Joker. “For yourself, sir?”

“No, an engagement ring,” Joker clarified.

“How exciting.” The clerk herded them over to a cabinet, unlocked the glass door and pulled out a velvet tray with an assortment of diamond rings.

“These rings can be made to fit any size.” His gaze flitted between them as he pushed the tray toward Joker. “Did you have a particular style in mind?”

The clerk smiled at Tobias. “Which one do you like?”

Tobias pointed to a ring with a diamond so small you could barely see it.

“Fuck no,” Joker said. “That ring’s ugly.”

“I’m sure I can help you come to a decision that will make you both happy.”

The clerk beamed with his sales skills and Joker shifted his feet. “The ring ain’t for him. It’s for my girl.”

When the realization hit Tobias he shouted out a laugh. Then he slung his arm over Joker’s shoulder. “He’s not my type. I’m more into blondes.”

Joker shrugged him off. “Shut the fuck up.”

“I’m terribly sorry, gentlemen. I thought that when—”

“No problem.” Joker checked his watch. “Just pick me out a ring that a classy girl would like.” Joker pulled out a wad of bills wrapped in a rubber band and slapped it on the counter. “Money’s not a problem.”

The clerk eyeballed the thick roll of hundreds as he pulled out another tray of rings with much bigger diamonds.

* * *

“You made a good choice,” Tobias said, as he drove the rented Escalade through the endless desert that stretched out over I-15.

Joker flipped the jewelry box open and stared at the ring. “I screwed up big time last night. Calling Daisy out and acting like a dick.”

“Nothing says I’m sorry like a big ass diamond,” Tobias joked.

“Nah, it’s more than that.” Joker looked out the window at the low-scrubby bushes and rocky sand. “I’ve been thinking about doin’ this since we left Miami.”

“Not surprised. A woman like Daisy gets under your skin.” Tobias smiled. “Although I am a little hurt you didn’t get anything for me.”

“Very funny.” Joker smirked. “You’re pissed ‘cause that clerk thought you were the female part of our couple.”

Tobias checked himself out in the rearview mirror and puckered his lips. “That’s cause I’m prettier.”

They both laughed, then Joker concentrated on the scenery. Fifteen minutes outside of the Strip and the barren land could’ve been another planet. The endless view of nothing helped him organize his thoughts on exactly how and when he would ask Daisy the most important question of his life.

“When are you gonna give it to her?” Tobias invaded Joker’s thoughts as he played with the radio buttons like a kid with severe ADHD. Half the time he faded over the line only to swerve back into their lane seconds later.

“The way you drive it’ll be a fuckin’ miracle if I’m still alive at the end of this day.” All the crazy shit he’d done in his life and he’d end up goin’ out in a car crash.

“There’s nothing wrong with my driving.”

In the last ten seconds country, blues and top 40 blared out of the car radio.

Joker knocked Tobias’ fingers away from the buttons. “For the last time, leave it the fuck alone, and concentrate on your driving.”

Tobias glared at him. “Touchy, touchy.”

“You’re worse than my kid.” Joker screwed up his lips. “At least he listens to me.”

A grin split Tobias’ rock-hard face. “Can’t believe you got a kid.”

“He’s one of the main reasons I’m driving through the desert in ninety-degree heat with a nut job who can’t pick a radio station.”

Tobias’ finger hovered over the buttons with a smirk firmly planted on his broad face.

Tobias’ antics distracted him from the decision he had to make. Cobra said he’d follow his lead and give Joker free rein ‘cause sometimes you had to do the wrong thing for the right reasons. And putting a slimy bastard like Digger in the ground was definitely the right reason.

Forty minutes later, they pulled off the highway, and drove about two miles over red gravelly rock until they came to a squat white cinderblock building. The windowless structure sat amongst underbrush and more cacti. When Tobias pulled around the building two Harleys were parked in a line. The sight of the chrome shimmering in the sun pulled at Joker. He missed the hell out of his own bike.

Tobias parked the SUV, and Joker followed him to the only door. Inside, the building was separated into cubicles with different settings. Three were furnished like bedrooms. Each one decorated tackier than the other in red, gold and one completely in black with assorted sex toys flung over the bed. The other two were set up to resemble living rooms with chairs and couches. There was no ceiling, only rafters where huge lights hung along with a tangle of electrical wires.

Cameras stood on tripods and dollies with a few director’s chairs scattered around. Not an ounce of space was vacant. Definitely used for shooting porn.

Cobra stepped to Joker, and they tapped fists.

“This is Python.” Cobra dipped his chin to the guy next to him with patches that read Sergeant at Arms, LV Serpents, along with the little diamond signifying they were one-percenters. Outlaws. His eyes were clear and observant. A big difference from the doped-up Raiders he’d left in New York. It saddened Joker how far his club had fallen.

“I appreciate this.” Joker lifted his chin. “More than you know.”

“We’ll follow your lead.” Cobra stuck a cigarette between his lips, and Python leaned forward and flicked his lighter. “You wanna step in, it’s all yours, but the faster we can eliminate this asshole the better.” Cobra expelled a long stream of smoke and Joker breathed deep. Quitting cold turkey sucked.

“And don’t worry, they’ll be no blowback on you or your club,” Joker assured.

“I trust that.” They tapped fists again, the biker equivalent of a sealed deal.

Sheena busied herself with the camera equipment, then joined Joker and the other bikers. “Just got off the phone with Daisy. They have Digger and they’re almost here.”

They decided to use the living room set, and although they weren’t really filming Sheena made sure it looked authentic. Joker watched the way Cobra tracked Sheena. The other night at the Gold Mine he thought he noticed something too. Seth better get his game in order if he wanted Sheena, ‘cause he doubted if anything stopped Cobra once he set his mind on it.

Fifteen minutes later the slamming of car doors penetrated the brick building. They all exchanged looks, then Joker situated himself in the darkened bedroom set. Out of sight, but with a perfect view of the action.

Digger’s booming, noxious voice filled the room. Talking shit as usual. Daisy and Seth followed behind him dressed in their Hollywood business casual.

He longed to touch her and tell her he was sorry he’d acted like an ass. He fingered the ring box in his pocket and adrenaline soared through his veins. Get this shit done, then claim his woman.

Chapter Eleven

“I still don’t understand why we had to drive out in the fuckin’ desert. Hot as shit out here.” Digger pulled up his sweat stained T-shirt to wipe his face, his disgusting beer belly in full view, as his beady eyes surveyed the brick building.

The forty-five-minute drive from the airport defined hell on earth. Digger alternated between regaling them with his pseudo female conquests on the flight and hitting on Daisy. Seth had the air conditioner cranked up to combat his stench, and Daisy pitied whoever had the displeasure of sitting next to him on the plane.

“As I explained to you earlier. The lower we keep the budget the more likely HBO will pick up our option. It’s all about acquisitions and negotiation.”

Digger’s blank expression told her she’d used the right amount of four syllable words. The man was practically illiterate and any word over five letters stumped him which of course she used to her benefit.

Digger eyed the bedrooms. “Am I getting some fucking scenes too?” He licked his lips and rocked his hips in a grotesque way making Daisy happy she’d skipped lunch.

Sheena and Tobias pushed forward and introduced themselves as the producers, then herded Digger into the living room set.

Daisy gazed around the space for any sign of Joker. Thankfully, Tobias sent her a text last night, assuring her Joker was safe, but guilt weighed heavy on her. She hadn’t given him the answers he wanted, and now she regretted their angry words.

Digger stopped and glared at Cobra and Python. “What the fuck are The Serpents doin’ here?” Then he turned to Daisy. “I thought this was just about me.”

“We thought shooting an actual scene would be more veridical,” Seth said, and Daisy suppressed the smirk as Digger’s face flattened out in confusion.

Digger spun around to Daisy. “I’m still the star though, right?”

“Oh yes,” Daisy assured. “You’ll be the first one down.”

Seth waggled his eyebrows behind Digger’s back and Daisy bit the inside of her cheek, then put on her game face.

“All right, let’s get moving here people.” Tobias stepped up as the authoritative and demanding producer. “Time is money.”

Seth situated them in the living room and handed Digger the prop gun. “Like we discussed earlier you and Cobra are in a dispute over territory.” He glanced at Digger. “We want you to ad lib and respond however you would in real life. Simple.”

Digger eyeballed the gun Cobra held at his side. “His gun looks more real than mine.”

“Impossible.” Seth blew him off. “Must be the lighting. Once we start, don’t stop just keep rolling.” Seth slapped the clapperboard in Digger’s face and smirked when Digger twitched.

Cobra assumed the stance of a thug, and Daisy marveled how realistic it all seemed. Like Joker, Cobra had the raw energy of a man who’d seen it all. But where Joker’s features were rougher and hard-edged, Cobra’s chiseled face and strong, smooth good looks resembled an actual actor. A profession she was sure he never pursued.

* * *

Joker’s rigid body watched as the scene played out.

Cobra sauntered forward. “I guess this showdown has been a long time coming.”

Digger pulled himself up, unsuccessfully sucking in his beer gut. “Don’t think you’re gonna cut in on our territory,” Digger blustered.

“Don’t want your territory, just want to let you know what a miserable fuck you are.” Cobra moved two steps closer. “Shooting a kid isn’t cool.”

Digger’s back stiffened. “I didn’t shoot no kid.”

“C’mon Digger, the word is you shot Joker’s kid to get back at him.”

“Nah, wasn’t me.”

“Sure it was, cause that’s the kind of dick move a motherfucker like you would pull.” Cobra shrugged. “Admit it.”

Digger looked to Seth, and Seth made a circular motion with his forefinger. “Keep it going,” Seth said in a stage whisper.

“Yeah, I shot the kid, but I’m not done with him or Joker.”

Joker’s fist clenched to the point of pain.

“Still a dick move.” Cobra raised his gun. “Not something our club is willing to sanction.”

“He was just a punk ass kid.” Digger sneered. “But that pussy Joker hasn’t heard the last from me.”

A burning heat shot up Joker’s spine, as Digger shot a smarmy smile to Seth obviously impressed with his own performance.

Cobra glanced over Digger’s shoulder and Joker nodded, then Cobra leveled his gun at Digger. “We’re done with you.” The shot rang out in the cavernous building.

Digger grabbed his shoulder as blood seeped through his fingers. “What the fuck?” he wailed, then pumped the trigger and the fake gun exploded with blanks.

Digger glared at Seth and Daisy. “You set me up.”

Joker ambled out of the shadows and Digger’s eyes went wide. The look of confusion and shock on Digger’s face was priceless.

“Fuck man,” Digger gasped. “What’s goin’ on?”

“You were right, he is a pathetic piece of shit.” Cobra kicked Digger in the balls and he collapsed to his knees as his agonizing howl filled the building.

“Take care of your business.” Cobra pulled another gun out of the waist of his jeans and handed it to Joker. “Finish him off.”

“C’mon Joker, don’t do this.” Digger pleaded extending his hands like that would stop a bullet. “We’re brothers.”

Joker barked out a harsh laugh. “Brothers?” Are you fuckin’ kidding me.” Joker fisted the gun at his side. “You set me up for a hit in Miami, and then you target my son.”

“That was business, nothing personal.” Digger wheedled, as he struggled to his feet.

“End this stupid fucker, I can’t stand listening to him anymore,” Cobra said.

Joker’s brain stuttered as he fisted the gun. Pulling the trigger would be so satisfying. Fast, and easy. Indulge in the anger and the pain. A quick fix like booze or dope. And then the crash when the adrenaline evaporated from your veins and you were left with the silence of your thoughts.

Daisy stepped onto the set, their eyes locked, and the hand holding the gun relaxed for a split second.

Digger lunged. “I should’ve ended you when I had the chance.” Digger growled, as he tried to wrestle the gun away from Joker. “You and that worthless kid, and that lying cunt.”

For a split second the gun angled in Daisy’s direction and Joker freaked. He twisted Digger’s wrist and the gun exploded between them. He pried the gun out of Digger’s hand, shoved it into his gut and squeezed the trigger. Digger’s eyes went wide a second before his limp body thudded to the floor.

Cobra stood at his side, and the two men tapped fists. Justice.

Daisy reached out to him, her gaze frozen on the center of his chest. Joker looked down at himself just as a searing heat tore through his lungs. He struggled to breath, but the burning pain made it impossible. He felt like he was sucking air through a straw. His legs wavered and Daisy rushed to him. She tried to steady him, but she couldn’t support his weight as he sunk to the floor.

Daisy’s voice floated in the background of Joker’s brain. Her face radiated fear. Fuck, he hated seeing her so scared. Sounds melded together until the metal door banged open followed by heavy footsteps.

“Metro police. Drop your weapons.”

Faces swam in front of Joker’s face. Cops yelling orders, putting people in handcuffs, Daisy cradling his head. Her lips kept moving but he couldn’t focus on her words.

Then different uniforms. Paramedics. Asking questions, but he couldn’t form the words in his brain. The shriek of a siren, then the sensation of movement. Daisy holding him, tears streaming down her cheeks. Shit, he didn’t want to make her cry.

Someone tried to clamp a mask over his face, but he pushed it away and forced out two words. “Marry me.”

She parted her lips but they forced the mask over his face again and everything went black.

* * *

Daisy checked the time on her phone. Three minutes past the last time she’d checked. Joker had been out of surgery for three hours but was still in recovery. The doctors said the bullet collapsed his lung and fractured two ribs. Surgery repaired the damage, but the loss of blood and the trauma made the recovery period longer than normal.

Finally, the nurse told her they were wheeling him into his room. They downgraded him from ICU to CCU since he was breathing on his own, and the doctor assured her he would make a full recovery. They also handed her a manila envelope with his personal belongings. She stuffed the envelope into her purse and headed for his room.

She wasn’t prepared for the ashy tone of Joker’s skin. He seemed to be resting comfortably but his powerful presence was diminished by the stark white sheet and all the tubes running in and out of his body.

She pulled a plastic chair over to the side of the bed and gently folded his hand in hers. The heavy silver rings he usually wore were gone. When she laced his fingers with hers his lashes flickered, then shut against the light.

She leaned into him. “I’m here, baby. You’re in the hospital, but it’s okay.”

His throat worked and then his low, rasp. “Everything went sideways.” He drew in a deep breath. “I put you in danger. Again.”

“When I first met you in Miami, I knew you were someone I couldn’t con.” She smoothed his hair away from his face. “So, I’m not going to lie, I was scared, but not for me.”

“I can’t—” He coughed hard, then cleared his throat.

“Can’t what?” She leaned in.

“Can’t fuckin’ lose you.”

She stroked his cheek. “You’re not going to lose me, ever.”

Daisy’s mind spun to the last words he uttered in the ambulance. Did he even remember?

“I lost you in Miami and it gutted me. I couldn’t go through—” He twisted his head from side to side. “Where’re my clothes? I need my jeans.”

“You’re not going anywhere for a while.”

“Gotta get my jeans. Gotta—” His eyes slid shut and Daisy squeezed his hand.

Epilogue

Cobra flicked his wrist and two waitresses appeared at his side. “Another round.” He motioned around the long table they’d set up at the Gold Mine. “Fuck, bring two more rounds. We got a lot to celebrate.”

Joker and Cobra tapped fists. He’d been out of the hospital one week and Cobra was right, they had a lot to celebrate.

Cobra stood somewhat unsteadily and raised his glass. “Even though calling in the cops was Vinnie’s fuck you for screwin' up his poker game, the Serpents proved once again they can make shit happen. Here’s to Metro Police, and for having more pull than Vinnie Black.”

Cobra’s brothers whooped and fist pumped.

Joker didn’t remember much about that day except trying to protect Daisy and the blinding pain of the gunshot. Cobra filled him in later about Daisy, and Seth convincing Metro they had no idea how real bullets got in the prop guns, then Sheena causing a distraction by freaking out while Tobias made Cobra’s gun magically disappear into thin air. They were definitely good at what they did.

Crazy fuckin’ time.

Cobra banged on the table. “Shut the fuck up.” When the cheering subsided Cobra turned to Joker and Daisy.

“And here’s to the married couple. I don’t know how an ugly motherfucker like you landed such a babe, but congratu-fuckin’-lations.”

Whoops and cheers sounded again along with pounding on the table until Joker grabbed Daisy around the waist and hauled her onto his lap. He kissed her deep and long while his hands roamed over her body.

He and Daisy did the deed Vegas style. She’d surprised him by having his bike shipped out so they hit a drive-up chapel with a Harley-Davidson officiate. It didn’t matter though where or who married them. The love he felt for Daisy didn’t need a legal document and a whole bunch of words. He just needed her by his side loving him.

* * *

Daisy smiled at their image reflected against the dark windows of the honeymoon suite at the Bellagio. “Cobra was wrong, we look great together.”

Seth, Sheena, Tobias and even Cobra chipped in for the luxurious suite which included a spa day, private cabana by the pool, and unlimited room service.

“C’mon even the guy who married us did a double take.” Joker nipped at her neck.

“I think that was more because you insisted we face each other on the Harley with my legs wrapped around your waist during the ceremony, then kissing me so deep even Sheena blushed.”

“Nah, the best part was riding to the Gold Mine with you pressed up against me.” He cupped her face in his hands. “Thank you.”

“I thought you’d like to have your bike here.”

“No, babe. Thank you for staying strong, seeing the big picture, and for handling my shit and calling me out when I needed it.”

Even though their wedding was far from traditional, Daisy insisted on wearing something white to signify their fresh start together. Great idea, but now Joker struggled with the little pearl buttons on that white silk blouse. The loose material wouldn’t cooperate with his large fingers.

“Buttons are pissing me off,” he growled. “Been waiting all day to taste you.”

Her hand covered his and then moved it away from the delicate material. In three swift moves her blouse hung open, breasts on display. He released her from the sweet lace bra and sucked her nipple into his mouth. When he hummed against the sensitive flesh she moaned. Loud.

He scooped her up, carried her into the bedroom and tumbled her onto the king-size bed. She yelped when her back hit the bed, as she pulled him to her.

“Looks like my girl is in need.”

Her fingers tugging on the tab of his jeans, then the rasp of his zipper and her hand going in made him hiss out a breath.

“You feel how fuckin’ hard I am. That’s all for you, baby.”

Last time they’d fucked over the window. Crazy shit, but this time he wanted to take his time. Spread her out and show her what she meant to him.

She’d already ripped open his jeans, and his dick was more than happy with the situation, but he stilled her hands.

“Wait—” He gasped in a breath when she squeezed him.

Her face scrunched with doubt and his insides twisted. “I don’t wanna rush it. I want you laid out so I can appreciate you.”

She cupped his jaw then took his lips in a deep kiss that ended with a nip on his lip. Pain mixed with pleasure. Fuck, yeah.

He skimmed his hands along her side stopping at her hips, dragging her closer, lifting her legs and throwing them over his shoulders. He gazed at her and smiled. “Best thing, ever. You all laid out for me, wanting me.”

“Always.”

And the one breathless word from her set him off. Pulling her hips closer he settled himself deep within her. His girl, his beauty, his wife.

Fuckin’ amazing all the times he screwed up and yet here she was giving it up to him, making a commitment that meant the rest of their lives.

* * *

Two hours later they sat cross legged on the rumpled bed amongst dishes filled with Kobi sliders, shrimp, french fries, and sliced steak.

“You know there’s like six five-star restaurants in this hotel alone we could’ve eaten in tonight.” Daisy dipped a shrimp in cocktail sauce and popped it into her mouth.

“But I don’t think any of them would let you eat that shrimp buck ass naked and since I’m not letting you put clothes on anytime soon.” Joker shrugged.

“You really do enjoy being a bad boy.”

He leaned over and stole one of her shrimps. “Only with you.”

He bit into the shrimp and his mind traveled to a subject they still hadn’t ironed out. He weighed his words and thought of different ways to phrase what was on his mind, but since that tactic never worked for him, he went with blunt.

“Even though I’m gonna miss the action of living on the edge, I’m looking forward to settling down, and bringing Derek home. I got the money to open the motorcycle shop, and Cobra said he could throw a lot of work my way.”

“I’d like to have a place to finally call home. Not living in a rented space for a short time but really moving in.”

“Cobra’s got some legit businesses in Henderson. He says it’s a nice place to live. Good schools for Derek.

“Maybe those fantasy stories of mine can finally come true.” Daisy leaned in for a kiss.

“Mine already did.” Joker grabbed her lips with his knowing that they would face whatever came their way—Together.

Connect with Barbara on . . .

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Website:

https://www.barbaranolanauthor.com

If you’d like to find out how Joker and Daisy met, check out:

Beyond Redemption, Joker, Serpents MC Las Vegas Book 1
https://amzn.to/33XR3fG

To read more about the Serpents MC Las Vegas, and learn more about Cobra check out:

Beyond Remorse, Cobra, Serpents MC Las Vegas Book 2

Release date 5/26/20

Beyond Regret, Python, Serpents MC Las Vegas Book 3

Release date 7/20

Red Stiletto

Kathryn C. Kelly

Kate, thank you for being a sounding board for this novella, as well as you help with plotting, setting, character discussions, and putting out the monthly newsletter. You are an inspiration to all of us.

Acknowledgments

Melissa Kulis, Assistant Extraordinaire, thank you for always looking out for me and finding great opportunities such as Call My Bluff for me. Elizabeth Knox, thank you for your vision, your strength, and our glue. My fellow authors in the anthology: Elizabeth Knox, KE Osborn, Lynn Lombard, Addison Jane, Sam St. James, H.J. Marshall, Evan Grace, Flora Burgos, Barbara Nolan, and Rae B. Lake, I am honored to be participating in this project with all of you. Zoey and Alegra, my other two beautiful girls, I love you both and am so proud of you. Mother, thank you for all your pep talks and encouragement. I love you.

Prologue

Grell

Braced on his forearms, Grell Vasher’s husband thrust into her, ever so slowly sliding his cock out and brushing against her nerve endings with masterful skill. She spread her thighs wider, anticipating the moment Devin slammed into her again. He smelled spicy, an array of the scents in his aftershave, opened her nose and made her pussy wetter, hotter. It was a soul-touching, spiritual experience that she wished would never end.

He covered her mouth with his, absorbing her cries, his tongue tangoing with hers, nearly stealing her breath. She would die happy, though. She would die with Devin inside of her, surrounded by him.

Ending their wild kiss, Devin withdrew from her. She gripped his firm ass before he pulled away completely.

“No,” she moaned. “Neither of us have come yet. I need your dick in me.”

“And I need my tongue in your pussy,” he rumbled.

Chills of anticipation layered with fiery need made her shake. Holding her gaze, he slid down her body, pausing to suck each of her nipples, then raining kisses downward. At her mound, he glided his tongue across her hairless skin. Grell lifted her hips, impatient for him to reach her opening.

Finally, she felt his fingers widening her pussy lips. He pressed his nose against her clit and sniffed.

Out of her mind with need, Grell threw her head back, burying her fingers in his silky hair. “Oh god, Dev. Please,” she begged. “Lick me now.”

His warm breath brushed across her at his satisfied laughter. The tip of his tongue touched her clit. The teasing drove her insane. Then, he gave her what she wanted, flattening his entire tongue to taste and savor her pussy. She rocked against his mouth, the sensation building inside of her making her desperate for relief.

When her orgasm overtook her, she cried out, trapping his head against her pussy and trembling, until she went limp. Before her breathing evened out, Devin rose above her and powered into her, his body stiffening and shaking a moment later as he shot cum into her.

He collapsed on top of her, burying his face against her neck, resting only a couple of minutes before turning over onto his back, and dragging her into his arms. Silence slid by, which Grell found calming. Another moment she wished to bottle up and hold onto forever.

“You okay, sweetheart?” he asked.

“Yes. Are you?”

“I’m better now that I’ve snacked on your delicious pussy.”

“I would like to suck your cock,” she announced without shame.

“Hmmm. That can be arranged, you bright, flamboyant woman.”

She smiled. “Those are two of the meanings of my name.” Along with irascible and angry, but who needed to go there?

“I thought your brother’s name, Amory, was weird. For a long while, I thought of armor every time I said it.”

A pang of grief hit Grell. Years after her brother’s death hadn’t eased how much she missed him.

“I hope I’m doing him proud,” Devin whispered, threading his fingers through her damp hair. “I take care of you and my daughters as best I can.”

“When you’re home,” Grell couldn’t resist imparting. This was the first time she’d seen her husband in months. She understood he couldn’t keep in contact too much, since he was entrenched in an undercover sting.

“I don’t stay away on purpose. It’s for my job. It keeps us— you, me, Hope, and Bella— safe.”

“We miss you,” she admitted. “Whatever case you’re working has already stolen you from us for the past six months. How much longer will you be away?”

Releasing her, Devin sat up in bed. “I won’t be able to stay much longer. I don’t want to be missed.”

It was pointless to argue, so Grell merely said, “Okay.”

Devin turned to her, opened his mouth to speak, then snapped his mouth shut. He stared at her, almost as if he was seeing her for the first time. Almost as if he suddenly realized he loved her and wasn’t only doing his duty by her brother.

Wishful thinking, she knew, so she took that moment to take him in. Bathed in soft lamplight, he looked tall and strong, invincible. Muscles rippled in his arms and shoulders. His wide chest gave way to a ripped stomach and trim waist. He was a sculpted work-of-art, who worked a very dangerous job.

“You’re so gorgeous, Grell,” Devin said with emotion. “I’m lucky to have you.”

His words filled her with peace and joy. Their marriage wasn’t perfect, but then again, whose was? She carried enough love in her heart for both of them. “And I you, Dev. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me. Without you, I wouldn’t be a mom.”

His jaw clenched and, instead of answering her, he walked to where his jeans rested over the overstuffed chair in the room and grabbed them. “The trade-off was devastating,” he told her, once his jeans were on. “We lost Amory. He . . . your mom and dad . . . saved my life. Took me out of the foster system and gave me a home.”

He never included her whenever he praised her family. Until Amory’s death, Grell had just been one of the boys in Devin’s eyes, a third wheel who shadowed her big brother.

“This case will be over sooner than you think, sweetheart,” he said after he’d finished dressing.

“I worry about you. You aren’t indestructible. You’re a man, made of flesh and blood.”

“Who’s trying to get bad guys off the streets.”

“Who refuses to tell me anything about his case,” she snapped.

“It’s safer,” he said flatly.

She drew in a deep breath, then released it in slow measurements. Perhaps, if she had more information, she wouldn’t worry as much.

He walked back to the bed and sat, scooting closer to her. “I don’t want to involve you in any way in my job. These are bad people. They’ll use anything and anyone not to be taken down. They’d kill me, then, possibly come after you. What I do, I do to protect the three of you. We’re a team,” he reminded her.

She detested that term. “We’re a family,” she corrected.

“Yeah, that, too,” he agreed, noncommittal.

They faced each other, another moment of peace and understanding flowing between them. Gently, he brushed tendrils of hair off her face and caressed her cheek, offering her a tender smile.

Laying her palm against his cheek, Grell returned his smile, staring into his normally ice blue eyes. Tonight, the color reminded her of a tropical ocean, blue and clear. Lost in the moment, she blurted, “I love you, Devin.”

He stilled and dropped his hand, his face shuttering. “I know,” he said hoarsely, kissing the tip of her nose.

Sudden despair twisted in her belly and she lowered her lashes, not wanting him to see how much his words hurt her. She should’ve been used to the response. That was the prime reason she’d armored herself with the thought that the deep love she had for him was also enough to sustain her.

Getting to his feet, he started for the door, then paused and turned to her again. “Grell, thank you,” he said quietly. “Thank you for welcoming me home, feeding me, letting me see the girls, and then holding a normal conversation with me. Thank you for so sweetly sharing your body with me, even though I haven’t been home in months or called in weeks. Whether you know it or not, I value . . .” He looked away and shifted uncomfortably. “I value our vows. The life we have built together.”

A lump rose in her throat, leaving her unable to respond, so she nodded.

All too soon, Devin was kissing Hope and Bella ‘goodbye’ as he’d kissed them ‘hello’ and preparing to leave. At the door, he opened it and turned to Grell, giving her a penetrating stare, as if he attempted to uncover each layer and discover her deepest secrets.

He brushed his lips against hers. “Bye, Grell,” he said, caressing her cheek.

“Bye, Dev,” she returned. “Stay safe.”

He winked at her, before turning and heading to his car.

Moments later, Grell watched Devin drive away, disappearing into the hot desert night, and leaving her to wonder, when, if ever, she’d see him again.

Chapter One

Devin

“Dance with me.”

At the demand of the seductive voice, Devin Vasher nodded at the bartender, stalling before turning away to look at the owner of the flirty purr, the sound he’d know anywhere.

Josephine Pancrizio, sister to his main target, smiled at him. The emerald evening gown she wore brought out the green in her hazel eyes and reminded the world of her brief runway career. Tall and thin, she exuded confidence and had the stereotypical temper of a natural redhead. Tonight, her flame-colored hair was piled up, while a few ringlets escaped with artful precision. Despite her red hair, she had a honeyed complexion, dotted with freckles.

She was stunning and cunning. He’d thought she would be the path of least resistance to get to her brother. Instead, she’d turned into the biggest complication he’d ever had in his career.

Jo pressed against him and put her arms around his neck. “Fitz?”

Starting to despise the name he’d chosen for his new identity, Devin forced a smile and placed his arms around her waist, with seemingly careless disregard. In reality, he carefully kept his hands from touching her ass. “Yeah, babe?”

“Do you want to dance or not?” she asked, flashing him a vibrant smile.

No, he really didn’t. He wanted to be at home with his wife and daughters, excited to usher in a new year and decade. Another year of marriage. He wanted to relax. Drink a beer. Fuck. Since he hadn’t had time to sleep with Grell in months.

The detachment of the idea made him wince, and he stopped short of digging in his pocket to touch his wedding ring.

Jo dragged her lips over his, then stepped out of his arms, and poked his stomach. “Damn it, Fitz. Your mind is wandering. What is with you? I thought you’d be so grateful to me that you’d want to keep me happy.” She smirked at him. “All night. However the new year finds you, is the way you’ll be the entire year. What better way to ring it in by having your big cock deep in me? Playing with my pussy and dreaming of fucking you, doesn’t sate me anymore. Can’t you stop being such a good Catholic and fuck me in the name of the next decade?”

Devin laughed. “This from a Catholic schoolgirl? The good sisters would be ashamed of you. Is it so bad that I don’t believe in sex until after marriage?”

She wrinkled her nose. “If you intended to marry me, I would say no.”

“Who says I don’t?”

That shut her up, and her eyes widened before sudden anticipation lit them up. “Really?” she breathed. “When?”

“We have plenty of time to discuss our future,” he backpedaled. “Let’s not rush into shit. Tonight, is the first time I feel as if Clemente actually likes me. He allowed you to invite me to one of his private parties.”

Finally.

“I knew it was his fault you’ve been holding back,” Jo complained. “I told him that. He’s as dense as a fucking brick.”

If only.

“The man has absolutely no concept of how relationships work,” she went on. “He’s so anal about my well-being. You don’t get to sic Gabiano on family and friends. Especially if they hurt or insult me.” Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oops. That was a slip of the tongue. Forget I said that.” She lowered her lashes. “I hope that doesn’t frighten you or change your opinion of him. He’s just uber protective of me, Fitz. I’m sorry if my stupid words upset you.”

Sorry-not sorry, right, Jo? She didn’t make slips of the tongue about her family, especially her brother. Despite their age difference, the Pancrizio siblings used words like weapons. An insult was like a dagger thrown, a warning like the report of a gun, while a command usually meant the difference between life and death.

“Let’s dance,” he said, annoyed.

Her wide grin lit up her hazel eyes and brought attention to her wide mouth. She grabbed his hand, pulling him to the dance floor of one of the Vegas clubs her family owned, this one tucked along the city’s second most famous street, Fremont.

It wasn’t until Jo’s offbeat accompaniment to the song now playing did Devin realize it was Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. With the switch from the fast dance tune where he managed to keep her at arm’s length, she slid into his arms, placed her own around his neck, and gave him a soft look then began to move.

Leaning his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes and thought of Grell as he’d last seen her, over four months ago. Black hair spread across the pillow. The flush of a good fuck coloring her peachy skin. Her soaked pussy glistening.

A nip on his chin brought him back to the present.

“Somebody’s looking to score tonight,” Jo whispered, pressing her body against his hard cock.

Devin cursed under his breath. His cockstand wasn’t for her by any means. He couldn’t admit that, so he looked into her eyes, took in her features, and kissed the tip of her nose.

“You’re so gorgeous,” he said truthfully.

The Elvis song ended, but the DJ slid into another love song.

This was a New Year’s Eve party, not a Valentine’s Ball— or a party to celebrate a wedding anniversary.

“My pussy’s so wet.” The hot caress of Jo’s breath as she gasped those words, fanned across Devin’s skin. “I want you to fuck me so hard that I won’t be able to see straight. I’ll ride your cock all night to return the favor.”

His balls tightened, and Devin drew in a breath. Thoughts of Grell coupled with Jo’s demands catapulted him into sexual hell.

She tugged his earlobe between her teeth. “Please, Fitz?” she whispered. “Let’s find a quiet place to fuck. I’ll make you feel so good, baby. You won’t regret it. I’ll have one of my friends meet us at my apartment. She’ll eat out my juicy pussy while you fuck her. You’ll be able to see me trapping her head against my cunt and grinding against her mouth until I come. Then, we’ll switch so you can shoot your load in my ass.” Her voice was low and dark. “I love to be fucked in the ass.”

Devin jerked, desire punching him in the gut. The hard points of her nipples pressed into his chest. Cum beaded his cock tip. Her vivid descriptions almost blinded him with pure animal lust.

Until then, he’d never allowed his mind to wander to whether or not he felt any attraction to her. Though it would compromise the case if his behavior was proven to be untoward, most importantly, he had a wife. His dick, though, had other thoughts. He had absolutely no control over its betrayal. The little man was as deprived of pussy as Devin and was announcing his disgust.

“If your stupid morals can’t allow you a good fuck for New Year’s, then . . .” Jo stared at his mouth. “I can suck your cock. We can leave separately and return before we’re missed to ring in the new year.” Her look invited lurid thoughts. “Clemente won’t even know.”

The mention of Clemente softened Devin’s cock as effectively as a bucket of ice would have. Unease flooded hm for the briefest moment. For weeks Jo had tried to get him to fuck her. Usually, it was far away from her brother. Tonight, her sexual demands bordered on angry challenge. Besides, Jo’s idea held no substantive appeal for him, but he gave her a look to make her believe otherwise. “My vows are important to me.” And they were. More than he’d ever realized until recently.

She laughed. “You sound like a monk, Fitzgerald Bradshaw. What vows?”

“Wrong choice of words. Although confirmation is a vow.”

“That you’re forced to do,” she pointed out, still moving against him, swaying to the song and glancing from his lips to his eyes and back again. “What thirteen-year-old chooses that? It’s just a reaffirming of the commitment you made at baptism.”

“Where we were even younger. To me, confirmation is a sacrament in itself.”

As the song came to an end, she rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, you’re in that group. There are no more Catholic a family, then the Pancrizios, and even we don’t believe that. Confirmation is just a public acknowledgment of the acceptance of God’s mercy. That’s it. Period.”

He guided her to the edge of the dance floor as another song began, glad to finally be on the other side of the bar, and away from Gabiano, bartender, bodyguard, and a fucking bully.

“Let’s not argue about religion, Josie. You’re not going to change my mind and I won’t change yours, so it’s time wasted.”

“Stop calling me Josie, Fitz,” she ordered with a grin. “That’s Clemente’s name for me. Jo is barely acceptable. I order you to find a new, romantic nickname for me.”

“You order me?” he echoed in a teasing tone, lifting a brow at her.

She nodded. “We both know you don’t like taking orders. You give them, so what are you going to do to me for my cheekiness?”

“Are you challenging me, young lady?” he asked, dodging her question.

“What if I am?” She punted the burden of providing an answer back into his court.

“You shouldn’t be with an old fogey like me,” he said gruffly, opting to change the subject since he had no satisfactory answer. He could bullshit her, but he’d already crossed a line with her dirty talk.

“You’re only thirty-four. That’s not old.”

“It’s eleven years older than you.”

“Age is only a number,” she said breezily.

“You’re right.” He brought his hand to her face and caressed her cheek. “And you’re only as old as you feel. All those fine gems of wisdom.”

“Exactly.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he promised. “I need the drink I was interrupted from getting when you walked up on me.”

“I’d been waiting for you. You arrived an hour late.”

He’d been trying to reach Grell and hadn’t been able to. According to the tracking devices he had on her phone and car, she hadn’t left Henderson. Worry had kept him at his apartment. Extreme measures were always in place to protect Operation Red Stiletto and Devin. He protected his wife and children by having as little contact with them as possible. Grell was even unaware of the nature of this sting. She just knew he was undercover.

Thinking of his wife and the importance of today— besides being New Year’s Eve— made Devin restless. Without another word, he led Jo through the crowd, nodding to this one or that one, satisfied at how many people knew ‘Fitz’.

“You’re better known than me,” Jo said with a short laugh. “To think, this time last year, none of us knew you existed.”

Devin detected a note of sarcasm. Her demeanor veered between hot and cold, alarming him. He sidled a glance at her. She displayed not a hint of suspicion. It was just him. He was the suspicious one, suddenly wondering why . . .

Why had Clemente extended the invitation to one of his private events tonight? Why hadn’t Grell answered her phone any of the five times Devin had tried to reach her? Why hadn’t she called him back? His phone was on vibrate in the pocket of his tuxedo jacket.

“I’m so happy that I met you, Fitz.”

And why the fuck was he feeling guilty over stringing Jo along? God knew, she was a handful.

In the ten-months he’d been undercover, she’d served as an unwitting entrance and guide to her family’s criminal lifestyle. This night, though, was an important one. It marked the first time he was officially invited to one of the Pancrizios’ private events, a New Year’s Eve party thrown by Jo’s brother, Clemente. Tonight was vital to Devin’s mission. If it went right, he’d know he was in. It would show that he hadn’t only earned the trust of Jo, but, most importantly, Clemente.

It meant they all believed that Devin Vasher, undercover agent, was actually Fitzgerald Bradshaw, a credit card malware coder with access to criminals who installed skimmers to the end-of-the-line criminals who purchased goods with stolen cards. Or hired mules to make the purchases for them. Those were the idiots usually caught and sent to jail.

Credit card fraud had long ago moved into the ranks of organized crime. Mainly, Russian and Eastern Europe. It stood to reason that dangling such a shiny carrot in front of Clemente Pancrizio would get the man’s attention.

So much could go wrong, though. As usual, he was on his own with only bi-weekly check-ins with his superiors. Even if a surveillance team had been nearby, if he ran into trouble, he would be fucking dead by the time they reached him. If shit went down, it was his responsibility to save himself.

His head just wasn’t in the right place, though. That alone spelled disaster. If anything went wrong, tonight would be his last on earth.

A pang went through him and he drew in a deep breath. He had so much to say to his wife.

Speaking of . . . Where the fuck was she? She always answered his calls. They came so few and far between, she never missed one.

Tonight, on his seventh wedding anniversary, marked a turning point in his assignment. Grell was supposed to be at home with their six-year-old and three-year-old daughters.

He was supposed to be there, too, of course. For the rest of his life he’d have to live with that fact that instead of a night of romance and intimate moments with Grell, he’d been undercover.

Just a few months ago, this wouldn’t have mattered. The last time he’d managed to get away and go to Grell, something changed inside of him.

Her dedication to him and their daughters allowed him to pursue his own career. She never made him feel as if she resented giving up her own data analyst position to be a stay-at-home mom.

Even though he hadn’t spoken to her in weeks, when he’d called and given her an hour’s notice that he was coming to visit, she’d sounded genuinely happy, despite it being near midnight.

When he’d arrived, she led him to Bella’s and Hope’s room, where he’d kissed his daughters and watched them sleep, marveling at how much they’d grown. Grell had given him all the time he needed and, when he walked back to the kitchen half an hour later, she’d cooked bacon, eggs, and pancakes for him, cleaning the mess while he ate. Afterwards, they’d sat and talked for hours before he’d found himself snacking on her pussy in the middle of the kitchen.

After she’d sucked his cock, they’d gone to their bedroom and finished what they’d started. Something odd had happened to him, when he’d looked at her as she sat on the bed with a combination of hope and despair in her eyes. And love. Always love for him.

Just for a moment, his head had connected with what his heart had been trying to get through to him for years. Then, he’d forced himself to snap out of whatever fog came over him.

He’d left, while she stood in the door, steady, stable, and solid. Grell. His Grell. That last memory of her was burned into his brain. Yet, everyone he’d ever admitted to loving— Grell’s parents as the caring parental figures he’d so desperately needed and Amory as the brother he’d always wished to have— were taken away from him.

As long as he kept love out of the equation, Grell and his daughters would be fine.

Jo caught his face between her hands and kissed his lips, startling him out of his thoughts. He puckered his lips just enough to show interest, then quickly pulled away.

“Get me a scotch, neat,” he instructed. “I need to find the men’s room.”

“Upstairs to your left. I can guide you there,” she offered. “Perhaps, assist you? Hold your cock while you piss?”

“Thank you, but no.” He smiled to remove the edge from his words. “I’ll find my way there.”

“Boooo,” she pouted.

Winking at her, he turned and walked away, giving Devin his first chance to look around. After he tried to reach Grell again.

“Fitz!”

Various members of Clemente’s crew called out to Devin as he skirted the dance floor, passing tables and small groups standing around, talking amongst themselves. The décor of The Foundation Room’s first floor took inspiration from the Galleria degli Specchi at the Palazzo Reale in Genoa, complete with the metaphorical frescoes on the ceiling, lacquered furniture, chandeliers, and statues. The dance floor and bar added a modern flavor. Personally, Devin would’ve foregone both. It cheapened the beauty of whatever Clemente had been trying to achieve.

The white marble staircase was a masterpiece in itself.

“Fitzgerald?” Gabiano called from behind him.

Devin cursed the unseen cameras that allowed Gabiano to track his movements. No matter how busy asshole seemed behind the bar, he always had time for spying.

“Where are you going?”

“To take a piss,” Devin snapped as he started up the stairs.

“How bad you need to go?”

He was almost at the top. “None of your fucking business, Gabiano.”

“Asshole,” Gabiano returned with a laugh.

Dismissing him and topping the staircase, Devin rushed in the direction of the bathroom. As soon as he was safely inside, he took in the ceiling, walls, and floors, searching for any telltale differences that might indicate a camera. Technology these days could be hidden anywhere. Take his tie, for instance.

When he detected no type of surveillance device, he went into one of the two private stalls, dropped his pants and sat on the toilet, both for good measure.

Protecting their interests and guarding their safety meant more to the Pancrizios than violations of privacy. Sighing, Devin dialed Grell’s number again. Still, nothing. After five rings, it went to fucking voicemail.

Two torturous minutes later, he redialed her number and got the same result.

Goddammit!

Scrubbing his hand over his face, Devin debated on his next move.

He should leave, head to the apartment to make sure he wasn’t followed, then make his way to the suburban home he shared with Grell.

His gut told him something wasn’t right. Even here, tonight, he felt . . . exposed. For the first time since this operation began, Devin was off his game. Calling it a night was the best option. He’d come to the party, appeased Jo— somewhat— and gotten one step closer to his ultimate goal of taking down Clemente and the others in the Pancrizio crime family.

Yet, it wasn’t good enough. After months, he’d finally gotten into one of Clemente’s private events, bringing Devin one step closer to discovering other Pancrizio secrets. Specifically, if red stilettos were still their go-to method of drug transport.

The sooner he gathered the needed evidence, the quicker the case would end. If he left now, he might very well piss off Clemente, and undo all the months of hard work he’d put into the case.

Devin had to stay. Grell was resourceful. She knew how to fend for herself.

Standing, Devin turned and pissed, tried Grell again, then repaired his clothes and left the bathroom.

As far as Devin saw, Gabiano wasn’t lurking in the shadows. That didn’t mean he wasn’t being watched. Clemente loved surveillance cameras.

Party sounds drifted up the staircase, yet it was relatively quiet there. The only doors on this floor were the ones that led to the bathrooms, leaving Devin no opportunity to search.

How fucking disappointing. The sooner he got what he needed, the sooner he could be home. Needing a moment to put his priorities in order, he drew in a breath and walked to the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside, the night gleamed with the lights reflecting off the tops of the Strip’s largest hotels. The City of Light shone like a jewel, illuminating the room where Devin stood, soothed by the beauty if not fully at peace.

“Fitz?” Jo called from behind him, demolishing his moment of solitude.

Her hand skimmed his back, and he sighed, before turning to her. A halo of light bathed her.

Bronzed skin indicated her Mediterranean heritage and made her red hair stand out. Standing just a few inches shorter than his six-foot frame, she possessed a runway body with soft curves and flawless skin. A few nights before, she’d had a birthday, only days after graduating from college.

Their eleven-year age difference truly bothered him. It didn’t matter her attitude or behavior. He was still leading her on.

Sometimes, he told himself how enamored she seemed of him was all an act. He’d made himself unavailable to her. For her, he’d become a challenge.

If it wasn’t for the guilt he felt every time he was with her, she would be the best part of the job. With the exception of her spoilt tendencies, Josephine reminded him of his wife. Most of the time, that alone eased how much he missed Grell.

“Why are you up here, all alone?”

He couldn’t answer that, so he smiled. “Where’s my drink, woman?” He forced a lighthearted tone.

“Here,” she said with a giggle, rubbing her stomach. “You took too long, so I finished my own, then polished off yours.”

“Little lush,” he said with a short laugh, stepping around her and heading for the staircase. “I’m getting a drink, Josephine,” he declared with mock sternness.

“Well, I am heading to the little girls’ room. I will catch up to you when I’m done.”

“I’ll be waiting,” he promised, deciding to focus on the job before he made a major misstep and ended up dead.

Chapter Two

Devin

By the time Jo returned, the DJ had switched to some generic party song that Jo loved. She squealed happily, grabbed his hands, placing them on her hips as she began to gyrate to the beat of the music. Captured by her gaiety, he moved with her.

If nothing else, Jo was fun to be around, and nice to look at. However, shame hit him hard every time he enjoyed her company, and tonight he felt even worse than usual. On his anniversary and when he had no clue where his family was, he was enjoying dancing with another woman.

They danced to a few more songs, before Devin headed back to the bar, dehydrated and tormented. Had it been any other night, he would’ve been able to ignore his nagging guilt. Their wedding anniversary that meant so much to his actual relationship, he couldn’t help but feel like he was cheating on his wife, even though everything was fake.

Besides, even if he’d been single, the man Jo thought she had was a throw-away persona that would die the moment the take-down happened.

An hour later, they had retired to the third floor that Devin hadn’t known existed, accessible to only a select few via a little used, and very hidden, hallway with a decrepit set of stairs. It was called the Red Corner due to the color being everywhere on this floor. The fact that he’d been allowed up here meant a lot. It was home to a back area, which was basically an apartment that was used to conduct business. Even fewer people were allowed into that mysterious place. Mostly just Clemente, Renata, and their close associates. When Devin tried to follow them, Jo had pulled him back and said the Red Room was as far as they could go.

Another hurdle to breach. Once Devin was granted access there, he would know for sure that he was in. The immediate and less exclusive room, though, was just a lounge area, with a sound system switching between jazz and swing, a stark contrast to the party anthems played by the DJ on the first floor. The Red Room had no dance floor but, thankfully, it did have a smaller bar.

Currently, Josephine sat on his lap in a secluded sitting area, caressing her fingers along his neck and face, leaning down to give him an occasional kiss. Another friend of hers, Camille, had found them, and they were discussing some guy Camille was seeing, a conversation Devin had no interest in.

“What do you think, baby?” Jo asked, drawing Devin’s attention away from thoughts threatening to drive him insane.

“Hm?”

She rolled her eyes. “What do you think about Camille and Brent?”

Shit. He smiled at Jo. “What do you think about them?”

Jo slapped his chest. “Weren’t you listening, Fitz?”

“I—”

Camille cut him off. “He obviously wasn’t, Jo.”

Jo slid from his lap and scowled at him, well on the way to being plastered. “I’m going get a drink,” she slurred, motioning for Camille to stand, before stomping away and dragging her friend behind her.

“Shit,” he muttered, annoyed that he’d once again failed to keep Jo happy.

He leaned back on the loveseat, rubbing his hand over his eyes, before leaning forward again and bowing his head. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Laughter greeted that. Her laughter. Grell’s. But that couldn’t be. He was imagining things. The stress and worry played tricks on him.

Slowly, he looked up. His breath catching, he squinted, praying she was just an illusion. Praying this wasn’t happening.

She smiled at him. “I made it, Dev.”

It couldn’t be.

“Happy anniversary, babe.”

But it was.

Chapter Three

Devin

As always, Grell looked stunning in a high-low dress with a deep V-neck that stopped a few inches above her bellybutton and displayed her full breasts. There was just enough coverage not to show her nipples. The spaghetti strapped outfit surprised him that it was able to hold up her bust. The white color popped against her sun-kissed skin. Red stilettos added six inches to her 5’5” frame. Devin noted the diamond jewelry— earrings, bracelet, and necklace— that he gave her on their 5th wedding anniversary.

Red. Stilettos. Of all the fucking shoes. Except these had no platforms, only stilettos— where the poison was usually located.

How many red stiletto platform pumps were circulated in the world? Too many to count. Of course, that’s why this method of transport was chosen. The more sophisticated law enforcement got at detecting drugs, the wilder the methods used to smuggle them became.

“You approve,” she stated with a smile. “I stared at myself too. It’s been so long since I looked like anything other than a mom.”

Instead of responding, Devin continued to gape.

Tonight, she’d chosen to go glam, with silver eyeshadow and scarlet lipstick that matched her heels and made her plump lips look even fuller. Her straight black bob framed her lovely face, her hair stopping a few inches above her shoulders.

The years he’d known her and listened to her go on endlessly about fashion and make-up served him well tonight, filtering through his shock and allowing him to catalog her appearance. Her nearness. Her presence.

Holy fuck. Her presence.

“Grell?” he whispered, his heart pounding, his head buzzing with all the implications of her arrival. He had to take one step at a time. First, remain calm, but, more important, get Grell to safety.

Unaware of the turmoil, she smiled at him, her blue-green eyes lighting up. “Hi.”

Panic set in, sweeping away his shock, and quickly replaced by both worry and anger. Standing, he stalked to her, closing the few feet that separated them, aware of the attention turning their way, breathing in the scent of her hair and skin. “What are you doing here, Grell?” he asked, more aggressive than intended, although he didn’t raise his voice.

Her smile faltered a bit. “I’m here to see you, Devin. Remember what today is?”

“Do you really believe I’d forget?” he snapped.

“Dev—”

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “Don’t call me that!” he ordered, low. “I didn’t invite you. I would never. Amory would find a way to fuck me up from his grave.”

Grell’s face fell before her mouth tightened, as it always did whenever Devin mentioned her brother, who’d been Devin’s best friend and partner. Who’d been killed because he burst through the front door to save a woman and was shot in the head. When it could’ve been Devin.

It should’ve been Devin. He’d stayed behind to check-in with dispatch, while Amory forged ahead to serve and protect.

“I’m not here for ten minutes and you are already bringing up Amory. You haven’t even asked about Bella and Hope.”

Devin winced. Only two years separated him and Amory, from Grell. He’d always seen her as . . . as Grell. Then, Amory had been killed, leaving Devin in a tailspin. Grell, too, he was sure.

“You’ve got to leave, sweetheart. It isn’t safe for you to be here.”

Her lower lip trembled. Frantically, she opened her evening bag and yanked out folded vellum, slamming it against his chest.

“Stop it, Grell,” he warned, taking whatever she handed to him by reflex. “As it is, we have a fucking audience.” Who would not only report to Jo, but Clemente, too. “Leave,” he ordered.

“You invited me,” she persisted. “Read the invitation. It’s . . . it’s in your handwriting.”

After Amory’s death, Devin and Grell found solace in each other’s arms. When she turned up pregnant, Devin proposed. She accepted. Because she loved him. He’d just wanted to do right by his best friend’s sister.

He just might have gotten her killed.

The thought made him stagger back, and he dropped into the seat he’d vacated to confront Grell. After stuffing the vellum into his suit pocket, he motioned for her to sit next to him.

He leaned closer to her. He told himself it was to make sure no one heard their conversation, then called bullshit on that lie. They’d already attracted attention. Repercussions were just a matter of time. Maybe, though, if he acted with a level head, he could at least save his wife.

“Grell, just call me Fitz for now.”

Her brows furrowed, her features see-sawing between hurt and anger. “Why did you invite me here if I can’t even call you by your name? Why invite me if you wouldn’t even be happy to see me?”

Grell had gone into early labor during her first pregnancy, in which their baby hadn’t survived. Devin had intended to leave. She’d told him to leave. But he’d been so devastated by the loss of their daughter, he could only imagine how she felt. She’d been carrying that child for almost eight months.

He hadn’t been able to walk away from her. He wanted to be there for her, as she’d been for him through some of his darkest hours. They had become a team, so they decided to stay together.

“I didn’t fucking invite you,” he snarled, low. Her words reinvigorating his alarm. As much as he’d wanted to be with her on their anniversary, he would’ve been a complete idiot to do so. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Wow!” She shook her head, dug her hands inside his coat with the possession of a wife, and grabbed what she’d given to him. She held the vellum up. “If you didn’t invite me, then what is this? An invitation, that’s what,” she hissed, her eyes growing icy. “Look at it. It’s in your handwriting.”

She threw it at him. This time, when he caught it, he quickly opened it. He scanned over the invitation, written in his handwriting, to the very club they were in. To celebrate their anniversary.

At an exclusive party held at the club owned by his ‘girlfriend’s’ family.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. Someone here knew about his real family, and that someone certainly knew that he was undercover.

He raised his hand to touch her face, then remembered he couldn’t. He had so many questions for her. None of which he could ask. He needed to escort her out. After seeing her only once in the ten months he’d been undercover and talking to her very briefly, she’d come expecting a big celebration. She hadn’t even known what or who he was investigating.

“Grell, listen to me. Where are the girls?” he demanded.

Neither he nor Grell had family to leave Bella and Hope with.

“With my friend, Theodora. Theo.”

“Text me her address. I will break away and get them. Leave here now. Hide in plain sight. I’m going to have a buddy of mine meet up with you, escort you to our house, so you can get my gun and whatever you think you and the girls will need for an extended vacation.”

“I did not send this letter,” he reiterated, waving it between them. “Don’t return to our house until I say so. When it is safe for you to go back, I will tell you in person. Understood?”

She snatched the invitation from his hand, stuffed it back into her evening bag, then nodded. “Yes.”

He forced a reassuring smile. “It’ll be okay.”

Not responding, she stood from the loveseat, and once again, he couldn’t help but admire her. He’d never seen a woman so gorgeous. He stood and smiled again, feeling as if he was seeing her for the first time. Where once he’d looked at her as a teammate— even an obligation— he now saw her as the glue that kept their house in order while he was on assignment. He was so lucky to have her. If they survived this, he’d tell her for the rest of their lives how much he respected and appreciated her.

“Fitz!” A shrill screech broke through his admiration of his wife, and they both turned at the sound.

Josephine stopped inches from him, anger marring her face. Arms folded, Camille lifted a brow and stared at him, over Jo’s shoulder.

“Answer me, Fitz!” Jo demanded. “Who the hell is this?” She motioned toward Grell.

“I can explain, Jo,” he said quickly as Grell balled her fists and gave him a death glare.

As the three women stared at him, Gabiano barreled into Devin’s line of vision.

Well, shit.

Chapter Four

Grell

“Well?” the redhead, whom Devin referred to as Jo, asked, staring intently at him.

Seeing Devin in a tuxedo was a shock to Grell’s system. In all the years she’d known him, she’d never seen him dressed in formal attire. His tall, muscular frame oozed sex. The stubble darkening his chin and jaw added sin to an otherwise perfect face.

“What the fuck’s going on here?” a huge man with a crew cut and dark eyes demanded. He glared at Grell. “Who the fuck is this? You invited a strange broad without permission, Bradshaw?”

“I didn’t invite her, Gabiano,” Devin responded calmly.

“I got it on good authority, the two of you been cozying up to each other. Clemente sent me down first. He doesn’t want to have to be the one to check into this.”

Devin ground his square jaw.

“Gabiano, shut up,” Jo demanded. “Fitz still hasn’t answered me. I want to hear his explanation.”

She could have easily been a model. Tall and pretty, she sported a figure-hugging dress that showed off her subtle curves. Her long red waves and thin body was the complete opposite of Grell’s straight black bob and athletic curves. And she was young. Much younger than Grell. What they did have in common was their tanned skin.

Grell’s relationship with Devin had never been based on mutual love. They worked, though. She might’ve gotten frustrated, even angry, with Devin’s long absences. Still, their marriage had been built on mutual respect. It had a foundation. Stupidly, she’d never once considered Devin had another woman in his life.

“Who is she?” Jo repeated the question on a yell, grating on Grell’s nerves. “You’ve been sleeping with me all this time and—” Tears rushed to Grell’s eyes and she stopped, sniffling.

Jo’s words and obvious distress confirmed all Grell’s suspicions, piercing her like an arrow. Devin turned white as a sheet, his blue eyes widening.

Gabiano guffawed.

Fighting back tears, Grell lifted her chin and glowered at Devin. “Are you going to answer her, Fitz?” she asked.

Swiping at her eyes without much success at stopping her own tears, Jo glared at her, as annoyed by the sound of Grell’s voice as she was by hers. “Who are you?” she demanded since Devin seemed to have been rendered speechless.

Devin didn’t once look at Grell, only focused on Jo. “She’s my—”

Gabiano’s ringing phone interrupted Devin’s explanation. “Yeah, Clem,” he answered, glancing between Grell and Devin.

Jo snatched the phone away from Gabiano. “Don’t bother coming down, Clemente,” she huffed. “We are having a slight misunderstanding. Nothing I can’t handle. I wouldn’t be worthy of the Pancrizio name if I needed you to take care of this.” Clicking the phone off, she threw the phone at Gabiano, who deftly caught it.

Hands on hips, Jo paced, then indicated Grell with a sweep of her hand. “Is this what you like?” She considered Grell from her head to her feet. “She looks nothing like me! And she’s old.”

Devin walked to the redhead and grabbed her hands. “Jo, calm down. She’s just my cousin.”

Trying to keep her dignity and temper in check Grell dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands. In the short span of time she’d been here, she’d endured too many insults to list. But seeing this woman’s claim on Devin, going from his wife to his cousin without a blink of an eye, was too much.

To be fair, honesty in his line of work was iffy at best. He’d once told her, when the criminals ran hot-tempered and out-of-control, he became mild and meek.

Devin once told her that an instructor always advised it was best to always be yourself, even while undercover, since plainclothes officers weren’t actors playing a role. Deviating too far from his true self would only lead to complications.

Grell had never agreed with that sentiment. What else was undercover work but acting and convincing bad guys to buy disreputable identities? If she believed otherwise, especially now, then she’d easily imagine he was cheating on her. There had to be some other explanation. It didn’t matter how important Devin’s job was to him, he wouldn’t betray their marriage vows. Would he?

Jo faced Grell. “You’re his cousin?” she asked with suspicion.

Grell nodded without hesitation. She was burning with anger and humiliation. Not that it mattered. At the moment, her acting had to be as good as his or better.

Gabiano strolled to where she stood with Jo and the other woman who stood at Jo’s side, taking in the entire scene. “Where’d you say Fitz was born?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t.” Grell glared at him. “That normally doesn’t come up in conversations with strangers. I’ve never talked to you a day in my life, so why would I tell you where he was born?”

“This is ridiculous,” Devin snapped.

“Is it?” Jo said with feigned nonchalance. “Gabiano asked a legitimate question. As a matter of fact, I seemed to have forgotten, too.”

“You know damned well I was born—”

“We’re not asking you, Bradshaw,” Gabiano interrupted with a growl. “We’re asking your cousin.” He pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at Devin’s head, then smiled at Grell. “If you haven’t told me the correct place by the time I reach three, he’s dead. Three.”

“Okay!” Grell screeched, praying she got this right and fearing for his safety. She might want to kill him, but she didn’t want him dead. His number one rule was stick as close to the truth as possible. “We’re not really cousins. He was in the foster system here in Vegas and was never sure where he’d been born. He’d been abandoned as a baby.”

A beat. Two. Three.

Disappointment crossed Gabiano’s face and he lowered the weapon. Grell expelled a sharp breath, wanting to grab Devin’s hand and run away from this place. Instead, she stood her ground.

“Usually, Fitz introduces me as his sister,” she explained in a rush. “But we look nothing alike.”

She stopped, cringing at how ridiculous that statement was. However, saying she was his cousin was less creepy than calling herself his sister. She’d never seen him as a brother.

A gleam in her eye, Jo nodded to Gabiano. Chuckling, he pulled Grell to him and covered her mouth with his. Jerking away so fast, she stumbled back and wiped her mouth off with more drama than necessary. She wondered what Devin thought. Not that it mattered. If Gabiano tried to kiss her again, she’d rip his lips off.

Jo turned to Devin and placed an arm around his neck. With her other hand, she combed her fingers through his thick, messy locks, the gesture one that Grell enjoyed doing. Devin had the most beautiful black hair. It was bedroom sexy, silky with the unkempt look of a man who’d just left a woman’s bed.

“Kiss me now, Fitz,” Jo demanded.

Devin laughed, his sole focus on Jo. He didn’t hesitate to crash his lips against hers. Nor did he once look in Grell’s direction. A moment later, he ended the kiss, and brushed Jo’s mouth with his thumb, staying in her arms.

Bitter betrayal cut through Grell. Jo leaned in for another kiss, but this time, Devin shook his head and gently pushed her away. For Grell, it wasn’t enough. He shouldn’t have kissed her in the first place. This exchange wasn’t for any undercover work. Emotions were real and deep, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

Stealing another quick kiss, Jo turned to Grell and smirked, her self-satisfied expression that of a woman who’d just trumped her rival.

Sharp pain went through Grell at Devin’s blatant disregard of her. So what if he claimed the invitation she thought he’d sent was fake? His display wasn’t. She definitely couldn’t let it slide.

Jo sashayed closer to Grell. “Stay away from Fitz,” she ordered in a hard voice. “He’s mine. I don’t know how you got in here. Maybe, it was Fitz. Maybe, it wasn’t. I’ll let that slide, though.” She gave Grell a look of expectation.

Stick as close to the truth as possible. Grell swallowed. “I heard, through mutual friends, that he was in town and decided to see him.”

Jo glared at her, a deep scowl marring her pretty face. “He’s been in town for months.”

“I just got back from Berlin. I travel a lot. I can show you photos if you like.”

Devin flinched at the reminder of their honeymoon destination. Fortunately, her hairstyle hadn’t changed. She’d been too busy being a wife and mother.

Jo turned to Grell, her exasperation toward her still remaining. “How did you even get up here?”

“I just talked to the bouncer for a little bit.”

She left off the bit about how the guy stared at her cleavage during their conversation.

“I meant where did you get the invitation?” Jo screeched.

Grell shrugged. “It was mailed to me.”

Everyone gave her considering looks, leaving her to feel like a bug under the microscope.

Grell couldn’t take anymore. Her roiling emotions drained her. Fear for Devin’s safety passed all bounds. He was known around here as Fitz, which meant he did have a job to do. One that was dangerous and put his life on the line every day. She should understand that. She did understand that.

Yet, she’d never come face-to-face with this side of him. A gun had never been placed to his head in her presence. She’d never seen him interact with another woman as if he were a single man.

She gave Devin a tight smile, needing air. Space. “Well, Fitz, we can catch up later. Happy New Year.”

Devin glanced at the clock on the wall across the room.

Jo squealed. “It’ll be a new decade in fifteen minutes! Clemente will let us up now so we can go out on the balcony. Come on, Fitz. Let’s hurry.”

“Let me walk my cousin outside.”

“Been wondering about that,” Gabiano said as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “I never met anyone without a name, especially a broad. Yet, neither you nor her has given it to us yet.”

“I have one better,” Jo said, her eyes bright. “Let’s see her driver’s license.”

“I Ubered here and forgot my ID,” Grell said coolly, offering Devin her brightest smile. “Take care.”

He walked around their little group and came to Grell, kissing her cheek, lingering longer than necessary. She breathed in the familiar smell of him. “It’s not what you think,” he whispered. “Please, believe me.”

He straightened and stepped back, his face a blank slate again.

Confused and still so hurt and angry, Grell didn’t respond. The last hour hadn’t been a figment of her imagination. Infiltrating criminal organizations had cost many an agent their lives. But did undercover work include extramarital affairs?

She didn’t think so. Not in her world, anyway. Cheating was a hard no. And wasn’t there a code of conduct that must be followed at all time so as not to jeopardize investigations? “Have a good evening,” she said to no one in particular, facing some very tough decisions.

“You too, Iloria,” Devin responded.

Iloria. Her mother’s name, and the name of the daughter they’d lost. She didn’t know why he’d chosen to give up a name now, and Grell didn’t care. She just wanted to go.

“Hey!”

Reaching the ground of the deserted, private alleyway, Grell ignored the call, her goal to reach the small door that had led outside. She realized now she’d been directed to a secret entryway.

Her head spun with all that had happened in the last hour. Yet, instinct screamed danger.

“You!”

She placed her hand on the doorknob. As she turned it, she was grabbed by her wrist and jerked around. The heavy, sound-proof door opened a sliver, allowing the sounds of music and chatter to escape on the night air. Light slivered through the crack.

Gabiano stood inches from her, glaring, his bulldog face wearing a ferocious scowl. He dragged her away from the door and pinned her against the wall, still gripping her wrist.

“Let go of me!” Grell demanded, refusing to struggle.

Laughing, he twisted a little more and using his other arm leaned against her chest. She breathed in deep, afraid he’d snap her bone. Not that it mattered, when her life was at stake.

“Not until I get the fucking truth from you.”

“You heard it all,” she insisted. “Upstairs. I have nothing more to add.”

“I don’t fucking believe you. Who the fuck sent you? Are you a narc?”

Grell almost laughed at the irony of that statement. No, fuckhead. The narc is in your midst, cheating on me. She wished she could sneer that.

“I’m not undercover,” she said with a calm she didn’t really feel. “I received an invitation to visit Fitz.” Shocking how easy Devin’s made-up name slid off her tongue. “I don’t know where it came from. Now, let me go before this turns ugly.”

He lifted a brow at her, then howled with laughter. “I could squeeze the fucking life out of you with just my forearm.”

“I have nothing more to say to you,” she responded, not commenting on his words. “Let me—”

“Why are you wearing the shoes?”

Grell blinked. “Excuse me?”

“The fucking red stilettos! Who’s using them to send a message to Clemente?”

A message in her shoes? “Are you insane? These are a basic pair of shoes. Not worth more than a hundred bucks. These were—” A present. For some reason, she hesitated to admit that. She hadn’t gotten around to thanking Devin for sending her the shoes, but they’d arrived a day after the invitation.

“Ten!” a roar blasted through the door.

Grell’s heart rate accelerated. What better time to act than under the noise of fireworks?

“Five!”

“What are you going to do?”

“Three!”

She licked her lips. Lowered her lashes. Maneuvered her free hand up and rested against his chest.

“One! Happy New Year!”

Cheers and shouts competed with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Auld Lang Syne. As fireworks exploded above them, lighting up the sky, the crackle and pop drowned out the noise pouring through the ajarred door.

This had gone on long enough. Talking wasn’t necessary. Gabiano with his bull-doggy face and piggly-wiggly eyes was using words as an intimidation method to exert control over her.

Well, fuck him.

She shoved with all her might, earning her freedom long enough to knee his cock, then position her arm as if she would recite the Pledge of Allegiance before slamming her elbow against his nose. He screamed as blood spurted from his nose and hit her face in a warm, nauseating spray.

“Bitch!”

She grabbed the edge of the door to open it wider.

He reached for her. Thankful for the short hem in the front of her dress, Grell delivered a back kick. Her red stiletto flew off, but she didn’t care. She hurried into the room, where New Year’s celebrations were in full swing, and weaved her way through the throng of people. Adrenaline raced through her.

She paused to remove the other stiletto, then started forward again.

If anyone touched her, she’d defend herself first, ask questions later. In Krav Maga, it was important to use an opponent’s weak points, speed and technique over strength, and minimal fighting. Once the threat was contained, force was no longer necessary. Most importantly, it was imperative to stay on your feet. Ground combat increased chances of injury and created a disadvantage.

Here, however, she wasn’t sure who was a threat and who wasn’t, so she kept moving, barreling through groups and, a time or two, into partygoers. She didn’t stop. She understood damn near running through a crowd created more attention.

Danger hung in the air. If she didn’t get out of there fast and lose herself in a public crowd— not private attendees— she’d be in so much trouble. She had no idea where Devin might be, nor did she know if he’d come to her rescue if he did see her dragged away.

Finally, she made it to the door and stumbled outside.

Chapter Five

Devin

“Scotch. Neat.”

The bartender was familiar to Devin, but he couldn’t remember the man’s name. Gabiano had disappeared soon after Grell departed. Camille had dragged Jo away, while Devin’s only thought had been to go after Grell. Make sure she was safe. Explain to her that Jo had lied her fucking ass off about her sexual relationship with Devin. He wanted to reassure Grell that the kiss he’d participated in with Jo had been one of necessity.

He hadn’t even enjoyed it because he’d been too concerned about Grell’s feelings.

Clemente had ended Devin’s intentions by demanding Dev watch the fireworks display with him. By the time Devin had been able to break away, over an hour had gone by. More than a little shocked, he was able to walk away without a scratch on him, Devin decided to come downstairs and have a drink.

Rushing away, especially without saying goodbye to Jo, wouldn’t be in his best interest.

By now, the party had thinned out a lot. Grell had been gone for two hours, and the only thing Devin wanted to do was leave this place and get to her. He wanted to make sure she followed his directions and got herself and their daughters to safety.

He was so fucking proud of her. She could’ve easily blown his cover, but one of the reasons he admired her so much was because she was so quick on her feet.

“Here, Fitz.”

“Thanks,” Devin responded, accepting his drink and sitting on a barstool, trying to appear calm. Inside, his emotions were fucked. If his cover had been blown, how had he been allowed to get into the building?

One of Clemente’s henchmen— or the man himself— would’ve met Devin outside and taken him somewhere to get rid of him. A narc was dealt with swiftly and mercilessly.

Ten months of his life had gone into this case. One hiccup would undo all the work he’d done and get him murdered to boot. He couldn’t protect Grell and the girls if he had a bullet put in his brain.

At a slap on the back and a friendly, “Fitz,” Devin turned.

Jo’s brother smiled. Clemente was several inches taller than Devin but was leaner than him. He was almost identical to Josephine, but he had jet black hair instead of bright copper, and the brown in his eyes outshone the green instead of vice versa.

“Clem,” Devin greeted, forcing a smile and upbeat tone. “How are you?”

If Josephine was the best part of his current job, Clemente was the worst. He was obnoxious and behaved like a stereotypical mobster— he even sounded like one. He had the patience and temperament of a chihuahua, and unlike the tiny dog, when he got angry, he did damage. It didn’t take much to get him violent, and he seemed to relish in it. It was by the grace of God that Devin hadn’t gotten on Clemente’s bad side; else he might be buried in some secluded part of Nevada’s desert. If Devin had been born a mobster, he would be offended that Clemente seemingly worked to prove every stereotype right. And unfortunately, Clemente was a high-ranking member, and the brother of the woman he was ‘dating,’ so he was unavoidable and important to Devin’s job.

“I’m good. I’m good,” Clem answered, pressing his lips together and placing his hands in his pockets.

Devin’s heart dropped. In every fight he’d witnessed Jo’s brother get in, that was a giveaway that disaster was imminent for Clem’s victim.

He nodded, ignoring his fear. “Great.” He wasn’t even strapped. Why would a malware coder have need for a weapon? “Is Angie here tonight?” he asked, referring to the youngest Pancrizio sibling.

“No, she couldn’t make it.” Clemente stared at him. “I have a question, Fitz.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you gay?”

“What?” Devin asked around a strangled gasp. He prided himself on never breaking out in a sweat. That was one thing that made him so fucking good at his job. But Clemente’s question, like the entire fucking evening, shocked him. It came out of the blue.

Of all the things he’d expected to hear, Clemente questioning his sexuality wasn’t one of them.

“Did I stutter? Are. You. Gay? If you are, I have no issue with that,” Clemente added quickly, while Devin continued to blink like an owl glimpsed in the moonlight. “What the fuck I do have an issue with is you stringing my sister along. You two have been dating for what— eight, nine months?— but you haven’t even tried to fuck her?”

“I refuse to discuss what I do with my cock in regard to your sister, Clemente,” Devin snapped.

Clemente edged closer, then offered a maniacal grin. “I don’t want to hear it, either. Josie is a sweet virgin. A good Catholic girl. If I thought you fucked her, I’d have Gabi cut your cock off.” He paused, contemplated a moment, then shrugged. “Who the fuck knows? This might be important enough where I’d have to cut your cock off myself. I’d just have Gabi hold your cock for me.” He waved away the words. “The point isn’t if you’re fucking Josephine. My sister can’t marry a man who has no hope of ever getting made.”

Only men who had some Italian blood could be made.

Clemente placed a hand on Devin’s shoulder. “I love that fucking girl. You not trying to get your dick in her is hurting her feelings. Young virgins are so emotional. They think something’s wrong with them, if the guy they’re dating doesn’t make a play to score. Know what I mean?”

Devin glared at Clemente.

“I don’t like to see her cry. Sue me.”

This entire conversation was insane. Clemente not only thought Jo was a virgin but also praised Devin for not sleeping with her while berating him for not trying to sleep with her.

“If you aren’t into women, Fitz, I’m going to need you to break things off with my sister. They’ll be no bad blood between me and you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Clemente’s only redeeming quality was his love for his family.

“You’re telling me Jo came to you in tears because I haven’t slept with her?”

“What? Are you fucking nuts? What kind of putata do you take my sister for? She would never discuss such a thing with me.”

“So how do you even know we aren’t intimate?”

“Josephine told Renata, and Renata told me. You know Renata, right? One of Josie’s best friends? My fiancée?” he added.

Devin groaned under his breath, wishing Jo’s best friend didn’t like to gossip. “Yes, I am familiar with my girlfriend’s best friend, Clem.”

“So, are you? Face walls? Do the mambo wiggle with your prick? Pound ass?”

“Fuck! No!” Devin yelled, attracting the attention of a few bystanders. He cleared his throat, then blew out a noisy breath. He should take issue with Clemente’s less-than-politically-correct and completely vile words. However, the man’s concern could quickly morph into contempt. “No, no. I’m not gay. I’m just a devout Catholic. I don’t judge another person’s sexuality, by the way.”

“Neither do I. Did you hear judgment from me, Fitz?” He jabbed Devin’s chest, uninterested in an answer. “What you heard from me was complete respect and understanding of the gay community. I just don’t want my sister dating one. Understand.”

Devin clenched his jaw and nodded. “Completely.” Asshole.

“I been thinking and thinking,” Clemente went on. “Trying to figure out a way to make Josie happy. Poor kid. Growing up without a mother had to be hard. Then she was in the room when all that business went down with Vittoria. Ten-years-old. Two years with me and the missus as her guardians, and I find out Vittoria was a fucking rat. Rats don’t get second chances. The human or rodent kind. I exterminated her. Got to control the pest population.”

Devin kept his expression neutral, cataloging the important pieces of Clemente’s story and throwing away what was either already known or was unimportant. Jo growing up as Clemente’s ward was well-known. Vittoria Pancrizio’s murder was, too. While Clemente had always been a suspect, nothing could ever be proven. Until now.

The hidden camera in his black tie caught it all.

“I like you, Fitz. When Josie came to me and offered to give up her allowance for three fucking months if I extended you an invitation to my New Year’s Eve party, I hoped to find some Italian blood in you, even if it was five generations ago. Nothing. What the fuck kind of name is Bradshaw? Irish, isn’t it?”

“It’s of Anglo-Saxon origin.”

“No way can I change Bradshaw to something more acceptable. So be it. I didn’t want Josie to have a bad New Year’s Eve because you hadn’t been invited. I was going to take you upstairs to my office to have a conversation. Just you and me. Man-to-man. Know what I mean? I saw you come downstairs,” he went on, as usual not wanting an answer. “I think, there’s my chance. Then, Gabi comes to me. He says, ‘Boss, Jo-Jo’s crying upstairs’. I tell him to go and find out what the fuck happened. I hated to think we had to deal with you on such a beautiful night. He starts to walk off, then stops. He sees Renata rushing up the staircase, so I go, ‘just keep an eye out for them to come downstairs. Renata will tell me what’s going on. Imagine my shock when I discover why Josie’s so upset. And, goddammit, I say to myself that I knew I liked you for a fucking reason.” He tapped his temple. “You’re smart. I decide I have to know why you’re not trying to score with her. I think I hit upon the reason. Fitz must like dick. The only other reason I can think of is you don’t think my sister is attractive and that pains me. Pains me more than I can ever express.” He eyed Devin. “Get what I’m saying?”

“Of course, I do,” Devin responded without hesitation. “I don’t intend on leaving your sister, but I also don’t intend on sleeping with her until we’re married. Did Renata explain that part to you?”

His words left a bitter taste in his mouth. Even thinking about the rest of his life without Grell, marrying someone else, left him miserable.

Clemente’s eyebrows furrowed. “You’re—”

“I’m not wasting my time or hers,” Devin cut in. He’d never minced words with Clemente. If the mob boss got a one-up, he’d steamroll a person. “If I can’t get made and you don’t want me with her, then what’s the point of hanging around?”

“If you can walk away from her, without a fight, you don’t love her in the first fucking place.”

Devin scowled. “Have you listened to yourself, Clem? I’m damned either way. If I get too forward with her and you find out, I’m dead. Because I haven’t made a move on her, you’re trying to decide my fate. I happen to love living.”

“I don’t care how attached you are to breathing. Do you love my sister?”

There it was. The question he had to answer with conviction. The one that seemed to hollow out his soul. He met Clemente’s furious gaze and nodded. “Yes. I love Jo. I’m just a devout Catholic.”

Fitz was, not Devin.

Devin was agnostic.

In order to make his lie work, he’d begun attending a catholic church about a month before he went undercover. There’d been so much preparation. He’d even had to take malware coding classes for authenticity.

Clemente roared with laughter. After he composed himself, he shook his head. “I’ve seen you relish guys being beaten to bloody pulps.”

Invariably, the asshole beaten to a bloody pulp deserved it.

“But you won’t sleep with my sister because of your religion? Isn’t violence frowned upon too?”

“Did I ever participate?”

“You’re something else, Fitzgerald,” Clemente said instead of providing a direct answer. “Just enjoy yourself tonight. If Josie has her heart set on marrying you, I’ll bang some heads together and make something work. As long as Josie is satisfied with waiting until marriage, I won’t question you again. And as long as you keep your cock protected by your zipper, I won’t kill you.”

If Jo had been talking about their lack of intimacy with Renata, her dissatisfaction went beyond getting herself off. If Jo was growing that unhappy in their relationship, that’d lead to problems with Clemente, at the very heart of the case. And if this case went on too long, it would lead to questions about marriage, and he had no excuse for reasons why he wouldn’t marry Jo.

“A bit of recommendation, Fitz. Keep Josie happy.”

“I’m trying to,” Devin swore.

Clem eyed him, then smiled without a shred of warmth. “Having long-lost cousins pop up isn’t a way to keep her happy.”

“I know,” Devin said evenly. “I didn’t have anyone pop up.”

“Iloria didn’t materialize out of thin air. We’re not at a magic show on the Strip. She had to get an invitation to one of my exclusive parties some kind of way.”

“I didn’t invite the woman, Clem. I haven’t spoken to her in years,” he snapped. “Why would I abuse your kindness in such a way?”

“This isn’t about my kindness. This is about my little sister.”

“Of course, it is. It should go without saying that I’d never disrespect Jo by inviting someone here after she worked so hard to get you to invite me.”

Clem gave Devin another cold stare. “My gut’s telling me this Iloria woman is plainclothes.”

“That’s not the case at all,” Devin protested. “We grew up together. I know her. She would never—”

“No, Fitz,” Clem said with a shake of his head. “You knew her. Many moons ago. According to you, you haven’t spoken to her in a while. Yet, suddenly, she’s here. Out of the blue. On a very important night. Upsetting my little sister.”

“No, she wouldn’t do such a thing. Iloria mistrusted authority as much as me. Why would she turn into what she most hated?”

“Who knows? Just trust me. She did turn and is playing me and my guys for fucking fools.”

Devin’s nostrils flared. He was sure his heart skipped a beat. The irony of Clemente’s statement could’ve been comical if it wasn’t so dangerous.

“The Feds got a way of infiltrating even the most private organizations,” Clemente went on.

Setting his empty glass down, Devin stood. He couldn’t play this game anymore with his wife’s life in danger.

“You know what tipped me off? Those goddamn stilettos. A fucking message on her feet.”

Devin froze, then cleared his throat. “What do you mean?”

“Story for another time,” Clemente reassured him. “I’ve wasted enough of your time. Hang tight. I’m going to send Josie to you.”

With that, and one last pat on the back, Clemente turned, whistling as he walked away.

* * *

When Jo found him again, not long after Clemente walked away, and lured Devin back onto the dance floor, he decided to do what he did best. Compartmentalize. Plan. Execute.

Devin and Jo danced for what seemed like an eternity, his conversation with Clemente replaying on repeat in his mind. Now more than ever, it was very important to keep Josephine satisfied. That, as a matter of fact, was currently his most crucial job, once he got Grell, Bella, and Hope as far away as possible. As long as Jo was content in their ‘relationship,’ and as long as Devin remained cautious, the smoother things would go and the quicker this operation would end.

“I’m going to request the DJ play a special song just for us after our drink,” Jo said as Devin guided her to a seat at a nearby bistro-style table.

He slid into his own seat. “As curious as I am about what that song is, I’m afraid it will have to wait. This old fogey is tired. I’m going to head out, Jo.”

She ran a finger down the table, then looked at him through her lashes. “You don’t seem tired to me. Are you sure you want to go home?”

“If I intended to go somewhere else, I would tell you,” he said flatly.

“Well, you didn’t tell me about your cousin. How do I know what you’re doing when you’re not around?”

Devin narrowed his eyes at Jo. If only she hadn’t been his way into Clemente’s life. The other option had been Gabiano. Early on, though, Devin couldn’t stand the man. He hadn’t been able to just show up and expect an immediate entry. No, to get close to Clemente had to be a natural progression in the order of whatever relationship Devin cultivated. In the end, it made more sense to use Jo.

“Stop it,” he ordered. “I’m a one-woman man. When I was married before, even when things started falling apart, I didn’t cheat. I would walk away first.”

“Iloria went through a lot of trouble to seek you out just to say hello.”

“And you were sufficiently hard on her for that mistake, leading her to believe we’re lovers, when you know damn well we aren’t.”

“What did you expect me to do?” she fired back. “You’re mine. I’m the one who invited you to the places you couldn’t have otherwise gotten into.”

As a “new” resident of the area who’d come back after years away, he’d began by frequenting Pancrizio hangouts. He’d set up his apartment in an area befitting an elite malware coder. Not too expensive but not too working-class, either. After all, it was the kingpins who had the coders and the criminals doing the actual work while growing wealthier. Devin had chosen a very fine line to walk. He couldn’t choose the type of criminal actively involved in violent crimes.

In this, it was a matter of digital setup. Dropping bits of coding knowledge here and there to raise interest. Hinting at the contacts he had to do ID and credit card harvesting. Everyone needed identification. Some people, however, had no use for their own. Of course, all the technology Devin would utilize to turn a profit for Clemente would be run by the government.

Hopefully, Clem’s confidence in Devin would grow once Devin helped Clem turn a profit. From there, that trust would lead to the ultimate goal of this investigation. The infamous red stilettos used to transport drugs. An insider had gone into great detail, providing photos as proof. The stiletto heel, other than being high enough to cause treacherous falls, was unassuming. Even the platform sole was. There was a plethora of similar shoes. But these had a silhouette of a nude woman, legs open, on the outer side, while drugs were stored in the hollowed-out platform.

Apparently, these shipments happened each quarter and contained a few hundred boxes filled with these drug transporting red platform stilettos.

Though he had no proof, Devin estimated two shipments had already taken place since he’d been undercover. He had to discover details about the next shipment.

His progress in meeting Clemente had gone achingly slow, until Devin decided to change tactics. After weeks of being lost in making his presence known and setting up appearances— and getting acquainted with Gabiano— Devin realized Jo was also starting to show up wherever he happened to be. He didn’t think it was coincidence and was more than certain that she was the lure to snare him, and perhaps, help him let his guard down and expose himself.

She’d tried to strike up conversations with him, but he’d shut her down each time. He hadn’t trusted her, nor had he been comfortable having to deal with a woman.

After about six weeks, he’d “chosen” The Foundation as his go-to spot. Jo hung around her family’s bar a lot, leaving run-ins with her inevitable. Another two weeks passed before he saw her as his best, and easiest, way in. From the moment he’d decided to use her, he formed an alibi to explain why he wasn’t sleeping with a woman supposedly his partner— and a smoking hot one at that.

Catholicism seemed like the easiest explanation. When she’d begun questioning why they weren’t intimate, he had a solid answer that she could verify.

“Are you thinking about her or me?” Jo demanded into the silence.

“This is bullshit, Josephine, and you know it. You stood there and allowed Gabiano to put a gun to my fucking head. You interrogated Iloria like she was a witness on the stand. Yet, your anger toward me was cursory at best.”

“Any woman who searches out a man she hasn’t seen in years is here for more than a hello, Fitz.”

“That’s disgusting. We’re practically family.”

“Maybe in your mind, but not in hers.” She gave him a level look. “When I discovered you were cozying up to a strange woman and no one had any idea how she was even invited, I had a moment of doubt.” She glanced around, then shifted her chair closer to Devin’s. “Word spread rapidly about her presence,” she whispered. “Gabiano has long had his doubts about you. Her appearance seemed to give weight to his suspicions, but then she proved you truthful when she verified your origins. I was too relieved to stay angry with you. Her, though? She best keep her distance from you, and you from her.”

Devin stood. “On that note, I think it’s best if I left. If you can’t trust me by now, what the fuck am I doing here? Suppose she’d gotten one, little detail mixed up? I wouldn’t be alive to belong to you.”

Jo jumped to her feet and rushed to block his pathway. “I’m sorry, Fitz. I’ll never doubt you again.”

“How kind,” he sneered.

“Don’t be angry with me. How did we even get on this subject? It isn’t important. She isn’t important.”

“She is to me,” Devin blurted, then quickly qualified his meaning. “We were in the system together and share a lot of memories, both good and bad. Our shared experiences make her important to me.”

“I see,” Jo said tightly, not in the least happy with Devin’s explanation. “So, you are going to see her.”

“No. I’m going home. I want to think things over. I’ve tried to put that part of our evening out of my mind, but this conversation reminded me of Gabiano’s glee at the prospect of shooting me.” He started away, but Jo grabbed his jacket sleeve.

“No. Wait.”

“Bullshit,” Devin growled. “I’m tired. I’m irritated. Give me the space I need to think this over, Josephine.”

Her lower lip trembled, but she lifted her chin. “Fine.”

“And don’t you dare go to Clem or Gabiano to have me followed.”

A flush crept over her skin.

“Give me that much goddamn respect,” he said, before hurrying away.

Chapter Six

Grell

A loud knock on her motel door awakened Grell and made her lift her head. At the silence greeting her, she wondered if she’d imagined the sound. Or, maybe, she was dreaming.

Sighing, she settled her head back on the pillow, which was about one-inch thick and terribly uncomfortable. Reno would have much better accommodations than what she and the girls had been subjected to the past thirty-six hours.

Once she’d gone home to collect Devin’s gun, some cash, and clothes for her and her daughters, she’d gone to Theo’s apartment in Sunrise Manor to pick up Bella and Hope. The journey to the unincorporated town added extra time to Grell’s trip because she needed to get back to US95.

She’d considered confiding in Theo, but ultimately decided against it. Not wanting to involve anyone else in this situation, she hadn’t asked to camp out at her house. Explanations would’ve been required. Where could she start, even if she’d known what to say? Nothing.

She’d taken her girls and left. Her plan had been to rest for the night, then start off in the morning. Considering it was New Year’s in Las Vegas, she’d had a hard time finding a room in the dingiest motel. What she’d gotten was even dingier than her wildest dreams.

Another pound on the door made Grell lift her head again. She hadn’t imagined someone knocking. But she was tired and bone-weary. Hopefully, they’d just go away.

She rested her head on the pillow again, sincerely wishing she was at home. Safe. With her girls and her husband. But, no. She was fleeing, with annoying amendments to her itinerary.

Had she gotten a room in Vegas, she would’ve been energized. From there, she’d had every intention of fleeing to Reno, and not stopping until she arrived at her destination. It was late, though, and she was so tired. Bella and Hope were cranky. As much as she wanted to keep going, she’d realized the emotional toll of her disastrous anniversary date, along with the hours she’d been awake, sapped her strength. Outside of the city, when the four-lane highway, before a two-lane road, one for each direction, the pitch black of the night with only occasional headlights reminded her why US95 was nicknamed the loneliest highway in the world.

Grell trekked on, grateful when the girls finally fell asleep. Before she knew it, the sun was rising, casting a collage of purples and oranges across the endless sky. Her eyes had begun to burn, and the dawn of the new day didn’t bring better scenery. Stark desert, with little variation from a dry brown color, stretched endlessly. There was a wild beauty, an austere solitude, driving on the lonely road, with only sleeping daughters for company. It seduced her to a near catatonic state, stealing her perception of depth and distance.

Bella’s cry snapped her back to attention, and Grell knew then she had to rest. With services and accommodations few and far between, Beatty had been the only place she could stop to rest.

By then, both Hope and Bella were awake and hungry. Once she’d gotten food for them, she checked into a motel. It took several hours before the girls fell asleep. Once they did, she followed not long afterwards.

Time got away from her. She’d wanted to start off again. Then, she’d misplaced her keys. She got on the road later than she’d intended, and arrived in Tonopah, the halfway point between Las Vegas and Reno, late that night. The girls had been restless, so she’d been up late with them. When she’d finally gotten them settled, her own thoughts and worries had kept her awake.

She was lucky if she’d managed two hours of sleep.

Another pound on her door.

Groggily, she glanced over at the clock on the nightstand next to the bed and saw a bright red 6:00 a.m. flashing at her. Fortunately, the knock didn’t awaken Bella and Hope. Trying to calm a three-year-old and six-year-old awakened at the crack of dawn wasn’t on her current to-do list, especially with her pounding headache.

Another door pound.

“I’m coming!” she yelled, glad her raised voice didn’t awaken her girls.

She got out of bed, opened the nightstand and grabbed the gun. Grell didn’t plan to shoot whoever was on the other side if she didn’t have to, but it was better to have it in close proximity to her.

After putting her robe on, she walked to the door, took in a breath, then looked through the peephole. She gasped, shock swirling through her. She blinked, but he wasn’t a mirage. Devin really stood on the other side of the door, as if she’d given him her location.

She placed the gun on the bookcase next to the entrance of the room and flung the door open, stepping aside so he could enter. Once she closed the door and secured the lock, she turned, and found Devin leaning over the girls and placing a kiss on each of their cheeks.

Straightening, he stuffed his hands into his pockets. Not only had he found the time to zero in on her location, he’d managed to change, too.

She took a seat in the brown recliner that had seen better days about fifty years ago. Memories of Jo pressing her lips against Devin swarmed Grell, and she stiffened.

Devin walked around to her side of the bed and sat on the edge. “Hey, Grell.”

Hurt and anger swallowed her rationality. He’d managed to miss their anniversary completely, spending it with another woman. Yes, it was for work but sometimes their marriage also felt like a business arrangement. “Should I call you Devin or Fitz?”

He frowned at her. “Don’t be like that.”

She jumped from her seat, unable to subdue the emotion she’d kept in all night. “Don’t be like what, Devin? Hurt that you sent me away on our anniversary, or mad because it was for another woman? After some “miscommunication”— she emphasized her words with air quotations— “about the invitation you sent.”

“I told you I didn’t send that fucking invitation,” Devin snapped, anger flushing his face as he stood, also. “And you know why I did what I did.”

“Not really. You could’ve pushed her away. You wanted to kiss her, though.”

“No. I had to kiss her, but Josephine Pancrizio isn’t important,” he offered, neither confirming nor denying her statement. “The invitation is, though. Did it come by mail? Was it hand-delivered?”

The invitation was in her car. Before they parted ways, she’d show it to him again. For the record, it had been mailed. To Grell, though, the invitation was a non-issue, over and done. It was other aspects of their life together that most concerned her. Their relationship had become so abstract, she could barely glimpse a future for them. To her, their frayed marriage needed repairing. As usual, though, Devin was focused on work. He wanted to know about the invitation, when she herself was so clueless. Still, she had another burning question for him. “If you didn’t send it to me, who did?”

“That’s the million-dollar issue. I thought my cover had been blown, but here I am.”

She frowned as the words settled into her head. If his cover had been blown . . . she couldn’t finish the thought. If she lost Devin, her world would tilt on an uncontrollable axis. She knew about loss. Her parents and brother were gone, and her first child didn’t survive.

Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she stared at Devin, not wanting to think about death. Or blown covers. Or the danger he was in. “Am I not allowed to feel some type of way when I’m rejected by my husband on our anniversary?”

“I had no choice. Can’t you understand the danger we were both in?”

Of course, she did.

“If I hadn’t rejected you, my cover would really have been blown and all the work I’ve put into this operation, all the sacrifices we’ve both made in our marriage, would’ve been for fucking nothing. That’s if we would’ve been alive to consider any of that.”

She was supposed to be a mature adult, with perfectly good understanding. Yet, her happiness and anticipation at spending time with Devin on their anniversary had turned into crushing disappointment, then graduated into a harrowing experience as she tried to simply leave. “Yesterday was the first time in weeks that I’ve seen or talked to you for more than five minutes. You didn’t give me any information about what you’re doing. As far as I know, the reason for that note and the reason you lied to that woman about me could be because of two separate things.”

“You think I wanted to pick a woman I’ve known for less than ten months over the woman I pledged to always protect?”

It was a pledge he’d given to Amory. Of their wedding vows— love— he said nothing. Therein lay the problem. When Grell thought of Devin, she thought of their romantic relationship. When Devin thought of Grell, he thought of what Amory would expect of him as the man he’d chosen to protect her.

“Do you think I enjoy not talking or seeing you and our daughters for weeks at a time? If I could, I’d spend every single day with the three of you.”

“You chose to do undercover, fully aware you may have these types of assignments. You knew what it would entail.”

“You knew what it would entail too, Grell, but you didn’t say anything.”

She bristled. “That isn’t true! I protested vigorously.”

“No. You didn’t.”

“Since you seem to have forgotten,” she hissed, “let me refresh your memory. I told you I would prefer if you didn’t do it, because I knew that our life might come to this.”

He blew out a noisy breath. “Not every assignment is so involved,” he reminded her.

“No, they aren’t. Except you volunteer yourself for these long-term investigations. As if you’re a single man who isn’t a father to two young daughters.” Or Grell’s husband.

She looked at his left hand. He wore no wedding ring. Bitterness rushed through her, and she raised an accusing gaze to him.

“The fucking ring is at the apartment in my bureau, Grell,” he gritted out.

“Your apartment?” Grell echoed in outrage.

“Fitz’s apartment,” Devin corrected. He scrubbed a hand over his face and drew in a deep breath. “Most of the time, I keep the ring hidden on my person. Earlier, for instance. I had it in my pocket. I was in such a rush to get to you, I forgot to take it before I left. Stop blowing everything out of proportion.”

“Everything? No. Maybe, one or two, but not everything.” She raised her hand and wiggled her ring finger. “I never take it off. Never. I don’t accept jobs where I’ll have reason to remove it.”

He glared at her.

“What else do I blow out of proportion? Perhaps, the fact that I knew you’d end up a stranger to our daughters. This time in their childhood sets the foundation for the rest of their lives. I wanted them to see us in a loving relationship with a stable home.” She shook her head wildly. “Do we have that? Do they? When you took a plainclothes position, I knew we’d drift apart and that your life would always be on the line. I didn’t want that.”

They stared at each other, neither saying anything. Devin’s presence didn’t take away any of the emotions she’d been feeling since last night, it only intensified them.

Over the months, Grell had begun to realize that she hadn’t truly adjusted to how his career changed their relationship, as well as how his long absences strained her. Caring for her daughters and every need for her household by herself was a lot. If she had to live as a single mother, she might as well be one. As it was now, the constant stress over her husband’s well-being didn’t make life easier. She missed the days when Devin was ‘just a cop’.

She almost laughed at that. Just a cop was such a misnomer. No such reality existed. Being in law enforcement wasn’t a safe profession. At least, it was a job that allowed them to be together most of the time. Worry over his well-being lasted a few hours each day not for months on end.

At the end of his shift, he’d come home and she’d breathe a sigh of relief that he was still whole and healthy. On assignment, though, she didn’t know if he was dead or alive for weeks.

“Grell,” Devin murmured in a softer tone, inches from her. He pulled her closer, bent and brushed his lips over hers. “I’ve missed you, sweetheart. I know this is hard on you. Just have patience a little while longer.”

She took in a deep breath, attempting to calm herself and stay her course. While she didn’t want to spend this unexpected time with her husband arguing, neither did she want to forget her concerns. The only benefit of last night was she finally realized she needed to distance herself from Devin when he was home so it would be easier on her when he was gone.

He pulled her to the chair, sat down himself, then pulled her onto his lap and nuzzled her neck.

Unfortunately, she’d never known how to keep him at arm’s length.

His hair teased her skin and she shivered, electricity shooting through her veins. “You smell like fucking flowers,” he rasped.

She turned her face to his, displacing his lips from her neck. “I don’t want us to spoil our time together by fighting with you, Dev. I’ve missed you so much. After not seeing you for so long . . . I know why you did what you did at the party,” she conceded. “But I’m human and it was so damn hard to see you choose another woman over me. Especially because . . .” You’ve never loved me. Those words tipped the edge of her tongue, ready to fall past her lips. Before they escaped, she reeled them back. It would do no good. How many times had she bared her heart to Devin and told him how much she loved him, only to have an innocuous response? “Anyway, I’m sorry.”

He took her face between his hands. “I’m sorry too, Grell. For so many things.”

Lowering her lashes, she nodded.

“Maybe after this case, we can look into marriage counseling?”

Her gaze flew to his. Sincerity shone from his blue depths. “I’d like that.”

Softly, he brushed his lips over hers, his touch brief and featherlight. He pecked her nose, her brow, her cheeks, and chin before claiming her mouth in a hot, deep kiss that stole her breath and left her dizzy.

One of his hands closed around her tit. Even though she still had her robe on, her nipples still hardened. Ever so slowly, he skimmed his hand to her belt and deftly untied it. She opened her thighs, releasing a small cry when he fingered her clit.

“Devin,” she gasped, rocking against his hand.

Stirring on the bed intruded on the moment, and Grell froze. She placed a finger over her lips. “Shhh,” she instructed, glancing at the bed. Hope was readjusting her little body, snuggling closer to Bella.

“They’re as beautiful as you are,” Devin murmured against her ear.

Grell nodded, love and pride filling her entire being. “Let’s go in the bathroom,” she whispered once her girls settled again.

Desire darkened his eyes, reflecting the same need Grell felt. Holding her waist and guiding her to her feet, he stood, then pulled her to the bathroom.

The moment they entered and closed the door, they resumed their kissing and finished undressing each other at a frantic, urgent pace. He lifted her into his arms with ease. Without hesitation, Grell wrapped her legs around his waist. He thrust into her wet pussy, burying himself to the hilt. They both groaned.

The in-and-out motion of his cock sliding against all of her nerve endings, pulling moans from her.

Devin braced her against the wall, then covered her mouth with one hand, smiling. “You’re going to wake the girls,” he rumbled in amusement, the sound of his voice, the feel of him inside of her, making her tremble.

She nodded, and he dropped his hand. He fucked her deep and hard. Grell bit her lip to remain quiet, tasting blood but she didn’t care. She gripped his shoulders, digging her nails into his back. His cock expanding her pussy walls, drove away every worry and the hurt she’d experienced over the months.

“I’m coming,” she announced.

“Me, too,” Devin responded.

Their bodies trembled together, her sensitive nipples rubbing against Devin’s chest hair, making her come harder. She closed her eyes tightly, her head shaking from side-to-side. Dimly, she was aware of Devin’s growl, felt his cock quiver inside of her.

She went limp in his arms, breathing fast and heavy and matching Devin’s pants. Just for this moment, in their post-coital bliss, harmony flowed between them. Wishing she could bottle this serenity, she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Goddamn,” he said with a laugh. “We never came together before.”

She smiled. “This is a first I would like to repeat.”

“You and me both.”

For long moments, they clung to each other. Grell would cherish the tenderness between them in this moment for the rest of her life.

All too soon, it came to an end. He placed her on her feet, and she stood on tiptoes to give him a quick peck on the lips. Then, not bothering with the nightshirt, she scooped up her robe from the floor, and opened the bathroom door to check on Hope and Bella. They’d kicked their blankets off, so Grell went and covered them again. She sat on the edge of the bed as Devin walked back into the room, shoeless but otherwise dressed.

Fatigue settled into her. “I’m so glad I decided to stop here,” she said around a yawn, thinking, maybe, it wouldn’t be so bad to remain in Tonopah one more day. Had she stuck to her schedule, Devin would never have caught up to her so fast—

A realization hit her, and she froze. “How’d you find me? I didn’t text you my location. I tried to leave no paper trail, so I paid in cash.”

His contentment turned sheepish. Guilty. Clearing his throat, he began to pace the length of the small bedroom, a telltale sign that she wouldn’t like what she was about to hear. Whenever he got anxious, upset, or assholed-up, Devin had to move around.

Drawing in a deep breath, she folded her arms and nodded, demanding, without words, that he explain. She prepared herself to hear something she wouldn’t like. He stopped moving and turned to her, running a hand over his already tousled hair.

“Don’t get mad when I tell you this,” he began then swallowed and continued. “In case something ever happened, and I wasn’t there with you, I invested in a few trackers for you.”

Her eyes widened and she got to her feet. “Trackers?” she echoed. “A few?”

“Yes,” he admitted with reluctance. “A few. One for your car, one on your phone, and one for your laptop.”

Rage replaced her bliss. She felt violated, as if he had a window to her life, when she didn’t know anything about his activities. His reasoning was sweet, his lack of permission wasn’t. He’d treated her like a rebellious child, instead of his wife.

She didn’t know if she could continue to do this— remain married to a man who kept part of himself closed off to her, while insisting on knowing her every move.

It was more than that. She didn’t know if she had enough love left in her to maintain their caring relationship. It wore her out.

“You couldn’t have asked me first?” she asked, trying to wrap her head around what she should do— leave Devin.

“You would’ve said no.”

“If you thought I would’ve said no, you should have respected that and leave it be, not secretly track my every move! Better yet, you could’ve informed me that not only are you in danger working undercover, but I am, too.”

“You’re not in danger,” he gritted, then cursed. “Not too much danger. I don’t know what’s going on. I’m going to get to the bottom of how you got an invitation.”

“Your spy games had nothing to do with this case, so don’t hand me that bullshit.”

“Is it so bad that I was concerned about you and our daughters?”

“If you were so concerned, you would’ve taken a job that kept you at home with us. Instead, Fitzgerald Bradshaw, you’ve been traipsing all over with another woman. Spending our anniversary with her.”

“Goddamnit, you know why I did it. I’ve already explained the situation to you. Missing one fucking anniversary isn’t the end of the world, Grell.”

“Maybe not,” she said bitterly. “But when you’ve missed birthdays and holidays, it becomes a trend that I want no part of.” She threw her hands up in the air, tired of the charade. “Why don’t you admit it, Devin? You didn’t give a fuck what day it was. You didn’t marry me out of any love. It was guilt because I was pregnant, and you knew Amory would’ve insisted you marry me.” Tears slipped down her cheeks and she swiped them angrily away. It was easy to keep the reality of her marriage buried deep inside of her, where pain only bubbled to the surface in times like these. “Everything you’ve ever done for me has been because of your loyalty to my brother.”

He took in her face, then turned and went back to the bathroom. When he came out a couple of minutes later, he had his shoes on and Grell was sitting in the chair.

“I’ve hurt you so many times over the years,” Devin started, not coming any closer. He hid in the shadows of the room. “There’s so much I want to tell you, but I’ll start with this.” He moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed closest to her and taking her hands in his. “I should’ve showed more consideration to your concerns. Yes, I married you . . .” He looked away and drew in a deep breath. “Our marriage didn’t begin for the right reasons, Grell,” he whispered, staring into her eyes, the earnestness in his blue gaze transfixing her. “But I can’t imagine anyone else as the mother of my children. I can’t see myself as anyone else’s husband. You and Jo are alike, and yet so different. You don’t always have to do. You are content to just be. Thoughts of you keep me steady.”

She waited with bated breath, his words touching her core and filling her with hope that he’d tell her the one thing he never had— that he loved her. That he was in love with her.

“I told you to get out of town,” he continued, with a disappointing change of subject, “and you did. You trusted me enough to not need a lengthy explanation. I wonder if you even questioned yourself as to why you took off with only my demand to go.”

“You are no-nonsense,” she told him. “If you thought we were in danger, then I believe that to be true. And this is what I mean. If you would’ve told me about the trackers and the reason why you wanted them, I would’ve eventually consented. It is just so . . .” Her voice trailed off and she shrugged. “I know next to nothing about your activity. Your location.”

He dropped her hands and cupped her chin. “And yet that didn’t matter to you when it came time to leave. Why? Because we’re a team,” he said fiercely. “You and me and Hope and Bella. I can do my job because you’re the rock of our family.” He tugged her head down and kissed her lips. “I don’t want to lose that. It’s as much because Amory warned me away from you years ago— confirmed bachelor that I was— and I broke that promise to him.”

Amory. It was always Amory.

“One day, on patrol, we talked about what we wanted in the event of our deaths. He made me promise that I’d look after you and make sure you didn’t end up with an asshole.” His lips curled into his movie star grin. “Sorry for not keeping that last request.”

She smiled at his self-deprecation and thumbed his lips.

“He was killed eleven days later. If I was devastated, I couldn’t imagine how you felt. My girlfriend at the time tried to be there for me. But the only person in the world who I knew would understand my grief was you.”

“I know,” she said softly. “I suppose if my brother hadn’t been killed, we wouldn’t have ended up together.” She glanced away. “I want to say that’s a trade-off I could live with, but then I wouldn’t have Hope and Bella.”

He kissed her again, then stood and backed away. He was preparing to leave once again. “Something else would’ve brought us together,” he said with certainty. “We’re meant to be together. Please, don’t give up on us. On me.”

A flush swept through her. Devin knew her so well.

“You were never gifted with a poker face,” he teased.

She laughed. “So, you’ve told me time after time.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but his ringing cell phone interrupted whatever he’d been about to say.

“Fuck,” he said under his breath, then turned his back to her and answered. “Let me call you back.” Laughter rumbled from him, the sound one that Grell loved to hear. “You have something good for me, do you?”

Devin’s amused words stripped away the small moment of peace she felt in the wake of their conversation. She jumped up, marched to him, and grabbed the phone. She pressed the ‘end’ button, then slammed the device against his chest.

“Get out,” she ordered.

“Grell, I am always available to Jo. She would think it strange if I didn’t answer her now.”

“Go, Devin. I’m going to wake the girls and get them dressed and fed, so we can continue on to Reno.”

“You’re going all the way there?”

“You told me to go on the run. To me, as much distance between me and whatever the threat is as possible is a good thing.”

“Don’t give up on me. On our marriage.”

Grell scowled at him for the whispered plea. Their relationship might be too damaged to save. But what could she do right now? Walk away while he was in the middle of a case? How would that affect him? She didn’t want their problems to interfere with his work. To stay focused— and as safe as possible— he needed a clear mind.

She thought about their desperate lovemaking. Sex just served as a momentary balm. Once it ended, their problems still hung between them.

His phone dinged. “Text message coming through,” he announced, holding it up. He punched in a code to unlock it, then pressed the message button. Eyes widening, he sucked in a breath and began to stuff the phone in his pocket.

His reaction intrigued Grell. She grabbed the phone from him and was greeted by a close-up of wet, red pussy lips. He cleared his throat, then plucked the phone out of her hand.

“I have to get going. I will get to Reno as soon as possible. Maybe, we can have a longer sex session than just a few stolen moments in a bathroom.”

“Have you lost your mind?” she snapped. “You’ve been telling me not to give up on you and you’re getting photos of another woman’s cunt!”

He winced. “The case will soon be over, then we can go away and reconnect and after we’re all humped out, we can have a long heart-to-heart. How does that sound?”

“It sounds as if you’ve been drinking jackass juice. If you think I’ll sleep with you . . .” Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. “You know what? Dumb ass that I am, I want our marriage to work. Right now, I seriously hate that I love you, but I do. However, I can’t have sex with you anymore. I can’t have you dropping in for a quick screw and then fleeing just as swiftly. I won’t give up on you, but I’m not fucking you for the rest of this year.” As a matter of fact . . . “Keeping my legs closed to you is my New Year’s resolution. If we have worked out our problems by our next anniversary, then I’ll sleep with you again. If not . . .” She couldn’t finish the sentence.

She didn’t even want to think it.

“Your resolution is not to fuck me for a goddamn year?” he snarled in outrage.

“Did I stutter? I can’t do this anymore, Devin. I can’t allow you to continue to have booty calls with me.”

“A . . .what the fuck? You’re my wife. There’s no fucking way I can have a booty call with you. I know you’re angry about this text, but you’re overreacting.”

“And you’re an asshole, so we’re even.”

He must’ve seen her determination in her face because his eyes widened. “My god! You’re serious. You really mean . . . you’re keeping your pussy to yourself.” Bewilderment rang in his tone.

She nodded, satisfied with her plan. “During this year, I want us to work on our marital issues. We’re going to set clear boundaries.”

His jaw clenched. “Is this some sort of test or punishment?” he finally demanded.

“Nope. I see it as I labeled it. As my New Year’s resolution and a way to work on our marriage. You can call it what you want, Devin.”

“I know we need to work on our marriage but is counseling not enough?”

“Let’s forget the pussy picture for a moment. Did you ever intend to tell me you bought tracking devices to know my every move?”

He looked away from her, his sudden silence a clear answer.

“Of course, you didn’t,” she said, answering her own question. “So no, Devin, marriage counseling is not enough. Not when you violated my privacy.”

“It was to keep you and the girls safe.”

“I appreciate that, but why couldn’t you have asked me first, or told me about it when you first did it?”

He studied her a moment, then nodded and sighed. “All right, Grell.”

“All right, then,” she echoed, not knowing what else to say.

His ringing phone broke the quietness.

Sighing, Devin looked at the screen, then raised his gaze to her. “I have to go, Grell.”

“Of course, you do,” she said, sarcasm dripping from her words as he answered the phone.

“Hey, baby,” he started, heading to the door and exiting without looking back, leaving Grell alone, and once again feeling hurt and angry.

Chapter Seven

Devin

Jo’s apartment door swung open right as Devin was going to knock. “Hey, babe. I’ve been standing by the door waiting for you, since security called and asked were you allowed up,” she greeted, her smile frisky, blocking his entry. “What took you so long?”

Driving from Tonopah and back to Summerlin took over three hours. Not that he’d mention that to Jo. He’d pretend to misunderstand her, remind her that he was familiar with her building since he’d been there so many times before. “You live in the penthouse, and I had two elevator changes. They’re not all that fast.”

“You should’ve used my private elevator,” she said, then scrunched her nose. “But I wasn’t referring to the time it took you to get to my floor. I meant the time it took you to get here, to my apartment. Where were you?”

Irritation surged into Devin at the suspicion lacing her voice. “I was taking care of some business,” he said flatly. “Are you going to let me into your apartment, or should I leave? I’m tired of standing in this hallway.”

Jo stared at him a moment, then yawned and stretched with high drama. “I must’ve fallen asleep again. Waiting for you left me bored and restless.” She glanced at him through her lashes, still not allowing him over the threshold of her door.

It was obvious she hadn’t just awakened. Her hazel eyes were clear, not fogged with sleep. Years of being with Grell allowed him to know the difference between actual messy hair and intentional messy hair, and Jo currently had the latter. She had on natural makeup, and if it wasn’t for her freckles being hidden and slightly glossed lips, he wouldn’t be able to tell she had any on. She stood in nothing but a hot pink mesh teddy with a matching sheer robe that covered nothing. Devin instantly realized that her urgent call to him was only a guise to seduce him.

Devin sighed, thoughts of Grell running through his mind. Jo’s antics tested his patience. He’d thought his brain might explode when he’d seen the range of emotions on her face. The sadness and resentment settling into her features at the end of whatever she’d been thinking, gave him an idea of where she was heading.

He couldn’t see them separated. He wouldn’t allow that to happen. Some kind of way, he had to bring this case to a conclusion. Not wanting to get himself killed, he’d gone about the infiltration carefully. To end it, though, with the indictments he wanted handed down, he had to find the evidence to use against them.

Here and there, he’d witnessed Gabiano and some of the other bodyguards beating the shit out of someone. Sometimes, Clemente joined in. As far as he knew, their victims all survived. At most, Clemente and his crew would’ve been handed assault and battery charges.

Jo sighed. “I’m waiting for you to kiss me, Fitz. That’s the key to entering my humble abode.”

Humble, huh? His ass. If the art deco style lobby wasn’t a giveaway that her apartment was anything but humble, living in the penthouse with a private elevator hit the jackpot.

“You don’t want to kiss me?” she pressed, her brow furrowing.

Sure didn’t.

His conversation with her brother came back to him. Jo and Devin had never discussed fucking beyond discussing the importance of his Catholicism, her dissatisfaction with their relationship went deeper than he’d first imagined.

“I’m all grimy and need to brush my teeth. Give me a voucher to cash in later.”

Anger flashed into her face before she covered it with a smile. “At least give me a proper greeting. You haven’t even told me ‘hello’.”

“Hey, Jo,” he greeted, cursing himself for even picking up her call. The time that was about to be wasted could’ve been spent with Grell, Hope and Bella. They hadn’t been awake to see him, so they’d missed his visit. He noticed Jo’s narrowed eyes and cleared his throat. “Hello, Josephine.”

Uncertainty dropped into her features at his bland welcome, but she finally stepped aside and gestured for him to enter. “Where are my manners? Come in, Fitz.”

When he entered the small foyer of her apartment, he managed to rein in his snort. Humble? If white marbled walls and floors and huge pictures of golden-age Hollywood celebrities could be counted as humble, then he had nothing to say.

A large fluffy pink rug covered most of the entryway’s marbled floor, while the matching ottomans stood against one of the walls. On each side of the sliding doors opened to her living room were two large fake white and pink flowers. Marbled walls and floors featured everywhere in the apartment, except either of her two bedrooms. Jo’s over-the-top foyer reflected the rest of her apartment, which was very large, lavish, and pink. Her floor had three apartments, including hers. Although it was one level under the penthouse, there was still a private elevator to obtain access. Seeing Josephine’s apartment, Devin could only wonder what that looked like, and how extravagant it was.

“Why’d you call me so early this morning, Jo?”

She shrugged. “I’m going to be occupied with other things for later this evening and most of tomorrow. I wanted to spend some time together now. You’re always up early, so I don’t see the problem.”

Devin ignored the challenge in her tone. She was behaving oddly, with a combativeness that wasn’t her usual style. He supposed her frustration with their sex life coupled with the appearance of his “cousin” at the party annoyed her. And, perhaps, made her question his loyalty to her. Or it might have something to do with whatever she was involved in. He had to leave his problems in the foyer, so he could get back on track. After allowing too many minutes to pass, he looked at her. “What are you going to be doing?”

Another shrug. “Family stuff.”

“Care to be more detailed?” Usually, she was very forthcoming with her whereabouts, since she always questioned his. “Saying family stuff is quite fucking vague.” And, probably, code for some illicit activities.

“Don’t worry about what I’ll be doing, Fitz. It’s just a family tradition.” She waved her hand in the air, her signal of dismissal. “I want us to have dinner with your cousin,” she announced.

He snapped his brows together, used to her subject changes but extremely concerned on the matter she’d switched to. “What?”

Her smile resembled the Cheshire cat’s. “You heard me.”

“Jo, I don’t think—"

“I don’t care what you think, Fitzgerald. You know most of my family, including my brother, a few cousins and some uncles. Not only don’t I know any of your relatives, you barely discuss them. Her,” she sneered. “Since you grew up in foster care.”

He drew her into his arms and combed his fingers through her hair. “Don’t be jealous of Iloria.”

“Have you ever fucked her?”

“No!” he growled, releasing Jo and scowling at her. “I’m not even sure where she’s staying or how she found me.” Truth rang in his voice. “There are a couple of old acquaintances I could look up, to see if she’s staying with any of them, but really, why bring up old memories? That part of my life is behind me.”

“I know that, Fitz. And I’m sad about your miserable childhood. Yet, you’ve never mentioned Iloria. You consider her your only relative, right?”

He nodded in confirmation, his muscles tensing in agitation. Grell was already entangled in his mission, on the run with his kids. While the case was important to him, he didn’t want to risk his family’s lives. It was meant not to complicate it and not to risk her life.

Josephine wanting to have dinner with Grell seemed odd and complicated the situation tenfold. Alarm bells rang in his head.

“You should cherish the one familial bond you have,” Jo continued, sweet and accommodating, although she still confined him to the foyer. “You two are close enough that she secured an invitation to Clem’s private party to celebrate a holiday with you. Dinner shouldn’t be so bad.”

Damn the Pancrizios’ values. They valued family. That trait might’ve been the only good thing about them.

“We can even meet for lunch or coffee,” she pressed, twirling her red hair. “Whatever works best for her.”

“We really aren’t that close, Josephine,” Devin snapped, his mind racing.

Had Jo sent Grell the invitation and the red shoes? But— Fuck!

“You two are on good terms. Besides, I want to apologize for how I acted at the party. The amount of drinking I did stoked my jealousy. I lashed out for no reason. When you think about it, she could’ve been a random woman asking for directions.”

Fuck, had he been made? Somehow blown his cover. He choked.

She frowned at him. “What’s wrong?”

He thrust his fingers through his hair. “Like I said, we aren’t that close.”

Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Then she and I will go on our own and grab a coffee or a drink. It’s important that I apologize to her.”

Shit, he was overreacting.

His cover wasn’t blown, else he’d be dead right now. If it had been Jo who’d found out, she would’ve wasted no time running to Clemente with the news.

Devin had to stay calm and not overreact. Despite how badly Jo wanted to meet Grell, she wasn’t in town, so he didn’t have to worry about a face-to-face meeting.

Jo’s insistence on meeting his wife unsettled Devin. Pancrizio women didn’t play any bigger role in Clemente’s family than the mob women from other families.

“I’ll see if I can find her, Jo,” he lied.

“This can be a chance for you two to catch up on old times and me to get to know you a little better. Just think about it. We can discuss it again in a few days.”

“We’ll see,” he answered, noncommittal.

“The date with her would make me very happy. As long as I’m happy, Clem is happy.”

He nodded, the underlying threat annoying the shit out of him.

She beamed. “Great!”

Not in a million fucking years. For him, it was anything but great. It backed him into a corner.

For him, this could be disastrous with any solution he came up with.

Chapter Eight

Grell

“You’re a doll to let me drop in on such short notice.” Jo strutted into the hotel room, which resembled a studio apartment, and lowered her dark sunglasses.

A mixture of anger and curiosity shot through Grell. Her high emotions didn’t help her throbbing head in the least. She and the girls had been holed up in an extended stay hotel, located in Sparks, just southeast of Reno, for six days.

Her daughters were growing restless, stuck in their room, with only a limited number of toys. Not long after Devin left them at the motel in Tonopah, Grell had felt the dull ache of a dawning migraine.

Praying she didn’t descend into headache hell, she’d taken a quick shower since the girls were awake by then. After grabbing drive-thru food, Grell had continued her journey, deciding on Sparks because she’d heard it was slightly safer than Reno.

The girls had been tired and cranky, and the dull ache hadn’t yet progressed to massive pain. Grell managed to keep them entertained until bedtime, then she’d crashed too. When she awakened the next morning, she knew she was in trouble. After not suffering a migraine for two months, she could barely lift her head.

Grell tried to stay prepared for these events, which had become less frequent with a change of medication. Usually her friend made herself available to help out with Hope and Bella. This time, though, Theo was hours away. She’d brought a limited amount of activities for the girls to easily access. At home, they had bins filled with blocks and playdough and puzzles, crayons, and coloring books.

Without invitation, Jo glided to where Hope and Bella sat side-by-side on the sofa, watching a kid’s show. Grell huffed in a breath, slamming the door shut.

How had this woman even found her?

Jo halted, her oversized, shaggy fur coat swirling with the abrupt move. She stared at the two little girls, and her mouth fell open.

Grell leaned against the wall, thankful she felt slightly better today than she had yesterday, but she could still barely focus from the pounding in her head.

“Hi,” Hope said, lining her feet together and squeezing her toes.

“Hi,” Bella echoed, waving. She leaned over and grabbed her sippy cup from the coffee table, eyeing Jo with curiosity.

A wrinkle creased Jo’s brow. “They share an extraordinary resemblance to Devin,” she tossed over her shoulder. Presenting her perfect profile, she smirked.

Unease slid into Grell, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus. But the noise from the TV nauseated her.

“Your daddy definitely spit you two out,” Jo continued.

Hope and Bella were undeniably Devin’s daughters. They shared his dark brown hair and startling blue eyes. Now that Hope’s features were transforming from toddler to a little kid’s, her resemblance to Devin was unmistakable.

“Daddy!” Bella screamed. “I want Daddy, Mommie.”

Hope got to her feet and rushed to Jo. She craned her neck back so far to look up, Grell feared she’d tip over.

“Where’s Daddy?” Hope demanded.

Instead of answering the question, Jo smiled, surprising warmth on her face. She held out her hand. “I’m Jo,” she announced.

“Miss Jo,” Grell inserted, forcing firmness into her tone and stepping around the other woman. “Come on, girls. Mommie has to talk to Miss Jo. Go in our bedroom and play blocks for five minutes.”

Hope eyed Jo.

“Now, Hope,” Grell ordered, determined to get through this. “You too, Bella.”

The more cooperating of her two daughters, her youngest slid to her feet, popped a thumb in her mouth, then followed Hope to the room with a comfortable king-sized bed that they all shared.

“Please, have a seat.” Grell indicated the sofa where Bella had been sitting, then walked the few steps to the bedroom to peep at her girls.

Hope was rolling on the floor. With no carpet to cushion her, Grell couldn’t imagine how uncomfortable that was. Bella leaned against the bed, still sucking her thumb and using her free hand to slap the plastic blocks.

Sighing, Grell decided to leave them be. She didn’t have the energy to direct their attention away from thumb sucking and floor rolling. “Five minutes,” she said again, praying Hope might gauge how long that would be based on her timeouts. One minute for each year. Hope was already up to six minutes, something Grell still found hard to believe.

She left the door ajar before walking back out into the living area, complete with kitchenette, and facing Jo. The woman had removed her coat, revealing a clingy, long-sleeved silk dress. The emerald color made the green in her hazel eyes outstanding.

Grabbing her mass of long, red hair, Jo situated it over her shoulder, allowing it to cascade past her belly. “Faux fur,” she announced, sitting on the sofa and crossing her legs. The short hem revealed toned thighs. “My coat.”

Grell blinked as Jo’s meaning dawned on her, then staggered to the other end of the sofa to sit. “It is really lovely.”

“Got to be socially conscious.” She folded her hands and rested them in her lap, her eyes gleaming. “You don’t look well. Are you okay?”

“I suffer with migraines,” she said on a swallow. “This latest episode has been particularly bad.”

Jo winced. “Oh, doll face, I am so sorry.”

Not really. Her sugary tone wove into Grell’s brain, bringing her to the realization she should’ve had when Jo first called last night. The woman had no interest in Grell’s wellness or even being her friend, only her competition. She wanted Devin . . . Fitz. What was wrong about that name? Vague panic ran through her, but she couldn’t pinpoint a reason.

Not that it mattered. Grell had absolutely no reason to continue their guise of pleasantry. The sooner the point of this visit was revealed, the sooner Jo would leave and Grell could crawl back into bed.

“What do you want?” she demanded. “You called, out of the blue, to ask us to go to lunch. Not only do you seem to be a long way from Las Vegas, but I didn’t give you my number.”

Jo kept her expression serene. “I have my ways.” She flicked an unseen particle from her dress.

“Why are you here?” Grell demanded again, increasingly uneasy. It really didn’t matter that she had the number. The point was moot now, anyway. Jo was already there. Had she not been suffering with her migraine, Grell would’ve questioned the other woman more. Devin was using Jo to bring down the shadowy figures he sought and had insisted Grell hide to get out of danger. For some reason, though, she hadn’t thought of any of those things. She’d just been curious as to why Jo was calling and even more curious to know what she and Devin had been up to. “I think it’s time for you to leave. My head is really in a bad way. I doubt I will be a very good hostess.”

“Pssshhh.” Jo waved Grell’s words away. “I won’t take long.”

“I want you to leave.”

Jo cocked her head to the side, her mouth thinning into a hard line. “Do you know what it feels like to be made a fool of? Be a woman scorned?”

Frowning, Grell licked her lips, her instincts warning of danger. If Jo was here, speaking of scorned women, then where was Devin? Devin.

Devin. Jo had called him Devin, not Fitz. Grell’s heart lurched, and another blinding pain went through her head. Where was her husband? Had Devin been identified as a rat and taken care of?

Drawing in a deep breath, she willed herself to calm down. She still had Hope and Bella to save, and Jo had identified them as Devin’s daughters.

She . . . never mind. It didn’t matter. She had to keep Jo calm and, somehow, get her to leave. Hope and Bella were in more danger than Grell herself. They could always be used as leverage against Grell or Devin.

At the moment, the trick was not hinting to Jo that Grell knew that she was aware of their true identities.

She lowered her lashes. “Every woman has been scorned at some point. It is the most horrendous experience in the world.”

“Exactly, and I’m a Pancrizio through and through. We don’t share and we don’t like to be duped. It just makes you feel so brainless and crushes your pride.”

Grell nodded, wishing she wasn’t as sluggish. Whatever else happened, protecting her kids was the most important thing. Jo opened her purse and took a small bottle out. Uncrossing her legs, she stood, compelling Grell to get to her feet. As she began to back up, Jo raised her hand and blasted Grell’s face with a stream of water.

Gasping, she raised her hands to block another spray. Jo shoved her against the wall and started for her again. Grell pushed Jo with all her might, but her vision was beginning to blur and her muscles were weakening. She staggered forward, blinked, and sank to her knees.

“Come up. We’re ready.”

Jo’s voice echoed around Grell, but she couldn’t make sense of anything. She stretched out on the floor and stared at the ceiling, struggling to regain consciousness. Awake, for the time being, she lay in a fog, having no sense of reality or awareness.

Chapter Nine

Devin

Nine days into the new year, Devin’s life was spiraling out of control. He hadn’t seen Grell since he’d found her in Tonopah, then left because Jo wouldn’t leave him alone. He’d spoken to his handler two days after riding away from his family, in the interest of the case.

He’d had to be very careful, so he’d gone to a Mini Mart near the Strip, and used a payphone to schedule a meeting, which took place the following afternoon at a downtown eatery, right off E. Carson Street, a block from Fremont. The meeting had lasted long enough for Devin to polish off his burger and fries.

With the possibility of a blown cover, Devin was told the investigation had to come to a close. He didn’t disagree, determined to bring the operation to a close before the thirty days he was given. For extra protection, he was assigned a surveillance group for backup.

He’d kept as close to Clemente as he could, although he didn’t know Jo’s location. This morning, Clem called Devin and summoned him to a meeting at a hotel in the heart of the city.

Following the directions he’d been given, Devin bypassed the hustle and bustle of the main property and turned onto a side street, hidden in the shadows of the mega-resort’s glass buildings. The road was quiet, insulated with landscaped flowers and hedges that ended at tall stucco walls and wrought-iron vehicle entrances. The boutique hotel was concealed within the shadow of one of its parent resorts. It was the stuff of legends, an urban myth that not many people had personally seen. Devin certainly hadn’t.

When Devin reached the property, the security gates opened, as if they were awaiting his arrival. As the gates closed behind him, he continued down the stone driveway, where a Mediterranean-style villa rose up to greet him, a palace in the middle of the Strip. In the center stood a huge fountain, where the sound of the flowing water enriched his surroundings.

“Mr. Bradshaw,” a uniformed man greeted at the door, once Devin got out of his car and headed for the entrance. “I am Masterson. I’m at your service, sir.”

He nodded, admiring the butler’s pristine finery. “Thank you.” Not that he believed he’d have need of Masterson’s service. He would keep the meeting with Clemente as short as possible, then call Grell. Maybe, drive to Reno and visit her and his daughters. They could picnic in a park.

“Mr. Pancrizio is expecting you,” Masterson broke in. “If you will follow me.”

“Lead the way,” Devin said pleasantly, his annoyance toward Clemente soothed by thoughts of visiting his family.

He wasn’t one to gawk, yet it felt as if he’d stepped into another world with all the expensive appointments and gleaming marble. Spying an elaborate double door, he headed that way, opened one, then stepped outside.

Landscaped gardens surrounded bistro style tables and seating. The cold January morning was crisp and clear, and the smell of food in the air watered Devin’s mouth.

“I’ll take it from here, Masterson,” Gabiano said, walking out onto the terrace, and ruining the scene for Devin.

“Of course, sir,” Masterson said, then turned and walked away.

Gabiano scowled at Devin. “He’s waiting for you. What took you so long?”

Annoyance surging into him, Devin stuffed his red tie back inside his suit jacket. In this exclusive place, he had to look the part. He started forward, bounding up the three steps to join Gabiano.

“I’m here now, aren’t I?” Devin drawled, very aware of the camera hidden in his lapel pin, although he knew he was safe. The jewelry appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary.

“Come on.” Gabiano went to the terrace door and walked in.

Wanting to get this over with, Devin didn’t hesitate to follow the other man inside. Once again, opulence greeted him. Works of art hung on the walls, museum-worthy masterpieces. Polished travertine floors added to the timeless elegance, while elaborate archways marched down the long, gleaming hallway. Bunches of fresh flowers in huge crystal vases gave the room a pop of color. He noted an entrance to the exclusive restaurant, available only to those who had rooms in this elite place. They walked into the gated courtyard and headed for the villa with its French doors open.

Gabiano stepped aside to allow Devin to precede him inside. He only had the chance to note the door closing, the Old-World charm of the setting and two other men lingering in the shadows, before Clem grabbed his attention.

“You made it.”

Devin’s lips thinned. “You made it sound as if I didn’t have much choice.”

Clearing her throat, Jo made her presence known. She sat on an elaborate sofa situated in an alcove, reading a magazine. Glancing up, she sidled a sly smile at Devin, then set the magazine aside. “Hi,” she cooed.

At her greeting, he started forward, immediately blocked by one of Clem’s goons. “Where’ve you been, Jo?” he gritted, irritated at their treatment of him.

“Around,” she responded.

“What does—”

“Devin,” Clemente interrupted, sipping red wine. Carefully, he set the glass down and leaned back in his fancy armchair. “I have a surprise for you.”

“I’m with you every day,” Devin snapped, not liking the tension in the room. “It couldn’t have waited until I visited you later?”

Clem’s slow smile didn’t comfort Devin. “You decide,” he said, then nodded at a closed door.

Jo’s giggle grated on Devin. “I helped with your surprise.”

Resembling Stripe from the old movie, Gremlins, Gabiano hurried and did as bade, dragging Grell into the room. Bruises and wounds marred her face, hands, and arms. To Devin, it seemed as if she’d been jabbed with a knife repeatedly, just enough to make her bleed.

“Grell,” he whispered, her real name slipping out in his moment of shock and fear.

“Indeed, it is, Devin,” Clem boasted, the fury turning the almost cheery sound chilling.

“Where are my children?” Grell demanded, in a scratchy, watery voice that made Devin’s heart turn over.

Dread settled into him, but before he spoke, Clem tasted his wine again before getting to his feet, prompting Jo to stand as well.

Two men advanced from Devin’s right side. He stood so near the door, he could’ve turned and ran, but he wouldn’t leave Grell. By the time the thought crossed his mind, she’d delivered a roundhouse kick to Gabiano, smashing her foot against the bodyguard’s head and clearing her escape route.

The other two men seized Devin before he had a chance to react. His wife gave one an uppercut and a right hook, allowing Devin an even advantage, which he seized upon and slammed his elbow against the asshole’s nose. Blood spurted onto Devin as the asshole screamed and grabbed his nose. Jo rushed toward him, raising a gun and aiming it at Grell’s head because she’d stopped to grab his hand.

Gunfire exploded in the air. Crouching, Devin yanked Grell down, borrowing the moaning fuckhead’s Glock and firing off a few rounds to give him time to grab Grell’s hand again. He threw open the door and breathed in the fresh sunshine, never so happy to have that luxury.

More of Clemente’s goons rushed toward them from the direction of the courtyard gate.

“Run, Devin!” Grell urged.

He tightened his hold on her hand, and, together, they ran for the hotel lobby.

“Devin!” Jo screamed from behind them.

Ignoring her, Devin reached the other closed door he’d noticed and pushed it open, revealing a high-roller card room. It was mostly empty with an air of exclusivity that he picked up on even in his state of acute response. Most importantly, there was a door on the other side of the room. On the other side, salvation might lay.

“Run, Grell,” he instructed, echoing her words from minutes ago, only wanting her safe and out of harm’s way. He released her hand and shoved her in front of him. If a bullet found its target, it would be his back, not hers.

Finally, they reached the door. Grell opened it, before Devin grabbed it and slipped through, ducking just in time as a bullet whizzed by. He walked into a beehive of activity. The public casino.

More rounds of bullets flew their way. A woman stepped into Grell’s path, colliding with her, sending them sprawling on the floor. Unfortunately, the men chasing them were too close to allow Grell to lose herself, so Devin paused long enough to get her to her feet, before starting off again.

The screams of gamblers competed with the normal casino sounds— the ringing slot machines, the spinning wheels, the garbled announcements that no one gave a fuck about, the music.

And gunfire. That, of course, wasn’t what one expected to hear. Vegas was excitement, bright lights, heavy drinking, and engaging in behavior that was left behind, and forgotten about, upon return to normalcy. Drunken frat boys expected to find easy lays, not holes in their heads.

Yet, as Devin gripped his wife’s hand, dipping and dodging the barrage of bullets coming their way, he saw more than one person ruined by a shot. It was chaos, plain and simple.

Alarms were sounding. Glass shattered, sending shards in all directions, along with the contents of bottles and drinks.

“Devin!” Grell cried. “I think I’ve been hit. Stop! Please. I can’t go anymore.”

She had to continue. If he stopped, not only would she be hit, she’d be dead, and it would be his fault. He should’ve waited until the operation was over. He’d known his cover was blown. But he’d realized, over the months, that he truly loved her. He hadn’t only married her out of a sense of loss. He wanted the life she’d made for them. A home he looked forward to coming home to— the home that he missed. She’d created a family for him, the kind he’d desperately craved and had only found at her house.

He’d been such a jerkhole to her, a raging ass-douche. He hadn’t deserved her or their daughters.

Blood pounded in Devin’s head. The whirl of thoughts rushing through his brain in a nanosecond, still slow enough for regret and sorrow to set in, almost smothering the adrenaline that kept him moving forward, dodging bullets and henchmen, rescuing his beloved wife.

A bullet whizzed by his head, so close he felt the heat of the metal and tasted the acridity of the gunpowder. Pain pounded through his body. His eyelash caught a speck of blood, weighing down his lid. Stumbling, he grabbed the side of his head, somehow still managing to keep Grell’s hand in his grasp.

She screamed.

Devin tightened his hold. Without warning, she went limp. She was falling to the floor and, because he refused to release her, was dragging him down with her. Somehow, he maneuvered himself so that he’d cushion her fall. Something cracked, some bone in some part of his body that he couldn’t give less of a fuck about.

Devin sat up and gathered Grell into his arms. She shuddered against him, blood leaking from her mouth. He needed to find the hole— holes— and administer first aid.

“What do you have to say now, Fitz?” Jo spat the name he’d been using in the undercover operation, appearing in his line of vision when she crouched in front of him. She swept Grell with a look of disgust. “You’re going to watch her die,” she promised.

At Jo’s nod, Gabiano jammed the barrel of a .45 into Grell’s temple.

The report of the gun deafened Devin. “No!” he screamed.

A bullet lodged into his neck and knocked him over, while pain exploded inside of him, He’d never cleared the air between him and Grell, told her how much he loved her, and now he’d never have the chance.

Epilogue

One year later . . .

Devin traced his finger along Grell’s slit, ramming his cock in her hot cunt and groaning. Her pussy heat threatened to consume him. She pushed against his dick, wetting his balls. His chest aligned with her back, as they lay on their side, since her advanced pregnancy made any other position difficult.

Her gasps and moans were music to his ears. When she cried out, Devin licked the shell of her ear, fingered her faster, pumped into her harder. Her pussy flooded his cock and made him come.

“Are you all right, sweetheart?” he asked a few minutes later, adjusting her nightgown to return some modesty to her.

“Yes,” she said drowsily. “Are you?”

He kissed the back of her head. “As long as you’re in my arms, yes.”

Whether or not she would survive had been touch and go for several weeks. The gunshot wound to her chest had been life-threatening. The arrival of hotel security, the surveillance team, and a host of other law enforcement officials had prevented Gabiano from pulling the trigger and shooting Grell in the head.

Though Devin had been shot in the neck, he’d been stabilized days before Grell had, so he’d heard the entire story of how Jo and Clemente had gotten away, while Gabiano and the other henchmen had been carted off to jail. Currently, trial dates had yet to be set.

Most importantly, he’d discovered his daughters were safe. Jo had brought them with her when they’d kidnapped Grell and then flew back to Vegas on a private plane. Renata, Clem’s fiancée and Jo’s bestie, had watched over his daughters until he’d made arrangements with Theo, Grell’s best friend.

Theo watched over them until Devin was released from the hospital, then sent biker women to cook food for him, help him with household duties, and watch over his very active little girls.

“I’m not a maid,” Theo had told him around plumes of cigarette smoke, when she’d visited him to see Hope and Bella. She’d been wearing a leather cut and turned to show off the words, Property of Red Rum MC. “Grell doesn’t know about my club life.”

Theo’s lifestyle hadn’t been important to Devin. Grell’s recovery had. When she’d finally been upgraded from critical to stable, Devin had never been so happy. It had been a long road, but she’d fully recovered.

Devin returned to work only two weeks ago as a tactical instructor in the agency. The ten months of his life that he’d given to Operation Red Stiletto had been for nothing. Nothing came of it. All charges had been the result of the shootings, not for cybercrimes or the illegal drug trade.

“I want succotash and shrimp, Dev,” Grell said now.

“Your cravings are insane,” Devin responded, unable to stop his smile.

“At least it isn’t the stereotypical ice cream and pickles,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, because pizza and pickles are so much better.”

She laughed. “Slightly?”

“Marginally,” Devin relented, disentangling from her to get to his feet. He grabbed his pajama bottoms from the foot of the bed. “Succotash and shrimp coming up.”

That was her go-to craving, so he’d perfected it. Open a can of corn and a can of lima beans, throw them together, add shrimp, let simmer. Done.

She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Are you up for company?”

“I’m always up for your offerings.”

Smiling, she stood, allowing the hem of her long nightgown to fall into place and cover her ankles. She rested her hand on her belly, then walked to him. “I’m not eight months yet and I’m huge.”

“You’re gorgeous,” he corrected, leaning down to kiss her lips.

“I love you, Devin,” she murmured, when their kiss ended.

“I love you, too, Grell,” he responded, feeling like the luckiest man in the world.

Also By Kathryn C. Kelly

Phoenix Rising Rock Band Series

Inferno

Incendiary

Scorched

Inflame

Death Dwellers MC Series

Misled

Misappropriate

Misunderstood

Misdeeds

Misbehavior

Misjudged

Misguided

Misalliance

Misconduct

A Very Christopher Christmas

Misfit

Mistrust

Misgivings

Outlaw’s Dictionary

Death Dwellers: The Full Fifteen

An Outlaw Valentine

Misrule

Dirty Boys Studio Series

Dirty Boy

Other Titles

All My Tomorrows

Dangerous

Captivated

Pink: Hot ‘N Sexy for a cure: The

Books for Boobies 2015 Anthology

When Clubs Collide

Desire Me

The Enforcers’s Revenge

Call My Buff Anthology

Kathryn C. Kelly Social Media Links:

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ABOUT KATHRYN C. KELLY

In her dreams, Kathryn C. Kelly is a flirtatious biker babe with the rumble of a hog between her legs and a shirtless bad boy wrapped in her arms. Kathryn and her bad ass biker boy spend their evenings tossing back great scotch (Chivas Regal) and fighting over who is better at Cards against Humanity (she is, obviously.)

In her reality, Kathryn is a native New Orleanian who has survived Hurricane Katrina and breast cancer. Now she’s hoping to survive three lively girls. While not playing Wonder Mom, Kathryn can be found putting all those dreams into the pages of her next novel.