I tsked. “It’s my chair. This is my club.” I jabbed my finger. “Sit.”
He paused, considering his options. And then he did as instructed. “Akiro Yoshida owns this club.”
Part of signing the deal had been an enforced secrecy clause. Yoshida had been prevented from telling anyone he was selling up, including his employees. Especially his employees. I insisted on it with all my business transactions.
I glanced at my watch. “Six hours and thirty-four minutes ago, Mr. Yoshida signed the contract selling this club to me.”
“That’s impossible,” Tanaka spluttered. “He would have told me.”
“I can assure you it’s far from impossible.” I fiddled with my cufflinks. “Feel free to call him if you’re so inclined, although I doubt he’ll thank you for ringing at this late hour.”
Tanaka’s eyes narrowed, but he made no move to call Yoshida.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to close the club early tonight, and then I want all the staff to gather in the bar. You’ve got ten minutes. I suggest you get on with it.”
“How do you expect me to do that?”
“You’ve got a tongue in your head. Use it.”
Elliot sniggered and opened the door. I stared flatly at the man sitting opposite until he finally rose from the chair, muttering under his breath on the way out.
Ten minutes later—to the second—Elliot and I returned to the main bar area. The final customers were being ushered up the stairs that led to the outside of the club. Tanaka had retaken the same stool at the end of the bar, except this time, sans scotch. Outwardly, he exuded nonchalance, but a slight tremor to his left pinky gave the game away.
A hush fell across the room. Elliot folded his tall frame into a chair. I remained standing.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Ryker Stone, and this is my business partner, Elliot Bancroft. Yesterday, I purchased this establishment, and now I want to let you all know what’s going to happen.” I cut my gaze to Tanaka. “Translate.”
He did, albeit reluctantly. I continued, pausing at regular intervals for him to translate into Japanese for those present who did not speak enough English to understand. A surprising majority seemed able to follow most of what I was saying, which pleased me. I insisted on the ability to speak English in all my businesses, regardless of location. English was the global language, and a lot of the men who frequented these types of establishments were traveling businessmen looking for a little fun. I didn’t want them to struggle with a language barrier—or use it as a way of pretending they didn’t understand the rules.
“So, next steps,” I said. “All establishments under the Poles Apart brand have a certain look. Therefore, I’ll be closing the club for a period of two weeks to allow the renovations to take place.”
A murmur broke out, growing in volume as people conversed in hushed whispers. I held up my hand.
“For those concerned about their salaries, let me allay your fears. You will be recompensed during the closure period based on your average earnings over the last six months. If you have worked here for less than six months, then your total tenure will be used in the calculation.” I allowed a slow smile to build as I turned my attention first to Tanaka, and then to the bartender I’d witnessed skimming. “As with all takeovers, there will always be job losses, but these will be kept to a minimum. While I can’t promise anyone will keep their job until my team and I have had time to properly assess all employees, at this juncture, I foresee only two.”
I strolled over to Tanaka and withdrew an envelope from the inside pocket of my jacket. “Here’s two weeks’ pay. Now get out.”
Tanaka’s eyes widened. “You can’t do that.”
I smirked. “Check your contract. I think you’ll find I can. No one in my clubs treats any employee like a piece of meat to be abused, mishandled, assaulted, and raped. Now leave before I give in to my associate’s desire to beat you to death with a baseball bat.”
“You’ll regret this,” he spat.
I smirked, straightening my spine up to my full height of six feet two. “You sound like a bad seventies movie.” I jerked my head backward. “Exit’s that way.”
Shocked silence swept through the room, and then one person began to clap, followed by a second and a third. Tanaka sent me a hateful look. I stared at him coldly, my arms folded over my chest.
As Tanaka put his foot on the first step out of this place, the vast majority of the employees were cheering his departure.
Good.
That meant I wouldn’t have a riot on my hands. Over time, I’d introduce changes, but it helped if I could keep some stability until the new manager got his feet under the table.
I waited for the applause to abate. I pointed at one of the women I’d noticed had followed everything I said. “Can you speak English?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Can you translate?“
Another nod. “Yes, I think so.”
I gave her an encouraging smile then swept my gaze around the gathered crowd. “One more piece of business, and then you can all go home.”
I spoke slowly, deliberately, to help the woman understand what I was saying.
“I need to make one thing very clear to you all if you wish to continue working here. I will ensure you are taken care of, paid fairly, and treated well. What I demand in return is honesty. I will not tolerate stealing. From me, my associates, other employees, our clientele.” With measured steps, I made my way over to the bartender as my new translator barked out rapid Japanese. I locked my gaze on to his and then smirked. “You’re fired.”
His head jerked back as if I’d punched him. I’d fucking like to punch him.
“Now hang on—”
“No, you hang on. You’re skimming,” I explained, even though he knew damned well the reason for his dismissal. “Every third customer.” He opened his mouth once more. I raised my hand. “Don’t insult my intelligence by trying to deny it. Leave. You’re done.”
“Where’s my two weeks’ pay?” he demanded.
I snorted. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Fine,” he snarled. “It’s a shitty joint anyway.”
He was right about that. Not for long, though.
On his way out, he petulantly knocked a few bottles of whiskey to the floor, the noise of smashing glass causing a few of the girls to flinch. I rolled my eyes. If he thought that would garner a reaction, draw me into a fight, he was sorely mistaken.
I waited until he’d gone then sent everyone home with a promise they’d receive regular updates over the next couple of weeks.
“That went well,” Elliot said when the last employee had left.
“Could have been worse,” I agreed.
“Do you think we’ll get any more trouble from Tanaka?”
I shrugged, unconcerned one way or the other. “Never can tell.” I yawned. “Let’s go. I’m wiped.”
I locked up—Yoshida had the keys delivered to me yesterday—and we wearily climbed into the back of my car. Hit by the quiet after all the drama, Athena crowded my mind once more. How the hell was I going to deal with her with Elliot around?
“Y’know,” I said, making shit up on the fly. “I might stick around for a few days. Do a little sightseeing.”
Elliot cocked a brow. “You don’t sightsee.”
“Only because I don’t have time. I’m due a few days off. Besides, if I’m here, I can make sure the work begins to my satisfaction.”
“That’s true,” Elliot said. “You don’t need me, though, right?”
I grinned, playfully nudging him. “I see right through you, Bancroft. Desperate to get back to Brienna, are we?”
Brienna was Elliot’s latest girl, a recent arrival on the scene. She wouldn’t last. They never did. For now, he’d give her his undivided attention, make her feel like a queen, until he got bored and moved on.
“My right arm needs a break,” he replied. “Before we came out
here, I was banging her three times a day. I need my fix.”
I pulled a face. “Please. I don’t want to hear about your sex life, thanks very much.”
Elliot laughed. “At least one of us is still a blue blood. You’re virtually celibate these days.”
“Hardly,” I uttered, even though that wasn’t too far from the truth. Goddamn Athena getting inside my head and refusing to leave. “I’m choosier than you, that’s all.”
Elliot’s laughter grew. “If you hadn’t set about screwing half the Eastern seaboard of the United States the second your balls dropped, I’d be inclined to believe you.”
If he had any inkling why I’d behaved that way, I’d have no choice other than celibacy, because he’d chop my dick off.
“Maybe that’s why then,” I said. “I’ve run out of options.”
“The news anchor on the TV this morning said there’s a typhoon brewing in the Pacific. I’m sure I read somewhere that typhoons make women’s kink-o-meter kick up a notch. Something about atmospheric pressure.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve told you before to stop believing everything you read in the National Enquirer. Next you’ll be telling me E.T. exists.”
Elliot made a shocked face. “He doesn’t?”
“Fuck off.”
Our banter continued the entire journey back to the hotel, and the whole ride up to the top floor in the elevator. At least it kept us awake long enough to make it to our penthouses. We said goodnight. I pretended to check something on my phone until I was sure Elliot had gone inside. Once he had, I flashed the key card, waited for the click, then entered.
“Ah, you’re back.”
The man I’d hired to watch Athena rose from the couch. He stretched, adjusted his pants, and slipped his phone into his pocket.
“All okay?” I asked.
“No trouble. She went to bed about an hour ago.”
“Which room?”
He pointed to one of the guest beds.
“Great. I can take it from here. Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
He bowed, then left.
I went into my bedroom, leaving the door open in case Athena tried to leave. I wouldn’t put anything past that woman. She was as slippery as a snake. Quickly shedding my clothes, I shoved them in a bag, double knotted it, and tossed it in the corner of my room ready for the maids in the morning. I typed a note in my phone reminding me to have a new Alexander Amosu suit made next time I was in London.
I desperately wanted a shower, but how could I risk it? If Athena heard running water, she’d definitely make a run for it. When the answer came to me, I grinned. Striding naked across the living area, I picked up one of the six dining chairs and slid it under the door handle to her room. That should hold her long enough for me to get rid of the cloying smell of smoke.
Ten minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom, the awful stench finally gone. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and, leaving my hair damp, I went over to Athena’s room. The chair was in the same place, indicating she hadn’t attempted to leave. I put it to one side and quietly opened her door.
Athena had her back to me, her long dark hair fanned out over the crisp white pillow. Her breathing was soft and even. Considering how tired I was, I briefly contemplated letting her sleep until morning but immediately discarded the idea. This conversation needed to happen tonight.
I sat on the edge of the bed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear so I could see her face better. Her cheeks were tinged pink, her lips parted. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful.
My chest tightened. “What am I going to do with you, my little goddess?” I whispered.
She stirred and then rolled onto her back. A few seconds later, her eyelids flickered then opened.
“Ryker?”
Her voice, thick with sleep, sent blood rushing to my groin. Fucking hell. Not now.
“Yeah,” I rasped. “It’s me.”
She let out a contented sigh and stretched, the movement parting the robe and giving me more than a glimpse of her breasts. I raised my eyes heavenward. Are you kidding me?
And then she shot up in bed, pinning me with an angry glare. “You left. You dragged me back here against my will and left me with that… that… oaf.”
I raised one eyebrow. “Oaf?”
“He picked his teeth,” she explained with a pout.
I grinned. “At least it wasn’t his nose.”
“Urgh, Ryker.” She slammed her palm into my shoulder. “That’s disgusting.”
I stood before she could cast her unique spell—the one that made me forget my own name.
“Get dressed. You owe me an explanation.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You want me to put on the clothes I was wearing at the club?”
Christ. I was too tired to think straight. With everything else going on, I’d forgotten she didn’t have anything to wear other than that outfit. And I’d gouge out my own eyes before I’d ever see her wearing it again.
“Just get in the living room, Athena,” I snapped. “And pull that robe closed. I’ve seen more than enough of your tits for one day, as has half of Japan, it seems.”
I left her with her mouth hanging open, my cutting and unnecessary words clearly hitting the bull’s-eye.
I hated myself.
4
Athena
I stared at Ryker’s retreating form as he disappeared into the living area of the penthouse suite, hot tears pricking my eyes. I blinked, and a couple spilled over, sticking to my lashes. I dashed them aside. Over the years, I’d cried so many tears over Ryker Stone, it surprised me I had any left. While I futilely clung to the hope that one day he’d wake up and realize we were meant for each other, Ryker showed no signs of harboring any feelings toward me other than mild irritation and disdain. Even the rare moments of light banter never lasted long.
“I’m waiting, Athena.”
I ground my teeth, garnering fury instead of hurt, resentment in place of calm, hatred as opposed to adoration.
You want my rage, Ryker? You got it.
I stomped into the living room, purposely leaving my robe hanging half open. Childish, maybe, but if Ryker wanted to treat me like a kid, that’s exactly what he’d get.
His eyes glued to my chest, then widened. A slight flush crept up his neck. Anger maybe? No one disobeyed Ryker Stone, not these days, and definitely not since he became a billionaire. Well, tough shit, mister, cuz this girl ain’t gonna bend to your will. No, sir. He might’ve forgotten where he came from, but I hadn’t. I recalled clear as day when he had nothing, when his mother was out working all the time to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, and my mom had to step in and make sure he had enough to eat and clothes that fit, especially during the years of teenage growth spurts.
Fortunately for Ryker, he had a brain the size of a planet and secured a merit scholarship to college. None of his achievements surprised me. He’d always been on the trajectory to greatness. It oozed from his every pore. He was born dirt-poor but destined to be stinking rich.
I fully expected him to order me to cover myself up. Instead, he plucked a loose thread from his jeans, got to his feet, and casually walked over to the bar area. He opened the ice bucket then popped the top back on. I guessed the ice must have melted.
He crossed over to an occasional table and picked up the house phone. “This is Ryker Stone. I need ice.”
I rolled my eyes, waiting for him to hang up. “You could fetch it yourself. I’m sure there’s an ice machine in the hallway or one floor down.”
His smirk came slow. “And leave you here all alone.” He tsked. “I don’t think so.”
I huffed. “You honestly think I’m going to walk the streets of Tokyo dressed in a hotel robe?”
He palmed the back of his head, the movement lifting his T-shirt to reveal a glimpse of toned abs. My stomach twisted, the memory of how those ridges of muscles felt beneath my fingertips as clear as if it had just happen
ed. The seven intervening years only served to sharpen the edges, to add more definition to what had been, even at twenty-one, a damn fine physique.
“Nothing you did would surprise me.”
A knock at the door temporarily halted my cutting response. Ryker answered it, thanked the butler for bringing a fresh bucket of ice, and wandered back over to the bar. He made himself a scotch over ice. I saw no signs of a drink for me.
“Make mine a gin and tonic,” I drawled.
He glanced over his shoulder then showed me his back once more. A few seconds later he returned to the couch, a single glass in his hand.
Jackass.
I shot to my feet and marched over to the bar. Poured myself a drink. Stomped back to the chair. Stared at him petulantly.
“Well? Let’s get it over with, and then we can both go our separate ways.”
Ryker sipped his drink, his eyes fixed on mine. The ice shifted in the bucket, briefly drawing my gaze away from him.
He cleared his throat.
I looked back at him.
Still he remained silent, his hooded gaze and quiet menace tightening my throat. A sense of dread took root in my stomach. Taciturn Ryker scared me most of all.
After what felt like an age, he rested his elbow on the arm of the couch and swirled the dark liquid up the sides of his glass. “Why were you at the club?”
“Duh. Why do you think? I was working.”
“Working? Or fucking? I swear to god, Athena, you’d better have only been serving drinks because if you’ve been spreading your legs for money…” His voice dropped to a menacingly low tone. “I will lock you up and throw away the key.”
The fact he thought for one second I could ever prostitute myself sliced through my heart so deeply, I wasn’t sure the gaping hole could ever be repaired. If only he knew the truth. That my vagina was well and truly sealed up, and the man sitting opposite me was the sole owner of the key.
I breathed in through my nose, taking a moment to swallow the hurt before answering. “I was waiting tables, that’s all,” I replied sullenly.
“But why? It’s not like you need the money. Why would you degrade yourself like that? I saw that guy pawing at you. Can you imagine what Elliot would have done if he’d seen the same thing? I’d be posting bail on his ass, that’s what, because he’d have torn the guy’s arm off.”
Entranced (The ROGUES Billionaire Series Book 1) Page 4
