Justus (In Safe Hands Book 3)

by S. M. Shade

  Justus pulls me close and scoffs. “Please, look at me. A smart girl knows when she’s hit the sex god jackpot.”

  Shoving him away, I roll my eyes. “Like you aren’t the obvious winner in this scenario.”

  “Actually,” Tucker speaks up. “I think I won the pot. I had September in the pool.”

  Jeremy huffs. “That’s not fair. You didn’t bet until after she had him go to Oklahoma with her. Of course they were going to get nasty!”

  Wait a minute. Did they seriously have a betting pool on when I’d fuck Justus?

  “Hey, the trip lasted through the end of August and beginning of September. I have August,” Dare argues.

  Landon flashes a wide smile. “You’ll have to break the tie, Sadie. When exactly did you and Justus—Ow! Damn it, woman. I’m trying to settle something here.”

  “You do not get to ask them when they first fucked!” Zoe says, shaking her head.

  “Hey, we need to know who won,” Dare argues, turning to regard me. “If Sadie is willing to offer the information.”

  “I’m willing to offer you a hearty fuck you. I can’t believe you were all betting on us!”

  “Hey, don’t look at me,” Zoe defends. “I was sure he didn’t have a chance.”

  “So was I,” I grumble and everyone laughs.

  Justus pulls out twenty bucks and throws it on the table. “What’s that for?” I ask.

  “I had February.”

  Everyone bursts into laughter and Jeremy claps him on the back. “Only took you six months to wear her down.”

  Ethan enters the room with his boyfriend in tow, drawing attention away from us before I can kill Justus. Everyone congratulates him and wishes him a happy birthday. After presents are exchanged and the cake is cut, Ethan and his boyfriend head up to his room, leaving the rest of us to sit around and talk.

  I’d become a part of their little group because of Ayda, but it feels different being here with Justus. I’m in the wife and girlfriend club now. It’s one thing I’ve noticed about these guys, if you’re important to one of them, you’re important to all of them. They are such a tight knit group, and I’m happy to be a part of it.

  “So, what are you doing this weekend?” Landon asks Justus. “Just stripping and watching Antiques Roadshow?”

  My mouth forms an O and I turn to look at him. “You said you didn’t watch that!”

  “I don’t!”

  Dare cracks up. “I’ll bet he tried to change the channel when you walked in, didn’t he? We’ve all caught him.”

  “Yes! It was on in the hotel room.”

  Jeremy laughs. “Dude, you like to watch a show meant for senior citizens, it’s cool. You can admit it.”

  Ayda grins and rolls her eyes at me as the guys go back and forth, Justus vehemently denying he watches Antiques Roadshow. I shake my head, smiling back at her. Yeah, I feel like I belong here, with these people. With Justus.

  * * * *

  Life has pretty much returned to normal, except I spend a lot of my nights with Justus. When he isn’t working, we trade off between staying at his house and mine. It’s been almost three weeks since we returned from my mom’s and she seems to be doing fine. Our friends have given us endless shit about Justus finally wearing me down, but it’s all in good fun, and they’re happy for us. Ayda especially, since it means we can drag the guys out to double date with us.

  We’re lounging in my bed when Justus runs his hand through my hair, then cups my cheek, turning my head so I’m staring into those devastating green eyes, “I’m falling in love with you,” he murmurs, shocking the shit out of me.

  Warmth fills my chest. “That’s good, because I’m already in love with you. About time you caught up.”

  His lips stretch into a smile. “You love me?”

  “I love you.”

  His arms wrap around me, squeezing me tight. “So, you’ll come see my show?”

  Smiling up at the madman above me, I remind him. “I’ve seen your show before, remember?”

  “Oh no, Sweets. That was just a sixty second dance with the other guys, who can’t compete with me. I headline tonight.”

  I’m not sure how I’ll feel watching other women drool over him or touch him, but this is part of who he is so I’d better get used to it.

  “Tell me it’s not the unicorn act.”

  Rolling over on top of me, he links his hands with mine, pinning them to the bed while his lips explore my neck. “You love the sparkly unicorn. My big horn totally gets you wet.”

  “You wear rainbow suspenders and fuzzy lavender wristbands. Nothing about that is sexy.”

  Sliding down my body until his face is between my legs he replies, “I see. You need a reminder that I’m the sexiest man alive and the best lover you’ve ever had or will have.”

  Damn egotistical maniac. Doesn’t help that he’s right. “Best ever…I don’t know,” I tease, wiggling my hips.

  “I am the pussy eating extraordinaire, tamer of the twat, victor of the vagina—

  “Just lick me, for fuck’s sake,” I laugh.

  “Say you’ll be at my show tonight.”

  “I will.” My last word gets stretched into nonsense as he proves himself the rightful king of cunnilingus.

  * * * *

  “You have to go with me. I can’t go to a strip club alone. I’ll look like a loser,” I tell Ayda when we meet at her house later that day.

  “I can’t believe you’re going. You know what goes on there? The screaming women trying to grab some strange guys junk?”

  “I’m well aware,” I growl.

  Her eyes widen and she points at me. “You’re going to stake your claim!”

  “Maybe. Come on, don’t make me go alone.”

  Ayda flops back on the couch. “Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world. We should invite Zoe—oh and Leah is in town, I’m sure she’d like to go.”

  “Dare will kill you taking his little sister to stuff dollars down half naked men’s thongs.”

  “She’s a grown woman and he’s way too overprotective.”

  Giggling, an evil thought occurs to me. “We should get all the guys to go. Have they ever seen Justus perform?”

  Ayda bursts out laughing. “I don’t know! But it’d be hilarious. All right, you call Jeremy and Tucker. I’ll call Landon and talk Dare into it.”

  “Justus is going to kill me.”

  “This is the same man who tied you up, blindfolded you, and made you think your brother walked in, right?”

  “After I set him up to get an unexpected enema, but, yeah, I see your point.”

  “We’ve got some phone calls to make!” Ayda squeals.

  The plan comes together perfectly, and I pull in the club parking lot half an hour before Justus is supposed to perform. The others are at a café around the corner, waiting for me to text them. We don’t want him to know they’re there until it’s too late for him to back out. Knowing Justus, though, he may not even give a shit.

  The inside of the club is dim and the walls are the color of lilacs. It’s not seedy in any sense of the word. The place is very clean. The walls are lined with sofas, while tables and chairs take up the center portion of the room, bending around to line the front of the large stage.

  Justus is chatting with the bartender and a smile lights up his face when he sees me. I love that smile, his genuine happy smile, so unlike the little smirk I sometimes want to slap and lick simultaneously.

  “Sadist!” he calls, striding over to meet me. “I thought maybe you’d chicken out.”

  “No way. I can’t wait.”

  He leads me over to the bar and introduces me to the bartender. “Jane, this is Sadie, my fiancée.” Okay, I didn’t know he was still introducing me like that since we agreed we aren’t really engaged, but I go with it. The more these women know he’s mine, the better.

  “Nice to meet you. You must be a patient woman.”

  Laughing, I nod at Justus. “I see she knows you well.”


  “Get her whatever she wants to drink,” Justus tells her, before pointing out a table right in front of the stage. “See the reserved sign? That’s all yours, Sweets. I have to go get ready, okay?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  He drops a kiss on my lips and walks away humming something familiar I can’t place.

  “So.” I turn to Jane. “Is there any way we could add a few chairs to the reserved table? I may have invited a few friends without telling him.”

  “Oh, this should be good,” Jane laughs, waving over one of the security guards.

  Justus’s act is first and by the time they announce him, the place is packed full of screaming, squealing, drinking women. Jane came through for us and reserved a second table that we pushed together with mine. Now, I can barely contain my giddiness at the sight of Dare, Landon, Tucker, and Jeremy seated around one table while Zoe, Ayda, and Leah gather around mine.

  Two men come out and place a large gray wall at the edge of the stage. It’s hard to tell, but it looks like it’s made of cardboard or paper mache. They also lay a sledgehammer beside the wall before scurrying offstage. What the hell?

  Dare laughs. “Can you imagine this at a guy’s strip club? Using sets and costumes? No way, just show us the goods.”

  Ayda throws the cherry from her drink at him and he catches it, popping it into his mouth with a wink.

  “The costumes are always the same,” Jeremy laughs. “Ooh, he’s a fireman, he’s a policeman, he’s a construction worker.”

  “You go to a lot of male stripper shows, Jer?” Landon taunts.

  Tucker shakes his head and takes a drink of his beer. “I think he’s thinking of the Village People.”

  “Women are different,” Dare says. “We want to see skin, but they still need to know the fantasy guy has a job.”

  Everyone cracks up, then falls silent as the lights go dim. Nerves make my stomach flutter when I know the beginning is seconds away. Despite the fact I’ve brought all his friends to mess with him—hell, because of that fact—I really do want Justus to do well.

  The guys crack up again when a song begins to play. Oh my god. Is he actually going to strip to Miley Cyrus?

  My question is answered as a large, black replica of a wrecking ball swings across the stage. Perched on top, his legs wrapped around the chain, is Justus, wearing nothing but a white thong. “I came in like a wreeeecking baaalll!” he sings, and I can’t hear anything for a few seconds after that because the crowd loses their shit.

  Ear piercing shrieks and squeals bounce off the walls, and the women jump to their feet, cheering.

  The ball strikes the gray wall and sends it smashing to the ground. When he swings back, losing momentum, his gaze falls to the tables full of his friends, and he smirks at me, before standing up and grinding on the chain, mouthing the lyrics pulsing through the speakers.

  His eyes meet mine as he sings about kissing and falling under a spell. The women lose it again when he does a backflip off of the wrecking ball, landing lightly on his feet and dancing across the stage. Wow. The man has talent.

  He picks up the sledgehammer and straddles it, stroking up and down the handle. It goes on like that for the entire song. He humps the sledgehammer, caresses it, kisses it, and licks it. I can’t believe I’m turned on by this, but I can’t take my eyes off of him. It’s silly and over the top and ridiculously sexy. It’s Justus.

  He signals to another half-naked guy just offstage and the guy approaches me, grabbing my hand. “Come on, love. He wants you on stage.”

  When I shake my head, Zoe, Ayda, and Leah all goad me on, and Ayda pulls me to my feet, shoving me towards the stage. Bitches.

  Justus greets me with a smirk, and I know this is payback for bringing his friends. All right. He’s not getting the best of me. I fall to my knees and grab the handle of the sledgehammer, stroking it, and the crowd goes wild. He pretends to thrust it in my face and I lick the tip.

  As the song ends, he tosses the sledgehammer aside and scoops me up. My legs wrap around his hips and he kisses me long and hard in front of hundreds of cheering women. “I’ll always want you,” he murmurs in my ear, referring to the lyrics.

  “You’ve got me, you maniac.”

  I’m carried backstage amid the hoots and hollers of women who would kill to be in my place.

  * * * *

  “Sadie!” Lisa crows, running to hug me as I step into her dance studio. She has been in Italy for the past month on vacation with some brooding Italian guy she met online. It’s the longest we’ve gone without seeing each other. She’s the sister I never had.

  “There you are, you hussy! Tell me everything!” I demand. Other than a few quick phone calls, we’ve hardly spoken while she was gone. I didn’t tell her about my mom and my new relationship until yesterday, when she got back home.

  “Come into my office, I have a half hour until my next class.”

  “Alright. Spill it. Was he as impressive in person as he is online?”

  A smile splits her face. “More. Good Lord, girl, Italian men know shit American guys can’t even imagine.”

  “Like how to make the perfect cannoli?” I tease.

  “Oh, his cannoli is perfect. Long, thick and full of—

  “I get it,” I laugh, holding up my hand.

  “And how are things going with the man you wouldn’t fuck with a borrowed pussy?”

  Sighing, I shake my head. “I really like him, damn it.”

  Lisa throws back her head, laughing. “Of all the guys that have tried, you fall for the persistent stripper.”

  Groaning, I cover my face. “I know. Talk some sense into me. Tell me I’m crazy.”

  “No way. I’ve seen the guy and I had the urge to jump him myself. Does he treat you good?”

  “He hides behind that cocky attitude and crude mouth, but he’s a total sweetheart.” Lisa listens to me as I explain everything that happened with my mom and how Justus was there for me.

  She squeals over the necklace when I pull it from underneath my shirt, but it’s nothing compared to the shriek she lets out when I show her the ring. “You’re engaged!”

  “No!” I get to my feet, pacing the room like I always do when I’m worked up. “It was fake, for my mom’s benefit.”

  “Uh-huh.” Doubt rings in her voice. “And he just let you keep a ring worth thousands?”

  “I’m giving it back. He told me to hold onto it in case I go back to visit, or she comes here.”

  Lisa’s face softens. “How is she doing?”

  “It’s a matter of time, now.”

  Lisa gets to her feet and hugs me. “I’m so sorry.”

  “I know.” I release her before I start crying again.

  “Don’t overthink this thing with Justus, Sade. You deserve some happiness. Give it a chance.”

  “I will. Now, tell me more about Mr. Giant Cannoli.”

  Chapter Eight

  Justus

  Loud banging wakes me and I groan, stretching my sore muscles. The bed beside me is empty, but I can still smell Sadie on it. Hell, I can still smell her on me and it’s fantastic. She had to work this morning, and I must have been out of it since I didn’t even hear her leave. It’s no wonder since we were going at it all night.

  “Justus!” My name is followed by more banging. What the hell is Jeremy doing at my door?

  “I’m coming! Calm your tits!” Pulling on a pair of shorts, I open the door and Jeremy charges in.

  “What the fuck, Justus? I’ve been calling you all day.”

  “All day? It’s only…” A glance at the clock makes me laugh. Oh, it’s noon. She really did wear me out. “What’s lit a fire under your ass?”

  “We’ve got them. The Northside ring. You aren’t going to believe what I managed to find.”

  He’s right. I can’t believe it. He opens his laptop and shows me a website, an auction site, actually. “I found this on the dark web. They list the girls available by name and picture. No
underage ones as far as I can tell. These are the ones for sale, so I expect they’d be a bit older. Outlived their usefulness to them. I also hacked their private sister site. The names are all coded, but there are multiple addresses for the whorehouses and the places where the women are being housed.”

  The world around me fades to nothing but echoes and smoke as my gaze falls to the screen where a red headed woman stares at the camera. Her hair has been dyed and her face is thinner, but I know her immediately.

  “Justus, what the hell? Are you listening? This is kind of important shit, here.”

  I barely recognize my own voice when I touch the screen. “That’s Hannah. That’s my little sister.”

  * * * *

  The guys are gathered around the table at ISH, along with Mason Reed and two of his Fed buddies who have offered to help. It’s been two days since I saw Hannah on that sickening website being auctioned off like cattle. The guys have watched me twenty-four seven to keep me from breaking into the whorehouses and residences to find her. There’s no way to know exactly where they’re keeping her.

  Thank fuck for Mason’s connections. One of the feds is from the Civil Rights Unit, also known as the CRU, and the other is from the Violent Crimes Against Children Sector, or VCACS. I don’t give a shit what letters they use as long as they help me get Hannah out of there. My suggestion that I go undercover as a buyer wasn’t met with a lot of positive response since I’m not an agent and have no authority, but I was eventually able to convince them that’s why I should be the one. Traffickers can smell an agent a mile away.

  To them, I’m just a guy who wants a sex slave.

  “We’ve arranged a new identity for you,” Agent Murphy says, sliding a folder and a key across the table to me. “Birth certificate, social security card, etc. The key is to an apartment rented in that name.”

  “You realize these are very internet savvy people, right? They won’t be fooled by false documents.”

  “We have hackers, too,” Agent Michaels speaks up. “They can search all they want. Everything will back up this information. Until this operation is over, you are Jackson Crowe, a spoiled trust fund kid looking to buy a woman.” He looks me in the eye. “Are you sure you’re ready?”