Black Promise (Obsidian 3)

My arm moved around Rome’s waist, and I guided her through the throng of chaos and to the second level. She saw so many things at once, an in-depth view of the underworld. It was the kind of thing you couldn’t forget.

I pulled her past the bar and to one of the hallways that contained the private rooms. She was pressed right into my side, and there was no mistaking she was my property. I didn’t want the other men even to look at her. Hopefully, there would be no repercussions for bringing her here tonight. She could be reminded why she left me to begin with and take off again. Now that Hank wasn’t a problem, there was nothing stopping her.

But I wouldn’t let her go.

I couldn’t.

I opened the office door and entered the room where I used to sit and think all the time. Isabella used to kneel in front of my desk until I was finished with my work. Then she and I had our fun afterward.

Jackson was there, and it was obvious he was leaving his mark on the place. Papers were scattered everywhere, and my desk was completely rearranged. A woman lay on one of the couches against the wall, wearing a black corset with leather pants. She stretched her arms above her head, her hair cascading across the cushions.

“I’m here.” I released Rome’s hand once I was in front of the desk. “Take a seat, sweetheart.”

She eyed the woman on the other couch like I’d just asked her to join her.

I patted the leather chair in front of the desk. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

She lowered herself then crossed her legs, trying not to stare at anyone with too much focus.

Jackson eyed her then looked at me with a grin.

I shot him a glare, warning him it would be stupid to make an idiotic comment right now.

Jackson didn’t call my bluff. “I’ve been having problems with the place. I asked around, but I couldn’t figure it out on my own. So thanks for coming down.”

“Let’s just not make it a habit, alright?”

“You dropped this in my lap, asshole. I had no time to prepare.”

“You’ve been working with me for twenty years,” I snapped. “You’ve had plenty of time to prepare. It’s not my fault you don’t listen. Now let’s get this shit over with.”

“So you can go back to your boring, vanilla life?”

I warned him with just my expression. “You want me to walk out right now?”

He rolled his eyes and came around the desk. “Maybe you’ve given me Ruin, but we both know you’ll always be attached to this place.” He headed to the door. “Come on, follow me.”

I gave Rome a final look, hoping I wouldn’t see disappointment or resentment.

Her expression was nonexistent, blank like a wall. Whatever thoughts she had, she was determined to keep them from me.

It took us about thirty minutes to address all the problems. Jackson hadn’t understood how much I really did around Ruin. The instant I was gone, he realized he didn’t know how to handle all the electronics of this place, how to control the light show, and other things that seemed insignificant to him but really made an impact on the club.

“How’s it going with Vanilla?” he asked when we were finished.

“No complaints.”

We stood on the top level near the private rooms, on the opposite side of where my old office was. “Really?” Jackson asked incredulously. “It’s been a month, and you don’t have any complaints?”

Yes, I missed being a Dom. Settling for just being her boyfriend was difficult at times. But most of the time, I was happy. When I compared my life with her now to what it was when I lost her, I knew I made the right decision. “Some days are worse than others.” When she’d opened the cage and let my Dom side come out, just for a moment, it was nearly impossible to get him back inside.

“You think you can do this forever?” People passed us in the hallway, couples heading off to a VIP playroom.

“I don’t know.” Maybe it would become routine in time. Maybe I would do it for so long that I would change. Maybe one day, my violent tendencies would fade away.

“I’ve kinda been wondering if you’re gonna come back…” He crossed his arms over his chest, his head slightly bowed.

“Do you want me to come back?”

After a long pause, he shrugged. “I guess running Ruin isn’t as cool as I thought it would be. Requires a lot of work. You know me, I like to fuck around and take my check. You’re a better owner than I’ll ever be. But we both already knew that.”

I couldn’t come back, even if Jackson asked me to. The temptation was just too much. I couldn’t leave Rome alone in my bed while I snuck off to the underworld. It would just try my patience, break my exterior. “You’ll catch on, Jackson.”