by Bella Jewel
Is he purposefully trying to hurt me?
“I’ll be up in a minute,” he murmurs, and the woman takes herself up to his room.
I guess this isn’t her first time here.
When she’s gone, Mykel looks at me, and our eyes stay locked together for long, intense moments.
“Are you going to talk to me?” I ask, my voice low.
“Nothin’ to talk about,” he tells me, walking in and throwing his phone down on the counter.
I can smell the whiskey on him, and it only makes me hurt that little bit more.
“What happened tonight?” I push, because I’m done with him not speaking to me, done with him not sharing things. He’s got a problem with me? Fine. He needs to say why.
“You lost it—that’s what fuckin’ happened.”
“I lost it?” I laugh, bitterly. “You can’t be serious? You had me by the throat.”
His eyes dart towards me, and they’re wild. “I didn’t hurt you, Waverly.”
He’s right.
He didn’t.
But still.
“What changed?” I demand, crossing my arms. “What changed from this morning to tonight?”
His jaw ticks, and I know I’m right—something is annoying him and I want to know what it is. “Nothin’ fuckin’ changed.”
“Oh, for god’s sake!” I snap, slamming my hand on the counter. “If you’re going to be pissed at me, at least man up and tell me what the fuck your problem is.”
Those are the wrong words.
I know it the moment they come out of my mouth.
Mykel slams his hand down onto the counter now too and leans in close, barking, “You wanna know what’s fuckin’ wrong? You. You’re what’s wrong. You’re a goddamned sneaky bitch and you thought I wouldn’t fuckin’ find out.”
What is he talking about?
“You’re going to need to be a little more clear than that . . .” I seethe.
“You broke into my room, went through my things, broke into my locked room and took a fuckin’ photo of my wall. Then you had the fuckin’ nerve to let me show it to you, and act like you gave a fuck. You’re a goddamned liar.”
Oh, shit.
How the hell does he know I went into that room?
“Mykel . . .”
“I don’t trust you,” he barks. “And I don’t fuckin’ want you here.”
That hurts.
Goddammit, that hurts.
“You haven’t wanted me here all along. You’re just looking for a reason to make me go,” I yell. “You’ve never liked me, Mykel, you’re just finding reason now because you had none before!”
“I was lettin’ you in . . .”
“And one slip up is all it took to ruin that,” I scream. “I should have known better than to ever let myself trust you. I’m just a fill-in, a time waster. I’m just the girl you’re using because you’re hung up on someone else! I’m so fucking stupid.”
“What?” he whispers, his voice a low, angry hiss that has me shivering.
“You’re in love with Briella. You have been since I’ve known you. I’m so goddamned stupid, because I knew that and I fucked you anyway.”
“My business has nothin’ to do with what you did to me,” he growls.
“No, you’re right, it didn’t. I went into that room because I wanted to know what made you so goddamned broken. I wanted to know what made you hate me so damned much. I should have told you when you took me in there but I was so happy that you were sharing something with me, and nothing was worth taking that away. I’m sorry I betrayed your trust—believe that. I’m not sorry that I feel the way I do, though.”
His jaw tightens, and he says nothing. He just stares at me with an expression that’s so hard, it makes my heart hurt. I want to go over to him and just grab him, pull him into my arms. I want to tell him that if he’d just let me in, I could make him feel better. But he’s not going to let me do that.
He’s not going to give in to me.
I step forward anyway, because what the hell have I got to lose?
I get so close we’re nearly nose to nose, both of us panting. “You’re broken, Mykel, but that was never my problem. My problem was you decided who I was before you ever gave me a chance. You never let me in, and you never trusted me. Don’t come in here now and try to make out like that’s my fault.”
His eyes hold mine, and my breathing hitches when he whispers, “I’ve never told another fuckin’ person what I told you. Never shared that. Never showed anyone.”
Oh god.
Oh no.
“I’m sorry,” I say softly.
“You need to get out of my house before I say something I’ll regret.”
I can’t stop it—a single tear rolls down my cheek, and in a tight voice, I say, “You have said so much already. There’s nothing else you could possibly say or do right now that would break me anymore.”
He jerks a little, like I’ve slapped him in the face. I hope it hurts. I do. I hope it makes him feel the same way he’s making me feel right now.
“I want you, Mykel. I hate that I do, but it’s how it is. I reacted tonight because you make me feel something . . . something I don’t understand. So, you can imagine just how much it fucking hurts to know that I mean absolutely nothing to you. That I’m nothing more than a fuck to bide your time in between partners. I’m worth a whole lot more than that.”
I step back and turn, swallowing the lump in my throat as I hurry up the stairs and into my room. I shut the door and lock it, and then I go over to my bed, sit on the end of it, and drop my head into my hands.
That was horrible, in all the ways it counts.
I just wish that man could see what I see.
Maybe then he’d let me in.
Instead he continues to push me away.
I hope he regrets that.
He might not be prince charming, but I was never looking for that.
I was just looking for something real.
Is that so much to ask?
“YOU’RE CLEAR ON WHAT you need to do?” Alarick asks me, and I feel his gaze one me, but I keep mine locked onto the table I’m sitting at.
I don’t want to look at Mykel.
I don’t want to look at the members of the club.
I just want to get this over and done with so I can leave—so I can go home and never come back here.
“Waverly?” Alarick calls, and I slowly lift my head, numbly meeting his gaze.
“Go in, find out where the key is, disable the security system, and get out of there,” he says. “It won’t be easy. It might take a bit for you to find the system, but like Samson showed you, there are ways to disable it from the inside without knowing the code. You’ve got cutters, you’ve got a gun, and you’ve got your phone. Need to know you understand exactly what’s at risk here?”
I stare blankly and nod slowly. “I get it.”
“Once it’s done, you get Dax out and keep him out for as long as you can. We’ll let you know when we’re done. Then that’ll be the last time you’re seen there with him. That clear?”
I nod again.
“Waverly, you good?” Cohen asks me, his voice a little concerned. “Lookin’ like you’re not with it.”
“I’m fine,” I say, softly. “I’m just ready for this to be over.”
“We’re goin’ to have you covered,” Kendric tells me. “We’ll make sure that nothin’ happens to you, and you get away from this safe. You feel me?”
I nod again.
“Mykel will drive you to the location where we’ll be waiting so you can see it, and you can enter Dax’s house from there.”
“No,” I say, my voice a little harder this time. “Anyone else but him.”
I don’t look at Mykel when I say this. I can’t.
I can’t handle any more pain right now.
“Bohdi then.”
I nod, and then stand. “I need to get some things ready. I’ll be back here at the agreed time to do
this.”
“Waverly?” Alarick calls when I reach the door.
I turn back and glance at him.
“We appreciate this more than you’ll ever fuckin’ know. What you’re doin’ for us takes guts, and you’ve proven yourself one hundred percent true.”
Yeah, I have.
What fucking good has that done for me?
I leave and go home, where I take five minutes for myself before everything goes down. I need to clear my head; I need to figure myself out; I need to be strong for this. If I’m not, then I’m going to end up letting the entire club down and quite frankly, I’m not willing to have that happen.
I take a long, hot shower, and then I make sure my phone is charged, I’ve got my gun loaded, and that I’m ready for the next twenty four hours of my life, because they’re going to be intense. I’m in the bathroom, brushing my hair, when the door behind me opens. In the mirror, I see Mykel enter. He meets my eyes and for a second, I’m confused. What is he doing here?
Better yet, why is he in the bathroom?
I go to ask, but he steps up to me, takes hold of my shoulder, spins me around, and then he’s kissing me. He’s kissing me with such ferocity he renders me breathless. For what seems like minutes, I stand there completely stunned. The kiss he’s giving me right now, it’s unlike every other one we’ve had together.
It speaks more than any words ever could.
After what seems like an eternity, my body finally works and I kiss him back. I let my lips move against his, and I relish in it. I burn into my mind the way his tongue feels against mine, the way his lips are so soft but his beard is so rough. I take in how one hand is resting on the small of my back, and the other is around the back of my neck, holding me close to him.
I take every single moment and lock it away.
Because it’s likely going to be the last one.
After a few more blissful moments, he pulls back and without a word, he walks out of the bathroom.
He leaves me standing there, completely confused and yet feeling so much better.
He didn’t need to say anything, because he told me everything I had been desperate to hear in that one passionate kiss.
It gives me a spark of hope.
A tiny little light in this ever-growing darkness.
I’m grateful to him for that.
More than he’ll ever know.
16
WAVERLY
“I was wondering if you’d come back . . .” Dax says when I arrive at his house later that day.
He’s looking a whole lot more together right now, like he’s not going to just lose it and do something stupid. He’s wearing a suit, his hair is clean and brushed, and he looks well-presented and incredibly powerful. If I had to guess, I’d almost say he was preparing for something huge. My heart slams against my ribcage because I’m scared. One wrong move, and this is all over.
I take a deep breath and force myself to smile up at him. Tonight, I need to put on the best damned show of my life, because it’s essential I get him out of this house, and the only way I’m going to do that is to give him something that’s far better than what he’s planning here. I have to do what I have to do. I have to offer parts of myself to him for the good of everyone.
“Of course I was going to come back. Why wouldn’t I?” I ask, innocently.
“I have showed you a lot in the last few days. You must be overwhelmed.”
“I’ve seen worse out there,” I lie.
He reaches out and strokes a finger down my cheek. “I’m sure you have, my strong girl.”
“Is Peter coming tonight?” I ask.
“Tomorrow morning. He’s away on business right now.”
“Have you got enough buyers for those girls?”
Dax’s eyes scan over my face. “That’s not for you to worry about, my angel. Tonight, we’re just going to enjoy each other.”
“Speaking of enjoying each other,” I say, trying to make my voice sound lusty, “we should go somewhere. Dinner, maybe a nice hotel . . .” I let my voice trail off and I look down as if I’m feeling shy about what I just asked him.
He takes my chin in his hands and tips my head back. “You’d like to be with me?”
He doesn’t sound shocked—just surprised.
“I . . . I think I would yes.”
“Being here with all these girls is making you uncomfortable, isn’t it?”
“A little,” I admit.
“My angel,” he murmurs, running his thumb over my bottom lip, “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
Oh, thank god.
“There’s a new Italian restaurant in town. That might be a good place to start . . .”
He grins, slow and a little wicked. “I like your thinking. I’ll find a nice room, something worth your while. I’ll make it a night you’ll never forget.”
Ditto, buddy.
Ditto.
“Do you need me to do anything here before we go out?”
“I have a phone call to make; I’m going to the study. After that, we’ll take a walk, and you can help me prepare some food for the girls to get them through the evening.”
That will be the perfect time to get the key.
“Okay.”
He smiles at me, then disappears into his study. I glance at the camera that’s pointing down the hall, and quickly get out of its line of sight. I know the security system panel is in the kitchen, so I rush in there, peering behind me. I need to figure out how to bring the cameras down. I pray I don’t have to cut wires, but I do know how to do that if need be. I find the panel and look behind me once more before opening it.
There’s a keypad and a heap of other buttons. God damn, if I knew the code it would be so much easier to turn it off for a few hours. I bite my lip and look at the screws that I would need to undo to get to the wires at the back. It would take some time, at least twenty minutes, maybe more. I’m not sure I’m going to have that long. My heart pounds against my chest and I catch sight of something on the inside door of the panel.
A four-digit number written in black ink, right down the bottom.
3587
No way in the world that’s the code. No way he’d be stupid enough to just write it on the panel. Although, by the time someone got in here to see this, or to be able to turn it off, the alarms would have well and truly been raised, so really, who is going to be able to access this who isn’t invited into the house first? Maybe he’s confident that he has enough cameras on the way in, that he doesn’t need to worry about this?
Could it be that easy?
I look behind me again, and with a racing heart, I punch in the numbers. I hold my breath, for what seems like seconds, waiting for an alarm to sound that will give me away. It doesn’t. Instead, the machine gives off a little beep and before I know it, I’m in. I want to squeal with delight, and laugh at how simple that was, but I don’t have time for that. I flick through the options, and find the option to turn the cameras off for a few hours, like a timer.
Instead of turning them all off now, I’ll just set them to go off overnight, while we’re not here. That will work perfectly and raise no suspicion because they’ll be back on by the time Dax returns in the morning. I get to work programming the system, and then pause once I’m done, wondering if he has access to see things from his phone. A lot of systems you can log in and see the cameras, even when you’re out and about.
If he does that, he’ll see that they’re off and might want to come back.
I exhale. I guess my distraction techniques are going to need to be very, very good.
I feel a little sick at that thought, but I have no other choice right now.
I close the panel when I’m done and step away from it just as Dax walks into the kitchen. I jerk a little, and he narrows his eyes. “Did I startle you?”
“I didn’t hear you coming,” I say. “Sorry, I’m a bit nervous. I never know who is going to walk in here, with the amount of people you have locke
d in that basement.”
He laughs, and it’s a laugh that sends shivers down my spine. He walks over and leans down, putting a kiss on my lips that has me wanting to scream and jerk away. “You should know my locks are unbreakable, angel. Nobody is getting out of here.”
God.
I swallow and then pull back, forcing a smile. “So, what are we baking for the girls?”
We get to work preparing some meals, and thankfully for me, Dax talks the entire time and I find myself distracted from what’s about to go down. I sneak a bathroom break mid-way through, and text Alarick that the system will be down overnight, and that we’re leaving for dinner soon and he’ll be able to come in.
He confirms he’s received the message.
God, I hope this goes to plan.
I really, really need this to go right.
There’s only so much more I can take.
“THIS IS INCREDIBLE,” I say, staring around the beautiful big hotel room that Dax has booked.
He’s gone above and beyond, picking the nicest room I’ve ever seen. It’s huge, with a big bed, a spa bath, and a patio that overlooks the city. It’s modern and sleek, and everything smells clean and fresh. It’s lovely, and if I was with anyone else, I could most certainly enjoy my time here.
“Only the best for you,” he murmurs, seemingly distracted as he closes the door behind us.
We just had a great meal at the new Italian restaurant, and while the company wasn’t great, I couldn’t fault the food. It was perfect and I have to admit I enjoyed every bite. Now we’re back here, though, the anxiety is building in my chest. This is where I have to distract him. This is where I have to keep him from getting concerned that someone is at his place. This is where I have to do the biggest part of my job to date.
“What do you say I run the spa bath for you, and you get yourself relaxed for the evening?” Dax asks me.
