by BL Mute
I release a breath and make sure my face is solemn before speaking. “Why are you crying?”
She doesn’t answer. Instead she keeps taking steps, not stopping until she is in front of me. She looks up and I can see her eyes start to water. She immediately looks down in an effort to conceal her tears. I reach for her face and place my thumb and pointer under her chin, tipping it high. “Queens never let their head fall, Monkshood.” Her bottom lip is tucked tightly between her teeth. I tug at it, a motion that’s become so normal to me, before wiping the lone tear that has fallen to her cheek.
She lets out a sad laugh. “I’m no queen.”
I shake my head and turn on my heels, not trusting myself around her a moment longer. “Not yet,” I mumble, walking away.
My whole plan was to get her here and use her. I know the cartel wouldn’t expect it, but seeing her in this new light is making me question myself. I want her to be mine, and I want the world to know it, and I want everyone to know if they hurt her, there will be hell to pay. I don’t think I could hide my attraction for her from myself anymore, let alone anyone else.
I make my feet go through the motions. Right, left, right, left, fighting the urge to turn around with every step I take. When I made the promise to Chief Welsh about bringing down the cartel, I never knew his daughter. I knew of her, sure, but I didn’t know her. The more I looked into her, and the more I learned about her, did nothing but make me want her more.
I’ve had this plan for a while now. Find a woman who is suitable and use her as a pawn to fool the cartel, but who are we fooling here. I never expected myself to actually have these kinds of feelings for the poor soul I chose.
I release a breath and walk into my room, thankful I can be alone for a second.
I go to my bed and plop down. Unbuttoning my suit jacket, I slip it off my shoulders and throw it to the floor. Charlie is a lot of things. She’s smart, skilled, quick on her feet, but she isn’t cut out for this life. She was raised by a cop on the right side of the law. A good moral code and the right way of justice was instilled into her at a young age. I only offered her the bullshit role of bodyguard to me because I knew she wanted to bring down the fuckers who killed her dad as much as me. Granted, my reasoning is motivated in a different way, but we want the same thing, nonetheless.
I unbutton my shirt and throw it to the floor with my suit jacket before lying back onto my bed. Normally the goose-feather-stuffed mattress relaxes me, but not today. All I can think about is Charlie.
A knock sounds on the door, interrupting my thoughts. “What!” I call out.
When no one answers, I stand from my bed, annoyed. I pull open the door and see Charlie on the other side. This time she isn’t crying, and her head is held high.
“Do you have a minute?”
When I nod, she pushes past me and closes the door with a thud. “I have something I feel is important. I’m still not sure I can trust you, but I’m out of options.” She opens her hand and shoves a key toward my chest.
I take a deep breath and try to calm my nerves that are already furious at the sight of her upset.
I grab the key, letting it drag down my chest, leaving a raised red mark in its wake. “Where did you get this?” I ask through loosely clenched teeth.
“It was with my dad the night he died. I got it along with everything else he had on him. Do you know where it goes?”
I flip the key in my palm and study it. It isn’t a normal key. It’s long and slender with a single jagged line etched into the thumbpiece. It almost seems familiar, but I don’t know from where. “I’ve never seen a key like this, Monkshood.”
The disappointment shines bright in her eyes, and it guts me. “Well, do you have someone who can figure it out? You have this whole town in your back pocket. You know it as much as me, so help me.”
Her voice is harsh and blunt. It always is, but she has an edge to her now.
“Do you really want me to go ask around about this?” I hold up the key in front of her face. “Run the risk of someone wanting it for themselves?”
She tilts her head and bites her lip. When her eyes meet mine again, she releases it. Good girl. I want to say it, but I think better of it.
“You don’t have someone you can trust?”
I huff. “I only trust four people in this entire world. My boys, Carl, and you.” The “you” slips out before I can catch myself, but it’s a true statement. The basics aren’t the only things I know about her. It goes deeper than that.
I’m not proud to admit it, but she was only going to be leverage if Chief Welsh ever tried anything stupid. I’ve been watching her, studying her, for eight years now. When her dad came to me at Cedric’s funeral, I knew I needed the upper hand—I always have the upper hand, so the search began. It didn’t take me long to find her or learn all the things I know about her. People are open books when money is involved.
When Chief Welsh died, my infatuation with her didn’t. I still watched her. In a weird, fucked-up way, I felt I owed it to her dad to make sure she was safe. When I learned she was hunting for his killer, a new idea came to me, and I saw an opportunity and took it.
I silence all of my thoughts and look back to her. When my eyes meet hers, her mouth opens like she wants to say something, but she doesn’t. She reaches for my face and runs her thumb over the healing gash she gave me.
“I—” She cuts herself off and clears her throat, dropping her hand.
I step closer to her and can almost feel the pulsing of electricity crackling between us. I grab her hand in mine and bring it back to my face, pressing her palm to my cheek with my own, inhaling her sweet scent. I made the first move last time. I won’t do it again. I level my eyes with hers, challenging her to go further.
Something switches inside her. I can see it all over her face. Her tense body relaxes, and her eyes shine a different way. They’re softer, but still hard. Her lips turn up the slightest bit in a grin before she moves closer to me and runs them over my chest.
I let my head fall back and release a breath. “This is something you can’t take back, Monkshood.” I can hear my words as I speak. She needs to know if she gives herself to me, she’s mine.
She doesn’t acknowledge me.
Her soft hair tickles my stomach as she bends down to rest on her knees. She looks up to me and waits for my next move. Normally, her on her knees is right where I would want her, but not today.
I grab her by the shoulders and stand her up, then crash my mouth on hers. I tried to tell myself getting into bed with her would only complicate my plan, but I’ve already said fuck my plan.
Her lips slowly become entangled with my own. They’re soft and sweet. So fucking sweet. I revel in her taste as I turn her and back her toward my bed. Her breaths are shaky, shallow. I push her down and chuckle at the sharp exhale she releases on impact. She doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into, but it’s too late now.
Leaning over her, I pin her wrists above her head, then plant soft kisses along her neck and shoulder. As I move lower, she tries to move. I stop and raise above her again. “Leave them there,” I rasp.
Without an argument, she moves them back to the top of her head. I smile down on her. “Good girl.”
I run my hands down her sides until I reach the waist of her leggings. I tug at them and enjoy the view as Charlie bends her knees. She plants her feet on the edge of the bed, then lifts her ass so I can slide them off. I throw them to the floor with her delicate panties tangled inside.
Her body is on display for me, her bottom half completely naked, her hands resting above her head. I push the hem of her shirt up, letting it lie above her small waist, before I go back to peppering kisses all over her exposed flesh.
I kiss her stomach, then move to her hips, letting my teeth graze her soft skin. She moans out in pleasure, sending my dick all the signal it needs to stand at attention. I move down, lower and lower. Her skin is soft, and I can feel the nerve endings twitching as
I continue to cover her thighs with wispy, feathery kisses. I spread her legs wider.
I kneel at the edge of the bed. Her arousal glistens in the light over her pink folds, and fuck if she doesn’t look delicious. I lean in close and inhale deeply, never wanting to forget her scent. Before I can dive into her and do all of the things I’ve only dreamed of, she leans up on her elbows and plants a foot on my shoulder.
“You know what queens do, Teddy?” She smiles when I don’t answer. “They bring kings to their knees.”
Without another word, she leaps from the bed and grabs her pants, then sprints out of my door.
What the fuck just happened.
I hear a loud bang as I race down the hallway. No doubt Teddy is throwing a temper tantrum and throwing something at the wall. It serves him right. Now he can wallow and feel how I felt after what he did to me.
I should hold my head high and be happy I put him in his place, even for just a second, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want more. His hands caressed me in ways I’ve never been touched. They burned with lust against my skin—the same hands that have taken the lives of countless others—yet they excited and exhilarated me.
Surrendering to my cozy corner, I push through the door and let it fall closed behind me. I don’t even stop. I go to the bathroom and strip my shirt off, letting it fall to the floor with my pants. I stand there a second, clearing the thoughts in my head, then reach for the knobs to the shower. As I adjust the water and wait, I begin to grasp the context of what just happened. As much as I enjoyed it, I try to reason with myself. I am only here to find my dad’s killer. I’m not here to fall in love and get tangled in the sheets with the leader of the Mafia. Or am I?
The steam begins to infiltrate the room. I step into the shower and let my mind fade into a welcomed dullness as the hot water pounds down onto me. I am not sure if it’s the steam or the droplets against my skin, but being under its spell calms me. Every muscle in my body relaxes as I lean against the wall and let the water hit my face. I’m in my own mind, and for once I don’t hate it.
But it doesn’t take long before he invades my thoughts. The look on Teddy’s face when I used his own words on him was amazing. It started as admiration, then quickly turned to confusion, until finally, there was nothing but anger.
I laugh out loud to the memory that will forever be burned in my mind, then move my hands down my body, wetting every inch.
“What’s so funny, Monkshood?” His voice is breathy and deep.
I jump, startled, trying to cover myself with my hands, but it’s no use. He’s already seen me naked. He’s already touched me. I drop my hands and turn off the water and reach out for a towel.
Plucking it from the golden hook on the wall, I wrap it around me. “Your face. It doesn’t feel too good to be used, now does it?”
He steps closer to me, his chest grazing the front of the towel. “I was simply showing you that I’m in charge. I wasn’t using you.”
I push past him and walk to my closest. “Well, who’s in charge now?” I mumble under my breath.
“Make it something nice,” he says, appearing in the doorway, pointing to all of the dresses on the hangers.
I roll my eyes, thankful he didn’t hear me, but annoyed he’s still bossing me around. I pull a champagne-colored dress off the hanger and slip it over my head, not letting the towel fall until it’s in place.
“These.” He reaches down and grabs a pair of Valentinos.
Once they’re in my hands, I run my fingers over the gold studs. Two straps wrap around the tops of my toes, while another curves and snakes around my ankle in the opposite direction, as I put them on.
Once they’re buckled, I stand and walk past Teddy and back into the bathroom. I pile my damp hair into a messy bun before pulling the elastic from my wrist and wrapping it around.
Teddy looks at me through the mirror as I finish. “Take it down.”
When I don’t reply and try to walk out, he wraps his hand around the nape of my neck gently, but I know at any moment he can have me on the verge of death. He pulls my back to his front and leans in close to my ear.
“Down,” he says as he tugs at the elastic, letting my hair fall.
He straightens himself and adjusts the front of his pants, trying to conceal what I’ve already felt. “We have to go.”
“Where?” I ask, turning to face him head-on.
He looks my body up and down but doesn’t answer my question. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a leather strap with two buckles. Without permission, like it’s even needed, he hikes my dress up around my hips and fastens the thinner strap around my waist, then moves to my thigh. He fastens another buckle on the outside of my leg before adjusting the holster on the inside, letting his knuckles brush my bare pussy the slightest bit. He pulls my dress back down and takes a step back. Each strap is so thin it can’t be seen.
He examines where the holster sits, seeming satisfied. He places his hand behind him, raising his shirt in the process, then extends it to me with my gun. “Put it on and see how it feels.”
I grab my Glock and reach between my legs, moving it until it’s rested in the holster.
He observes my body again. “Can’t even see it.” He smiles.
I shake my head as he walks out of the room, and I follow. We walk down the hallway and stop by the door. After a few seconds, Lucas and Julius emerge.
“Are we ready?” Teddy asks. His voice is sharp this time, and his tone is serious.
Both twins push their suit jackets to the side, showing guns resting on their ribs. “All ready,” Lucas says as Julius types on his phone. He turns the screen toward Teddy as I look over his shoulder. A thumbs-up emoji is all that’s on the screen.
Heading down the front steps, we make our way toward Carl. He is in his usual resting place, hands crossed, well dressed, warm smile, waiting with the car. In this ever-changing atmosphere, he is a nice source of constant. Almost like a breath of fresh air.
I tilt my head and turn to Lucas. “When did he get a phone?”
“He’s had it,” Lucas remarks.
“How come I’ve never seen it?”
“He only uses it to talk when he feels like it. I guess he just doesn’t have anything to say to you.” He shrugs. From the corner of my eye, I catch that all-too-familiar smirk.
He opens the door, and as every time before, we all pile in.
As Carl starts the car, and we head toward the gate. It’s like I am only half-aware of the world outside the comfort of the car. My mind starts to race as I struggle to quiet my thoughts. I try to focus on anything other than our destination to avoid the unknown and the nerves that may be associated with it. I let myself get lost in the soundless changing of the gears and the pattern of the traffic lights.
Rolling up on the club, I scan the crowd while stepping out. Carl gives me a nod through the window and stays behind. The doors close, and I can hear the locks engage from inside. No need for surprises. Outside, the constant beat of the drums and an occasional flicker of strobe spills into the street. One of the main reasons I bought this place is because fights can easily be written off as drunk patrons, and business meetings can be conducted without the fear of someone overhearing. It’s a good place to push my money through too. It appears legit due to the consistent flow of cash.
The twins walk in front of me, tipping their heads to the bouncer at the door as Charlie comes up behind me. “You really like doing business here, huh?”
I stop and turn to my side, placing my hand on the nape of her neck to push her in front of me. “I like it because it’s mine.”
“You own this place?” I can’t see her face, but her voice raises a few octaves and almost transforms into a squeal.
I let out a small laugh. “Did you ever wonder how you made it in here when you were eighteen? It’s not because of the shitty fake ID you had. It’s because I had my eyes on you and allowed it. Like you said—” I move my hand to the small of her
back and urge her forward until we reach the bottom of the stairs for the VIP section. “—I have lots of people in my back pocket. I own more of this town than you know.”
Her green eyes catch mine over her shoulder for a second before she faces forward and makes her way up the stairs, pushing open the door.
Stepping inside, I see Lucas and Julius lounging on the couch with a man I’ve never seen. He’s tall and skinny and looks almost scared. “Who are you?”
Before the man can answer, Simon Moreno strolls through the door. “Theodore Hale, so nice of you to come and meet me.”
He walks to the couch and sits down like he owns the place. His scrawny legs cross as he stretches his arms along the back of the couch, but I’m not fooled. Simon is a scrapper and always has been. I guess that comes along with being a junkie. The need to know how to fight, and fight dirty, just to survive long enough to get your next fix.
My lips curl in disgust. “I’m only here to throw your lousy ass out of my club, Simon. So, if you have something to say, start talking.”
He tilts his head with wide eyes and a smirk. “Oh.” He moves one hand to his chest in a surprised manner. “Is the big, bad, devious king going soft? I was expecting a fight, a shootout. Something other than ‘say what you gotta say.’” He laughs, trying to mimic my voice.
His eyes shoot to Charlie, who’s standing tall beside me, then back to me. “Ah, that’s it. Didn’t Cedric ever teach you not to let good pussy go to your head?”
Everything in my being snaps when he talks about her, but I keep my cool. Empires weren’t built on impulsive decisions, after all. I look to the twins, and they nod, grabbing the dude on the couch by either arm.
Simon uncrosses his legs and leans forward, almost like he knows what is coming. “Let’s make it fair, shall we?” He reaches behind him and pulls his gun, throwing it to Charlie’s feet, then stands.
