“Wh—”
“Don’t talk,” he scolds me. “That numbing cream needs to set up. You’ve got a cavity that I’m going to fix. Afterward, I’ll clean them, and you kids will be on your way,” the dentist now sings, tapping my shoulder.
My eyes go to the corner to see if Tyson is still on his phone, but he’s no longer there.
THIRTEEN
TYSON
Ipull up to Blackout and turn off my car. She hasn’t spoken to me since we left the dentist’s office thirty minutes ago. Getting out, I open her door and grab her hand, pulling her from it.
“Why are we here?” she asks softly when we enter through the back door.
All the lights are on, but we’re the only ones here at the moment. “This is where we’ll live,” I inform her.
“But your house—”
“We’ll live here,” I repeat, and she lets it go. I’m at Blackout most of the time already, so I figured it’d be best if we just lived here. I don’t want her at my home right now. It’ll raise too many questions that I refuse to answer.
We enter the elevator and ride it up to the fourth floor, where the apartment is. I unlock the door and we step inside. “You have three hours,” I say, glancing at my Rolex.
She turns to face me, a look of concern in her blue eyes. “Three hours until what?” she asks slowly. I’m sure part of her mouth is still numb from the dentist.
“Until the club opens.”
“Why would that matter to me?” she wonders.
I smile, stepping into her. “Because you’re going to work here.”
Her eyes widen and her lips part. “Tyson—”
“You will work for Blackout.”
“But I don’t want to.”
I snort. “Doesn’t matter what you want.” I step away and turn my back to her. This is part of my plan. A Minson working as a cocktail server at a nightclub is beneath them. Just another way to drag their name through the mud. I want her father to be disappointed. Embarrassed. This is one way of many to do it.
“Tyson—”
“Get ready. Meet Beau down at the bar, and he’ll help you get your uniform.” I turn to exit the bedroom.
“You’re leaving?”
I face her once more, and I can’t tell if she’s excited to be alone or terrified. “I’ll be in my office. I have work to do.” With that, I turn and leave the apartment.
Entering my office on the second floor, I sit down and pull out my cell when it starts to ring. “Hello?” I answer.
“Hey, man. Nice wedding,” the familiar voice says in greeting.
I lean back in my chair. “Glad you were able to make it.” Smiling, I add, “Didn’t know you planned on attending.”
He snorts. “When they require cloaks and masks for attendance, it’s easy to hide in plain sight.”
“True.” I agree.
If the Lords had seenthemthere, they’d have had a fucking fit. The Spade brothers are Lords in a sense, but not what you’d think. They run their own hell, their own way. Just like I do with Blackout. They don’t have to answer to the higher-ups because you don’t get any higher than them. Not all who rule choose to watch peasants from their thrones. Some of us like to keep our hands dirty.
“I just wanted to congratulate you and let you know we’re making a quick trip out of town. We’ll be back soon, though. I’ll reach out when we return.”
