Screw Me Sideways

“Thanks, man.” Reason turned to Kellan. “Any idea what the black wristbands mean?”

Kellan chuckled. “Wondered when you’d notice that. I’ve had my eye on them but feel free to run interference.” He tilted his head at the printer terminal. The tickets were shooting out faster than normal. “The black bands are for couples looking for an additional play partner.” He wagged his finger at Jade. “And I must’ve pissed off our girl. She has on a mint-green band now. Means she’s looking to play tonight.”

“What?” Reason leaned back so he could peer around one of the cocktail waitresses. “Damn if you’re not right.” A beat later, he added, “Maybe she doesn’t know what it means.”

“If she does, she’s spanked.” Kellan turned, stuck a hundred in the cash register, rang the tip bell, and shrugged. “It’ll be my honor to give her twenty-one licks after closing time.”

About that time, a known Dom approached her. She nodded, casually brushed her bangs away from her brows, and shot them a smile.

“Go on,” Kellan said. “I’ve got it covered here. Jade’s bracelet indicates she’s looking and she’s bound to find the kind of trouble she can’t handle.”

“Then she’ll be glad to know I was paying attention. If it’s trouble she wants, it’s trouble she’ll find. As it happens, I’m looking for a play partner, too.”

Chapter Nine

“How long have I worked here?” Reason was calling in a favor. After Hank Sarsarone’s men had fired up the windows and destroyed Clink’s main level, he’d put in well over eighty hours a week, refusing to accept overtime. He’d been helping out his friends.

Now, he wanted them to do the same.

“We need all hands on deck tonight,” Tristan said, pouring gin and grinning.

“I’m asking you to do without these for the next hour.” He flashed his fingers in front of Tristan’s face. “Can you help Kellan cover me?”

“Who is she?”

Reason laughed. “That transparent, huh?”

“Can see right through ya!” Tristan raised his voice over the noise level. “Take the rest of the night if you need it. From what I hear, there’s a problem out at Jade’s place.” He dug in his pocket and threw a set of keys at him. “Jade will need a place to stay.”

“What’s going on?”

“Not sure yet. Kane sent a text just now. Said to keep an eye on Jade and set her up with a place to stay. All I know. Rest will have to wait until closing time.”

Fuck! Reason ripped his headset away from his neck and left it by the cash register. “Jade was right over there.”

“Why you’re officially off for the night.” Tristan didn’t bother looking up again, which told Reason plenty. Even before the problems at Jade’s place, wagers had likely been placed when she walked in the club with her legalized attitude.

He stuffed the keys in his pocket. At one time or another, all the current club owners had lived in the upstairs suite. Now the place was empty. The guys had crashed there a few times during the cleanup effort and it was decked out to the nines.

Reason knew one hot babe destined to enjoy herself.

Ducking under the walk-through at the end of the bar, he was only one step into his march when Katherine jumped up and stalled him. “Not your best move, sugar.”

“Katherine, I have somewhere I need to be.”

“Let me guess where,” she said, tilting her head and studying him with slightly parted lips and a wicked grin. “You’re planning to park that big dick of yours in between that blonde slut’s legs. Am I right?”

He hit the mental rewind button and quickly recalled how Nory had mentioned something about Katherine having it “in for” Jade. His lips twitched as he remembered Nory mentioning Katherine’s age. At the time, he couldn’t imagine a forty-eight-year-old trying to intimidate a twenty-year-old, but Katherine had become more volatile in recent weeks.

Actually, he was being rather nice. The woman was batshit crazy.

“I’m not parking anything anywhere tonight, Katherine,” he said, cringing when he noticed the man with the black wristband making his move. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

“She’s not worth it, Reason.” Katherine swiveled around on her chair. “I can do you dirty. She can do you wrong.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” he said, pushing by her.

“If you don’t give me what I want tonight, I’ll—”