“What is it? What do you want?” I ask, finally dragging my eyes off the screen and to the woman standing in my office.
White stockings, red button-up jumpsuit, and a red-brimmed hat that covers her eyes. She stands tall, strong. It’s why Jessica got to where she is today, because she’s never had a real issue with authority, which means she has no problem speaking to it. Fresh off The Island, she’s been submissive and complacent.
“I was wondering if the others will be arriving tonight as expected?” I lick my lips. She’s perfectly delicious. Probably my favorite.
I watch as her cheeks flare when she notices my taking her in. “Why would you like to know?”
I push back off my chair and lean against the wall.
“Well I was wondering if you would need our attendance or if we could have an early night.”
“Yes, you may, but I will need all five of you back here at dawn.”
She bows her head and her short brown hair glides over her sharp collarbone. I make her uncomfortable. I make all the Anchorites uncomfortable, which is good.
It’s exactly what I wanted.
She doesn’t move, and I look back up at her from the monitor. “You can leave now.”
“Oh, thank you, master.”
I hit the computer screen while reaching for my now empty glass of scotch. “What the fuck are you doing, Meraki, and why have you just started a war you will never win?”
Slamming my front door closed, I blow my hair out of my face as I make my way into the living room to find Cece asleep on the couch with a bottle of Don Julio beside her.
My bottle.
Little shit.
I scoop it up and take a sip of the soft tequila, closing my eyes as the warmth of the alcohol calms my beating heart. I almost fucked Niko in the same spot we did it all those years ago, and that should terrify me.
For all the years I’ve been with Luca, I’ve not wanted to be with anyone else the way I do with Niko. Luca and I have been with other people, many people. Sometimes together, sometimes not. It has always been our agreement to have an open relationship with the possibility of swinging, and I never cared. Not once because everyone felt the same to me. They filled the void in my chest with their dick—it all felt the same. I never thought about that much until now, and I know why that is.
Because now I realize Luca doesn’t feel like anything either.
Leaning forward, I place the brown bottle onto the coffee table and make my way up to my bedroom after laying a throw on Cece. She’ll be up in a few hours, probably ready to party. I have one best friend who is a mother and business owner, and another who is about as irresponsible as a teenager left home alone for the weekend.
I fit between the two.
Stripping off my clothes, I’m making my way to the shower when my phone rings on the bedside table. When I see Luca’s name flash over the screen, I put it back onto the table.
I don’t want to talk with him right now. I know that if I did, Niko’s stench might still be lingering off me and like the bloodhound Luca is, he’ll smell it.
Then
It was her birthday tonight. I knew what I was going to do for her, had the whole fucking thing planned out. The only piece missing was Ari, who I couldn’t fucking get ahold of because the useless piece of shit wasn’t answering his phone. Bet he was shopping for a present that would beat mine. He and I had spent the majority of our life battling over Meraki.
I’d always win. He knew that.
I swung my leg over my bike with my phone pressed to my ear just as it clicked over.
“Thank fuck. What the fuck? Why haven’t you answered your phone?”
Ari’s silent on the other end, his breathing shallow. “Nik, you need to get out of town.”
I laughed, firing up my bike. He’s probably on another fucking bender, stressed about the cops cracking down on the club and me needing to stay away from it. I was the older brother, yet the little shit constantly thought it was me who needed protecting.
“Niko…” Ari murmured, and the tone in his voice hovered at a deadly level. “You need to take her with you. We need to—”
The phone line went dead and I sat and stared blankly at our home, my bike vibrating beneath my ass. What the fuck drugs was he on this time and what did he mean by take her with me? The fuck? Where the fuck would I go?
I revved my bike engine and made my way to the club, through the back streets of Halsin and bypassing all the traffic rules to get there. No fuckin’ point. The whole sheriff’s department was in our pocket.