Pagan (The Henchmen MC 8)

I could add 'other woman' to the long list of bad stuff that had happened that year.

"Welcome to Kennedy's Beauty."

Why, oh, why did I have to name my salon after myself?

I stiffened in my seat, trying to mentally remind myself that Kennedy wasn't exactly a strange name. It might not have been super popular, but it wasn't rare either. There could totally be two women named Kennedy in Navesink Bank.

"Can I help you set up an appointment to keep that violet as stunning as it already is?" Benny asked, walking past me toward the desk where I was vaguely aware of him walking her through the appointment process over the whooshing sound of my blood through my ears.

And then hands clamped down on the armrests to my sides, a body folding forward, warm breath on my ear. "Did you think I wouldn't know it was you, pet?"

Oh, God.

Great.

Just lovely.

He was going to be inappropriate right there in front of his girl, and it was going to be a scene, and that would just be the whipped cream on the shitpie of my year.

"Don't," I heard escape my lips, not being aware I was going to say it until it was out of me, the sound pleading, but still steely.

"Don't what?" he asked, leaning closer, his chest brushing the back of my shoulders, his lips almost touching my ear. "Don't tell you I was more than a little disappointed that you didn't stick around so I could get a taste? Because I fucking was."

"Alright, all set," the woman called, making me stiffen all the more, something I didn't know was possible because I already felt like my spine was reinforced by steel.

"But now I know where to find you," he added, leaning the slightest bit down, and planting a hard kiss right underneath my ear, before standing, and walking out.

Holy crap.

Holy crap.

I had barely had a second for that thought to form before I felt my chair whipped to the side, forcing me to face my own reflection. I found my cheeks a bit heated, my eyes way too heavy-lidded.

I also found Benny standing there with a brow raise, hands on the back of my seat.

"Spill."

I swallowed hard, looking for the will to lie. I couldn't find it, so I tried to evade. "Spill what?"

"Oh, yeah, okay," he scoffed, shaking his head. "Because it is commonplace for a Henchmen to walk his sexy bad boy ass in here, get all up in your personal space, and kiss your neck. That happens everyday in this hot pink vagina-colored salon."

Benny hated pink.

Benny hated pink like I hated blood.

He had been nagging me to change the pink to a more neutral light gray or crisp green since pretty much the day he was hired.

"Benny, really, it's..."

He waved a finger at me in the mirror. "Don't even try to deny it. I know you too well for you to pull that off."

He wasn't wrong.

Also, maybe it would feel good to talk about it.

I had actively been shutting down any thoughts of Niro from the moment I ran from the compound almost a week before. It was just one of those 'If I don't think about it, it didn't happen' kind of deals. Though, judging by the very hot sex dreams I had been having ever since, my subconscious knew it happened and definitely wanted more.

"So you know last week how I had a meeting with..."

"The douche," he cut in, making me smile. Benny hated Ethan even more than I did, which was saying something. This might have had something to do with the fact that when Ethan came in, he addressed us as 'hey ladies.' It was something he would normally be okay with, but because he already disliked Ethan, decided he found it offensive.

"Right. And he told me no." I already told him that part. "But there was this guy there, and he thought Ethan and I were... together."

"Ew."

"I know," I agreed, nodding. "And he kinda made some comments about what a real man can do..."

"Oh, lordy..." Benny agreed, fanning himself with his hand.

"And invited me to that big party at The Henchmen compound."

"So you went and you did the dirty."

"What? No! I mean... we made out and he, ah..."

"Ate you out?"

See? I did say Benny was blunt.

"No, it was just..."

"Ah, checking the oil. I see. That makes more sense. No way you got laid with how tense you still are. So, what's the problem then?"

"I didn't even know his name!" I admitted, eyes feeling like they were bugging. "I still don't know his name."

"He kind of has a hotter young Robert De Niro thing going on..."

"Oh my God! That's exactly what I thought! I've been calling him Niro in my head."

I loved Benny. In case that wasn't clear. He was everything a friend should be- supportive, non-judgmental, and he always understood my TV, movie, and song references.