by Jade Kuzma
“Careful,” I said. “It looks like we’ve got an audience.”
I knew it was a fancy shindig with the most affluent people in Ivory attending. Even people from out of town had shown up because of the deal Burke had made. A couple of bikers like Sebastian and I were sure to attract some attention.
“We’re invited guests,” Sebastian said. “I say if we don’t try to relax, we’re not doing a good job of blending in.”
Sebastian grabbed a glass of champagne from one of the waiters walking by then some food from another waiter.
“For a hundred grand, I think I can do this,” I said.
I took a glass for myself and gulped down the bubbly champagne.
“Gentlemen.”
I turned around and saw Burke. His chest was puffed out a little more than usual. His slicked-back hair was extra shiny, too. The guy certainly liked to let everybody know how much money he was worth.
“I’m glad you could make it,” he said.
“That’s why you paid us,” Sebastian said. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”
Sebastian winked at Burke, who gave him a soft chuckle in response.
“I don’t think I have to worry about anybody in this room trying anything, Cain. The personal security outside is larger than your entire sheriff’s department.”
“It never hurts to have a few extra hands like us,” Seabass said.
“Of course not.”
Burke turned to me and looked me up and down.
“And you, Rock,” he said. “It must be nice knowing you won’t have to deal with random thugs tonight.”
“Random thugs. Un-random thugs. You paid me to take care of them all the same.”
“Good to hear. I think you might have your hands a bit full with Mia tonight.”
“Why’s that?”
“Just because there are no thugs in the room doesn’t mean there aren’t people who are looking to take advantage of her in some way. She’s a beautiful woman. And she’s the daughter of a Mafioso. Don’t let your guard down, Rock. From the looks of things, she appears to need some protection right now…”
Burke looked over my shoulder. I turned around and immediately spotted her. I wondered why I didn’t fucking notice her when I first walked into the ballroom.
She was wearing a black dress that hugged her curves perfectly. Just the right amount of cleavage to get me looking but enough to make me use my imagination. The skirt was high enough to show off those damn legs of hers. They were accentuated by a pair of heels that would’ve made any man hard.
Mia noticed all of us staring and excused herself from the man she was talking to. She moved over to us. Even the steps she took were seductive. As she neared, her face brightened up with a smile. Cherry-red lips highlighted the white teeth they hid. Her fucking smile was enough to make me remember all of the shit I did with her.
“Roman,” she said. “It’s good to see you.”
I didn’t say anything, just greeting her with a nod.
“I was just telling Rock here that neither of you should let your guard down,” Burke said. “You’re the most beautiful woman in the room. Someone might try to take advantage of you.”
“They can try but they won’t,” she replied. “I’m engaged to you.”
It was hard to tell that they were engaged. Mia did a shitty job of hiding her disinterest in him. Burke didn’t seem to give a shit either way. He knew as well as anybody that their marriage was just a consolidation of power. It was the worst secret in the room.
“If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen,” Burke said. “There are some other guests I need to attend to. The deal is finalized but I need to make sure that no parties back out. Have a good night.”
Burke gave me a quick glance before walking away to the other side of the ballroom. With Burke gone, the smile returned to Mia’s face.
“I’m glad you could make it,” she said to me.
“It’s my job,” I said.
“I know it’s your job. But I know it’s not the easiest thing in the world to come to these things. My father’s hosted fancy dinner parties before.”
“It’s no trouble, Mia. You know that.”
Mia’s skin was a little more tan than usual from the Ivory sun but not enough to hide her blushing cheeks. I narrowed my eyes as I held back a smile. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Sebastian looking at me. I turned to him and he shifted his eyes up and down like he was examining me.
“What?” I said to him.
He remained silent for a few seconds, still staring at me like an obnoxious prick.
“…Nothing,” he said.
“I think you two will enjoy yourselves,” Mia said. “They’ve hired some of the best chefs in Ivory to make dinner.”
“I didn’t know Ivory had any good chefs,” Sebastian said. “I guess it took a lot of money to get them out of hiding.”
“From the looks of things, the guy who owns this place probably has enough money to get anybody out of hiding,” I said. “What did you say his name was?”
“Emerson,” a voice said suddenly.
I turned and saw a woman in a red dress.
“James Emerson,” the woman said.
I squinted to make sure I was seeing her right.
Oh, shit… Is that…
“Kristen?” Sebastian said.
“Hello, Sebastian,” she responded.
“Oh, shit,” I said, unable to hold back what I was thinking.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Seabass said.
Kristen didn’t respond. She just sighed as she looked him up and down. Mia had a confused look on her face.
“I thought you left Ivory,” Sebastian said.
“I did leave,” Kristen said. “And now I’m back.”
“That’s good. It’s good to see you. But what are you doing here?”
“My boyfriend has business here.”
“Your boyfriend?”
“Yes. My boyfriend. James Emerson. Speaking of which…”
Kristen turned to the side as a man approached us. The guy looked as rich as all of the other motherfuckers in the room. His suit looked expensive. The same for his watch and his shoes. Even his fucking haircut.
He walked right up to us with a puzzled look on his face.
“James,” Kristen said. “This is Roman Rock.”
Emerson held his hand out to me and I shook it. His eyes widened and he nodded his head.
“Oh, yes,” he said as he looked at my patch. “The other biker Burke hired.”
“And I’m sure you’ve seen Sebastian Cain before,” Kristen continued.
“Yes… From the meetings. I’ve seen you before. Do you know, Kristen?”
“Sebastian and I are old friends,” Kristen said.
“Ex-boyfriend,” Sebastian said.
Emerson raised his head up and looked down his nose at Sebastian. Even though they both had smiles on their faces, there was a tension building between them.
“I’m glad you could make it,” Emerson said. “Tonight is a celebration. I hope you enjoy dinner.”
“I’m sure we will,” Seabass said.
“Pardon me. I have to take care of some of the other guests. They’re just desperate for my attention.”
Emerson left us. He hadn’t been gone for a second before Sebastian looked at Kristen.
“You’re with him?” he said.
“Why?” she said. “Does that surprise you?”
“Yes! Yes, it surprises me. The guy’s nothing like me.”
“Go figure.”
“Ha!”
I couldn’t help but get a chuckle out of it even though Seabass himself wasn’t amused.
“You should’ve told me you were back in town, KK,” he said.
“Let’s get one thing straight,” Kristen said as she took a step toward him. “The only reason I haven’t asked for security to kick you out is because you’re an invited guest.”
“Don
’t be like that, KK.”
“And stop calling me that.”
Kristen turned to Mia and me and bowed her head.
“Have a good evening,” she said before walking away.
Sebastian took a step toward her but I immediately put a hand on his shoulder and held him back.
“Don’t,” I said.
“But—”
“What the fuck are you gonna do? Are you gonna cause a scene with a woman who’s dating the man who’s hosting this fucking thing? You’re only here to watch out for Burke.”
Seabass straightened his vest out and grabbed another glass of champagne.
“Whatever,” he said as he gulped it. “There are plenty of women here who wanna talk to a Devil.”
He walked away and left me alone with Mia. She arched an eyebrow at me.
“What was that all about?” she asked.
“It’s… a long story,” I said. “Nothing you need to worry about.”
The ballroom was filled with music and conversation. But all of that shit seemed distant as I looked at Mia.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said.
Just from the look in her eyes, I knew what she was thinking. What we did last night… Pinning her against the wall and taking control of her… I wanted to do it again. And she might as well have been telling me to do it with the way her eyes narrowed.
Her throat shifted with a swallow. Before I could say anything, a voice interrupted us.
“Thank you all for coming!”
Everybody turned their attention to Emerson in the center of the ballroom.
“You’re all here to celebrate a landmark deal in Ivory. It’s a pleasure to host you all. Dinner will be served shortly. Please. Find a seat and make yourselves comfortable.”
The guests all scattered around and found their way to their seats around the ballroom. Mia turned back to me and put her hands behind her back.
“You feel like keeping me company tonight?” she asked.
She raised an eyebrow at me. She bit her bottom lip to try and hide her grin. I smirked back at her and nodded.
“That’s my job. I’m here to make sure that nothing happens to you. Unless you want it to.”
“Good… Make sure nothing happens. Unless I want it.”
Chapter 13
MIA
The scene in Emerson’s ballroom would’ve been strange for most people. It wasn’t that everybody in the room had so much money to their names. No, the people here were different for other reasons.
Arthur was on the verge of closing a deal with a group of people who were willing to do whatever it took to make a few extra bucks. I couldn’t hold it against them. Not when I knew what my father did to make ends meet and support my family. I didn’t care what anybody in the room was capable of. It was still strange though.
Despite all of the champagne flowing and the lovely music playing and the friendly conversation, there was an underlying tension that anything could’ve gone wrong. There was too much money at stake for everybody.
Having Roman by my side helped. There was a comfort that came from just having him near. It wasn’t just that he looked like he was more than capable of handling himself. I already knew he could do that. There was something else about him that made me feel so safe.
Of course, I wasn’t thinking much about that. I couldn’t look at him for too long because the memory of what we did last night would come back to me.
I could remember it so vividly.
How tense his muscles were. His masculine grunts. The taste of his tongue. The brick wall he pounded me against as he drove his cock as deep as he could into me. His cum splashing against my insides and spilling down onto my thighs.
I couldn’t think about any of that. Not at the dinner table. Not with the man I was telling myself to marry on my other side.
Thankfully, dinner wasn’t very eventful. Roman didn’t say anything while he ate. I was just as silent as he was. Arthur had cordial conversations with everybody else at our table. Something uninteresting about business. I was grateful that nobody asked me for my input. More than anything, I was just here for my father.
The celebration continued into the night after the last course was served. People were still drinking. They headed to the dance floor and moved to the slow rhythm of the band. Arthur continued his conversation with his cohorts.
Roman excused himself and moved over to the balcony off to the side of the ballroom. I watched him for a moment, wondering what it was he was thinking about. I turned to Arthur. He wasn’t paying any attention to me, so I didn’t say anything when I got up from my seat.
I walked over to where Roman stood outside of the ballroom. A cool night breeze brushed against me. The music and conversation became distant.
Roman leaned against the balcony, looking down on the city in front of him. I sighed a deep breath as I enjoyed the view of the clear night sky just the same as him.
“This is a hell of a view,” I said.
“That’s why they call this place Golden Hills. Only the rich people can afford a place like this.”
He looked at me and smirked.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Why’d you come out here?”
“I thought I’d keep you a little company.”
“A little company… You’ve got plenty of company inside.”
“They’re not really my kind of people.”
“Is that right? And just what are your kind of people?”
“It’s hard to say…”
I moved closer to him and turned my attention back out to the view. My arm rubbed against his. I could feel his eyes on me as I looked out into the distance.
“…I like people who are honest,” I said. “I like people who are passionate… Determined.”
“And the people in the ballroom aren’t?”
“Maybe. But I know someone out here on the balcony who is all of those things.”
Roman sighed a deep breath. His eyes were unblinking as he stayed looking out onto the town down below. It was strange to see him the way he was now. He was always so intense but now, he looked like he was at peace.
“They would’ve loved this,” he said under his breath.
“What was that?”
He didn’t say anything. I kept waiting for a response but he didn’t give it to me.
“Who would’ve loved this?”
“All of them,” he whispered.
“All of who?”
“The other Devils… Tommy… Frankie…Phillip…”
“The other Devils… I thought there was only you and Sebastian.”
“And you’d be right.”
Roman kept staring out into the distance. It was as if his mind was somewhere else.
Don’t…
Everything about Roman was so intriguing. I knew better than to pry though. I wasn’t sure what to think.
Somewhere inside of me, I found the nerve to keep pushing.
“Where are they?” I said. “The rest of your club…”
“Gone.”
“Gone where?”
“Phillip was the first one… They say riding is dangerous. It doesn’t rain much in Ivory, so the road gets really slick when it does. Phillip was still young. Didn’t know how to handle it…”
Roman’s throat bobbed up and down when he swallowed. He didn’t have to finish for me to know what he was getting at.
“When Phillip was gone, none of us took it well. Tommy took it the worst though. He was always so impulsive, so emotional. He rode up to the big city without telling anybody. Got so drunk he started some shit at a bar with the wrong people. It didn’t matter that he was carrying. He could’ve had an entire arsenal but that wouldn’t make him bulletproof.”
“Roman…”
I could see that his story was getting the best of him. I put my hand up to his arm to try and console him but he didn’t stop.
“Frankie…”
“You don’t have to tell me.”
I sighed through my nose and nodded to him.
“Frankie lost two of his best friends. Two of his brothers. He figured he was better off with them and took himself out. A clean shot right underneath his chin…”
He snapped his fingers.
“…Just like that, he was gone.”
He shook his head, his eyes unblinking.
“You know, we have a saying with the Devils. Life is Hell before you get to Heaven. I guess they just got tired of living in Hell.”
“You and Sebastian…”
“Just Sebastian. After Frankie died, I thought about giving up myself. Everybody around me was dropping. I threw away the patch and Sebastian didn’t try to stop me.
“But the pain didn’t go away. I wanted to get rid of the pain so I drank. I drank so much that I robbed a liquor store.”
“You what?”
“I robbed a liquor store,” he said with a laugh. “I robbed a liquor store for not even a hundred bucks. But the truth was I didn’t care. The cops scooped me up without too much trouble and they hauled me off.”
“That’s why you were in prison.”
“They gave me five years. I probably deserved more. But now I’m out on parole after four. I guess that’s God’s way of playing a trick on me. Telling me that I still got something to give. Telling me that I’ve still got a purpose and I can’t die yet.”
“You do have a purpose.”
“I know I do.”
He blinked his eyes. That blue-eyed stare of his was no longer lost in the memory of the men no longer with him. Now he was looking right at me. He was so intense that I was paralyzed where I stood.
“You’re my purpose, Mia. You’re what I’ve been looking for. You were meant for me.”
“I…”
I stuttered trying to find the right response.
“You know I’m right.”
He moved closer to me. He was right in front of me. His stare. His smell. His entire presence was consuming my thoughts, making it hard for me to think.
“You’re mine,” he said.
He reached up and put his hands on my arms but I pulled away from him. I couldn’t let him do it. Not where someone could see us.
