Ember appears in the doorway, her pretty face twisted into an angry scowl.
“Love you, too,” I tell Sasha in Russian and hang the phone up. “Ms. Lorenzo?—”
“What the hell are you doing in here? Why are there movers taking the furniture?”
“I thought this space could use some renovation,” I tell her. She stares incredulously at me.
“So, you just decided to do it? Without talking to me about it first?”
I clench my jaw to stifle a reprimand. She’s got some mouth on her. “I don’t need your permission.”
She huffs. “You know what I mean. We had a deal here. I stay on, and you keep out of club business.”
“Show me in this room where there’s club business,” I say to her, closing the gap between us. “Was it whatever’s left of this coffee table? Or maybe in that couch that smells of stale beer and pussy? This room is a fucking hole.”
“So what?” she says, taking a half-step back. “Why in the world would you even care?”
She’s trying to say strong, but her eyes are darting away quickly. I step even closer to her. “Because this is my office. And I am in charge. Do you understand?”
Her eyes dart around my face, discerning the signs of danger. “You said?—”
“Down there, you might be queen of the house. But here? I’m king. It would do you some good to remember that.”
She swallows hard, summoning her courage. “I don’t know who you think you are,” she says, the shakiness in her voice betraying her, “but you are notmyking.”
“Not yet,” I respond with a smirk.
She turns and storms off. As I watch her go, I notice my heart’s racing and, God help me, I’m rock hard. That old part of me that loves the chase and the challenge has ignited somewhere deep inside me.
You are notmyking.
How I long to make her a liar.
I turn away from the doorway, stepping out of the cloud of her perfume. It’s been years since a woman has come along who’s ignited something inside me. As I wander to the window, I catch sight of her walking past the movers as they bring in the marble base for the coffee table. One of these days, she’s going to be mine.
By the timethe club is opened, the office renovations are finished for the most part. I had a paint crew come in and redo the walls and a cleaner to come in and take care of the multiple stains on the carpet. When the office was finished, it barely looked the same. With the new couch and table set up and the new desk with an updated computer, I’ve managed to restore some dignity to this place.
I hadn’t been planning on staying here for the evening, but with Sasha spending the night at a friend’s house, I find myself faced with the option of being in that big house alone or being here. It’s not exactly the best place to be in the world, but I’m tired of drinking alone at home.
Plus, the drinks are better here. I don’t know where Ember found that bartender, but I can confidently say that I’ve never had a smoother whiskey sour. I’ll have to see if he teaches classes.
I’m standing and watching the club come to life from the window. It’s a good night. Almost every table is filled. The dancers are all on their game of entrancing the customers…
And there’s no Ember in sight. At least not at the moment. I imagine she’s in her office downstairs. As stubborn as she comes off, she doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who would take a night off work because her boss pissed her off.
I notice a little commotion at the door, then several men walk in together. The one in front has my blue eyes and his long hair back in a ponytail.
Ares. Guess he and his men decided to see what all the commotion was about. He looks up at the mirrored glass, then says something to the brigadier closest to him and starts walking toward the back.
He knows I’m here. Ares makes it his business to know where I am at all times. He usually calls to see where I am, but not this time. I imagine he just tracked my phone.
Or he made an educated guess. There aren’t too many places I’d be tonight if I’m not at home.
A few moments later, there’s a knock on the door. “Come in.”
Ares walks in and greets me with a hug. “Good evening, Brother,” he says. “Lording over your kingdom tonight?” He motions to the window overlooking the club.
“Something like that. Have a seat. I can have the bartender send us some drinks.”
