Roxy narrows her eyes. “Doesn’t look like girl talk to me.”
Destiny winks at me then sashays away, her hips swinging dramatically.
“Don’t listen to that bitch,” Foxy says, dropping back into her seat. “She’s just a whore trying to start problems.”
Roxy sighs, sliding onto the barstool next to me. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
I force a smile. “I’m fine.”
It’s a lie, and from the way Roxy’s eyes soften, she knows it.
“No, you’re not,” she says, taking my hand in hers. “But that’s okay. This world—“ she gestures around the clubhouse “—it takes some getting used to.”
I look down at her hand covering mine, at the silver rings adorning her fingers and the faded tattoos on her wrist. She’s been in this life a long time.
“Cherries have their place in the club,” Roxy says, her voice gentle but matter-of-fact. “These men deal with so much, they need them to let off steam.”
I make a face, and Roxy smiles.
“We have our place too.”
“Which is what they want,” Foxy adds.
“They do,” Roxy confirms, “And they’ll go to just about any length to get it. Fake a pregnancy, lie through their teeth, make you have doubts.”
“Be a cunt,” Foxy growls.
Roxy laughs. “Yes, especially be a cunt.”
I frown, confused. “What do we have that they want?”
Roxy smiles triumphantly. “Our man’s heart.” She squeezes my hand. “Once a King finds his Queen, he’ll stop at nothing to keep her.”
My throat tightens. Bane doesn’t see me like that. I stole from him. I’m only here because of the deal I made. I mean, we slept together yeah, but apparently he sleeps with everyone.
The back door swings open with a bang, and I know without looking that it’s the man himself. I can feel his presence, can feel the air charging with electricity.
Glancing over, Bane’s eyes find me instantly. They rake over my face, then narrow as he stalks across the room. “What the fuck happened?”.
“Destiny happened,” Foxy says, rolling her eyes.
Bane sweeps the room, landing on the woman sitting at a table across the bar. His expression darkens, and he starts to move in that direction.
I reach out and grab his hand to stop him. “It’s fine.”
He stops, his eyes searching mine. “It’s not fine. You belong to me, and she fucked with you.” His voice drops. “Nobody fucks with the Kings.”
I exhale and state the obvious. “I’m not a King.”
A devilish smirk lifts the corner of his mouth. “No, baby. You’re a motherfucking Queen.”
With a rumble from deep in his chest, he fists my hair and tugs my head back, then crashes his lips to mine. I dissolve into the kiss, my toes curling inside my shoes.
God, the man can kiss.
All my doubts melt away as his tongue sweeps into my mouth, claiming me in front of everyone.
“Get a room,” Tacoma grunts from behind us.
