Mr. Right Now: Vol. 1: Party Boys Who Get What They Want

by Bellus, HJ

  Eli grabs the remote and shoots Chloe a look. “My turn to pick the movie. No more girl shit or tears.”

  “Oh em gee, I just can’t wait.” Sarcasm rolls off of each word.

  Eli flips to a channel where robots, machines, guns, and humans fill the screen. She instantly checks out and lets her mind wander. Her head relaxes back on the quilted headboard, tilted and studying Eli’s profile. Will they ever get their happily ever after? What will happen when it’s time for the men to move on to the next city? Is there really room in his life for her?

  In a weird way it sickens and thrills her to know she’s found someone so important to her that she’d walk away from it all. The promotion, the career she’s built for herself, and her apartment, she’d leave it all behind to be with Eli. And that’s one big-ass scary thought.

  The vibrating of a phone jolts her from her thoughts. Checking the nightstand, it’s hers buzzing around, but this time she sees a familiar name. It’s a lawyer working on this project with her. She’s been waiting on the call since meeting with the men in the restaurant, but had forgotten about it with all the other extracurricular activities.

  “I’ve got to take this, Eli.”

  He nods in approval. “Take it, babe.”

  Eli faces the TV with his carton of Chinese food sitting on his abs, taking bites every so often. He’s completely hypnotized by the show; it has his full attention.

  Chloe takes the call and tries to focus on the lawyer’s words. And it’s exactly what she thought he’d say. It had truly never been one hundred percent confirmed that the groundbreaking ceremony could take place tomorrow. She was talking out of her ass to reassure the men. If the lawyer had come back with bad news, then she’d just try a different angle until she found a successful one.

  The lawyer goes on about the legality of the issue, and the bottom line is the Harwells have no say over what happens, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be repercussions. They don’t scare Chloe and never will, and with Eli in her corner now they’d better tread easy. And if they think they’ll sabotage club construction, they’re in for another eye-opener with four Sterlings standing behind it.

  “All right, thanks, Jack. I’ll get everything else lined up.”

  Chloe hangs up her phone and instantly opens her email app. Her fingers dart all over the keyboard, typing a long message and lining up everything for tomorrow’s ceremony. All of the legwork has been completed, but it’s the details of these events that drives her. There’s no excuse for any foul-ups at all.

  Bodies lay all over the foyer and main section of the hotel room. The Sterling boys threw one of their biggest parties last night. Cops were called several times, tables broken, and there was so much sex. Eli finally locked Chloe up after they rounded the corner to the dining room to see Cole tangled in male and female bodies fucking like rabbits.

  Chloe thought Eli was going to have a stroke at the sight of it, and she knew he’d seen it so many times before and was only trying to protect her from it. He’s been overly sensitive about the issue the last three months. She’s even had to tell Eli to back off. It makes her unbelievably happy to know he’s trying so hard. Chloe has explained to him over and over again that she knows who the Sterling boys are and can live with their lifestyle, and she’s willing to do that just to be with him.

  Chloe constantly scares away the women trying to hit on Eli, but sometimes she lets go to see how far he’ll go. And even though she’s not too proud to admit it, she’s spied on him, and he passed with flying colors. There’s just something about trust and when it’s broken.

  Eli drags Chloe by the arm off to a quiet room. They’re both surprised to see Dax in there alone.

  “Is she in the closet or what?” Eli asks.

  “Naw, man, I’m alone.”

  Dax looks defeated in the oversized tan chair. Empty beer bottles decorate the floor by his bare feet. It pains Chloe to see him in this condition, and it’s a weird sensation for her to sympathize with him, considering how many years she despised the guy. It was Dax who forced Eli to go after her, and it’s been Dax sticking up for Eli through several family fights. All of the brothers have finally gotten used to the idea of it being the Sterling boys plus Chloe.

  “Mind if we join you?” Eli asks.

  Chloe is already striding across the room and snatching one of his beers before he has the chance to answer. She plops on the loveseat opposite him and is joined by Eli.

  “Want to talk it out, man?”

  “Fuck, Eli, can’t a guy just sit in silence and drink beer for once?”

  “A guy can, but a fucking robot like you, not so much.”

  Chloe jumps in, changing the subject before a war ensues. The brothers can give each other a damn good tongue-lashing. Chloe still isn’t used to that aspect of the men fighting and then being okay five minutes later.

  “Hey, I have good news. Construction is ahead of schedule. You guys better be on liquor order duty.”

  “Did the booths come in today?” Dax asks.

  “Yep, and Seidman’s will stay late tonight to install them.”

  “Did anyone double check to see if these booths were the right ones this fucking time?”

  “Yeah, Chloe and I were down there all afternoon. We even christened the bar.”

  Chloe slaps Eli’s chest and passes her beer to him.

  The inside of Made To Sin cannot be described in words. It’s the most beautiful piece of work Chloe has ever seen. She never would have dreamed of the elegance and class the Sterling brothers put into their work. Each of their clubs is decorated exactly the same. Crushed red velvet covers the booths and windows, chrome polishes off the entire trim, and several bars are located throughout, and a hint of a black and white checker pattern splashes the surfaces.

  “I’m just dying to see it finished,” Chloe adds, trying to take away from Eli’s embarrassing comment.

  Eli did fuck her on the bar, and it was amazing until a bartender and the crew he was training busted them. The men flew out a team from the East Coast and have started the hiring and training process.

  The brothers start up small talk as Chloe drifts off into her own thoughts, strumming her lower abdomen. She’s tried like hell to avoid rubbing it or paying any extra attention to it. She’s even played up the part of drinking, or at least taking one when it was offered. She is terrified to tell Eli she is pregnant.

  She took over a dozen tests and ran the math in her head. Yes, they’d never used condoms, but she was on the pill and fairly consistent at taking them. Well, she learned fairly consistent didn’t get the job done. She’s known about the pregnancy for about three days.

  She has rehearsed several different scenarios of Eli’s reaction in her mind. Hell, if his brothers fought so hard to keep them apart, what would they do with a baby? Does Eli even want to be a dad? He rarely talks about his parents, and Chloe knows for a fact he has some issues with adoption and never feeling fully accepted. Their relationship is the best it’s ever been. It’s like they just picked up from five years ago, falling into old habits, except they go to work instead of high school.

  “Chloe.”

  She jumps up from the couch, not realizing how distracted she was or how long Eli had been calling her name. “What, babe?”

  “Where in the hell were you just then?”

  “Just got lots on my mind.”

  And it was no lie. She did have way more on her mind than she ever wanted to face. Chloe’s been successful at hiding most of the details from Eli about the Ethan ordeal. Her court date is tomorrow morning, and she’s made up a very intricate story to tell Eli. He knows all of her meeting times and business routine by now, so it wasn’t easy trying to convince him she didn’t need a ride to work in the morning.

  “Eli, I’m going to head back to my place tonight and prepare for my big meeting in the morning.”

  “Baby girl,” Eli says, dropping to his knees and settling between her legs on the couch.

&
nbsp; “I told you. I need to separate all Sterling business from this meeting tomorrow.”

  “I promise I’ll be quiet,” he says sticking out his bottom lip.

  “No, Eli.” Chloe sits up and kisses him. “You always end up distracting me, and then before I know it I’m bent over something.”

  “Let me drive you home at least.”

  “I’ll just take a cab. Plus, I think he might need you.”

  Dax saunters back into the room with more beer. Plus, Chloe knows if Eli drops her off there’s no way in hell he’ll ever leave, because she won’t let him. He’s the worst kind of addiction she could have.

  “Fine. You’re breaking my heart, baby girl,” Eli says.

  “You’ll live.”

  “Consider it crushed. Chloe Jo, you just crushed me.”

  “Stop. Don’t make me feel worse than I feel already. And I need to get going before you take off any of these clothes.”

  “I could strip tease for you.”

  “No,” Chloe yells and then giggles. “Walk me down to the lobby.”

  “Deal.” Eli stands up, dragging Chloe to a standing position. “Dax, I’ll be right back. I’m going to walk Chloe down.”

  He just nods at both of them. Chloe lets go of Eli’s hand and walks over to Dax. He’s returned to a slumped position, staring at his bare feet.

  “I don’t know what’s up, but I love you like a brother, even though I’ve hated you longer than I’ve liked you.”

  Her words get a slight chuckle from him. She presses a light kiss to his forehead before she makes her way over to Eli.

  The couple wind their way through naked bodies, empty cans, and miscellaneous clothes. The elevator may be one of the safest places in the penthouse. Steel doors shut as Eli punches in the code and L for lobby. He turns quickly and plants his hands above her head on the elevator wall. He relaxes his waist into her while keeping his chest pulled back.

  “Look at me, Chloe.”

  When she tilts her head up, a vulnerable Eli is in front of her with a scared look covering his face.

  “Don’t run, Chloe.”

  “Huh?”

  “This secret business meeting. I have a feeling it’s a new job assignment and you want it to get away from me. I’ll stay here when my brothers move on, or I’ll take you. Leaving you this time is not an option.”

  “Oh, baby, it has nothing to do with that.” Chloe grabs his face and traces her fingers along his jawline. “You know I’m a workaholic.”

  Nothing could make her feel worse right now. First lying to Eli about the meeting, then hearing him confess his fear, and then lying again to reassure him. There is no job to take, or a meeting, for that matter. She doesn’t want Eli within ten feet of Ethan and knows beyond certainty that he’d crush him. That is the last thing the Sterlings need. The baby bomb will be enough to make all their heads spin.

  Chloe steps up on her tiptoes.

  “I’m.” She places a kiss on Eli’s lips. “Never.” Kiss. “Leaving.” She places another quick kiss. “You.” Kiss.

  Eli catches her lips on the last kiss and doesn’t let go. It’s a kiss full of need as he pushes Chloe’s back into the elevator wall. His tongue dips in her mouth, exploring every nook and cranny. His teeth finally sink into her bottom lip, pulling back a bit. The ding of the doors and jarring sensation of hitting the bottom floor snaps the couple from their very heated kiss.

  “I can’t step out of this elevator and watch you walk away. I won’t be able to stop myself.”

  Chloe giggles, pressing one final kiss to his lips. She keeps hold of his hand as long as she can until she’s forced to drop it. Turning to face the elevator, she notices the closing doors, and then Eli’s smiling face.

  “I love you, Eli.”

  “Love you, too, baby girl.”

  The doors shut all the way and Chloe turns for the doors of the lobby. Of course, her overbearing and protective Eli has a cab waiting out front for her, and not just any cab, but a driver and car. Chloe feels awkward having her own personal driver, so she always refers to the driver and car as a cab.

  On the drive home, Chloe knows she has to tell Eli about the baby, and tomorrow she will. She’s played out all the ways he’s going to react, but of course her favorite one is where he sweeps her off her feet and cries tears of joy with her.

  She wrapped the first pregnancy test in a box the day she found out. Chloe wants to make it special for Eli. A moment neither of them will ever forget. And she’s just going to have to go out on limb and hope for the reaction she wants.

  Her phone dings in her purse and she knows it’s Eli.

  Eli: Home yet?

  Chloe: 2 blocks away

  Eli: I kind of feel naked not having you with me.

  Chloe: Well, your ass better not be naked.

  Eli: Want to come check for yourself?

  Chloe: Stop. Just pulled up to the apartment. I’ll text you in a bit.

  Eli: You own me.

  Chloe: Love you, too…and behave

  She giggles, imagining Eli still sitting with Dax, twiddling his thumbs in boredom. She felt naked without Eli, too. Chloe stuffs her phone in her purse while she walks to the front steps of her apartment. Every time she enters the apartment she’s reminded of the day they both completely broke, surrendering to their love. It was the ugliest, nastiest point in her life, yet tragically beautiful. She has no problem remembering the code this time as she quickly punches it in.

  She skips up the stairs in joy, excited to share the news with Eli tomorrow, and wonders how she’ll ever sleep tonight. The court case she faces tomorrow holds no more power over her. Either the creep will pay for her car or Chloe will just have to take it in the ass. She knows it’s silly pushing a Harwell to this point, but she’s also a firm believer in the justice system.

  She won’t be walked on by anyone, whether his or her last name is Harwell or Smith. When she opens her apartment door, three or four dozen red roses sit on the table in her foyer.

  “How in the hell did he do that?” Chloe says out loud. Eli has an impeccable way of being sneaky. She quickly pulls out her cellphone to call him, and then gets a better idea. Something her dirty little boy would love. She strips off each piece of clothing until she stands bare naked in front of the flowers. Holding her phone up, she finds the right angle for capturing the perfect picture of the flowers and her body.

  Light bruises cover her body from their lovemaking. Even months later, they can’t control themselves at certain points. She sends the picture with two simple words, thank you, to Eli before she starts a hot bath. She finds her iPad, flipping through her Hulu account and all the series she needs to catch up on. After she selects one, she hears her phone ringing, and realizes she left it out on her bed. Chloe jogs over to the bed, and when she sees Eli’s name on the phone she absentmindedly begins walking back out to the flowers.

  “Did you like my picture?” Chloe reaches out stroking one dainty blood red petal.

  “Where are you?”

  “In my kitchen bare naked admiring the roses you sent me.”

  His voice becomes panicked. “Chloe, I didn’t send you any flowers.”

  “What? Then who did?”

  “I did.” A large black shadow steps from the darkness of the living room. Chloe drops the phone with terror coursing through her body.

  “Ethan.”

  “Weren’t expecting me, were you? I warned you not to go forward, and you did on both accounts, the charges and the club.”

  Chloe dives to the floor, scrambling to get to the phone. She can hear Eli’s voice on the other end telling her he’s on his way, but she knows it’s a good fifteen minute ride across town.

  “Eli, hur…”

  Ethan’s black leather gloves wrap around her throat and cinches down. Each one of his fingers push on her throat, making it damn near impossible to breathe. She feels one sting across her face as she follows Ethan’s black glove. He repeats the action, slapping h
er face back and forth.

  Finally, a new object enters her vision. The roses come closer and closer until they crack on the side of her head. Chloe blacks out for a second, until everything comes back into focus. She refuses to go down and tries to search the kitchen for something she can use in retaliation. She scans every surface and finds nothing. Chloe can feel her eyes begin to roll back, but can’t stop them. Then there’s another blow to the side of her head and everything goes black.

  Moments of darkness pass by as she fights to open her eyes. Chloe uses every ounce of energy she can muster to move an arm or lift her head, but each time the darkness wins out. She senses evil standing near her and keeps battling to move an inch, but nothing will budge. Eli’s familiar voice finally invades her.

  Chloe’s eyes open, searching for him, but she sees nothing but darkness. Her hands crunch around in glass, searching for a steady spot to hold her body up. Eli’s voice keeps taunting her, creating a panic she’s unable to control. The next voice she hears is her own screaming in sheer horror. She tries like hell to mute the noise, but nothing happens but steady streams of screams. She wraps her hands around Eli’s thick arm and Ethan’s face flashes in her dark vision. His eyes are highlighted by the dark vibes surrounding them, causing Chloe to scream louder, thrashing around to get loose.

  The more her muscles struggle to break free, the tighter her captor holds her.

  There’s blood everywhere. Her flesh is torn among the debris lying everywhere. Eli’s eyes are forced to focus on the scarlet covering all the surfaces. He reacts the only way he knows how, by grabbing Chloe. Blood continues to flow as he holds her and she fights him with everything she has. He feels her begin to lose the battle breath by breath as she struggles, and the only thing he can do is hold her tighter to his chest as she fades away.

  “I love you, Chloe Jo,” slips from Eli’s lips, barely audible in the silent kitchen.

  Volume #2

  “Party Boys in Room 211”

  April 11th

  Volume #3