"Huh. Good point,” Ice conceded. "I’m starting to think I should come with you and bring a couple of scalpels to cut out some eyeballs. That sounds like a fun Wednesday afternoon."
Ares shook his head. "Only you would say something like that."
"Actually, I know a couple of people who'd say that," Ice said. "Gianni, for one. Most of Chelsea's boyfriends for another six. Especially Daniel Frost. He's sweet on the outside, but has a psychotic streak on the inside. You might say he's a bit like me."
"Out of his mind?” Ares suggested.
"I prefer to think of us as multifaceted," Ice said easily. "No one could call us one-dimensional. They wouldn't get away with it anyway. I have a special place in my workroom for people who say mean things like that."
"I'm pretty sure you've been called worse than one-dimensional," Mannix said.
"Absolutely, and I've dealt with them too,” Ice agreed. "All right, you two head down to Flirts and talk to Chelsea. Tell her I said hi and give her a hug from me." He wrapped his arms around me and pressed his lips to mine.
"You want me to kiss her for you?" I teased, letting my lips linger on his.
He chuckled. "I can do that for myself the next time I see her. I just wanted to kiss you. Now off you go and let me get your surprise organised." He patted my ass.
TWO
KENNEDY
"I don't think I should let you go in there." Ares eyed the front door to the club.
"We can't talk to her if we don’t," I pointed out.
This part of town would make most people nervous. Not us, though. Around here, people knew who we were. Most of them wouldn't dare to touch us.
Once in a while, someone came along and tried to challenge Mannix's authority, or Reuben Brantley's— Okay, let's be real. Someone was always someone waiting in the wings to take over, but Mannix and the rest of us took good care of the people here. If they were loyal to us, we were loyal to them.
If there was even a whisper of trouble, we'd hear about it.
Right now the worst of it was this Christmas party.
Was it possible we were overthinking this? Maybe Caleb didn't have anything planned. He might just want a night out.
All right. No one in the entire country, maybe even the world, believed that. Caleb Brantley was the very definition of ‘up to something.’ He did nothing without a reason. Ever.
I hoped whatever his reason was this time, it wasn't going to get us killed. Or worse.
"We could ask her to come out and talk to us," Ares said darkly.
"It'll be air-conditioned inside," I pointed out.
It was summer here in Australia. Today was particularly hot. The breeze off the ocean did nothing to cool it down. Was it too late to fly to the Northern Hemisphere for a white Christmas? That would get us out of having to host the party.
On the other hand, that would really piss Reuben off. A bit of snow wouldn't be worth what he'd do to us if we took off, even for a few days. He'd softened slightly after the birth of his children, but the change was so slight most people wouldn't notice it. Mostly, he was the same ruthless man I knew for over five years. Dangerous and driven. Like all three of my boyfriends.
"If anyone tries to lay a hand on you, they're dead meat,” Ares said, glaring at the door as if he could cut through it by shooting lasers out of his eyes.
"I’m sure no one would dare," I said. "One look at you and they'll run for the hills."
"They fucking better," he replied. He placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me through the doorway and into the club.
The pulse of music was the first thing that hit me, a sensual, persistent throb. Then there was the couple off to the side, stretched out on the couch, her legs wrapped around his hips, his cock thrusting into her pussy.
"Fuck," Ares muttered. “I knew we shouldn't have come here."
I slid my arm around his waist and led him deeper into the club, past a pole where a woman danced, men staring up at her with avid gazes. Watching her as she slowly peeled off her clothes.
